Roborock S7 vs. Roomba i7 Comparison Review
There’s no doubt that Roomba and Roborock are the real contenders when it comes to the best robot vacuum brands on the market. Two of their best-selling models are Roborock S7 and Roomba i7.
If you are in a dilemma of which one to go for between the two, this Roborock S7 vs. Roomba i7 comparison review is for you.
Find out how the two robot vacuums compare in terms of design and aesthetics, cleaning performance, autonomy, navigation, mapping, and more.
Roborock S7
Released on May 7, 2021, the S7 is the latest addition to the Roborock line of robot vacuums.
This is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum designed for homes with bare floors such as hardwood, tile, and linoleum. The robot vacuum is also suitable for homes with low to high pile carpets and pets.
It’s reasonably priced and packs several bells and whistles, including improved mopping performance and an intelligent navigation and mapping system.
Roomba i7
The Roomba i7 is not the latest in the Roomba series, having been released back in September 2018. Unlike the Roborock S7, the Roomba i7 is a vacuum-only cleaner.
It is suitable for homes with bare floors and low pile carpets. The i7 also handles pet messes pretty well. There are two models in the i7 series: Roomba i7 (7150) and Roomba i7+ (7550).
The former doesn’t include the Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal unit – that’s the difference between the two.
Comparison Table
Roborock S7 vs. Roomba i7 Comparison Review
Onto the main business of the day, how does the Roomba i7 square out with the Roborock S7? We will detail how the two robot vacuums compare based on the main factors that buyers consider when purchasing robot vacuums.
1. Design and Aesthetics
How does the Roborock S7 compare to the Roomba i7? Below is a summary of the shape, dimensions, weight, and color availability of the two robot vacuums.
Roborock S7 Design and Aesthetics
The Roborock S7 is round-shaped, just like the rest of the Roborock and Xiaowa robot vacuums. It may not be the slimmest robot vacuum we have reviewed, but still, the robot has a low-profile design. It is 3.8-inch thin and has a 13.8-inches diameter.
Regarding the weight, the Roborock S7 weighed 10.3617lbs on our kitchen scale. Lastly, on the finish, the S7 is available in two color options; black and white.
Roomba i7 Design and Aesthetics
The Roomba i7 also comes with a round-shaped design. It’s only with the S9 that the American brand shifted to a D-shaped design. The Roomba i7 also comes with a low profile design standing at 3.63-inches and stretching to 13.34-inches.
Regarding the weight, the i7 is 7.74lbs without the Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal unit. As for the available colors, the i7 is available in black only.
2. Cleaning Performance
Robot vacuums are highly specialized. In this segment, find out more about the cleaning performance of the two robot vacuums. As you may be aware, all robot vacuums employ a 3-stage cleaning system, but the individual components may differ.
Roborock S7 Specialty
The Roborock S7 is an all-round robot cleaner that vacuums and mops simultaneously. It is suitable for homes with bare floors, including tile, linoleum, marble, vinyl, hardwood, laminate, and the rest. You can also rely on this robot vacuum to pick up pet hair and other pet messes, such as kitty litter.
The S7 also does an excellent job when it comes to carpets, whether it’s on low pile carpets, high pile, or area rugs.
Roomba i7 Specialty
The Roomba i7 will only vacuum. Just like the S7, it is also suitable for all types of bare floors, including tile, laminate, vinyl, marble, and hardwood, just to mention a few.
This robot also vacuums carpets but will effectively vacuum low pile carpets only. It gets overwhelmed on thick carpets and area rugs. The i7 is also ideal for picking up pet hair and other pet messes such as kitty litter.
Roomba i7 Vacuuming Performance
The Roomba i7 comes with a not-so-powerful 2nd Generation motor that puts up a maximum of 900 pa, which is not just enough to flush dirt out of the deep carpet pile. For agitation, the robot boasts AeroForce technology that relies on a dual multisurface primary brushroll with anti-tangle technology.
On the sides, there is a side sweeping brush that sweeps the wall edges and deep corners.
Roborock S7 Vacuuming Performance
The Roborock S7 is far much better in terms of vacuuming than the Roomba i7. First, this robot vacuum comes with a powerful motor that puts up a whopping 2500pa making it the best bang for the buck if you have carpets. The unit also comes with an upgraded floating main rubber brushroll that allows multiple planes of movement for effective agitation and dirt pickup.
On the side, there is also a side sweeping brush.
Onboard, there is a 0.3L bin with a full bin indicator. As you may be aware, the i7 was the first Roomba that featured automatic self-emptying. This is a technology that lets the Roomba empty itself automatically.
The Roomba i7 works with this technology, but the Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal unit is not included. On the other hand, the i7+ comes with the unit.
Just like Roomba, Roborock also has automatic bin emptying. The S7 can empty itself automatically, but it doesn’t come with the Roborock Auto-Empty Dock – you will have to purchase it separately.
Roborock S7 Mopping Function
The S7 offers dry and wet mopping, just like its predecessors, the Roborock S6 and S6 models. The robot relies on an electronically controlled 300 ml water tank and mopping pads to get the job done.
However, unlike the older models, the S7 offers better mopping courtesy of Sonic Technology that scrubs floors up to 3,000 times per minute, clearing all stuck-on dirt and stains. To prevent the robot from wetting carpets, the robot has ultrasonic carpet detection that lifts the cleaning head when carpets are detected.
Cleaning Test Results
As usual, we test all the robot vacuum cleaners we review; the Roomba i7 and Roborock S7 were no exception. To give readers a glimpse of the robot’s real-life performance, we used the daily household dirt, talk of flour, rice, sugar, cereals, kitty litter, pet hair, coffee, and sand pebbles. Below are the results of the test.
3. Battery and Runtime
A good robot vacuum should have a high-capacity battery to give it a longer runtime. It’s also important to go for models that have intelligent power management.
- How Long Does Roomba i7 Last?
The Roomba i7, despite being among the latest releases, doesn’t offer long runtime compared to the big boys in the market. This one comes with a 1800mAh lithium-ion battery that offers 75 minutes of runtime on average. The Roomba i7 will dock for recharge automatically and will resume cleaning automatically after that. Recharge time is about 2-3 hours.
- How Long Does the Roborock S7 Last?
The Roborock S7 is bigger and better. First, it comes with a high capacity 5,200mAh battery that offers an impressive 180 minutes. When it comes to power management, there is a quick charge feature that calculates the remaining area and gets the exact amount of charge needed to get the job done, instead of waiting for the entire 3 hours of recharge time. In addition, the S7 will dock for recharge and resume cleaning without being prompted.
4. Navigation and Mapping
Navigation and mapping is all about how the robot vacuum finds its way around obstacles, and importantly, how it understands your home’s layout. In this section, find out how Roomba’s navigation and mapping system compares to Roborock’s.
Roomba i7 Navigation and Mapping
The Roomba i7 comes with iRobot’s revolutionary iAdapt 3.0 Navigation with Imprint® Smart Mapping Technology. The robot relies on a set of obstacle and cliff detection sensors to avoid accidents, plus real-time cameras for better accuracy.
When it comes to floor mapping, the i7 cleans in a methodical pattern ensuring entire level cleaning. On the other hand, Imprint® Smart Mapping enables the robot to differentiate the different rooms in your house.
Other cool features include customizable Keep Out Zones (boundary mapping), Clean Maps, and customizable maps.
Roborock S7 Navigation and Mapping
The Roborock S7 also comes with an intelligent navigation and mapping system, but it’s slightly different because it doesn’t have onboard cameras. The system uses PreciSense™ LiDAR Navigation that helps the robot vacuum to avoid obstacles and falls.
It also helps the robot vacuum create detailed maps of your home and can save up to four maps.
As for cleaning, the S7 uses adaptive route algorithms for accurate mapping. Other great features include Automatic Room Recognition, No-Go Zones, Invisible Walls, and No-Mop Zones.
5. Smart Features and Convenience
A good robot vacuum should have smart connectivity to sync with other smart home devices. It should also have voice assistant capability. So, what do the two robot vacuums offer in terms of smart features?
The Roomba i7 is a smart robot vacuum that supports mobile app operation and has voice assistant compatibility. You get a whole lot of control features on the iRobot Home app. The robot can also sync with Alexa and Google Assistant.
The Roborock S7 is not different in that it also supports remote mobile app operation and has voice assistant compatibility.
Besides, the S7 has an inbuilt voice control function.
Summary: Roborock S7 vs. Roomba i7
There you have it, folks, a summary of the Roomba i7 vs. Roborock S7. As witnessed, the S7 is bigger and better in many ways. It is the best deal if you are looking for an all-round cleaner that can vacuum and mop simultaneously. Other advantages include higher suction, larger onboard bin, longer runtime, quick charge function, and, importantly, affordability.
The i7 is also a worthy choice, but only if you have bare floors, pets, and low pile carpets. It struggles on high pile carpets and area rugs.
