Shark IQ vs Roomba i7 vs Roomba 960
Today, I will be reviewing the Shark IQ vs. Roomba i7 vs. Roomba 960. All three models are smart navigation robots, which means they use a camera for mapping. The market today has a chock-full of robot vacuums that offer various abilities and features, but these three models are among the best.
The price for the Roomba 960 is coming down, but the majority still considers it a pricey robot. Is the Roomba 960 worth the splurge, or should you spend a little more and opt for the Roomba i7? How about the Shark IQ with a self-emptying dustbin?
Read on and learn the main differences between these smart navigation robots.
Quick Summary
- The Shark IQ is ideal for homeowners who are looking for an affordable robot vacuum with a self-emptying base.
- The Roomba i7 may be the best choice for you if you will use it to clean a large house or an office with multiple stories. You can also purchase the Clean Base® if you decide to make an upgrade at a later time. While this model has a powerful motor generating 1700 Pa, you may have to recharge the unit more frequently if you run the robot in its highest setting.
- If you have a small home, the Roomba 960 may be the best option for you. The Roomba i7’s ability to save up to 10 floor layouts might not be worth the added cost.
Main Differences
- Dustbin Sensor
The Shark IQ does not have a dustbin sensor that the Roomba i7 and Roomba 960 have. This robot relies on pre-programmed, proprietary algorithms to send itself back to its charging base. - Brushes
The Shark IQ uses a brushroll consisting of fins and bristles, while the Roomba i7 and Roomba 960 use the patented Dual Multi-Surface Brush System. However, the brushes for the Roomba i7 have longer treads compared to the Roomba 960. Additionally, the upgraded brush system mounts on a new self-adjusting plate to keep the brushes constantly in contact with floors and carpets. - Self-Emptying Base
The Roomba 960 is the only robot vacuum in this review that does not support a self-emptying base. If you get the standalone Roomba i7, you can at least purchase the Clean Base™ soon. By then, the smaller dustbin of the Roomba i7 will become irrelevant. - Virtual Boundaries
The Roomba i7 and Roomba 960 offer the easiest way to prevent your robot vacuum from entering specific areas through the Keep-Out Zone feature that you can access via the iRobot Home app. The Shark IQ, on the other hand, requires a little bit of manual labor on your part with its BotBoundary® strips. - Suction Power
Unfortunately, the Roomba 960 had left the group chat when the Shark IQ and Roomba i7 started boasting about their pick-up abilities. With only 900 Pa. of suction power, this Roomba failed in the crevice test and did below average in the fine debris test. - Dirt Detect™
Dirt Detect™ is a feature exclusive to Roomba. Understandably, you will not find this feature in the Shark IQ. But although the Roomba 960 has dirt detection, it isn’t as advanced as the Roomba i7. The Dirt Detect™ feature of the Roomba i7 makes a note of the concentrated areas it cleaned and uses it as a reference for future cleaning cycles.
Comparison Table
Listed below are the most important specifications of each robot vacuum. Read on so that you can easily differentiate the Shark IQ vs. Roomba i7 vs. Roomba 960.
Last update on 2022-12-24 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Shark IQ
SharkNinja shook the market when the company introduced its first smart robot vacuum with a self-emptying base to boot. Not only that, but this model also distances itself from other Sharks with its camera-based navigation and advanced software.
So, who is this smart robot? Let me introduce to you, the Shark IQ.
The Shark IQ promises better cleaning coverage and performance than previous Sharks. Equipped with a self-cleaning brushroll, human and pet hair can’t stop the Shark IQ from keeping your home tidy. This model also has two side brushes that spin lento to ensure it doesn’t make a bigger mess while it cleans hard floors.
If everything goes according to plan, you wouldn’t even have to think about the Shark IQ until the base is full. You won’t have to buy dirt disposal bags for the base, either. The self-emptying base for the Shark IQ is bagless, which makes it an eco-friendly and economical choice.
- IQ Nav Technology (onboard camera + advanced software)
- Multi-room coverage and room selection
- Equipped with 2 spinning side brushes and a tangle-free brushroll
- 23 cfm airflow
- 90 minutes of run-time
- Recharge and resume feature
- 600-mL dustbin capacity
- Bagless self-emptying base
- Smart Home Integration (Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant)
- Best for pet hair, hard floors, and low- to medium-pile carpets
- BotBoundary® are time-consuming and less effective in the long run
- Doesn’t have a feature similar to Dirt Detect™
Roomba i7
The Roomba i7 is rich in impressive features, which makes it one of the most coveted robot vacuums in the market. This model comes equipped with an upgraded design of the patented Dual Multi-Surface Brush System installed in a height-adaptive cleaning plate. With these features combined, you get an awesome robot vacuum that can effectively clean all floor types.
The best game-changing feature I love about the Roomba i7 is its ability to create 10 accurate and detailed floor plans. I don’t know why robot vacuum manufacturers took a while to make this happen, but I’m glad it is already here! The iAdapt® 3.0 Navigation with vSLAM® technology opens a new world of opportunities for robot vacuums. With this tech, I can create multiple Keep-Out Zones via the app and further improves the Dirt Detect™ feature.
And if you purchase the Clean Base™, you will have a robot vacuum that will automate daily cleaning tasks. Remember Rosie from the Jetsons? Yeah, I imagine myself having my own little Rosie around the house with the Roomba i7.
- Adapt® 3.0 Navigation with vSLAM® technology
- Imprint™ Smart Maps (can save up to 10 different floor plans)
- Imprint Link™ Technology
- iRobot Home app and Smart Home Integration (Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant)
- AeroForce 3-stage Cleaning System
- 1,700 Pa suction power
- Dirt Detect™ Technology
- Wi-Fi controlled via the iRobot Home app, Alexa, or Google Assistant
- Create multiple Keep-Out Zones via the app
- Supports Virtual Wall® barriers
- Compatible with the Clean Base™
- Recharge and resume feature
- Best for pet hair, hard floors, and low- to medium-pile carpets
- Expensive and needs AllergenLock™ replacement bags if you buy the Clean Base™
- May struggle with high-pile carpeting
Roomba 960
The Roomba 960 is the last robot standing in the 900 Series showroom. This model still sits at the expensive side of Roomba despite the introduction of the Roombas e5 and s9+. I am pretty sure its navigation technology has something to do with its hefty price tag. After all, even the Roomba e5 still bounces around despite its powerful suction.
Speaking of suction power, this Roomba falls behind in that department. The motor for the Roomba 960 generates 900 Pa at best, which is proven inadequate in my medium-pile and high-pile carpet tests. This poor suction can also be seen in the crevice pick-up test.
Nevertheless, the Roomba 960 has several features that you can only find in top-tier Roombas. These features include Dirt Detect™ and Imprint Link® Technology, which allows your robot Roomba 960 to work in tandem with the Braava jet® m6.
- iAdapt 2.0 Navigation with vSLAM® technology
- Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brush System
- Multi-room coverage and room selection
- iRobot Home app and Smart Home Integration (Amazon Alexa & Google Assistant)
- Supports Keep-Out Zones and Virtual Wall® barriers
- Dirt Detect™
- Imprint Link® Technology
- 460 mL dustbin capacity
- Recharge and resume feature
- Best for pet hair, hard floors, and low-pile carpets
- Often struggles with fine, heavy debris due to its low suction power
- May not perform well in medium- to high-pile carpets
- Failure to identify dark-colored surfaces
Face to Face Comparison
Let us run through a face to face comparison about the main features.
Design
Roomba i7
At the front of the chassis is the touch-sensitive bumper, while the waste bin and filter sit back at the opposite side. That tiny circle you see on top of the robot is the RCON (Room Confinement) sensor, which detects the Home Base® and Virtual Wall® barrier. If you wish to make an upgrade and purchase the Clean Base®, the RCON sensor will enable the Roomba i7 to communicate with the self-emptying base.
There are three buttons on the faceplate of the Roomba i7. At the center is the Clean button, where I would press to initiate or end a cleaning job manually. There is also an LED indicator ring around it. To the right is the Spot Clean button. Pressing this button sends the robot to boosts its vacuum power as it cleans a localized area about three feet. Then there is the Home button for sending the robot back to its dock.
The first thing that caught my eye when I flipped the robot over is the neon Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brush System between the treaded wheels. Also, there is the three-spoke side brush that gets into areas where the main brushroll cannot reach. There is a caster wheel at the bottom front for easy maneuvering.
To clean and replace these brushes, I only need to pull up the latches on each side of the brushroll. Around the edges, I found six cliff sensors that detect stairs or steep drops.
Aside from the robot vacuum itself and the Home Base®, the Roomba i7 package includes:
- one Virtual Wall®
- two batteries for the barrier
- a power cord for the Home Base®
- an extra filter
- another side brush (one side brush is already attached)
- a product manual
- a quick setup guide,
- a warranty booklet.
Setup and Connectivity
Roomba i7
The setup is a piece of cake as the iRobot Home app guided me through personalizing my Roomba’s name, as well as connecting to my Wi-Fi. After all, Roomba is the most user-friendly robot vacuum! By the way, you need to make sure you have the latest firmware, and this will take a couple of minutes to complete.
To start a cleaning cycle, I can either press the Clean button on the robot itself or hit Clean on the Roomba app. From there, I have two options to choose from: clean all rooms or choose rooms. This convenience is another benefit of the Imprint™ Smart Mapping.
I also have the option to create a schedule, as well as tackle rooms in different ways. The robot likewise sends me notifications via the app and shows me a map of the areas it cleaned. Through the use of the app, I can see status events such as the location of the robot, how long it has been cleaning, what it has left to clean, and more.
Understandably, I also want to take full advantage of the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa with the Roomba i7, given the hefty price I paid for this unit.
Navigation
Roomba i7
iRobot coined its navigation tech “iAdapt 3.0” with vSLAM® Technology. The Roomba i7 uses this patented tech and an integrated camera to capture thousands of precise measurements that will further enhance its coverage. As the clever bot scanned my home, it created visual landmarks to help itself identify and differentiate one room from another.
The Roomba i7 began to learn my floor layout after three runs. But if you have a large home with plenty of furniture, it may take five runs for the robot to achieve a complete map. As soon as the robot is done, I can create a label for each room. This feature is handy when I only needed to clean my daughter’s messy bedroom.
The best thing I love about high-end Roombas, such as the i7, is that you can use the robot vacuum for multiple floors. Once the robot has detected a new layout, I can make use of the Imprint™ Smart Mapping to identify different rooms and floors.
Moreover, I was curious to see how the Roomba i7 would handle detecting a drop. Happy and relieved, the robot vacuum turned away from the stairs when its sensors detected the edge of the step. Likewise, I tested the ability of the robot to distinguish dark floors from drops. Again, the Roomba i7 passed my test.
On a side note, I like that the camera used to map floors is obscure, not a protruding turret. But by having a camera-based system, the Roomba i7 may not operate well in the dark. As a result, you would want to turn on the lights while the robot cleans.
Brushes
Roomba i7
Among the best features of the Roomba i7, which its competitors find it difficult to compete against, is the new and improved Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes. These counter-rotating rollers deliver excellent work at digging debris out of the carpet.
If you compare the Shark IQ and Roomba i7 in terms of resistance to tangles, the latter is a lot better. Unlike the traditional brush-and-blade design that the Shark IQ has, the cylindrical rubber brushes are much more resistant to tangles. Regardless, I would rate the two equal in terms of hair pick-up.
However, strings, shoelaces, and the like could still wrap extensively around the rollers. If this happens, the Roomba i7 will turn off with an error until the debris is removed.
Lastly, the Roomba i7 has a three-spoke edge-sweeping brush.
Dustbin and Filter
Roomba i7
The Roomba i7 comes equipped with a High-Efficiency Filter, which collects particles down to 3 microns in size.
With my one-kid and one-dog house, I have to empty the 460-mL dustbin every three days or after I make a full-floor cleanup. Note that the frequency may vary depending on your household activities and the size of your abode. If you have a large home, you may have to clear out the dustbin more at shorter intervals.
Nevertheless, you have an option not to empty your robot vacuum. iRobot offers the Clean Base® Automatic Dirt Disposal. The Clean Base® will suck out everything from the dustbin and store the contents inside the base. No mess. No fuss whatsoever.
Suction Power
Roomba i7
The Roomba i7 has a powerful motor that generates 1,700 Pa of suction power, which is 10x more compared to earlier Roombas from the 600 Series.
Virtual Barriers
Roomba i7
The Keep-Out Zones are useful when I want the Roomba i7 to avoid certain areas. In my case, I don’t want the robot vacuum to bump into my dog’s works of art (if you know what I mean.) But to utilize this feature, you need to make sure the robot has already achieved a complete and accurate floor plan beforehand. Otherwise, you will need a Dual-Mode Virtual Wall® barrier.
You can place the Virtual Wall® on the outside of a doorway to prevent the robot from entering a specific room. By activating the Halo mode, you can also create a circular barrier that will extend 24 inches around the device that the robot will stay away from.
Run-Time
Roomba i7
The battery life for the Roomba i7 is less than you would expect with robot vacuums in this price range. Although the manufacturer claimed that it lasts for about 75 minutes per charge, it may decrease if the robot spots several areas with concentrated amounts of dirt. High-traffic areas, such as the kitchen and dining room, will often trigger the Dirt Detect™ feature of the Roomba i7.
Nevertheless, the LED ring indicator will glow red to indicate that the robot vacuum is running on juice. Then the robot will head back to its station to charge. Since the Roomba i7 has a “recharge and resume” feature, it will continue cleaning where it left off.
Cleaning Performance Tests
Roomba i7
When transitioning from one type of floor to another, I am impressed that the Roomba i7 maneuvered from hardwood to carpet to mats without a problem. The robot navigates around my home in a straight cleaning path, and it makes swift obstacle avoidance decisions.
Due to its self-adjusting cleaning head, I witnessed a marked improvement from the Roomba i7 when I used it to deep-clean low- and medium-pile carpets. The robot vacuum picked up fine debris to pet hair to extra-large debris. The only time the robot had a difficult time was with the shag carpet. Regardless, the Roomba i7 finished the given task with flying colors.
The robot vacuum also went over thresholds with ease. However, the Roomba i7 can only handle thresholds around 1.6 cm tall. A clever way to fix this problem is by placing a doormat on the edges of the doorway threshold.
The only thing that bothers me is that the Roomba i7 tends to throw away light debris when cleaning hard floors. Nevertheless, the robot vacuum managed to clean up everything after its full run.
What I love most about the Roomba i7 is that it avoids pet and human hair tangles, which many cheap robot vacuums struggle with.
I tested the hair pick-up of the Roomba i7 using 10 grams of synthetic hair and a handful of shredded cotton balls. There was no hair caught in the brushes. Although I found a few strands in the axles, they weren’t much of a concern, and I could take them off easily.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Shark IQ robot loud?
Does Roomba 960 scratch hardwood floors?
Can I use Shark IQ without Wi-Fi?
How long does it take Roomba i7 to learn your house?
Can I pick up Roomba or Shark and move it?
Conclusion
In this article review, I conclude that the Roomba i7 is the best robot vacuum in every facet. After all, this model is what iRobot envisioned 20 years ago. Regardless, you might discover a few disappointments along the way. There won’t always be sunshine and rainbows even for a robot vacuum of this caliber. Every homeowner has different needs.
If you think the features offered by the Roomba i7 don’t justify the cost, you may want to choose between the Roomba 960 and Shark IQ. You can’t go wrong with any of the two. It is no secret that these robot vacuums have excellent navigation, mapping abilities, and smart home integration, among others.
The Shark IQ even has a self-emptying base, just like Clean Base™ for the Roomba i7+. But because Roomba i7+ pioneered this feature, iRobot filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against SharkNinja in 2019. And according to the news, SharkNinja has also filed a pre-emptive lawsuit. Nevertheless, the battle between these giant companies is not yet over, and you can still get the Shark IQ from online markets and local stores.