I have a few rooms in my house with hardwood floors, and I wondered which Roomba would be the best bet for me in keeping those clean. Roomba offers a wide variety of models, and I was not sure if the entry-level models differ from the high-end models in terms of keeping just my hardwood floors clean. Which Roomba models are great for hardware floors?
All the iRobot Roomba range models are great for cleaning your hardwood floors. Roomba models may have different features and functions such as recharge and resume, self-emptying, logical navigation, visual mapping, and better corner cleaning.
This article covers what a Roomba is and when it came into production. Then we look at what features and functions a Roomba model should have to clean a hardwood floor better and if these features and functions are necessary.
Lastly, I review three Roomba models that tend your hardwood floors exceptionally well, starting with the entry-level model, the mid-range, and the top-tier s9+.
Best Roombas For Hardwood & Tile Floors
Roomba is a series of AI programmable robotic vacuum cleaners sold by iRobot.
The AI, along with the features and functionality of the device itself, allows it to navigate the floor of your home and clean it. Sensors detect objects such as furniture and obstacles, as well as to detect dirt on the floor. It can also detect steep drops, which helps prevent them from falling downstairs.
iRobot has a wide range of Roomba models, and these have several different features.
These features include separate sweep canisters, more powerful vacuums, tangle-free brushes, rubberized brushes, and even detailed maps and keep-out zones that let you dictate when and where the Roomba should work via the smartphone app.
Newer top-tier models feature a camera, and this camera works in conjunction with onboard mapping and the Roombas navigation software. You can view on the app how it covers every inch of your floor and how it moves from room to room.
Some other features are that some models are interchangeable, which means you can mix and match elements of different models.
Roomba Features
Well, that depends. You should read my article to cover the best Roombas for pet hair if you have pets. The top-tier models’ features and functions improve overall performance when cleaning up pet hair and pet mess.
However, if you are looking for a Roomba that gets the job done, all models in their current range offer all the features and functionality you would need to keep your hardwood floor clean and shiny.
Depending on what model you choose and the price you pay, some features and functionality would be limited.
The Roomba entry-level models feature random navigation, a long battery life, regular or brush rollers, and no charge and resume options. This means the entry-level models need to be manually docked to recharge.
The entry levels also have no visual mapping and cannot clean specified rooms. Lastly, they are not self-emptying.
The top-tier models are great for pet hair due to their rubberized brushes and powerful vacuums. Contrary to the entry-level models’ features, they come out with all the stops employing great AI with unique features and functionality.
Remember, however, that models in the Roomba range are designed to have no equal when it comes to cleaning your home, including your hardwood floors.
Best Roombas For Hardwood & Tile Floors
All the models in the Roomba range are great for cleaning your floors, especially your hardwood floors.
iRobot Roomba 675
Even though this is the entry-level model, it is fantastic and does a great job cleaning up your home. You schedule it to clean up daily dust, debris, and dirt with the app. You can even use your voice assistant to enable it and put it to work.
This model has a 3-stage cleaning system with dual multi-surface brushes and even includes edge-sweeping brushes to tackle corners and edges.
It sports a full suite of advanced sensors allowing the 675 to navigate under and around furniture. The entry-level model has a cliff detection that keeps it from falling downstairs.
If you are strapped for cash, the Roomba 675 is the way to go, sporting all the main features you need to clean your home and hardwood floors.
Mid-range iRobot Roomba 960
This mid-range model is the best at delivering outstanding performance for its price. It has a five times more powerful vacuum than the entry-level 675.
It steps up to include logical navigation with iAdapt technology and vSLAM navigation. This technology actively and precisely captures the layout of your floors for complete cleaning coverage. Additionally, floor tracking sensors can clean your home and floors in neat rows.
This model is also great if you have pets because it features multi-surface rubber brushes that do not get tangled with pet hair, unlike the bristle brush rollers of the entry-level 675.
Also, voice-activated and Wi-Fi compatible, you can use Google Assistant & Alexa to allow you to start cleaning with just the sound of your voice.
Dirt Detect Sensors notify the Roomba about dirtier areas of your home, like high-traffic spots cleaning them more thoroughly.
This model and upwards feature the recharge and resume function to avoid skipping a beat or a mess.
iRobot Roomba s9+
This is Roomba’s top-tier model and gives you the best iRobot offers. It features all the same capabilities as the mid-range 960 model but with additionally added functions and features.
You can control it with your voice assistant; it features a great recharge and resume function, and It has brushless rubberized rollers instead of bristle rollers. The battery life is 90 minutes compared to the 960s 75 minutes and can clean specified rooms that the 960 cannot do.
This model is top class and is also the best to consider if you have pets.
Lastly, it has a self-emptying feature that lasts up to 60 days. So, you do not have to worry about emptying it every time it is done cleaning. The motor Is a whopping 40 times more powerful than the entry-level model.
This model is the best and my overall recommendation; however, the price is a bit steep, and it will clean out your house for you and your wallet.
Roomba Model Comparison Chart
Below is a comparison chart for each type of Roomba to help you make better purchasing decisions.
| Features | I Robot Roomba 675 | iRobot Roomba 960 | iRobot Roomba s9+ |
| Navigation system | Random | Logical | Logical |
| Battery life | 90 min | 75 min | 90 min |
| Rollers | Regular bristles | Brushless | rubberized |
| Recharge and resume capability | No | Yes | Yes |
| Visual mapping | No | Yes | Yes |
| Specified room cleaning | No | No | Yes |
| Self-emptying capability | No | No | Yes |
| Voice assistant | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Wi-Fi capability | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Next Steps
The iRobot Roomba range of robot vacuum cleaners is phenomenal at cleaning, and they are all capable of cleaning your hardwood floors very well. The factors would come down to not which is best for your hardwood floors but rather what features and functions you would like your Roomba to have and how much money you are willing to spend.
From the entry-level to the top-tier high-end s9+, all the models performed well when putting them under the constraints of just having to clean a hardwood floor.
I hope you found this article informative, and you can now make an informed decision when considering which Roomba you will purchase to clean your hardwood floors.
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