VivaSync

• Price and specs compared
• Set-up process compared
• Carpet cleaning compared
• Hardwood cleaning compared
• Corner cleaning compared
• Loudness compared
• Special features compared
• The bottom line

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• The iRobot Roomba s9+ debuted at the end of 2019 and is iRobot's most innovative vacuum.
• I tested both the s9+ and the i7+ over several months, and the s9+ is the better robot vacuum.
• For more buying advice, check out our guide to the best robot vacuums and our review of the i7+.

In 2002, iRobot introduced the first Roomba. In the intervening years, the company has continued to innovate and produce top-quality models. One of the biggest leaps in advanced features was the introduction of the i7+ in 2018, with its auto-empty Clean Base. This allowed you to go weeks without having to empty your Roomba's dustbin, an annoying and sometimes messy task.

Near the end of 2019, iRobot introduced the s9+, which is similar to the i7+ but has some superior features based on feedback from users of the older model. These features include a longer-lasting battery, two uniquely positioned main brushes, a D-shaped design, and four times the suction power. 

I tested both the i7+ and s9+ for several months. While they have a lot in common, the s9+ is fantastic on hardwood flooring and great for pet hair.

Price and specs compared

Winner: Though the prices often shift, the s9+ currently costs $300 more than the i7+. However, the s9+ has slightly better specs.

Newer robot vacuum models tend to be more expensive than older models with similar features. This is the case with the Roomba s9+, which is about $300 more expensive than the i7+. Plus, we've noticed that the i7+ is usually marked down when there are sales, while the s9+ is rarely on sale. Both vacuums can be purchased with monthly payments on Amazon and the iRobot site.

Here are some specs comparing the two vacs:

The "specialized corner clean" referenced in the graphic refers to the D shape of the s9+. The s9+ is also slightly smaller at 12.5 inches in diameter (versus 13 inches for the i7+). Despite the smaller footprint, the s9+ has longer main brushes. The two brushes are each 9.5 inches, which means it can make more contact with the floor and suck up more.

Speaking of suction, according to iRobot, the s9+ is four times as powerful as the i7+, though the manufacturer doesn't release specific suction power numbers. 

Lastly, each unit is about the same height – 3.5 inches. The height isn't important unless you are looking to clean under furniture with a clearance of less than 3.5 inches. However, you're unlikely to find a vac thinner than 2.75 inches.

Set-up process compared

Winner: This is a draw. The set-up process is the same for the two vacuums and both come with the same extras, though the i7+ also comes with a mostly superfluous virtual wall barrier.

The set-up process for the two vacuums is pretty similar. First, you remove all of the packaging. Next, you find a spot for the Clean Base and plug it in. Place the Roomba on the charging dock to let it juice up. While it's charging, download the iRobot app, connect the app to your vac, and perform the firmware updates. The updates can take a little while, but the overall set-up process should take you less than 30 minutes, including scheduling your robot to run regularly.

Scheduling is a seamless process that takes a few seconds. I prefer to have my Roomba run at the same time every day – preferably when I'm not around so I'm not exposed to the particles it might kick up.

Both vacuums come with the same extras: a high-efficiency filter, a side brush, and a replacement dirt disposal bag. Additionally, the i7+ came with a virtual wall barrier, which is a small device you can set in your cleaning area to make a virtual wall or perimeter you want the Roomba to avoid. This is only marginally useful since you can set up these virtual boundaries in the app without the device.

Part of the set-up process is creating the no-go zones and virtual barriers in the app. This is only possible after the vacuums map your floor, which can take three or more cleaning cycles. Once the map is ready, you can easily draw the no-go zones on a map in the app as well as label the various rooms of your home. This process is identical for both vacuums.

Carpet cleaning compared

Winner: The Roomba i7+ did a better job of picking up flour and kitty litter, but the s9+ was much better at removing pet hair.

I put every robot vacuum I review through the same battery of tests. To determine how well each model performs on carpeting, I spread a tablespoon each of kitty litter, flour, and coffee grounds on separate, 18-inch-square patches of carpeting. Also, I add several pet hairs to the area. Then I run the vacuum through two cleaning cycles and compare the images of the debris areas before and after the cleaning. Based on the side-by-side comparison, I estimate how much the vacuum picked up.

Both vacuums did an outstanding job of removing the coffee grounds. I didn't find any evidence of the grounds after the cleaning cycles, but that's where the similarities stopped. The s9+ did a much better job of cleaning up pet hairs. There was no trace of pet hair after running the vac, while the i7+ left behind about 20% of the hairs.

The performances were much closer with flour and kitty litter. The i7+ collected all of the kitty litter, and the s9+ left behind about 5%. The i7+ also outperformed the s9+ with flour removing 95% of the substance compared to 90% for the s9+.

Since the i7+ did better than the s9+ at cleaning up two out of four materials, it appears to be the superior vac on carpeting. However, if you have pets and lots of carpeting, the s9+ may be your better bet.

Hardwood cleaning compared

Winner: The Roomba s9+ is the best robot vacuum we've tested on hardwood flooring, and thus, it has the edge over the i7+, which still did pretty well.

To determine how well a vacuum cleans on hardwood, I use the same test as I do for carpeting. Kitty litter, coffee grounds, flour, and pet hairs are tossed on the hardwood. After two cleaning cycles, I compare before and after pictures to estimate how the vacuum did.

The difference in performance between the Roomba s9+ and the i7+ was much more pronounced on the hardwood. The s9+ is the best vac I've ever tested on hardwood floors. After cleaning, there were no pet hairs, coffee grounds, or kitty litter to be found, and I only noticed a trace of flour.

The i7+ removed all of the pet hairs and coffee grounds. However, it didn't do well cleaning up the flour and kitty litter. About 15% of the flour and 10% of the kitty litter were still on the hardwood floor after two cleaning cycles.

Corner cleaning compared

Winner: Neither vacuum did particularly well cleaning corners, but the Roomba s9+ did a little bit better, coming within 1.5 inches of each corner.

To test performance in corners, I sprinkle a teaspoon of flour in carpeted and hardwood corners. The flour extends out about four inches from the corner. Then, I run the vacuum through two cleaning cycles. Again, I take before and after pictures to compare how much flour was picked up. I also measure how close the vacuum comes to the corner.

A good performance in this test is coming within two inches of the corner and picking up at least half the flour. Neither vacuum achieved these benchmarks.

The s9+ was designed for better corner performance with its D-shape and extra-long forward main brushes. And, it did well on the hardwood. At 1.5 inches, it came closer to the corner than the i7+, which came with 3 inches. It also picked up more of the flour only leaving behind about 15% of the flour versus a dismal 75% for the i7+.

However, carpeting was a different story. The s9+ came within an inch of the corner, but it didn't pick up much of the flour. It left behind 70% of the debris. The i7+ came within two inches of the corner and picked up about half the flour.

Loudness compared

Winner: No matter what suction power you choose, the i7+ runs quieter than the s9+, the loudest vacuum I've tested.

I've noticed that the better a robot vacuum does at sucking up debris, the louder it tends to be. To test how loud the two Roombas are, I held a sound meter approximately 12 inches from the units as they cleaned a room. I was able to test the s9+ on high and quiet modes. I only tested the i7+ on its highest suction setting.

Both the high and quiet modes of the s9+ were louder than the i7+ on its highest setting. The s9+ was the loudest vacuum I tested, which makes sense since it also has the strongest suction of any Roomba model. The top reading was 77 decibels or about as loud as a busy city street. In quiet mode, the sound meter registered 64 decibels – a bit louder than a normal conversation. The i7+ was a shade quieter on high at 63 decibels.

This might make it hard to have conversations with the vacuum running in the room,. However, Andrea Ferro, Ph.D., a professor at Clarkson University and president of The American Association for Aerosol Research, and Dr. Luis Javier Peña-Hernández, a lung health specialist at Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Disorders Institute, both recommend running your robot vacuum in unoccupied areas to avoid resuspended particles.

Special features compared

Winner: The Roombas s9+ and i7+ have a lot in common, but the s9+ has some slight improvements on the older model with its stronger suction, longer runtime, and anti-allergen system.

Both Roombas are packed with high-end special features. My favorite feature is the self-emptying Clean Base charging dock. The base has a vacuum that sucks the debris out of the dustbin and stores it in an internal dust bag. When the bag fills up, which takes about a month or two, you simply throw it away and put a new bag in.

Other incredibly useful features are targeted cleaning and no-go zones. Using the iRobot app, both vacuums allow you to select areas where you don't want the Roomba to go. And you can schedule your robot to only clean certain rooms at certain times. The process for doing this is identical for both robots.

In an October 2019 phone call with iRobot, representatives highlighted the main ways that the s9+ was an improvement on the i7+. Several of the changes – the D shape, corner brush, wider brushes closer to the front, and 3D sensors – were added to improve corner cleaning. Yet, as the results of our corner cleaning tests show, these changes did not help.

However, the s9+ does have a larger battery for a longer runtime. Yet, both vacuums are able to return to the dock when their charge is low and resume cleaning once they have more juice.

Aside from having four times the suction, the other feature that sets the s9+ apart from the i7+ is the anti-allergen system that locks in debris and keeps 99% of pollen and mold allergens trapped within the unit and out of the air you breathe.

The bottom line

Overall winner: The performance and features of the two vacuums are quite similar, but at just $100 more, we recommend the newer s9+. However, if you find a good deal on the i7+, grab it.

When I tested the Roomba i7+, I thought it was the best robot vacuum I'd ever tested, but iRobot improved upon the i7+ with the s9+. Though the features of the two vacuums are quite similar, the s9+ does a better job at what matters most: cleaning. Yet, there are use-cases where the i7+ might be a better option.

In general, the i7+ costs $100 less than the s9+. The performance and slightly better features of the s9+ justify the extra cost in my opinion. The s9+ is the best vacuum from the most popular brand. It's among the best cleaners on carpeting and hardwood; is low maintenance; and features an outstanding app that lets you set no-go zones, target your cleanings, and schedule your robot from anywhere.

However, the i7+ is often up to $300 less than the s9+. If you find it on sale for $600 or less, we recommend picking up the i7+ since we think the savings is worth giving up the marginally helpful extra features and improved performance found in the s9+. This is especially true if you have a heavily carpeted home and no pets since the i7+ did better with most debris on carpeting.

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