The Roomba 980 improves upon its predecessor in a number of ways. Its mapping technology is better, it definitely picks up more pet hair, and you can start it remotely. However, it’s also $200 more, and the last feature just isn’t enough yet.

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  Easy to use, Good for pet hair, App controlled, Good mapping capabilities

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  App doesn’t have a ton of features, Imperfect cleaning, Loud, Expensive

The Roomba 980 is iRobot's best robotic vacuum yet, adding Wi-Fi and app control for even easier home cleaning, but the price for convenience is higher than ever.

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  Powerful. Good on rugs. Wi-Fi-enabled.

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  Very expensive. Noisy.

iRobot's Wi-Fi-enabled Roomba 980 is an exciting hunk of next-gen vacuum tech, but it didn't wow us during testing. I'd hold off on this pricey automated floor cleaner until we review Neato's Botvac Connected and Dyson's 360 Eye.

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  iRobot gives its $900 Roomba 980 a brain power boost with a lithium ion battery, additional sensors, a camera, and Wi-Fi and app connectivity on Android and iOS devices.

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  It didn't perform as well as the $700 Roomba 880 we reviewed in 2013. We also want to see features like a remaining battery life readout, push alerts and third-party integrations added to the iRobot Home app.

The Roomba 980 is manufactured by the original robot vacuum purveyors, but more competition has cropped up in this space since Roomba debuted. This vacuum has plenty of tread to make it over the uneven parts of your house, suction that can suck up all the cat litter strewn about, and an app that is...

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  Extremely user-friendly companion app, Very good at finding its way back to its charging station, Comes with HEPA filters to grab errant dust particles

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  Often piercingly loud, Circular shape hinders vacuum from thoroughly cleaning corners, Not the best for pet owners looking to clean up fur

The long run time and the intuitive navigation of the iRobot Roomba 980 makes it a great choice for those with larger homes or multiple rooms -- or both. It syncs to your smartphone so you can start it from anywhere.

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  Syncs to phone, Very intuitive navigation, Long run time, Automatically returns to charging station

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  Pricey, Can miss some debris

When iRobot introduced the 980 to the market it represented a major shift in the way they designed their robots. First major change would be navigation. Instead of using a thorough but yet inefficient random algorithm that a lot of consumers come to love, it followed suite with Neato’s more...

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  Cheaper version of the, App based control means you can control this robot anywhere with an internet connection, Comes with the same iAdapt 2.0 navigation found in the 980 for less, Predictable cleaning pattern make this more efficient than the older 700 and 800 series, Bristle-less extractors means...

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  Short run time (just 75 minutes), Uses the older motor found in the 800 series, No turbo mode on carpet

I thought I’d take a break for a minute while I still sort out my next piece for the Building a Smart Home Series, and talk about something in my house that is both smart & practical. I’ve been using for the last couple months the Roomba 980 robot vacuum and I must say I think I’m impressed.

Robot vacuums are becoming more and more common, and with that increasing popularity comes an increase in competition. There are quite a few big names in the vacuum industry, but not many are as well known as iRobot or Dyson, the latter of which fairly recently came out with its first robotic...

We have a ritual in my house. I bring home a random gadget, deposit it somewhere in my home and my wife asks me what it is, gives me side-eye and then ignores the gear until it is removed from the premises.

You can control this Roomba even if you're not home.

I debated whether or not to pay the extra $200 for the Roomba 980 over the 960, and in short, I am glad that I did. Our main floor is 2,000 sq ft, mostly hardwoods, although some carpet & rugs.

Very happy with this product. We use it every day and it continues to amaze use on how much dust and dog hair it picks up. It does have a problem with some of our carpet fringes but based on reviews not as bad as competitive units.

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  Cleans Effectively, Cleans Under Furniture, Easy to control without using smartphone, Easy To Use, Hassle Free Operation, Large Debris Bin, Long Run Time, Virtual wall transmitters work perfectly

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  Charge station slides on bare floor

I've been using this Roomba for a month now. I want to like it, but it has too many issues. You can program it to come on at particular time for any given day. However, you can't set a window or tell or when NOT to stay on.

I absolutely love my Roomba 980!! I actually don't know I've survived this long without it having three kids and three mini Australia Shepherd's in our house. It does amazing work and I'd buy another one in a heartbeat!

I have a bad back and its hard for me to vacuum. I absolutely love my Rumba. My house is looking so good. Im so glad she is going under the furniture, I havent been able to. I would not give her up for anything and if she breaks I will buy another one.

Very good product. I definitely recommend this product

Super cool!!I love itI use to have a cleaning lady but not any more Saves a lot of money

I love the Rumba because it takes one of my chores away with having two cats and two dogs there's hair all the time but this this particular one makes a very high pitched whistle that I'm not sure if that's supposed to be I need to call the Rumba company and find out they are great if you need...

The purchase of this Roomba is easily the best purchase for Home Care that we have made in quite some time. The ease of use, the convenience, and the Carefree aspects and this machine cannot be overstated. I would recommend this to quite literally anyone.

I use roomba every few days while I'm away from home. I love that I can use the app to start/stop it, to view where all it has cleaned, and to receive notifications of any problems/jobs completed. It is expensive, but so far it's been worth every penny!