OK guys, so I’ve had a Roomba 980 for a few months now and now that Dyson have something
to add to the robot vacuum cleaner world, I thought it was only fair we saw how they
both stacked up against each other. So, Roomba 980 vs Dyson 360 Eye – Let’s do this!
OK and for the first test, it’s the popcorn test. Let’s go head-to-head. Both the Dyson
and Roomba seem to get off to a good start, however, after a few seconds the Dyson does
seem to get a bit confused just before leaving a trail of popcorn behind. The Roomba on the
other hand did seem to pick up most of the popcorn on it’s first pass. The Dyson also
seemed to have problems getting popcorn stuck in it’s brushes just before giving up completely.
And after checking the bottom of both vacuum cleaners, the Roomba seems clear whilst the
Dyson still has some popcorn in it’s brushes. So it’s a good start for the Roomba.
OK and test number two. Let’s see how these robots deal with low furniture. Using a set
of draws with access height of 11cm at the bottom, the Roomba seems to clear it with
ease with a couple of cm’s to spare. And now the Dyson 360 Eye. Unfortunately, it couldn’t
make that 11cm pass under the set of draws. What it may lack in diameter against the Roomba
980, it’s unfortunately gained in height. And furthermore the Dyson does hit furniture
quite hard when it’s heading for it straight on. And unfortunately, after this test, the
360 Eye did suffer a blockage from the earlier popcorn test – involving tweezering out
popcorn from it’s insides!
OK and test number three – Let’s see how these robots run over a rug. Starting with
the Dyson, after an initial bit of confusion, the 360 Eye does mount the rug – Challenge
accepted! However, after just a few seconds on the rug it does seem to give up completely,
flashing an error message on the top. And now for the Roomba 980. Just like the Dyson,
it does seem to test the water a little before taking the plunge and mounting the rug. And
whilst it does seem to be struggling more on this mid-pile rug compared to regular surfaces,
it certainly seems determined to get to the end. And it looks like it’s another win
for the Roomba after successfully getting from one end of the rug to the other.
OK and for test number for – a really, really thick ball of wool! This time we’re starting
with the Roomba 980 with the wool cut up and lined up on a carpet. And just on it’s first
pass, the Roomba seems to suck it all up leaving no remanence of wool behind. And now for the
Dyson 360 Eye. The same test of sucking up wool on a low-pile carpet, and whilst it seems
to be getting off to a great start, just like in the popcorn test, it’s leaving a trail
of debris behind. And when we explore the underside of both robots, we can see (just
like in the popcorn test) the Roomba seems to be clear, whilst the Dyson does seem to
be collecting then saving the dirt it’s picking up on it’s rotary brush – comparing
this to the Roomba which seems to use rubber extractors instead.
OK and it’s test number five – the final test, and it’s a time trial. Same size room
but which can clean the quickest? Both starting in the centre of the room, left to clean a
3 metre square area. We can see how the Roomba cleans in straight lines, whereas the Dyson
cleans in a spiral, moving outwards. And the results are in. We can see Roomba finished
cleaning in 9 minutes 47 seconds, however the Dyson did take longer at 11 minutes 38
seconds. Which means Dyson took just under 20% longer to clean the same area as the Roomba.
OK, so that concludes my tests of the iRobot Roomba 980 against the Dyson 360 Eye. And
I think it’s fair to say there’s one clear winner. Whilst the cleaning performance of
the 360 Eye can sometimes be comparable to the Roomba 980, the problem with the Dyson
is, this is only when cleaning on an unchallenging surface, or when not trying to suck up something
too big. The fundamental problem with the Dyson is it just doesn’t seem to have been
made to function in an everyday household. So if you did go for the Dyson 360 Eye, it
would likely only work in a household that was already clutter-free, mostly dirt-free
and only had flat and even floor surfaces. Now, the iRobot Roomba 980 on the other hand
seems to do a much better job at tackling a variety of floor surfaces. Plus it can get
into places the Dyson simply won’t fit. Plus, the Roomba 980 picks up bigger bits of
debris with ease, with much less chance of it breaking down mid-cleaning cycle, unlike
with the Dyson. What’s more, the Roomba 980 cleans all the way up to the edges of
your room thanks to a rotating side brush. Plus, it does all of this whilst cleaning
your home quicker than the Dyson 360 Eye.
And that concludes my comparison of these two robot vacuum cleaners. Now, if you liked
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