Roomba i3 vs Roborock S6 MaxV (2021): Which Robot Vacuum Should You Get?

One of the latest Roombas to hit this year is the Roomba i3, which interestingly has an optional self-emptying feature at a more affordable price. On the other hand, Roborock has a solid competitor against iRobot’s robotic vacuums, with the highly rated Roborock S6 MaxV, which is notable for being able to mop as well as clean. We go over their unique strengths and weaknesses to help you decide which robot vacuum to trust your floors with.

Roomba i3 vs Roborock S6 MaxV Comparison Chart

Model	iRobot Roomba i3	Roborock S6 MaxV
Price	Check Price	Check Price
Diameter	13.3″	13.8″
Height	3.6″	3.8″
Weight	7.44 pounds	7 pounds
Navigation	Gyroscope and optic motion tracking	LiDAR and dual front cameras
Multi-level Mapping	No	Yes
Suction Power	10x Roomba 600 series	Up to 2,500 Pa
Cleaning Area	170 m2	240 m2
Mopping	Imprint Link	Built-in
Dirt Detect	Yes	No
Carpet Boost	Yes	No
Filter	High-efficiency filter	Washable HEPA-type filter
Full Bin Indicator	Yes	No
Bin Capacity	500 ml	480 ml
Automatic Dirt Disposal	Compatible	No
Recharge & Resume	Yes	Yes
Runtime	75 minutes	180 minutes
Voice Control	Yes	Yes

Design

The Roomba i3 has thicker bumpers than the Roborock S6 MaxV.

If you’ve seen a Roomba before, the Roomba i3 fits right in the lineup. Its front bumpers are noticeably thicker than the other half so it can withstand the occasional bumps as it moves through the floor. It top plate has a textured matte look with minimal buttons for power, clean, and spot clean. Most of its sensors are also found within the front bumper, and with its slightly smaller size and height, it can get into tighter spaces under the couch.

In comparison, the Roborock S6 MaxV has a raised center area where its laser sensors are. This makes it slightly taller than the Roomba i3, though it should still get through most obstacles easily. Looking at their undersides, the Roomba i3 also has dual rubber brushrolls and three bristle-type brushes to reach into corners and edges. The Roborock S6 MaxV meanwhile has a single brushroll and five stiff sweepers.

As mentioned, the Roborock S6 MaxV can mop, and that’s through an included attachment called SnapMop. This clear 297 ml water tank clips onto the back part of the S6 MaxV, enabling its advanced mopping features.

Mapping and Navigation

The Roborock S6 MaxV has better mapping and navigation features than the Roomba i3.

Both Roomba i3 and Roborock S6 MaxV can map your home using floor tracking sensors and Wi-Fi so they can vacuum efficiently in neat rows. However, the Roborock S6 MaxV can map up to four levels and automatically recognize which floor and room it’s on. You can set it to clean specific rooms and customize its settings per room. Moreover, you can set up to 10 No-Go Zones and 10 No-Mop Zones per floor, so you can greatly customize where it cleans.

That’s not all, either. The Roborock S6 MaxV has dual front cameras that spots obstacles in its path using its proprietary ReactiveAI system, accurately estimating their size and location in order to route around them. This lets it avoid cables, pet waste, pet bowls, toys, etc. It also has infrared imaging to allow it to see in the dark, while its PreciSense LiDAR navigation system ensures it doesn’t get lost.

Meanwhile, even though it can’t clean specific rooms or mark them as keep out zones like more advanced Roombas, the Roomba i3 has its own unique sensors, such as Reactive Sensor technology to avoid getting stuck and Dirt Detect technology to find dirtier areas that need more attention.

Cleaning Power

The Roborock S6 MaxV has stronger suction and more versatile cleaning power than the Roomba i3.

Simply measuring their suction power, the Roborock S6 MaxV has an easy lead with its 2,500 Pa suction. The Roomba i3 is advertised to have 10 times the suction of the Roomba 600 series, which would put it at around 2,000 Pa. However, that’s not everything you’d need to look at when comparing how well these robot vacuums clean.

For starters, the Dual Multi-Surface Brushrolls of the Roomba i3 do an excellent job of picking up large and small particles without getting tangled on pet hair. This, combined with its self-adjusting height, allows it to clean hardwood floors and carpets just as well as the Roborock S6 MaxV despite the difference in their maximum suction power. Their edge and corner sweeping brushes/bristles can reach into difficult spots to ensure they’re vacuumed as well.

Both Roomba and Roborock robot vacuums are equipped with HEPA-grade filters that can trap allergens and other microscopic particles. Roborock has a notable advantage in that its filter is washable though, so you won’t need to buy a replacement like you will for the Roomba. Of course, we have to mention once again that the Roborock S6 MaxV can clean up spills while the Roomba i3 cannot. The best the Roomba i3 can do is work in tandem with a Braava jet m6 robot mop, which is a separate device from iRobot.

Smart Features

The Roomba i3 has one extra optional feature that puts it ahead of the Roborock S6 MaxV.

Battery life isn’t such a big concern for the Roomba i3 and Roborock S6 MaxV because they have recharge and resume features that allow them to clean larger areas completely. Both robot vacuums will return to their charging docks once their battery runs low, and then resume where they left off after recharging. It works a bit differently on the Roborock S6 MaxV, as its Smart Top-Up feature estimates how much charge it needs for the remaining area and only recharges enough to finish the cycle.

Meanwhile, the Roomba i3 will charge back to full before resuming its job, which can mean a couple of hours between the pause. Without its recharge & resume functionality, the Roomba i3 will tire out pretty quickly since it only has a 75-minute runtime while the Roborock S6 MaxV can last 180 minutes. The bigger advantage of the Roomba i3 however is its compatibility with the Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal, which replaces the charging dock with one with a self-emptying bin. This allows the Roomba i3 to work independently for up to 60 days.

For controls, both robot vacuums have mobile apps that let you manually control and schedule cleans, along with more advanced features such as cleaning reports, mapping, and room settings. They also have voice control support for Alexa and Google Home, so you can issue commands verbally.

Verdict

The Roborock S6 MaxV is more powerful than the Roomba i3.

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There’s no question that the Roborock S6 MaxV wins on multiple fronts in this comparison, from overall cleaning power and versatility to advanced navigation and smart features. The price difference reflects this, of course, so you’ll have to shell out more for the more powerful robot vacuum. You’ll get a really good cleaning companion out of it though, since it can mop as well and ensure that rooms are completely done no matter how large.

If you’re after a solid robot vacuum that can handle any floor type for a more reasonable price, the Roomba i3 will provide fantastic performance. It’s one of the more powerful Roomba models currently and offer a good mix of advanced features compared to other midrange Roombas. There’s also a Roomba i3+ option if you’d like to get the auto dirt disposal base included in the package.

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Last update on 2020-12-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API