Roomba 675 vs 690 – A Comparison Review
In today’s reality, the concepts of Roomba and robotic vacuum cleaners are synonymous. Although many people regard iRobot Roomba robot vacuums as the devices of the highest price level, there are several models that were designed for tight budget and thin pockets; Roomba 675 and 690 are among them.
In this research, we will arrange the Roomba 675 vs. 690 face-to-face battle and compare these two affordable but efficient models of the robotic vacuum cleaners.
For the short acquaintance
Roombas 690 and 675 are the robot vacuums of the entry price-and-options level. Both models have a common and reliable ancestor ― an old fellow Roomba 650; that’s why they have many similarities; however, differences exist too.
Roomba 675 – a Short Overview
IRobot Roomba 675 is a simple and affordable robotic device that accumulates the most important features of the robot vacuums from higher levels. Although it is of basic navigation and lacks some options like full bin indicator, the device has quite an awesome 3-Stage Cleaning System and Dual Multi-Surface Brushes in complex with patented Dirt-Detect technology.
It means that Roomba 675 performs good results almost on every surface including thin carpets and hard floors. And, yes, one can use it in the high-traffic areas.
Pros
- Wi-fi connectivity and voice control;
- A good combination of price and quality;
- Excellent performance on thin and middle pile carpets and hard floors;
- Mobile app for Android and iOS;
- Long-lasting battery up to 90 min
Cons
- poor results on shaggy carpets;
- noisy;
- not very good for large rooms;
- there are some mistakes in spot detection.
- At first, it’s fantastic connectivity and control. The device works with wifi protocol, can be controlled with most common smart assistants and due to the mobile app.
- The second feature is its price. If you look for the robot vacuum cleaner under $300, this device is for you.
Roomba 690 – a Short Overview
When we say about unique features, it’s necessary to mention that Roomba 690 has perfect robot vacuum options like wifi-connectivity, remote control via smartphone and voice control via Amazon Alexa or Google assistant.
As Roomba 675, Roomba 690 has 3-stage Cleaning mode and Dual Multi-Surface Brushes. But the main and essential feature of the device that differs it from any other entry-level model is the virtual barrier wall and it means that Roomba 690 works very good both in the small rooms and on the large high-traffic areas.
If we speak about cleaning performance Roomba 690 has the same indicators as 675 model. It performs great on the hard floors, low and middle pile carpets. There are some problems with high-piled rugs, especially when it needs to suck pellet-type dirt like salt, sugar or millet.
One can find some issues with pet hair, yes, they can occur if the pet is long-haired and it lives in the room with high-piled carpet. In other cases, the device is a great a great deal for its value.
Pros
- good for large areas for it has a virtual barrier wall;
- performs great on the hard floors and carpets;
- great connectivity and control;
- mobile app for Android and iOS
Cons
- there can be mistakes in dirt detection;
- noisy;
- not very well on high-piled carpets.
Roomba 675 vs. 690
Now, as we have a short acquaintance with two best Roomba models of 600-series, it is time to observe their similarities and differences. To be honest, there are more similarities between them than it would seem at the first look.
Before we go deep into the comparison here is the fullest comparative table of Roomba 690 vs. 675 where all the features of these robot vacuums are collected.
Total comparison
As you can see, there are many similarities between Roomba 690 and 675.
Let’s have a closer look according to the following parameters:
- design
- size and dimensions
- cleaning parameters and vacuuming technologies
- usability
- Wi-Fi and App connectivity
- battery life and rechargeable time
- maintenance and dustbin
- pricing
Design
Both Roombas have a very similar design with slight differences in finish.
Roomba 675
It is of low-profile design, round-shaped and with a black finish; main buttons (central “clean” button and two additional spot and dock buttons) in the center of silver gray.
It has a dustbin release button of a round shape in size an inch smaller than the central button.
Roomba 690
It is of low-profile design, round-shaped with black and grey finish. A central “clean” button of grey color, two additional buttons are black with grey icons instead of writing.
It has a dustbin release button located on the body and of a semi-round shape in size an inch smaller than the central button.
Size and dimensions
Although the manufacturer indicates the same dimensions for both Roombas 690 and 675, there are slight differences in size.
Roomba 675
- The device has diameter 13.4 inches (instead of 13.0 inches iRobot says)
- The height of the robot vacuum of 3.5 inches (instead of 3.7 inches iRobot says)
- The weight of Roomba 975 is lesser than iRobot specifies: 6.77 lbs instead of 7.8 lbs
Roomba 690
- The device has 13.0 inches in diameter (the same as iRobot says)
- The device has 3.7 inches in height (the same as iRobot says)
- The weight of Roomba 960 is exactly as iRobot specified: 7.8 lbs
Cleaning performance, filtration, and vacuuming technologies
Cleaning performance
Roomba 690 and 675 have identical cleaning performance. They both work on all floor types quite nicely.
During the cleaning tests, both models have shown identically high efficacy on hard floors. They clean almost 100% of different dirt types.
Sugar and other powder-like dirt became the only challenge they couldn’t complete fully and collect 95% of that trash.
Filtration system
Vacuuming technologies
Roomba 690 and 675 uses the same vacuuming technologies that provide nice vacuuming on every floor type.
- So, Dual Multi-Surface brushes work in complex, while one brush loosens the dirt, the other picks it up.
- Thank the Auto-Adjustable Cleaning Head; the brushes can work on every surface.
- The Edge-Sweeping brush has a special 27-degree design that allows it to sweep dirt, dust, and soil away from the very edge of the corners.
Other technologies
To make the cleaning process more efficient, both Roomba 690 and 675 got basic navigation that uses the full suite of smart sensors including Cliff detect sensors that avoid fallings from the stairs and collisions.
There are also spot and dirt detecting sensors to provide a thorough cleaning on different floor types.
Usability
Usability is one point where there is a slight difference between Roomba 690 and 675.
Let’s begin with this difference: Roomba 690 has 1 Dual-Mode Virtual Wall Barrier. It means that Roomba 690 is more flexible to be controlled.
When 675 model can travel from room to room while vacuuming, 690 can be bounded within one room if you don’t want to clean other rooms in your house. You can also bound the device in a large room when you want to clean a particular part of the floor.
So, that is the only advantage of the 690 model over the 675.
Other usability features are quite similar.
- Both devices are easy to maintain;
- Buttons are located on the useful points of the body when one can easily reach them.
- It is also essential that both models are cord- and bagless.
Wi-Fi and connectivity
Roomba 690 and 675 are both Wi-Fi connected. They both also have a mobile App (iRobot HOME App) adapted both to Android and iOS systems.
Moreover, you can control both robot vacuums via most common smart assistants ― Amazon Alexa and Google assistant.
Battery and runtime
Both devices use lithium-ion batteries of 1800 mAh capacity. This battery is of higher capacity than batteries of many other entry-level robot vacuum cleaners can perform, but it’s smaller in comparison with the average robot vacuum in the market.
- So, if the robot vacuum works on the hard floor, its runtime is about 90 min.
- If the surface is thin or middle-piled carpet, the device’s runtime falls from 90 to 60 minutes.
- If the robot vacuum works on high-pile carpet, its runtime becomes even smaller.
When the device is of low battery, it goes to the base automatically. The recharging time is about three hours. If the device does not finish its work until the battery is low, it won’t be able to resume the cleaning process from the point where the robot vacuum stopped after recharging.
Maintenance and Dustbin
Nevertheless, both Roombas lack the full bin indicator; they are quite easy to maintain. First of all, they have quite an impressive dustbin capacity of 0,3 liters. That you can eject and clean with one press of the button located at the back side robot vacuum’s body.
Every part of the dustbin, including the AeroVac filters, are easy to access, clean or replace if it’s needed.
Pricing
Pricing is the essential point for middle-class people.
So, both Roombas can allow great cost for the robot vacuum cleaner of such a great performance. Although the devices are quite similar, there are slight differences that define the pricing.
- Roomba 690 has a price of about $300
- Roomba 675 costs about $270
Frequently Asked Questions
Roomba 675 vs Roomba 690: which robot is better for carpets?
Can Roomba robot vacuums got stuck on thresholds and carpets?
For example, Roomba 675 and 690 vacuums can climb obstacles up to 0.63in/16mm in height. You can be sure your robot won`t get stuck when coming from hard floor to the pile or going from one room to another with a threshold.
Can my Roomba 690 deal with high traffic areas?
Can I rinse a filter on my Roomba 675?
All you need to do is to remove the filtering unit and knock out the dirt. Please remember that iRobot does not recommend rinsing Roomba 675 filter.
Can I get a smart, app-controlled robot vacuum cleaner for less than $300?
The final words
So, it was a face-to-face battle between two entry-level Roomba robot vacuum cleaners.
Both devices give excellent performance and usability.
I`m Gary Johns and I`m this very person who is responsible for the technical part of all the reviews and tests on this blog.
In 2015 I got a technical degree at the University of California, and since that time I help people and give a professional and detailed overview of any smart technology.
