There are many different robotic vacs on the market, and we are specifically interested in the ones that have the ability to clean pet hair, as well as general dirt.
iRobot has the Roomba range, of which we’ve done a comparison guide for here, and one series in that range is the 800 series..
To save you time and research, we’ve put together an iRobot Roomba 805 vs 850 vs 860 vs 870 vs 880 vs 890 Comparison Guide outlining the main differences and similarities between these robo vacs.
You should get a good idea of which one might be best for you based on matching up this information with your own preferences and needs.
(NOTE: this is a general information guide only, and is not professional advice, or a substitute for professional advice. A qualified vet or animal expert is the only person qualified to give you expert advice in regards to your pet/s)
(*Friendly Disclosure – links to retailers or brands on this page may include affiliate links, and we may receive a commission when you purchase through these links)
iRobot Roomba 805 vs 850 vs 860 vs 870 vs 880 vs 890
If you prefer, you can go straight to viewing these vacs here:
- iRobot Roomba 805 Robot Vacuum Cleaner (on Amazon)
- iRobot Roomba 850 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner (on Amazon)
- iRobot Roomba 860 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner (on Amazon)
- iRobot Roomba 870 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner (on Amazon)
- iRobot Roomba 880 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner (on Amazon)
- iRobot Roomba 890 Robot Vacuum Cleaner (on Amazon)
Some of the most popular or highly rated Roombas right now that can deal with pet hair and a range of surfaces might include these models:
- iRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum (on Amazon)
- iRobot Roomba 614 (on Amazon)
- iRobot Roomba 960 (on Amazon) (the 900 series is one of the higher spec series, compared to a more entry level 600 series model)
- iRobot Roomba i7+ (7550) (on Amazon)
iRobot Roomba 800 Series Comparison
iRobot Roomba 805 vs 850 vs 860 vs 870 vs 880 vs 890: Which To Get?
The 890 is model with the most features and has Smart Home Connection advantage that allows you to use it with an app, and Alex as well as Google Assistant.
The 850, 860, 870, and 880 don’t have the iRobot Home App and Smart Home Connection, but do have the same extra 5x power that the 890 has.
The 805 is the most basic model of them all.
Considering the pricing, we would go with the 890 because it’s the most advanced model. But, if you’re going to look at the 890, it’s worth checking out the 960 and 980 models too – you can check them out in this Roomba comparison guide.
Overall, we would say all robotic vacs are more light duty vacs for light pet hair pick up, and are good for automatic cleaning.
Because of the price of all these vacs – check the return policy and warranty conditions before you buy to protect your money investment.
If you have lots of pet hair, or thick or long pet hair around the house, you are better off getting a manual upright vac with more power, dust container capacity and ability to lift hairs specifically where you find them.
You might also like to read this guide which outlines some of the other top robot vacuum models for pet hair and general cleaning, as well as pet hair vacuum buyer’s tips.
iRobot Roomba 805 vs 850 vs 860 vs 870 vs 880 vs 890: Differences
The main differences between the vacs are:
Power – The 850, 860, 870, 880 and 890 have up to 5x more suction power than the 600 and 700 series robotic vacs
Batteries – The 850 has a NiMH battery, whereas the rest have lithium ion batteries
Accessories – they each come with different accessories including wall barriers, extra brushes, remote controls and filters
Smart Home Connected – the 890 is Smart Home Connected so you can use it with the iRobot HOME App, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
Price – they all vary slightly in price
iRobot Roomba 805 vs 850 vs 860 vs 870 vs 880 vs 890: Similarities
All are robotic type vacuums
All can be used on all floor surfaces – carpet, and hard floors
All have 3 stage cleaning – loosen, lift and clean
All can clean dirt as well as pet hair with two main Tangle Free cleaning brushes/rollers
All have an edge sweeping brush which sweeps debris away from edges and corners
All have auto height adjust which allows the vacuum to adjust it’s own height to different surface types
All have iAdapt technology to navigate while cleaning
All vacs automatically dock and recharge after cleaning
All have Smart Sensors that allows the vacuum to navigate effectively and automatically
All have Dirt Sensor Technology that identifies dirt and hair spots
Has have cliff detect sensors to avoid stairs and other drop-offs
All allow you to just press clean on the vacuum – no programming required
Having said this – all also allow you to schedule the vac to clean at specific times
All have rechargeable batteries
All weigh around 8lbs
All have bagless containers
All have a 1 year limited warranty
iRobot Roomba 805 vs 850 vs 860 vs 870 vs 880 vs 890: Reviews
iRobot Roomba 805 Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Features
A robot vacuum for all surface types – carpet through to hard floors
Has 3-Stage Cleaning System that loosens, lifts and cleans
Has tangle free brushes for pet hair and regular hair
Also has a side cleaning brush for walls and edges
Vacuum Automatically docks and recharges after cleaning
Has Smart Sensors that allows the vacuum to navigate effectively and automatically
Has Cliff detect sensors to avoid stairs and other drop-offs
Has an Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head automatically adapts its height to effectively clean carpets and hard floors
Has Dirt Detect Technology to identify dirtier spots on the surface and clean those spots
There’s also a ‘clean’ button that you can press and the vacuum will go off and clean for itself
You can also schedule the vac to clean at specific time up to 7 times a week
Has a Lithium Ion Battery it runs on
Is a bagless container vac
Weighs around 8lbs
Comes with an AeroForce High-Efficiency Filter Filter and charger
Comes with Two Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers to prevent the vacuum from going into certain areas
Has a 1 year limited vacuum and 6 month battery warranty
Drawbacks
The 890 model is out now
Doesn’t have mutli room navigation, recharge and resume feature, or carpet boost
Not a cheap vac
Can sometimes mark wooden room trim around the outside of the room if you don’t have the wall barrier set up and working properly
Doesn’t clean in lines – cleans in a random pattern – so can miss some spots and go over other spots more than once
Some people prefer an electric upright vac which is more powerful, has a bigger capacity and cleans more thoroughly
More for lighter messes and lower amounts of dog hair – not as much for very heavy cleaning and large amounts of dog hair (or long hair)
For flatter surfaces and lower pile surfaces – may struggle on very thick/plush carpets, and steep changes in floor levels
Overall
Overall, the 805 is quite good as a light duty robotic vac, but the new 890 model is out. If you do want the 805 though, read the return policy and warranty conditions before you buy to protect your money investment. You might also like to read this guide which outlines some of the other top robot vacuum models for pet hair and general cleaning, as well as pet hair vacuum buyer’s tips.
View
iRobot Roomba 850 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
Features
A robot vacuum for all surface types – carpet through to hard floors
Has up to 5x the power of 600 and 700 series Roomba models
Use iAdapt Navigation to clean around your home (but not multi room navigation)
Has AeroForce 3-Stage Cleaning System
Has tangle free brushes for pet hair and regular hair
Also has a side cleaning brush for walls and edges
Vacuum Automatically docks and recharges after cleaning
There’s also a ‘clean’ button that you can press and the vacuum will go off and clean for itself
You can also schedule the vac to clean at specific time up to 7 times a week
Has a NiMH battery that is rechargeable
Is a bagless container vac
Weighs around 8lbs
Has Cliff detect sensors to avoid stairs and other drop-offs
The vac is 3.6 inches tall, is specifically designed to fit under most furniture, beds and kickboards
Comes with a remote control for the vac
Has a 1 year limited vacuum and 6 month battery warranty
Drawbacks
There’s the new model 800 and 900 series Roombas out now, which have increased power and newer features an technology
Doesn’t have multi room navigation, iRobot Home App, recharge and resume feature, or carpet boost
Not a cheap vac
Can sometimes mark wooden room trim around the outside of the room if you don’t have the wall barrier set up and working properly
Doesn’t clean in lines – cleans in a random pattern – so can miss some spots and go over other spots more than once
Some people prefer an electric upright vac which is more powerful, has a bigger capacity and cleans more thoroughly
More for lighter messes and lower amounts of dog hair – not as much for very heavy cleaning and large amounts of dog hair (or long hair)
For flatter surfaces and lower pile surfaces – may struggle on very thick/plush carpets, and steep changes in floor levels
Overall
Overall, the 850 is quite good as a light duty robotic vac, but it does lack some of the features the newest models have. If you do want the 850 though, read the return policy and warranty conditions before you buy to protect your money investment. You might also like to read this guide which outlines some of the other top robot vacuum models for pet hair and general cleaning, as well as pet hair vacuum buyer’s tips.
View
iRobot Roomba 860 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
Features
A robot vacuum for all surface types – carpet through to hard floors
Has up to 5x the power of 600 and 700 series Roomba models
Use iAdapt Navigation to clean around your home (but not multi room navigation)
Has AeroForce 3-Stage Cleaning System that delivers up to 50% more cleaning performance
Has tangle free brushes for pet hair and regular hair
Also has a side cleaning brush for walls and edges
Vacuum Automatically docks and recharges after cleaning
There’s also a ‘clean’ button that you can press and the vacuum will go off and clean for itself
You can also schedule the vac to clean at specific time up to 7 times a week
Has a Lithium Ion Battery that delivers up to 2x the battery cycle lifetime
Is a bagless container vac
Weighs around 8lbs
Has Cliff detect sensors to avoid stairs and other drop-offs
The vac is 3.6 inches tall, is specifically designed to fit under most furniture, beds and kickboards
Comes with an AeroForce® High-Efficiency Filter and Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier for preventing the vacuum entering areas you don’t want it to
Has a 1 year limited vacuum and 6 month battery warranty
Drawbacks
There’s the new model 800 and 900 series Roombas out now, which have increased power and newer features an technology
Doesn’t have mutli room navigation, recharge and resume feature, app control or carpet boost
Not a cheap vac
Can sometimes mark wooden room trim around the outside of the room if you don’t have the wall barrier set up and working properly
Doesn’t clean in lines – cleans in a random pattern – so can miss some spots and go over other spots more than once
Some people prefer an electric upright vac which is more powerful, has a bigger capacity and cleans more thoroughly
More for lighter messes and lower amounts of dog hair – not as much for very heavy cleaning and large amounts of dog hair (or long hair)
For flatter surfaces and lower pile surfaces – may struggle on very thick/plush carpets, and steep changes in floor levels
Overall
Overall, the 860 is quite good as a light duty robotic vac, but it does lack features the newest models have. If you do want the 860 though, read the return policy and warranty conditions before you buy to protect your money investment. You might also like to read this guide which outlines some of the other top robot vacuum models for pet hair and general cleaning, as well as pet hair vacuum buyer’s tips.
View
iRobot Roomba 870 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
Features
A robot vacuum for all surface types – carpet through to hard floors
Has up to 5x the power of 600 and 700 series Roomba models
Use iAdapt Navigation to clean around your home (but not multi room navigation)
Has AeroForce 3-Stage Cleaning System that delivers up to 50% more cleaning performance
Has tangle free brushes for pet hair and regular hair
Also has a side cleaning brush for walls and edges
Vacuum Automatically docks and recharges after cleaning
There’s also a ‘clean’ button that you can press and the vacuum will go off and clean for itself
You can also schedule the vac to clean at specific time up to 7 times a week
Has an iRobot® XLife Extended Life Battery
Is a bagless container vac
Weighs around 8lbs
Has Cliff detect sensors to avoid stairs and other drop-offs
The vac is 3.6 inches tall, is specifically designed to fit under most furniture, beds and kickboards
Comes with an AeroForce® High-Efficiency Filter and 2 x Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers for preventing the vacuum entering areas you don’t want it to
Has a 1 year limited vacuum and battery warranty
Drawbacks
There’s the new model 800 and 900 series Roombas out now, which have increased power and newer features an technology
Doesn’t have mutli room navigation, recharge and resume feature, app control or carpet boost
Doesn’t have a lithium ion battery – has an iRobot® XLife Extended Life Battery
Not a cheap vac
Can sometimes mark wooden room trim around the outside of the room if you don’t have the wall barrier set up and working properly
Doesn’t clean in lines – cleans in a random pattern – so can miss some spots and go over other spots more than once
Some people prefer an electric upright vac which is more powerful, has a bigger capacity and cleans more thoroughly
More for lighter messes and lower amounts of dog hair – not as much for very heavy cleaning and large amounts of dog hair (or long hair)
For flatter surfaces and lower pile surfaces – may struggle on very thick/plush carpets, and steep changes in floor levels
Overall
Overall, the 870 is quite good as a light duty robotic vac, but it does lack features the newest models have. If you do want the 870 though, read the return policy and warranty conditions before you buy to protect your money investment. You might also like to read this guide which outlines some of the other top robot vacuum models for pet hair and general cleaning, as well as pet hair vacuum buyer’s tips.
View
iRobot Roomba 877 Robotic Vacuum
Features
A robot vacuum for all surface types – carpet through to hard floors
Comes with 1 Virtual Wall Lighthouse Device (2 C Batteries Included), that allows your robot vacuum to navigate room to room in up to 2 rooms
Has up to 5x the power of 600 and 700 series Roomba models
Use iAdapt Navigation to clean around your home (but not multi room navigation)
Has AeroForce 3-Stage Cleaning System that delivers up to 50% more cleaning performance
Has tangle free brushes for pet hair and regular hair
Also has a side cleaning brush for walls and edges
Vacuum Automatically docks and recharges after cleaning
There’s also a ‘clean’ button that you can press and the vacuum will go off and clean for itself
You can also schedule the vac to clean at specific time up to 7 times a week
Has a Lithium Ion Battery that delivers up to 2x the battery cycle lifetime
Is a bagless container vac
Weighs around 8lbs
Has Cliff detect sensors to avoid stairs and other drop-offs
The vac is 3.6 inches tall, is specifically designed to fit under most furniture, beds and kickboards
Comes with an AeroForce® High-Efficiency Filter
Has a 1 year limited vacuum and 6 month battery warranty
Drawbacks
There’s the new model 800 and 900 series Roombas out now, which have increased power and newer features an technology
Doesn’t have recharge and resume feature, app control or carpet boost
Not a cheap vac
Can sometimes mark wooden room trim around the outside of the room if you don’t have the wall barrier set up and working properly
Doesn’t clean in lines – cleans in a random pattern – so can miss some spots and go over other spots more than once
Some people prefer an electric upright vac which is more powerful, has a bigger capacity and cleans more thoroughly
More for lighter messes and lower amounts of dog hair – not as much for very heavy cleaning and large amounts of dog hair (or long hair)
For flatter surfaces and lower pile surfaces – may struggle on very thick/plush carpets, and steep changes in floor levels
Overall
Overall, the 877 is quite good as a light duty robotic vac, but it does lack features the newest models have. If you do want the 877 though, read the return policy and warranty conditions before you buy to protect your money investment. You might also like to read this guide which outlines some of the other top robot vacuum models for pet hair and general cleaning, as well as pet hair vacuum buyer’s tips.
View
iRobot Roomba 880 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
Features
A robot vacuum for all surface types – carpet through to hard floors
Has up to 5x the power of 600 and 700 series Roomba models
Use iAdapt Navigation to clean around your home (but not multi room navigation)
Has AeroForce 3-Stage Cleaning System that delivers up to 50% more cleaning performance
Has tangle free brushes for pet hair and regular hair
Also has a side cleaning brush for walls and edges
Vacuum Automatically docks and recharges after cleaning
There’s also a ‘clean’ button that you can press and the vacuum will go off and clean for itself
You can also schedule the vac to clean at specific time up to 7 times a week
Has a iRobot® XLife™ Extended Life Battery
Is a bagless container vac
Weighs around 8lbs
Has Cliff detect sensors to avoid stairs and other drop-offs
The vac is 3.6 inches tall, is specifically designed to fit under most furniture, beds and kickboards
Comes with an AeroForce® High-Efficiency Filter and 2 Virtual Wall Lighthouses (batteries included) for preventing the vacuum entering areas you don’t want it to
Comes with a Remote Control (batteries included)
Has a 1 year limited vacuum warranty, and 6 month battery warranty
Drawbacks
There’s the new model 800 and 900 series Roombas out now, which have increased power and newer features an technology
Doesn’t have mutli room navigation, recharge and resume feature, app control or carpet boost
Doesn’t use a lithium ion battery
Not a cheap vac
Can sometimes mark wooden room trim around the outside of the room if you don’t have the wall barrier set up and working properly
Doesn’t clean in lines – cleans in a random pattern – so can miss some spots and go over other spots more than once
Some people prefer an electric upright vac which is more powerful, has a bigger capacity and cleans more thoroughly
More for lighter messes and lower amounts of dog hair – not as much for very heavy cleaning and large amounts of dog hair (or long hair)
For flatter surfaces and lower pile surfaces – may struggle on very thick/plush carpets, and steep changes in floor levels
Overall
Overall, the 880 is quite good as a light duty robotic vac, but it does lack features the newest models have. If you do want the 880 though, read the return policy and warranty conditions before you buy to protect your money investment. You might also like to read this guide which outlines some of the other top robot vacuum models for pet hair and general cleaning, as well as pet hair vacuum buyer’s tips.
View
iRobot Roomba 890 Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Features
A robotic vacuum for all floor surfaces – carpet, and hard floors
Has up to 5x more suction power than the 600 and 700 series robotic vacs
Can clean dirt as well as pet hair with two main Tangle Free cleaning brushes/rollers
Also has an edge sweeping brush which sweeps debris away from edges and corners
Has auto height adjust which allows the vacuum to adjust it’s own height to different surface types
Just press clean on the vacuum – no programming required
Having said this – you can also schedule the vac from an app to clean at specific times
Is also Smart Home Connected – you can use it with the iRobot HOME App, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant
Has a 3 stage cleaning system – loosen, lifts and sucks dirt up
Has dirt detect sensors that alert Roomba machine to work harder on dirtier or high traffic areas of your floor
Has Advanced Dirt Detect Technology
Has Cliff detect sensors to avoid stairs and other drop-offs
Vacuum machine automatically returns to home base to charge once finished cleaning
Comes with a home base charging system and 1 extra filter
Uses high efficiency cleaning filters
Has iAdapt Navigation
Weighs just under 8 lbs
Is a bagless vacuum with a .62 liter dust container capacity
Has rechargeable lithium ion batteries that have about 60 minutes run time
Comes with 1 x Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier (2 AA Batteries Included) that stops the vacuum from going into an area you don’t want it to during cleaning
Warranty for Roomba vacuums is a 1 year limited warranty including the battery
Drawbacks
Not cheap
Can sometimes mark wooden room trim around the outside of the room if you don’t have the wall barrier set up and working properly
Doesn’t clean in lines – cleans in a random pattern – so can miss some spots and go over other spots more than once
Some people prefer an electric upright vac which is more powerful, has a bigger capacity and cleans more thoroughly
More for lighter messes and lower amounts of dog hair – not as much for very heavy cleaning and large amounts of dog hair (or long hair)
For flatter surfaces and lower pile surfaces – may struggle on very thick/plush carpets, and steep changes in floor levels
Takes almost an hour (about 45 to 50 mins) to clean a small room
Overall
Overall, if you have realistic expectations of what a robotic vacuum cleaner is – which is a lighter duty vacuum with a lower dirt container capacity – the Roomba 890 performs well. Like all robotic vacs, it isn’t cheap, but does provide good value for money if you want an automatic robotic vac that can also be scheduled. You get more power specifically in the 890 compared to the 600 and 700 series Roombas. If you want a heavy duty vac for heavier dirt and higher volumes of thick hair – it’s not for you. You might also like to read this guide which outlines some of the other top robot vacuum models for pet hair and general cleaning, as well as pet hair vacuum buyer’s tips.
View
iRobot Roomba 800 Series Robot Vacuum Cleaner: Buyer’s Guide
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 805 Robot Vacuum Cleaner Be For?
Those looking for a:
Robotic vac
Automatic cleaning vac
Vac that can be scheduled
Vac that can be used on different surfaces – carpets through to hard floors
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 805 Robot Vacuum Cleaner NOT Be For?
Those looking for a:
Cheap vac
Heavy duty vac
Who Might The Roomba 850 Be For?
Those looking for a:
Robotic vac
Automatic cleaning vac
Vac that can be used on different surfaces – carpets through to hard floors
Who Might The Roomba 850 NOT Be For?
Those looking for a:
Cheap vac
Heavy duty vac
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 860 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Be For?
Those looking for a:
Robotic vac
Automatic cleaning vac
Vac that can be scheduled
Vac that can be used on different surfaces – carpets through to hard floors
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 860 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner NOT Be For?
Those looking for a:
Cheap vac
Heavy duty vac
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 870 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Be For?
Those looking for a:
Robotic vac
Automatic cleaning vac
Vac that can be scheduled
Vac that can be used on different surfaces – carpets through to hard floors
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 870 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner NOT Be For?
Those looking for a:
Cheap vac
Heavy duty vac
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 877 Robotic Vacuum Be For?
Those looking for a:
Robotic vac
Automatic cleaning vac
Vac that can be scheduled
Vac that can be used on different surfaces – carpets through to hard floors
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 877 Robotic Vacuum NOT Be For?
Those looking for a:
Cheap vac
Heavy duty vac
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 880 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner Be For?
Those looking for a:
Robotic vac
Automatic cleaning vac
Vac that can be scheduled
Vac that can be used on different surfaces – carpets through to hard floors
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 880 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner NOT Be For?
Those looking for a:
Cheap vac
Heavy duty vac
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 890 Robot Vacuum Cleaner Be For?
Those looking for a:
Robotic vac
Automatic cleaning vac
Vac that can be scheduled
Robot vac with more suction power
Vac that is Smart Home Connected
Who Might The iRobot Roomba 890 Robot Vacuum Cleaner NOT Be For?
Those looking for a:
Cheap vac
Heavy duty vac
Friendly Disclaimers
TheDailyShep.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.
Additionally, TheDailyShep.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we sometimes get a commission through purchases made through our links.
TheDailyShep.com are not veterinarians, or animal professionals/experts. Information provided is for informational purposes only – it is not a substitute for professional or qualified advice.
The information is based on either our own thorough research, and/or own experiences, as a means of free speech.
By consuming this information, you accept that TheDailyShep.com do not have client or patient relationship with you, and TheDailyShep.com are not advising you to act on anything you read.
You should always consult your own veterinarian, animal expert, or health care professional and follow their advice before making decisions on all matters.
You can find our full set of disclaimers and T & C’s in the footer of this site.
Enjoy your reading, and thank you for being here
