Roomba 675 VS 690. What's the difference?

Last updated on Jul 29, 2021 Robot Vacuum Cleaners
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The Roomba 675 vs 690 is a battle that pits two Roomba models that are part of the 600 series. This means that they are similar in many ways and their differences are minimal. This doesn’t mean we won’t have a winner. We will still take you through what they both have to offer. After which, we shall make a conclusion on which one you should buy and why.

In this hotly contested irobot Roomba 675 vs 690, the Roomba 675 is the winner. This is because even though it offers the exact same features as the Roomba 690, it is more affordable. If you are interested, you can check out its current price on amazon.

The only difference between the Roombas is the accessories that they come with in the box. The Roomba 690 comes with a virtual wall barrier while the 675 does not.

The Roomba 690 is also a good irobot considering that it is a newer model but I do not think you should only buy it just because of that. It costs more than the 675 at the time of righting this article. You can also check out its current price on amazon.

Feature Comparison: The roomba 675 vs The roomba 690

Cleaning stages

We start off our Roomba 600 series versus match of the Roomba 675 vs 690 by looking at the cleaning stages they have.

Both the Roomba 675 and Roomba 690 boast of a 3 stage cleaning system carefully crafted by the engineers at Roomba.

The 3 stage cleaning system is part of a simple process that involves the Roomba loosening the dirt particles then pulling them and finally sucking them up using their suction technology.

The 3 stage cleaning system uses the dual multi–surface brushes that can grab dirt from all kinds of surfaces including carpets and hard floors. This cleaning system also utilizes an edge sweeping brush that is used to clean the edges of walls and corners in rooms.

Multi Surface Cleaning

Multi-surface cleaning is another prominent feature in the Roomba 675 vs 690 because it is prime example of how well built both these roombas are to handle homes of different “terrain”.

The Roomba 690 and 675 can clean both carpets and hard floors and can quickly adapt to the changes in floor type. They do this by automatically adjusting the cleaning head’s height to properly clean these different surface types. This kind of adjustment helps the Roombas to keep in close contact with the different type of floor surfaces to directly clean them.

roomba multi-surface cleaning
Roomba Multi-surface Cleaning

Cleaning Pattern

Using an adaptive navigation style, the Roomba 675 and 690 easily find their way around the home with minimal effort. With a full range of advanced sensors to help it navigate around the home, their cleaning pattern is not too shabby. They easily navigate around chairs, home furniture and along edges using this technology. The intelligent sensors take the Roombas decision making to more than 60 decisions per second thus enabling it to quickly and intelligently adapt to your home almost flawlessly.

image showing roomba cleaning pattern
Example of a Roomba Cleaning Pattern

Obstacle Detection & Cliff Detection

The Roomba 690 and 675 are fitted with obstacle detection sensors that allow them identify obstacles and navigate around them. In addition to that, they also come fitted with cliff detection sensors that ensure you won’t have your Roomba falling downstairs.

Smart Cleaning

The Roomba 690 and Roomba 675 are designed to clean our homes in smarter way. Both the 690 and 675 can learn your cleaning routine and even propose new cleaning schedules to satisfy your cleaning needs. They even go a step further to recommend what you would not expect for example; suggesting extra cleaning in areas that need it. Or even in during times that call for it like a pet shedding season.

WIFI ENABLED + SMART PHONE APP

With their newly updated iRobot home App, the 675 and 690 guarantee a seamless and upgraded user experience. Both irobots can be controlled via the iRobot smart phone app remotely and at home as well. You can issue instructions to your iRobot while you’re on a vacation in the Bahamas. These robots can be programmed to work 7 days a week with the ability to monitor and view their overall activity and cleaning history.

Dirt Detection Technology

The 675 and 690 irobots would not be iRobots without their patented Dirt Detection technology that helps Irobots find the dirty areas at home. This technology further allows them to detect dirt zones that would need extra cleaning like areas at home where you have lots of people walking through.  It works a little bit like this; the iRobot sensors detect the dirt, the sensors then alert your robot about the dirt, then the robot starts to clean that area more thoroughly.

Runtime & Auto Recharge

With a runtime of up to 90 mins, the 690 and 670 have enough juice to ensure a decent cleaning session in one go. Furthermore, the irobots come with a dock and recharge feature. This feature allows the irobot to return to its Home Base charging station automatically to recharge. This can be either after its done cleaning or when it is running low on battery.

Voice control

The iRobot 670 and 690 come enabled with voice assistant technology compatibility. With the help of alexa or google assistant, you can issue commands to the iRobots with just the sound of your voice.

So if you are tired or too lazy to get to your phone, this voice control technology can help you get your tasks under way without you lifting a finger.

Design: Roomba 675 vs 690

Considering the physical design, the Roomba 675 and Roomba 690 are more or less the same. They both have a button at the center, a Troubleshooting Indicator, Wi-Fi indicator, spot button and dock button.  

image showing buttons on a roomba
Buttons and Indicators on a roomba

The roombas come with a reasonably slim design that’s able to clean under sofas and home furniture. With a height of just about 3.6 inches, it can go under lots of places you would ordinarily not be able to reach.

image showing roomba under furniture
Image of Roomba under furniture

They also both have a bristle style brush roll. The bristle style performs well on hard surfaces.

image showing roomba brushes
Roomba Bristle brushes

Virtual WALL

A virtual wall is a feature that allows you have more control of where your Irobot can or cannot clean. This is a very cool feature because it means you can create zones around your house that you would not want the robot accessing. Some of these areas include; children play areas, pet food areas etc. A major and most prominent difference in the Roomba 675 vs 690 is the virtual wall.

The Roomba 690 comes with dual mode virtual wall barrier while the Roomba 675 doesn’t. This stands out as one of the few, if not only areas where the 690 edges out the 675 in this comparison of features.

The virtual wall also has a Halo Mode. This mode creates a shield zone around items you do not want the Roomba bumping into.

image showing virtual wall halo mode
virtual wall halo mode

Conclusion of iRobot roomba 675 vs 690

The irobot Roomba 675 and 690 are basically the same Roomba and our winner for this comparison is the Roomba 675.

This is because it is more affordable. So you will basically be getting the exact same features as the 690 at a lower cost. You can check out the current price of the Roomba 675.

If you are still interested in the Roomba 690, being a later model and all, you can check out the roomba 690 price right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the Roomba 690 and 675?

The main difference between the roomba 690 and the roomba 675 is that the Roomba 690 packaging comes with a Dual Mode Virtual Wall included while the 675 Roomba packaging does not.

Can these machines be operated without WI-FI?

Yes, they can. You can operate the irobots using the buttons found on the Roomba itself. For example: to start or stop the robot, you simply press the CLEAN button. Or if you want it to dock, you press the DOCK button. You can also use the SPOT button to do focused cleaning in a specific spot.

Can I buy a virtual wall for my Roomba 675?

Yes, you can. In fact, some eCommerce sites have the option for you to include the virtual wall in your shopping cart at a discounted price.

Do the Roomba 675 and 690  roombas create cleaning maps?

No they do not. This is because they do not have cameras on them. This means they cannot use the Roomba VSLAM technology that captures mapping and navigation information necessary for creating mapping reports.

Will the Roomba go back to the charging dock by itself?

Yes it will. For the Roomba to comfortably return to its charging station, it must start from its charging dock because it is programmed to return to where it started. If the robot is interrupted as it cleans, it may not be able to return.

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