Bobsweep vs. Roomba

The Roomba is well-known in the industry, but the Bobsweep has been a great up and coming competitor. Both companies offer many types of robot vacuums that range in price, features, and uses. You might have your heart set on a Roomba. But while Roomba is known for being high-end, their vacuums also have a lot of extra bells and whistles that you may not need.

That’s why I’ll be looking at the bObsweep PetHair vs. the Roomba 690. Both of these are more affordable, but their features and uses differ.

Roomba vs. bObsweep – A Quick Summary

Spoiler alert: the Roomba 690 actually did perform better than the bObsweep PetHair. It comes at a higher cost. But the Roomba backs up that higher cost with better cleaning performance, wifi connectivity, and included virtual barriers. The Roomba robot vacuum even has a larger capacity battery, allowing it to run for longer, and a lower overall maintenance cost. It runs at $86 less per year, which definitely adds up.

bObsweep Review

Just because the Roomba vacuum works better doesn’t mean that you should count out the bObsweep PetHair. This vacuum is budget-friendly and a little larger than most comparable models, meaning that it also has a 1000mL dust bin capacity. It also has a larger 3×5” LED screen for setting and troubleshooting, making it easy for you to see when you’re messing with the settings.

You have multiple cleaning mode options with the bObsweep vacuum, and a remote control to switch between them. This makes this easy-to-use robot a real contender.

 

Our Roomba Review

There are tons of Roomba robot vacuum models out there, but I’m talking about the 690 vacuum. This is an older model compared to the Roomba 890 or the 900 series vacuums. That doesn’t mean that this Roomba cleans any less though; it continues to clean well at only a fraction of the price. Not to mention that the 690 has wifi connectivity, and includes its own virtual wall to help it navigate much more efficiently. Use your smartphone to schedule your cleaning cycles ahead of time.

Roomba vs. bObsweep

Both the Roomba 690 and the bObsweep PetHair robot vacuums are quite similar in their price point. This means that you shouldn’t be breaking the bank on either of them. That also means that you can’t pick your winner based on price. In terms of performance, take a look here to see which one really works best.

Design

bObsweep Design

The design of the bObsweep robot does happen to be a little bulkier than other models. You may not be able to get it to go under all types of furniture, but you do have an extra large dust bin to reduce the time you spend emptying it.

On the bObsweep, you’ll have these four main features:

1. LED screen
2. Sensor
3. Bumper
4. Dust bin release

The bObsweep robot vacuum might be a little larger, but it’s no less agile. It can easily make 360-degree turns. It might hesitate at the corners, although there is a bumper on the front of the unit to protect the vacuum if it does happen to knock into something as it cleans. The large LED screen will make it easy to see how the vacuum is doing as you take a look at cycle settings, scheduled cleanings, and your remaining battery life.

Roomba Design

I’ll admit: the Roomba robot vacuum is pretty sleek. The design is simple, with a matte black body and silver accents. You’ll see a few pops of bright green on there to make it easier to see the user interface areas even if it’s a little dark in your room.

In the Roomba 690, expect these main features:

1. On/Off Clean
2. Handle
3. Bumper
4. Dust bin release

If you’d like to start a new cycle of Roomba cleaning, just his the large “CLEAN” button in the center of the vacuum. The bumper in front of the vacuum will protect your vacuum and the furniture as it continues to navigate around your home.

How They Clean

How bObsweep Cleans

The bObsweep robot will use a combination of a roller brush, side spinning brush for the corners, and suction. Basically, the spinning brush will push any dirt in corners or along edges into the cleaning path. The roller brush will then suck up everything into the dust bin.

There are also “blindfold” stickers for cleaning dark floors and carpets. These will cover the four edge sensors on the underside of the bObsweep, which are needed to help the vacuum clean everything correctly on these types of floors.

Remember that if you do “blindfold” your robot vacuum, it will not be able to detect stairs or edges. Make sure to remove the stickers when you go back to regular cleaning. This might be annoying to some users, since it doesn’t actually solve existing navigational issues.

When it comes to cleaning, the bObsweep includes:

1. Wheels
2. Spinning brush
3. Charging pins
4. Roller brush
5. Edge sensors

How Roomba Cleans

You have the usual traditional suction power with the Roomba 690 robot vacuum, which includes an agitating roller brush and a spinning side brush for edges and corners. With the included drop detection and dirt detection, the Roomba will better be able to learn the details about your space to better clean it.

You’ll have these cleaning options with the Roomba:

1. Wheels
2. Spinning brush for edge cleaning
3. Charging pins
4. Roller brush
5. Dust bin release
6. Edge sensors

Both of these vacuums robot have infrared light, although Roomba performs better on dark carpeting. It doesn’t need any blindfolding for it to navigate even trickier areas. Since Roomba lacks a memory feature though, you might find it bump into the same objects here and there. It’s good that there’s a front bumper to keep the Roomba safe then. 

Size & Dimensions

bObsweep

Based on what we’ve observed and reviews, the bObsweep PetHair robot vacuumis bit bigger overall than the other robotic vacuums. It’s taller and wider. This is how it’s able to collect and hold so much debris. However, the larger size can mean that it might have more trouble working around and under furniture.

Height: 3.9’’

Diameter: 13.8’’

Roomba

Roomba 690 is .3’’ shorter than the bObsweep PetHair robot vacuum. That little bit of difference can really be helpful with navigation in and around tight spaces. Additionally, when comparing the diameters of the two vacuums, the Roomba is narrower than the bObsweep by about half an inch. 

Height: 3.6’’

Diameter: 13’’

Accessories & Parts

bObsweep Accessories & Parts

When you purchase a new bObsweep PetHair vacuum, it includes:

1. Charging Station: The charging station can be used to set a cleaning schedule. The vacuum will automatically return to the charging station once it reaches 15% power to avoid dying in the middle of cleaning.
2. Brushes: The cleaning power of spinning side brushes and a roller brush ensure maximum cleaning ability.
3. Remote Control: Using the remote control, you’re able to direct the robot, change cleaning cycles and start or pause the current cycle.
4. Cleaning Tool: This tool helps you with regular maintenance to the vacuum.
5. Mopping Cloth: This super soft microfiber cloth is a great for mopping or polishing and can be used wet or dry. 

I’d have to say that the bObsweep is a bit lacking when it comes to accessories. They did good including the mopping brush, but need some kind of navigation device. 

Roomba Accessories & Parts

Roomba 690 robot vacuum includes the following accessories:

1. Charging Station: Similar to the bObsweep vacuum, Roomba will automatically return to it’s charging station once it’s battery life gets below 15%
2. Cleaning Tool: A useful tool that makes it easy maintenance and keep your Roomba’s parts clean and functioning properly. 
3. Virtual Wall Barrier: Using infrared light, this device creates virtual barriers to guide the Roomba and keep it from entering rooms that you don’t want it to.
4. HEPA Filter: This filter is used to trap and hold even the tiniest of particles, dirt and allergens.

Roomba’s list of included parts and accessories doesn’t mention the rolling brush or spinning side brush, but it does features these brushes. 

Roomba 690 doesn’t require a remote control because it’s wifi enabled so that you can easily connect to and control it using your smartphone.  

Cleaning Tests

We’ve also designed a few cleaning tests to see how Roomba 690 vs bObsweep Pethair robot vacuums compare when cleaning up different kinds of debris and on different kinds of surfaces. 

We put these vacuums to the test on the three most common types of flooring: hard wood, high pile carpet and low pile carpet. Using the exact amount of each type of debris on each surface type, to make it a fair test of both. The test debris included:

• 4oz of kitty litter
• 4oz of rice
• 4oz of dry cereal
• 4oz of sugar

Performance on Hardwood Floor

bObsweep: 99%

The bObsweep Pethair was really impressive on the hardwood floor test on all types of debris. Especially when it came to cleaning up the sugar, where it beat Roomba by 4%.

Sugar: 99%

Cereal:100%

Kitty Litter: 96%

Rice: 99%

Roomba: 98%

Although the bObsweep beat it on the sugar, Roomba still did a great job on this test. It picked up over 95% of the debris from each category. Plus, it only required 8 minutes of run-time to complete each debris test. 

Sugar: 95%

Cereal: !00%

Kitty Litter: 96%

Rice: 99%

Performance on Low Pile Carpet

bObsweep: 90%

When it came to the low pile carpet, the bObsweep did decent when cleaning up the cereal and rice. However, it did struggle a bit with the smaller debris particles, specifically the sugar.

Sugar: 66%

Cereal: 100%

Kitty Litter: 91%

Rice: 99% 

Roomba: 93%

Roomba did pretty good on the low pile carpet. Similar to bObsweep though, it did struggle more with the sugar. However it was able to clean up 72% of the sugar, as opposed to the 66% that the bObsweep got.

Sugar: 72%

Cereal: 100%

Kitty Litter: 98%

Rice: 100%

Performance on High Pile Carpet 

bObsweep: 83%

The bObsweep faced some of the same struggles with the high pile carpet that it did with the low pile carpet. The smaller pieces of the debris were difficult for it to collect effectively. It cleaned up even less of the sugar in this test. 

Sugar: 51%

Cereal: 100%

Kitty Litter: 90%

Rice: 93%

Roomba: 91%

Roomba results on this test were pretty similar to the results from the low pile tests. It was near perfect on all the debris types, except when it came to cleaning up the sugar it was only able to collect 66%

Sugar: 66%

Cereal: 99%

Kitty Litter: 99%

Rice: 99%

Usability 

bObsweep PetHair  Usability

When I received the bObsweep robot vacuum, it was really simple to set up. After unboxing, you use the included screws and screwdriver to attach the brushes. Then once it’s all charged up, it’s ready to go.

The LED screen was confusing to understand. The screen presents a lot of information, but it’s still difficult to figure out what any of it actually means of does. In order to properly use this robot vacuum, you’re really going to need to take some time with the manual. 

Roomba Usability

Setting up Roomba 690 robot was very easy as well. Once it’s out of the box, just charge the robot up and start cleaning. There’s a simple button right on top that says “CLEAN”, that you can push to begin a cleaning cycle. 

You can call connect it to your smartphone via wifi to control it from there. Pairing the two was pretty fast, it only took about 2 minutes and is so easy to use. You can use it to start, stop or pause a cleaning, set a cleaning schedule and more. 

Maneuverability

bObsweep

Overall: Good – While the larger body of the bObsweep robot may put it at a disadvantage, it still has the ability to turn easily due to its round shape. The larger size of the bObsweep robot will make it much harder to maneuver around tighter spaces and furniture that is lower to the ground.

Weight: 7.7 lbs

Height: 3.9”

Width: 13.8”

Turning: 360 degrees

Roomba

Overall: Good – Its smaller size makes it easier to navigate through tight spaces and low furniture and its round body makes it capable of easily making 360 degree turns around chairs or table legs.

Weight: 7.8 pounds

Height: 3.6″

Width: 13.4″

Turning: 360 degrees

Maintenance

bObsweep

According to findings, the maintenance factors for the bObsweep were vague and the manufacturer neglected to provide information about how frequently the bObsweep will need to have maintenance done, aside from the filters. The supposed cost for maintaining a bObsweep is around $112. Here is a quick estimate for maintenance periods based on similar products on the market.

Filter: 6 months

Battery: 2 years

Spinning brush: 6 months

Rolling brush: 2 years

Washable mop cloth: As Needed

Roomba

Consequently, the maintenance process for the Roomba 690 is much more simple. You will have to empty the dustpans and keep an eye on the parts and brushes to see when they will need to be fixed or replaced. The estimated annual cost to maintain a Roomba is around $26. Here is the maintenance period as provided by the manufacturer.

HEPA Filter: 2 months

Spinning brush: 6 months

Front wheel: 12 months

Brushroll: 12 months

Battery: 18-36 months

Battery

bObsweep

The battery for the bObsweep is 2,200 mAh and takes roughly 6 hours to charge, which will allow it to operate for 55-90 minutes on a full charge.

Roomba

The battery for the Roomba 690 is 3,000 mAh and takes around 2-3 hours to charge, which will allow it to run for 60 minutes on a full charge.

Noise

According to the standard noise test carried out on both products, the Roomba 690’s noise level was only one decibel higher than the bObsweep’s. The bObsweep’s noise level was 67 dB and the Roomba 690’s noise level was 68 dB.

Value

bObsweep

Despite reports of it being more difficult to use than it seemed at first, the overall value of the bObsweep turned out to be pretty good and was an easy purchase for many interested buyers. It performed quite well on cleaning tests and the customer service that was provided for buyers in regards to maintenance issues was extraordinary. The biggest issue seems to be the cost for maintenance and replacement, which will increasingly add up over time and depreciate the value.

Warranty: 1-year limited, 5-year subsidized repair

Company: Great

Value: Good

Returns: 30 days

Roomba

Despite the higher cost of a Roomba 690, the value is very good and the low maintenance costs that you will have to provide for it will not cut as deeply into the overall value of it. It also had a higher cleaning performance in the cleaning tests and the customer service is exceptional. The extra features that will add more convenience to your life are an added bonus to the value of the Roomba 690.

Warranty: 1 year

Company: Great

Value: Great

Returns: 30 days

Specifications

bObsweep

The bObsweep is a cordless and bagless robotic vacuum with a battery of 2,200 mAh. It is a PetHair model with a dustbin capacity of 1 liter and works on all types of indoor flooring. Its length is 13.8 in., its weight is 7.7 lbs., its height is 3.9 in. and its width is 13.8 in. It comes included with a 1-year limited warranty and has a return policy of up to 30 days through Amazon (policy varies by retailer).

Roomba

The Roomba 690 is a robotic cordless and bagless vacuum cleaner manufactured by iRobot, with a battery of 1,800 mAh. It has a dust bin capacity of 0.3 liters and works on all types of indoor flooring. Its length is 13 in., its weight is 7.8 lbs., its height is 3.6 in. and its width is 13 in. It comes included with a 1-year limited warranty and has a return policy of up to 30 days through Amazon (policy varies by retailer).

bObsweep vs. Roomba, Which Should You Buy?

Both the bObsweep and the Roomba 690 fared pretty well in cleaning tests and overall capabilities, but there is no question that the Roomba 690 is the winning product. The Roomba’s overall cleaning performance was much better in comparison to the bObsweep and it has many more technological capabilities than the bObsweep. Lower maintenance costs along with smartphone control and a higher battery capacity heavily contributes to the overall value and necessity of the Roomba.

The bObsweep is still an amazing cleaning product, just barely missing the winning point that the Roomba reached. It would be a good product to have if you are financially incapable of buying a Roomba but would still need a cleaning tool. The bObsweep might rank higher if the maintenance costs and costs for the parts were a bit more affordable.

bObsweep vs. Roomba – The Winner? Roomba 690

You may have to pay a bit more for the Roomba than for the bObsweep, but they have all kinds of features that can help make cleaning much easier than before. The larger battery capacity and the lower overall maintenance costs put the Roomba a step higher than the bObsweep.

Winner according to various categories

Cleaning: Roomba – Roomba was only outdone in a cleaning test by bObsweep on hardwood; the rest were exceptionally good.

Accessories: Roomba – had more accessories than the bObsweep and did not require the blindfold stickers.

Usability: Roomba – The Roomba setup is reported to be much easier than the bObsweep, and it can be paired with your smartphone.

Maintenance: Roomba – The annual maintenance cost of the Roomba is only $26 while the cost for the bObsweep is $112.

Noise: bObsweep – The bObsweep’s noise level is a decibel lower than the Roomba’s.

Battery: Roomba – The Roomba has higher battery power with less charging time than the bObsweep.

Value: Roomba – Despite the higher price, the low maintenance cost and the added features along with easy usability is what really adds to the overall value.

Should You Buy the bObsweep?

There were only a few shortcomings with the bObsweep compared to the Roomba, but it is still an amazing cleaning product. You should consider buying it if you

• Want a remote control
• Need troubleshoot assist
• Want an XL dust bin.

Should You Buy the Roomba?

Personally, I believe you should definitely consider buying Roomba 690 if you want the best value and product for your money. Consider buying the Roomba if

• Want a stronger battery with less charging time
• Want to connect it to your smartphone and control it
• Want exceptionally lower maintenance costs.