The Roomba 860 and 880 are both older, discontinued vacuums that are no longer produced by the Roomba brand. However, they still work great, and can be purchased from a third party or independent seller at a great budget cost.
But which Roomba is better?
This post will guide you through some of the features of the Roomba 880 and 860, and how they both compare to the newest model, the Roomba 890.
While the 890 is definitely the highest quality, we think there are still some great features to be considered in the older models.
iRobot Roomba 880
Let’s talk about the more recent of the two older vacuums first. The Roomba 880 is an upper mid-level vacuum from Roomba’s successful lines. It has tons of smart features, and is way more affordable than some other options.
Compared to older, 600 or 700 series Roombas, the 880 definitely comes out on top. It has more smart features, including an intelligent navigation system, tangle-free debris extractor, and virtual walls to help it navigate without bumping into your furniture.
Here are a few more important details about the Roomba 880.
Key Features of Roomba 880:
- Tangle-free brush
- Smart navigation
- Virtual walls
- AeroForce Suction
Tangle Free Brush
Unlike the more traditional brush systems that you will see on older robot vacuums, the Roomba 880 has two rubber rollers that cleanly pick up dust, hair and other large debris without getting it tangled. The anti-tangle feature is awesome for pet owners or someone with long hair. It makes it so that you don’t haveto spend all your time cleaning hair clumps out of the brush after you vacuum.
Smart Navigation
The Roomba 880, like all of the newer Roomba models, is equipped with intelligent iAdapt navigation software.
What does all that mean?
Basically, instead of blindly driving around a room and hitting walls and furniture, the Roomba 880 can actually scan the room before it starts vacuuming so that it can “see” where it is going. The scan feature makes cleaning go faster, saving energy and getting the Roomba out from under your feet sooner.
Virtual Walls
Virtual walls limit the space in a room that the Roomba can clean. The technology allows you to put up “walls” around a certain part of the floor or in a doorway. This is a helpful feature when you want the vacuum to focus on cleaning just one part of the carpet.
Virtual walls are also great for when the kids or pets are playing in one room, and you want to vacuum in another.
Pros of the Roomba 880
Here are a few of the areas where the Roomba 880 really stands out compared to other vacuums.
Less Maintenance
With the improved anti-tangle brushes and smart navigation system, there is not much you need to do to keep your Roomba running. It will navigate on its own without bumping into furniture or other, more fragile objects, and you don’t need to take the time to untangle hair from the brushes once it is done cleaning.
Faster Cleaning
The Roomba 880 cleans a lot faster than other models. The smart navigation system insures that it will go over every part of the room deliberately, instead of hitting obstacles and doubling back over the same area.
Better on Big Debris
The 880 picks up larger debris, like hair, dust bunnies, or foods better than older models. Because the debris extraction system will not get bogged down by tangles, it works perfectly through the whole cleaning.
Cons of the Roomba 880
Of course, this robot vacuum isn’t quite perfect. It is fairly modern, but it is not the newest model out there. Hence, it falls short in these areas.
No Wifi Connectivity
In more recent Roomba models, the vacuum can connect to an app through Wifi. The app allows you to easily start and stop the vacuum, schedule cleanings and set up more virtual walls. The biggest drawback of not having Wifi connectivity in the Roomba 880 is the lack of virtual walls. You are limited to only two walls that are already set up in the system, and can’t add more.
Does not Automatically Resume
One cool feature of the Roomba 880 is that if the battery gets low while it is cleaning, it will automatically park itself on its charger. However, once it is done charging, it can’t pick up where it left off – it will have to clean the whole room again.
Does not Have a Suction Boost for Carpet
With some newer Roombas, the suction power will automatically increase when the vacuum moves from wood or tile onto carpet. This can help to deep clean the carpets and pick up dirt and debris that is stuck in the fibers. Unfortunately, the Roomba 880 does not have this feature.
Differences Between the Roomba 860 vs 880
The Roomba 860 is pretty similar to the Roomba 880, which we have just described. So, instead of re-listing its features, we will talk about all the ways it differs from the 880.
Remote
The Roomba 860 does not come with a remote, which makes it a little more annoying to start and control.
Virtual Walls
Whereas the Roomba 880 comes with two virtual walls, the Roomba 860 only has one. That means you can only set up one dividing wall at a time while the Roomba is cleaning.
Price
Because it has a few less special features, the Roomba 860 can be found at a significantly lower price than the Roomba 880 – about $150 lower, usually. Even with less features, it is still a high quality robot vacuum for the price.
Color
As far as their physical appearance, the only thing that sets the Roomba 860 apart from the Roomba 880 is that comes in silver. The 880 is black. Other than that, they have the same shape, weight and dimensions.
Whole Level Cleaning
The Roomba 860 cannot seamlessly move from room to room like the Roomba 880 can. You may have to pick it up and take it to the next room when it is done cleaning one room.
Improvements with the Roomba 890
So, how do both of these Roomba models stack up against the newer model, the Roomba 890?
Here are all the improvements that come with the 890.
Wifi Connectivity
As mentioned earlier, neither the Roomba 880 nor the Roomba 860 have Wifi connectivity. The Roomba 890, on the other hand, can be connected to an app on a handheld device. You can use the app to monitor the vacuum’s cleaning, set schedules, start and stop it, set up virtual walls and more.
Improved Battery Life
The Roomba 890 has a much better battery life than the Roomba 880. It is able to clean longer, without pausing to connect itself to the charging port.
Price
Here’s a funny detail: the Roomba 890 is actually more affordable than the Roomba 880. Even though it has more features, the 880 is discontinued and in limited supply, so the price is generally a little higher than the newer model.
Which is the Perfect Roomba 800 Series Robot for You?
While the 880 and 860 are pretty high quality robot vacuums, they are older and discontinued, so you are simply going to get better quality with the Roomba 890. The Roomba 890 comes with more features. It is easier to use with the handheld app, and it actually comes at a lower price than buying the Roomba 880 from a third party.
Like with most products, the newer model is generally better. That said, if you can find yourself a Roomba 880 at a bargain price, you will still find yourself with a durable and versatile robot vacuum cleaner.
More Robot Vacuum Comparison Reviews just for you:
Sharing all my interesting smart home finds in this small corner of the internet. If you want easy to read, honest opinions or reviews from your friendly neighbor, I'm the guy for you! Thanks for dropping by Brentmore Labs. - James 
