Roomba 650 vs 860: Pros & Cons and Verdict

Choosing the right robotic vacuum requires some research and investigation. When we purchase a smart home device, such as a smart floor cleaner, we need to be sure that it can do “what it says on the tin”, and that it will meet our expectations.

To cut to the chase, the best place to start our search is to select manufacturers who have created the most well-renowned robotic vacuums. Today, several brands on the market produce reliable and functional smart floor cleaners, and we need to look for the most successful models these companies have released.

One of the most trusted and well-known companies that creates best-selling robotic vacuums is iRobot. This brand has been around for some time, and they’ve produced some of the most advanced smart floor cleaners on the market.

Roomba 650 and 860 are two iRobot’s robotic vacuums that are well-known for their functionality and reliability. These two smart floor cleaners are top-notch products that have sold in their thousands and have among the highest ratings.

Roomba 650 vs 860: Pros & Cons and Verdict

In this Roomba 650 vs 860 comparison article, we’ll talk about the most relevant aspects of these robotic vacuums and determine which of them takes the top spot.

We need to find out how these two models differ, what they have in common and if they offer any unique features. To do so, we’ll compare, evaluate and rate the most important aspects of Roomba 860 and 650.

1. Setup Process

The first thing we need to write about is the setup process of these robotic vacuums. Modern smart home shoppers rarely purchase gadgets that are hard to install or require professional assistance for getting started.

So for Roomba 650 and 860 to be successful, it’s crucial for them to be easy to activate.

Roomba 650 is a best-selling robotic vacuum. It’s the most successful smart floor cleaner iRobot has ever released. Fortunately, Roomba 650 is an easy-to-setup robotic vacuum, and even a novice user can complete the process.

It’s so easy that the setup process will only take about 5-10 minutes to complete. It’s impossible to get lost during the process, but if you do need extra help for any reason, you can simply refer to the user’s manual for further guidance.

Suggested Read: Roomba 650 vs 880: Pros & Cons and Verdict

If you find yourself still stuck for any reason, another option is reaching out to the support team of iRobot. Those guys are top-notch and will gladly assist with your queries.

The same goes for the Roomba 860. iRobot tries to create smart floor cleaners that are intuitive and easy to navigate. Both Roomba 650 and 860 only need a few button presses for them to be activated.

Basically, setting up a Roomba is a simple process that takes 5-10 minutes to complete, and it’s quick and easy even for a novice user. It doesn’t require any professional knowledge or assistance.

2. Design

Smart home shoppers seek products that are not only functional – another “must-have” requirement is that the product is stylish. 

So, visually, Roomba 650 and 860 need to impress the buyer. We need to find out how these two smart floor cleaners look and if they please the eye.

Roomba 650

Considering that the Roomba 650 is the most successful robotic vacuum ever released, we can say it speaks for itself in terms of design – i.e. it simply wouldn’t have been that popular if it didn’t look good.

A lot of buyers consider the Roomba 650 as the most beautiful, minimalistic smart floor cleaner created by iRobot. I’ve personally owned the Roomba 650 and have met other people who also have it. I must say that every owner of Roomba 650 mentioned how attractive the robotic vacuum is and how their visitors love to comment on its looks.

Roomba 650 is only available in black, and it has iRobot’s hallmark minimalistic design. On its surface are buttons for activating, scheduling and commanding your robotic vacuum.

Besides being visually attractive, it’s important to know the dimensions of a robotic vacuum since it plays a vital role regarding cleaning your house. In other words, if a smart floor cleaner has unsuitable dimensions it’ll have trouble reaching the ‘potential snagging’ areas of your home (for example, the space under your bed, sofa, stands and furniture in general).

The dimensions of Roomba 650 are 13.4 x 3.6 x 13.4 inches, and it weighs 7.9 pounds. Luckily, Roomba 650 can easily crawl under your beds, sofas, tables, etc. If you also want to know what’s inside the package of Roomba 650, check out the full list below:

• 1x Roomba 650
• 1x Home Base
• 1x Virtual Wall
• 1x Aerovac Filters

It’s pretty cool that iRobot decided to include a free Virtual Wall. VW Technology can help the robotic vacuum navigate itself more effectively and efficiently.

Roomba 860

Roomba 860 doesn’t look like a traditional Roomba. Instead of having a black finish, Roomba 860 is only available in a silver-coloured finish. To give you an idea of how it compares visually to the other Roomba models, take a look at the picture posted below.

This model is visually very different to the Roomba 650. The Roomba 860 is larger, the colour is different, and the ‘CLEAN’ doesn’t glow in green anymore.

Having talked with other Roomba 860 owners, they commented that their visitors were curious about this silver disc-shaped device and wanted to know all about it. 

As we’ve already said, having the right dimensions is vital for a robotic vacuum to perform at an acceptable level. So we need to know the dimensions of Roomba 860 and determine if it can function as we’d like it to. 

Roomba 860 has pretty good (13.9 x 13.9 x 3.6 inches) dimensions and it’ll have zero trouble reaching the tricky places (for example, cleaning under the beds, sofas, TV, etc.). Now, let’s take a look at the package of Roomba 860, which includes:

• The Roomba 860 Vacuum
• Charging dock + Power Cable
• One Virtual Wall
• One Spare HEPA filter
• User’s Manual

So we have a free Virtual Wall here that’ll help your Roomba 860 better navigate, clean and function. It’s also a nice gesture that iRobot decided to include an extra HEPA Filter.

3. Performance

Knowing the performance capabilities of these two smart floor cleaners can be considered the most critical aspect of our comparison article. The main reason why people purchase a robotic vacuum is due to their capabilities and performance rates. If Roomba 650 and 860 can’t perform at an acceptable level, there’s no use for us to invest in such smart floor cleaners.

So we need to find out how well these two smart floor cleaners can perform and if they are as good as people say.

Roomba 650

Roomba 650 is an old robotic vacuum that has a poor understanding of its surroundings. In other words, the navigation system of Roomba 650 isn’t as advanced as the Roomba 980 and 960. It can easily miss some spots, leaving them uncleaned.

It can be a bit annoying, but we can reduce the numbers of missed spots if we effectively place the Virtual Walls.  I’ve tested Roomba 650 and can say for sure that the manner in which it cleans around a room is entirely random. There’s no way of understanding or predicting where it’ll land next.

The running time of Roomba 650 is pretty good. We’ve tested it a few times and made it work on different surfaces. With dozens of tests conducted, we’ve estimated that Roomba 650 can run nonstop for 60 minutes.

What I like about the Roomba 650 is the scheduling feature. With this feature, you can schedule a few cleans during the week so that you don’t have to command it manually each time. For example,  Roomba 650 can be scheduled to clean your house every day at 3 pm.

Another neat feature is the auto-docking. Whenever the battery runs low, Roomba 650 will automatically sense this and will start searching its docking station to get a full recharge.

As the battery gets full, Roomba 650 will wait for your command to resume its duty. But make sure to place the docking station in an obstacle-free area. I’ve had cases when Roomba 650 failed to locate its home base because other obstacles confused/impeded it.

Roomba 860

While Roomba 860 isn’t as powerful and smart as the newest and top-rated robotic vacuums on the market, it surely outperforms the Roomba 650. With the innovative and enhanced capabilities, Roomba 860 performance rate exceeds every competitor in its price range.

There are some interesting key points we need to know about Roomba 860:

• 5x More Power – The cleaning power of Roomba 860 has increased and, compared to the previous generation models, the 860 model can vacuum and clean 5x better. 
• 3x Battery Life – Due to the enhanced power capability, Roomba 860 now has 3x battery life and works for a longer time. With dozens of tests conducted, we’ve made the 860 work on different surfaces and have estimated that it can work non-stop for approximately 120 minutes.
• Concentrated Cleaning – Since the navigation system of Roomba 860 isn’t as good as the Roomba 960 and 980, iRobot needed to enhance the sensors of Roomba 860. Introducing ‘Concentrated Cleaning’ was a smart move since it made the Roomba 860 more detail oriented.
• Enhanced Virtual Wall Technology – Roomba 860 now has a more in-depth sync with the Virtual Walls. If we place the VWs effectively, there’s minimal chance of Roomba 860 missing spots.

Roomba 860 doesn’t have a multi-room navigation system. However, if you remove the Virtual Walls and give the smart floor cleaner full freedom, it’ll happily clean and vacuum every place it can reach. I’ve tested Roomba 860 on a floor with five rooms, and it made sure to clean every bit of them. 

Popular Read: Scooba vs Braava: Pros & Cons and Verdict

Furthermore, the Roomba 860’s ‘Concentrated Cleaning’ feature uses optical and acoustic sensors to detect high concentrations of dirt, dust and pet hair – so you can be confident that it won’t miss and leave spots uncleaned.

4. Features

What we need to discuss next is the features of Roomba 650 and 860. Besides knowing how well these two smart floor cleaners perform, it’s essential to know what they can offer and if there’s something unique about them.

Hence we’ve created an excellent chart that shows the main and the most critical features of Roomba 860 and 650.

ROOMBA 860	ROOMBA 650
3-Stage Cleaning System	3-Stage Cleaning System
Concentrated Cleaning	Self-Recharge & Auto Adjust to Floors
Virtual Wall Technology	Auto Docking
Convenient Scheduling	Convenient Scheduling
Auto-Docking	Virtual Wall Technology
Dirt Detection	Dirt Detection
5x More Power	iAdapt Navigation

Judging from the chart above, you might think that these two robotic vacuums have nearly identical features. But while the list might seem the same, there’s a massive difference in quality. The features of Roomba 860 are at least 2x more advanced than those of Roomba 650.

For instance, the ‘concentrated cleaning’ of Roomba 860 means this model works on an entirely different level to Roomba 650.

5. Cleaning Capabilities

The next topic we need to write about is the cleaning capabilities of Roomba 650 and 860. If these two smart floor cleaners cannot meet the minimum requirements of a buyer, we should start looking for alternatives. So let’s find out if Roomba 860 and 650 are truly worth the investment and if they are as good as people claim.

Roomba 650

As mentioned above, Roomba 650 is a ‘random cleaning’ robotic vacuum that might miss a spot or two. You can either finish up the work Roomba 650 started or reactivate the smart floor cleaner in hopes of it cleaning the missed spots on a later run.

One of the most effective solutions to the problem stated above is placing the Virtual Walls that limit the area where Roomba 650 operates. By doing so, the smart floor cleaner becomes more focused on specific places and the chances of it missing spots decreases.

It’s still important to regularly keep an eye on the Roomba 650. If something goes wrong or Roomba 650 does something unexpected, it’ll be better if you’re somewhere close so you can fix it.

Since Roomba 650 has a weak navigation system, it’s possible for the robotic vacuum to crash into obstacles at high speed. For example, if it collides with a table or a stand with fragile objects, they might fall and break.

So to avoid such scenarios, it’s better to remove such objects from the room and free the floors from slippers, cables and similar distracting objects. Robotic vacuums have a taste for specific items and love sucking up cables, cords, slippers, etc.

I’ve seen some buyers reporting that the Roomba 650’s dustbin is small and it can’t hold a lot of dirt. On top of this, Roomba 650 doesn’t have a full bin indicator so you’ll have to check it regularly to avoid it getting full.

Roomba 650 is good for the elimination of pet hair, dust and small bits of debris. It perfectly cleans hard-to-reach spots of your house and cleans the corner areas and frees them from dirt.

Another cool thing is that Roomba 650 is equally happy to clean hardwood, tiles, carpets and rugs.With the 3-stage cleaning system and auto floor adjustment, it’ll automatically adjust to the new environment.

Roomba 860

With Roomba 860, iRobot designed an enhanced robotic vacuum. Roomba 860 has turned out to be a huge success, meeting customer expectations for sharper and more effective results than those of previous models. 

By having 5x more power, enhanced sensing abilities, concentrated cleaning and improved battery life, Roomba 860 can now deliver results with minimal mistakes and missed spots.

We’ve tested Roomba 860 on different surfaces, setting it the challenges of cleaning dirt, fur, dust and salt/sugar. It didn’t fail us and perfectly cleaned all the mess. It was quite satisfying seeing a robotic vacuum with average sensing capabilities delivering such results.

Unlike the previous generation Roomba models, the 860 never fails to locate its docking station. It’s still advisable though to place the home base in an obstacle-free area so that nothing can interfere with its home return.

Roomba 860 becomes even more useful if you place the Virtual Walls and make it concentrate on small areas of your house. Roomba 860 now has deeper sync with the VW Technology; if the virtual walls aren’t in place, it misses spots and sometimes doesn’t take care of it on a later pass.

So if you want to ensure a deep clean experience and what to maximise the results of Roomba 860, it’s important to place those Virtual Walls.

The most significant drawback of Roomba 860 is that it has a hard time reaching the corners of your house. Due to its circular design and small side brushes, it’s possible for the robotic vacuum not to clean the corner spots as you wish.

It’s true that smart floor cleaners aren’t as powerful as the traditional vacuums so some might think that these gadgets won’t be able to deliver similar results in terms of quality. Robotic vacuum manufacturers have thought about this too, and the solution is that these floor cleaners will do several passes over your floor so that no dirt is left behind.

The dustbin of Roomba 860 is well-sized, and it can hold large amounts of dirt. There isn’t a full-bin indicator, so it’s advisable to check it every so often so that it doesn’t get full.

Lastly, the scheduling feature works pretty well and allows the owner to schedule up to 7x cleans per week. The only thing the Roomba 860 lacks is a remote control that would’ve made the automation process a lot easier.

6. Advantages and Disadvantages

Before we decide which robotic vacuum to purchase, it’s essential to know the advantages and disadvantages of Roomba 650 and 860. Without knowing the pros and cons, there’s no chance of us making the right call.

Sometimes, buyers get surprised after they’ve purchased a smart floor cleaner and complain they didn’t know that the device didn’t have specific features. So you can avoid that kind of hiccup, we’ve created two detailed charts that show the advantages and disadvantages of Roomba 860 and 650.

Roomba 650

PROS	CONS
iAdapt Navigation	Weak AI
3-Stage Cleaning System	Weak User Experience
Simple to Use
Self-Charge
Smart Cleaning
Good Battery
Relatively Quiet
Smart Schedules
Virtual Wall System
Works With All Floor Types	Purchase Roomba 650

Roomba 860

PROS	CONS
Reasonably Priced	No Remote Control
Tangle-Free Debris Extractors	No Mobile Application
AeroForce 3-Stage Cleaning System	No Multi-Room Navigation
3x Battery Life
Concentrated Cleaning
Virtual Wall Technology
Lithium-ion Batteries
Smart Schedules
Unique Design
5x Stronger Power	Purchase Roomba 860

Both of these smart floor cleaners have some pretty cool pros and a few more cons. In the case of Roomba 860, there’s nothing to worry about, and there are no serious drawbacks.

As for the Roomba 650, those disadvantages can be a bit problematic. Weak AI is a serious issue and, as we’ve discussed above, having to babysit a robotic vacuum can be time-consuming and tiring.

7. Support 

When people purchase modern gadgets that require activation, scheduling and similar procedures, people sometimes get stumped and ‘reach a dead-end’ about what to do. They start searching for answers in the user’s manual, web, forums, YouTube, etc.

When they fail to find the answers they’ve been looking for, the last resort is reaching out to the support team. Luckily, iRobot has a superb customer service, and they always give professional answers and tips.

You can reach iRobot’s support team via email, phone and live chat. They answer pretty quick and can help you solve any issue you might have.

8. Comparison Chart: Roomba 650 vs 860

Before we conclude our article, the last thing I’d like to present is the comparison chart of Roomba 650 and 860. We’ve discussed some pretty exciting topics, and before wrapping this up, take a look at the chart below. It compares the most important aspects of these two robotic vacuums and will help you to make the final call.

NAME OF THE ROBOTIC VACUUM	ROOMBA 860	ROOMBA 650
Robotic Vacuum Name	Roomba 860	Roomba 650
HEPA Filters	Yes	No
Full Bin Indicator	No	No
Smart Cleaning	Yes	Yes
Energy Usage Reports	No	No
Cleaning Style	Random	Random
Modes	None	None
Sensing Qualities	High	Average
Mobile App	No	No
Noise	Average	Average
Battery Life	High	Average
Power	High (5X More Powerful)	Normal
Dimensions Of The Product	13.9 x 13.9 x 3.6 inches	13.4 x 3.6 x 13.4 inches
Problems	No Remote Control	Weak AI
Unique Feature	Concentrated Cleaning	None
Warranty	1 Year	1 Month
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Both of these smart floor cleaners have some nice features, and today they boast being two of the most popular and best-selling robotic vacuums. Still, if choosing a winner is a must, Roomba 860 is a superior robotic vacuum, and, with its enhanced capabilities and features, it beats the 650 model in just about every major respect. 

The Bottom Line

Roomba 650 and 860 are accessible robotic vacuums that are best-selling products on Amazon. Both of them have thousands of satisfied customers, and the 650 model remains as the all-time best-selling robotic vacuum ever released.

If you’re on a budget, Roomba 650 is the best robotic vacuum in its price range. With its high durability, wonderful features and visual attractiveness, it can meet the needs and expectations potential buyers currently have.

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But if you want to own a more advanced smart floor cleaner that better automates the process of vacuuming, the 860 is a more optimal choice. With its independence, improved battery life and 5x more power, Roomba 860 can deliver exceptional and overwhelming results.

Robotic Vacuum Name	Roomba 650	Roomba 860
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