BottomLine: It is wise to go for a robot vacuum with what you want, than for a robot with everything. With the same suction power and nearly advanced features like i6+, i3+ is best for most households.
But if budget allows, I would highly recommend all featured Roomba i6+.
For a complete idea about this comparison, take a quick look at the below chart where every specification difference and similarity is covered.
Roomba i6+ VS Roomba i3+ – Detailed Similarities, Differences Comparison
Master of Mapping
Roomba i3+ is a capable robotic cleaner that navigates your home while making quick scans developed into a cool layout of your home.
Unfortunately, this “map” is not stored but used as a “one-timer” whenever the robot starts to clean.
On the other hand, Roomba i6+ comprises an intelligent mapping system. Every nook and corner of your home is captured by the i6+ using its smart mapping system.
Precision is vital as Roomba i6+ is truly the master of mapping because it covers your entire house, including furniture and carpet.
The information is digitally enhanced into a super accurate layout of your home. With the mapped blueprint, you can practically ask the i6+ to do anything.
Navigation Superiority
The i3+ navigates using sensors that are placed under and around the robot. After smartly mapping your home, the intelligent robot moves methodically and vacuums in neat rows without random movements.
Advanced floor tracking sensors determine how the i3+ moves while cleaning. The difference between a hard floor and carpeted floors are easily distinguished while Roomba i3+ navigates your home.
Taking it up several notches, Roomba i6+ deploys its state-of-the-art vSLAM navigation system when moving around your house. Its impeccable visual-based navigation is guided by the advanced vSLAM algorithm that detects even the smallest linear distance.
Furthermore, an entire level of your home can be cleaned thanks to the advanced navigation technique of Roomba i6+ very effectively. The robotic cleaner knows where it is traveling and covers every inch of the floor without leaving behind any spot.
Bottom Line: i6+ is more advanced and efficient in terms of mapping and navigation.
Sensing System
Roomba i3+ adopts Reactive Sensor Technology when it needs to navigate, avoid collisions, and sense cliffs. The array of sensors on the i3+ allow the smart cleaner to know where it can and cannot go.
For example, the reactive sensing system tells the robot vacuum that it can squeeze past the furniture with low clearance for deeper cleaning.
Similarly, Roomba i6+ also comes with a suite of precision sensors on top of an excellent guidance system.
The built-in camera of the i6+ works in tandem with the anti-collision and anti-fall sensors to guide the robotic cleaner.
For instance, if Roomba i6+ is cleaning the staircase’s edge, the sensors and visual navigation system will alert the robotic cleaner to steer away.
10x the airflow (Suction Power)
Both Roombas comprise superior suction force. They feature ten times more substantial suction power than the baseline 600 series of the Roomba vacuum cleaner.
The i3+ and i6+ each deliver up to 1700 Pa of vacuuming force to remove dirt and hair from the floor. Be it dried mud prints or toddler crumbs, the Roombas’ powerful suction force gets them all.
Bottom Line: Similar suction force.
Keep Out Zones
A cool feature in Roomba i6+ is placing keep out zones using the iRobot Home app. Just by accessing the virtual map saved in the app, you can assign virtual walls by drawing on the screen itself.
When a zone is created, Roomba i6+ will avoid entering it while cleaning the area. Now, you can efficiently “govern” the robot to avoid entering the playroom or your pets’ “relieving” spots, which a few flicks on the screen.
Unfortunately, with Roomba i3+, this feature is not offered. Instead, you can only put up virtual wall barriers around an area to prevent the robotic cleaner from entering it.
Bottom Line: i3+ doesn’t support keep out zones. i6+ does support.
Self-emptying dustbin
Roombas i3+ and i6+ come with a self-emptying bin option. This feature reduces your effort of clearing the dustbin by a million times.
Both robotic cleaners will automatically navigate to their charging bases and “empty” themselves as the oversized dirt compartment is mounted there.
What is more interesting, the dirt in the cleaning base can hold up to 30 days of debris and dirt.
Bottom Line: Both are self-emptying models.
Carpet Boost Feature
Roomba i3+ efficiently uses its suction pressure and a unique brushing technique to remove dirt from carpets. Still, it does not have the edge of Roomba i6+.
The latter features a carpet boost functionality that ramps up the suction pressure to produce tremendous airflow to dislodge any particles or crumbs lying deep within the carpet.
Furthermore, this action is fully autonomous, which means whenever a carpet is detected, an increased vacuuming pressure engages Roomba i6+.
Bottom Line: i6+ offers carpet boost mode where i3+ can’t.
Zone Cleaning – Which offers?
Only Roomba i6+ is offered with this smarter cleaning option – Zone cleaning.
With the ‘Attack in-the-moment Messes” feature, the i6+ can mark certain zones within your living room or bedroom and cleans the spots where it thinks that might harbor more dirt than usual.
One of the cool features you can use in Roomba i6+ is the Home Genius Intelligence app. By updating the current iRobot Home App, you will have incredible access to added functionalities to control the i6+.
For example, just by using the app, you can ask the robot to clean specific rooms and even make event-based cleaning schedules.
Need Roomba i6+ to clean every morning at 6 am? Just schedule it using the Home Genius Intelligence app.
Sadly, this feature is not offered in Roomba i3+. But you can still check when to clean the entire house and look out for the battery levels while the smart robot cleans.
And to say, both i3+ and i6+ are smart home compatible. Voice commanded – Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home.
Bottom Line: i6+ app offers more advanced controls than with i3+ app.
Other Common Features
Imprint Technology & Dirt Detect Technology
Another fantastic feature on Roomba i3+ and Roomba i6+ is the Smart Imprint Technology. This allows the robotic cleaners to pair with the Braava Jet, an automatic mopping unit, to wipe your floors immediately after the Roombas clean them.
Roomba i3+ and Roomba i6+ occupy the Dirt Detect technology. There is a sensor in between the Roombas’ cleaning brushes that know where a dirty area is and prompts the robots to clean that specific area more thoroughly.
Auto-Adjust Cleaning Head
Even while working on different surfaces like carpeted flooring and hard floors, the Roombas manage to get the dirt away with ease. All credit should go to the flexible auto-adjusting cleaning head that works to stay in touch with the ground no matter where your Roomba goes.
High-Efficiency filters (HEPA)
The high-efficiency filter in Roomba i3+ and i6+ effectively captures pet allergens and very fine dust. You need not worry about sneezing or coughing because of these allergens, as the filter mesh is exceptionally efficient at screening them.
Cleaning area within one charge cycle
Within one battery charge cycle, the i6+ can clean an area almost equal to 2000 ft2. That is quite a coverage. Roomba i3+ does not fall behind too much as it manages to vacuum about 1830 ft2 until its fully charged battery depletes.
Dirt Disposal Bags
The Roomba i3+ comes with two dirt disposal bags. This means even if one has worn out, you may quickly remove the bag and replace it with a new one.
However, that is not possible with the i6+. The robotic cleaner is offered with only one bag. So, you may have to purchase another one as a spare separately.
Conclusion
Roomba i3 plus and i6 plus both are outstanding models at their levels. I3plus, a mid-level Roomba model with a self-emptying base, works with similar suction and cleaning performance as the I6plus model.
But speaking of the advanced features like zone cleaning and selective room cleaning, i6plus stands ahead in the comparison.
