Comparing the Roomba 692 and Roomba 694 is like comparing apples to apples: they’re the same robot vacuum. In the BestReviews Testing Lab, we found they are identical in build, construction and capabilities. Their only difference lies in their accessories and where they’re sold.
The Roomba 694 is sold directly by iRobot and is also available on various other retailers. A non-mapping, bump-and-go Roomba that can be operated with only its buttons, the Roomba 694 is positioned as the entry-level base model of the Roomba line.
The Roomba 692 is an Amazon-exclusive model not sold on iRobot’s website. It is identical to the Roomba 694 in every respect, except that the Roomba 692 comes with only one AeroVac dustbin filter, whereas the Roomba 694 comes with two.
As identical machines, the Roomba 692 and 694 have the same specifications. They share the same battery capacity, size, weight, navigation software and capabilities. They also share the same limitations.
Product specifications
Battery life: 70 minutes | Dimensions: 13.4" L x 13.4" W x 3.54" H | Dustbin capacity: 0.35 L | Weight: 6.77 lb | Navigation software: iAdapt 1.0 | Mapping: No | Self-emptying: No | Object avoidance: No | Scheduling: Yes | Selective room cleaning: No | Warranty: 1-year limited
The Roomba 692 has a design and specs inherited from previous models of the Roomba 600 class. Its round body measures 13.4 inches across and just over 3.5 inches thick. It weighs 6.77 pounds, easy to take from room to room, although, unlike previous models of the 600 series, it lacks a built-in carry handle. It comes with a built-in 0.35-liter dustbin that’s not self-emptying.
Released in 2018, the Roomba 692 uses iRobot’s iAdapt 1.0 navigation software that moves in semi-random directions. It doesn’t support mapping or object avoidance, but it does support scheduling via the iRobot Home app. It’s Wi-Fi capable and has a limited one-year warranty.
Product specifications
Battery life: 75 minutes | Dimensions: 13.4" L x 13.4" W x 3.54" H | Dustbin capacity: 0.35 L | Weight: 6.77 lb | Navigation software: iAdapt 1.0 | Mapping: No | Self-emptying: No | Object avoidance: No | Scheduling: Yes | Selective room cleaning: No | Warranty: 1-year limited
The Roomba 694, which was launched in 2020, has identical specs to the Roomba 692, with a round 13.4-inch body that’s just over 3.5 inches high and weighs 6.77 pounds. Like the Roomba 692, the Roomba 694 doesn’t support mapping or object avoidance, and it uses the bump-and-go iAdapt 1.0 navigation common to basic Roomba models. It has the same size non-emptying dustbin as the Roomba 692 as well.
The Roomba 694, like the 692, supports Wi-Fi and can be scheduled via the iRobot Home app, although it does not support selective room cleaning.
Real more: iRobot Roomba 694
Both the Roomba 692 and the Roomba 694 use the same rechargeable, user-replaceable 1,800 mAH (milliampere-hour) batteries.
In our testing, both our test models failed to run for 90 minutes as iRobot claims. Our Roomba 692 test model ran for 70 minutes before needing to recharge, while our Roomba 694 test model ran for 75 minutes. They both covered approximately 360 square feet, 90% of which was medium-pile carpet, the rest hardwood.
Both returned to their Home Base charging docks successfully without completely losing power. The Roomba 692 recharged in one hour and 45 minutes, while the Roomba 694 took two hours.
iRobot doesn’t provide absolute measurements for the suction strength of their vacuums. However, 600-series models such as the Roomba 692 and 694 form the baseline against which more powerful Roomba models are measured.
Both Roomba test models performed similarly in our tests on carpet and hard flooring. The Roomba 694 removed ground coffee from medium-high carpet without visible residue, although some may have been left in the pile. The Roomba 692 did the same. The Roomba 694 successfully picked up and removed breakfast cereal from carpet, although it crushed a few pieces with its wheels and scattered other pieces out of reach with its side brush. The Roomba 692 did likewise. Both managed to collect all the pieces of cereal they could reach after a few passes.
The Roomba 692 did marginally better than the 694 in our pet hair tests involving cut-up threads. The 692 picked up all of the thread, while the 694 missed a single strand. However, subsequently, we found that most of the threads for both test models were wrapped around their brush rollers rather than stored in their dustbins, forcing us to clean the rollers by hand.
We had similar results for our hard flooring tests, with the exception that, on hardwood, the side brushes of both test models scattered table salt and cereal farther away than on carpet, forcing the robots to take longer to find and remove them. Both Roombas sounded louder on hardwood than on carpet, but we measured their noise at 63 to 64 decibels on both surfaces.
Like most round robot vacuums, neither the Roomba 692 nor the 694 did particularly well when cleaning in corners, either on carpet or on hardwood, leaving visible residue behind on both.
The Roomba 692 and 694 are physically identical, with glossy plastic top plates that attracted fingerprints during testing. Their 3.5-inch height got them in trouble during performance tests, as they regularly attempted to insert themselves under low shelves and furniture on carpet that shorter vacuums could enter and taller vacuums wouldn’t attempt. Invariably, both would succeed only in wedging themselves into the gap, causing an error and requesting human assistance.
Both the Roomba 692 and 694 use adaptive or bump-and-go navigation. They proceed in a certain direction until they run into an obstacle, which they attempt to edge around before swiveling and moving in another direction. This basic intelligence has proven effective at cleaning when repeated over time. However, in any given cleaning job, both models miss entire swathes of floor or carpet and go over other spots repeatedly, making them frustrating to watch.
Neither model has obstacle avoidance, but in our tests, their bump-and-go navigation made them change direction when running into scattered pens or testers’ feet. A lightweight stuffed toy, however, was pushed around some distance before either the Roomba 694 or 692 changed direction.
The only difference between the Roomba 692 and 694 is the number of AeroVac filters included in the box. AeroVac filters are mesh filters that fit in the dustbins of both models and prevent large particulates such as pet dander or pollen from reentering the air during vacuuming. (However, it’s important to note that the AeroVac filters are not HEPA-type filters and don’t filter out anything smaller than 0.5 microns.) The Roomba 694 ships with two AeroVac filters, while the Roomba 692 ships with only one pre-installed in the dustbin.
Other than that, the two Roombas are identical feature for feature, including spot-cleaning mode, dustbin size and Wi-Fi connectability.
The Roomba 692 and 694 are well-suited for people who may have never owned a robot vacuum before and want to see what one can do. Despite their low suction, they’re reasonably effective at light cleaning and require very little supervision or control. While both can connect to Wi-Fi and be controlled from the iRobot Home App, neither requires Wi-Fi or the app to function and aside from scheduling and voice control, don’t have many additional features that can only be accessed via the app. Instead, both the Roomba 692 and 694 can function as simple cleaning appliances: pick them up, put them in a room, hit “Clean” and let them do the job.
Despite being essentially identical, the Roomba 692 and 694 have different prices. The Roomba 694 is the base model and is available directly from iRobot as well as various major retailers. It has a suggested retail price of $274.99. The Roomba 692, on the other hand, is an Amazon exclusive. It costs $299.99, making it a bit more expensive than the 694 despite coming with only one AeroVac filter. Amazon frequently discounts it, however.
The Roomba 692 and 694 are basically the same machine. In our tests, we found very little difference between them. Nevertheless, we think the Roomba 694 edges out the 692 in a battle between these two models. It’s available from more retailers, has a lower base price and comes with an extra filter. This makes the Roomba 694 a better buy than its almost-twin, the Roomba 692.
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Jmar Gambol writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
