iRobot · Review
iRobot Roomba 694
The dependable entry Roomba — Wi-Fi scheduling and iRobot build quality, cheap.
Tested & updated January 22, 2026
The 694 is the budget robot for people who want a name they trust and an app that just works. It cleans carpet better than anything else under $220 — it just takes the scenic route.
best for — Carpeted starter homes that want app scheduling on a budget
- Cleaning
- 7.6
- Navigation
- 6.8
- App & smarts
- 7.8
- Value
- 8.6
$261.24 at Amazonlow stock
price as of Jun 12, 5:52 PM ET — subject to change
Pros & cons
▲ What we like
- +Dirt Detect actually concentrates effort where floors are dirtiest
- +Simple, stable app with scheduling and Alexa/Google support
- +Tank-like build; parts available for years
- +Three-stage cleaning beats most budget rivals on carpet
▼ What we don't
- −Random-walk coverage, no maps or zones
- −Bristle brush wraps long hair
- −Taller than budget rivals — skips low furniture
Key specs
- Navigation
- Adaptive bump-and-run + dirt detect
- Runtime
- Up to 90 min, auto-recharge
- Brush system
- Dual multi-surface brushes
- App
- iRobot Home — scheduling & routines
- Dirt Detect
- Yes — re-cleans dirty patches
- Height
- 3.6 in
Full review
01Design & app
The 694 is the classic Roomba puck: rugged, slightly tall, with a big CLEAN button you'll genuinely use. Unlike the app-less Eufy 11S, it connects to iRobot Home for schedules, voice control, and maintenance reminders — and iRobot's app is unusually stable for the price tier.
02Vacuuming performance
Three-stage cleaning with dual counter-rotating brushes gives the 694 the best carpet agitation in the budget class — 81% on low-pile in our lanes, ahead of the Eufy's 78% — and Dirt Detect audibly spools up over high-debris patches and re-passes them. The trade-off is the bristle main brush, which needed a weekly haircut in our long-haired-household testing.
03Navigation & coverage
Navigation is adaptive bump-and-run: smarter than pure random (it wall-follows and spirals over dirt), but there's no map, so large homes get uneven coverage. It recharges and resumes on its own, which budget rivals often skip. At 3.6 inches it's the tallest robot here and skipped two of our four test sofas.
04Who should buy it
Choose the 694 over the Eufy 11S if you have more carpet than hard floor or you want app scheduling. Choose the Eufy if you have low furniture and prize quiet. Either way you're getting the best of the sub-$220 class.
iRobot Roomba 694
The 694 is the budget robot for people who want a name they trust and an app that just works. It cleans carpet better than anything else under $220 — it just takes the scenic route.
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