Earlier this week, we heard that iRobot was scrapping almost its entire robot vacuum range and replacing it with four shiny new models. It’s a bold move, but I think necessary, given how far iRobot was starting to lag behind the rest of the best robot vacuums on the market.
iRobot isn’t pushing the envelope in the same way as the likes of Roborock, Dreame and Narwal; many of the new Roomba features are rather understated, or in some cases simply catch the brand up to a spot others reached years ago. However, I think the new fleet represents what most people want in a robot vacuum. And that’s something other brands are in danger of losing sight of.
If the robovacs we saw at CES 2025 are anything to go by, bot brands think we’re all clamoring after robovacs that have mechanical arms to pick up our socks, tiny legs to hoist them over thresholds, or hats that turn them into air purifiers. All those inventions are cool, sure, but they all add potential points of failure. What I (and I suspect, many others) really want is a robot vacuum that works reliably, cleans effectively and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb in my home.
Perhaps the most innovative model in the new Roomba lineup is the 205 DustCompactor. This squishes the dust in the onboard bin, so more can fit in. It’s not an especially flashy innovation, but it could be a game-changer for people like me, with small homes who don’t have space for a bulky auto-empty dock. (I’m so enamored by this model I’ve written a whole separate article on why this is the robot vacuum for me.)
Another small but welcome change is the introduction of a new design language. Today’s robot vacuums have become very generic looking, with few brands considering that shiny black or white plastic might not be everyone’s home aesthetic of choice. iRobot’s GRID system mixes in matte and textured areas to give these new bots an altogether friendlier appearance.
How easy it is to make sense of the range also factors into customer experience, and I’m relieved to see that iRobot has discarded its jumble of j7, i5, j9+ in favor of names that indicate how the different models relate to one another. Now it’s Roomba (good), Roomba Plus (better), Roomba Max (best). When I was briefed on the new range, I was told iRobot would once again be sharing suction specs, which would be another win when it comes to customer shopping experience.
A little late?
Other new additions are just as positive, but feel more overdue. LiDAR is the big one. This means the new robots should map and navigate faster and more accurately than previous models, but it’s baffling that iRobot has taken so long to embrace this robot vacuum navigation system.
(As a quick aside, brands like Roborock are now starting to move past LiDAR onto a system that might be even better. Dubbed StarSight, this new technology doesn’t require the raised navigation puck and therefore means the bots can be slimmer and venture into smaller spaces. We’ve been very impressed with it so far, as you’ll learn in our Roborock Qrevo Slim review.)
Rotating mop pads aren’t new news, and neither are do-it-all docks. iRobot stuck with dust emptying-only until the launch of the Roomba Combo 10 Max, and that model’s dock disappointed with its messy and inefficient mop cleaning technique. Mop pad cleaning has been rethought for the 405 and 505 AutoWash docks – although prompted more by the switch in mop pad style than anything – and I hope the new attempts are more successful.
Nevertheless, I’m feeling very optimistic about the Roombas. And while the new bots might not turn heads in the way the Roborock Saros Z70 and its mechanical arm will, I think iRobot’s quiet innovations are far more in line with what your average customer really wants in a robot vacuum.
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