A robot vacuum is a worthwhile investment, but it can still be a lot of money to spend on a household product. Luckily, iRobot has been around the block for a while and has many reputable robot vacuums that have proven their worth. Here at ZDNET, we’ve spent much time testing the best iRobot models and ones from many other manufacturers to help you make the right purchase.
Whether you’re looking for the best Roomba for pet hair, like the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max, or the best Roomba for hardwood floors with mopping capabilities like the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, you can’t go wrong with an iRobot vacuum, especially when they’re on sale.
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What is the best Roomba vacuum right now?
We’ve done hands-on testing with and reviewed several Roomba vacuums, evaluating each for design, mapping, self-emptying capabilities, pet waste avoidance skills, innovative technology, and cost to help you find the best iRobot vacuum for your home. Based on our testing, the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max is our pick for the best iRobot vacuum overall, thanks to its smart navigation, self-emptying features, and great price. Read on for the rest of our picks for the best Roomba vacuums.
Also: The best robot vacuum mops of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed
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The best iRobot Roomba robot vacuums of 2025
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Why we like it: If your home has rugs, carpet, tile, laminate, or hardwood, the Roomba Combo 10 Max is the two-in-one machine for you, thanks to its retractable mop head. You never have to worry about a dirty mop pad getting dragged across your favorite area rug because the Combo 10 Max lifts the entire mop head on top of the robot when cleaning your soft flooring surfaces.
Additionally, it’s self-emptying for up to 60 days, and, my favorite feature of all, it knows when the dustbin is full, even in the middle of a job. I can set the Combo 10 Max to vacuum my entire house, and it empties itself as many times as needed to complete the job. The Combo 10 Max also refills its water tank as needed, so the robot can complete jobs without manual intervention.
Who it’s for: iRobot OS Technology ensures the Roomba Combo 10 Max avoids furniture, cords, and other common household objects, making it a great robot for pet owners. It not only avoids kids’ toys, our shoes, and other items, but the Pet Owner Official Promise (P.O.O.P.) states the Combo 10 Max is guaranteed to avoid pet waste, or the company will send you a new one for free.
Review: iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max
Who should look elsewhere: While the Combo 10 Max is very impressive, its obstacle avoidance for trickier messes leaves a lot to be desired. It can get stuck on thinner or flat items like pencils, puddles, and papers. For example, my dog vomited while I was out one day, and when I came home, this Roomba spread the mess all over my living room, which I had to thoroughly clean and disinfect.
iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max specs: : Price: $849 (limited time deal) | Battery life: 120 minutes | Wi-Fi: Yes | Dimensions: 13.3 x 13.3 x 3.4 inches | Suction power: Not specified | Dustbin volume: 300 ml | Water tank capacity: 170 ml
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Why we like it: The iRobot Roomba Combo Essential is our pick for the best budget vacuum, thanks to its lower price and smart technology. Despite the $220 price tag, the Roomba Combo Essential intelligently maps your home and cleans in neat, organized rows like high-end robot vacuums. It also has a removable microfiber mop pad to mop your floors as it cleans.
Also: The best robot vacuum deals right now: Save on iRobot, Roborock, and more
Who it’s for: It’s hard to emphasize how helpful a quality robot vacuum is, especially for a low price. This Roomba Combo Essential is a great choice for anyone on a budget looking to add a Roomba to their home. If you run it frequently enough, it will keep your floors clean and help eliminate some of the dust that scatters throughout your home.
Who should look elsewhere: Anyone who doesn’t want to have to manually intervene with their robot vacuum after a cleaning would do best looking elsewhere. As an entry-level robot, the $220 Combo Essential isn’t meant to be an autonomous, self-emptying, self-washing robot vacuum and mop. As thus, you need to manually empty its dustbin and wash its mop pad before and after a cleaning.
iRobot Roomba Combo Essential tech specs: Price: $220 (limited-time deal) | Battery life: 120 minutes | Wi-Fi: Yes | Dimensions: 13 x 13 x 3.5 inches | Suction power: Not specified | Dustbin volume: 400 ml | Water tank capacity: 189 ml
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Why we like it: The iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ is a two-in-one vacuum and mop with a retractable mop head. It will vacuum and mop until it reaches a carpet or rug. At that point, it will lift its retractable mop head to sit on top of the robot and only vacuum on carpeted surfaces. Once it reaches a flooring surface that needs mopping, it’ll drop its mop head back down behind it and begin the two-in-one cleaning once again.
As the name implies, the Combo j9+ uses the same technology as the j9+, so you can rest assured you’re getting an intelligent and capable robot. The retractable arm technology is impressive — we ran this in the dark, during the day, in weird shadows, and all kinds of other scenarios, and it never mopped over carpet or rugs. It’s truly an intelligent machine.
Review: iRobot Roomba Combo j9+
Who it’s for: The improvements made to the Combo j9+ from its predecessor were major ones and ones that make this such a desirable robot. My absolute favorite feature is how quiet it is during self-emptying. To date, it may be the quietest self-emptying robot we’ve tested, so it’s a good option for those who appreciate a quiet device. The next best feature is also related to Clean Base: the robot’s ability to automatically refill the cleaning solution. These features make this Combo machine attractive if you need a reliable two-in-one robot vacuum from iRobot.
Who should look elsewhere: A reliable, quality two-in-one machine will change your life, and the Combo j9+ falls into that category. But this is an older iRobot model, so if you’d like the newest, future-proof technology to work with the latest iRobot app, you should look into iRobot’s new Roomba models.
iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ features: Price: $1,200 | Vacuums and mops simultaneously | Guarantees to avoid pet accidents | Auto-Retract mopping system | 4-stage cleaning system
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Why we like it: The iRobot Roomba Combo i5 is one of the most affordable robot vacuum and mops available right now. It’s an older Roomba model, which is why its price has dropped considerably, but it is still available for purchase. This robot features iRobot’s signature dual multi-surface rubber brushes, which perform really well on hard floors and carpet. It also has an edge sweeping brush to reach corners and along the edges of furniture and walls.
Who it’s for: This robot vacuum and mop comes with two separate dustbins: one for vacuuming only and another for vacuuming and mopping simultaneously. The dustbins can be easily swapped out, depending on the function you want the robot to operate in at any given time. The robot is one of the most affordable on the market, especially for the technology wrapped within it. It’s a perfect choice if you’re on a tight budget but don’t want to sacrifice quality.
Also: iRobot’s best Roomba just hit its lowest price ever at almost half off
Who should look elsewhere: The Roomba Combo i5 requires manual intervention to switch the dustbins, empty them, and fill the mopping one with clean water. You also have to manually wash the mop pad before and after each cleaning. If you’d rather not have to intervene before and after a cleaning session or prefer a robot that can autonomously empty its dustbin and wash its mop pads, you should look elsewhere.
iRobot Roomba Combo i5 tech specs: Price: $240 | Battery life: 180 minutes | Wi-Fi: Yes | Dimensions: 13.4 x 13.5 x 3.6 inches | Suction power: Not specified | Dustbin volume: 360 ml | Water tank capacity: 210 ml
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Our pick for the best iRobot vacuum overall is the Roomba Combo 10 Max — and for good reason. It’s intelligent, capable, and perhaps most importantly, self-emptying and self-washing. What good is a robot vacuum if it doesn’t understand when its dust bin is full in the middle of a job? No matter how much there is, I need a robot vacuum to suction up all of my dirt and debris. Several other iRobots have a self-emptying base as well.
Here’s a rundown of the rest of our picks:
| Best iRobot vacuum | ZDNET’s take | Price | Auto-emptying | Self-washing mop |
| iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max | Best overall | $849 | Yes | Yes |
| iRobot Roomba Combo Essential | Best on a budget | $220 | No | No |
| iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ | Best 2-in-1 | $800 | Yes | No, AutoFill |
| iRobot Roomba Combo i5 | Best value | $280 | No | No |
Even the best iRobot vacuums begin to blend together after a while. These are our expert recommendations to help you find the best vacuum for your needs.
| Choose this iRobot vacuum… | If you need… |
| iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max | iRobot’s most intelligent robot vacuum on the market. It’s perfect for people who have pets and don’t always have time to pick up their home before they vacuum. |
| iRobot Roomba Combo Essential | A budget-friendly iRobot vacuum. It retails under $300 and still offers great features like Alexa voice controls and cleaning schedules. |
| iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ | A combination robot vacuum and mop. This 2-in-1 model is capable of cleaning up just about any mess from just about any surface. |
| iRobot Roomba Combo i5 | The biggest bang for your buck for an affordable robot, as long as you don’t mind that it’s an older model. |
While trying to determine the best Roomba vacuum, we kept several factors at the forefront of our testing and research that can also aid in your search:
- Floor types: Some robot vacuums are equipped to work with certain floor types, like carpet or hardwood. Others may be able to accommodate other floor types, like stone or marble. Before you buy, consider the types of flooring in your home and which vacuum is most appropriate.
- Mapping: For full automation, your robot vacuum must have a mapping feature to navigate each room. You also want to consider an obstacle avoidance feature that can avoid things like furniture, wires, and even pet waste. This feature is a must-have in my home with strewn about.
- Battery: An iRobot vacuum is hardly worth it if it doesn’t have the battery to keep it going. Consider the battery time before choosing the best robot vacuum to ensure it has enough power to clean your home. If you select a robot vacuum with the technical capability to pause its job, return to the charging base to refill its battery, and then resume the job where it left off, this may not be as big of a factor as others on this list. Most Roomba vacuums have this capability, but it’s worth double-checking.
- Connectivity: Many of the best robot vacuums offer voice control, some even with Alexa. Others may feature an app that allows you to control your robot from afar, set schedules, track progress, and control the machine’s efforts. If you’re hoping for voice activation rather than using an app, check and see if the machine is compatible with the home assistant of your choice.
ZDNET has several robot vacuum reviewers who have tested over 50 units thus far. We conduct tests in real homes with real challenges, and in a controlled lab environment for comparison.
Also: How we test robot vacuums at ZDNET in 2024
Here’s what we consider when testing robot vacuums and mops at ZDNET:
- Determine evaluation criteria: For our key evaluation criteria, we consider how robots perform by assessing their suction power, navigation, mapping, and battery life. We also assess the user experience, the robot’s versatility, longevity, and whether it delivers on its specifications.
- Unboxing: During this process, we assess the packaging and setup experience and note any accessories and unique features.
- Testing environments: We test the robot vacuums on different floor types, like carpet and hardwood, and see how they navigate various obstacles to test performance.
- Performance metrics: We test suction power with various debris types and assess obstacle navigation and mapping accuracy.
- Extra features: When testing robot vacuum and mop combinations, we evaluate their effectiveness at removing stains and overall cleaning quality. We also check how unique features work like obstacle avoidance and recognition, as well as extendable mop pads.
To top it all off, we gauge the device’s longevity and long-term performance by using it over the course of a few months. Our review timelines vary, but we typically test robot vacuums for about a month before reviewing and keep our reviews updated while the device is available.
iRobot vacuums vary in runtime, ranging anywhere from 90 minutes to 120 minutes on a single charge. iRobot vacuums are some of the few on the market that can recognize their dust bins are full in the middle of a job, pause, self-empty, and then return to their job without you ever having to lift a finger. All of this to say, I fully excuse the lack of runtime capabilities some of the iRobots offer thanks to this incredible feature.
Yes, especially for those busier households. iRobot vacuums require an upfront investment, but they are cost-effective machines that can save you a ton of labor and stress. These are self-sufficient machines you can turn on and forget about, greatly simplifying life and reducing cleaning costs. The return on investment (ROI) I’ve gained from having extra time with my family is worth the cost of even the priciest Roomba.
iRobot Roombas can range from a few hundred dollars to more than a thousand. The best iRobot Roombas run between $200 and $1,400 depending on your chosen model.
Latest updates
- In our May 2025 update, we added the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max and the iRobot Roomba Combo i5 as top picks based on our hands-on testing.
Other iRobot vacuums worth considering
Robot Vacuums Reviewed & Compared
