It’d come as a shock that “roomba” is not the common time period for a robotic vacuum. It’s, in truth, a capital “R” that denotes Roomba as a correct noun quite than a generic trademark. Roombas are simply robotic vacuums made by iRobot, and in search of the very best Roombas is a way more particular process than in search of the finest robotic vacuums normally. Nevertheless, Roomba’s Band-Assist or Kleenex degree fame actually does show simply how iconic iRobot has develop into on the earth of automated ground cleaners.
There is a good cause for that: Not solely was iRobot first to the robotic vacuum social gathering, however the firm has persistently delivered a number of the most dependable robotic vacuum fashions for 20 years. Greater than 20 Roombas have come out for the reason that first one hit houses in 2002, however for those who’re in search of the very best Roomba in the present day, there are solely a handful of fashions you should know in 2025.
Meet the brand new 2025 Roomba lineup from iRobot
iRobot launched 4 new Roomba sequence in March 2025, deviating from its (unofficial) summer season launch schedule. I believe iRobot had two causes to rush: the spring launch of the high robotic vacuums from CES and the corporate’s rocky monetary state of affairs. As somebody who exams robotic vacuums for a dwelling, I will be the primary to inform you that Roombas had been flopping in a sea of smarter, extra fairly-priced robotic vacs from the likes of Roborock and Shark.
The brand new Roomba 105, Roomba 205, Roomba Plus 405, and Roomba Plus 505 sequence are additional damaged down into eight complete fashions, many with fully totally different bodily designs that do not scream “basic Roomba.”
iRobot is enjoying catch-up with its competitors, and for the primary time, you should buy Roombas that use LiDAR for good mapping, Roombas with twin spinning mopping pads, and a Roomba that compacts its personal mud quite than self-emptying. Regardless of such improvements, the brand new 2025 Roombas are surprisingly inexpensive, particularly in comparison with previous Roombas (which are actually very simple to search out on sale).
Easy methods to inform the distinction between the Roomba fashions
The iRobot Roomba 105. The Roomba Combo i5+. The Roomba Combo j7+ (to not be confused with the Roomba j7). The arbitrary numbers and letters of the Roomba household tree are complicated at face worth, however we will train you.
When searching for a Roomba, you may select from what I name iRobot’s core lineup: the group of three to 5 Roomba sequence offered on iRobot’s web site. Any Roomba whose title features a letter and a quantity (like j9+ or i5) or the phrase Max is extra superior than a Roomba with simply numbers within the title (like 105, 205, or 692) or simply phrases (like Roomba Vac or Important).
A plus signal (like j9+) denotes that the mannequin comes with a self-emptying dock, and Roombas that mop could have “Combo” within the title. “Max” is a brand new Roomba time period launched with the Roomba Combo 10 Max — it refers back to the skill of a hybrid Roomba to clean and dry its personal mopping pad inside the self-empty dock. On the opposite finish of the spectrum, “Important” means “most elementary” within the Roomba household, that means no good mapping.
Testing the Roomba Combo 10 Max.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
Testing the Roomba Combo j7+.
Credit score: Leah Stodart / Mashable
So, which Roomba is finest for you? I’ve examined almost each Roomba launched since 2019, and I commonly replace this information to the very best Roombas vacuums all year long. (As for the latest Roombas, I’ve already gotten my arms on one sequence, with testing of the opposite three within the works.) After evaluating suction, pet hair pickup, mopping, good mapping, small impediment detection, and worth, I selected the Roombas that provide the very best worth.
UPDATE: Apr. 27, 2025, 5:00 a.m. EDT After testing the brand new Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo, I’ve added it to this information. iRobot additionally launched the Roomba 105, Roomba Plus 405, and Roomba Plus 505 in March. I am within the means of testing them, and can replace this information accordingly primarily based on my hands-on critiques.
