iRobot Review: Is Roomba Still Worth Buying After the Bankruptcy?
The company that made robot vacuums mainstream went through Chapter 11 and a sale to its Chinese manufacturer, then relaunched the Roomba range, so we read the new lineup and the fine print.
Sixty-second verdict
- The rebuilt Roomba lineup is broad and fairly priced, with self-emptying docks now standard from $449.99 up.
- A 60-day home trial with free shipping and returns on robots bought direct is the strongest reason to buy from iRobot.com.
- The manufacturer’s warranty is one year, and the Chapter 11 filing and sale to Picea make long-term support the open question.
Beacon Score
Capable new robots and a generous trial, weighed down by a one-year warranty, an ownership upheaval and poor service reviews.
- Product17/25
- Value16/25
- Service12/25
- Trust11/25
What we'd buy from iRobot
Roomba Plus 415 Combo $599.99
The cheapest Roomba with a dock that empties debris and washes and dries the mop pads.
This is the value sweet spot in the new range. The dock empties the bin, rewets the DualClean mop pads, then washes and heat-dries them after each run, and the pads lift automatically over carpet. LiDAR handles mapping and a slimmer body gets under more furniture. It carries one of the highest on-site ratings, though from a small number of reviews. The feature list does not include the camera-based obstacle avoidance found on pricier models, so pick up cords first.
- Best for
- Mixed floors in apartments and smaller homes
- Weak spot
- No AI obstacle avoidance for cords and clutter
Roomba Max 715 Vac $699.99
A vacuum-only robot built for pet hair, with AI obstacle avoidance and anti-tangle brushes.
If you have carpets and pets and no interest in mopping, this is the one. It uses iRobot’s dual rubber brushes, an anti-tangle edge brush, and pairs ClearView Pro LiDAR with PrecisionVision AI to steer around cords and clutter. The AutoEmpty dock uses odor-control AllergenLock bags and is rated for up to 90 days between emptyings. Those bags are an ongoing cost, and at this price several rivals add mopping.
- Best for
- Pet owners with carpets and rugs
- Weak spot
- No mopping at a mid-range price
Roomba Plus 575 Combo $799.99
Adds AI obstacle avoidance and stronger suction to the slim Plus combo design.
The 575 takes the 415’s self-maintaining dock with hot washing and heated drying and adds PrecisionVision AI, ClearView Pro LiDAR and more suction. It can climb thresholds up to 35 mm, which matters in older homes with raised transitions between rooms. On-site ratings are strong, but again from only a couple dozen reviews. At $200 more than the 415, the obstacle avoidance is what you are paying for, and households with cords or pet toys on the floor will feel the difference.
- Best for
- Busy homes with cluttered floors
- Weak spot
- Large step up in price from the 415
Roomba 105 Vac + AutoEmpty Dock $449.99
The entry ticket to a self-emptying, LiDAR-mapped Roomba.
For basic daily vacuuming, the 105 gets you LiDAR mapping, room-by-room scheduling in the app and a self-emptying dock rated for up to 75 days. iRobot says the dock bag traps 99% of allergens down to 0.7 microns. It has the most on-site reviews of the new models we checked and also the lowest average rating. A 105 Combo version adds mopping for $469.99, which is the better buy if you have hard floors.
- Best for
- First-time robot owners on a budget
- Weak spot
- Lowest-rated of the new models on-site
Roomba Max 875 Combo $1,199.99
iRobot’s flagship, with a heated roller mop and a lift that keeps carpets dry.
The 875 is iRobot’s answer to premium rivals: SealForce suction, a PowerSpin Max roller mop that scrubs with heated water, ThermaMist heated spray and DriLift, which lifts the mop to keep carpets dry. PerfectEdge targets walls and corners, and the AutoWash dock promises up to 90 days of hands-free maintenance. It had no on-site reviews when we checked, which is a lot of faith to place in a new flagship from a company just out of restructuring.
- Best for
- Large homes with lots of hard flooring
- Weak spot
- Unproven new flagship at a premium price
Leave these on the shelf
Roomba Electro Plus
This is a cordless, self-propelled floor washer rather than a robot, listed at $399.99 and on sale when we checked. It disinfects using electrolyzed tap water and has a heated self-cleaning dock. It is an unproven category for iRobot, and dedicated wet-dry floor cleaners from established brands cover the same job with longer track records.
Roomba Plus 678 Combo
The 678 introduces SprayForce AI pre-treatment, which blasts stuck-on messes before the hot-water roller mop scrubs. It is clever, but at $899.99 it sits just $300 below the flagship 875 and had no on-site reviews when we checked. Let other owners find the problems with a brand-new cleaning system first.
iRobot versus two rivals
Two brands a shopper is likely to be weighing at the same time. Words only; the numbers change too often to print.
| Row | iRobot | Roborock | eufy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range | Robot vacuums, robot vacuum-mop combos, a floor washer and accessories | A very large range of robot vacuums, combos, wet-dry vacuums and stick vacuums | Robot vacuums alongside cameras, doorbells and other home gadgets |
| Price position | Mid-market to premium, with frequent promotions and trade-in credit | Mid-market to premium, often more features per dollar | Budget to mid-market, with regular discounts |
| Returns | Sixty-day home trial with free returns on robots bought direct | Thirty days from delivery for any reason, original packaging required | Thirty days from purchase for undamaged products bought direct |
| Standout | Familiar app, wide retail availability and a long trial | Aggressive feature sets on mops, docks and obstacle avoidance | Low prices and a price-drop refund window |
The fine print at iRobot
Each line below was read on iRobot's own site in October 2026. Policies move; if one has, tell us.
Buy if, pass if
Buy if you are
- Shoppers who want a long home trial before committing to a robot
- Existing Roomba owners comfortable with the app and accessories
- Pet owners who need tangle-resistant rubber brushes
Pass if you are
- Anyone uneasy about buying from a company just out of bankruptcy
- Buyers who want more than a one-year warranty without paying extra
- Feature hunters who will find more for the money at Roborock
Questions readers ask
Is iRobot still in business after the bankruptcy?
Yes. iRobot filed for Chapter 11 in December 2025 under a plan to sell the company to Shenzhen Picea Robotics, its manufacturer, and take it private. The website is selling a refreshed Roomba range and still offers the Roomba Home app, but long-term support is the risk you take on.
How does the 60-day home trial work?
iRobot.com advertises a 60-day home trial with free shipping and returns on all robots bought there. Robots from Amazon or other stores follow that retailer’s rules. The detailed returns page did not load for us, so keep the box and accessories in case condition rules apply.
Which Roombas have AI obstacle avoidance?
On the models we checked, PrecisionVision AI appears on the Max 715 Vac, Max 775 Combo, Max 875 Combo, Plus 575 Combo and Plus 678 Combo. The Roomba 105 and the Plus 415 and 515 Combos rely on LiDAR mapping without it.
Bottom line
The new Roombas look competitive on paper, and the Plus 415 Combo is a sensible buy at its price. The 60-day home trial gives you time to judge it in your own house. What you cannot test is iRobot’s future after Chapter 11, and a one-year warranty offers little cover. Buy direct, use the full trial, and consider whether a rival offers more for the money.
See it at iRobotWhat we read
This is desk research: the brand's own pages plus published customer reviews, read in October 2026. Nothing was sent to us and nothing was tried in person.
- iRobot.com US product pages for the Roomba 105, Plus, Max and Electro models, with on-site ratings
- iRobot price match policy, Protect plan page and shipping offer details
- Wikipedia entry on iRobot for the Chapter 11 filing and Picea sale
- Trustpilot reviews of irobot.com, read with the one-star filter