New robot vacuum more autonomous but you still need to check its work

iRobot’s Roomba is probably the best-known robot vacuum brand, but in recent years it’s faced increasingly tough competition from high-end Chinese rivals Roborock and Dreame, which have overtaken iRobot when it comes to suction power, automation and self-cleaning.

With the new Roomba Combo 10 Max, the American company is once again aiming for the top of the pile. And while it’s not a clear-cut victory overall, it is a welcome upgrade for the Roomba line.

The 10 Max is iRobot’s first vacuum-mop combo that will wash and dry its own mop pads. Since its base also includes a tank for clean water, a tank for dirty water and a bag for dry dust, the company says it will run on a schedule for 60 days without you having to touch the robot or replace anything. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can totally forget about it.

Without a connection to the mains or a sink, you still need to fill up the fresh water and throw out the dirty every couple of cleans. A quick tidy of your space between cleans is also recommended, because the 10 Max is pretty good at dodging obstacles but not immune to familiar robot kryptonite like cloths, trading cards, cords and bras. Plus, the self-cleaning isn’t so flawless that I would trust it on its own for 60 days.

Roomba catches up

If you’ve only ever used Roombas, this latest model is very familiar but has some welcome improvements. It keeps the innovative mop design, with a mechanical arm that stores the pad on the top of the robot when not in use, so you never have to worry about wet carpets. It looks and functions like previous Roombas, but the home base has been overhauled with a rotating roller for wringing water out of the mop, and a door that swings out to reveal the dual water tanks.

But compared with other brands, the Roomba can seem a step behind. Some robots in a similar price range have removable mop pads that they can leave behind at the dock, allowing for dry carpets but also more comprehensive mop movement: spinning, vibrating or even reaching under cabinets while the Roomba can only drag the mop behind it. The Roomba has a much smaller home base but having the tanks slot in like drawers instead of removed from the top is more fiddly, and there’s no automatic detergent (which could be viewed as a plus since there’s no proprietary bottle).

I also found that the Roomba’s navigation has improved much over the years. Something like the Dreame L20 will map rooms in seconds thanks to its LiDAR system, never seems bothered if you move it mid-clean, and can take photos of obstacles or stream video to your phone. The Roomba, using its camera and floor sensors, was slower and less accurate to map, and was found wandering sad and confused on more than one occasion after being moved.