iRobot’s New Roomba Targets Carpet Pickup

The Roomba Max 875 Combo adds a sealing skirt for carpet. Its $1,199 price makes it a wait-and-see buy.

What changed

iRobot’s Roomba Max 875 Combo is now available for $1,199.

Its key new feature is SealForce. The robot lowers a skirt against carpet fibers. iRobot says this helps keep airflow from escaping around the edges.

The company says the robot reaches 35,000 pascals of suction. It also claims three times deeper carpet cleaning than prior models.

CNET notes that cordless vacuums have generally shown better suction than robot vacuums in its testing. The new seal could help close that gap. Still, CNET had not yet tested the Roomba Max 875 Combo.

Mopping and dock features

The Max 875 Combo sprays heated mist while it mops hard floors. iRobot says this helps loosen dried stains.

Its dock washes the mop with 176-degree Fahrenheit water. It dries the mop with 131-degree air. The dock also refills cleaning fluid and empties debris into a bag.

iRobot says the bag can last up to 90 days. Actual results may vary with home size, pets, and cleaning use.

Cost and verdict

The $1,199 Roomba Max 875 Combo sits firmly in flagship territory.

A less costly Roomba Plus 678 Combo is also available for $899. It has SealForce and a self-cleaning dock, but uses unheated water pressure for mopping.

Verdict: Wait. The carpet-sealing design is worth watching. Yet iRobot’s pickup and mopping claims still need independent testing.