iRobot has unveiled its most powerful robot vacuum to date, with the Roomba Max 875 Combo promising deeper carpet cleaning through a new sealing system designed to improve airflow. The flagship model will be demonstrated at IFA in Berlin, the company’s first major technology trade show appearance in several years.
The $1,199 machine is being launched alongside the $899 Roomba Plus 678 Combo. Both vacuum-and-mop models are available through iRobot’s website.
The Roomba Max 875 uses a feature called SealForce, which lowers a skirt around the cleaning head when the robot detects carpet. The tighter seal is intended to channel more air into the carpet, while a new vane-style blower moves 20 litres of air per second.
Adam Pope, iRobot’s chief engineer, said the system enabled the company to take vacuuming “to a level beyond what’s previously been possible”. iRobot says the 875 delivers three times deeper carpet cleaning with SealForce than without it.
The robot has a published suction rating of 35,000Pa, the highest iRobot has disclosed. It uses a single rubber brush to help maintain the seal against carpet, rather than the dual rollers found on some of the company’s earlier models.
Lidar and camera-based vision are used for navigation and obstacle detection. The 875 also has a narrower design than the Roomba 775 and can cross thresholds up to 3.5cm high.
Its mopping system uses a self-cleaning roller with increased downward pressure and a heated-mist function called ThermaMist, which sprays ahead of the mop to loosen stains. A retractable cover helps keep carpets dry during vacuuming, while the accompanying dock empties the robot, washes the mop with hot water and dries it using heated air.
Other features include a hair-cutting anti-tangle brush and an anti-tangle side brush. The sealing approach is also appearing on rival premium machines, including Narwal’s Flow 2 and Dreame’s X60 Max Ultra, as manufacturers focus on improving robot vacuum performance on carpets.
The cheaper Roomba Plus 678 Combo also includes SealForce, but has a lower suction rating of 30,000Pa and airflow of 18 litres per second. It does not include ThermaMist or the retractable mop cover, instead using SprayForce to apply cleaning fluid to stains before returning to clean them.
The 678 can raise its mop by 10mm when it detects carpet. Both models support Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Siri Shortcuts, and are undergoing certification for the Matter smart-home standard.
The launches mark iRobot’s first major product showcase since the company was bought out of bankruptcy in January by Picea Robotics, its contract manufacturing owner. The Roomba maker is exhibiting at IFA under the new ownership.
