It might come as a surprise that "roomba" isn't the universal term for a robot vacuum. It is, in fact, a capital "R" that denotes Roomba as a proper noun — just one brand — rather than a generic trademark. Roombas are robot vacuums made by iRobot, and looking for the best Roomba to buy is a much more specific task than assessing the best robot vacuums in general, all brands included. However, Roomba's Band-Aid or Kleenex level fame really does prove just how iconic iRobot has become in the world of robotic vacuum cleaners.
Roomba's recognizability makes so much sense: Not only did iRobot launch the first successful commercial robot vacuum back in the day, but the company has consistently delivered some of the most reliable robot vacuum models for two decades. More than 20 Roombas have come out since the first one hit homes in 2002, but shopping in 2025, you only need to understand the difference between a few relevant Roomba models.
What's up with iRobot overhauling the lineup this year?
After Amazon and iRobot called it quits with their pending acquisition back in 2024, there was speculation that iRobot was shutting down. Nope, it was just rebranding. iRobot randomly released a whole handful of new Roomba series in March 2025, deviating from its (unofficial) summer release schedule. I think iRobot had two reasons to hurry: the post-CES spring release of the top robot vacuums from iRobot's main competitors and, yes, the company's rocky financial situation. As someone who tests robot vacuums for a living, I'll be the first to admit that Roombas were definitely flopping in a sea of smarter, more fairly-priced robot vacs from the likes of Roborock and iRobot's biggest Google search competition, Shark.
iRobot has spent 2025 playing catch-up with its competition. For the first time, you can buy Roombas that use LiDAR for smart mapping, Roomba vacuum and mop combos with dual spinning mopping pads, and a Roomba that compacts its own dust rather than taking up floor space with a self-emptying dock. iRobot is even measuring suction power in Pascals (Pa) now, making it much easier to see how well a Roomba would work on carpet, compared to other brands.
Despite such innovations, the new 2025 Roombas are surprisingly affordable, especially compared to the debut prices of past Roombas. With all of these new Roombas thickening the plot, the same old question remains: "Which Roomba is the best?" I've tested nearly every Roomba released since 2019, and I'm regularly updating this guide as I test the 2025 models in my own apartment. After comparing suction, pet hair pickup, mopping, smart mapping, small obstacle detection, and price, I chose the Roombas that offer the best value for different types of households.
How to tell the difference between the Roomba models
The iRobot Roomba 105. The Roomba Combo i5+. The Roomba Combo j7+ (not to be confused with the Roomba j7). The arbitrary numbers and letters of the Roomba family tree are confusing at face value, but we can teach you.
When shopping for a Roomba, you'll choose from what I call iRobot's core lineup: the group of three to five Roomba series sold on iRobot's website. Any Roomba whose title includes a letter and a number (like j9+ or i5) or the word Max is more advanced than a Roomba with just numbers in the title (like 105, 205, or 692) or just words (like Roomba Vac or Essential).
A plus sign (like j9+) denotes that the model comes with a self-emptying dock, and Roombas that mop will have "Combo" in the title. "Max" is a new Roomba term introduced with the Roomba Combo 10 Max — it refers to the ability of a hybrid Roomba to wash and dry its own mopping pad within the self-empty dock. On the other end of the spectrum, "Essential" means "most basic" in the Roomba family, meaning no smart mapping.
Other Roombas I've tested
I've tested several Roombas that are no longer main players in the Roomba guide for 2025. The Roomba Combo j9+ doesn't wash or dry its mopping pad, and is simply too expensive to be worth buying over its siblings like the Roomba Combo 10 Max, Roomba Plus 505. or Roomba Max 705. Plus, the j9's increasing obsoleteness has pretty much halted its ability to get a noteworthy discount nowadays.
I have also removed any 600 series Roombas from this guide for a similar reason: They just can't compete with the newer cheap Roombas that have stronger suction and smart mapping. When I tested the Roomba 694, it pissed me off more than it impressed. The Roomba 694 and Roomba 692 are hard to find in stock, anyway, and it's rarely for less than the Roomba 105 (my new top pick for the best cheap Roomba).
