Don’t call it a comeback unless you want to. It’s kind of thing, but by the time you read the full story – you’ll probably realize that it’s not… Irobot is removing the cover from the new lineup of Roomba Robot vacuum cleaners.
The big news is that a new range consisting of eight new models is the first in the brand’s history to feature Lidar navigation.
Certainly, there have been Riders for over a decade on Irobot’s Chinese rivals such as Robot, Ecobacs, Yuffee and Dream. And Dreame was able to hide the Lidar turret on the X50 Ultra, but this is still an advancement from the OG Robo Cleaner brand.
The new Roombas is very similar to the original iRobot model, but with its tower at the top, iRobot calls it “ClearView Lidar Navigation.”
The range also features automotive docks, onboard dust compactors and mopping on some models.
The new lineup starts with the lowest entry room va 105 VAC robot, which is just $299 (which doesn’t actually have a Lidar), and reaches the flagship room va and 505 combo robot + Autowash Dock (yes, that’s the real name).
The new model has a suction rating of 7,000pa, and there is more to the robot’s vacuum than its suction cup strength, but honestly, that’s the average for 2025.
When I released the Roborock S8 6,000PA rating at CES 2023, I explained two years ago, “What the heck.”
Fast forward to CES 2025, numerous models hit over 20,000pa, and Mova stole the crown as the biggest sucker with an astounding 24,000pa suction rating on its new flagship, the Mova V50 Ultra.
Another new addition to Roomba Mix is the dual spinning mopping pads, as we’ve seen with the Eureka J15 Pro and Ecovacs Deebot N30 Omni. These are also found in the 505 Top Dog and the next model in the hierarchy, the 405.
The new cleaners come in modern colors, materials and finishes and are said to be available in North America on March 23rd and sold directly from Irobot in the European market.
All the good news appears to be as though iRobot has recovered from the Amazon takeover collapse. Or maybe not… JPT Over The Verge reports that the brand may not last another year.
oh dear. Still… rider navigation for victory.
