The IRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max Taught Me That Vacuums Without This One Feature Aren’t For Me

The best thing I can say about the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max is that its mapping and cleaning of your home are very thorough, straight out of the box. By that, I mean that its default configuration is designed to reach every nook and cranny of your floors at least once. It maps every square inch it can access and cleans just as well, with very little tinkering required.

But there’s a reason for this, and it’s not necessarily a good one. You see, without the benefit of LiDAR sensing for navigation and 3D mapping like so many top robot vacuums, the Roomba Combo 10 Max has no choice but to roll over every spot in your home. No errors from misinterpreted radar scans, no missing spots because the camera was blinded or didn’t have enough light; it rolls everywhere, using the physical bumper sensor to help identify walls and obstacles. And I’m not sure this is the best solution for a vac that costs this much…

A thorough vacuuming experience

Jonathan Feist / Android Authority

First and foremost, I already said it, this bot is thorough, and remains so on repeated runs. When the Roomba Combo 10 Max finished vacuuming my floors, I knew it got everywhere without checking. Better yet, I ran it just after another bot had cleaned and it still found dirt, so I know the Roomba is getting into spaces that lower priced machine, in this case the Eureka J15 Pro Ultra I’ve also been testing, did not.

In addition to vacuuming, this bot mops as well, and the mop head is pretty fun. It’s a full-width pad that lives on an arm that rests above the bot. It feels like some sort of industrial equipment when it deploys the mop. But the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max is not a hardcore mopping machine — it moistens the pad and does some spot cleaning and polishing. I think it’s far better to pick up this bot for its vacuuming capabilities and consider the mopping feature an added extra.

Jonathan Feist / Android Authority

The look of the base station for the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max is very pleasant, and it just happens to match the design of my buffet perfectly. I really appreciate that iRobot considers the base station a part of your home décor. Not only does it give it a look that can fit in with other furniture, but they’ve designed the top to be a functional stand. I can see myself putting a potted plant on top.

A not-too-smart robot vacuum

Jonathan Feist / Android Authority

The iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max has been very educational for me. Most modern high-end robovacs like this one come with a LiDAR sensor to 3D map your space and to help with real-time navigation. This generally results in minimal contact between the bot and your walls. The Roomba Combo 10 Max instead seems to choose to run into the walls as it goes. It does have a camera that works well for objects immediately in front of the bot. It performs decent straight lines along long walls, too, but it will happily run into objects or doors that are not in the exact same place they were during initial mapping.

What I’m saying is that the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max seems to run into everything all the time, and considering the price I expect better.

Jonathan Feist / Android Authority

When setting up to test a new robot vacuum, I sometimes place a cardboard box on the floor to block off areas of the house, both for testing its navigation and also to protect other projects that needed that space. Every LiDAR bot I’ve ever tested has respected the barrier; the Roomba Combo 10 Max just pushed straight through. To be clear, the heavy boxes were enough to trigger the bumper on the bot, but a small empty cardboard box on a hardwood floor was not enough to bump it. You may consider this to be a pro or a con, depending on your specific needs. For example, this bot may push through toys to clean underneath, instead of scooting around them, but it also might run them straight over.

See also  Why The Dreame X50 Ultra Is The Ultimate Cleaning Companion

Jonathan Feist / Android Authority

I’m also sad to report that I’ve had to rescue this bot more than the LiDAR-powered bots I’ve tested. The camera does recognize objects, preventing collisions, but the dependence on the physical bumpers for objects that the camera does not pick up requires the objects to be large and heavy enough to trigger the sensor. In the image with the toilet paper above, what you do not see is that the paper wrapped around both drive wheels and the sweeper brush and then bunched up into the main vacuum brush. The bot stopped because the systems were locked up, not because the obstacle sensor was triggered.

The Roomba Combo 10 Max’s low height also creates issues around small house rugs. I intentionally do not tape my rugs to the floor; I want to see how the bots handle them. The Roomba Combo 10 Max is far better than the older bots I’ve tested, but it falls behind every other bot produced in the last six months. It’s also a noisy vac compared to its competitors, and the suction difference isn’t impressive enough to warrant it.

Should I buy the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max?

Jonathan Feist / Android Authority

All things considered, the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max is a really good floor-cleaning device. It gets everywhere, and it vacuums as well as, or better than, the best bots on the market today. In this price bracket, I’ll give the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max a pass if that’s all you need, especially if your space is free of delicate obstacles.

But if mopping is important to your space, or you have delicate items on ground level, I’d suggest something a little more tech-heavy, like the Narwal Freo Z Ultra ($1499.99 at Amazon). Both of these bots are thorough cleaners with great floor coverage, but the LiDAR-powered navigation and next-level mopping of the Freo Z Ultra puts it a class ahead of the Roomba.

The Roomba Combo 10 Max is a top-notch vacuum, but a mediocre mop, and the limited 3D mapping is a concern.

I would also look at the Switchbot S10 ($799.99 at Amazon) as an alternative, which is not as good at vacuuming or navigating but just as good at mopping and has cool automation options if you’re interested in the wider SwitchBot range. The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra ($1799.99 at Amazon) is another great choice in the ultra-premium tier, especially for pet owners.

I’m truly impressed with the thorough coverage and vacuuming abilities of the Roomba Combo 10 Max. I wouldn’t mind locking it in my living room, which is basically all carpet with minimal obstacles. Having said that, if you truly do not need a mop, there are less-expensive vacuum-only bots available. Likewise, if you need a robot vacuum that delivers a more discerning clean, there are smarter options out there with full 3D navigation, and those are the vacs I’ll be sticking with.

iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max

iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max

Improved dirt detection • Smart mapping • AI obstacle avoidance

The best Roomba gets better.

The Roomba Combo 10 Max + AutoWash dock is iRobot’s 2024 vision for what the best robot vacuum can be. It vacuums, it mops, and the base station ensures that everything happens autonomously.

iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max specs

FAQ