I want to root for Roomba. I really do. It’s just that – what happened to old school Roomba? I unboxed the Roomba 205 Combo with the optimism of someone who still remembers when “Roomba” was the name in robot vacuums. I even named our first non-mapping Roomba “Beep.” Beep was my buddy for a good while. However, nostalgia doesn’t mop – and honestly, neither does the Roomba 205 all that well.
What I got instead was a lightweight bot with decent suction, some software hiccups, and a navigation system that seemed like it was still getting its bearings – especially on my new vinyl plank floors. Is this really the comeback model? If so, it’s a modest one. While brands like Roborock and Dreame continue to innovate, the 205 Combo feels more like it’s catching up than charging ahead. It doesn’t quite match the cleaning power or consistency of some of its competitors, but it tries. It’s a great tidy up as opposed to a deep clean.
Docking Dysfunction
The dock is… quirky. It’s small, light, and not the most stable setup. On my smooth flooring, the Roomba occasionally nudged it around like it was trying to get its attention. A few times it missed the dock completely and didn’t charge. I tried securing it with double-sided tape, which helped a bit, but it wasn’t foolproof. Definitely some room for improvement here.
App is a Shrug
Here’s the deal. When hardware stumbles, I usually hope the app can pick up the slack. In this case, not really. The iRobot app is simple and clean, but it’s starting to feel dated. Sometimes when I try to select a room or a cleaning zone, options are just greyed out. No explanation, no fix. I’ve had to reset the robot a few times when things glitched, which isn’t ideal. The app’s minimalist design looks nice, but it occasionally hides the info you actually need.
Navigation
The 205 Combo finally adds LiDAR, but it’s not the full 360-degree LiDAR we see on higher-end bots. It’s… partial vision, maybe? On smooth surfaces, it meandered more than I expected – pausing at odd times, skipping debris, and sometimes hovering near walls without fully cleaning along them. It had occasional trouble with thresholds, especially into bedrooms, though once it got going it did a passable job. Not great, not terrible – just okay.
Squeaky clean or streaky clean
The Roomba 205 touts 7000Pa suction, which sounds powerful, but in real-world use it felt average. It did well with medium debris, and I appreciated the sweeping brush helping guide dirt into the roller. Fine dust and cat hair, however, were often left behind. As for the mop – it’s fine for light maintenance. Think of it more as a damp wipe than a scrub. If your floors are already relatively clean, it’ll keep them looking that way. Just don’t expect it to handle sticky spills or heavy messes on its own.
In the end – compacted expectations
One standout feature is the dust compaction system. It does seem to work – I ran the Roomba 205 Combo daily for a few weeks and didn’t need to empty the bin once. With two long-haired cats in the house, that’s no small feat. It’s a clever idea, especially if the robot picks up enough dirt to make use of it.
To be fair, the price point – around $380 – is much more approachable than the $1000+ flagships from other brands. Maybe my expectations were too high. It looks great, and on paper, it sounds promising. But in practice, the 205 Combo feels more like a step sideways than forward. I still miss OG Roomba – and I still hope they make a true comeback soon.