It’s about time. iRobot finally releases a decent robot vacuum and mop combination that washes itself. We’ve been waiting, and it’s finally here. After spending a little more than a month testing this machine out, I’ve come to love a few things about it. I’ve also determined a few things I wish it did better. Without further ado, let’s dive into the good, bad, and the ugly of the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max.
Toughness
Toughness? Yeah, I know – it’s not something one would typically think about when writing about a vacuum, but iRobot does make a product that lasts. If history tells us anything, it’s that a robot vacuum from this company tends to last. I’ve only purchased one Roomba in my life, and it still goes. Keep in mind – this is an old school model from roughly 2018. It didn’t map, it just ran about the room cleaning. It got beaten up, and it left some minor marks on walls. Thankfully, times and technology have changed in the Roomba 10 Max. The toughness hasn’t.
Now, when I send the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max through my house, it knows where it’s going. It adequately maps my rooms and makes every effort to slow down before gently brushing up against an obstacle. Long gone are the days of a vac ramming every item blocking its way. My house is treated with respect and gentleness as the Roomba cleans quite thoroughly. This carefulness should only make the vacuum/mop combo last that much longer. No more jostling, and no more dings. The 10 Max lacks the dings in it as well after use, so it doesn’t start to look like a droid the Jawas got hold of.
Mopping vs. Vacuuming
Make no mistake, the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max mops and vacuums, and it can do so simultaneously. It is a slick device that raises its mop when it needs to vacuum a rug or carpet. Therefore, there is never a need to remove a mop pad (unless you want to clean it yourself). Once the device is charged and set up, I can simply send it on its merry way for a good cleaning. The power is decent, although one thing about iRobot has always annoyed me. They don’t share the power of their vacuums. While Roborock boasts up to 18,000 Pa and higher on some of their vac/mop combos, I can’t figure out and haven’t found iRobot’s published power.
Maybe the power is great. Outside of observation, I have no idea. I know it picks stuff up, and I rarely have issues with it grabbing dirt, but it bothers me that I don’t know. I think I want to know if I’m upgrading, and what I get with a new vac. There are a lot of options out there now, and the lack of info makes it difficult to compare, and I’d rather get my info from the source as opposed to someone’s estimation online.
Mopping works very well, and the robot doesn’t leave behind streaks unless you drop a lot of fine dust i.e. flour on the floor. The Roomba makes its best attempt and typically does quite well, but odds are you will still need to dive into the mess yourself a bit to help it out. The device itself brags of a “4-Stage Cleaning system” that also includes back and forth scrubbing. I can conclude that this Roomba is by far the best mopping Roomba out there due to its downward pressure. Other options such as the J9 mostly drag a rag around and don’t quite get the oscillation that the 10 Max gets.
The Dock
Perhaps the best feature of any robot Vac/Mop combo out there now days is the ability to self-empty and clean its own mops. The iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max does this, and it does it well. The dock features clean and dirty water tanks to ensure the mophead stays clean for every run. Emptying the tanks is as simple and intuitive as it sounds. Take it out. Refill it. Take the dirty tank out and empty it. Put it back. Yes. Pretty simple.
Not only does the dock clean the mop, it also cleans itself. This ensures I’m not constantly having to clean a dirty water mess at the bottom of the base every few days after use. I can assure you this isn’t fun based on other robot mops I have tested.
Additional Features
So, what’s missing? There really isn’t a whole lot missing from the Roomba 10 Max. Setup is easy, mapping is easy, and the map is intuitive allowing for virtual walls and no-go zones. I can make the robot deep clean certain areas by going over it more than once right from the app. Finally, I can also use Alexa, Sir, or Google Assistant to get the bot going with just my voice. This feature needs a bit more tweaking in the skill areas of Alexa in my opinion, but it’s leaps and bounds better than Roborock’s voice command options.
Worth it?
The iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max is a tough and resilient machine. Is it the best out there? No. Is it really good? Yes. It’s also on sale for a much better price than some of its competitors right now. I would never tell someone to purchase a Robot Vac at full price. They go on sale often, and they go on sale mere months after release. iRobot is still in the game – better than most – just not the best out there.