iRobot is returning to the premium robot vacuum fight with a new Roomba that is not simply trying to win the suction-power numbers game. The company has introduced the Roomba Max 875 Combo, a robot vacuum and mop with a new system designed to create a physical seal around carpet fibers, concentrating the vacuum’s airflow where dirt is trapped.
The new model was unveiled on September 2, 2026, and represents iRobot’s latest flagship robot. It is priced at $1,199.99 in the US, while the UK model costs £1,099. The US version is already available through iRobot’s online store, with shipping listed at roughly two weeks.
The most interesting part of the Roomba Max 875 is not simply its headline 35,000 Pa suction figure. iRobot has changed the way that power is applied to carpet. The technology is called SealForce, and it uses a lowered section of the robot’s chassis to create a tighter seal against carpet fibers.
The idea is straightforward: instead of allowing airflow to escape around the edges of the robot, SealForce is designed to concentrate it directly where dirt and debris are hiding.
iRobot says the combination of SealForce, around 20 liters per second of airflow and 35,000 Pa of suction can deliver up to three times deeper carpet cleaning compared with vacuuming without SealForce. Those figures are iRobot’s own claims and have not been independently verified.
That approach is notable because the robot vacuum market has increasingly focused on suction numbers. iRobot is effectively arguing that raw power is only part of the equation. What matters is how efficiently that power reaches the surface being cleaned.
The Roomba Max 875 Combo is also designed to tackle wet cleaning. Its new ThermaMist system uses heated ultrasonic mist to pre-treat dried-on spills before the mop roller reaches them.
The robot then uses the PowerSpin Max Roller Mop, which scrubs with heated water at up to 300rpm. iRobot says the system applies up to 18 Newtons of downward pressure and delivers stronger stain removal than its previous approach. Again, those performance improvements are manufacturer claims rather than independent laboratory results.
Another practical problem iRobot is targeting is something many robot-vacuum owners have experienced: wet carpets when a robot moves from hard floors onto rugs.
The Roomba Max 875 uses AI-powered DriLift technology to detect carpet, lift the mop roller and lower a protective shield. The goal is to keep the mop system from transferring moisture onto carpets during cleaning.
Navigation is handled by a combination of cameras and LiDAR. iRobot’s PrecisionVision AI is designed to identify and avoid objects on the floor, while ClearView Pro LiDAR helps the robot understand its surroundings. iRobot says the system can recognize more than 300 different objects.
The AutoWash Dock is another major part of the package. It does considerably more than recharge the robot: the station can wash and dry the mop roller, empty debris and manage cleaning solution. iRobot says the dock can provide up to 90 days of hands-free maintenance, depending on usage.
The launch also matters for iRobot itself. The company completed its court-supervised transaction with Picea Robotics earlier this year after its Chapter 11 process, and the new Roomba arrives as the company attempts to regain ground against aggressive competitors such as Roborock, Dreame and Narwal.
That makes the $1,199 price tag particularly important. The Roomba Max 875 enters a premium market where competing robots already offer AI navigation, automated mopping, self-cleaning docks and sophisticated obstacle avoidance.
The question will therefore be whether SealForce and iRobot’s new heated-mopping system actually make a noticeable difference in everyday cleaning.
iRobot is clearly betting that they will. Rather than simply building another robot with a bigger suction number, the company is trying to change how the robot applies that power to carpets and how it handles difficult stains. If the technology performs as promised outside the lab, the Roomba Max 875 could become one of the most important products in iRobot’s comeback.
