The Roomba Combo 10 Max is a new robot vacuum and mop from iRobot that can mop its floor, empty its bin, and refill its cleaning tank, meaning less manual work on your part. The company’s new flagship robot vacuum will also be the first to support the Matter smart home standard. The vacuum is available for pre-order starting today at irobot.com for $1,399.99, and in the UK for £1,499 and Europe for €1,499. Shipping will begin in August, when it will also be available at other retailers.
Building on the Roomba Combo j9 Plus’ retractable cleaning system that lifts up on its own when vacuuming carpet, the Roomba Combo 10 Max robot and its automatic mopping station are the company’s first robot vacuums with a fully multifunctional charging station. In addition to emptying the robot’s bin and refilling its water tank, the new station can clean and dry the mop and mop itself, so you don’t have to.
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The dock also has a new look, to incorporate mopping, and is now made with antimicrobial plastics to help inhibit bacterial growth and bad odors that are common on docks like these. “While there will still be an element of human cleaning (of the dock), it should help combat the buildup of ‘ugliness’ over time,” iRobot’s Warren Fernandez said in an interview with The edge.
These multi-functional docks are becoming increasingly popular, with models available from Roborock, Dreame, Eufy, and others. They allow the robot vacuum to operate largely autonomously for a week or so, until you need to refill the dock’s water tank (some even eliminate that need by connecting directly to the plumbing). Most competing docks require top access to access these tanks, but the 10 Max’s dock retains the Combo j9 Plus’ front-opening style. It’s a nice feature, since you can use the top as a table.
Unlike most of its competitors, the 10 Max’s docking station doesn’t use hot water or hot air to dry the mop. Fernandez explained that because it’s a top-mounted mop, it will benefit from plenty of airflow, allowing it to dry quickly. He added that the heat adds complexity and operating costs to the docking station.
According to Fernandez, the 10 Max’s docking station automatically cleans and dries the mop after each pass and can be programmed to wash after cleaning specific rooms, such as the bathroom. The docking station also cleans itself after washing the mop.
On the software side, Fernandez said the main improvement in the 10 Max is improved dirt detection, which allows the onboard camera to detect dirt. This is an upgrade from a feature in the J9 that identifies dirty areas and requires multiple passes to clean them. The 10 Max also offers a new mop-only cleaning mode, in addition to the options to vacuum, vacuum, and mop.
Most of the 10 Max’s other features are the same as the j9 Combo, including the same suction power — which iRobot says is 100 times more powerful than its i-Series (the company doesn’t release suction power specs) — and the presence of a camera to navigate and enable AI-powered obstacle avoidance.
This allows the robot to see and identify common household objects, such as shoes, cords, bowls, and other pet-related clutter, and intelligently determine what to do. For example, it will clean up a pile of popcorn but avoid pet poop. iRobot promises that if its robot is involved in a “pet accident,” the company will replace it for free for the first year.
The company, whose business has faced increased competition in recent years, compounded by a failed attempt to sell to Amazon, has launched several new robots in the past 12 months, giving customers more options at a wider price range.
iRobot now offers six different models of combo mop and vacuum: the Combo Essential ($275) and Combo i5 (starting at $350) with interchangeable cleaning bins; the Combo j5 (starting at $529) adding a camera for obstacle avoidance; the Combo j7 (starting at $600) bringing a retractable mop; the Combo j9 Plus with an automatic emptying/filling station for $1,000; and now the Combo 10 Max adding mopping for $1,400.
iRobot also announced the addition of Matter support to the 10 Max, which will allow it to work with any smart home platform that supports Matter, including Apple Home.
So far, all Roombas have worked with the Amazon Alexa and Google Home smart home platforms, allowing you to add your vacuum to your smart home routines and automations and control it with your voice. But none have worked with Apple Home beyond a Siri Shortcuts integration that allows for voice control.
According to iRobot, Matter support will come via an over-the-air firmware update in Q4 2024; this could coincide with the arrival of iOS 18, which Apple says will bring Matter support to Apple Home.
The company also said it plans to add Matter to more of its products in 2025, but didn’t specify whether that would be part of an upgrade to existing products or simply integrated into new models.