This new Roomba seals itself to your carpet
iRobot, now owned by Picea Robotics, launched two new flagship robot vacuums: the $1,199 Roomba Max 875 Combo and the $899 Roomba Plus 678 Combo The 875 features SealForce technology, a carpet-sealing skirt system that directs airflow deeper into carpets, delivering three times deeper cleaning compared to previous models The Roomba Max 875 Combo boasts 35,000 Pa suction power—the highest iRobot has ever published—paired with a 20 L/s vane-type blower motor and a single rubber brush design Additi
Analysis
TL;DR
- iRobot, now owned by Picea Robotics, launched two new flagship robot vacuums: the $1,199 Roomba Max 875 Combo and the $899 Roomba Plus 678 Combo
- The 875 features SealForce technology, a carpet-sealing skirt system that directs airflow deeper into carpets, delivering three times deeper cleaning compared to previous models
- The Roomba Max 875 Combo boasts 35,000 Pa suction power—the highest iRobot has ever published—paired with a 20 L/s vane-type blower motor and a single rubber brush design
- Additional innovations include ThermaMist heated pretreatment for stains, a hair-cutting anti-tangle brush, a self-cleaning roller mop with hot water wash and hot air dry, and Matter certification in progress
- SealForce technology, while now common among competitors like Narwal and Dreame, marks iRobot's effort to close the performance gap after years of lagging behind in the robot vacuum market
Why It Matters
This launch signals iRobot's strategic pivot under new ownership (Picea Robotics) to compete more aggressively in a market where it has fallen behind Chinese manufacturers. The return to publishing suction power specs and the introduction of carpet-sealing technology demonstrate a shift toward transparency and performance-driven engineering. For the industry, it highlights how sealing technology—long pursued by upright vacuum makers—is now becoming a standard differentiator in robot vacuums.
Technical Details
- SealForce System: A skirt lowers around the cleaning head upon carpet detection, creating an airtight seal that directs airflow deeper into carpet fibers. Paired with a vane-type blower motor producing 20 L/s airflow, this achieves three times deeper carpet cleaning.
- Suction Power: The Roomba Max 875 Combo delivers 35,000 Pa—the highest figure iRobot has ever officially published, breaking a long-standing company policy of not disclosing detailed suction specs.
- Brush Design: Uses a single rubber brush (instead of the traditional dual rollers) to accommodate the SealForce carpet seal, along with a new hair-cutting anti-tangle main brush and anti-tangle side brush.
- Mopping System: Features a roller mop with edge-extension capability, a retractable mop cover that lifts to keep carpets dry during vacuuming, and ThermaMist heated mist pretreatment. The auto-empty dock washes the mop with hot water and dries it with hot air.
- Navigation & Smart Features: Lidar and camera-based vision for navigation and obstacle detection, 3.5 cm threshold climbing ability, and compatibility with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Siri Shortcuts. Both models are undergoing Matter certification.
- Roomba Plus 678 Combo: Midrange variant with 30,000 Pa suction, 18 L/s airflow, SprayForce stain pretreatment (sprays cleaning fluid and returns later), and a 10mm mop lift for carpet detection—lacks ThermaMist and the mop cover.
Industry Insight
- iRobot's return to publishing suction specs and adopting sealing technology indicates the company is responding to competitive pressure from Chinese manufacturers like Narwal and Dreame, who have already integrated similar features. This suggests the robot vacuum market is reaching a maturity point where performance transparency and carpet-cleaning efficacy are becoming key battlegrounds.
- The SealForce approach mirrors decades of effort by upright vacuum manufacturers to solve the same carpet-sealing problem, now adapted for autonomous robots. This convergence between traditional and robotic cleaning technologies may accelerate innovation across both segments.
- Picea Robotics' acquisition and immediate product refresh signal a more aggressive commercial strategy. The emphasis on practical improvements over gimmicky features (like legs or arms) reflects a market trend toward mature, utility-focused robot vacuums—likely to influence how competitors position their own flagship products.
Disclaimer: The above content is generated by AI and is for reference only.