Roomba Now Adheres to Carpet With New Sealing Tech
▼ Summary
– iRobot has launched two new flagship robot vacuums, the Roomba Max 875 Combo and the Roomba Plus 678 Combo, under its new owner Picea Robotics.
– The Roomba Max 875 features a new SealForce system that creates a better seal on carpets to improve deep cleaning efficiency.
– This model boasts a record 35,000 Pa suction power and utilizes a single rubber brush designed to work with the new sealing technology.
– Advanced mopping capabilities include the ThermaMist heated mist feature and an auto-empty dock that washes and dries the mop pad automatically.
– These updates signal iRobot’s effort to compete more effectively against rivals like Narwal and Dreame in the smart home market.
iRobot has unveiled its latest flagship robot vacuum, the Roomba Max 875 Combo, signaling a significant shift in strategy under its new ownership. The company, now controlled by Picea Robotics following a bankruptcy acquisition earlier this year, is showcasing the device at IFA in Berlin. This marks iRobot’s first major appearance at a global tech trade show in several years, aiming to reestablish its presence in a competitive market.
The Roomba Max 875 Combo is priced at $1,199 and is available immediately through irobot.com. It joins the newly introduced Roomba Plus 678 Combo, a midrange model retailing for $899. Both units represent the company’s current top-tier offerings, blending advanced cleaning mechanics with smart home integration.
Advanced Sealing Technology
The headline feature for the 875 is a proprietary system dubbed SealForce. This technology addresses a longstanding challenge in robotic vacuuming: maintaining suction efficiency on soft surfaces. When the device detects carpet, it lowers a specialized skirt around the cleaning head to create an airtight seal. This directs airflow more effectively into the fibers rather than allowing it to escape into the room.
“This works by lowering a sort of skirt around the cleaning head when it detects carpet, enabling a better seal that directs airflow deeper into the carpet,” explained the mechanism’s impact. The system is paired with a new vane-type blower motor capable of moving 20 liters of air per second. According to iRobot chief engineer Adam Pope, this combination allows the Roomba 875 to achieve “three times deeper carpet cleaning than without the feature.”
Pope emphasized the performance leap, stating the system takes vacuuming “to a level beyond what’s previously been possible.”
Specifications and Design Changes
To support the SealForce architecture, iRobot has made notable hardware adjustments. The Roomba 875 boasts a suction power of 35,000 Pa, the highest figure the company has ever published. For years, iRobot declined to release specific suction metrics, but the new data highlights a clear push toward raw performance. Interestingly, the unit uses a single rubber brush instead of the dual-roller systems found in previous models. Pope noted this design choice was necessary to accommodate the tight seal required for optimal carpet cleaning.
Navigation relies on a combination of lidar and camera-based vision to map environments and avoid obstacles. The chassis features a slimmer profile than the predecessor Roomba 775 and can navigate thresholds up to 3.5 cm high. For mopping duties, the 875 includes a roller mop that extends laterally to clean edges, alongside a new anti-tangle main brush designed to cut through hair tangles.
Mopping Innovations and Competitors
As a combo unit, the 875 also functions as a robot mop. It utilizes a self-cleaning dock that washes the mop pad with hot water and dries it with hot air. A key addition is ThermaMist, a heated mist feature that pretreats stains before the mop makes contact. Additionally, a retractable cover keeps the mop dry during vacuuming cycles, extending only when mopping is active.
While SealForce is new to iRobot, similar sealing technologies have appeared in competitors’ flagships, such as the Narwal Flow 2 and Dreame X60 Max Ultra. However, iRobot argues that integrating this with ThermaMist and anti-tangle brushes positions the brand to close the gap with rivals who have led in innovation recently.
The Midrange Alternative
The Roomba Plus 678 Combo offers many of these advancements at a lower price point. It retains the SealForce technology and roller mop but reduces suction to 30,000 Pa and airflow to 18 L/s. It omits the ThermaMist feature and the retractable mop cover. Instead, it employs a system called SprayForce, which sprays cleaning solution onto dried messes before returning to mop them up. Like its larger sibling, the 678 lifts its mop 10mm when detecting carpet to prevent wetting floors.
Both models are compatible with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Siri Shortcuts. They are currently undergoing Matter certification to ensure broader smart home interoperability.
Practicality Over Gimmicks
The industry trend appears to be shifting away from novelty features, such as robots with legs or arms, toward practical improvements like enhanced sealing. This approach mirrors efforts by upright vacuum manufacturers over the past decades. Whether iRobot’s implementation of SealForce successfully solves the persistent issue of poor carpet suction remains to be seen, but the technical specifications suggest a serious commitment to core cleaning performance.
(Source: The Verge)
