iRobot Unveils Eight Smaller, Smarter Roombas After Bankruptcy
▼ Summary
– iRobot emerged from bankruptcy under new ownership by Shenzhen PICEA Robotics and announced eight new Roomba models.
– The US company invented robot vacuums 23 years ago but filed for bankruptcy due to competition from cheaper rivals.
– New models feature higher suction power, smaller sizes (up to 25 percent smaller), more roller mops, and hot spot mopping.
– UK prices start at £229 for the base Roomba 115 and go up to £799 for the flagship Roomba 775, with US pricing not yet confirmed.
– The flagship Max 775 has 30,000 Pa suction, pressurized hot spray, and a dock that empties, washes, and dries the mop.
Just months after filing for bankruptcy, iRobot has emerged under new ownership and launched eight new Roomba models , signaling a major reboot for the company that pioneered the robot vacuum category 23 years ago.
The U. S.-based inventor of the now-ubiquitous robot vacuum cleaner struggled to compete against a flood of cheaper rivals and entered voluntary bankruptcy late last year. As previously announced, iRobot was acquired by its primary Chinese manufacturer, Shenzhen PICEA Robotics. That transition is now complete, and the newly restructured company has unveiled a full lineup of updated machines.
According to iRobot’s new leadership, the latest Roombas combine improved performance with a more compact footprint. While U. S. pricing has not been finalized, The Verge obtained UK prices that suggest the base model will start at roughly the same price as before, while the flagship model may carry a slightly higher tag.
Key upgrades include higher suction power, a smaller overall size designed for better navigation, more models featuring roller mops, and a new hot spot mopping capability. The company states that “many” models in the lineup are up to 25 percent smaller than their predecessors. Pricing begins at £229 (about $309) for the base Roomba 115 Combo and reaches £799 ($1,080) for the flagship Roomba 775. For comparison, the previous generation started at £249 and topped out at £999 , with U. S. prices ranging from $299 to $999.
The top-tier Max 775 Combo nearly doubles the suction power of the 705 model, jumping from 16,000 Pa to an impressive 30,000 Pa. It also introduces pressurized hot spray pretreatment alongside the new hotspot mopping function. Like earlier high-end models, it relies on a combination of LiDAR and AI-powered camera systems, and its dock automatically empties the robot’s bin, washes the mop with hot water, and dries it with hot air.
At the entry level, the Roomba 115 Combo vacuum and mop appears to offer strong value. It doubles suction to 15,000 Pa and supports an optional auto-empty dock for an additional £70 ($95).
(Source: 9to5Mac)
