When it comes to robot vacuums, iRobot’s Roomba essentially created the market. However, a slew of new competitors has emerged over the years, bringing high-tech features and competitive pricing to the space.
One of the fiercest competitors is Roborock, a Chinese company that has quickly become a fan favorite for its advanced mapping technology and versatile cleaning docks.
If you are trying to decide between these two heavyweight brands for your next robot vacuum and mop combo, here is a complete breakdown of how they compare in design, cleaning power, obstacle avoidance, and price.
1. Design and Carpet Handling
Both brands offer vacuum/mop combos, but they handle carpets very differently.
- Roomba’s Approach: Models like the Roomba Combo J7 Plus feature a fully motorized mopping pad. When the robot detects carpet, it physically lifts the wet pad all the way up and over the top of the robot, ensuring your rugs stay completely dry.
- Roborock’s Approach: The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra simply lifts its mopping pad up by 4 millimeters when it detects carpet. While this is fine for very low-pile rugs, CNET testers found that it often left plush, mid-pile carpets noticeably damp. (Note: The newer Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra lifts the pad up to 20mm, significantly improving this issue).
- Winner: Roomba. Their retractable mop design is far superior for homes with medium-to-high pile carpets.
2. Obstacle Avoidance and Navigation
Nobody wants their robot vacuum running over a stray charging cable or a pet mess.
- To test navigation, reviewers set up a dark room with obstacles and attached glow sticks to the vacuums to track their paths via long-exposure photography.
- Roborock, which utilizes both an RGB camera and LiDAR technology, consistently mapped out and cleaned every single inch of the test floor while flawlessly avoiding obstacles. Roomba, while good, missed a few spots during the same test.
- Winner: Roborock. Their LiDAR mapping technology is incredibly precise.
3. Suction Power and Cleaning Ability
A robot vacuum is only as good as the dirt it picks up. Reviewers tested both brands by scattering sand and black rice across hardwood floors and carpets.
- Roomba: The Combo J7 Plus picked up an impressive average of 95% of the rice and 74% of the sand across all floor types.
- Roborock: The newer S8 MaxV Ultra picked up an average of 89% of the rice and 67% of the sand.
- Winner: Roomba. iRobot consistently demonstrates superior raw suction and pickup power, especially with difficult debris like sand.
4. Self-Sufficiency and Features
Both brands feature self-emptying dustbins, but how much human intervention is required for the mopping feature?
- Roomba: While the Combo J7 Plus is a fantastic cleaner, you generally have to refill the water tank manually.
- Roborock: This is where Roborock shines. Their “Ultra” docks feature dual water tanks. The dock automatically refills the robot’s clean water tank and extracts the dirty water after a mop session. Newer models even wash the mop pad with hot water and dry it with hot air to prevent mildew.
- Winner: Roborock. If you want a truly “hands-off” mopping experience, Roborock’s docks are unmatched.
5. Price and Value
Both brands offer premium, expensive models, but their baseline combo units fluctuate heavily in price.
- Currently, you can often find the Roomba Combo J7 Plus on sale for around $600.
- The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra typically hovers between $640 and $1,000 depending on sales and color availability.
- Winner: Tie. The best value entirely depends on which brand is currently running a major sale.
The Final Verdict: Which Should You Choose?
Buy a Roomba if: You want the best possible raw vacuuming power, you have medium-to-high pile carpets that you want to keep completely dry, and you prefer a trusted brand that frequently goes on sale for less than its competitors.
Buy a Roborock if: Your home is mostly hardwood or tile, you value incredibly precise LiDAR mapping and obstacle avoidance, and you are willing to pay a premium for a self-cleaning, self-refilling dock that requires almost zero human intervention.