We evaluated the iRobot Roomba 694 (now discontinued), the iRobot Roomba i4 EVO (and i4+ EVO, with a self-emptying dock, also now discontinued), and the iRobot Roomba j9+. We also tested two of iRobot’s vacuum-mop hybrids: the iRobot Roomba Combo i5+, and the iRobot Roomba Plus 405 Combo, which is one of the eight new robot vacuums and mop-vacuum combos that Roomba launched in March 2025 as part of a reorganization of its offerings.
Each iRobot vacuum presented its own set of challenges and caveats.
Roomba 694: Previously one of our budget picks, the 694 was outperformed by our new budget pick, the Eufy RoboVac 11S Max. The Roomba 694 collected only between a third to a half of the debris that the 11S Max managed to pick up, and its dustbin is considerably smaller than that of the 11S Max.
Roomba i4/i4+ EVO: The Roomba i4 EVO and i4+ EVO (with a self-emptying dock) were former top picks in this guide. Though iRobot has discontinued the i4 EVO and i4+ EVO, they’re still available on Amazon and at some other retailers.
Under the right circumstances, the i4 is a great, relatively inexpensive cleaner. But the first i4 EVO unit we tried in this testing cycle fell short in its app functionality, especially when compared to the less expensive Roborock Q5 Max+, which maps significantly faster and whose app offers more features. Both the i4 EVO and i4+ EVO initially struggled to connect to Wi-Fi, with the app crashing occasionally, and it took them more than three times as long to map than the Roborock Q5. Furthermore, the i4 repeatedly failed to save the map it had created.
Company representatives told us that they were not aware this was a common problem. But our analysis of Amazon reviews using FindOurView indicated that up to a third of reviewers complained of mapping issues, including the amount of time it takes to map, unsaved maps, and inaccurate mapping.
The i4+ EVO’s self-emptying dock also failed to remove all the debris it had collected in its bin, leaving behind Cheerios and rice.
Roomba j9+: The j9+ cleaned well, but like the i4+ EVO, its self-emptying dock didn’t consistently remove all the debris from the bot’s bin. Our contact at iRobot attributed this to the Cheerios in our tests, but we noticed similar issues with other, smaller debris, such as rice. The j9+ also frequently bumped into furniture and pushed over a large cup, one of the obstacles we had put in its path.
Roomba Combo i5+: One of iRobot’s newest models, the Combo i5+ comes with two separate, exchangeable bins, one for mopping and one for vacuuming.
We faced multiple problems during testing. Initial Wi-Fi connectivity issues were followed by app crashes, and as with the i4 EVO and i4+EVO, the mapping process seemed endless, and its supposedly self-emptying dock consistently failed to fully empty the debris bin.
A major issue occurred when the app didn’t automatically offer a mopping mode, which requires the scanning of a separate, easy-to-miss QR code, leading the dock to inadvertently suck dirty water into its vacuum bag. We reached out to customer service, which couldn’t solve and therefore escalated the issue. But resolution was slow and came only after we contacted iRobot’s PR team. (iRobot says it has since resolved the issue, and no separate QR code is needed anymore.) Apparently, we weren’t the only ones with this problem.
Complaints about iRobot’s customer service are rampant, reflecting a broader issue with its app and product support.
Though eventually operational, the i5+ mopped ineffectively, leaving behind stains that could easily be removed with a regular mop. The bot also repeatedly returned to its dock before it had finished cleaning, and its slanted tray leaked water onto the floor overnight.
Roomba Plus 405 Combo: The Plus 405 Combo, which, like the Combo i5+, is a robot vacuum that also mops, is fine. This robot has almost nothing in common with older Roomba bots, for better or for worse, and it’s not even a particularly noteworthy clone of the popular bots that it copies. The Plus 405 Combo’s speedy and accurate navigation is a huge improvement over the classic Roomba’s clunky, easily confused navigation, but that’s table stakes for any decent robot these days. This Roomba’s interface is rough around the edges in a few annoying ways (it has an unclear app setup and unthorough mapping), it’s a below-average vacuum and mop, and it doesn’t appear to be as easily repairable as the models found in the classic Roomba lineup.
