iRobot just launched a new ‘flagship’ Roomba, but it’s less impressive than its existing models – and I’m confused | usagoldmines.com

• iRobot launches new flagship Roomba Max 705 Vac with AutoEmpty Dock
• It has slightly more suction than other Roombas but is otherwise much simpler
• It costs $899.99 / £699 and is available for preorder now

iRobot has unveiled a brand new flagship robot vacuum – the Roomba Max 705 Vac, alongside AutoEmpty dock. And while it looks like a very capable robovac, I can’t help but feel rather underwhelmed, and a little confused, too.

It looks like the only area where this robovac improves on the rest of the range is that it has a higher maximum suction level. That’s great – cleaning power is pretty key if your robovac is going to be useful, after all – but it’s not the most exciting attribute for a flagship model.

What’s more, there are several ways where the Max 705 Vac is lacking compared to the other Roombas. It’s the only model not to offer mopping capabilities alongside the vacuuming, which also means the dock is significantly more basic than the AutoWash one that comes with the 405 and 505 models.

I’m not averse to a vacuum-only robot, and I don’t believe in complicating for the sake of complicating, but it is confusing to have a flagship model with a feature list that’s so much shorter than the models beneath it.

The reason I know it’s a flagship model is because it has ‘Max’ in the name. The naming scheme for iRobot goes Roomba (good), Roomba Plus (better), Roomba Max (best).

To be fair, the pricing does reflect this relative simplicity. The Max 705 Vac costs $899.99 / £699, compared to $999.99 / £699 for the Roomba Plus 505 beneath it. That’s significantly more affordable than most robovacs’ top-of-the-range models – many of today’s very best robot vacuums have list prices well into four figures.

Elsewhere, you’re getting the brand’s most advanced LiDAR navigation (‘ClearView Pro’) and object detection technology (‘PrecisionVision AI’), two rubber rollers to effectively pull up hair and whisk it into the bin, an auto-empty dock capable of holding up to 75 days’ worth of dust and dirt, and a slick design that includes textured sections to blend more seamlessly in with your home decor. All great features, but none unique to the Max 705 Vac.

It will automatically boost suction when it senses it’s on carpet, which might be a unique feature, although the Plus 505 can “intelligently adapt for deep cleaning’ which sounds like it could be the same thing.

This sucks

Aside from feeling underwhelmed by the new launch, I’m also frustrated to see that iRobot appears to have gone back on its plans to publish suction specs for its robovac line. Instead, it’s insists on conveying its bots’ cleaning powers comparative to the 600 Series. Not only does that make comparison with other brands’ models impossible, but it’s also not exactly a modern benchmark given the 600 launched over a decade ago.

Based on iRobot’s specs, the 705 Vac offers “180x more power-lifting suction” than the ancient 600 Series, while the rest of the range merely offers 70x more. But without a figure in Pascals, I can’t compare that to what other brands are offering with their robovacs.

A late addition

The Roomba Max 705 Vac is an unexpected straggler following a major iRobot reboot last month. In mid-March, the brand scrapped almost its entire fleet of robovacs and replaced them with new models. The new Roomba features included overdue upgrades like the introduction of LiDAR for navigation, alongside more innovative features like a bot that squishes the dirt in its onboard bin so you don’t have to make room for a bulky auto-empty dock.

The only model to survive the cull was the Roomba Max 10 Combo, which at that point was still rather new. I pointed out at the time that this was a shame, because that model hadn’t been massively well received, and looked rather dated compared to its new stablemates.

It looks like the Max 705 vac is replacing that model. It seems like it’ll be a better robovac, with basic features in line with the rest of the range, even if there’s nothing especially new. The 705 is also less than half the price of the Max 10.

I’d assume that a Combo model is in the works and will be joining the range at some point, although that’s purely speculation.

The Roomba Max 705 Vac Robot + AutoEmpty Dock is available for pre-order now, with the official launch due on 11 May 2025. Direct from iRobot it costs $899.99 / £699.

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