iRobot's Big Splash: New Vacuums with a Twist!

iRobot, the company that pioneered robot vacuums, has just unveiled eight new models. These aren't your typical Roombas. They've got a fresh look and some serious tech upgrades. The standout feature? Lidar navigation and mapping, a technology that's been around for a while but is new to Roombas. This means faster mapping and more features, like room-specific cleaning and virtual zones. The new lineup starts at $299 and goes up to $999. There's something for everyone, from budget-friendly options to high-end models. The entry-level 105 series offers vacuum and vacuum mop options, while the 205 series introduces an onboard dust compactor. The higher-end 405 and 505 models bring dual spinning mopping pads to the iRobot family for the first time. These new models come in sleek black and white designs and will be available for preorder on March 18th. The Roomba 505 is iRobot’s first robot vacuum with lidar and dual spinning mopping pads. It's the fanciest model in the new line, priced at $999. It can extend its mop outward to clean along edges and lift its mops to avoid low-pile carpets. The 505 also comes with a new multifunction dock that washes and dries the mop pads, refills the mop tank, and empties the bin. It also adds heated drying, something the Combo 10 Max, iRobot’s top-of-the-line robot vacuum / mop that launched last summer, doesn’t have. The budget lineup also got a boost. The new Roomba 105 and 205 series have the same lidar-based mapping, 7, 000Pa suction, virtual keep-out zones, automatic carpet detection and avoidance, and object sensing and avoidance capabilities as the 405. Both new models come in a vacuum-only or a combo option that adds a removable flat microfiber mopping pad. The 105 works with an auto-empty dock, but the 205 uses the new dust compactor technology. This technology can last two months before emptying, compared to 75 days on the auto-empty dock. You don’t need to find space for an auto-empty dock, which means you can stick your robot under a couch or bed, and there isn’t a loud emptying noise or a need to buy bin bags. The new models feature 7, 000Pa and four suction levels. While this is significantly lower than the competition, it's important to note that suction power isn't everything. Roborock’s newest model, the Saros 10, has 22, 000Pa but costs $1, 600. The new Roombas also have a new look that uses a geometric grid design. This redesign is a response to increasing competition from Chinese manufacturers. The Roombas have been redesigned from the ground up to accommodate the shift from camera-based vSLAM navigation to lidar. The main benefit of lidar is smarter mapping for the lower-priced Roombas, including room-specific cleaning and the ability to create clean zones and keep-out zones in the app. For the higher-end models, it should mean faster mapping and more agile navigation. Also new is an ultrasonic carpet detection sensor on all Roombas, so the robots can intelligently avoid carpets when mopping. The mopping models now all have three levels of water flow and iRobot’s unique SmartScrub option.