iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max+ review: Convenience with compromises

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Back when iRobot released its Roomba Combo J7+, it introduced a retractable mopping arm that’s become a staple of its 2-in-1 robot vacuums. By automatically retracting to its resting position on top of the Roomba when the robot detects carpet, the arm solves a fairly common problem: the potential spread of water and bacteria from hard floors to carpeting.

Notably, though, the company did not include a pad-washing feature in the Clean Base of the J7+ or its successors. At the time, iRobot reps told me they wanted to avoid the kind or odors and other “ick” factors that frequently afflict self-cleaning docks, as well as the extra cleaning the water tanks typically demand. So Roomba Combo users simply had to simply toss their dirty mop pads in the laundry after each job.

The company seems to have rethought that idea. Its Roomba Combo 10 Max+ robot and its AutoWash dock can automatically clean its own mop pad, the first in the Combo line to do so. While this introduces valuable convenience, the vacuum’s core cleaning performance doesn’t quite surpass previous models, making its $1,399.99 price harder to justify.

Design and features

The Roomba Combo 10 Max robot + AutoWash dock (we’ll just call it the Combo 10 Max+ moving forward) got a modest cosmetic update in addition to its other improvements. While older models of the Roomba sported bronze and silver accents on their black exteriors, here it features an all-black finish, giving it a sleeker but simpler look.

The robot is slim enough to slide under most furniture, measuring 13.3 inches in diameter and just 3.4 inches tall. On the front of the robot is a camera equipped with a headlight, surrounded by a bumper for collision detection. The back houses a removable compartment that combines the dustbin and water reservoir into one convenient unit.

This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robot vacuums.

The new model also introduces enhancements to its cleaning technology. Its updated Dirt Detect feature activates eight times more often than on the j9+, ensuring dirtier areas get extra attention. iRobot has also added the option for mop-only cleaning runs, in addition to the vacuum-only and combined vacuum-and-mop modes already available. Navigation has been upgraded as well, allowing the robot to map a home up to seven times faster than its predecessor, according to iRobot.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Beyond these upgrades, the Combo 10 Max+ retains several hallmark features from earlier models. Its Dirt Detective system (separate from Dirt Detect) enables it to identify rooms that require deeper cleaning and prioritize them accordingly. The robot is also equipped with obstacle-avoidance capabilities to steer clear of items like toys or pet waste. For pet owners, the Combo 10 Max + includes the Pet Owners Official Promise that has been in place since the Combo j7+ model: If the robot smears pet waste within the first year of ownership, iRobot will replace it at no cost.

The Auto-Wash Dock measures 17.6 x 20.1 x 15.8 inches (HxWxD). It moves away from the wood-accented design of the Combo j9+ and returns to the all-black look seen in the Combo j7+ series. It keeps the beveled exterior and front-opening door from the previous generation, allowing you to place items on top without having to move them to access the dock’s interior.

Indicator lights on the top of the dock provide helpful status updates. They signal when the robot is charging and when it’s time to replace the dust bag, refill the clean water tank, or empty the dirty water bin.

Opening the dock’s front door with the brown leather pull tab reveals a 3-liter clean-water reservoir alongside a 2.5-liter dirty-water bin. For comparison, the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni offers slightly larger capacities with 4 liters of clean water and 3.5 liters of dirty water.

Below the water tanks is a compartment for the dust bag, which can hold up to 60 days’ worth of debris under normal use. The dock comes with one spare dust bag, and additional three-packs are available for $19.99 each.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

But the biggest change to the dock is the new auto-wash feature, which cleans and dries the Combo 10 Max+’s mop pad using cool water and forced air, while also scrubbing and squeegeeing its internal components.

Setup

The Roomba Combo 10 Max+ Auto-Wash Dock package includes everything you need to get started: the robot itself with a mop pad already attached, an extra mop pad, the base station with preinstalled water tanks and a dust bag, an additional dust bag, a spare filter, the side brush, the ramp for the base station, the rubber mop-washing brush and drainage enclosure for the base, instruction manuals, and the power cord.

Setting up the device requires a few more steps than the previous generation, mainly because you need to install the mop-washing brush and drainage enclosure in the base station. Fortunately, the process is straightforward and quick.

Once docked, the robot emits an audible tone to signal it’s powered on, and the indicator light begins spinning. From here, you’ll need to set it up in the iRobot app. If you don’t already have an account, you’ll need to create one before adding the device. The app should detect the robot automatically after a few moments. Next, you’ll enter your Wi-Fi details and press the button on the robot to finalize the connection.

Room mapping

The app then prompts you to name your robot and guides you through its features, eventually leading to a mapping run during which it scans the layout of your home without cleaning. Because I’ve used several Roombas before, I already had a map saved; it loaded as soon as I logged into the app.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

After the Combo 10 Max+ completes mapping your home, you can unlock a range of convenient features in the iRobot app. The app attempts to automatically label rooms and define boundaries on the map. If you need to, you can adjust dividers and rename areas manually.

You can also customize the map with keep-out zones, no-mop zones, or clean zones. Clean zones allow you to direct the robot to focus extra attention on specific areas. A helpful feature carried over from the Roomba j7+ series is the ability to review pictures of obstacles the robot encountered during cleaning. The app will ask whether these obstacles are temporary or if you’d like to create a keep-out zone in that area, so there’s no pressure to perfect the map during the initial setup—the Combo 10 Max+ is smart enough to adapt as it learns your home. I didn’t need to set any no-mop zones, as the robot accurately distinguished between hard and carpeted floors during mapping and avoided wetting rugs altogether.

The app’s main page provides easy access to the map, allowing you to adjust later if needed. It also displays the robot’s status, such as “ready to vacuum and mop,” along with visual indicators for the battery level and the liquid levels in the robot, as well as the clean and dirty water tanks in the base.

The app also lets you start or schedule cleanings, review the robot’s cleaning history, and adjust settings. You can customize each cleaning job by choosing the mode (vacuum, mop, or both), suction power, water usage, and the number of passes, with an option to enable Smart Scrub for tackling sticky messes. For added convenience, you can save favorite cleaning configurations to quickly apply them later.

For voice control, the Combo 10 Max+ offers integrations for Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, allowing you to start or stop cleaning with simple commands.

Performance

I used the Combo 10 Max+ for daily maintenance in my home to evaluate its performance. It typically performed smoothly, completeing its cleaning tasks without getting stuck. Like other high-end models, the Combo 10 Max+ learns its environment over time, improving navigation with each pass. In obstacle avoidance tests, it recognized and avoided common small objects, such as pet food dishes and shoes. Occasionally, it ran over or nudged some item objects like a cloth cat toy, but its avoidance was better than most competitors.

On carpets, the Combo 10 Max+ performed well in our pickup tests, collecting about 95 percent of the half-cup of rice I spread on my area rug. It struggled on hardwood, picking up only about 75 percent of a similar amount of rice, often scattering some out of its path. It handles pet hair exceptionally well, though, clearing fur from my three cats without leaving any clumps or getting tangled.

Mopping performance was good but not flawless. The robot easily removed surface dirt and restored some gleam to the floors. But in our jelly test, the Combo 10 Max+ spent significant time scrubbing the teaspoon of jam I spread on the floor, and while it successfully removed the visible gunk, it left the floor noticeably sticky.

The mop-cleaning process is efficient, though drying takes hours, and while the dustbin-emptying mechanism is quick, it sometimes left behind heavier debris like cat litter.

Specifications

• Robot dimensions: 13.3 x 3.4 inches (WxH)
• Base dimensions: 17.6 x 20.1 x 15.8 inches (HxWxD) 
• Clean water tank capacity: 3 liters 
• Dirty water tank capacity: 2.5 liters 
• Cleaning modes: Vacuum only, mop only, vacuum and mop simultaneously
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi 
• Smart home integrations: Alexa and Google Assistant 

Should you buy the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max + AutoWash dock?

The new Auto-Wash sock is a valuable addition to iRobot’s hybrid robot cleaner lineup. It reduces the amount of upkeep required, though it doesn’t perform as effectively as the comparable systems on products by Roborock and Ecovacs. And like earlier iRobot models, the Combo 10 Max+ excels at obstacle avoidance, and its retractable mop reliably keeps carpets dry.

However, the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max + AutoWash dock’s vacuuming and mopping capabilities lagged behind previous Roomba Combos I’ve tested, which is disappointing given its premium price. You can save yourself a chunk of change by opting for the Roomba Combo j9+, which remains our pick for best robot vacuum/mop combo.