Roomba Combo 10 Max
2 independent reviewsRead the findings →iRobot's former flagship vacuum and mop, whose mop flips onto its back so carpets stay dry. It vacuums hard floors well. Its mapping is slow, the app is buggy and the dock proved unreliable.
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Where it sits in iRobot’s range
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What reviewers found
One home test and one lab-style test. TechRadar used it at home with a Labrador and scored it 3 out of 5, and Vacuum Wars ran its standard tests. Both liked the hard-floor vacuuming, and both found mapping slow, the app buggy and the dock disappointing. Pet hair splits them: Vacuum Wars recorded a perfect pet-hair score, while TechRadar found it left clumps of dog hair on carpet. Mopping was average in both.
TechRadar, hands-on, Dec 2024 · Vacuum Wars, lab test
Hard floors
Reviewers rate it highlyBoth tests liked it on hard floors. TechRadar saw it clear oats and crumbs from a wooden kitchen floor in one pass, and Vacuum Wars found it picked up nearly all debris types and sizes.
Carpet and rugs
Mixed resultsVacuum Wars found carpet deep cleaning a real strength in its studio. At home with a Labrador, TechRadar found it struggled on carpet, leaving hair behind and wondering whether it lacks suction.
Pet hair
Mixed resultsThe results clash. Vacuum Wars recorded a perfect score in its embedded pet-hair test, but TechRadar found it bundled real Labrador hair into strands on carpet and left them, with a Roborock collecting more from the same patch afterwards.
Mopping
Mixed resultsMerely adequate. TechRadar found the dragged pad decent for light jobs, and the pad lifts fully clear of carpets, but Vacuum Wars found the mopping falls behind rivals with spinning or vibrating pads.
Navigation and obstacles
Reviewers found problemsMapping is the weak spot. TechRadar took about 30 minutes to map a floor laser robots do in eight, and Vacuum Wars found it slow and easily confused if moved. Vacuum Wars rated obstacle avoidance above average, though TechRadar saw it miss a shoelace.
Dock and upkeep
Reviewers found problemsBoth testers were let down by the dock. TechRadar found it repeatedly failed to empty oats, grit and pet hair from the bin and left the pad soaking, and Vacuum Wars found it messy and poor at wringing out the pad.
App and software
Reviewers found problemsTechRadar and Vacuum Wars both found the app buggy and limited compared with rivals.
Noise
Reviewers found problemsTechRadar measured about 83dB while the dock emptied and found the robot's high-pitched whine annoying, and Vacuum Wars also found the dock louder than average.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use has run it long-term or judged iRobot's support. iRobot says the app and warranties continue after its takeover, but no tester has checked that.
Value
Not enough evidenceOnly TechRadar judged value, finding it too expensive for what it offers even after price cuts, with most rivals well ahead.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
Hard floors yes, carpet hair maybe
Both tests liked it on hard floors, and TechRadar saw it clear oats and crumbs from a wooden kitchen floor in one pass. On carpet they split. Vacuum Wars found excellent debris pickup, a strong deep-clean result and a perfect pet-hair score. TechRadar found it bundled Labrador hair into strands and left them, and a Roborock Qrevo Curv then collected more hair from the same patch. Real, long-shed dog hair may be harder going than a test sample.
The dock is the weak point
TechRadar measured the dock at around 83dB when emptying and found it repeatedly failed to pull oats, grit and pet hair out of the robot's bin. The pad came back soaking wet, and water pooled on top of the robot. Vacuum Wars also called the dock messy, louder than average and poor at wringing out the pad. Expect to check the bin and wipe the robot down more than you would with most docks.
Slow to map, easily confused
TechRadar timed about 30 minutes to map an open-plan floor a laser robot would do in eight, and the first map missed most of the kitchen until a full reset. Vacuum Wars found mapping took four times longer than most robots, and it got confused if moved mid-clean. Check the map is complete before setting up routines, because neither test shows that repeat runs fix the mapping faults.
Flip-up mop: clever, ordinary results
On carpet the pad lifts right onto the robot's back, so rugs stay dry, per iRobot. TechRadar found the mopping decent for light jobs and liked the extra passes it made on a stain, but it's a dragged flat pad rather than spinning mops. Vacuum Wars scored it slightly below average. It's fine for a quick wipe of a kitchen floor, not for dried-on spills.
Avoids some things, misses others
Vacuum Wars rated obstacle avoidance above average, though not perfect. TechRadar saw it avoid a sock and a phone cable but miss a shoelace and ride over a dog chew, and two cluttered runs were cut short. It also bumps walls and furniture as it goes, which scuffed the body. iRobot says it avoids pet waste, but TechRadar wouldn't rely on that, and neither would we.
Our take
Should you buy the Roomba Combo 10 Max?
Best for: Homes wanting to mop hard floors while keeping rugs dry. Skip it if: Pet hair embedded in carpet is your main cleaning problem.
The Combo 10 Max is a niche option if its fully retracted mop is your priority and you accept slow mapping, a buggy app and unreliable dock emptying in both tests. Hard-floor vacuuming was encouraging; carpet hair results conflicted. The Qrevo Curv did better on hair in TechRadar's direct comparison, but its wider carpet evidence is mixed. The S2 also has mixed mopping results, so choose on the job you most need done.
The Combo 10 Max was the top of iRobot's range when it launched in 2024. It steers by camera rather than a spinning laser, which keeps it low enough to get under some sofas, and its mop pad lifts right onto the top of the robot when it reaches carpet. The dock empties the bin and washes and dries the pad.
TechRadar and Vacuum Wars both liked it on hard floors, with TechRadar watching it clear oats and crumbs from a wooden kitchen floor in one pass. On pet hair they clash. Vacuum Wars recorded a perfect score in its lab, while TechRadar found it bundled Labrador hair into strands on carpet and left them. Both found mapping slow, the app buggy and the dock disappointing. TechRadar's dock repeatedly failed to empty the bin and sent the pad back soaking, and Vacuum Wars found it messy and poor at wringing the pad out. TechRadar also judged it too expensive even after price cuts. iRobot went through bankruptcy and a takeover in late 2025, and says the app and warranties carry on.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Can it keep the mop off my carpets?
Yes, better than most. The pad lifts onto the top of the robot when it reaches carpet, per the specifications. TechRadar noted the downside: water from the washed pad splashes across the robot's back. That keeps the mop further from carpet than a small pad lift does, but it doesn't change its mixed carpet-hair results.
Will it avoid cables and pet mess?
Partly. TechRadar saw it avoid a sock and a phone cable but miss a shoelace, and Vacuum Wars rated it above average but imperfect. iRobot claims pet-waste avoidance, per the specifications, but TechRadar advises against trusting any robot with an untrained puppy.
How big is the dock, and is it loud?
It's 15.8 x 20.1 x 17.6 inches, per the specifications, and one of the better-looking docks. It's loud, though. TechRadar measured about 83dB while emptying and found the robot's high-pitched whine annoying, averaging 62dB. Vacuum Wars also found the dock louder than average.
Does it fit under low furniture?
Often. It's 3.4 inches tall with no laser turret on top, per the specifications, and TechRadar found it could get under low furniture and push through sofa and bed valances that stop turret robots. Measure the gap first all the same.
Will the app keep working after iRobot's bankruptcy?
iRobot says so. After the takeover by its manufacturer Picea, the chief executive told TechRadar the app would keep working, warranties would be honoured and firmware updates would continue. The app itself is the weaker part: TechRadar and Vacuum Wars both found it buggy and limited.
Alternatives
Other robot vacuums to compare.
Qrevo Curv
Why consider it: Reviewers agree it's especially good on hard floors, with strong edge cleaning and mopping.
The compromise: They split on carpets and rugs, and it still misses too many small objects.
Omni S2
Why consider it: Cleans carpet well and dodges obstacles superbly.
The compromise: Its mopping results are divided, and one long-term reviewer's unit had to be replaced.
L40 Ultra
Why consider it: Extending side brush and mop, and an automated dock that washes the mops in hot water.
The compromise: A lab test found much weaker pickup than one home tester, and the brush supplied varies between offers.
Roomba Combo 10 Max head to head
Head to head
Roborock Qrevo Curv vs Roomba Combo 10 Max
Our verdict: In TechRadar's test the Qrevo Curv picked up more hair from carpet after the Roomba had cleaned it, and reviewers liked its hard-floor edges and mopping. It's worth a look for those jobs, though its wider carpet results are mixed. The Roomba's stand-out is a mop that retracts onto its back, but both its tests reported dock and mapping problems.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
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Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
Sources
Videos
- Search YouTube for iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.