TL;DR: iRobot announced the $1,199 Roomba Max 875 Combo with SealForce carpet-sealing vacuuming, 35,000 Pa suction and heated-mist mopping, available now at irobot.com.

iRobot launches new flagship ahead of IFA

iRobot has announced a new flagship robot vacuum that it will showcase at IFA in Berlin this week, according to The Verge. The appearance marks the company's first big tech trade show in years. The company will be exhibiting under its new owner, Picea Robotics. Picea Robotics is the contract manufacturer that purchased the once-troubled American robotics company out of bankruptcy in January, according to The Verge.

The announcement pairs the top-of-the-line machine with a midrange companion. The $1,199 Roomba Max 875 Combo is the company's newest top-of-the-line robot vacuum and mop. It debuts alongside the $899 Roomba Plus 678 Combo. Both models are available now at irobot.com, according to The Verge.

The launch was also described as an IFA 2026 introduction of the Roomba Max 875 Combo Robot + AutoWash Dock, according to T3. T3 called the machine the most advanced robot vacuum and mop to date from the brand. The new flagship focuses on deeper carpet cleaning, tougher stain removal and keeping carpets dry whilst mopping, according to T3. The dock-centered package is listed at £1,099/$1,199 and available from today through iRobot's online store, according to T3.

SealForce lowers a skirt to seal against carpet

The key vacuuming improvement is a new sealing system iRobot is calling SealForce. iRobot chief engineer Adam Pope said the approach takes vacuuming to a level beyond what was previously possible, according to The Verge. The system works by lowering a sort of skirt around the cleaning head when it detects carpet. That lowered edge enables a better seal that directs airflow deeper into the carpet, according to The Verge.

T3 described the same action as a skirt lowered around the chassis to create a tighter seal against carpet fibres and concentrate cleaning power where needed, according to T3. The emphasis is on how effectively power reaches the floor rather than on suction figures alone. T3 noted that many rival robot vacuum cleaners are chasing ever-higher suction figures, while iRobot is focusing on delivery of that power at the floor.

Paired with the seal is a new vane-type blower motor. Pope says the motor moves 20 L/s, or liters of air per second, according to The Verge. SealForce helps the Roomba 875 deliver three times deeper carpet cleaning than without the feature, according to The Verge. The three-times claim frames the benefit as added depth from sealing plus airflow, not from suction alone.

35,000 Pa and a switch to one rubber brush

The 875 offers 35,000 Pa suction power, according to The Verge. That figure is the highest suction number iRobot has ever published. For years, the company refused to publish detailed suction-power specs, according to The Verge. T3 likewise listed 35,000 Pa alongside SealForce Vacuuming Technology for the Roomba Max 875 Combo Robot + AutoWash Dock.

The cleaning-head layout changes to support the seal. The machine uses a single rubber brush rather than the company's signature dual rollers, according to The Verge. Pope says the single-brush choice is to accommodate that better seal against the carpet, according to The Verge. The Verge noted that the dual rollers were a favorite for pet hair on carpet.

The 875 also adds a new hair-cutting anti-tangle brush, according to The Verge. The machine has a roller mop that can extend to the side to clean edges, according to The Verge. It also includes an anti-tangle side brush, according to The Verge. Together with ThermaMist and SealForce, those additions show iRobot moving closer to its competition than with its last relaunch, according to The Verge.

Navigation, size and threshold climbing

Navigation combines lidar and camera-based vision to navigate and detect obstacles, according to The Verge. T3 identified the systems as LiDAR and PrecisionVision AI for navigation and obstacle avoidance. The robot has a slimmer footprint than the Roomba 775, according to The Verge.

The machine can climb thresholds up to 3.5 cm high, according to The Verge. That capability matters for homes with room dividers and raised transitions between hard floors and rugs. The slimmer body is intended to help access around furniture while retaining the larger roller mop and sealing hardware.

SealForce is new to iRobot but not to robot vacuums, according to The Verge. Narwal and Dreame have variations on this approach on their latest flagships, the Narwal Flow 2 and Dreame X60 Max Ultra, according to The Verge. The Verge described the sealing approach as novel in the space and noted that several manufacturers are adopting sealing technology that upright vacuum makers have tried to perfect for decades.

ThermaMist, roller mop and carpet protection

The 875 Combo is also a mopping robot with a self-cleaning roller mopping system, according to The Verge. That system adds more downward pressure than the 775, according to The Verge. A new heated mist feature called ThermaMist sprays ahead of the mop to pretreat stains, according to The Verge.

T3 said ThermaMist Technology sprays heated mist to loosen dried-on stains before scrubbing, according to T3. The scrubbing unit is the PowerSpin Max Roller Mop, which scrubs at 300 rpm, according to T3. The combination is aimed at dried-on messes that need softening before mechanical scrubbing.

The mop includes a retractable mop cover that extends during vacuuming to keep carpets dry, according to The Verge. The cover can also extend to get along edges, according to The Verge. PerfectEdge technology extends the mop towards walls, according to T3. The retractable barrier and edge extension address two separate tasks: protecting textiles and reaching wall lines.

The robot comes with an auto-empty and wash dock that automatically washes the mop with hot water and dries it with hot air, according to The Verge. T3 reported that the AutoWash Dock washes the mop with 80°C water, dries it with heated air, dispenses cleaning solution and empties the dustbin, according to T3. iRobot also claims the dock setup can provide up to 90 days of hands-free maintenance, according to T3.

A $899 companion with SprayForce instead of mist

The company is releasing a midrange version of the 875, the Roomba Plus 678 Combo, according to The Verge. This model also has a roller mop and the new SealForce tech, according to The Verge. It drops to 30,000 Pa suction power and 18 L/s of airflow, according to The Verge. There is no ThermaMist or mop cover on the 678, according to The Verge.

Instead, the 678 has its own treatment system called SprayForce, according to The Verge. SprayForce sprays cleaning fluid on stains to presoak them, then comes back later, according to The Verge. The 678 lifts its mop 10 mm when it detects carpet, according to The Verge.

Both new models work with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Siri Shortcuts, according to The Verge. Both are currently going through Matter certification, according to Pope and The Verge. The Verge added that a robot vacuum with better vacuuming is less flashy but more practical than machines that add legs and arms, and said it will be interesting to see if the Roomba version solves the carpet-cleaning problem.

Why sealing matters more than suction alone

The pitch is that airflow control can drive out more dirt than suction alone. iRobot's Roomba Max 875 claims its new SealForce tech will drive out more dirt than suction alone, according to The Verge. The lowered skirt reduces leakage around the head, so more of the 20 L/s airflow pulls through carpet pile.

The color and configuration details are straightforward. The Roomba Max 875 Combo comes in black or white, according to The Verge. The Combo designation covers vacuuming plus roller mopping in one robot with dock support. The $300 gap to the $899 Plus model reflects suction, airflow, heated mist and mop-cover differences outlined by the company, according to The Verge.

For shoppers, the distinctions are measurable. The flagship lists 35,000 Pa and 20 L/s against 30,000 Pa and 18 L/s for the midrange unit, according to The Verge. The flagship uses heated mist pretreatment, while the 678 uses liquid spray-and-return pretreatment, according to The Verge. The flagship adds a mop cover for dry carpets, while the 678 relies on a 10 mm mop lift, according to The Verge.

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