Roomba became the word people use for any robot vacuum, the way Kleenex stands in for tissues. iRobot invented the category and owned it for two decades, and that head start bought it a level of recognition no rival could buy back. The question for 2026 is whether the name still matches the machines, because the brand that defined the category and the brand making the best-reviewed products at each price are no longer obviously the same one.
Roborock arrived later and spent a decade quietly closing the gap, and buyer reviews now tell a story that runs against the brand recognition. Across comparable models, Roborock’s current machines tend to sit higher in buyer ratings than iRobot’s current lineup, often by a meaningful margin at the same price. That is not a marketing claim, it is the pattern in what owners report after living with these things. iRobot has not stood still, and it keeps a couple of genuine advantages, but the default assumption that the famous name is the safe pick no longer holds the way it used to.
So this is a price-tier comparison rather than a single verdict. At each tier the real question is the same: are you paying for the machine or for the badge?
Where Roborock pulls ahead
Roborock’s edge shows up most clearly in suction and mopping. Its machines tend to bring stronger suction to each price tier, which matters most on carpet where hair and grit have to be pulled out rather than swept off the top. The mopping is a real mop on the better models, with the pad lifting automatically when the robot rolls onto a rug so you do not end up with a wet carpet, a problem that makes cheap combo units frustrating in mixed-floor homes.
The software is the other half of it. The Roborock app is among the most complete in the category, with zone cleaning, no-go areas, scheduling, and maps that keep improving their coverage over time. Put together, that is why a Roborock at a given tier often reviews better than the Roomba it lines up against: buyers get more suction, better mopping, and more control for the money.
Where Roomba still earns its place
iRobot is not without answers. Its standout remains pet-waste avoidance: the camera-based system on its j-series can recognize and steer around solid pet accidents, and no Roborock here replicates it. If you have a dog and have ever come home to a robot that smeared rather than avoided, that single feature can justify staying with iRobot regardless of the rating charts.
The brand’s other advantages are practical rather than technical. Its mapping is straightforward and approachable for someone who does not want to fiddle with an app, and its US retail and support presence means you can see the machines in stores and get help more easily. For a buyer who values simplicity and a known support path over peak specs, those count for something real.
The Q7 M5 is Roborock at its most characteristic: strong suction and a real mop in a package more capable than anything iRobot offers near this price. Its carpet detection lifts the mop pad on rugs to avoid wet carpet, the navigation maps the home and cleans in tidy rows, and the app lets you send it to specific rooms on a schedule.
Verdict at this tier: Roborock. iRobot’s nearest combo carries a similar rating but on far fewer reviews, so the Q7 M5 is the better-validated pick with more suction for the money.
Roborock Q7 M5
The Qrevo is the best-rated machine in this whole comparison. It adds an extending side brush that reaches into corners and along edges, which directly answers the usual complaint that robots miss the perimeter, plus strong suction and an all-in-one dock that washes the mop. The app advantages are at their most useful here, with full zone control, no-go zones, and live map updates.
Verdict at this tier: Roborock, clearly. The comparable Roomba at this price sits well below it in buyer ratings, so this is the stronger purchase.
Roborock Qrevo
The Q10 S5+ sits between the Q7 M5 and the Qrevo, and its headline is self-emptying: the dock holds weeks of debris so you are not tending the bin after every run, paired with strong suction and a mop combo. For a buyer who wants hands-off operation and Roborock’s quality without stepping up to the top dock, it is a sensible middle.
Verdict at this tier: Roborock. It brings self-emptying and strong suction at a price below the lower-rated Roomba alternatives, and it is better validated.
Roborock Q10 S5+
iRobot’s entry-level vacuum-and-mop pairs the brand’s approachable mapping and room scheduling with a basic mop. The weakness at this tier is thin validation: it has gathered relatively few reviews so far, and the current Roomba generation has drawn some quality criticism, with longtime owners of older models often rating their experience higher than buyers of the new ones.
Verdict at this tier: Roborock’s Q7 M5 is the stronger choice, with more suction and a deeper review base for a comparable or lower price.
Roomba 105 Combo
This is where the data turns least favorable for iRobot. The self-emptying dock works and gives weeks of hands-free operation, but the model carries the lowest buyer rating in this comparison, and that average reflects consistent, widespread dissatisfaction rather than a few unlucky units. Navigation and mapping are the issues owners cite most often in the negative reviews.
Verdict at this tier: Roborock, clearly. At a similar price the Roborock alternatives rate well above this, which makes the gap hard to ignore.
Roomba 105 AutoEmpty
The Max 705 is iRobot’s flagship, and its rating is the most concerning data point for the brand. At a flagship price, buyers expect flagship performance, and a middling average says that expectation is not being met consistently by the current generation. The self-emptying dock and dual anti-tangle brushes are genuine, but the value math is hard.
Verdict at this tier: Roborock offers comparable features for noticeably less, and rates higher doing it. The one reason to consider iRobot at the top remains pet-waste avoidance, which lives on its j-series rather than this model.
Roomba Max 705
The tie-breakers
When you are stuck between the two, sort by what your home actually needs.
Suction and carpet. Roborock. It brings more suction to each tier, which is what carpet hair demands.
Mopping. Roborock. A real mop with automatic lift on carpet beats a basic mop pad.
Pet accidents. iRobot. Its j-series avoidance of solid pet waste has no equal here, and for some households that decides everything.
Simplicity and support. iRobot. Approachable mapping and an easy in-store and support path suit buyers who do not want to manage an app.
Value and buyer ratings. Roborock. Across comparable models it rates higher at lower prices, which is the throughline of this whole comparison.
The short version: Roborock is the better machine for most homes on suction, mopping, and value, while Roomba is the call if pet-waste avoidance or hands-off simplicity outweighs raw performance for you.
Is Roborock better than Roomba in 2026?
For most homes, the current buyer data says yes. Across comparable models Roborock tends to rate higher at the same or lower prices, with stronger suction and better mopping. The main exception is households with pets that have accidents, where iRobot’s waste-avoidance technology remains the reason to choose it.
Why are some current Roomba ratings lower?
The current Roomba generation has drawn mixed reviews, with navigation reliability the most common complaint. Owners of older iRobot models often rate their machines higher than buyers of the newest lineup, so a strong memory of an older Roomba is not a safe guide to the current ones.
Which is the best Roborock here?
The Qrevo has the highest rating in this comparison, with an extending corner brush and a mop-washing dock. For strong suction at a lower price, the Q7 M5 is the most-reviewed value pick, and the Q10 S5+ adds self-emptying in the middle.
Is a flagship-priced robot vacuum worth it?
Not on this evidence, unless pet-waste avoidance is a must-have. The flagship Roomba rates below Roborock machines that cost considerably less and perform comparably. Spend up only for a specific feature you will actually use, not for the tier name.
Do these work on carpet?
Yes, on low and medium pile the stronger-suction models pull up surface and embedded hair well, and Roborock’s mop lifts automatically on rugs to avoid wetting them. For thick, deep-pile carpet, treat any of these as day-to-day maintenance and keep an upright vacuum for periodic deep cleans.