The Roomba 104 Is the Roomba 105 — Sold On Amazon
The Roomba 104 is the model that must be specific to only on Amazon, but it's the exact same robot as the 105. I tested the 104 alongside the broader 104/105 family and could find no functional difference. Same battery, same dust bin, same dock hardware, same single brush roller, same single side brush, same Roomba Home app, same ClearView LiDAR navigation. iRobot is running a distribution-channel SKU strategy: Amazon gets one model number (104), the retail channel gets another (105), and the robot inside the box is the same in both cases. The verdict applies uniformly — 4.8 out of 10 and a Skip It across the entire 104/105 family.
This Specific SKU
The Roomba 104 Combo + AutoEmpty is the Combo + AutoEmpty Dock configuration of the 104 SKU. The dock empties the robot's dust bin into a self-sealing bag that holds up to 75 days of debris — meaningful daily-ownership convenience. The mop attachment is the same microfiber pad as on the 105 + Mop variants — drag-only, no lift, no down-pressure, no scrubbing motion, water pump keeps the pad wet.
What Works
LiDAR Navigation
Spinning LiDAR under the dome. Maps the studio quickly and accurately. Once mapped, vacuums in tight straight lines. Can clean at night because it doesn't rely on a camera. This is the foundation that lets the rest of the experience be reasonable, and it's the part of the spec sheet where Roomba has actually caught up to LiDAR-equipped competitors.
The Roomba Home App
The redesigned Roomba Home app is meaningfully better than the legacy iRobot app. Voice prompts are clear, the room editor works (split, name, keep-out zones, no-mop zones), clean zones support is good. The automation focus is interesting — less about manual settings, more about routines and triggers. Same observation across the entire new Roomba lineup; the 104 inherits it.
Mop Combo Got a More Positive Reaction Than Expected
On the corner test the mop combo pulled the muddy paw prints up "pretty shocking" well. The robot identified the carpet and tried to avoid it. The water pump kept the pad wet. For everyday light mopping it's actually serviceable. For a big mess it struggles — the drag-only design hits its limit fast.
Carpet Sensor
The mop versions of the 104/105 family have a carpet sensor — the robot detects carpet and avoids it when the mop pad is attached. It cannot lift the pad; it just stays away from the carpet entirely. That's a partial solution: floors stay protected, but carpets don't get vacuumed during a mop-mode run.
Auto-Empty Worked on the Combo Configuration
Unlike the Plus 405 (which shipped with a broken dust-bag light) and the Max 705 (which failed auto-empty after the carpet test), the 104/105 Combo + AutoEmpty's auto-empty worked cleanly on the muddy paw print test. That's a positive for this configuration — the family's most-featured SKU passed the auto-empty test that some pricier Roombas failed.
What Doesn't Work
Pricing Is the Dealbreaker
Same problem as the entire 104/105 family. At MSRP the robot is not competitive — the Mova S10 Plus is frequently on sale and is a better robot in nearly every category (better mop, better carpet handling, raise/lower mop pad). The Roborock Qrevo S at typical sale pricing is meaningfully more capable. The 104 becomes interesting only when it drops to deep-discount territory.
Obstacle Avoidance Is Effectively Absent
Same finding as the Plus 405 and the rest of the 104/105 family. The front sensor is for docking, not obstacles. If an item is taller than about 3 inches the LiDAR may register it; if it's heavy enough to trigger the bumper, the robot will turn. Cables, small toys, low items get run over. The 1.5/10 obstacle score is the second-lowest in the project, after the Plus 405's 1.0. Pick up the floor before running.
Mop Pad Cannot Lift
The mop pad is dragged across the floor — no lift, no down-pressure, no scrubbing motion. The water pump keeps it wet, but that's the extent of active mopping behavior. Robots in the same and lower price tiers routinely lift their pads now. This is the spec gap that pulls the mop performance score down to 5.5.
Single Brush, No Comb
Standard Roomba hair wrap at the ends after a long-hair test. There's a little cleaning tool in the dock with a cutter, but it's not anti-tangle hardware. Split-brush designs on Roborock and tri-cut designs on Dreame and Mova handle long hair meaningfully better.
Setup Friction
Mandatory firmware update at first setup can take 20-30 minutes. The 104/105 family's update stalled repeatedly during my testing — required full reset twice on the test unit. Some users will hit this and need to remove the device from the app and start over.
No Tray Under the Mop Versions
The dock for the mop versions has prongs that look like they're meant to accept a drip tray — but no tray is included in the box. The mop pad will be wet when the robot returns to dock. Plan to keep this on hardwood, not on carpet or rugs near the dock area.
Limited App Settings
Wetness level cannot be set on the mop versions. No room sequencing. Suction profiles (light/normal/deep/smart) are not well documented — the app doesn't explain what each one does. The automations are interesting but they're not a substitute for missing direct controls.
Roomba 104 vs the Competition
Roomba 104 vs Roomba 105 Combo Robot Vacuum & Mop + AutoEmpty Dock (Y354020)
This is the most important comparison for any 104 shoppers. The 104 and the equivalent 105 SKU are functionally identical — same hardware, same dock, same app, same warranty (within their respective channels). The only meaningful differences are: which retailer you're buying from, which return policy applies, and which price is lower today. Practical advice: compare both prices before committing. If the Amazon price is better, buy the 104. If the iRobot/retail price is better, buy the 105.
Roomba 104 vs Mova S10 Plus
The Mova S10 Plus is my #1 named alternative for this price tier. Frequently on sale below the 104/105 family's MSRP and a better robot in nearly every category — better mop (with lift), better carpet handling, raise-and-lower mop pad. For most buyers shopping the budget tier, the S10 Plus is the smarter spend.
Roomba 104 vs Roborock Qrevo S
At typical sale pricing, the Qrevo S sits below the Roomba 104/105 family's MSRP and delivers a meaningfully more capable feature set: real obstacle avoidance, split-brush hair design, and a more capable app. Better than the 104/105 family on the dimensions that matter most for daily ownership.
Roomba 104 vs Mova P10 Pro
Once you start looking at the P10 Pro you've moved up a price tier — but the spec gap is wide enough that the upgrade math works for most buyers. Flagship features at budget-tier pricing once you catch a sale.