3 Months of Real Use — Across Three Units
The Roomba Max 705 Combo is iRobot's first attempt at a mopping robot with a roller mop. There was a lot of hype around this when it first released — it was iRobot's most advanced 2-in-1 to date on paper, with a new PowerSpin Roller Mop, an extending mop, a roller mop cover that physically retracts during vacuuming, and the same Clear View front sensor that scored so well on the 705 vacuum-only. The hype didn't survive the unboxing. I ended up buying three of these robots to complete the test — the first two had hardware issues that required returns, and the third only ran after iRobot's quiet fix campaign finally caught up to my serial number.
The Naming Note Worth Mentioning
iRobot named this robot the Roomba Max 705, which is confusing because there's already a 705 in the lineup — the vacuum-only model (which I reviewed separately). Two SKUs share the 705 name. Same Clear View sensor, same dual brush rollers, different dock and different mopping hardware. If you're shopping, make sure you're looking at the "Combo" version if you want mopping, and the plain "Max 705" if you just want vacuuming.
Three Units. Two Returns. One Fix Campaign.
When I first got my unit, setup was extremely hard and frustrating. The app was a new app Roomba had just released for the new-generation robots, and as soon as the robot was unboxed it tried to do an update — it took all day, I couldn't get it done, I had to let it sit overnight. Not sure what really happened. What I do know happened is I sent the unit back because when I started using it, the dock started leaking water right away. I spent a ton of time trying to figure it out and never really did figure it out, so I sent the unit back.
Then I did a video. Then Roomba contacted me and said "oh you had a bad unit, you just needed to let the software update in the dock," which is an extremely slow process. During that phone call I gathered — I'm just guessing — but I gathered that they knew this problem existed with the dock leaking water and they knew they needed to do an update on it, and they were still delivering them in the update process. It's extremely slow and frustrating and can lead people to thinking the robots are bad. Not waiting long enough — after 4 or 5 months they finally came out with a fix. They contacted people through email. I think it should have been more widespread. They delivered two free gaskets that you had to put in the dock and it did seem to help the problem with leaking.
I sent the first two units back for various reasons, and finally got a third one that was good and installed the gaskets and the dock was updated. Now they don't give a suction power number.
What Works
The Clear View Front Sensor
Shared with the vacuum-only Roomba Max 705 and the strongest part of the entire 705 platform. Scored 8/10 on the obstacle test — identifies cables, toys, and pet waste. After one identification it remembers the obstacle location for the rest of the run. The app flags identified obstacles on the map with a marker.
The PowerSpin Roller Mop
When the dock works, the mop works. The PowerSpin Roller Mop continuously self-cleans during the run, extends to the wall, and uses a retractable mop cover that physically protects carpets from getting wet during vacuuming. This is a real engineering investment and the part of the robot I think iRobot got most right.
Maintenance Access
Dust bag swap is clean with spare-bag storage in the dock. The dual brush design has end caps designed to release wrapped hair — they do work for that, though not perfectly.
What Doesn't Work
Dock Recall And Quality Issues
The first-wave units shipped with a dock-leak problem that iRobot eventually addressed through a free gasket + dock firmware update mailed to affected customers. iRobot didn't make this a widespread or public-facing fix campaign — I think it should have been more widespread. If you buy the Max 705 Combo today, you want to confirm your unit's dock is the post-fix revision before you accept delivery.
The App Is Hard To Use
This robot is just extremely hard to use, the app is not feature-rich, it's hard to customize for your home. Even this Gen 2 app is slow. Sometimes you can't read certain things when it's on an iPad or your phone. Certain features are hidden from how it's developed. Sometimes I'll have to go to a different phone or computer or tablet to see everything, which leads me back to the features and the format and how it works — just kind of not really done very well.
There's already kind of a proven ecosystem out there for robot vacuum cleaners and I feel like Roomba's just kind of came up with their own way of thinking. Roomba's way of thinking is that they just want you to automate it. They want quick buttons like "clean after supper, clean in the morning." Do this well — I don't think we're quite there yet. Maybe we will be, but right now we need to interface with these robots a lot better, fine-tune this robot for your home. They should just be copying Roborock and Mova and Dreamy — their apps work, they're different but they're not exactly the same.
Dust-Bag Indicator Issue
When I've been using it in the basement testing it to failure, the dock dust-bag red light comes on randomly. I can't figure out why the dustbin red light is on — it's unusual that the dust bags installed all the way and I reset the dust bag reminder. Just some things that this robot seems like a Gen 1 robot from Roomba that was a big mess for them.
Navigation And Hair Wrap
I found the navigation just to be off — sometimes it would not clean an area, then go back to the dock. The Dual brushes are an older design for vacuuming. They do get quite a bit of hair wrap on them — they really haven't addressed hair wrap. No corner reach with the spinning side brush, but the mop does go off to the side. The robot's tall, it's very heavy. The robot is loud when it's actually vacuuming and mopping. Just such a mess.
The Pricing
This was very expensive at launch. They gave it an unusual name "Max 705" when they already have a 705 that's a vacuum-only — confusing naming on a confused launch. iRobot is offering substantial discounts on this robot as of mid-2026, which suggests the market has spoken on the launch pricing.
Roomba Max 705 Combo vs the Competition
Roomba Max 705 Combo vs Mova P10 Pro Ultra
The comparison that anchors my Skip It verdict across the entire Roomba lineup this season. At roughly half the Max 705 Combo's MSRP, the Mova P10 Pro Ultra delivers a more complete combo experience without the launch quality issues — and the dock has worked out of the box on every unit I've tested.
Roomba Max 705 Combo vs Roborock Qrevo Curv
Under MSRP with significantly superior technology — split-brush hair handling, a more capable app, and a dock that hasn't required a fix campaign. The split-brush design alone solves the hair-wrap complaint that's persistent across the Roomba lineup.
Roomba Max 705 Combo vs Roomba Plus 505 Combo
Inside iRobot's own lineup, the cheaper Plus 505 Combo uses spinning pads instead of the Roller Mop, with PrecisionVision AI obstacle avoidance instead of Clear View. The 505 didn't go through the same launch quality issues — if you're committed to a Roomba combo and you can accept spinning pads over a roller, the 505 is the lower-risk pick.
Roomba Max 705 Combo vs Roomba Max 705 (vacuum-only sibling)
The vacuum-only Roomba Max 705 scored notably higher in my testing (6.4/10 vs 5.2/10 for this Combo) because the dock complications and launch quality issues don't apply to the AutoEmpty-only dock. Same Clear View sensor. Same dual-brush vacuum hardware. If mopping isn't a requirement for your home, the vacuum-only sibling is the smarter pick from this family.