What testers say about the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max
The iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max is the first Roomba with a station that washes and dries the mop, besides emptying the bin into a bag that lasts about two months. The mop is a pad that is lifted entirely on top of the robot when it meets carpet, navigation works with a camera and floor sensors, and obstacles are recognized by a camera with an LED light. Vacuum Wars bought two units to be sure of its findings and calls it a letdown for iRobot fans.
What held up is the vacuuming: pressed-in pet hair was picked up completely, one of only two robots to manage that in the test, embedded sand from carpet produced one of the best scores on record, tied sixth of more than a hundred robots, and obstacle recognition scored above average. At 58 decibels it is quiet, and at 3.4 inches fairly flat.
The criticism is firm. Mapping took four times longer than with other robots, runs take longer than average, coverage stayed below average and the robot got confused when moved mid-task. The app offers few settings and was unstable in the test. The mopping system lags the competition: the pad is not detached automatically and the station dries without hot air. Anyone attached to iRobot with mostly carpet and pet hair can consider it at a hefty discount; anyone who wants to mop gets more elsewhere.
