iRobot’s new Roomba could solve the roller mop’s biggest problem

iRobot’s first roller mop-equipped robovac has a unique trick to help keep your carpets dry. Announced this week, the Roomba Max 705 Combo is an upgraded version of the robovac iRobot launched in April, offering a “first-of-its-kind” mop cover that it automatically deploys when cleaning carpets.

Unlike with mopping pads, many robovacs with roller mops often can’t lift up their mops to clear carpets, nor can users — or the robovac itself — easily remove them. Robovacs like the Deebot X8 Pro Omni attempt to avoid getting your carpets wet by vacuuming them first with a dry mop or allowing you to set boundaries around them.

It sounds like the Roomba Max 705 Combo will try to fix the carpet dilemma with its new mop cover, though iRobot doesn’t share how exactly it works, other than showing an image of what looks like a plastic shield that extends around the bottom of the mop roller.

The Roomba Max 705 Combo can also extend its mop to reach corners and the edges of walls. Like the 705-series robot vacuum iRobot launched in the spring, the Max 705 Combo features anti-tangle dual rubber brushes, lidar navigation, and the ability to avoid toys, cords, and pet waste.

The Roomba Max 705 Combo also comes paired with an AutoWash Dock that offers heated mop cleaning and drying for up to 75 days, along with auto-emptying and auto-refilling functions. This robovac doesn’t come cheap at €1099 (~$1,292 USD). It’s also only available in Europe for now, but iRobot says it plans to launch the device in North America and Japan “later this year.”