Robot Vacuums / iRobot
iRobot Roomba 105 Combo Robot + AutoEmpty Dock
The cheapest LiDAR Roomba with a self-empty dock; the mop is a pad that never lifts.
Overall score 5.2/10
Pros
- + The cheapest Roomba with genuine LiDAR mapping and a self-empty base, and iRobot's app is still the easiest here to live with
- + No camera at all, which is the simplest possible answer to the robot-vacuum privacy question
- + 75-day bag rating is the longest of the budget docks here
- + US service network and a 60-day-trial retail culture that the direct-import brands cannot match
Cons
- − The mop pad does not lift — iRobot's carpet strategy is to avoid carpet entirely on mop runs
- − iRobot has never published a Pascal figure or a runtime for this model, so it cannot be compared on paper with anything else here
- − The P.O.O.P. pet-waste guarantee does not cover it; with no camera the robot physically cannot see waste
- − Proprietary bags at roughly $6.66 each, about $32/yr, against $0 for the bagless Shark and Ecovacs docks
- − iRobot is trading through a Chapter 11 restructuring completed in 2026 under new Chinese ownership — long-term app and parts support is a live question, not a settled one
iRobot Roomba 105 Combo Robot + AutoEmpty Dock review: what the specs say
The cheapest LiDAR Roomba with a self-empty dock; the mop is a pad that never lifts. At $269.99, iRobot's 2025 model sits among the cheapest we cover — the robot Vacuums we compare run from $139.99 to $1,399.99. It scores 5.2/10 overall, calculated from published specifications across 8 categories rather than from a subjective impression.
Its strongest showing is Value at 7.0/10 — tested cleaning performance and dock automation against the real street price and the year-one consumables bill.. The weakest is Mopping at 3.0/10, which is the trade-off to weigh before buying: if that is the specification you care about most, one of the alternatives below will serve you better.
Worth knowing before you buy: the mop pad does not lift — iRobot's carpet strategy is to avoid carpet entirely on mop runs; and iRobot has never published a Pascal figure or a runtime for this model, so it cannot be compared on paper with anything else here. Every specification on this page comes from iRobot's own documentation or a verified retail listing — where a figure is not published, the table says so rather than estimating it.
Specifications and price last verified . Report an error
Full Specifications
| Claimed Suction (Pa) | iRobot publishes no Pascal figure for any Roomba. Its claim is '70x more' power-lifting suction than a Roomba 600 — a ratio against a 2013 robot, not a number you can line up against the 5,300-30,000 Pa claims elsewhere on this page |
| Independent Test Result | No independent bench result published. It is too new and too cheap to appear in Vacuum Wars' Top 20 or RTINGS' tested rankings; everything here is iRobot's own claim |
| Navigation & Obstacle Avoidance | ClearView LiDAR mapping with neat-row cleaning and automatic carpet detection. No camera and no AI object recognition — it maps the room but cannot identify what is lying on the floor |
| What the Maker Promises About Pet Waste | None. iRobot's P.O.O.P. Promise — replace the robot free if it fails to avoid solid dog or cat waste, 1 year from purchase, replacement product only — is written on iRobot's US page against the camera-equipped Roomba j7+, not this LiDAR-only model |
| Mop System | Single microfibre pad fed by a micro-pump. A damp pad dragged behind the robot |
| Mop Lift Over Carpet | None. The pad does not lift or retract; iRobot's stated behaviour is 'avoids mopping carpet', meaning it drives around your rugs instead of over them mm |
| Dock Type & Plumbing | AutoEmpty dock — debris only. No water, no mop washing, no plumbing |
| Dock Mop Wash & Dry | None. You rinse the mop pad yourself; one spare pad is in the box |
| Dock Bags & Running Cost | Proprietary iRobot dirt-disposal bags rated at 75 days. iRobot's own 3-pack for AutoEmpty/AutoWash docks (part 4849916) is $19.99 — about $6.66 a bag, so roughly $32 a year in bags alone. The older Clean Base 3-pack (4640235) is $11.17 at Home Depot but is a different part that does not fit |
| Robot Bin Capacity | Not published by iRobot for the 105 Combo; the bin shares the chassis with the mopping solution tank ml |
| Rated Runtime (and at what setting) | Not published by iRobot for this model min |
| Account, Cloud & Camera Privacy | iRobot account and the iRobot Home app are required, and maps are cloud-stored with deletion available on request. No camera on this model. iRobot filed Chapter 11 on 14 December 2025 and was bought by Picea, its Chinese manufacturing partner and secured lender; iRobot says apps, warranties and support continue and the 2026 line is in production |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (iRobot Home app), Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri |
| Material | Plastic; iRobot publishes no housing material |
| Warranty | 12 months |
Compare iRobot Roomba 105 Combo Robot + AutoEmpty Dock With
Cheaper Alternative
TP-Link Tapo RV30 Max Plus — $219.99
Premium Alternative
Shark PowerDetect Self-Empty Robot Vacuum (AV2820AE) — $329.99