Debuting a radical dual-robot system called Roomba Duo alongside its new flagship Roomba Max 875, iRobot showcased advanced cleaning hardware at IFA 2026. The concepts and new models highlight a heavy push into heated mist mopping, chassis-sealing suction technology, and high-pressure scrubbing designed to tackle stubborn household messes.
When it comes to floor care, the automated vacuum industry has spent years fighting a quiet war over Pascal ratings. Bigger suction numbers printed on product boxes signal raw power, but homeowners frequently notice that carpets never quite feel finished. Airflow escapes around the edges of standard cleaning heads, leaving stubborn debris locked deep within fibers.
iRobot Roomba Max 875 and Roomba Plus 678 Bring Chassis-Sealing Suction
To fix that lingering frustration, the newly introduced Roomba Max 875 Combo implements SealForce technology. When the machine detects carpet, its chassis lowers a protective skirt to seal against the flooring fibers. iRobot says that mechanical adjustment produces tornado-like airflow exactly where debris hides, delivering triple the cleaning depth of standard vacuuming without the seal.
Priced at $1,199.99, the Roomba Max 875 targets households dealing with heavy-duty pet hair by pairing the new seal system with a dual anti-tangle setup. A spiral edge-sweeping brush directs hair into the path of the suction while a hair-cutting main brush prevents traditional wrapping headaches. For mopping, the machine uses Ultrasonic ThermaMist Technology to spray 140-degree heated mist onto dried coffee drips or sauce splatters, softening the grime so the PowerSpin Max Roller Mop can lift it in a single pass. Patented DriLift Technology automatically raises the mop and lowers a protective shield when the unit crosses carpets, preventing soggy area rugs.
For buyers seeking similar suction technology at a lower price point, iRobot also debuted the Roomba Plus 678 Combo for $899.99. While it skips the heated mist in favor of SprayForce AI high-pressure pre-treatment, it shares the core SealForce chassis-sealing design. Both premium models tie into an AutoWash Dock capable of washing and drying the rollers, emptying dust into an AllergenLock bag rated for up to 90 days of maintenance, and dispensing fresh cleaning solution.
The Roomba Duo Concept Pairs a Heavy-Duty Steamer with a Nested Companion
Beyond its consumer-ready lineup, iRobot turned heads at IFA 2026 in Berlin by showing off an ambitious prototype called the Roomba Duo. Built like a two-robot nesting system reminiscent of a matryoshka doll, the cylindrical main unit stands roughly two feet tall and weighs about 66 pounds. It is designed to act as a heavy-duty floor-washing replacement for stick vacuums in open areas.
When the large unit encounters cramped gaps or tight spaces under furniture, a mechanical deployment arm on top lowers a smaller companion robot to the ground. That nested disc-shaped machine handles the tight spots while both units share a single home map coordinated through the Roomba Home App. The main chassis houses a wet-dry washing system driven by a 60-millimeter PowerSpin Max roller mop applying 46 newtons of downward pressure, backed by an internal heater that distributes controlled steam before a hot-air drying component finishes the surface.
Roomba Duo is a concept that we put together to see how the market responds to it, and it’s what we think the future of robotic floor cleaning could look like.
Navigation across both the consumer lineup and the concept hardware relies on advanced sensor suites. The Roomba Duo utilizes ClearView Pro dual-line LiDAR alongside PrecisionVision AI for mapping and object detection, adding top-mounted AI cameras to give the system an elevated perspective of large home layouts and concentrated spills.
Market Positioning and Production Uncertainty
The introduction of the $1,199.99 Roomba Max 875 places iRobot in direct competition with ultra-premium hybrid models like the $1,700 Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete, undercutting high-end rivals while introducing specialized chassis seals. At the same time, the company’s decision to air the Roomba Duo as an experimental prototype means consumers will not see the nested two-robot system on store shelves anytime soon.
Executives on the show floor declined to share a consumer release date, price tag, or retail roadmap for the Duo. Whether the market embraces a two-tier robotic cleaning vessel or prefers the streamlined multi-surface capabilities of the newly launched Max and Plus series remains entirely dependent on public reception to iRobot’s heavy-duty engineering experiment.
