This IRobot Roomba Combo Is on Sale for the Lowest Price Yet
If you’ve been thinking about purchasing an affordable robot vacuum with floor-mopping capabilities, you might want to check out the iRobot Roomba Combo Essential . This PCMag Editors’ Choice-winning robot vacuum currently costs $149 (down from $274.99), its lowest price ever, according to price trackers .
It offers two cleaning modes: vacuum only and vacuum and mop. Switching to the latter requires manually attaching the mop head, which is then pulled along as you move the vacuum cleaner. If you’re hoping for some cleaning power, this isn’t it—it won’t remove stubborn stains or heavy dirt. However, while it doesn’t have the suction power for deep cleaning, it reportedly handles pet hair well without leaving behind dust bunnies and avoiding serious tangles in the brush roll.
The Combo Essential comes with Wi-Fi support (especially for 2.4GHz networks), so you can control it not only with the physical buttons on the vacuum, but also through the iRobot Home app or through voice commands if you have Alexa, Siri, or Google Assistant. Setting it up is easy: download the iRobot Home app, create an account, and follow the step-by-step instructions. Once connected, the app lets you adjust suction power and water flow, set up a cleaning schedule (though keep in mind that it doesn’t create a custom map), set a time limit for cleaning sessions, check cleaning history, and enable voice control.
Unlike many budget robot vacuums, the Combo Essential has a battery life of over 120 minutes and rarely gets stuck on common obstacles like chair legs or floor thresholds (though it does bump into things while trying to free itself from tight spots), a PCMag review noted. And because it costs only a fraction of what high-end robotic floor cleaners cost, it lacks premium features like AI obstacle avoidance or self-service. Instead, it moves using a combination of gyroscope and infrared sensors. This allows him to clean in somewhat orderly rows, but sometimes he can get confused and re-cover the same area from a different angle. However, it does a great job of vacuuming and cleaning small spaces.