iRobot

iRobot built a strong reputation for durability and repairability with its older Roomba models, with many users reporting 10–15 years of reliable service. However, sentiment has shifted meaningfully: newer models are widely seen as overpriced and outclassed by competitors like Roborock and Dreame, and iRobot's near-bankruptcy and Amazon acquisition have raised serious concerns about long-term software and parts support. The mop product line earns consistently poor marks wherever it comes up. The brand's legacy is real, but its future is uncertain enough that recommending a new iRobot purchase requires significant caveats.

The Roomba line — which dominates both by mention volume and overall brand identity — earns a cautious recommendation rooted almost entirely in older hardware. Newer models and the company's uncertain future under Amazon ownership make recommending a current iRobot purchase difficult without steering buyers toward used/older units or flagging the cloud-dependency risk explicitly.

iRobot's older hardware generations earned genuine loyalty through repairability, part availability, and years of reliable daily use — especially for pet owners and households with high floor-cleaning demands.

• Older 600, 780, and 980 series models reported lasting 10–15+ years
• Replacement parts — brushes, batteries, wheels — cheap and widely available
• Color-coded maintenance areas make upkeep accessible for non-technical users
• Easy disassembly; fully user-serviceable with basic tools
• Daily automated vacuuming outperforms infrequent manual cleaning for pet hair
• Historically strong warranty replacement and customer support

Newer iRobot models have eroded the brand's reputation on quality, competitiveness, and longevity — and the company's financial instability adds a layer of risk that earlier buyers never had to weigh.

• Newer models widely considered inferior to Roborock and Dreame at comparable prices
• Near-bankruptcy and Amazon acquisition raise parts and software continuity concerns
• Cloud-dependent and app-reliant features risk expiring if services are discontinued
• Privacy concerns around home mapping data, amplified by Amazon ownership
• Mop/wet-cleaning products consistently rated poor relative to the vacuum line
• Higher-end newer models harder to repair than the older simple hardware they replaced

Older Roombas were genuinely buy-it-for-life — mine ran for 12 years with just a few part swaps. I wouldn't say the same about what they're selling now.

The 600-series is still the gold standard for repairability. Everything snaps apart and parts cost a few dollars on Amazon.

With iRobot nearly going bankrupt and Amazon buying them, I'm not comfortable buying something that relies on their cloud to function.

For pure vacuuming the older iRobots earned their reputation. For anything involving mopping, look elsewhere — it's not even close.

• iRobot Roomba