Roomba may have been the one that started it all, but other companies have since entered the market with high-quality robot vacuums at a variety of price points. Among the competitors is Roborock, a Chinese company founded in 2014 by a veteran of Chinese tech giants Baidu and Tencent, as well as Microsoft. Â
Since then, Roborock has expanded across the globe and introduced the S7, a 2022 CNET Editor's Choice Award winner. iRobot hasn't sat back and just watched. The company has continued to innovate and thrive. Its product line includes three of CNET's top choices for the best robot vacuums of 2026. We've previously pitted the Combo J7 Plus against Roborock's more premium Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra, with the Combo J7 Plus coming out only slightly ahead.
All this can make it difficult to decide between the two brands if you're in the market for a new robovac, but CNET is here to help. To help you decide between them, we're comparing Roborock and Roomba as brands, to evaluate their design, obstacle avoidance, suction power, cleaning ability, price and more.Â
Roborock vs. Roomba: How to decide between the robovacsÂ
There are a handful of major factors to consider when choosing which robovac to purchase. CNET has come up with an extensive series of tests we use to test robot vacuums.
The Roomba J7 Plus features a motorized mopping pad. When the cleaner detects carpets, it'll lift the pad up over the top of the robot to keep them dry.
Design
Aside from the actual aesthetics of each robovac, design can include factors such as the functionality of their bases -- whether, the units, say, refill the water basin in the robovac autonomously -- to how their apps function.Â
One major design difference between the Roomba Combo J7 Plus and Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra is how they stow away its mop pad when carpets are detected. The Combo J7 Plus will lift the mop pad up to avoid getting carpets wet, while the S7 MaxV Ultra, the mopping pad isn't fully motorized, instead it just lifts up by 4 millimeters into the body of the cleaner. In our tests, the CNET reviews team found the Roborock left plush, midpile carpets damp more often. Those with higher pile carpets may want to go with Roomba because of this.Â
Roborock's newer S8 MaxV Ultra partially addresses this issue, since the mop module can now lift up to 20mm above the ground while cleaning carpets. However, the mop cloth mount is not detachable, though the mop pad can be removed for washing.Â
Winner: RoombaÂ
Obstacle avoidance
For a robovac to clean your home, it has to be able to "see" and learn its surroundings, so it doesn't bump into your ottoman or, even worse, run over some doggy poo and spread it around your living space. Yuck! (It's worth noting, CNET named the Roomba J7 Plus -- which doesn't mop -- as its best poop detecting robovac.)Â
CNET tested how well the Roomba Combo J7 Plus and Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra cleaned a room while avoiding obstacles by placing glow sticks on the units then filming them with a long-exposure photograph. Roborock's unit, which taps both an RGB camera and LiDAR, consistently cleaned every inch of CNET's test floor, while the Roomba missed some spots.
We ran the same test with the newer S8 MaxV Ultra and were impressed with its overall pathfinding and ability to navigate obstacles. Like its predecessor, it supports LiDAR navigation and tackled obstacles and provided comprehensive coverage.
Winner: Roborock
Suction power and cleaning ability
One of the key questions when evaluating a robovac is, of course, how well does it clean? To test this, CNET's review team scientifically places sand and black rice on surfaces including hardwood floors, low-pile carpet and mid-pile carpet, then lets the robovacs get to work.Â
The Roomba Combo J7 Plus had a clear advantage here, picking up 97.62% of black rice from hardwood floors, 91.84% of from low-pile carpet and 96.21% from mid-pile carpet. With Sand, it picked up 100% of sand from hardwood floors, 61.9% from low-pile carpet and 59.86% from mid-pile carpet. All this averaged out a 95% pickup of rice and 74% of sand (50% is considered a good benchmark with the latter).Â
The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra didn't do nearly as well, with a 74.36% pickup of price from hardwood, 96.97% pickup from low-pile carpet, 95.96% from mid-pile. With sand, it managed 84.21% from hardwood, 59.57% from low-pile and 57.45% from mid-pile. The average score worked out to 89% with black rice and 67% with sand, notably lower than the J7 Plus' average.Â
Winner: Roomba
Features and self-sufficiency
Both the Roomba Combo J7 Plus and Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra share a lot of the same baseline features in that they both vacuum and mop, connect to virtual assistants from Apple and Google and have self-empty bins in their bases.Â
But Roborock edges out the competition here thanks to the inclusion of two water tanks in its base that refill the robovac and take out the dirty water. Separating clean and dirty water is a nice touch and helps keep everything more sanitary by ensuring the mopping pad is only cleaning with fresh water.Â
The newer Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra also boasts various features, including 140-degree Fahrenheit hot water mopping, intelligent dirt detection and an automatic detergent dispenser that you won't get on the Combo J7 Plus. There's even hot air drying with the included dock, meaning your robovac gets automatically cleaned and dried out with every use, helping you avoid mold and mildew.Â
The Combo J7 Plus, on the other hand, needs to be refilled manually. Another Roborock feature that our reviewer praised was its ability to better map out your home and the choice to vacuum, mop or both (Roomba only gives the choice of both or just vacuuming).
Winner: Roborock
Price and value
These two units, when they first launched, carried premium price points: the Roomba Combo J7 Plus costs $1,100 while the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra costs $1,400. The former can now be purchased for around $600, while we found the latter on Amazon for either $640 or $1,000, depending on color. It's also been on sale for under $600 in the past.Â
The latest versions of these robovacs, Roomba Combo 10 Max and the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, carry retail prices of $1,400 and $1,800 but were on sale directly from the companies for $1,000 and $1,100, respectively. Whether the Roborock is worth the extra money depends on your needs, but we can say if you're on the market for one of these robovacs, go with the one with the best sale.
Winner: Draw
Customer satisfaction and reviews
As mentioned, CNET's reviews team has laid praise on several of iRobot's robovacs, naming the Roomba Combo J7 Plus as one of two of the best overall robot vacuums, with a score of 8.7. CNET has tested various Roborock units, including the S8 MaxV Ultra, which got an 8.3. It's not the highest score we've ever given, but it ranks among the top 15 robovacs CNET has tested and scored to date.Â
We also named the Roborock S7 as one of the best Roomba alternatives due to its versatility. On Amazon, the S7 MaxV Ultra is the clear favorite among customers, with 4.2 stars based on close to 2,300 reviews, compared to the Roomba Combo J7 Plus's 3.6 stars with more than 800 reviews.Â
Winner: Draw
Where Roborock robovacs win
As laid out above, CNET gave high marks to Roborock for its ability to better map out homes and clean every inch of our test space. Our review team also praised the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra's app functionality as well as its ability to autonomously fill the robovac's water tank and take out the dirty water. It should be noted that the latest versions of the Roomba do have these autonomous features -- while both companies also introduced a self-cleaning mop feature. Go with Roborock if you're OK with paying a bit more for the company's superior mapping technology.
Where Roomba robovacs win
Between the two older models analyzed above, Roomba came out ahead for its superior mop design that won't leave your carpets damp as well as its superior cleaning power. iRobot also has a slight edge in that its newest robovacs can be purchased for hundreds of dollars less than Roborock's comparative units. If you're looking for an all-around great robot vacuum and mop, the Roomba Combo J7 Plus comes highly recommended by CNET's reviews team.Â
The new Roomba Combo j7 Plus can easily move from mopping your hardwood floor to vacuuming your carpet.Â
Roborock vs. Roomba: Which robot vacuum should you choose?Â
If you're deciding between Roomba and Roborock for a robovac purchase, either choice should be a good one. While CNET's editors praised many units within iRobot's portfolio, Roborock is rich with features, does well at obstacle detection and appears more popular with Amazon customers. So which should you choose? If you just want a versatile, all-around quality robovac, Roomba is an obvious choice. But if you're willing to spend a bit more for better mapping technology and value the higher-end features, choose Roborock.
Are Roomba robovacs better value than Roborock?
With MSRPs slightly below Roborock's competing units, Roomba robovacs do provide a better value. It's worth noting that iRobot has been making robovacs for decades, and is a brand people trust in the space. CNET's review team named the Roomba Combo J7 Plus the best robot vacuum overall (though it tied with the Ecovacs T30S Combo).Â
Does a robovac work for a big house?
As the battery life and navigational abilities of robovacs have improved over the years, they have been better able to clean larger spaces. That said, however, robovacs are still confined to a single floor of a home without human intervention. If you want a robovac to clean your whole house, you may have to buy multiple units.
Are vacuum and mopping combo robovacs as good as single purpose ones?
Robovac technology has advanced enough that they can handle both vacuuming and mopping floors. If you need both functions, getting a combo unit is a good idea. The Roomba Combo J7 Plus and Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo are CNET's choices for the best overall robot vacuum, and both handle mopping as well. If you're looking to save money, a robovac without mopping will cost hundreds of dollars less.