One publishes a suction figure and anti-tangle brushes. The other publishes a longer runtime and a decade of app support. Almost everything else is a tie.
Everyone in this category says they tested twenty vacuums. We have not tested any, and we say so. What we do instead is read the manuals, compile the published specifications, and work out what each machine costs to run for three years — the method is written out in full.
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The verdict: buy the Roborock if a pet sheds, buy the Roomba if you are keeping it a long time. Roborock publishes what iRobot does not — a suction figure (10,000 Pa on the Q7 M5+, 8,000 on the Q7 L5), anti-tangle designs on both the main and side brushes, a noise rating, and mopping with adjustable water levels. iRobot publishes a longer runtime (200 minutes against 150), a lighter machine (6.2 lb against 10.6), dock filtration stated as an actual number, and the longest app-support record in the category. Neither publishes anything proving it cleans better.
The numbers, side by side
Every figure is the manufacturer's own published number for that model.
Published figure
Roborock Q7 M5+
Roomba 105 Vac AutoEmpty
Roborock Q7 L5
Roomba 105 Vac
Suction
10,000 Pa stated
Not published in any unit
8,000 Pa stated
Not published in any unit
Rated runtime
150 min
200 min
150 min
200 min
Navigation
PreciSense LiDAR
ClearView LiDAR
360-degree LiDAR, multi-floor
ClearView LiDAR
Anti-tangle brushes
JawScrapers main + zero-tangle side
Not published
Anti-tangle main + zero-tangle side
Not published
Mopping
Yes, 3 water levels, simultaneous
No
Yes, 270 ml, 3 levels
No
Dock
7-9 weeks, 2.7 L sealed bag
Up to 75 days
None
None
Dock filtration
Sealed bag, class not published
99% of allergens to 0.7 microns
n/a
n/a
Rated noise
65 dB
Not published
60 dB
Not published
Weight
10.6 lb
6.2 lb
7.3 lb
6.2 lb
Pascal figures are not comparable between manufacturers — each brand measures sealed static pressure its own way and none publish the method. Roborock's 10,000 Pa and another brand's 10,000 Pa are two internal numbers that happen to match.
Where Roborock genuinely wins
It publishes a suction figure at all. iRobot publishes none — not pascals, not air watts, not motor watts. Whatever the limits of a pascal number, it is a figure Roborock committed to in writing and iRobot did not. On the single specification most buyers think they are shopping on, a Roomba cannot be placed against anything, which is the argument is a Roomba worth it works through in full.
Anti-tangle on both brushes. Roborock is the only brand on this site publishing an anti-tangle design on the main roller AND the side brush — JawScrapers plus a zero-tangle side brush on the Q7 M5+. Side brushes wrap hair as readily as main rollers and almost nobody mentions them. iRobot publishes a 3-stage system with a multi-surface brush and an edge-sweeping brush, and no anti-tangle claim attached to either.
Mopping. Both Roborocks here mop with adjustable water levels while vacuuming. iRobot's vacuum-only models do not, and while the 105 Combo does mop, it publishes 100 minutes of runtime against the vacuum-only model's 200 — the mopping version costs you half the runtime.
A noise rating. Roborock publishes 60 dB and 65 dB. iRobot publishes nothing, which is a strange omission for a machine designed to run while you are in the house.
Where Roomba genuinely wins
Rated runtime, by a third. 200 minutes against 150. That is a real margin measured in a unit that means roughly the same thing at both brands, and on a large floor it is the difference between finishing and coming back after a recharge.
Weight. 6.2 lb against 10.6 lb on the Q7 M5+. You pick a robot up more than you expect — off a rug tassel, out from under a bed, up a flight of stairs — and the published gap here is nearly double.
Dock filtration stated as a number. iRobot publishes that its AutoEmpty bags trap 99% of allergens as small as 0.7 microns. Roborock publishes "sealed bag" and stops — a description of a part rather than a claim about performance.
App longevity, which is the unpriced risk in this whole category. A mapped robot's map, zones and schedules live on a manufacturer's cloud service, and not one manufacturer publishes a support commitment. The only available evidence is institutional: how long the company has existed and how many product generations it has supported. On that evidence iRobot is the safest bet available, and that is a genuine reason to pay more — it is just not a cleaning reason.
#
Product
Best for
Score
Price
01
Roborock Q7 M5+ Robot Vacuum and Mop10,000 Pa published and a 2.7-liter sealed dock bag rated at seven to nine weeks: the pet-hair answer, at a real price.
iRobot Roomba 105 Vac with AutoEmpty DockThe same robot as the 105 Vac with the dock that changes how you live with it: 75 days between bag changes instead of an emptying chore every run.
Roborock Q7 L5 Robot Vacuum and Mop8,000 Pa, 360-degree LiDAR and dual anti-tangle brushes — the most specified sheet at this price, with a 270 ml tank that is the catch.
iRobot Roomba 105 Combo with AutoEmpty DockIt detects carpet and stops mopping over it without being told, which is the one thing budget combos routinely get wrong.
Scores are ours, from the published rubric on the How We Pick page. They are editorial judgments about published specifications — not test results. We have not handled these machines.
01 · Best self-empty for pet hair
Roborock Q7 M5+ Robot Vacuum and Mop
10,000 Pa published and a 2.7-liter sealed dock bag rated at seven to nine weeks: the pet-hair answer, at a real price.
JawScrapers main brush plus zero-tangle side brush
Mopping
Three adjustable water levels, simultaneous with vacuuming
Rated noise
65 dB
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Highest published suction figure on the site, at 10,000 Pa
+2.7-liter dock bag is larger than the iRobot's and rated for a comparable interval
+Anti-tangle on both brushes, which is the pet-hair spec that matters
+150 minutes plus recharge-and-resume covers a large floor
Where it stops
−Dock bags are a permanent consumable
−The dock is large and 65 dB when emptying is genuinely startling the first time
−Pa figures remain incomparable between brands, however impressive 10,000 sounds
Who it is for
Pet households with real square footage, where the on-board bin is the daily annoyance.
Skip it if
You live in a studio. This is a whole-floor machine with a dock the size of a wastebasket and you will resent the footprint.
Our score: 8.5 out of 10
Published suction9.5
Navigation9.0
Runtime8.5
Bin and dock9.5
Running cost6.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
02 · Best self-empty under $400
iRobot Roomba 105 Vac with AutoEmpty Dock
The same robot as the 105 Vac with the dock that changes how you live with it: 75 days between bag changes instead of an emptying chore every run.
Ongoing consumable — roughly five bag changes a year at the stated 75-day interval
Suction in Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+75 days between interactions is the single biggest quality-of-life feature in this category
+Bagged dock means emptying does not put dust back in the room, which matters for allergies
+Identical mapping and runtime to the cheaper 105 Vac — you are paying only for the dock
Where it stops
−Dock bags are a permanent running cost that the dockless version does not have
−The dock is bulky and needs clear floor space either side
−0.1-gallon on-board bin is small, which is fine only because the dock exists
Who it is for
Pet households and larger homes, where the on-board bin fills every single run.
Skip it if
Your floor is mostly hard surface and lightly used. At that dirt load the on-board bin lasts a week anyway, and the dock is solving a problem you do not have.
Our score: 8.4 out of 10
Published suction6.5
Navigation9.0
Runtime10.0
Bin and dock9.5
Running cost6.0
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
03 · Best mapping under $300
iRobot Roomba 105 Vac
LiDAR mapping, keep-out zones and a 200-minute rating from the brand that will still be supporting the app in five years.
70x more power-lifting suction, compared by the manufacturer against the Roomba 600 series
Control
Roomba Home app, on-device buttons, voice assistants
Wi-Fi
2.4 GHz required for setup and operation
Suction in Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+200 minutes rated, the longest published runtime of any robot on this site
+Real LiDAR mapping, keep-out zones and room targeting at a budget price
+Recharge-and-resume, so a large floor completes without you
+iRobot's app and parts supply are the most durable bet in the category
Where it stops
−The 70x suction claim is measured against iRobot's own decade-old 600 series, not against a competitor
−No self-empty dock in this configuration — you empty the on-board bin
−No published bin volume
Who it is for
Multi-room homes that want scheduled, mapped cleaning without a self-empty dock's price.
Skip it if
Nobody in the house will install an app. Half of what you are paying for is mapping, zones and scheduling, and none of that exists without the phone.
Our score: 8.0 out of 10
Published suction6.5
Navigation9.0
Runtime10.0
Bin and dock6.0
Running cost7.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
04 · Best published suction under $300
Roborock Q7 L5 Robot Vacuum and Mop
8,000 Pa, 360-degree LiDAR and dual anti-tangle brushes — the most specified sheet at this price, with a 270 ml tank that is the catch.
360-degree LiDAR with multi-floor maps and no-go zones
Brushes
Anti-tangle main brush plus zero-tangle side brush
Rated noise
60 dB
Wi-Fi
2.4 GHz only
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Publishes a suction figure, unlike most of the field
+Dual anti-tangle brushes — both main and side, which most brands only claim for one
+Multi-floor mapping stored on the robot, so it works in a two-story house
+Vacuums and mops in the same pass
Where it stops
−270 ml dustbin is barely half the Lefant M210's, so it fills fast in a pet home
−Pa figures are not comparable across brands and Roborock does not publish their method
−No self-empty dock in this configuration
Who it is for
Multi-floor homes that want proper mapping and are willing to empty a small bin.
Skip it if
You have shedding pets and no self-empty dock. A 270 ml bin in a dog house is a daily chore, and the Q7 M5+ exists specifically to fix that.
Our score: 7.8 out of 10
Published suction8.5
Navigation9.0
Runtime8.5
Bin and dock5.0
Running cost7.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
05 · Best vacuum-and-mop combo
iRobot Roomba 105 Combo with AutoEmpty Dock
It detects carpet and stops mopping over it without being told, which is the one thing budget combos routinely get wrong.
Automatically detects and avoids carpet while mopping — manufacturer states no programming required
Mopping
Micro-pump controls water flow to keep the pad uniformly moist
Modes
Vacuum only, mop only, combined
Navigation
ClearView LiDAR
Dock bag filtration
Traps 99% of allergens as small as 0.7 microns
Suction in Pa
Not published
Every figure above is the manufacturer's own published number. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says "Not published" rather than an estimate.
What the numbers say
+Automatic carpet avoidance while mopping, with no map editing required
+Micro-pump water control instead of a pad that soaks then dries out
+Three genuinely separate modes
+The 75-day dock applies to the combo too
Where it stops
−100 minutes is half the vacuum-only 105's rating — mopping costs you battery
−A flat pad drags dirt; it does not scrub, whatever any combo claims
−Mop pads are a consumable on top of dock bags
Who it is for
Hard-floor and rug homes that want a daily light mop rather than a deep clean.
Skip it if
Your floors are mostly carpet. You would be buying a mop that spends the whole run avoiding your floor.
Our score: 7.6 out of 10
Published suction6.5
Navigation9.0
Runtime6.5
Bin and dock9.5
Running cost5.5
Scored against the published rubric on How We Pick. These are judgments about spec sheets, not measurements.
Which one for your household
A shedding pet? Roborock. Anti-tangle on both brushes plus a sealed dock is the combination that survives hair, and iRobot publishes no anti-tangle claim at all. The pet-hair robot roundup ranks that field properly.
Mostly hard floors and you want mopping? Roborock, clearly — both models here mop with adjustable water levels, and iRobot's mopping machine halves its own runtime to do it.
A large floor plan? Roomba, on the 200-minute runtime, unless you also need mopping.
Planning to keep it five years or more? Roomba. The map you are paying for depends on a cloud service nobody guarantees, and iRobot has the longest record of keeping one running.
Allergies in the house? Roomba, narrowly, on the published dock-bag figure — though the Shark AV2501AE beats both with true HEPA at 99.97% on a bagless base.
Shopping on the spec sheet? Roborock, because there is a spec sheet to shop on.
What we cannot tell you
Which one picks up more. There is no shared test standard for robot vacuum pickup, one of these brands publishes no suction figure at all and the other publishes one measured by its own undisclosed method. We have not run either machine. We also cannot tell you how long either app will be supported — our reading that iRobot is the safer bet is an inference from company history, flagged as such rather than dressed up as a specification.
Common questions
Is Roomba or Roborock better?+−
They win on different published figures. Roborock publishes a suction figure, anti-tangle designs on both brushes, a noise rating and mopping with adjustable water levels. iRobot publishes a longer runtime (200 minutes against 150), a lighter machine (6.2 lb against 10.6), dock filtration as an actual number, and the longest app-support record in the category. Neither publishes anything that proves it cleans better.
Why does iRobot not publish a suction figure?+−
It does not say. What it publishes instead is a comparative claim — "70x more power-lifting suction" — measured against iRobot's own older Roomba 600 series, not against any competitor. That is a generational claim rather than a competitive one. Roborock publishes 10,000 Pa on the Q7 M5+ and 8,000 on the Q7 L5, though pascal figures are not comparable across brands either.
Which is better for pet hair, Roomba or Roborock?+−
Roborock, on what is published. It is the only brand on this site publishing an anti-tangle design on the main roller and the side brush — JawScrapers plus a zero-tangle side brush. iRobot publishes a 3-stage cleaning system with no anti-tangle claim attached. Hair wrap is the specification that decides how often you flip the machine over.
Does Roomba last longer than Roborock?+−
Nobody publishes a lifespan, a battery cycle rating or an app-support commitment, so this cannot be answered from evidence. What can be observed is that iRobot has supported its app across many years and many product generations, which is the strongest available proxy — and the main defensible reason to pay its premium.
Is Roborock's 10,000 Pa better than Roomba's suction?+−
Unknowable, and the comparison is not valid in either direction. Pascals measure sealed static pressure with the airway blocked, every manufacturer measures it differently, and none publish the method. iRobot publishes no figure at all. A 10,000 Pa claim tells you what Roborock measured in Roborock's lab.
Which brand is cheaper to run?+−
Both bagged docks are an ongoing consumable at similar published intervals — Roborock 7 to 9 weeks, iRobot up to 75 days. Neither publishes a filter replacement interval. The dockless Roborock Q7 L5 has no bag bill at all, at the cost of emptying a 270 ml bin yourself.
Sources
Manufacturer-published specifications — Every runtime, wattage, capacity, weight, filtration and warranty figure quoted on this page is the manufacturer's own published number for that model, retrieved September 1, 2026. Where a manufacturer publishes no figure, the page says 'Not published' rather than estimating one.
Sweep & Suction — How We Pick — Our published method, including the scoring rubric, the three-year running-cost formula and an explicit statement of what published specifications cannot tell you.
