Roomba vs Roborock: what people say

Roomba

Roomba's biggest strength is durability and hands-off convenience: long-time owners report years of service, and self-emptying docks, anti-tangle brushes and extending mop pads win real enthusiasm. The loudest, most repeated problem is corner and edge cleaning — round robots leave dirt in 90-degree corners, and the 875's corner claim is called out repeatedly. A second cluster of complaints is about the company itself: bankruptcy, the sale to a Chinese supplier, discontinued cloud support for older models, and a privacy scare over leaked test photos have shaken trust and made people hesitate to buy. Many commenters say a broom or regular vacuum is simply faster, and rivals like Roborock, Dreame, Eufy and Ecovacs are named as better or cheaper again and again. The surprise is how much affection and nostalgia the brand still carries even among people who won't buy another one.

Roborock

Roborock owners overwhelmingly praise the brand for reliable, time-saving cleaning, with many reporting years of flawless service and strong pet-hair pickup. The biggest recurring problems are navigation and obstacle avoidance—robots get stuck on cords, rug edges, and under furniture—plus mopping that leaves floors too wet and can damage laminate. Customer support and repairability are major pain points, with reports of expensive repairs, unavailable parts, and units failing after a few years. The stair-climbing Saros Rover is the most exciting new feature, seen as a genuine breakthrough, though some worry about added complexity and cameras. Price is a common barrier, but Costco deals and discounts drive strong purchase intent.

Roomba

1. good with pet hair and cats 12 mentions

   • From spills to pet hair it handles so much TikTok · 1 likes under a 71K-view post: Roomba just got HOT! 🔥 Meet the new Roomba® Max 875 Combo, bringing together powerful vac…

2. strong suction and debris pickup impress viewers 9 mentions

   • Looks super powerful for sure! TikTok · 1 likes under a 71K-view post: Roomba just got HOT! 🔥 Meet the new Roomba® Max 875 Combo, bringing together powerful vac…

3. it saves time and replaces daily vacuuming and mopping 9 mentions

   • This would save me so much cleaning time TikTok · 1 likes under a 71K-view post: Roomba just got HOT! 🔥 Meet the new Roomba® Max 875 Combo, bringing together powerful vac…

Roborock

1. Owners call Roborock the best vacuum they've bought, praising years of reliable service and huge time savings, especially with kids and pets. 23 mentions

   • Roborock mop and vacuum. I mop the floors myself about twice a year now. All other times it’s the robot doing it. Looking into the snow blowing and grass cutting versions of these sort of robots. That should make life much easier Reddit · 142 likes under a post: r/smartbuysforlife: What chore have you managed to completely eliminate with a product?

2. The Saros Rover's stair-climbing legs are seen as a genuine breakthrough and game changer, removing the need for one vacuum per floor. 19 mentions

   • Finally!!! My robot vac will be able to avoid my laser security system that shoots tennis balls at the intruder when tripped 😂 All in all, that’s pretty cool though, good looking product! YouTube · 812 likes under a 1.2M-view post: Roborock Saros Rover - Taking Cleaning to the Next Level

3. People find the robot charming, naming it and treating it like a pet. 9 mentions

   • Its that good its replaced the dog 😂 TikTok · 56 likes under a 3.2M-view post: This vacuum is the one thing to relieve me! I love her! #clean #cleaning #vacuum #chores #…

Roomba

1. round robots leave corners and edges dirty; the 875's corner claim is called out repeatedly 35 mentions

   • Why aren't they square? TikTok · 4,084 likes under a 1.5M-view post: new irobot roomba 875 robot vacuum and mop corner cleaning review #robotvacuum #justadadap…

2. a broom or regular vacuum is faster and less effort than the robot 16 mentions

   • A old traditional vacuum would’ve finished this job in ten minutes TikTok · 4,469 likes under a 1.5M-view post: Well it was fun until it was time to ACTUALLY clean the mess 😵‍💫 #robotvacuum #vacuumcle…

3. bankruptcy and sale to a Chinese supplier mean the old iRobot is gone and the future is uncertain 10 mentions

   • iRobot really just pulled a BlackBerry by dominating the market for some time, not innovating, then going out of business YouTube · 276 likes under a 41K-view post: iRobot is Bankrupt! What Does it Mean for Roomba?

Roborock

1. Robots get stuck on cords, rug edges, small bumps, and under furniture, sometimes getting lost or ending up outside. 17 mentions

   • The app told me that my Roborock was stuck somewhere. I searched the house, couldn’t find it. Eventually noticed it at the bottom of the garden, stuck in long grass. Trying to escape maybe?! TikTok · 1,265 likes under a 2.6M-view post: Follow for more chaos! The robot is rebelling 😅 he knows the footballs on and would rathe…

2. Customer support and repairability are poor: units are shipped to China for repairs, parts are unavailable, and some fail after a few years. 11 mentions

   • Seriously regret buying Roborock.. Bought the saros 10 when it came out, thinking itd be best in class. I seriously regretted this and will never buy a roborock device ever again. If anyone knows a way to escalate this, please let me know. Im in Singapore if that matters. It brok… Reddit · 97 likes under a post: r/Roborock

3. Cleaning is slow, taking hours per room, and clearing clutter for the robot takes as long as manual vacuuming. 11 mentions

   • takes about 6 hours what i can do with a mop and bucket in about 5 minutes TikTok · 125 likes under a 3.2M-view post: This vacuum is the one thing to relieve me! I love her! #clean #cleaning #vacuum #chores #…

Roomba

1. Roborock, Dreame, Eufy, Ecovacs and Narwhal recommended over Roomba 11 mentions

   • Eufy, Dreame and Roborock are the best rated robot vacuums. Roomba might be the OG but they’re horrible for cleaning lol TikTok · 6 likes under a 1.5M-view post: new irobot roomba 875 robot vacuum and mop corner cleaning review #robotvacuum #justadadap…

2. traditional vacuums beat robots on speed 4 mentions

   • A old traditional vacuum would’ve finished this job in ten minutes TikTok · 4,469 likes under a 1.5M-view post: Well it was fun until it was time to ACTUALLY clean the mess 😵‍💫 #robotvacuum #vacuumcle…

3. Chinese brands out-innovated Roomba 4 mentions

   • iRobot went bankrupt recently and was acquired by Picea, a Chinese company that started making their robots a little before the bankruptcy. They started lagging behind in innovation, so despite their best-in-class carpet cleaning and repairability, they just didn't really have wh… Reddit · 88 likes under a post: r/RobotVacuums: How come Roomba is almost never recommended in this subreddit or anywhere …

Roborock

1. Roborock vs Dreame: Saros 20 is faster but louder, X60 is quieter and reaches better on hard floors; Dreame seen as more features for less money but weaker support. 14 mentions

   • Nice comparison! I currently own both models (one for each floor) as well and agree with your statements. A couple of other differences I have noticed: -Saros S20 seems to clean more efficiently than the X60. For example, it can clean my entire first floor in about 60 minutes wit… YouTube · 123 likes under a 193K-view post: Roborock Saros 20 vs Dreame X60 Ultra — One Is a Big Mistake

2. Roborock is rated far above Roomba and Eufy on performance, and Roomba is called junk now. 7 mentions

   • Roborock has been the best vacuum I ever bought.. In July we decided to dump that POS Roomba and buy a Roborock Qrevo Edge 2. Best decision ever. So far we have used it 186 times, 153 hours, 6.9k square meters. Just the minimal required maintenance only! Reddit · 87 likes under a post: r/Roborock

3. Xiaomi models are mentioned as an alternative, praised for value and support. 4 mentions

   • I just feel sorry for you not being able to try Xiaomi models! 😋 Reddit · 14 likes under a post: r/RobotVacuums: Roborock is the Superior Brand - prove me wrong.