Roomba Max 875 and Plus 678: iRobot Bets on SealForce and Heated Mopping
iRobot is returning to the premium segment with an idea that is more interesting than simply adding another large suction number. The Roomba Max 875 Combo + AutoWash Dock is priced at $1,199 in the US, while the Roomba Plus 678 Combo costs $899. Both are available from iRobot.com from September 2, with broader North American retail availability planned later in the month.
The headline technology is SealForce. Instead of relying only on higher suction, the robot lowers a mechanical skirt to seal the space between the chassis and carpet fibres. The aim is to reduce airflow escaping around the cleaning head and concentrate it through the brush zone. On the Max 875, iRobot combines the system with a claimed 35,000 Pa and 20 L/s airflow.
SealForce matters more than the Pa headline
Robot-vacuum makers have spent years increasing quoted suction figures, but Pa alone does not tell us how much useful airflow reaches debris embedded in carpet. iRobot is attacking the problem mechanically. The company says SealForce delivers three times deeper carpet cleaning compared with vacuuming without SealForce. That comparison is crucial: it does not mean the new Roomba cleans three times better than a competing flagship.
Independent testing will need to examine how well the skirt seals against different carpet piles, whether the extra contact increases rolling resistance or energy consumption, and how it behaves around loose rug edges. If the mechanism works consistently, it could be a more meaningful differentiator than another incremental suction increase.
ThermaMist and the PowerSpin Max roller
The second major Max 875 feature is ThermaMist. The robot applies heated mist before the mop roller arrives, with the goal of loosening dried-on residues. The PowerSpin Max Roller Mop runs at 300 RPM and is claimed to apply 18 N of downward pressure while being continuously cleaned during operation.
iRobot says ThermaMist doubles stain removal versus mopping without the feature and that the new roller provides 3.75 times deeper scrubbing than the earlier Roomba Max 775. These are useful indicators of what changed in the engineering, but they remain manufacturer test results rather than a third-party ranking of mopping performance.
DriLift physically separates the wet roller from carpet
The Max 875 also uses DriLift. When carpet is detected, the roller is raised and a protective shield is lowered to isolate the wet mop from the rug. That is more elaborate than simply lifting a mop by several millimetres. The cheaper Plus 678 does not have DriLift and instead raises its roller by 10 mm.
The AutoWash Dock cleans the roller with 176°F / roughly 80°C water, dries it with 131°F heated air, automatically dispenses cleaning concentrate and empties dry debris. iRobot claims up to 90 days between bag changes, although real maintenance intervals will depend heavily on home size, dirt load and pet hair.
Max 875 vs Plus 678: the meaningful differences
The Plus 678 retains SealForce but drops to 30,000 Pa and 18 L/s airflow. Instead of ThermaMist it uses SprayForce AI, a concentrated pre-treatment spray applied before the roller reaches stubborn residues. Mop pressure falls from 18 N to 15 N. Both models use ClearView Pro Dual-Line LiDAR and PrecisionVision AI, with iRobot claiming recognition of more than 300 common household objects.
The flagship is 9.98 cm tall and is rated to cross thresholds up to 3.5 cm. Those dimensions may matter as much as suction in European homes, where low furniture and room thresholds often determine how much of the floor a robot can actually reach without help.
Europe and Poland remain the big availability gap
At launch iRobot has confirmed US pricing and availability but has not yet announced Max 875 or Plus 678 pricing and sales dates for Poland. European availability is therefore the clearest material update to watch next. The company has launched previous Roomba models in Europe, but it would be misleading to convert $1,199 directly into a presumed euro or Polish price.
The launch also matters strategically. After ownership changes, iRobot needs to restore technical relevance against Chinese manufacturers that have moved rapidly on roller mopping, hot-water docks, side mechanisms, threshold climbing and advanced navigation. SealForce looks like an attempt to create a distinctive mechanical advantage rather than compete only on a specification table.
RoboMorrow editorial decision
PUBLISH. This is a major-player product launch with a real sales start and confirmed pricing. Max 875 and Plus 678 belong in one story because they are part of the same SealForce launch. A separate update should require EU/Poland pricing or availability, a material specification change, or credible independent SealForce testing.
Sources
iRobot — official announcement · The Verge — independent launch coverage