iRobot Roomba Max 705 Review: A LiDAR Vacuum With 13,000 Pa and a Self-Emptying Dock
Strong suction, laser mapping and Matter support, in a vacuum-only robot that does not mop.
The Roomba Max 705 is iRobot's vacuum-only flagship approach: LiDAR navigation for accurate multi-room mapping, 13,000 Pa of suction, obstacle and cliff detection, no-go zones and an auto-empty dock so the bin does not need touching after every run. Its platform support is the widest in the category, covering Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, Home Assistant, IFTTT and Matter. The thing to be clear about before buying is what it leaves out: there is no mopping at all, and battery life is 75 minutes, which is short for a robot at this price point.
- Carpeted and pet-heavy homes
- Multi-room and multi-floor mapping
- Hands-off maintenance
- Matter and HomeKit households
Pros
- Strong 13,000 Pa suction with dedicated carpet cleaning
- LiDAR navigation with accurate multi-room mapping
- Self-emptying dock, so the bin needs little attention
- Obstacle and cliff detection, plus user-set no-go zones
- Works with Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, SmartThings, Home Assistant, IFTTT and Matter
- Real-time tracking and scheduling in the app
- Auto-recharge when the battery runs low
Cons
- No mopping function at all
- 75 minute battery life is short for a large home
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only
- Dustbin capacities, charging time and noise level are not documented
- Child lock support is not documented
- Premium price for a vacuum-only robot
- One year warranty
Who is the Roomba Max 705 for?
It suits a home where vacuuming is the job and mopping is not: carpets, rugs, pets and daily debris. LiDAR navigation is the right technology for a house with several rooms, because it maps the layout properly instead of bouncing around, which makes zone cleaning and no-go zones dependable. The self-emptying dock is the other half of the appeal, turning the routine from emptying a small bin every run to emptying the dock occasionally. Its integration list is unusually complete, so it will fit whichever ecosystem you run, including Apple HomeKit and Matter.
What it does well
Suction is rated at 13,000 Pa, at the strong end of the category, and carpet cleaning is explicitly supported alongside side brushes for sweeping edges and corners into the robot's path. Navigation covers the full set: LiDAR mapping, obstacle detection to avoid furniture and cables, cliff detection so it does not fall down stairs, multi-room mapping and user-defined no-go zones. In the app you get real-time tracking of where the robot is and what it has covered, plus scheduling for regular unattended cleans, and auto-recharge means it returns to the dock when the battery runs low.
What to know before you buy
There is no mopping function of any kind, so the whole mopping feature set (water tank, detergent dispensing, mop washing, drying and lifting) is absent. If you want a hard floor washed as well as vacuumed, this is the wrong model. Battery life is 75 minutes per charge, which is on the short side for a large home, though auto-recharge and resume mitigate it. Wi-Fi is 2.4 GHz only. Several figures are not documented for this model, including onboard and dock dustbin capacities, charging time, noise level and whether there is a child lock, all of which are worth checking if they matter to you. Warranty is one year.
Is the Roomba Max 705 worth it?
It is priced as a premium robot, and the suction, LiDAR mapping and auto-empty dock are premium features. The question is what you compare it against: at this level many competitors include mopping with automatic pad washing and drying, so a vacuum-only robot has to win on cleaning strength and reliability alone. If your floors are mostly carpet, or you would never trust a robot mop anyway, spending the budget on suction and navigation rather than a water tank is a defensible choice, and the broad platform support (including Matter and HomeKit) is worth something in a mixed smart home.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Roomba Max 705 mop?
No. It is a vacuum-only robot, with no water tank, no mop pad and none of the associated dock features like mop washing or drying.
How long does it run on a charge?
75 minutes. It returns to the dock automatically to recharge when the battery gets low.
Does it empty itself?
Yes. It comes with a self-emptying dock that pulls debris out of the robot's bin after a run.
Does it work with Apple HomeKit and Matter?
Yes. Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings, Home Assistant, IFTTT and Matter are all supported.
How does it navigate?
With LiDAR laser navigation, which maps rooms accurately and supports multi-room maps, zone cleaning and no-go zones, plus obstacle and cliff detection.


