A practical comparison

Roomba 105 Combo or Max 705 Vac?

Roomba 105 Combo and Max 705 Vac share room mapping and an iRobot app, but they are built around different daily jobs. The 105 Combo can vacuum and lay down a damp cloth; the Max 705 Vac is a vacuum-only robot with an AutoEmpty dust dock. “Combo” and “Max” do not tell you which will fit your house. Start with whether you actually want to mop, then check the dock, network, and physical route for the exact U.S. item.

First decide whether mopping is part of the routine

The 105 Combo carries a removable microfiber pad and micro-pump-fed water. Its app offers vacuum-only, mop-only and combined routines, and iRobot describes carpet avoidance during the wet modes. The owner still removes and cares for the cloth, and the robot does not have a washing station. This is the better direction if a light damp-pad pass is useful and you accept the extra handling. It is not a powered roller or spinning-pad scrubber, and it should not be treated as a substitute for manually cleaning set-in marks.

The Max 705 Vac has no mopping function. Its included brushes and carpet boost are for vacuuming debris; the AutoEmpty station transfers dust into a bag. A desire for vacuuming plus less frequent dust-bin handling points toward the Max. A desire for vacuuming plus mopping points toward the 105 Combo. If you want both a powered mop and automatic pad washing or drying, neither of these exact packages supplies that dock routine.

Then compare the dock chores

Roomba 105 Combo Y314020 comes with a Charge-Only Dock, so the owner empties dust manually. The Y354020 version adds an AutoEmpty dock, but it still leaves the microfiber pad in your care. The Max 705 Vac W155020 includes an AutoEmpty dock as standard. iRobot advertises up to 75 days between bag attention for both AutoEmpty arrangements; actual bag timing depends on how much debris the home produces. Do not count a dust bag as a mop-washing feature.

Compare the retailer or manufacturer item code as well as the series name. The black Max 705 Vac is W155020 and the white finish listing is W155220. For the 105 Combo, the base charge-only package is Y314020; Y354020 is the black AutoEmpty package, and the Smoke Y351420 page is a documented finish variant in the same Combo AutoEmpty package. The dock function is the key difference, not the similar “105 Combo” wording.

Wi-Fi may decide the choice for you

Both product lines use the newer Roomba Home app for setup and mapping, but their supported bands differ in the checked U.S. materials. iRobot’s compatibility chart lists 2.4 and 5 GHz for the Max 700 series, while the Roomba 105 series is listed for 2.4 GHz only. If the only available network is 5 GHz, the Max 705 Vac is the documented fit among these options. If 2.4 GHz is available, either can proceed to the next questions. Keep the network name and the robot’s setup requirements in mind before buying; a phone connected to one band does not alter the capability of the robot on another.

Both are full-size robots, so measure first

The Max 705 Vac is listed at 13.8 by 14.0 by 4.1 inches and 7.5 pounds. The 105 Combo is listed at 13.23 by 13.19 by 4.09 inches and 6.27 pounds. Their stated heights are nearly the same; neither is a clear solution for a narrow gap below four inches. Measure a route at its lowest rigid point and allow margin for rugs, furniture skirts and uneven transitions. The reviewed pages do not give an exact threshold-crossing maximum for either model. If an opening or sill is a hard requirement, do not substitute a navigation claim for a dimension or threshold specification.

Choose the plan that matches one real package

• Choose Y314020 if you want the removable cloth, can empty the dust bin yourself, and have 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.
• Choose Y354020 if the same light mopping routine matters but you also want automatic dust transfer. You still remove and care for the pad.
• Choose W155020 if you do not need mopping, want bagged dust emptying, and need the documented 5 GHz option or prefer a vacuum-only operating plan.

All three are app-connected robots, and none should be presumed suitable for a carpet-pile requirement the manufacturer has not specified for that exact configuration. The Max page’s “180x more” suction language is a comparison with a Roomba 600-series model under a specified spot-clean condition, not a direct test against the 105 Combo or other current vacuums. iRobot does not publish an absolute Pa figure for this exact Max configuration. Read the individual Y314020 review, Y354020 review and Max 705 Vac review for each operating plan’s remaining care and limits before deciding.

Manufacturer references: Roomba 105 Combo Y314020, Roomba 105 Combo + AutoEmpty Y354020, Roomba Max 705 Vac W155020 and iRobot Wi-Fi compatibility chart.