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Robovations
Robovations™
Robot Autonomy, Classified
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Comparison · 2 robots

iRobot Roomba i7+ · Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A

All robot vacuums. Every measure below is plotted against the full class, so a difference can be read against how much the class itself varies.

  1. iRobot Roomba i7+
  2. Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A
iRobot

iRobot Roomba i7+

Autonomy
III Conditional Autonomy
Score
73/100 Strong
Readiness
Ready Now
Price
$899list
Roborock

Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A

Autonomy
III Conditional Autonomy
Score
84/100 Strong
Readiness
Ready Now
Price
$999.99list

Up to three

01 Classification

What each one does on its own.

The Autonomy Ladder is the same five rungs for every robot on the site. A rung describes the conditions a robot handles without you, not how good it is.

V
Generalized
Any task, any setting
IV
Environmental
Handles new obstacles without help
III
Conditional
Finishes familiar jobs on its own
iRobot Roomba i7+Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A
II
Assisted
Runs preset routines, needs rescue
I
Manual
One action, on command
02 Assessment

Where they actually differ.

The Robovations Score is nine inputs across three pillars, each weighted as shown and each scored so that more is better. A robot can lead on one and trail on another, which is the point of showing them apart. Cost of ownership and data handling are reported on each robot's own page and are never averaged into the score.

Capability

Task completion16% of score
Does it finish the job it is sold to do, unattended
  • iRobot Roomba i7+75
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A78
18median 72 across 354 scored robots100
Coverage and navigation10% of score
Does it work the whole area, and hold that between runs
  • iRobot Roomba i7+82
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A75
15median 70 across 344 scored robots100
Edge-case recovery10% of score
Does it recover from the failures its category presents
  • iRobot Roomba i7+50
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A69
18median 50 across 261 scored robots100
Operating envelope4% of score
How far conditions can vary before performance drops
  • iRobot Roomba i7+72
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A92
25median 70 across 320 scored robots100

Dependability

Field failure rate16% of score
Documented hardware failures per owner-year
  • iRobot Roomba i7+80
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A77
6median 70 across 344 scored robots100
Software stability14% of score
Whether updates fix more than they break
  • iRobot Roomba i7+77
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A92
15median 65 across 275 scored robots100
Support longevity10% of score
Committed parts, service and updates, with dates
  • iRobot Roomba i7+52
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A97
0median 63 across 354 scored robots100

Ownership burden

Routine maintenance12% of score
Hands-on time it asks for in normal operation
  • iRobot Roomba i7+91
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A100
22median 68 across 355 scored robots100
Consumables8% of score
Parts that must be bought to keep it working
  • iRobot Roomba i7+61
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A69
30median 69 across 354 scored robots100
03 Measured against the class

How far apart is a long way?

A number only means something next to the spread it sits in. Each track below is the real range across every classified robot in the class, with the median marked.

Price193 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba i7+$899
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A$999.99
$129.99median $699.99$1,799
Runtime168 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba i7+75 min
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A190 min
60 minmedian 180 min360 min
Weight171 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba i7+7.4 lbs
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A8.8 lbs
3.3 lbsmedian 8.2 lbs36.4 lbs
Height189 with a published figure
  • iRobot Roomba i7+3.6 in
  • Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A3.8 in
2.6 inmedian 3.8 in21.4 in

Not compared, because fewer than two of these robots carry a published figure: Suction, Charge time, Noise.

04 Ownership

What the numbers leave out.

The trade-off

What each design gives up to be good at what it is good at.

iRobot Roomba i7+

The i7+ is essentially eight years old in a product category where firmware innovation now accelerates every 18-24 months; the dock works, but the navigation feels incremental versus current flagships.

Clearance pricing tempts buyers away from feature-parity newer models at modest price premiums; the savings are real, and what is forgone is camera-based obstacle recognition and the later software work rather than the brush system, which is the same dual rubber design.

Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A

The Multifunctional Dock 3.0 takes over emptying, washing, drying and refilling, but it is a full-size station that needs a permanent spot near an outlet, and its own clean and waste water tanks are still filled and emptied by hand.

Standard dock requires monthly intervention, yet the robot maps like a $1,200 flagship; capability ceiling is high, but ownership floor is unchanged.

Who each one is wrong for

Stated by the record itself. A robot being wrong for a household is a fact about fit, not a fault.

iRobot Roomba i7+
Homes seeking the latest sensor architecture or autonomy features
2018-era vSLAM is stable but less sophisticated than 2024-2025 models. Camera-based obstacle recognition arrived with the j-series and is not on this robot: cords, socks and pet waste are met by the bumper or cleared from the floor beforehand.
Owners wanting manufacturer support or 5-year firmware commitment
The i7+ is a 2018 platform and new features land on current models first. iRobot publishes no changelog for this robot, so there is no way to state when it last received an update or what that update contained; connected i-series robots continue to receive software through the iRobot Home app.
High-pile or shag carpet households
Owner reports document brush jamming and suction loss on high-pile textures. Original brush design is less robust than s9+ revision.
Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A
Homes with no permanent floor space for a full-size station
The Multifunctional Dock 3.0 holds water tanks, a dust bag and a drying fan. It needs a fixed position on a hard floor next to an outlet and is not a base that gets stowed between runs.
Owners who want a dock with no disposable consumables
The station collects into disposable dust bags rated for up to seven weeks. Bags, mop pads and the filter are ongoing purchases rather than washable-forever parts.
Owners wanting hands-off operation
Dust runs for weeks unattended and the mop pads are washed and dried automatically, but the station's own clean and waste water tanks are filled and emptied by hand. This is low-touch, not no-touch.
WiFi-dependent smart-home integrations
Works over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. Homes running 5 GHz-only networks need a separate 2.4 GHz access point for the robot to join and stay connected.

What stays your job

The upkeep ownership hands back to you, whatever the autonomy level says.

iRobot Roomba i7+
  • Weekly: Check the brushes for hair wraps and clear the side brush. The robot empties its own bin into the Clean Base after runs, so bin emptying is not a scheduled owner task on this model.
  • Every 2-4 weeks: Remove and clean main brush and side brush of matted debris.
  • Every 60 days: Replace the Clean Base bag. iRobot rates the bag at up to 60 days of cleanings, and bags sell for roughly $17-20 per 3-pack. The bag seals on removal and is thrown away rather than emptied, which is the point of the enclosed design in allergen households.
  • Monthly: Wipe dock cavity and charging contacts for dust accumulation.
  • Every 6-8 months: Replace side brush (~$20-25).
  • Annually: Replace main brush (~$35-45) and HEPA filter (~$20-30).
Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A
  • Weekly: Check the main brush and side brush for wrapped hair; refill the station’s clean-water tank and empty its waste tank.
  • Monthly: Rinse the dust filter and wipe the LiDAR window and cliff sensors with a microfiber cloth.
  • Up to every 7 weeks: Replace the dock dust bag when the app reports it full; Roborock rates the bag for up to seven weeks of collection.
  • As wear shows: Replace mop pads, filter and brushes. Roborock publishes no fixed interval or price for these parts.
  • As needed: Wipe the dock tray if residue builds up between its own hot-water self-clean cycles.
05 Evidence

How much each of these is standing on.

Classifications rest on different depths of evidence. A pre-release assessment and a verified one are not the same kind of claim.

Evidence behind each classification
Robot Evidence status Sources reviewed Last assessed
iRobot Roomba i7+ Discontinued 2 Aug 2026
Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A Verified 5 Aug 2026

Robovations classifies robots; it does not rank them. Nothing on this page is a recommendation, and no manufacturer influences a classification or its placement here.