Roomba 104 Review — 75-Day Auto-Empty, Powerful Vacuum & Mop

I’ve been using the Roomba 104 Robot Vacuum & Mop for a week now, and I’m impressed with how well it performs. During its cleaning cycles, it picks up dust, crumbs, and pet hair reliably, and the mop function gives my floors a nice refreshed look. It doesn’t replace a deep clean, but for everyday upkeep, it does a great job. The setup and use are very straightforward. Connecting it to the app was easy, and scheduling cleanings takes just a few taps. I love being able to set it to run while I’m out, so I come back to a cleaner home without lifting a finger. In terms of time saved, this little robot has cut down my manual cleaning by at least half. Instead of vacuuming and mopping several times a week, I now only need to do a quick touch-up once in a while. That’s hours of my week back. Noise level is reasonable—quieter than a regular vacuum but not completely silent. It’s easy enough to have running in the background without it being too distracting. Performance overall is strong for its size and price point, and I really appreciate how consistent it is. If you’re looking for an easy, time-saving cleaning companion, the Roomba 104 is definitely worth it.

The Roomba 104 Combo may be an entry-level model, but its lidar navigation is surprisingly effective. It steers clear of carpets while mopping, vacuums thoroughly, and learns our home’s layout quickly—making it a great choice for first-time robot vacuum owners. The charging dock’s built-in vacuum compartment is a convenient bonus. It struggles to reach tight corners, but its combined vacuum-and-mop functionality is impressive. At $520 it’s a solid purchase, and if you can grab it for $350 or less it’s an excellent deal. A real time-saver for keeping the house clean.

I just ran it on vacuum-only mode and it wasn’t as effective as I hoped. It pushed some crumbs around without picking them up, and when I inspected the floors I found dust bunnies and specks of dirt. That said, it did remove the majority of the dust. I’m giving it 3 stars for easy setup, a user-friendly app, and the dirt it did pick up — but it could definitely do a better job.

Wanted to share my excitement about the Roomba 104 with you. After switching from my previous i series robot, I have been thoroughly impressed with the Roomba 104’s performance. The cleaning capabilities are significantly better, and the LiDAR navigation is simply stellar. For an entry-level robot, it is definitely worth every penny.

One of the standout features is the improved suction power, which makes a noticeable difference in the cleanliness of my home. Additionally, the noise levels seem to be lower, making it less intrusive during its operation. The mopping function is fantastic, especially since I have carpets. The Roomba 104 smartly navigates around the carpets without getting confused or stuck.

Another great aspect is the flexibility with cleaning solutions – you can use any solution you prefer, except for vinegar and bleach. The size of the empty base is also worth mentioning as it is small and discrete, fitting seamlessly into my home.

The app is quite user-friendly, allowing you to customize the map and create no-go zones, which is a fantastic feature for an entry-level robot. Overall, I believe the Roomba 104 is an excellent choice for anyone with a small house or apartment.

I previously owned an iRobot 770 (no Wi‑Fi) and it drove me crazy — it would get caught on everything and, if it nearly got stuck, it would obsessively hammer the same half‑inch spot until it finally did, instead of moving on to the rest of the room. This new model is no different. I watched it try to mop the cat scratch post over and over until it finally got stuck there, leaving a huge swath of my living room untouched. It also threw a “brush stuck” error on the edge of my carpet, then got under my entertainment center and wrapped itself around a secured cable, just turning in circles until it tightened the wrap. After only two days I already had to restart it because it wouldn’t connect to the app or Alexa, and the bin doesn’t seem to be emptied properly. In mop mode it won’t mop some areas while vacuuming others — it skips carpets entirely. And it still doesn’t pick up very well; there are lots of small bits of dirt left on the floor.

It is good for basic cleaning not like if you do it

I absolutely love my Roomba 104. I was unsure about buying a robot vacuum, but this model has completely changed my mind — it’s a lifesaver for keeping my floors consistently clean. The combined vacuum and mop functions are incredibly useful.

The ClearView LiDAR navigation is one of the best features: it maps my home and cleans in neat, efficient rows, which is a huge improvement over the random patterns of my old robot. It reliably avoids obstacles and stairs, so I don’t worry about it getting stuck or falling. The suction is powerful and lifts dirt, dust, and pet hair from both hard floors and carpets, and the mopping does a great job of leaving floors truly clean. The self-emptying base station is another major plus — I can go weeks without thinking about it. Overall, the Roomba 104 has exceeded my expectations; it’s a smart, powerful cleaning assistant that saves me time and effort. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a reliable, effective way to keep their home tidy.

If you want a real set it and forget it floor routine without paying a ton, this Roomba has been a lifesaver in my house. I am a busy mom with a busy career, and the floors still manage to look like people live here in a good way. It handles the everyday dust and pet hair we have plenty of, maps the rooms, and goes back and forth in neat lines like a little overachiever. The auto empty base is the hero of the story. I do not have to think about the dustbin for weeks, which feels like getting time back I did not know I was missing. My last Roomba needed constant emptying, so this is a big upgrade.

Set up was easy. I ran it once to map the house, named it because that is what we do with robots now, and then made a simple schedule in the app. I have keep out zones around the kids Lego zone and the dog’s water bowl, and it actually respects those boundaries better than my children. Most nights I tap start after dinner and it cruises around while homework is happening. By the time teeth are brushed, the crumbs are gone and I did not have to haul out the big vacuum.

The mop is a light maintenance mop, which is exactly what I wanted. It keeps the floors presentable between real mop days. Think sticky handprints and faint spaghetti trails disappearing, not grout restoration projects. On mixed floors it avoids rugs while mopping rather than lifting the pad, so it takes a little longer to work around the living room, but it does not drag a damp pad across my area rugs and I will take that trade. For bigger messes I spot mop, but most days this keeps me ahead of the chaos.

Cleaning performance is solid. It fits under our couch and beds, which is where dust bunnies retire. Edges and corners are good enough (see video) that I only grab a handheld once in a while for the truly stubborn spots. Noise is background level. I can still hear spelling words and the oven timer, which is the bar in this house.

A few real life notes. I try to pick up phone chargers before a run. It can handle small stuff, but no robot loves a charging cable. I rinse the mop pad every few days, swap in a fresh one on the weekend, and empty the clean water tank when I remember. The base bags last a while for us, and replacing them has been simple. None of this feels like work compared to daily sweeping and vacuuming.

If your home is mostly hard floors with some low to medium pile rugs and you want a dependable daily clean without babysitting, this is a great fit!!

This was my first robot vacuum. Unboxing was a bit odd — there was no user manual or detailed quick-start guide. After watching a few YouTube videos I learned you need to download the app and connect it to Wi‑Fi, then everything made sense. I love that it returns to the base automatically and empties itself.

The Wi‑Fi connection has been stable, but it still won’t update even though the app says an update is needed. The app shows where the robot is and where it has cleaned; the mapping features look like they’d be especially useful in larger homes. So far it’s doing a good job on its own.

At first I had to remove a lot of obstacles (cables especially). It went into corners and picked up more debris than I expected — which is great, but some debris clogged the brushes and had to be cleared manually. After about a dozen runs in various rooms it has been fully automatic. It occasionally slows for obstacles but rarely gets stuck, and it transitions from hardwood to carpet without issue.

The mop function is more of a light wipe — it improves the floor a bit but don’t expect true mopping. Battery life is more than sufficient. Overall, if you understand the limitations and capabilities of these machines, I recommend it. It looks modern, is very convenient, works well so far, and the app is easy to use. It’s a little noisy, but that’s to be expected from a vacuum.

The setup was incredibly fast and easy. I had it unboxed and connected to the app in under 10 minutes. My little robot, which I named Johnny 5, was mapping my home and cleaning in no time it was easy & effective! This little guy is a powerhouse. It handles the huge hair bunnies from my big Husky/Shepherd without clogging and is much quieter than my old “manual” vacuum. It intelligently switches from vacuuming the carpets to mopping the kitchen floor, leaving them with a perfect, streak-free shine. It’s amazing to have a vacuum and mop in one, and my home has never been cleaner not to mention all the times it saves me. The smart mapping feature is brilliant, and it so far has not got stuck anywhere in my home. I only wish I’d made this purchase sooner. Johnny 5 is my new best friend! If you’re thinking about it, just do it. This robot is a total game-changer for my home.

I bought this Roomba as a gift for my father. I needed something simple and easy to operate, especially for someone without a smartphone for the app. While I know he could unlock more functions like scheduling if he had the app, I love that he doesn’t need it to use the robot. My dad simply pushes the button on top and away it goes! He’s amazed at how well it works and equally impressed that the robot empties itself into the base without him having to lift a finger.

The fact that it mops was a bonus for my dad who at first wasn’t sure if he would use it. I showed him how easy it is to get the robot ready–just add the pad, fill the water tank, and again, simply push the button to start. This Roomba is even smart enough to avoid the area rugs when mopping! No need to block them off or roll them away. My dad is excited to have his new Roomba buddy, Duke.

He admits that vacuuming isn’t as easy or enjoyable as it used to be. But Duke will make it easy for him to keep up on his floors and, so far, he’s loving it!

I bought this Roomba—I call him Jeeves—to save time on chores and keep the house clean, and he’s been perfect for that. Setup was a breeze: the cardboard insert directed me to the app and included clear instructions, and after downloading the app I added Jeeves, connected to Wi‑Fi and installed a quick software update with no fuss. The initial mapping took about 10 minutes and then he was ready to go. His vacuuming performance exceeded my expectations—dog hair didn’t stand a chance—and he transitions from tile to carpet smoothly. He’s quiet while cleaning and navigates around furniture with ease. Great value overall: scheduled cleanings are a huge time-saver, and the vacuum-and-mop combo is ideal for my daily maintenance needs.

We recently got this iRobot Roomba 104 vacuum and floor mopper, and it’s our first experience with any type of home automation. I’ve got to say, I think we’ve been missing out, because this thing is terrific! It never occurred to me that having something like this would be such a time saver. We’ve set it up on a schedule so it does its thing when we’re asleep or not around, and now we’re waking up/coming home to freshly cleaned floors.

Set up was a piece of cake–We took it out of the box, placed it in the corner of our dining room out of the way, and plugged it in. There was a piece of cardboard in the box with a QR code on it. I took a picture with my camera and it got me to the app store where I downloaded the Roomba Home app. The app guided me through the setup process, which took all of ten minutes; I created an account, connected the robot to our Wifi network (connectivity was easy), and it was ready to go. The first step was to have the robot map the first floor of my home (Sadly, it doesn’t seem to be able to climb stairs–yet). It went off to do its thing, and it was actually sort of cool to watch it motor around the house figuring out where to go. Once that was done, the app had a map of my house. I took a few minutes in the app to separate the map into the specific rooms (which is very easy to do), and then I used the app to create a schedule of when the robot would clean a specific room.

Now, our little robot goes about its business, keeping our floors nice and clean. We have yet to encounter any dirt it couldn’t pick up, and it does it very quietly. Since it’s connected to our home Wifi network, we can tell it to clean our floors from anywhere. I’ve used the app to get it to clean our floors while I was away just for the heck of it (and to get a rise out of the dog!)

The Roomba really does a good job, and takes a tedious task off of our plate. The fact that we were able to get it on sale made this purchase an absolute no-brainer; it’s a great robot at a great price.

Now that we’ve discovered the world of automation, we’re looking at other things to try. I’ve read that you can control the Roomba with Alexa or Siri, though we’re still pretty new at this, so baby steps.

The Roomba 104 Combo, despite being a low-tier model, impresses with its efficient lidar navigation. It avoids carpet while mopping, handles vacuuming with ease, and adapts well to our home’s layout. It’s a fantastic option for first-time robot vacuum owners, bringing both convenience and value. The inbuilt vacuum compartment in the charging dock is a handy feature. While it can’t reach tight corners, its versatility in vacuuming and mopping is impressive. At $520, it’s a commendable investment. If you find it on sale for $350 or less, it’s a stellar deal for first-time buyers. A must-have for simplifying your cleaning routine!