The original Roomba was the first robot vacuum in the US, and the second ever made, following Electrolux’s Trilobite the year prior. A basic bump-and-roll bot with bump and cliff sensors, the Roomba rolled randomly around your home, sucking up dirt, bumping from wall to wall, and generally trying not to fall down stairs.

On paper, the iRobot Roomba Max 705 Combo Robot Vacuum and Mop - which is the brand’s newest addition to the fleet - offers a lot. It has 13,000Pa of suction power (which is '175x stronger' than previous ones in its range and above industry average), impressive roller mopping and an AutoWash Dock that should take the hassle out of floor cleaning.

Founded 35 years ago, the Massachusetts company pioneered the development of home vacuum robots and grew to become one of the most recognizable American consumer brands. Over the years, it lost ground to Chinese competitors with less-expensive products.