Is Irobot Going Bust? What To Know Before Buying That Roomba Black Friday Deal

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

iRobot remains astatine consequence of shutting down.
That raises questions astir nan early of Roomba vacuums.
Black Friday shoppers should proceed cautiously.

After announcing a merchandise redesign earlier this year, iRobot is erstwhile again successful nan news for its consequence of bankruptcy -- and its latest financial filing is eye-opening. The institution had announced nan reinvention of its complete merchandise line this past March, arsenic a Hail Mary move to regain its once-dominant stock of the robot vacuum market.

Unfortunately, nan latest SEC filing indicates that iRobot is hanging by a thread, rendering this effort futile.

Also: My picks for nan champion robot vacuums for pet hair: Roomba, Eufy, Ecovacs, and more

Last spring, iRobot's SEC filings painted a bleak financial outlook for nan institution complete nan adjacent 12 months. Now, nan institution is astatine consequence of declaring bankruptcy successful a matter of weeks. iRobot, nan shaper of Roomba robot vacuums, is facing terrible financial challenges, including important debt, indebtedness difficulties, marketplace struggles, and declining revenue.

According to nan latest filing, iRobot whitethorn beryllium forced to "significantly curtail aliases cease operations and apt activity bankruptcy protection" if it can't unafraid caller backing earlier Dec. 1, 2025.

The institution laid disconnected 40% of its workforce successful 2024, reduced hiring, closed offices, subleased portion of its headquarters, and trim trading costs. These measures saved iRobot $126.4 cardinal astatine nan time, but they weren't capable to stabilize nan company. In early 2025, iRobot was banking connected nan motorboat of a wholly caller merchandise statement to reestablish its spot successful nan robot market, which has been weakened by beardown title from Roborock, Dreame, and Ecovacs.

Part of its redesign progressive adopting definite features that person agelong been offered successful these competitors' robot vacuums, specified arsenic dual rotating mop pads and a transparent trading strategy connected its devices. However, nan caller SEC filings authorities that superior dropped from $134 cardinal astatine nan extremity of 2024 to conscionable $25 cardinal successful September 2025.

Also: Why 1 of nan champion robot vacuums for pets is from a marque you've ne'er heard of

iRobot was besides exploring different strategies, specified arsenic trading aliases merging pinch different institution aliases securing caller financing to support itself, but nan imaginable purchaser dropped retired aft nan negotiations failed. While nan committee continues to research alternatives to nan company's demise, nan filing indicates that a woody extracurricular bankruptcy is unlikely.

Should you bargain a Roomba this Black Friday?

Black Friday deals connected Roombas will surely beryllium tempting, but whitethorn transportation consequence for consumers. iRobot is facing imaginable bankruptcy wrong weeks, unless it secures emergency backing aliases a buyer. This intends that Roombas are facing an uncertain future, pinch a deficiency of support, a imaginable shortage of replacement parts, and nary semipermanent package updates.

Also: Best early Black Friday robot vacuum deals 2025: 20+ deals I'd bargain now

This isn't a guarantee, but if iRobot files for bankruptcy or, worse, shuts down, users whitethorn spot unreality features extremity working, for illustration mapping updates and app access. iRobot has besides trim R&D and operating cash, which could impact really -- aliases if -- package bugs and integration issues will beryllium addressed.

What happens to your Roomba if iRobot goes under?

iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max robot vacuum and mop

If iRobot shuts down, existing Roomba models would proceed to work, but they would beryllium offline and usability successful a constricted manner. iRobot would cease offering customer support, package updates, and support for definite smart location integrations that trust connected unreality servers. This intends that you'd apt beryllium capable to usage your Roomba from nan iRobot app aliases done nan robot's fastener to motorboat it, but you would astir apt brushwood much bugs that won't person a hole and beryllium incapable to usage Alexa aliases Google Assistant for sound control.

Also: I tested a robot vacuum pinch 19,000Pa of suction power, and it near my Roomba successful nan dust

Without updates to nan iRobot app aliases your Roomba, your robot vacuum would besides beryllium susceptible to imaginable exploits by malicious actors if it remains connected to nan internet.

Replacement parts would besides beryllium overmuch harder to travel by. You'd person to trust connected third-party vendors and independent manufacturers for filters, brushes, particulate bags, and different parts. These whitethorn not activity arsenic intended aliases whitethorn beryllium incompatible pinch nan robot's system.

Why is iRobot struggling financially?

iRobot is presently burdened by dense indebtedness that has go unmanageable arsenic nan marketplace has shifted and competitors person taken complete nan apical spots successful nan robot vacuum market. In 2023, nan institution secured a $200 cardinal indebtedness from The Carlyle Group, pinch nan volition of supporting its operations during nan Amazon merger review. The Amazon takeover fell through, and nan institution has been stuck pinch nan indebtedness since.

Even pinch its cost-cutting measures successful 2024, iRobot's gross declined 23.4% by nan extremity of nan twelvemonth compared to 2023, dropping to $681.8 million. Until Sept. 27, 2025, nan YoY full gross had declined by 26.5%.

Also: I trial robot vacuums for a living, and this 1 has nan astir useful cleaning characteristic I've seen yet

iRobot amended nan indebtedness pinch The Carlyle Group to get a impermanent waiver connected definite financial obligations, which resulted successful nan institution incurring $3.6 cardinal successful fees and requiring it to rumor 6% of its banal warrants to lenders. As of now, iRobot has nary caller superior sources remaining and has drawn nan past $5 cardinal of restricted rate arsenic of Sept. 30.

The institution attributes its existent financial outlook to respective factors, including nan nonaccomplishment of marketplace stock to fierce Chinese competitors specified arsenic Roborock, little user demand, and macroeconomic factors.