Is iRobot going bust? What to know before buying that Roomba Black Friday deal

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ZDNET’s key takeaways

• iRobot remains at risk of shutting down.
• That raises questions about the future of Roomba vacuums. 
• Black Friday shoppers should proceed cautiously.  

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After announcing a product redesign earlier this year, iRobot is once again in the news for its risk of bankruptcy — and its latest financial filing is eye-opening. The company had announced the reinvention of its complete product line this past March, as a Hail Mary move to regain its once-dominant share of the robot vacuum market.

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

Also: My picks for the best robot vacuums for pet hair: Roomba, Eufy, Ecovacs, and more

Last spring, iRobot’s SEC filings painted a bleak financial outlook for the company over the next 12 months. Now, the company is at risk of declaring bankruptcy in a matter of weeks. iRobot, the maker of Roomba robot vacuums, is facing severe financial challenges, including substantial debt, loan difficulties, market struggles, and declining revenue. 

According to the latest filing, iRobot may be forced to “significantly curtail or cease operations and likely seek bankruptcy protection” if it can’t secure new funding before Dec. 1, 2025. 

The company laid off 40% of its workforce in 2024, reduced hiring, closed offices, subleased part of its headquarters, and cut marketing costs. These measures saved iRobot $126.4 million at the time, but they weren’t enough to stabilize the company. In early 2025, iRobot was banking on the launch of a completely new product line to reestablish its spot in the robot market, which has been weakened by strong competition from Roborock, Dreame, and Ecovacs. 

Part of its redesign involved adopting certain features that have long been offered in these competitors’ robot vacuums, such as dual rotating mop pads and a transparent marketing strategy on its devices. However, the new SEC filings state that capital dropped from $134 million at the end of 2024 to just $25 million in September 2025. 

Also: Why one of the best robot vacuums for pets is from a brand you’ve never heard of

iRobot was also exploring other strategies, such as selling or merging with another company or securing new financing to support itself, but the potential buyer dropped out after the negotiations failed. While the board continues to explore alternatives to the company’s demise, the filing indicates that a deal outside bankruptcy is unlikely.

Should you buy a Roomba this Black Friday?

Black Friday deals on Roombas will certainly be tempting, but may carry risk for consumers. iRobot is facing possible bankruptcy within weeks, unless it secures emergency funding or a buyer. This means that Roombas are facing an uncertain future, with a lack of support, a potential shortage of replacement parts, and no long-term software updates.

Also: Best early Black Friday robot vacuum deals 2025: 20+ deals I’d buy now

This isn’t a guarantee, but if iRobot files for bankruptcy or, worse, shuts down, users may see cloud features stop working, like mapping updates and app access. iRobot has also cut R&D and operating cash, which could affect how — or if — software bugs and integration issues will be addressed. 

What happens to your Roomba if iRobot goes under?

If iRobot shuts down, existing Roomba models would continue to work, but they would be offline and function in a limited manner. iRobot would cease offering customer support, software updates, and support for certain smart home integrations that rely on cloud servers. This means that you’d likely be able to use your Roomba from the iRobot app or through the robot’s button to launch it, but you would probably encounter more bugs that won’t have a fix and be unable to use Alexa or Google Assistant for voice control.

Also: I tested a robot vacuum with 19,000Pa of suction power, and it left my Roomba in the dust

Without updates to the iRobot app or your Roomba, your robot vacuum would also be vulnerable to potential exploits by malicious actors if it remains connected to the internet.

Replacement parts would also be much harder to come by. You’d have to rely on third-party vendors and independent manufacturers for filters, brushes, dust bags, and other parts. These may not work as intended or may be incompatible with the robot’s system.

Why is iRobot struggling financially?

iRobot is currently burdened by heavy debt that has become unmanageable as the market has shifted and competitors have taken over the top spots in the robot vacuum market. In 2023, the company secured a $200 million loan from The Carlyle Group, with the intention of supporting its operations during the Amazon merger review. The Amazon takeover fell through, and the company has been stuck with the loan since.

Even with its cost-cutting measures in 2024, iRobot’s revenue declined 23.4% by the end of the year compared to 2023, dropping to $681.8 million. Until Sept. 27, 2025, the YoY total revenue had declined by 26.5%.

Also: I test robot vacuums for a living, and this one has the most useful cleaning feature I’ve seen yet

iRobot amended the loan with The Carlyle Group to obtain a temporary waiver on certain financial obligations, which resulted in the company incurring $3.6 million in fees and requiring it to issue 6% of its stock warrants to lenders. As of now, iRobot has no new capital sources remaining and has drawn the last $5 million of restricted cash as of Sept. 30. 

The company attributes its current financial outlook to several factors, including the loss of market share to aggressive Chinese competitors such as Roborock, lower consumer demand, and macroeconomic factors. 

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