Pros
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Excellent vacuuming
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Retractable mop
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Self-emptying
Cons
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Average mopping
About the iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo
- Dimensions: 13.3 inches x 3.4 inches (W x H)
- Weight: 7.4 pounds
- Charging Based Dimensions: 12.5 inches x 12.5 inches x 14 inches (W x H x D)
- Warranty: 1-year limited warranty
The iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo is a smart vacuum-and-mop hybrid. It is capable of cleaning multiple floor types and make imprint smart mapping to adapt to your home.
What we like
It cleans floors and carpeting incredibly well
This Roomba vacuum and mop delivers on its floor cleaning capabilities.
During testing, it vacuumed up an average of 9.85 grams of debris per run on our robot vacuum obstacle course. This data puts it in the same league as the original Roomba j7+ robot vacuum, which surprised us because it means the addition of the mop feature does not compromise its vacuuming prowess.
Almost 10 grams may not sound like much dirt at all, but given that you can run the iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo every day with zero lift from you, this adds up to what a full-sized vacuum can accomplish over the course of a week.
When it comes to mopping, the iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo performs acceptably, but not exceptionally.
We tested it on a hardwood floor covered with a dusting of talc. A competitor model, the Ecovac X1 Omni does better at pure cleaning. However, this Roomba has a special trick up its sleeve that makes up for it—scroll down to see it in action.
Its mop feature shows off ingenuity
This is how the j7+ Combo prevents getting your carpet wet.
The biggest innovation on the iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo is the unique way it deploys its mop. When the robot vacuum and mop is not using its mop, the mop sits atop the unit.
If you command it to mop through the iRobot home app, the wet pad deploys like a reverse convertible. Doing it like this prevents a dirty wet mop pad from ever dragging across your rugs and carpet, thus making much less of a mess.
It won’t create more of a mess
Across the market, robot vacuums have been known to cause messes when they bump into or run over things. We’ve all seen horror videos of robot vacuums spreading pet waste across a kitchen.
However, the Roomba combo j7+’s object recognition offers peace of mind with its ability to avoid pet waste in addition to avoiding common objects, as you’d expect.
We’ve put the iRobot Roomba j7+’s navigation to the test on a course filled with common landmines like cords, pet waste, and socks. With machine learning and regular updates, the j7+ Combo will continue to get better at object avoidance. All this to say you don’t have to pick up before you clean—but you should. Don’t be lazy.
It self-empties
The iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo has a self-emptying charging dock.
What’s that, you ask? In a nutshell, there’s a secondary vacuum inside the docking base that suctions out the vacuum’s dustbin and places the contents into a sealed bag.
If you’ve ever emptied out the dirt cup of a cordless vacuum, then you know there’s always a dust plume. Thankfully, not here.
The iRobot home app actually makes the process much easier
Via the app, you can easily customize where and how the j7+ Combo cleans.
The iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo is compatible with the company’s OS software platform, we did a deep dive into exactly what this iRobot home app offers.
The major takeaway is that iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ makes cleaning easier and more intuitive by creating smart maps of your floorplans. With these maps, you can customize the way your robot vacuum cleans.
It also works with Google Home and Alexa-enabled devices, so you can give voice commands like “Clean around the kitchen table.” And it will.
What we didn’t like
Bundle deals on other Roombas make the Combo a harder sell
The Braava M6 is a much better mop.
iRobot offers bundles where you can purchase a robot vacuum and mop for a discounted price. As of right now, many of these deals make the Roomba combo j7+ a tough sell.
For example, you can get two individual units—an iRobot Roomba j7+ robot vacuum and an iRobot Braava M6 robot mop—for the same price as the Roomba combo j7+. Why bother? Well, the M6 robot mop has a water tank that’s more than twice the size of the Roomba combo j7+ and our testing shows that it’s way better at cleaning up sticky messes like chocolate syrup.
There are better products on the market, if you pay for them
If money is no object for you, then explore other options because robot vacuum-mop hybrid competition is fierce.
The Ecovacs X1 Omni is a direct competitor, and it has moves. The X1 also has a self-empty function and it can clean its own mop pads.
Plus, it can heed voice commands without a third-party Alexa or Google Home voice assistant—you just have to speak directly to the robot.
On the floor cleaning front, the Ecovacs X1 Omni performs neck-and-neck with the Combo j7+ at vacuuming, but it significantly outperforms it at mopping up messes. Especially since this unit can wash and re-wet its pads.
What owners are saying
At the time of review, the iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo has a 3.8-star rating on Amazon. Consumers like its cleaning power and the smart features.
However, more than a handful of people complained about the noise it makes while self-emptying, as well as its habit of getting stuck while creating smart maps.
Should you buy the iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo?
Yes, if you have a lot of mixed-surface floors
As a robot vacuum-mop hybrid, the iRobot Roomba j7+ Combo excels as a vacuum and has a passable mop feature. It has plenty of advantages over its competitors: It won’t get your carpets wet, it has an intuitive app, the dock is compact and tastefully designed, and it’s backed by iRobot’s outstanding customer service.
However, if you’re interested in more specialized cleaning robots, we’d suggest getting an original j7+ and a M6 Braava as a bundle.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
Meet the tester
Jonathan Chan currently serves as the Lab Manager at Reviewed. If you clean with it, it's likely that Jon oversees its testing. Since joining the Reviewed in 2012, Jon has helped launch the company's efforts in reviewing laptops, vacuums, and outdoor gear. He thinks he's a pretty big deal. In the pursuit of data, he's plunged his hands into freezing cold water, consented to be literally dragged through the mud, and watched paint dry. Jon demands you have a nice day.
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