iRobot’s Combo j7 Plus is iRobot’s smartest, strongest robotic so far

iRobot’s latest robotic vacuums are smarter and extra highly effective, and the mopping bot can scrub your flooring extra deeply. A minimum of, that’s what the corporate is claiming because it launches its latest flagships: the $1,399 Roomba Combo j9 Plus vacuum / mop and the $899 j9 Plus vacuum. Each fashions can be found to pre-order now at irobot.com within the US and Canada. iRobot additionally launched two midrange robotic vacuums that may mop final week.

iRobot is clearly feeling the strain from its many, many rivals. These newest fashions deal with bringing extra smarts, energy, and scrubbing motion to maintain up with the likes of Ecovacs, Roborock, and Dreame, who’re launching ever extra fantastical residence cleansing bots.  

Let’s begin with the Combo j9 Plus. It has the similar retractable mop system because the Combo j7, which ingeniously lifts the robotic mop up and over the vacuum so it gained’t contact your carpets. Many of the competitors offers with the issue of dragging soiled mops over the carpet by lifting up their mop pads a number of millimeters, which could be a problem with higher-pile rugs.

I beloved the retractable mop after I examined the Combo j7, however the precise mopping was solely so-so — it didn’t actually scrub, and it was simply outclassed by the oscillating mop pads and spinning mop heads of combo vacs from Roborock and others.

iRobot’s reply to the competitors, which it calls SmartScrub, is really fairly good. Relatively than redesign the mopping equipment, iRobot has your complete robotic transfer forwards and backwards, mimicking the way in which you scrub the ground with a guide mop.

It doesn’t do that in each room; SmartScrub combines with one other new software program function referred to as Filth Detective (extra on this later) to focus on rooms prone to want it, resembling kitchens and entryways. You may as well select to allow it on a room-by-room foundation within the app. Better of all, SmartScrub can also be coming to the Combo j7 Plus by way of a software program replace.

The Combo j9’s different new function is a redesigned auto-empty / charging dock that now robotically refills the mop’s water tank. That is one thing I felt was lacking after I reviewed the Combo j7 Plus; it’s a must to refill that mop reservoir manually. 

The lower-priced $899 j9 Plus is a vacuum-only model of the Combo j9 Plus and comes with the identical dock because the j7. Each new fashions have the identical AI impediment avoidance that arrived on the Roomba line with the j7 — so will skirt widespread family muddle and the canine poop that robotic vac corporations suppose is throughout our houses. It is essential to notice this function makes use of a digicam that’s on the vacuum.

The corporate additionally says that the j9 Plus fashions are Roomba’s strongest so far. iRobot doesn’t launch Pa numbers however says it’s 100% extra highly effective than the i collection. (That mentioned, iRobot’s suction energy claims generally really feel intentionally obtuse — its web site says each the j collection and that i collection are 10 instances as highly effective because the 600 collection, whereas the s9 is 40 instances extra highly effective. Assuming the j9 is twice as highly effective because the i collection, that’s nonetheless solely half as highly effective because the s9. We’ve reached out to iRobot for clarification.)

Each new fashions ship with Model 7.0 of iRobot OS, which introduces an intriguing function referred to as Filth Detective. This learns which rooms in your house are the dirtiest and cleans these first. iRobot says this “analyzes previous cleansing preferences, patterns, and timing to robotically prioritize rooms that want probably the most consideration.”

Filth Detective works with a function launched in iRobot OS 6.0 that robotically identifies room varieties utilizing its onboard digicam. So it guesses a room with a fridge and an oven would be the kitchen (you’ll be able to alter these names within the app). Additionally it is good sufficient to know to wash the lavatory final, avoiding the potential for smearing any lavatory particles over your rugs. 

Curiously, the brand new dock for the Combo j9 doesn’t have a grimy water tank — a function on competitor docks from Roborock and Ecovacs. It’s because it doesn’t clear the mop pad; as an alternative, you’re anticipated to take away it and wash it. This does away with the potential for gunky grungy docks, an actual hazard with the brand new multifunction docks in the event you do not hold them clear. Nevertheless, the Roomba’s mop pad is thinner and smaller than the competitors’s, so I am skeptical as to how efficient will probably be.

Roomba’s present auto-empty dock, which stays for j9 Plus, is the best-designed of the present crop of docks, wanting extra like a chunk of furnishings than others. A enjoyable twist is that the brand new Combo j9 dock can be a chunk of furnishings; they’ve designed the highest to be a aspect desk.

iRobot additionally says its new dock is way quieter than the earlier model when auto-emptying — a course of that on the present dock sounds loads like a jet engine taking off in your lounge. 

Talking of quiet, iRobot is lastly bringing suction-level choices to its vacuums. On the j9 fashions solely, now you can select between low, medium, and excessive suction ranges within the app. An possibility on each different robotic vacuum cleaner on the market, iRobot hasn’t let customers have one of these management earlier than. The principle profit is having the ability to let your vacuum run on low while you’re residence with out it annoying you or your loved ones members.

I spoke to Colin Angle, iRobot’s CEO, forward of the launch, and he defined that the technique with these new robots is to get again to fundamentals with robotic vacuums. “The options you’re ‘supposed’ to need are spinning pads, lasers [lidar navigation], and lengthy battery life,” he mentioned. “However what you really want are cleansing, ease of use, and can it get again to the dock.”

He’s not fallacious right here — it doesn’t matter what number of fancy includes a bot has; if it will get caught, it’s not going to wash your own home. In my testing of bots with spinning mops, I’ve observed they’re extra vulnerable to getting caught; massive flappy mops protruding the aspect are a particular journey hazard. Nevertheless, they do a great job of scrubbing your flooring. We’ll should see whether or not the Combo j9’s new scrubbing motion will make up for that when I get these new fashions in for testing.