Home LivingSmart HomeiRobot Roomba Combo J7+ review: a top two-in-one robot vac with retractable mop headiRobot’s latest version of the current Roomba J7+ robot vac takes rear-mounted mopping to a higher levelWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: iRobot)T3 VerdictiRobot’s latest update of the current Roomba J7 now adds an articulating mop that retracts when running on carpets and this is a great thing for anyone with mixed flooring. It means you can now sit back and let an autonomous bot do all the hard graft while you get on with something more important, like life.Reasons to buy+Superb vacuuming performance+Perfect for both carpets and hard floors+Clever retractable mop plate+Attractive Clean BaseReasons to avoid-Not suitable for use in total darkness-May leave marks on high-end glass-like floors-Noisy bin emptyingWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Home LivingSmart HomeiRobot Roomba Combo J7+ review: a top two-in-one robot vac with retractable mop headiRobot’s latest version of the current Roomba J7+ robot vac takes rear-mounted mopping to a higher levelWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: iRobot)T3 VerdictiRobot’s latest update of the current Roomba J7 now adds an articulating mop that retracts when running on carpets and this is a great thing for anyone with mixed flooring. It means you can now sit back and let an autonomous bot do all the hard graft while you get on with something more important, like life.Reasons to buy+Superb vacuuming performance+Perfect for both carpets and hard floors+Clever retractable mop plate+Attractive Clean BaseReasons to avoid-Not suitable for use in total darkness-May leave marks on high-end glass-like floors-Noisy bin emptyingWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
iRobot’s latest version of the current Roomba J7+ robot vac takes rear-mounted mopping to a higher level
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: iRobot)T3 VerdictiRobot’s latest update of the current Roomba J7 now adds an articulating mop that retracts when running on carpets and this is a great thing for anyone with mixed flooring. It means you can now sit back and let an autonomous bot do all the hard graft while you get on with something more important, like life.Reasons to buy+Superb vacuuming performance+Perfect for both carpets and hard floors+Clever retractable mop plate+Attractive Clean BaseReasons to avoid-Not suitable for use in total darkness-May leave marks on high-end glass-like floors-Noisy bin emptying
(Image credit: iRobot)
(Image credit: iRobot)
T3 VerdictiRobot’s latest update of the current Roomba J7 now adds an articulating mop that retracts when running on carpets and this is a great thing for anyone with mixed flooring. It means you can now sit back and let an autonomous bot do all the hard graft while you get on with something more important, like life.Reasons to buy+Superb vacuuming performance+Perfect for both carpets and hard floors+Clever retractable mop plate+Attractive Clean BaseReasons to avoid-Not suitable for use in total darkness-May leave marks on high-end glass-like floors-Noisy bin emptying
T3 VerdictiRobot’s latest update of the current Roomba J7 now adds an articulating mop that retracts when running on carpets and this is a great thing for anyone with mixed flooring. It means you can now sit back and let an autonomous bot do all the hard graft while you get on with something more important, like life.
T3 Verdict
iRobot’s latest update of the current Roomba J7 now adds an articulating mop that retracts when running on carpets and this is a great thing for anyone with mixed flooring. It means you can now sit back and let an autonomous bot do all the hard graft while you get on with something more important, like life.
Reasons to buy+Superb vacuuming performance+Perfect for both carpets and hard floors+Clever retractable mop plate+Attractive Clean BaseReasons to avoid-Not suitable for use in total darkness-May leave marks on high-end glass-like floors-Noisy bin emptying
Reasons to buy+Superb vacuuming performance+Perfect for both carpets and hard floors+Clever retractable mop plate+Attractive Clean Base
Superb vacuuming performance
Perfect for both carpets and hard floors
Clever retractable mop plate
Attractive Clean Base
Reasons to avoid-Not suitable for use in total darkness-May leave marks on high-end glass-like floors-Noisy bin emptying
Not suitable for use in total darkness
May leave marks on high-end glass-like floors
Noisy bin emptying
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus deals
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Is it enough, however, to justify the price iRobot is asking, when the all-conquering likes of theRoborock S7 MaxV Ultraare out there? Can this Roomba make it into our best robot vacuum cleaners list?
Let’s find out, shall we?
iRobot Roomba Combo J7+: price and availability
In the UK the iRobot Roomba Combo J7+isavailable initially from the iRobot storewhere you can purchase the Roomba Combo J7+ for £999 or the non-Clean Base Combo J7version for £799.Amazonwill almost certainly follow suit shortly.
If you live Stateside, head over to the US iRobot store where the Combo J7+retails at $1,099.99or Amazon where it’sselling for a big 99 cents less!
iRobot Roomba Combo J7+ review: design & features
Don’t worry, the mopping plate doesn’t just hang around in the air. In fact it folds flat on top of the unit(Image credit: iRobot)
Don’t worry, the mopping plate doesn’t just hang around in the air. In fact it folds flat on top of the unit
Don’t worry, the mopping plate doesn’t just hang around in the air. In fact it folds flat on top of the unit
(Image credit: iRobot)
If you have pets in the home or your house is generally very dusty, I would avoid buying any robot vac without a self-cleaning station since their bins are so small you will spend as much time manually emptying them as you would vacuuming the floor using something from ourbest cordless vacuum cleanerlist. The same applies to the Combo J7. Yes, the Clean Base costs an extra £200, but it’s money well spent.
As my standardRoomba J7+ reviewmade clear a few months back, the standard mop-less version of this is one of the very best models I’ve tested. And when it comes to vacuuming, the Combo is no different. It’s the same size and it comes with the same excellent dual rubber rollers, the same edge brush for flinging detritus on the edges of a room into the path of the suction head, and the same intelligent iRobot OS software that helps it avoid obstacles like charging cables, stray socks and dog poop. In fact the only major difference is the higher amp-hour battery (4,400mAh) and the new internal bin system which is now divided into two parts – a 400ml container for dust collection plus a small 300ml liquid receptacle for the mopping function’s cleaning solution.
There also appears to be zero difference with the Clean Base which is inarguably still the best looking charging-cum-bin emptying unit in the business, even if it is the loudest and therefore most annoying one to be within earshot of.
iRobot Roomba Combo J7+ review: mopping system
(Image credit: iRobot)
(Image credit: iRobot)
Many modern robot vacs are fitted with rear-mounted wet mopping pads that drag along the floor picking up light particles of dust and even tackling some light stains. However, the majority of vac mops are not able to travel across carpet or rugs and those that do may leave a damp stripe on the carpet. Roborock was the first to address this issue with the excellentRoborock S7which has a vibrating mop on the rear that raises a few centimetres whenever it detects carpets.
When I wrote a recent news item on theRoomba Combo J7+, I had to do it from the press release and some supplied images. Two of the images captured the mop attachment halfway through its folding process so the mop appeared to be hovering in the air behind the vac. I simply assumed the mop was designed this way and complained that it could easily be trod upon while it was vacuuming a carpet. But I was wrong because, wahey, the mop attachment actually folds flat to the top rear of the Combo J7, keeping it well away from harm.
The Roomba Combo J7+ comes with two microfibre mopping pads, two small packets of concentrated cleaner for hard surfaces and wooden floors, two vacuum bags – one already mounted and the other in its storage holder – a spare filter and an extra side sweeping brush.
iRobot Roomba Combo J7+ review: mopping performance
The Roomba Combo J7+ in mopping mode(Image credit: iRobot)
The Roomba Combo J7+ in mopping mode
The Roomba Combo J7+ in mopping mode
(Image credit: iRobot)
The very first thing to note about all robot vac mops is that they can’t clean up large spills like porridge, vomit or other disgusting messes. This is because they simply drag a wet pad around behind them. Yes, they will definitely clean a dried wine stain or some muddy footprints but they’ll simply smear larger spills across the floor. If you want a machine that cleans up most heavy spills effectively, buy abest hard floor cleanerlike the superbBissell Crosswave Cordless Max, which I rate very highly.
The Combo J7 proved to be very effective during my bathroom and kitchen tests, leaving a clean, broad path of shininess in its wake. I got the best results on these floors when using the highest wet setting. However, for my wooden floors I selected the lowest water setting just in case of damage.
iRobot Roomba Combo J7+ review: vacuum performance
This is one of the most impressive robots for vacuuming duties, and the dogs agree(Image credit: Future)
This is one of the most impressive robots for vacuuming duties, and the dogs agree
This is one of the most impressive robots for vacuuming duties, and the dogs agree
(Image credit: Future)
I have absolutely no qualms with the vacuuming performance of this robot vac on both hard floors and carpet. In fact it’s one of the best robot vacs on carpet. I put this down to iRobot’s innovative dual, ribbed rubber roller system which batters the carpet, releasing all manner of buried matter and sucking it up using its above-average suction system. However, the downside to these rollers is that they have been known mark really shiny specialised floors like polished concrete or glass-like surfaces over time.
Rather cleverly, the onboard AI ensures that the Combo J7 avoids the majority of obstacles – even dog mess – and when its mini bin is full it trundles back to the charging base whereupon all the stuff it has collected is sucked into the Clean Base’s disposable dust bag. You should get a month’s worth of cleaning before having to instal a new dust bag.
I’ve been using the standard J7 – essentially the same machine – for the past year or so and it’s rarely missed a beat. It cleans really well – as well as to be expected from a robot vac – and I love the style of the Clean Base though I can’t stand the noise it makes when emptying.
iRobot Roomba Combo J7+ review: iRobot app
The iRobot app is really easy to navigate and filled with a myriad of functions(Image credit: iRobot)
The iRobot app is really easy to navigate and filled with a myriad of functions
The iRobot app is really easy to navigate and filled with a myriad of functions
(Image credit: iRobot)
The Roomba Comba J7+ works in conjunction with the excellent iRobot app. Once installed, this intuitive app will let you create new maps of the home, retrieve existing maps for any previous iRobot vacs, mark no-go zones like dog water bowls and set daily cleaning schedules. However, if setting a daily cleaning regime for early morning or late at night, be sure to have a light on so it can see where it’s going. Although the Combo J7 has an LED headlight, it still requires a little extra light to function correctly. Yes, it’s a bit of an inconvenience but sadly this vac isn’t equipped with LIDAR navigation so it’s not great in total darkness.
The Roomba Combo J7+ can also be commanded usingAlexaorGoogleAssistant voice prompts though I hasten to add that I have never tried voice commands with any robot vac I’ve ever had because I can’t see the point. After all, it was painful enough just setting up Alexa to turn on myPhilips Huelights.
iRobot Roomba Combo J7+ review: verdict
(Image credit: iRobot)
(Image credit: iRobot)
Given that the Combo J7+ costs £100 more than the standard vac-only version, it’s arguably worth spending the extra ton if you have a lot of hard floors in the home, specifically the kitchen and bathroom. From a vacuuming point of view it genuinely is one of the very best models on the market, especially on carpet. But whether you really need the mopping ability as well is open to debate.
The Best Robot Vacs you can buy
And these are the Best Robot Vac-Mops
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iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus: Price Comparison
$999$699View$1,099.99$894View$899.99View$999.99View
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$699
$1,099.99$894View
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