iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ Review: Does This Vacuum and Mop Combo Make the Grade?
In 2022, Amazon announced its plans to acquire iRobot, the company behind the popular Roomba line of robot vacuum cleaners. With regulatory approvals seemingly on track, iRobot continues to innovate, especially in India where they’ve launched their most ambitious product yet: the Roomba Combo j7+. This groundbreaking device promises to be the first from iRobot to offer both vacuuming and wet-mopping capabilities in a single unit. Available for Rs. 89,900, the Combo j7+ aims to challenge the status quo in the world of robotic cleaning, where many competitors have already offered combination devices. But does the iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ live up to the hype and justify its premium price tag? Let’s dive into this comprehensive review and find out.
Design: A Familiar Face with New Tricks
While the idea of a robot that can both vacuum and mop isn’t entirely new, iRobot previously stuck to a split product range – Roomba devices for vacuum cleaning and Braava devices for wet mopping. This meant users often had to shell out for both, leading to hefty expenses. The Roomba Combo j7+ changes the game by integrating both functions into one machine.
In terms of design, the Combo j7+ looks remarkably similar to the Roomba j7+. The overall design, the top button, the front-facing camera with a helpful headlight, and the flexible bumper for protecting against impacts are all carried over. The major design differences lie in the dual-purpose dustbin that doubles as a water tank for mopping and the mechanical apparatus that securely holds the mop cloth when not in use. This mechanism allows for easy access and cleaning when needed while keeping the cloth away from the floor and messes. The way the Combo j7+ extends and retracts the mop cloth is truly impressive.
The sales package includes additional cleaning components: a spare sweeping brush, dust filter, two mopping cloths designed for the Combo j7+, a bottle of recommended cleaning fluid, and the Clean Base docking station with two disposable dust bags. You can also purchase the iRobot Roomba Combo j7 variant, which comes without the self-emptying Clean Base docking station.
Navigation and Mapping: A Mix of Strengths and Weaknesses
Like its predecessor, the Roomba j7+ utilizes vSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology for navigation, relying on its front-facing camera to create cleaning maps and identify obstacles. The camera is further enhanced by a headlight, ensuring effective operation even in low-light conditions where camera-based robots often struggle.
Setting up the Combo j7+ in the iRobot app was a breeze. My existing login details immediately fetched the cleaning map of my home, showcasing the app’s ability to seamlessly integrate with previous iRobot devices. While the app updated the map to reflect furniture changes, I still opted for a mapping run, which resulted in a more accurate and detailed map.
While the map was generally accurate, it did exhibit some inaccuracies. In a couple of instances, the Combo j7+ drove off a short "cliff" that it couldn’t climb back over, although it didn’t suffer any damage. In another instance, it got stuck in a narrow gap between a sofa and a wall.
However, the device seemed to learn from its mistakes and improved its navigation after a few cleaning tasks. You can further fine-tune the cleaning by setting up no-go zones or virtual walls, addressing mapping inconsistencies. Notably, the app lacks the ability to view the robot’s location or cleaning status during the task. You have to wait for the task to complete before the iRobot app generates a detailed report.
The iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ navigates around with impressive speed and efficiency, surpassing many other robotic vacuum cleaners I’ve tested. While initial cleaning tasks saw some erratic pathing, subsequent runs became smoother and more predictable. The ability to set carpet zones in the app ensures that the mop is automatically retracted when cleaning carpets, preventing unnecessary mess. This feature, however, can sometimes cause pauses as the robot switches between cleaning modes, slowing down the overall process.
The device requires a strong Wi-Fi connection to function with the app, necessitating placement of the Clean Base docking station near the router. However, even in areas with poor Wi-Fi connectivity, the Combo j7+ utilized its map knowledge to navigate and return to the dock effectively.
iRobot App: A User-Friendly Interface With Essential Features
The iRobot app (available for iOS and Android) stands out as one of the best-designed and reliably performing apps in the robotic vacuum market. It’s notably stable and user-friendly, boasting a clean interface and an intuitive design. The app has remained consistent over time, and as mentioned, quickly recognized my existing home map upon login.
One of its best features is the ability to log in with the same profile on multiple devices, which can be incredibly advantageous for families allowing shared control over the Combo j7+.
The app offers a simple and intuitive user experience that generally operates without technical hiccups. You can easily empty the dustbin, adjust the map, create cleaning schedules, view cleaning history, and monitor the health of the consumable parts. While quick cleaning starts with custom preferences are available, creating "favourites" allows for one-tap initiation of common cleaning tasks.
The app further lets you establish cleaning “zones”, which can be smaller sections of a room. You can then create custom cleaning jobs or "favourites" for those specific zones. While this functionality is a bit more complex than lidar-based robots, it’s still very helpful and compensates for some drawbacks associated with camera-based navigation.
The changes for the Combo j7+ in the app primarily focus on its mopping capabilities. You can see the water level in the tank, specify whether you want vacuuming only or both cleaning modes in individual or "favourite" jobs, and view separate color-coded areas on the map representing vacuuming and mopping tasks.
The app also supports smart home integrations, making the Combo j7+ compatible with Alexa, Google Home, and Siri. You can initiate cleaning commands through smart speakers or your smartphone. The app also allows for basic automation using your phone’s location to start or end cleaning tasks as you enter or leave your home.
Cleaning Performance and Battery Life: A Good but Not Perfect Experience
Unlike many other brands that offer granular customization options for cleaning settings like suction power, iRobot takes a simpler approach. The Combo j7+ automatically adjusts suction power based on its own algorithms. However, you can choose the number of cleaning passes (one or two) and adjust the water flow level for mopping.
The highest water flow level empties the tank quickly, so adjusting the water flow to "Medium" or "Low" depending on your floors and preferences might be necessary. I found that the "Standard" setting worked best on the predominantly granite floors in my home.
The "Eco" setting barely felt like effective mopping, while the "Ultra" setting led to excess water usage and emptied the tank before finishing a cleaning run in my 900-square-foot home. The "Standard" level almost emptied the tank itself but managed to complete a mopping run before running dry.
iRobot discourages using off-the-shelf cleaners and additives because of potential damage to the machine. The bundled cleaning fluid runs out quickly, requiring the purchase of additional bottles from iRobot. Of course, you can always opt for just water as the additive is optional.
Vacuuming alone is faster than the combined vacuuming and mopping process, largely because the robot doesn’t need to pause for carpet zones or retract/extend the mop. A complete vacuuming run in my house took about 45 minutes. Add mopping, and that time jumps up to 65 minutes.
Cleaning individual rooms is naturally quicker, which is how I often used the Combo j7+ to focus on one or two sections each day. Overall, the cleaning time is slightly longer compared to some other models, despite the Combo j7+’s faster navigation, due to careful and effective cleaning practices.
The device’s cleaning capability impressed me. It was able to handle everyday dust and even small debris like food scraps and paper on the floor. While I don’t have rugs or carpets, it tackled cleaning several small mats with ease. The Combo j7+ is very much a capable everyday cleaner, even if you need to do a more thorough manual cleaning every few days.
The self-emptying Clean Base docking station is the same unit found in the iRobot Roomba j7+ and ensures that you won’t have to empty the dustbin manually every few days. The station uses strong suction to automatically empty the dustbin upon activation. You can trigger this manually through the app or set the robot to automatically empty the dustbin after each cleaning task.
The collected dust is stored in a reusable dust bag within the Clean Base station. These bags will need to be replaced periodically. iRobot claims one bag will last for up to 60 days of cleaning. The device comes with one spare bag, but you’ll need to buy additional bags from iRobot, costing Rs. 1,890 for a pack of three.
After finishing a cleaning job, or when the battery is low during cleaning, the Combo j7+ returns to the dock for charging. It will stay docked until needed or charge to a reasonable level before completing a cleaning job. The app doesn’t display specific battery levels, so it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact runtime.
In my experience, after a full vacuum and mop cleaning cycle, the battery level typically drops to around 25 percent. This indicates a runtime of approximately 90 minutes before requiring a charge.
The cleanable area per charge depends on your home layout. However, I estimate that the Combo j7+ can tackle about 1,200-square-feet of hard flooring on a single charge. Charging is relatively slow, taking about four hours to fully charge from 25 percent.
While this isn’t an issue for single or dual room cleaning sessions per day, the adequacy of the battery life ultimately depends on the size of your home and how you use the Combo j7+.
Verdict: A Powerful Combo But Coming at a Premium Price
After much anticipation, iRobot delivers a single product that combines vacuuming and mopping capabilities, ending the need for separate devices. While the previous dedicated product approach offered superior cleaning performance, its hefty price tag and impracticality for many users created a gap in the market that the Combo j7+ aims to fill.
However, the Combo j7+ comes with a significant price tag of Rs. 89,900, making it more expensive than many competitors, even before considering the cost of additional consumables. If your budget is tight, there are more affordable options from brands like Xiaomi, Milagrow, and Ecovacs.
Yet, if you opt for the iRobot Combo j7+, you’ll be rewarded with a great overall user experience. Its intuitive app, decent battery life, self-emptying dock, and effective cleaning performance across both vacuuming and mopping functions make it a tempting choice.
Price: Rs. 89,900
Rating: 8/10
Pros:
- Effective vacuuming and mopping
- Automatic dirt disposal system is very convenient and effective
- Thoughtful and meticulous cleaning and navigation
- Mop retracts when not needed
- Easy-to-use app with convenient smart home functionality
Cons:
- Very expensive to buy and operate
- Navigation needs some improvement
- Mapping and cleaning reports are only available after tasks are complete
