Read our full review of the Roomba Combo j7+.
Who it’s for:
The Roomba Combo j7+ is for folks who are down to pay a little extra to skip scanning the floor for phone chargers or socks before sending their robot vacuum on a cleaning run.
The j7+ isn’t the vacuum for high-pile carpets, but its performance on low-pile and hard floors (and an ability to easily switch between those surfaces) is reliable, especially with Dirt Detection that triggers multiple passes across serious messes.
Why we picked this:
The Combo j7+ is the first truly hybrid model from iRobot, and its value lies not only in its cleaning (which is more than satisfactory) but in its object avoidance. The Combo j7+ looks nearly identical to the original, but with the addition of what looks like the spoiler on a sports car. That’s the retractable mopping pad.
iRobot’s PrecisionNavigation allows the j7+ to perceive obstacles that other robot vacuums plow right into. Those smarts extend to sensing carpet in mop mode, too: Instead of letting the mop hover and risking drips, the Combo j7+ lifts its mop on top of the vacuum itself. Thanks to this object recognition, this is definitely the botvac to get if you’re nervous about pet waste being smeared across the floor.
Finally, unlike most robot vacuums, the j7+ uses dual brush rolls, which help it scoop up debris from a variety of floor types. So whether you’re worried about pet hair on hardwood floors, scuffs on tile, dust hiding inside carpets, or all of the above, this vacuum is up to the challenge.