With a new owner imminent, iRobot is already getting into Amazon’s discount game by slashing prices on its brand new vacuum cleaners this Cyber Monday. On Friday it launched its new budget and mid-range models, the Roomba Combo i5 Plus and Combo j5 Plus, and on Sunday iRobot slashed $400 off its new top-of-the-range models, the j9 Plus and Combo j9 Plus.
The Roomba j9 Plus is the company’s new flagship robot vacuum and is available for $599. from $899 at Amazon, Best Buy and Wellbots. It has a self-draining dock and all the features of Roomba j7, including AI-powered obstacle avoidance to avoid household waste such as cables, clothing, shoes and pet waste, as well as higher suction power than the previous model. J7 of the latest generation. It also offers the ability to choose three suction levels and a new feature called Dirt Detective, which detects which rooms in your home are dirtiest and cleans those first.
The j9 Plus is one of Roomba’s newest robot vacuums and features increased suction power, AI obstacle avoidance mapping, and a self-emptying docking station.
The Combo j9 Plus is the first Roomba that can both refill its own mop and empty its container. It features a new SmartScrub feature that can move back and forth to mop floors more effectively.
This mopping Roomba has dropped to its lowest price ever. It’s as good as the j7 Plus, with the bonus of a retractable mop on top that can polish your hard floors while vacuuming. It’s great at avoiding obstacles, has good battery life, and has an auto-emptying docking station. Read our review.
The mopping version of the Roomba Combo j9 Plus is also available for $999 ($400 off) at Amazon, Lowe’s, and Wellbots. This is the first Roomba that can both fill its own mopping container and empty its own mopping container. Its redesigned self-emptying/filling dock has a new look that’s also practical – its wooden top can serve as a side table, providing space for additional supplies for the robot. Unlike most other robot mops, the Combo j9 has a retractable mop that it can lift above its body when it needs to vacuum carpets. Read my Combo j7 Plus review to see how it works.
The Combo j9 features a new mopping feature (also available on the j7) called SmartScrub, which moves the robot back and forth while mopping to simulate scrubbing. When combined with Dirt Detective, SmartScrub targets rooms where it is more likely to be needed, such as kitchens and entryways.
I haven’t tested any of the new Roomba yet, and iRobot isn’t discounting its excellent j7 Plus model, which is my top pick for the best robot vacuum you can buy. Plus, it’s pretty hard to find anywhere right now, even though it’s available at Walmart for $685, $115 cheaper.
However, the almost identical combo j7 Plus with additional mop is available for $699, down from $979. The main difference between the Combo j7 and the new j9 is that it doesn’t have the larger mop refill base or the new Dirt Detective feature. it also has lower suction power. However, the j7 gets the SmartScrub function.
The Roomba Combo j7’s built-in water tank is small, so without the refill base, you’ll have to refill it every time you want to mop your floors. If that’s a deal breaker for you, spend the extra $300, otherwise save the money and get the combo j7.
The Roomba Combo i5 Plus is the company’s affordable robot vacuum and mop with a self-draining dock and room mapping capabilities, but no virtual exclusion zones.
The Combo j5 Plus is Roomba’s mid-range robot vacuum and mopping combo. It has a self-draining docking station and interchangeable modules for vacuuming or mopping.
The Roomba Combo i5 Plus ($349, vs. $549 at Amazon, Target and Wellbots) and the Combo j5 Plus ($499, vs. $799.99 at Amazon, Best Buy and Wellbots) are iRobot’s new budget and mid-range bots that can vacuum, mop and self-empty. Both are on sale this week at a discount of almost 40 percent. If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty, you can purchase either model without the self-draining base. The Combo i5 (robot only) is $229 down from $349 and the Combo j5 (robot only) is $348.99 down from $549.99.
I haven’t tested these new bots yet, but as an upgrade to my lowest-priced Roomba i3 Evo (which is currently hard to find), the Combo i5 Plus features a replaceable mopping container and a slimmer self-draining base. It has mapping but no exclusion zones, making it best suited to hardwood floors – unlike the higher-priced combo models, it doesn’t lift its mop when it hits carpet.
The new Roomba Combo j5 Plus is essentially the same robot as the i5, but with a sleeker look and more intelligence. It allows for no-go zones and no-wipe zones and features AI-powered obstacle avoidance of the J7 and J9 lines, eliminating common household clutter.
The i5 and j5 models use interchangeable containers for mopping. Image: iRobot
My current pick for the cheapest robot vacuum, the Roomba i3 Evo Plus, is available at The Home Depot for $399.99. That’s a great price for an excellent vacuum, but it has a larger base than the i5 and no mopping option. If you want to mop with it, Amazon has a combo deal with the Brava Jet M6 robot mop for $568, down from $899.99 at Amazon.
This is a good price for two robots and worth considering if you only have one floor/area you want to mop regularly, such as a kitchen or bathroom. The Brava Jet is a good robot mop, but it is very slow and cannot handle high transitions. The i3 is an excellent budget vacuum cleaner; However, like the i5, it lacks virtual exclusion zones.
All Roombas work with the iRobot app for scheduling and mapping and can be controlled by smart home platforms and voice assistants, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri.
Update November 27, 11:35 a.m. ET: Updated to include sales details for the combo j7 Plus and i3 Evo.