Customer Ratings & Reviews

The Roomba j7+ is the 4th robot vacuum I've used in my home. My first foray into robot vacs was a basic off-brand model which only had to cover one small room and didn't do a great job of it. It was the type that does the drunk walk around your room, bouncing off object and walls until it thinks it got everything. Next, we purchased a mid ranged model with LiDAR and wifi connectivity. This unit did a great job, but ultimately was undone by a home with twin toddlers and too much mess on the floor too much of the time. Then, last year, I received a model with mopping built in through the Tech Insider Network, which also relied on LiDAR and did a great job - it just had really low capacity and required being emptied all the time. Finally, we come to this iRobot Roomba j7+ - my first robot vac from the company that popularized the robot vac. I highlighted my previous robots because I think there are some key things that set this j7+ apart from my old models. First, the j7+ relies on a front mounted camera and machine learning instead of a LiDAR system. Second, the j7+ attempts to solve the 'capacity' problem by having the cleaning base station which empties the robot for you, greatly extending the amount of time between emptying the vacuum into the trash. On the first front, the j7+ using a camera instead of LiDAR, is a blessing and a curse. On the blessing side, it does a really good job of avoiding small obstacles (for example, socks) that are left on the ground. When you have two 5 year old boys running around, this is a great feature! Of course, iRobot advertises this model as avoiding dog poop, and I hope to never test that feature - but I absolutely believe it could do so. The downside of the system is that it does not quite map the edges of a space as accurately as my LiDAR vacs have done in the past. As a result, the Roomba j7+ bumps into more things than my previous vacuum (especially when moving in reverse). It's not like it bounds around crashing into things with force that could knock a vase over. It's just noticeable that it hits chair legs occasionally. So keep that in mind. On the second point, the base station that empties the robot for you -- I hate it. It's ludicrously, obnoxiously loud. Picture having the loudest, most powerful shopvac in the world, with no sound insulation, going off every time the vacuum returns home. It is beyond awful. My home has a semi open floor plan and hardwood floors - the base station is two rooms away from my bedroom, next to the trash can in the kitchen/dining room. It is such a cacophony of sound that it can function as an alarm clock for me even though the base station is on the other side of the house. It's around a corner and down a short hallway. It's insane. The noise from the base is enough that I really regret not picking the model without it, because the robot itself is really, really good (and not at all loud!). Due to the base, I can't use the robot how I normally used my previous units - we'd pick up the floor after the twins went to bed, then run the vac. Now I'd be too worried it will wake them up. So the robot will be running during the day when we are gone, and the base station will be scaring the crap out of our pets. Finally, this sorta goes in the section about the camera vs LiDAR, but I wanted to end the review on a high note and explain why I gave it 4 stars despite the loud base. The smart map feature of the Roomba j7+ is awesome. I was actually genuinely surprised at how accurate the map is given the lack of LiDAR - I just assumed it would be worse than the model I'm replacing. Definitely not the case. The map is very accurate, and iRobot's clearly done a lot of work to make it user friendly. When you go to divide the map into different "rooms," the app suggests a name for each space - it was perfectly right with each suggestion for me, even though my living, dining, and kitchen 'rooms' are almost the same space being divvied up. It was kind of a wow moment when setting up the map. Now that I've done the set up, it's really easy to tell my google assistant to run the roomba for just the kitchen, or just the entryway. Overall, the Roomba j7+ is a 5 star robot vacuum - great cleaning ability, good coverage, not very loud, good run time per charge. Unfortunately, it's got a 2 start base - a great idea that DOES work (and provides a great benefit!). The base is just too loud to be used when my kids (or us adults) are sleeping. If you can work around that, not having to constantly empty the bin from your robot is a huge plus. Either way, this vacuum is an upgrade from either of the premium models I have had before.

It takes some days to learn but it cleans everything

Does a very good job of vacuuming our whole house.

Not very good at suction. The Roomba S9 does much better job at cleaning.

I would give it a 5 star but it doesn’t vacuum against the baseboards. It’s such a time waste to have to go behind it and pick up debri on the floor.

Waste of money. I have had it replaced twice u der warranty.

Worst Vaccum I have ever tried, and I have stuck with it, as the problems didn't show up until the 30 days return period was over, IRobot sent me another vacuum, and I still have some issues, They are sending me another base. Let me tell you an honest opinion, I have paid $700 from hard-earned money, for Pain in the butt, I maintain this vacuum more than it works. Not good wit Pet's hair at all, unless you are someone who retired and needed something to waste your time on. It can't find the base most of the time and doesn't self-empty most of the time. Bin is full is my life story. Save your money do not buy this Junk. The customer service is good tho. The extending warranty is worth the new vacuum. I think that was my worst buy ever in my whole intier life.

Issues on a daily bases, poor performance, week connection. Not satisfied at all….waste of money

I was so excited to get a new iRobot as we had had our first one for five years (she is still going strong) but I wanted one that emptied itself. The new one worked for 2 months and then gave error 26. We have replaced the battery and the entire sensory unit and she is still giving error 26. Don’t waste your money - buy the regular iRobot!!!

Not what I expected. This is my second one of this version. The first one the side brush stopped spinning. This second one, too many errors, on a daily basis, it becomes stuck, clogged or can't dock correctly. Not worth the price. Planning on returning this one too.

My experience with the Roomba was less than satisfying. We tried for a week and a half and over the course of four mapping attempts to get the robot to learn the home. The final straw for me was I got stuck on our chair four separate times three times across the same mapping attempt. I don’t need a vacuum that I have to babysit! We returned it. Best Buy was of course awesome about the return.

You can not tell how much trash it is picking up and unable to tell how full the bag is

Horrible. Error ls like crazy out of the box and had to return.

This thing runs over everything and gets stuck on everything. I have mapped this thing at least 4 times now. Tried doing a full cleaning during the night and the vaccum was lost when I woke up. Never went back to the base. It was under the couch caught on extension cords! Why am I going to have to babysit an $800+ vaccum so much. Absolutly Ridiculous

Having trouble with maps. Error messages continually come up and vacuum does not start.

I replaced an older, “dumb” roomba with this and regret this purchase. The older, random cleaning style was far better at cleaning than this J7. The battery life is not very good and the app is terrible. Look for another smart vacuum.

While iRobot may have popularized robot vacuums, it seems like everyone makes one these days, and at every conceivable price point. Having used both a Deebot-branded robot and an iRobot Roomba i3 in the past year, I was very curious to see what iRobot's latest entry could do. I was overall pleased with the performance of the i3 I used previously, but found that I couldn't always trust running it while I wasn't home. It cleaned the floors effectively and avoided larger obstacles, but struggled with complex layouts, shiny chrome chair legs and cords. I dreaded getting a "Roomba is Stuck" message on my phone while I was out as it meant the vacuuming would not be done when I got home. Enter the j7 line -- while similar in design and power to the i3 line, the j7 includes a camera on the front of the robot designed to help it find and avoid obstacles, especially the ever-pesky dog doodoo. The j7 include iRobot's latest machine-learning power, able to detect and avoid a variety of obstacles as well as build a smart map of your home with clean zones, keep out zones, room labels and the like. The j7+ also includes iRobot's latest Clean Base, which automatically empties the robot's dust bin into a vacuum bag while the robot is docked and charging. Setup was a breeze, even easier than the i3 due to the inclusion of Bluetooth LE. The first run of the j7 took nearly an hour, during which it began building a smart map of my home. After running this first "cleaning mission" the iRobot app allowed me to send the j7 on a "mapping mission" during which it did not vacuum but instead focused on building a more complete map of my space. After the mapping mission, the app presented me with an editable Smart Map, allowing me to adjust room boundaries, label rooms and add Clean Zones and Keep Out Zones. Using the iRobot app is a breeze and worked nearly flawlessly. After a third run of the j7 I found the map to be highly accurate, and I was able to add a Clean Zone outside my cat's litter box. Even better, after encountering obstacles like cords, the j7 saved a picture that I was later able to review in the app. I was able to tell the vacuum whether the obstacle was temporary (like a forgotten sock) or permanent (like a power cord) and even direct the robot to go back and clean areas with forgotten items once I'd picked them up. In use, the j7 cleaned effectively, and got progressively faster after each run. It was clear the vacuum was learning the space, which was neat to see in real time. The j7 is brave, and got stuck twice in my testing, but after freeing it the robot was able to resume cleaning easily and remember where it was stuck so as to avoid the area. In contrast, the i3 would sometimes have trouble resuming after becoming stuck, because it would lose its place within my home. Voice control with the Google Assistant works well; I can tell j7 to clean a specific room or clean zone and have it do so with no issue. The Roomba respects the boundaries set in the app and seems to have no trouble going to and from rooms as directed. It hasn't gotten stuck on cords or curtains, either, which is something the i3 occasionally struggled with. It also finds the home base much quicker than the i3. My only real complaint with the j7 is noise. It's not a quiet machine, which iRobot says is because of how powerful the suction is. Seeing as how the j7 is a nimble navigator I have no qualms about running this while I'm not home, so this is not a big issue for me. I will say, however, that the automatic Clean Base is very loud -- some have compared it to an airplane taking off, and I concur -- so be mindful of this if you're running it while someone is sleeping. The Clean Base only makes noise for 10 seconds or so after the robot docks, so again, this can all happen while you're out of the house3, and you'll be none the wiser. Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the Roomba j7+. It's a noticeable upgrade from the i3 I had before, and has no trouble with the complex layout of my apartment. While noisier than other machines, it can be set to run while you're away with little worry about getting stuck. The iRobot app works extremely well, and the Smart Map is both really cool and genuinely useful. I also appreciate iRobot's long track record of reliability, support and parts availability. It makes the high price a little easier to stomach. Overall, this really is the Cadillac of robot vacuums -- or perhaps the Volvo of robot vacuums, as it's both sleek, powerful and reliable. If you want the best money can by, this should be right at the top of your shopping list.

Poor product. We have had several floor cleaners amd this was the worst one yet. The eye on the front docks at an angle and cant read the QR code. That means it wont charge and empty without assistance. Maybe I got a lemon.

I’ve had this robot vacuum since June. The past 3 weeks, it has been stopping about 1 minute into its run job. It will light up red and send me a message that says it got stuck and was rebooted (it’s in the middle of the floor - not stuck on anything). If I press the button, it tells me an error 15. I followed all directions in the app for error 15, including the last resort step of doing a factory reset. The vacuum still produces the same error. We usually buy the cheap, off brand robot vacuums, but finally decided to splurge in hopes of having one that I can program for different parts of the house on different days. I would rather buy the cheap $100-150 robot vacuums every year than have this one that has now been useless after 2 months.

Horrible, I have bought this machine the second week of December and it is still trying to learn my home. It does not get my kitchen and it does not clean well too me. I am going to give it one more week and i will take it back. It bumps in brand new base boards and run over my puppy's water dish.