Customer Ratings & Reviews

I love it! I don’t mop anymore or swipe. This robot is doing a great job!

The j9+ Self-Emptying & Auto-Fill Robot Vacuum & Mop was to be a wonderful addition to the family, but it tends to act more like an insolent child at times. My first floor is where this robot lives and works, and it's a place fraught with obstacles. Chair Legs, End Tables, Throw Pillows, Power Cords, Dog Toys abound this landscape. The floor is a hardwood floor, with area rugs in both the dining and living room. So the thought of finally having an auto-mop was very appealing. For several years now we've had robot vacuum's in our homes, we've tried several brands like Neato, Samsung, and iRobot. Our most recent robot was an i3+, and it did alright. It was loud, it got stuck or gave errors, and was constantly telling me the bag was full even if it was a new bag. I think the base station had a sealing issue, but there was no support or help for that in the app. And I opened a ticket and never got a response. So I knew mostly what I was getting into with this new model. The promise of new features like Dirt Detective, Smart Scrub, and a retractable mop made for an enticing product. It came in a massive box, and after taking some time to get it setup and ready to do its job, I opened the app to connect it. I was immediately met with a failure to communicate with the robot. I tried furiously for at least a dozen attempts. No reason for failure, just failed to connect. The app could see the robot, it could detect the wifi, and it would begin the process with ease, but then just freeze and not continue. I managed to get hold of phone support after a lengthy 30 mins wait on hold, I was met with the most pleasant person who was able to near immediately resolve my issue by informing me that the app and this robot in particular was having issues with Google Pixel 6 devices. Odd that I just happened to have the 1 common phone type that would have an issue. Her advice was to find an Apple product. Luckily I had an iPad nearby that I could use to set the device up, and then when I logged into my Pixel app it was there and working no problem. So there's bug/issue #1, there wasn't enough testing and bug fixing before release. Issue #2. It didn't come with a manual, just a couple cards with setup info. It mentioned adding mop solution to the reservoir, but not what kind could and should be added. I had to do a bunch of digging on their website to determine what solutions were safe to add. This was not a friendly experience and took far to long to determine what was safe to use in the system. I've now had this robot a few weeks and I run it on a schedule of M-W-F at 1:30am. I've not seen the sealing problem that my old robot had with its dirt bin in this new one, but it has still had issues. Pros: It's quieter than previous models It can mop (although not great, but better than nothing) It's base station, while huge, isn't a total eyesore. Claims it will steer clear of obstacles like poop (luckily i don't have that problem) The app will notify you if you need to reload mop solution or a new bag Cons: Doesn't connect out the box with Pixel phone It's base station is huge It gets stuck a LOT (In 11 cleaning operations it got stuck or failed 8 times) The sensors get dirty and it throws errors and stops working (the sensors look totally clean anyway) It has a totally random cleaning pattern that leaves it doing a room more than once, or even going over the same areas multiple times. It bumps into everything causing scratches and paint transfer onto itself Dog Hair clogs the rollers sometimes I've had such a problem with the failed runs, as indicated in the cons above, that I took photos of it being stuck. On one such time it actually stopped about 2 ft from the base station directly in front of it and claimed it was stuck. There were zero obstacles to it getting home, just another 2ft of open space. It seems to make less battery charge pit-stops than previous models, which I think may be adding to it's getting stuck. It gets far from home, runs out of gas, and can't make it back. It produces a nice map of the cleaning area and can tell you how dirty it is, apparently mine is filthy because it is solid dark green on the map. I look at the floors and they don't seem that dirty. So not sure why it claims it's filthy after it just ran. One would think with this fancy map it's generated that it would be a bit smarter about navigation and not return to the same area multiple times in a run. But that is not the case. The mop feature was to be a huge blessing, but so far I've not seen it do much. One day it got stuck trying to mop an area rug when it's retractable mop became wedged under a tv stand. Because my floors are a mix of area rug and hardwood, I think it gets confused about when to mop vs not. Overall it does have a powerful vacuum for such a small appliance. It does a great job of spot cleaning our common areas and picking up dog hair, leaves, and debris. We still have to come along behind it with a traditional vacuum or mop from time to time, but it saves us a bit of time here and there. It's terrible at getting corners and up against edges of things. It tends to just brush hair and debris over into those areas and then it builds up over time. I'm hopeful that with more firmware updates it will get smarter and do a better job with mopping and whatnot. Time shall tell. It beats doing it myself, and for that reason I would probably recommend it to others.

I cant tell you how disappointed I am in these. The first one we bought broke after a couple of or days. It started making an awful grinding noise whenever the mop was down. Luckily we were able to return it and get a replacement. We set up the new one and did a test run where everything was working great. This morning we woke up to error code 1003, dead vision board. The quality control isn't there for these. We were upgrading a j7 which worked perfectly fine. Save your money and skip this one.

Great vac & mop combo. Definitely makes keeping the floors clean automatic.

Worked good one month. I did ti many calls to customers service and changed filters

Support sucks… call I robot they don’t help… call Bestbuy they don’t help!!! Likely lost a customer over this 6 month old product that doesn’t work as designed and hasn’t from day one!

Sent me a used one with scratches all over it and hair still caught in rollers.

**Performance and Efficiency (3.5/5):** The Roomba j9+ Combo impresses with its strong suction power, effectively picking up dirt, dust, and pet hair on various surfaces. Its unique feature is the ability to vacuum and mop simultaneously, which, in theory, should save time and effort. However, the effectiveness varies significantly across different floor types. While it performs admirably on hard floors, its mopping functionality sometimes falls short on more stubborn stains or uneven surfaces. **Navigation and Smart Features (4/5):** Equipped with iRobot's latest navigation technology, the j9+ Combo does an excellent job mapping out spaces and avoiding obstacles. Its ability to learn and remember the layout of multiple rooms and floors is commendable, allowing for targeted cleaning missions. Integration with smart home ecosystems like Alexa and Google Assistant adds to its convenience, enabling voice commands. However, some users might find the initial setup and mapping process somewhat tedious and time-consuming. Additionally, while the obstacle avoidance technology is advanced, it can sometimes be overly cautious, leading to longer cleaning times. **Maintenance and Reliability (2.5/5):** The Roomba j9+ Combo's self-emptying feature is a standout, minimizing direct interaction needed for emptying the dustbin. This makes it particularly appealing for busy individuals or those with pets. However, the maintenance cost and effort can be higher than expected. The proprietary bags for the self-emptying base are an ongoing expense, and the mop pads—though reusable—require frequent cleaning for optimal performance. Some users have reported issues with the vacuum's reliability over time, including errors in navigation and decreased suction power, which can be frustrating given the premium price point. **Design and Build Quality (4/5):** With its sleek, modern design, the j9+ Combo is built to blend seamlessly into most home decors. The quality of materials and construction is evident, reflecting its premium status. The D-shape design is not only aesthetically pleasing but functional, allowing for better edge cleaning. However, its size and height might limit its ability to clean under some furniture, a common limitation among robotic vacuums. **Value for Money (2.5/5):** The Roomba j9+ Combo's high cost is a significant consideration for potential buyers. While it offers advanced features and conveniences, the mixed performance on mopping, ongoing maintenance costs, and occasional reliability issues detract from its overall value proposition. For those willing to invest in the latest technology and prioritize vacuuming over mopping, it might be worth the premium. However, individuals looking for more consistent mopping performance or those with a tighter budget may find better value in other models or brands. **Conclusion:** The Roomba j9+ Combo is a technologically advanced robotic vacuum that offers a glimpse into the future of home cleaning. Its smart features, strong suction, and self-emptying capabilities are notable strengths. Yet, its performance inconsistencies, especially in mopping, combined with the high initial and ongoing costs, make it a mixed bag. It shines as a sophisticated, if not perfect, solution for those seeking the cutting edge of home cleaning technology, provided they are willing to overlook its shortcomings and invest in its premium pricing.

The iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ is the finest robot I've ever used. This robot vacuum is the ultimate ally to any homeowner with or without children or pets, and keeping your floors clean is important to you. The robot vacuum itself is a high quality cleaning machine that navigates through the rooms with ease. It knows when to vacuum the floor and when to lay down the mop pad to smart scrub the hard surface floors. My home is mainly hard surface laminate flooring and there are multiple area rugs through the first floor area. The mapping ability of this iRobot Roomba has impressed me thoroughly because it has been so precise. The map that it has presented to me within the iRobot app is 100% accurate for where there are carpets, and where there is a hard surface. The app is a very simple to use app with just a small learning curve. It allows me to operate the vacuum manually, automate it to be on a regular cycle/schedule, and it also has a map that allows me to configure the rooms. This vacuum is the most accommodating robot vacuum that I've ever used in my home. It can avoid obstacles on the floor such as a pet toy, or a child toy randomly laid on the floor without running it over. The mop feature on this vacuum is a retractable mop that rises from the top and drops under the robot vacuum. Smart vacuum at its finest on display here. It knows the surface type and what function to do based on the surface. Smart scrubbing mop is a great feature for high traffic areas as the mop goes back and forth with constant pressure to get that grime off the floor. I have noticed my floors feeling cleaner and just overall smoother. The home base of this unit is a bit larger due to the components housed within. There is a liquid reservoir in which the owner needs to use the appropriate liquid cleaning solution. There is also a self contained bagging system in which all the dirt, hair, debris from the robot vacuum get placed into the home base disposal. The home base here is a tasteful and upscale look that exudes high quality and is not distracting in my home. It looks like a small air purifier and easily blends in due to the unique housing of the robot vacuum tucked under the home base. The iRobot vacuum knows when to auto fill its liquid reservoir and when to empty itself into the dock. iRobot has crafted the app for this vacuum very well, as I'm using this iOS version on my iPhone 13 Pro. I am able to customize so many features of the robot vacuum to control suction power, how many passes I want to do, edge cleaning, control over mop or vacuum or both to happen. The vacuum is constantly learning and becomes smarter based on your home and what the camera learns in its surroundings. If your home has a voice enabled assistant you can use this Combo j9+ effortlessly. Works with Alexa in our home and it's very intuitive. According to the iRobot details, this will work with Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa when paired with the compatible service. This is hands down my favorite robot vacuum I've owned and I've had a few over the years. Best suction, best aesthetics, best mopping feature, best debris disposal, best smart mapping, and best app functionality. You'll need to decide if the price is right for your needs. I have been able to declutter my home from all the extra mops, and wet mops I have been keeping in my supply closet. This one iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ gives me the floor cleaning I need all in one device. Well worth the cost and helpful for me as a parent with a busy lifestyle.

First off, I do genuinely love iRobot vacuum cleaners. I really like the idea that you can come home to a nice, freshly vacuumed house while you're at work or running errands. When I saw the iRobot was "upgrading" their vacuum/mop combo, I knew this was something that I'd want to check out. Unfortunately, the Roomba Combo j9+ did not live up to expectations. Set up for the combo was super easy with the iRobot app. I did run into a circumstance where I had to reconnect the vacuum to my app which I thought was weird but not too troublesome. As expected, the vacuuming aspect of the Roomba was superb. The vacuum mapped out the interior of my home after the first run and I have been running daily for the past 10 days. The vacuum does a great job of picking up crumbs and other debris that's left on the floor. When it's done cleaning, it returns to its base to empty and recharge. It works great and I'm incredibly satisfied with the vacuum part of the combo. I'm imagining 99% of people reading this review are going to want to know about the mopping feature of the machine. The system in general is fairly easy to use. You fill up an interior plastic container in the housing of the base. The vacuum while leave the dock, back up and fill up with water. Then as the machine is vacuuming the rear of the unit comes down with a small mop attached and mops while vacuuming. The best way I can describe the mopping is that it just leaves streaky water marks on your floor. It didn't seem like it was doing a very good job of mopping. I purposely left a mark on the floor and the mop wasn't strong enough to clean it. If you're looking for something to spread some water on the ground and pick up some of the surface level dirt then the Roomba Combo j9+ will work okay. For what it was advertised to do, I expected more. For that reason, I cannot recommend that you purchase this item.

This is now my 4th robot vacuum, 2nd of which is a Roomba, and with each iteration they just keep getting better. A self-emptying base is pretty much a must-have at this point and this latest version delivers that plus some. First up let's talk about the vacuum, after all, that is the primary reason someone would buy this Roomba. iRobot has been around long enough now that they've got the vacuuming part figured out. It does exactly what it's supposed to do and does a great job at it. It has plenty of suction power to pick up dirt and hair and doesn't miss a spot, except those tight corners and areas where these round robot vacuums have always had issues getting to. What's really nice is that you can set how powerful you need the suction to be. That's a good thing for several reasons. Since on some surfaces, such as hardwood floors, where you don't need the highest suction power, setting it lower helps increase the time the Roomba can keep cleaning before it needs to recharge, and it's not as loud for those times you're running it while home. This Roomba doesn't just vacuum, it actually adds another dimension to floor cleaning, mopping! The term 'mopping' is used a bit loosely though here. It doesn't so much mop as it does just wipe the floor with a damp cloth as it goes. It's best to not have too high of expectations for this feature. It does a decent job maintaining a clean floor, but it can only do so much. You're still going to have to mop your floors once in a while with an actual mop or steam mop. Plus one thing I noticed as I watched this Roomba go, is that the 'mopping' is a bit streaky. It doesn't get full coverage of the entire width of the cloth, even after it had been 'mopping' for over half and hour and had plenty time to get the mopping cloth soaked. You also pretty much need perfectly flat floors. Any grooves, bows, uneven spots, etc. and it's going to miss a lot. To get the most out of the 'mopping' feature you really need to set it to mop everyday, this way it eventually wipes over the entire floor. One benefit to how it 'mops' though is that you don't have to mess with any dirty mop water and you hardly have to do anything at all. It refills its water tank itself from the base and only uses just enough water to get things slightly damp. That means my floors fully dry within minutes of getting wiped down. Then there's the clean base, and the base that comes with this Roomba is by far the best iteration of a base I've had yet. First of all, as I mentioned earlier, a self-emptying base is a must-have. I honestly wouldn't buy a robot vacuum without one. Not only is it less maintenance, but also it allows you to keep vacuuming day after day even when you're on vacation. The dustbag inside the base holds quite a bit given its size too. And for the mopping feature it also contains a water tank that you fill up that it uses to re-fill the Roomba. I've now had it mop about a 400 square foot area numerous times and I have yet to have to refill the water tank inside the base. On top of that, the door has storage shelves to hold extra filters, dust bags, mop cloths, spare brushes, etc. I can't tell you how much I actually love that added bonus. Plus this base looks good, and with the wood-like top, can actually double as an end table! All of these features and functionality come together with the app, which is basically required in order to use this. It makes setup a breeze, including updating the firmware, and makes using it very easy. You can see the full map of your house that the Roomba puts together as it cleans, and manage settings, set schedules, or tell it to clean specific areas. Overall I like the app and how simple it is to use. If there's one thing I wish this Roomba had though, it would be full use of the camera. What I mean by that is my previous robot vacuum actually let you view what the camera sees from within that brand's app. It's a great feature to allow you to check up on things while you're away, especially with pets in the house. Sadly though this Roomba doesn't have that feature. Hopefully it's something iRobot adds in the future since it already has a camera and appears to have the hardware needed for that feature. Given that this isn't something necessary for what a robot vacuum is, I'm not deducting stars for it, it's just something I'd love to see added one day. Overall I've been extremely pleased with this latest iteration of Roomba. It does what you expect it to and more and I would definitely recommend this Roomba.

I'll start by saying this is my second iRobot product, my 4th robo-cleaner, and my second vacuum and mop combination cleaner with automatic disposal, so I have several points of comparison. Let's start with the only thing you really need to know. This is a must-buy if you're looking for a robo-cleaner that can mop and vacuum at the same time. I know I gave it only 4 stars, because it fails in several areas I'll detail below, but it's vastly ahead in the areas that matter most, convenience. Here's why: 1. You fill up and empty the base station only. The other high end model I owned required you to fill up the water tank on the robot itself. This meant picking up the robot from the base, removing the container, filling it with water and cleaning solution, every single time I wanted to mop. This meant it wasn't practical to set it and forget it, which is the whole reason to have a robot do the job in the first place. Roomba solves that with a single container to fill in the base. 2. It switches automatically from vacuum to mop in the same run. Like technological magic, it moves the mop from the top of the robot to the bottom of the robot to do mopping tasks, then moves it back to the top of the robot when it needs to vacuum. This means I can vacuum and mop wood floors, area rugs, and carpet, all in the same run. Those two reasons put this into the must-buy category for me, if you truly want a set it and forget it experience with a combo mop / vacuum robot. Here's more info for anyone else who wants to know more: The iRobot App (2.5/5) - The companion iOS phone app is fine. It could use some work, but it gets the job done even if it's a bit clunky and slow. Fortunately, things like mapping the house and setting up boundaries and naming rooms only needs to be done once. The app runs pretty slowly to accomplish those tasks and is all around cumbersome to use. It feels like someone said "we're launching this next week and we need to also be able to create and name zones", and developers scrambled to implement a proof of concept that ultimately ended up shipping. If anyone from iRobot happens to read this, do better. For the market being targeted with high end robot companions, they really deserve more. The Camera (2.5/5) - I like that the Roomba has a built-in camera, and attempts to use object detection to avoid obstacles. It also has an option in the app I appreciated to review objects and mark "temporary, avoid this zone, or not an object". I have a toddler at home, so we have a mat with different shapes on it. The Roombo flagged several rectangles on the mat as an "object" that it should avoid, despite it being a flat surface. It could use some intelligence updates. - The camera shamefully doesn't have night vision, or at least not in the photos taken for app review. It emits a tiny light that illuminates a small area in front of it, so a lot of what was in the photos to review was almost pitch black, with a tiny light illuminating an object. Since it's practical for me, and I imagine a lot of other consumers to run Roomba at night when no one is moving about the house, I was shocked that the camera didn't have an infrared light / night mode. My inexpensive baby monitor can see in the dark better than this robot can. Object Detection 1/5 - I talked about object detection relative to the camera above, where it mistook flat rectangles as objects to avoid, but what it didn't seem to avoid was my kid's toys. There happened to be a wooden train set on the floor in one of the rooms, and when Roomba was moving toward it, I assumed it would see it, back up and find another path to clean. At least, I expected if it hit the object, it would then back up and find another path of things to clean. It did not. It just climbed on top of those train tracks and drove over them and more for a good 20 seconds before it finished that area and moved on. - Another instance where the object detection failed spectacularly, was a pop up play tent in one of the rooms (yes my house is a disaster, that's why I need some help from a robot). Instead of detecting it as an object to avoid, it just rammed right into the tent and pushed it around the room. It never seemed to realize it had run into something. - Another robo vacuum/mop combo I've previously used had spectacular object detection, and it would avoid both of these obstacles entirely, so I know it's not a limitation of available technology. Overall, I was extremely enamored by how miraculously this Roomba switches from mopping to vacuuming in a single run. It's the best selling point by far and makes it stand out ahead of the competition. But for being such a high end product, it fails pretty spectacularly in it's some categories as well. The more I think about my experience using it, the less excited I am overall. Overall, iRobot gets a commemoration for the innovative way they combined a mop and vacuum, but they forgot about the rest of the experience. I'd still recommend this as the best robo vacuum/mop combo I've seen available, but I am overall disappointed. I hope iRobot takes some of this feedback into consideration for future models. If they can update the camera, object detection, and the painfully slow app, this would be a home run.

Having owned several generations of iRobot vacuums and other name brand vacuums for over a decade, I didn't even have to think to welcome the J9+ self-emptying and auto-fill robot vacuum and mop into my home as soon as it was released. This consolidates the vacuum and mopping into one unit with a single base, eliminating the need for extra floor space. I noticed several new features on this dual action J9+ Roomba and was amazed on how smart these devices get with each generation, and this is a big upgrade from my J7+ series. Set-up: The set-up was a breeze. It took less than 5 minutes to have it detected and configured in my iRobot app. Several options available on the configuration menu for scheduling (cleaning schedule, do-not disturb, and ability to automatically clean when the owned leaves the house -detects owner location via the phone app), setting cleaning preferences (one pass or two pass options, room size clean preferences), child lock, etc. Performance: I can surely tell the J9+ Roomba's ability to pick up dirt and debris is at a whole new level as the suction power dynamically adjusted based on the cleaning surface. Its suction power was higher when cleaning thicker carpets which is perfect to get the fine dust and pollen out of the carpets. I usually deep clean my carpets and rugs every other week to get rid of pollen and fine dust as I am allergic to those and J9+ solves this problem with its amazing suction power. I am impressed with its pressure mopping capability, got the stains off the hardwood floor. I still have to wait a few more days for it to learn and prioritize its cleaning mission based on most accessed areas with its dirt detection capability. It should automatically adjust the suction and scrubbing settings along with the cleaning passes to keep the dirt and dust to minimal levels. This alone is enough for me to not worry about manually cleaning high-traffic areas to keep dust and pollen down in my house, and I can confidently retire all other vacuums. Battery life is pretty good, it still had 40% battery left in it after cleaning for 90 minutes. Navigation and Mapping: Map run did an excellent job in mapping my floor plan by detecting the bedrooms, bathrooms, office, hallway, etc., along with the boundary lines, ensuring thorough coverage of the cleaning areas. Smart navigation picked the right directions and lengths to minimize possible runs and also segregated the vacuum and mopping functions. Base station with auto-fill tank: The base station occupies quite a bit of space as it has a water tank that stores enough water for a 30-day mopping schedule. Refilling the tank takes just a few minutes. Cleaning the mop after each run is recommended, as the mop can get dirty if your hardwood floors are stained. I prefer doing it after every run to keep the mop clean. The app indicates the amount of water in the Roomba's cleaning base and the auto-fill tank, so you know when it's time to refill the tank. Obstacle detection and avoidance: I definitely have to review this part as this is the most important feature that I care about in all the robot vacuums I have owned. The obstacle detection is by far the best on the J9+ compared to 2 other brands that I currently own. It detected the stairs, furniture, etc. and navigated around these obstacles with ease. The Roomba clearly avoided the cables, pet feeding bowls, etc. on the floor. The app does ask for the detected objects to be identified so it knows if its temporary or permanent obstacle as it learns from each pass on what's on the floor. Hands down, this has the best obstacle detection technology compared to all the name brand ones that I currently own. App: The app is very user friendly and offers tons of features for scheduling, setting cleaning preferences, checking product health, receiving alerts, mapping zones for cleaning and no-go zones, etc. Overall, this is a great addition for someone looking for a device that handles both vacuuming and mopping, great value for the investment. It's definitely smart in its vacuum and mopping capabilities to keep the dust and dirt at bay, and it only gets smarted by the day with its learning capability. I highly recommend the dual action J9+ just by judging on how smart it is.

The iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ Self-Emptying & Auto-Fill Robot Vacuum & Mop is a very welcome addition to my cleaning arsenal. This robot does check a lot of boxes. This is my first Roomba and my 3rd robot vac. Compared to my other brands, Shark and Ecovacs, it does run about twice as long as the others, which is close to 2 hours before recharging. That was a very impressive feature. Setup was not difficult, but it wasn’t easy either. There are picture diagrams and the dust bin doesn’t have an intuitive eject button. I really had to hunt for the eject button. The mapping process took a long time too. It took hours. The only good thing is that if you have to cancel the job, it will add to the map on future cleaning jobs when it finds a new area. That sort of makes up for the long mapping process. Plus, it is just a one-time inconvenience. The day you get it, don’t expect it to clean that day. Just resolve yourself to let it be a mapping day and you’ll be a lot less agitated. The mopping feature is truly a feat when it comes to crossing carpet, then mopping, then crossing back over. Most robots can’t do that. My other two brands can’t cross the carpet with the mopping plate on. It should be noted that the mopping pad is small. It is about half the size of my other mopping pads. It also comes in a grey color. You can’t really tell how dirty your floors were after it’s finished. I did a mopping run with my Roomba and then a run with one of my other mopping robots that has a white mopping pad. There was dirt on the white mopping pad which shows me the floors were still dirty. To be fair, I could do that with any robot and there would still be some dirt on the 2nd run. The point is, I’d like to know how dirty, and the grey cloth doesn’t really give that info. That aside, it automatically pre-wets the pad before mopping. That is great because some robot brands will only begin to actually mop after a couple of rows have been done and the pad gets saturated (or if you pre-wet the cloth yourself). It even tells you on the app “prewetting cloth.” Additionally, the floors do look clean even though the pad is small. So, with regular mopping, (for me that’s probably every other day or so) it is easy to maintain a clean house. Oh, and the refilling feature is really cool. You don’t have to babysit it during the day as it’s working. It just refills and empties the dust bin and then gets back to work. I’d like to note, on one occasion I didn’t stick the pad on securely enough with the Velcro side and it flipped up and needed to be fixed. I was not home at the time. That was a bummer because it's ideal to run it when you're not home, so I canceled the job instead of draining the battery. I think as long as the mop pad is secured properly, there won’t be lots of instances like that. That has been my only one so far. At the end of the job, I usually get a text notification that the job is done. It would be nice if it also reminded you to remove the mopping pad after it’s finished. One of my other brands does remind me to remove it with a separate notification. I keep it up on my text queue till I remove the pad, so I don’t forget. With Roomba, it doesn’t do that extra reminder text. On the flip side, it does have a pretty good display under the “history” tab. It shows how long it took to clean, how long it charged, paused time, the total time, area cleaned, Dirt Events (high focused cleaning areas where your robot noticed more dirt), and a map showing areas in light green for vacuum only, and dark green for vac + mopping. I quite like that color coded feature. On the downside, while the vac is running, although it tells you which room it’s currently in, you can’t see which ones are done until the whole job is all done. This is useful to me in areas like the breakfast nook where I usually place the chairs upside down on the table top to get them off the floor for cleaning. I’d like to know as soon as possible when I can put them back down again. Or if I want to turn on the TV without noise interruption in that room from the vacuum. If I knew it had been cleaned already while the cycle was still going, that would be very useful. (Hardwood and tile don't have vacuum lines to let you know it's been cleaned.) The vacuuming feature makes pleasing lines/appearance on the carpet. They are closer in look to a standard push vac. Does that matter? Not really, just an observation and it makes the room inviting to walk into when you see all the lovely vacuum lines. I also forgot to mention it has a head light that will brighten if needed in darker rooms or spaces. You can program the vac for a new job, or use one of your saved programs from a previous job. There are multiple options such as low, medium, or high suction. You can select one or two passes per room. Turn on smart scrub for mopping which makes the robot go forward a few inches and then back to double scrub the area. You can opt in or out of the obstacle picture review. I used it for a while with no review and it beautifully avoided obstacles. I did opt in (after some time) so I could evaluate the feature. It took a picture of an electric outlet on the floor by my couch and avoided it. I’m glad it did because it was mopping at the time. Now it knows to permanently avoid it, and it’s a super tiny spot on the map. It didn’t block off a large section to avoid it. During the obstacle review, you can opt for a temporary obstacle and after moving the obstacle out of the way, you can opt to have it “tidy up the area” it skipped. I thought that was a nice touch. The high-efficiency filter is small. After a couple of vacuum jobs, it’s a good idea to remove it and go outside to gently tap it on a post or edge somewhere to shake out the dust. The High-Efficiency Filter, Edge-Sweeping Brushes, Dual Multi-Surface Brushes, Washable Cleaning pad, and Dust-Bin Bag are the parts that need eventual replacement. A perfect floor vac model, in my opinion, would have a bagless dust bin collection. I don’t want to keep up with multiple replacement parts. A bagless bin would be one less thing for the consumer to worry about. If this model was bagless, it would be the cherry on top. I have not found a robot vac with a bagless dust bin on the charging base yet. The bin is bagless on the robot itself, but not the larger collection bin on the base. Worthy of noting, when I first got this vac it would not refill. After some time with tech support, which could use improvement on wait time (I consistently waited 20 to 30 minutes to get an agent on the line) it was determined that a REboot would not fix it. A new unit was issued and it performed perfectly after that. *I will keep my box in the attic in case I have an issue down the line that requires it to be sent in. I feel like if it is going to fail, you will know immediately within the first week or so. Before connecting the new one, I did delete the app and reinstall it. I shut down my phone and restarted it before connecting the new robot, just in case those issues were a factor. I am glad I didn’t just give up on the j+ model because the new one works perfectly. Of the 3 robot vacs that I own, it is the most expensive, but it is a workhorse and my primary choice for use. The Pros: -Does almost double the cleaning time before recharging compared to my other brands. -Avoids floor obstacles easily and does not get tangled. Has an advanced obstacle review option. -Refills, dust-dumps, and recharges without babysitting it. -Map shows vacuumed areas and mopped areas in different colors on completed jobs. -Floors appear very clean and bare feet test reveals little to no crumbs/dust. -Carpet vacuuming to tile mopping in the same job is no problem. -Has a head light that brightens or dims depending on the light of the room/space. -You can save a cleaning session’s preferences on multiple rooms for future use. Example: mop kitchen, medium suction, smart scrub, two passes. Vacuum office, high suction, one pass. The cons: -The mopping pad is small AND grey in color which fails to convey how dirty the floors were. - The charging base’s dirt collection requires a bag and should be bagless in my opinion. -Doesn’t text alert to remind you to remove the mopping pad. -Does not show map progress as it’s cleaning, it will only name the room it’s currently in. You must wait till the job is complete to see the map and what areas were cleaned. (My EcoVacs model lets me see real time progress on the map, so I know it is possible to add that feature.) -Initial mapping during setup takes a very long time. *Be sure to fully charge the robot before beginning or it will take longer. -Should you need tech support, customer service wait time is usually 20-30 minutes to get an agent.

I’ve never had a “Roomba” before - but I have had other robotic vacuums, so I was super excited to not only get a Roomba J9+, but to also get one that mops & self-empties! TL;DR for my frequent readers and details below! Unboxing Easy No issues connecting to Wi-Fi 6E Mesh network Aesthetically pleasing Good job vacuuming Good job wet cleaning Meh: Noisy while running Noisy while emptying Requires multiple points of cleaning after basic use Should have a scrub brush for cleaning the dirt tray Bad: Nothing really I must say, this is a pretty slick unit. It’s packaged well with minimal assembly and I found that very nice. The housing acts as the empty & fill station, as well as a cabinet for replacement accessories like extra bags and edge cleaners. It also has a nice faux wood top, which can act as a bit of a stand, so that it’s not taking up space unnecessarily. When installing the mop pad, I couldn’t figure out how it cleaned the floor if it was put on the top of the vacuum, but it all made sense later. The setup was a breeze through the app and the software update went without any issues. I did disable the ‘camera’ function for obstacle avoidance, as this feature did make the news a while back and didn’t want that running here. When mapping the house, the bristles were moving and the Roomba was bouncing all over the house. During this process, it did very well and managed to collect a bunch of dust as it went, but didn’t clean because - well, it wasn’t in cleaning mode so – to be expected. The map was pretty accurate and the App portion after the fact is VERY cool - label the rooms, place ‘blocks’ for places it shouldn’t go - and even noted where there were throw rugs based; I was impressed. After a few runs, I elected to use the ‘no go’ zones, as one area was just a pain due to it being a weight bench & weights area, the other was a bathroom where the door shuts itself and locks the unit in there. I like the fact that you can tie it into your home “automation” and say: go clean the kitchen and it’ll head on over and clean the area you have designated as the kitchen. I found that it took about 10 minutes to do the small area in the kitchen & around the island. Something to note here: the mopping pad is a mop, not a scrubber so it’s going to pull the water and not scrub little drops that may be on the floor in the kitchen. If the floor is relatively sticky spot free, this is a great ‘touch up’ device but if you do have something that needs a bit of a scrub, then you’re still on your own to get that done (for the most part) before running the robot mopper. The vacuum portion is pretty good. The only area I found it missed and had full access to, was a small section of baseboards. If I have to do a quick touch-up after on the baseboards - that’s fine with me after saving some serious vacuuming / mopping time. When mopping or vacuuming, the robot is loud. Even louder is the self cleaning function, so it's definitely not something you want to do at night when the house is asleep, or when you’re trying to watch TV. I plan on running this when I’m not home. After a few runs with both, I decided to clean the unit to see how much effort it takes, what the pieces are & how easy it is and it’s not all that terrible. First, I Had to remove the water tank and empty it - just a simple button push to eject it. I found that the disassembly of the components that are meant to be taken out is tool-free, except for the corner brushes which require a Phillips screwdriver. The rollers unhook and the casters pop off for super simple cleaning. The tray leading to the debris collector was very dirty and since the water had dried, there was a lot of stuff caked on and could have used some type of scrub brush, but my finger was sufficient for most of it. Reassembly was just as simple and that was refreshing. All in all, this was a great unit that did the job I expected it to do. Recommended!

Pros Attractive base station Relatively quiet even on max power Long battery life Usually cleans carpets very good Automatically empties dust bin Automatically refills water tank Large water tank No odors from mop cleaner on base Rollers resistant to hair Side brush seems to be stronger than older designs Camera can log and ask you what to do around objects Shows you where it missed and offers to go back after you tidy up Learns what to avoid based on what you tell it Keeps track of the dirtiest areas of the home Suggests extra cleaning in dirty areas Has dirt sensor and can focus more cleaning on areas found Dust bin and base station full sensors take out the guesswork Works with some cleaning solutions Cons AI doesn’t always recognize obstacles Sometimes vacuum dust bin sensor fails to know it is full Misses vacuuming carpet where rooms transition diagonally Doesn’t always vacuum straight Sometimes randomly stops vacuuming and goes to another part Sometimes starts vacuuming in the middle of the carpet If hair clogs roller, it cuts the roller Can’t navigate in dark or dim rooms Careful navigation is missing from previous models Bumps into furniture and walls regularly Too tall to clean under kickboards The Roomba Combo J9+ looks to be a combination of several previous Roomba models. It does omit the VSLAM navigation and instead relies on the front camera and a floor sensor. The camera does have a light, but it is only bright enough for obstacle avoidance and not navigation. The J9+ completely lifts the mop to the top of the robot so it can’t get the carpet wet. Setup 9/10 Setup is straightforward. If you have had a Roomba before you will find the experience very familiar. You will need to create a Roomba account to set things up if you don’t have one. During setup there are several screens you will go through where the app shows you features of the Combo J9+. To use the advance features, it will need to map your house. It doesn’t have lidar to do this, so it goes around looking at your house and bumping into walls and furniture. In some cases, it bumped into the same wall multiple times almost like it was unsure if it was real. It also got stuck under a chair during the initial mapping. The two mapping options are to tell it to vacuum everywhere or do an initial mapping. Choosing the initial mapping is supposed to be quicker as it just goes around learning the walls and furniture. If you do the quick mapping it doesn’t initially mark where carpets are. After the map is created it tries to figure out where your rooms are. It does a decent job of this but more than likely you will need to make changes. Next it asks for room names. In some cases, it was able to correctly suggest a name. The process was quick and simple. Navigation 7/10 Navigation has been hit or miss but it seems to be improving. Remembering to make sure there is enough light in the room helps. It still takes getting used to the fact that you must make sure there is a light on in any room you want it to vacuum. The bathroom is usually dark even during the day. From time to time, it can get a little confused if there isn’t a light on. It seems to use the floor sensor as a backup but if the light is too low then navigation consistency seems to degrade. It doesn’t typically get lost but just starts going diagonally through some areas almost like it is searching for something. Even with good light the navigation logic is unusual. Sometimes it will go to the center of an area and start cleaning from the middle and then clean the other half by moving diagonally to the other section. Maybe this is on purpose to try to catch grime that vacuuming the same way each time would miss but it is unexpected. If you like straight lines on your carpet, then the J9+ is hit or miss. One thing it does very well is finding a way to what seems like a blocked area. In one case, the normal path to a space was blocked by items sitting on the floor. The Roomba noticed the blockage and decided to take a shortcut under furniture to get where it wanted to go. Diagonal room transitions seem to confuse it. The main bedroom has a door to the bathroom that is at a 45-degree angle. The Roomba currently will not vacuum a small wedge of carpet in the that transition. It has been changing strategy so hopefully this will improve. AI Features and Obstacle Avoidance 8/10 After additional cleaning sessions it starts to learn more of your house and where the dirty spots are. It updates the dirty zones with each vacuuming to help you see if some areas are consistently dirtier. A surprise for our family is the area near the dishwasher seemed to be one area and it suggested adding a cleaning zone. After thinking about it, the counter above the dishwasher is where the family assembles their breakfast. During the process of learning your house you can opt in for picture review. What it does then is take snapshots of what the AI isn’t sure about. It recognized cords but got caught on paper and twine. When done, it presents you with the pictures where you can train the AI. You can also choose “Start Tidy Up”. You review items it skipped and pick them up. It will go back and finish cleaning those areas. This Roomba has the P.O.O.P guarantee which hopefully is never needed but good to have. The guarantee says if the J9+ ever vacuums pet waste they will replace your unit. It’s nice piece of mind. Our old Roomba was never quite the same after an incident with our new puppy. Vacuuming 9/10 Carpet vacuuming has always been a strong point for Roomba. Surprisingly the J9+ seems to be doing as well as its top predecessor while doing so far quieter. The overall noise level is a standout feature of the J9+. Of course, it is still noisy but previous Roomba models were distracting even when vacuuming in another room. The J9+ is barely audible from one room away. In the same room you can hold a conversation, but it would still be a distraction. Based on sound it seems like the suction might be on the lower side but even if that is true the carpet cleaning has not suffered. Maybe it is because it seems to make overlapping passes on the carpet instead. While it does have a dirt sensor, which is great to find heavy spots, so far it hasn’t needed to go back on an area. Resistance to hair tangling isn’t listed as a feature but the rollers look the same as previous models that claimed to resist hair tangles. Overall, it does a good job of resisting tangles but if you wait too long between vacuuming the hair does wrap around the roller and cut it. Most of the time the main maintenance that needs to be done is cleaning hair off the end of the rollers every few days. They have a little pocket on either side where it directs hair and traps it. Mopping 7/10 The mop is a simple design which wets the floor directly instead of the mop. There are three water nozzles just behind the carpet rollers that drop water just in front of the mop. When mopping begins, it starts with 3 wet lines and doesn’t mop between them. After some time, the mop becomes saturated, and the entire mop cleans. If you choose the Smart Scrub feature, it primes the pad more and scrubs in a back-and-forth motion. This causes the mop to get saturated much faster and work sooner. It makes you wonder how it keeps water off the rollers when it goes back and forth since the vacuum is still running. Thankfully, so far it has stayed dry. Currently, only the Bona cleaning solutions are approved for use. While it is nice that a cleaning solution works it would be even better if more cleaning solutions were approved. Using just water and a single pass only cleans the most basic stains and sometimes leaves streaks. With Smart Scrub enabled is helps for more stuck in stains but it isn’t a miracle and will still not get the hardest stains. That said, it handles regular stains just fine. Base Station 9/10 The first thing you will notice is there is no mop cleaner. As a pet owner, this is a good thing. Our previous mopping robot would clean the pads. This meant dirty pet water would stay in the cleaning tray. It would smell like pet hair and sewer requiring regular disinfection of the mop cleaner. It also meant that if the dirty base cleaned the mop, the mop would clean the house spreading the smell. With this base station all you need to do is have a few extra mop heads. Just swap out with a fresh one when it finishes and toss the old one in the laundry. The base station stays odor free, and the mops get a better cleaning in the wash. The water tank is very large. About the only criticism of the base station is it would be nice if the dust bag was larger. The bag is a drawer that only uses about 1/3 of the space it is in. For pet owners a larger dust bag would be icing on the cake. While emptying is still loud, compared to previous models it is much quieter. Final Thoughts The Roomba Combo J9+ is more of an evolutionary rather than revolutionary step in the Roomba line. It still has some quirks, like not using LIDAR, but it is a solid update to the Roomba line that offers a lot in a compact, and attractive, solution. It is quieter, cleans better, and adds some useful features to an already solid lineup.

Of the many robot vacuums I’ve owned over the last few years, iRobot has always consistently been the best one for cleaning, mapping, and features. The new Roomba Combo j9+ adds even more features that make this one of the best vacuums I’ve ever used. Set-up was extremely easy using the iRobot app. Everything was well packaged and intuitive. The base station is very big, but has a nice wooden top that fits nice with our home. There was a firmware update, and then I let the Roomba charge for a few hours. Once full, I started my first mapping run. It took about 30 minutes to map my entire home, and the results were very accurate. With the front camera, it did a good job with obstacle avoidance and navigating around. I labeled all the rooms in my map and created a schedule. One of my favorite features is that the iRobot is both a vacuum and mop, and I like that it does both at the same time, allowing it to complete its cleaning quickly. Before I would have to schedule my vacuum to clean first, then the mop would come in after. The Combo j9+ does a very good job recognizing cables, cords, boxes, or whatever might block its path. It then sends a picture of the item to the iRobot app and I can mark it as an obstacle or create a No-Go zone. It’s so smart that it will recommend creating a cleaning zone in front of specific places it recognizes, like in front of the oven or counter. The only problem I've really run into is that it thinks my kitchen floors have cables due to the design. I just mark it as No Obstacle Here. I am so happy with this Roomba. This is the first vacuum robot that I feel like I can actually just let it run without any intervention. I can rely on it to complete its cleaning run at the scheduled time and not find it stuck anywhere. There are many robot vacuums on the market, but iRobot has done a great job with the Combo j9+.

This 2-in-1 vacuum that mops and vacuums helps keep my house tidy from 2 kids under the age of 5, 2 dogs that sheds and 1 crazy cat. Run it on a schedule and you can easily have clean floors without intervention for a month at a time. Initial setup was easy and does require an app and Wi-Fi. Once setup, use a “mapping run” for the Roomba to learn your floorplan. Once the general floorplan is learned in the app, you have the options to add room dividers, rename rooms and create zones. Zones can either be “keep out”, “No Mop” or “Clean Zone” aka high traffic cleaning. Coming from a previous robot vacuum that was equipped with LIDAR, this Roomba j9+ only uses a camera to map the room. The downfall on using just the camera is that it’s not as accurate as LIDAR. The first run of the mapping run was disappointing. After coming to terms with the limitations of camera-based mapping, I remapped by placing my dining room chairs in the garage and moved everything that wasn’t heavy out of the way so the Roomba can accurately capture the room shape. That also included placing my barstools on the kitchen island to accurately map my kitchen island shape. Why Roomba doesn’t use a combination of LIDAR and camera like the competition is beyond me at this price point. No complaints on mopping or vacuuming with the j9+. The base automatically empties the dust bin and refills with mopping solution. Comes with 2 dirt bags that should last 2 or so months. Extra bags can be ordered on iRobot’s site for $20 for 3 bags. The vacuuming portion is arguably one of the best in the market in suction and roller design. If you love straight vacuum lines in your carpet, this robot is it. The mopping portion and design is unique to Roomba. Other brands of mopping combos have the mop pad on the bottom of the robot and either slightly lifts off the ground to help keep your carpets dry or only does mopping. The j9+ actually lifts the mop pad onto the top of the vacuum to fully ensure that your carpets and rugs stay dry regardless of how plush your carpet is. Very neat feature by the use of surface detection sensor on the bottom of the robot vacuum. Do note that while the base will automatically refill your robot with cleaning solution, you still need to change out the mop pads after each mopping run. This kit comes with 2 pads but more pads can be bought on their site. With 2 pads, I would do a mopping run once a week, throw the dirty pad in the washing machine and place a clean mop head on the unit ready for the next mopping run. Roomba claims that this is more hygienic than the competition that automatically cleans the mop pad while docked. Another feature unique to Roomba is the “SuperScrub” feature. This is a back-and-forth moping motion that simulates a human mopping motion for the deepest clean. Other brands will either simply drag a mop head over the floor in one pass or have some kind of micro agitation. The app is intuitive and the main controls to the robot vacuum. You can easily set schedules and start impromptu cleaning runs. You can even have your smart speaker activate a cleaning run if you prefer. It would be nice if you can set a custom schedule where I could vacuum every day and mop every other week but the limitations of scheduling are set to weekly. There is a feature in the app that can track your GPS location of your phone so the robot can start cleaning if it detects that you are away from the home. The true shinning feature of the Roomba j9+ is the use of AI to help navigate around obstacles. It does this so well that they even guarantee up to a year that the robot will not run over solid cat or dog waste. Do note that this guarantee only covers if the robot runs over solid pet waste. If your dog vomited, had diarrhea or urinated a puddle on your hard floors and the robot runs over it, the warranty will not apply. Outside of pet waste, the camera-based AI detection does a fantastic job on avoiding cords, socks, shoes, toys etc. My last robot vacuum was only equipped with LIDAR and LIDAR only detects walls and tall objects. Socks and cords would constantly be stuck in the machine if I didn’t pick up before a vacuum run. This j9+ eliminated the need for me to pick up before which is worth the price of admission alone. Since it’s AI and cloud connected, the AI is crowd sourced to identify objects that it didn’t recognize to help build its database. After a cleaning run, the app will ask you to review the obstacles. It will show me a picture of my shoes on the rug in my mudroom and I will answer a few optional questions to help train the model to be smarter in future software updates. The AI will only get smarter with time and more users adding input. This robot vacuum is nearly perfect for a few reasons. Since its only camera based, your vacuum/mopping runs can only happen with the lights on or during the day. My last robot with LIDAR was able to run in pitch darkness so I can schedule cleaning while everyone was sleeping. But without LIDAR, and basing every navigation and decision made with camera has its limitations. Floorplan mapping isn’t as accurate as models with LIDAR and I feel like the j9+ spends a lot of time trying to maneuver out from underneath my dining room table with the chairs pushed in. It got in there but nearly stuck like a lobster in a cage. In summary, the Roomb j9+ is a fantastic vacuum and mopping combo. The base is aesthetically beautiful and fits with my décor. Not coming up with a way for the base to clean the mop head was a shortcut in my opinion. The competition at nearly the same price does automatic mop pad cleaning and includes the use of both LIDAR and camera for AI obstacle avoidance. Get the Roomba as a trusted brand with a long track record in this category.

This is my first robot vacuum and I was a bit wary to venture into these waters. The unit does a very good job of vacuuming and I have been impressed with the quality of mopping. The app was difficult for me to figure out and there are little or no instructions to help an old-timer (who works in technology) like me, so that has been frustrating. The menu design is not intuitive and continues to be troublesome. The unit has disconnected from my wifi several times and is complicated to reconnect, requiring multiple attempts. I must admit my internet service is going through system upgrades and is often out of service between 12-6am, and that might be part of the problem. The other problem I've had is the unit sometimes bumps objects just right [or wrong] and the dust box pops open, stopping the unit in its tracks, until I discover the problem. The replacement parts on the mfr website are not cross-referenced to this model, even though it has been out for almost a year. When I pointed this out, the service rep updated one item and then pointed me to it in the catalog, but the other items were still not indexed to this model and that is sloppy and a form of denial. I really don't like it when a mfr denies there is a problem and doesn't fix the problem. The quality of construction and ease of cleaning maintenance on the unit is very good. Overall, I would probably buy it again.

I've had an irobot 980 since the series came out. It was my first robot vacuum. I used it on the first floor of my house, a combination of wood floors and area rugs. It performed very well. I appreciated the product support in the form of software upgrades over the years (e.g., whole home maps). That system had separate transmitter barriers for no go zones. I've moved it to the upstairs of my house, similarly wood floors and areas rugs. I purchased the J9+ combo a few weeks ago and it is a substantial upgrade. Relative to the vacuuming, it is much quieter and at least as effective. We keep our floor pretty clean, but my evidence in the amount of material in the bins. The mopping feature is very cool. It has a creative solution for mop mode versus vacuuming, with a control arm that retracts to avoid dropping liquid on carpets. I've programmed the irobot to do its thing three times per week and have had no issues. I appreciate the self emptying and the reservoir for the mopping liquid. The mop is similar to a Swiffer style, which is perfect for our hard wood floors. We use an approved hard wood cleaner. Like the 980, the j9+ is easy to work on, with a modular design for replacement parts, when necessary. Obviously, I haven't had to replace anything on the j9+. Overall, this feels like a premium product. I have been very happy with my prior irobot vacuum and prospects look good for this one.