ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Roomba Combo j9+ is a $1,400 two-in-one robotic vacuum and mop that makes use of a retractable mop head. It is $400 off on the time of writing.
- Its greatest improve comes with the Clear Base, which might now routinely refill the water tank.
- The mopping characteristic is simply satisfactory when tasked with large messes, particularly in comparison with opponents with twin oscillating mop heads.
The Roomba Combo j9+ has made its method into my rotation of robot vacuums — and let me inform you, I am very impressed. It is glossy and has a contemporary feel and look, and iRobot went out of its strategy to repair the shortcomings of the earlier Combo j7+. Essentially the most notable characteristic is the Clear Base’s Auto-Fill Dock, which means the robotic can merely return to the docking station each time it must refill its clear water tank.
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The Combo j9+ is supposed to be iRobot’s best robotic but, using iRobotOS to map your private home seven instances sooner than earlier than. The robotic can routinely label your map with as much as 90% accuracy, keep its P.O.O.P. (Pet Proprietor Official Promise) assure, and accomplish that far more. I cherished my Roomba j7+ final yr, however was left wishing for extra with the Combo j7+. I now really feel as if the 2 worlds have collided efficiently with the Combo j9+.
Straight out of the field
I really like the high-end feel and look of the Roomba Combo j9+. The robotic blends in fantastically with my furnishings and is not a machine that I might tuck away in my laundry room or workplace so friends do not see it. It’s bulkier than its predecessor, however that is as a result of this mannequin has a sturdier, refillable water tank, a drawer that holds the detachable mud bin, and storage on the within to maintain further mop pads. The trade-off is effectively price it.
The entrance door of the Combo j9+ opens for entry to the clear water tank, mud bin, and storage for added mud baggage and mop heads. Beth Mauder/ZDNET
The robotic has a comparatively easy setup course of. You will have to discover a appropriate place towards a wall close to an outlet, get the Clear Base plugged in, and align the robotic with the charging port. Pair the machine with the iRobot companion app and also you’re all set.
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Subsequent, the mapping run. With the app updated, it took only a few minutes for the robotic to determine my dwelling’s format. The robotic caught to the partitions and edges of the furnishings, used AI to try to predict the place the rooms had been divided, after which labeled them accordingly. I solely have to make a couple of tweaks to the mapping, so it was typically dependable. If you happen to already personal an iRobot machine and you’ve got created a map of your private home, you’ll be able to switch the map from one machine to a different within the iRobot app.
How does the Combo j9+ carry out?
After I first examined the robotic, I made a decision to run it simply hours earlier than internet hosting my household for Thanksgiving, as a result of who does not stay life on the sting? One factor I instantly observed was how for much longer the robotic took to scrub my dwelling than my earlier j7+ mannequin. That is not essentially a foul factor.
The Combo j9+ cleans in smaller, shorter passes versus the longer passes of the j7+. In methods, this lets the robotic clear at a finer tempo. To offer you an thought of how for much longer it took, the j7+ can clear my lounge in 14 minutes whereas the Combo j9+ takes half-hour. This is not an enormous deal whenever you’re simply cleansing a room or two, however it undoubtedly made a distinction after I was cleansing my total dwelling.
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The largest distinction and most notable enhancements include the Clear Base. The Roomba Combo j9+ can now routinely refill its clear water tank, fixing my greatest gripe with its predecessor. I now not should babysit the machine; the Combo j9+ is that self-sufficient. The water tank itself feels sturdy and holds a substantial quantity of cleansing resolution earlier than it must be refilled.
The Clear Base additionally permits the Roomba j9+ to self-empty as wanted, storing the dust and particles within the disposable bag for about 60 days. Your mileage will range with this characteristic; my dwelling with pets and youngsters will definitely be dirtier than somebody’s dwelling of two.
Simply as spectacular is how quiet the Combo j9+ self-empties. It’s noticeably quieter than any of the earlier Roomba models; I can run the Combo j9+ whereas my baby sleeps, with out worrying that the suction from the auto-emptying will wake him up. I am unable to emphasize sufficient how a lot I really like this characteristic. I can reset my predominant dwelling areas within the night whereas getting my vacuuming and mopping performed. It is a very enticing characteristic and a must have for folks with little ones.
Vacuuming efficiency
For what it is price, vacuuming has by no means been a difficulty for the Roombas I’ve examined. My house is incessantly suffering from dust, particles, pet hair, meals crumbs, and extra, and I have been impressed time and time once more with the suction functionality of those robotic vacuums. Pet hair is cleaned up effectively, my rugs and carpets have fairly vacuuming strains, and the house underneath my eating room desk stays crumb-free.
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With the Combo j9+, you’ll be able to select to have the robotic vacuum or each vacuum and mop. If you happen to ship the j9+ to a room with simply carpet, it by some means is aware of that it is going to be performing a vacuum-only job. Plus, impediment avoidance is pretty dependable. My cords, pet toys, stray sneakers, and the whole lot in between are at all times left untouched.
Mopping efficiency
The Clear Base liquid container is supplied to deal with iRobot’s approved liquid cleaning solution, so that’s the solely liquid I put within the refillable container. I choose this over simply utilizing water as a result of my flooring require one thing slightly extra highly effective.
Whereas the Combo j9+ will not put your native deep cleansing service out of enterprise, it is in a position to preserve flooring trying tidy sufficient. Throughout testing, I observed the longer I went with out manually mopping, the extra streaks I noticed left from the robotic. The j9+ applies simply sufficient stress to wipe off most stains, dust marks, and different messes, so I’ve felt snug with letting it clear the home in the course of the week, whereas I manually mop on the weekend.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
I am completely impressed with the upgrades that got here to the Roomba Combo j9+ from the earlier mannequin. If you happen to’re like me and may get the heavy-duty mopping performed on the weekends, this machine goes to maintain your flooring clear in between these deep cleanings. In a home crammed with pets, children, and the whole lot in between, that is a giant win for me.
It actually helps that iRobot loves to run gross sales, particularly across the holidays, and I’ve seen this mannequin routinely drop under the $1,000 worth level (from $1,400).