iRobot Roomba j7+ robot vacuum cleaner review: seems a bit expensive with premium features
The iRobot Roomba j7+ is priced at Rs 74,900 and is the most expensive and advanced product in the company’s Roomba range. In the sales package, the Clean Base comes with an automatic dirt disposal system that empties the dustbin of the device after cleaning. In this model, the company has further improved the ability to navigate, find and ignore things. Is This the Best Vacuum Cleaner You Can Buy? Let’s find out in this review.
Design of iRobot Roomba j7+
Many brands combine vacuum cleaning and mopping in a single device in robot cleaners but this is not the case with Roomba j7+. The Roomba range of products only comes with vacuum cleaning function whereas the Braava range comes with functions like wet mopping, hence it is only a vacuum cleaning robot and comes with the Clean Base docking station. If you have a Braava device both can work through the same app.
Its automatic dirt disposing system is similar to the iRobot Roomba i3+, but the docking station is smaller. However it works exactly the same. The robot vacuum can collect trash and automatically dispose of it in its dirt bag for up to 60 days before it’s time to replace the dirt bag.
The only major difference between the Roomba j7+ and the j7 models (which is currently not available in India) is that the Roomba j7+ comes with an automatic dirt disposal clean base dock while the j7 comes with a standard charging dock. It is similar in size to other similar cleaners but looks a little longer than brands like Xiaomi, Milagrow and 360.
There’s a single button on the top of the device that controls the device manually, while more simple controls can be found through the iRobot Home app by connecting to Wi-Fi. Other devices come with an opening top lid, but the Roomba J7 has a removable dust bin on the side instead. A flexible bumper has been provided in the front so that it can bear the shocks caused by collision. Apart from this, there is a primary camera and light in the front which is used for Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM) navigation.
The iRobot j7+ is available in single black color and for mobility, it has 3 wheels at the bottom, two of which are motorized and one is provided on the front side as a free stabilizer. It has a single sweeper brush at the bottom and a double roller brush mechanism that helps in pulling the debris into the suction area. The package comes with a replacement sweeper brush, HEPA replacement filter for the dust bin, and a cable to connect the dock station to a power outlet.
iRobot Roomba j7+ navigation and mapping
The iRobot Roomba j7+ uses camera-based VSLAM navigation, with a front facing camera acting as its eye. It also has a headlight which shows the way while the device is working. With its help, it works accurately and there is no problem even in the dark.
With a front facing camera, the device is able to navigate better than other cleaners. It works like Lidar based navigation and can easily clean between the dining table and chairs.
Due to the high resolution and visibility of the camera, it knows the surrounding area well and does the cleaning accordingly. Therefore, whether you have to go from one room to another or clean the carpet of the room, it can be done easily. The device took several test runs to generate the layout of my house. It measured the room partitions well so that it could navigate inside the room easily.
To put it simply, navigation has been greatly improved, much better than other vacuum devices. It ignores the legs of chair, table, etc., thereby reducing conflicts. It did not go into the other room even though the door of the other room was accidentally opened. Despite being instructed several times, he did not go to another room. It first fixed its path and then went into the room.
One of its special features is to ignore blockages and even ignore any pet feces on the floor in the house. I couldn’t test it for pet feces, but it easily ignored cables, towels, and clothes lying on the floor.
On several occasions, after it photographed and reviewed such objects, I instructed the device to skip the area or clean up the object once it was removed. The device differentiates between a temporary interruption and a permanent interruption.
iRobot Roomba j7+ app
All the devices of the brand can be controlled through the iRobot Home app. The app is simple and works smoothly with the Roomba J7. It also provides mapping, cleaning, battery life along with other visual representations. When connected to home Wi-Fi, it can be controlled from any corner of the house.
You can also set your favorite cleaning task in it like the entire house or a room. Additionally, you can empty the robot’s dustbin, change the map to set room boundaries, create no-go zones, clean zones and create cleaning schedules as well as basic settings of the device. Can also control.
One drawback is that when it is working, the map does not show its location and cleaning status. Later it updates only the cleaned area, which is the only drawback of this device. The app calculated the time to clean the room properly.
iRobot Roomba j7+ cleaning
Vacuum cleaners from other brands specifically mention suction power and you can modify it, but the Roomba j7+ does the opposite. It automatically calculates and determines how much suction power is required to clean an area. For this it moves forward slowly and carefully.
All the user has to do is instruct it as to which room needs to be cleaned, after which the device starts cleaning from there. The lidar based 360 S7 took 35-40 minutes to clean my entire house but the Roomba took an hour. This was because it cleaned better with greater depth.
I found that the device was increasing the suction power on more stubborn areas but the sound was not that loud. It was making noise only for a short while. It cleans carpets very well and is easy to walk on. Whereas many other robot cleaners are not able to move on them easily. Its HEPA filter captures particles as small as 0.1 micron, so it also offers some protection against allergy-causing dust mites.
Its connectivity was stable. It cleaned with ease even in rooms where the Wi-Fi signal was weak. This means I didn’t give it any instructions through the app but it still returned to its dock station after cleaning. It also provided cleaning details for areas that don’t have Wi-Fi coverage in my home.
Its Clean Base automatic dirt disposal system is a huge improvement over the previous model. It is not only small and attractive but also does the job well. It works more reliably on j7+ than i3+. The dustbin of the robot is kept very clean, in which there is no need to even touch the human hand.
Its dust disposal system uses vacuum suction to empty the robot’s dustbin, during which it makes a lot of noise for a few seconds. However, it only takes a few seconds to do this. Waste is collected in a disposable dirt bag that attaches to the Clean Base docking station. According to the company it lasts for 60 days. The app will let you know when the bag is full and you can remove the bag and empty it. An additional bag is also provided with the device. Apart from this, a pack of 3 bags can also be purchased for Rs 1,660. Due to this, it becomes expensive in long term use.
Charging and battery life of iRobot Roomba j7+
According to the company, the device can run for 75 minutes on a single charge in which it can clean 1800 square feet. It also depends on the layout of the house and access to the rooms. I can also accept this estimate as correct that the time given is 75 minutes. But it cleans 1200 square feet in a single charge, which is slightly less than the company’s claim. Considering the price, its 2,210mAh battery is quite ordinary.
There are not many ways to know the battery level of a device as it gives a graphical estimate of the remaining battery during operation. It also saved some battery after cleaning my house on a single charge. In an area larger than this, it may need to be charged again.
Like other such devices, it finds its way to a docking station and keeps itself charged. Charging takes a little time but this is normal for vacuum cleaners. It took about two hours to fully charge after I did a thorough cleaning of my house.
our decision
Many devices in this segment are coming with cleaning and mopping, due to which iRobot Roomba j7+ seems a bit expensive at Rs 74,900. You can get a Braava Jet M6 for mopping. But then the price of both of them together becomes Rs 1,25,000 and the two devices also take up more space in the house.
Its automatic dirt disposal system is quite impressive and also proves it to be premium. If you look at its ease of use and better cleaning, it can be purchased. If you have budget then you can check it out. If you are looking for an affordable option then you can check out Milagrow iMap 10.0 and 360 S7.
Price: Rs. 74,990
Rating: 8/10
Properties:
Great for vacuum cleaning
Automatic dirt disposal system works well
careful, accurate navigation
very easy to use
Flaws:
Expensive to buy and operate
Mapping could be a little better
average battery life
