iRobot drops its first-ever combo mop and vacuum robot, the Roomba Combo j7+ | ZDNET

2022-10-11 01:17:27 By : Mr. Wekin Cai

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Today, iRobot announced its first joint vacuum and mop robot, the Roomba Combo j7+, along with iRobot OS 5.0 updates. The Roomba Combo j7+ is available for presale in the US on iRobot's website, with shipments beginning October 4. The Roomba retails for $1,099

This Roomba keeps the same sleek and loved design of the Roomba j7+, with the major upgrade of the mop. The Roomba can vacuum and mop in a single cleaning job due to the addition of a retractable mop pad that lifts itself to the top of the robot when it encounters carpet and rugs.

iRobot claims that the retractable mop is what sets it apart from competing 2-in-1 autonomous vacuums, which can cause a mess by accidentally getting the carpet wet. The two fully retracting arms are made out of metal in order to ensure its durability. 

SEE: Roomba j7+ review: A life-changing robot vacuum

"Until today, many 2-in-1 robot vacuums and mops delivered a poor user experience either because they required separate, time-consuming cleaning jobs or created more mess by not fully lifting the mopping pad high enough to avoid carpet and rugs," said Keith Hartsfield, chief product officer at iRobot.

Pictured is the Roomba Combo j7+'s retractable arm.

The Roomba Combo j7+ vacuums rugs and carpets first and then vacuums and mops hard floors. By using advanced sensors, the robot is able to detect various floor types. 

iRobot's newest OS alongside the robot's PrecisionVision Navigation system allows the Combo j7+ to recognize and avoid over 80 common objects, such as kitty litter boxes, chords, or your furry pet that insists on getting in the robot's way. 

You can also pair the robot to your voice assistant and tell it to clean certain rooms or to go clean around items in your home, like the spot at the dining room table where your home's messy eater sits. 

Lastly, to seamlessly control where, how and when your robot begins its task, you can use the iRobot Home app. On the app, you can even tell your Roomba the amount of cleaning solution you want your mop to dispense. 

The Roomba Combo j7+ will be sold with its Clean Base, which allows the Roomba Combo j7+ to empty the dirt and debris it collects into an enclosed bag that doesn't need to be replaced for up to 60 days.

SEE: Amazon is buying robot vacuum company iRobot for $1.7 billion

You can pre-order the Roomba Combo j7+ in the US on the iRobot website for $1,099 USD. Shipments will begin on October 4. 

The Roomba j7+ with Self-Emptying base retails at $799.99 and the Braava jet m6 Robot Mop retails at $399.99 to $449.99, depending on the color. Although the price of the Roomba Combo j7+ might seem a lot compared to the vacuum alone, both items bundled on the iRobot website cost $1,249.98, a higher price point without the convenience of having both items condensed to one device.