Robot vacuums that can also mop aren’t unheard of, but they have their limitations—mostly in that you have to set up a mop cleaning as a separate task from vacuuming. That, or the mop portion of the device, will end up dragging along the carpet and make things soggy, which is exactly why iRobot thinks its new Roomba Combo j7+ will stand out from the rest. Once the cleaning starts—and assuming you’ve also attached a mop pad and there’s cleaning solution in the tank—the j7+ will start with your rugs and carpets using just the vacuum. Once those are finished, it will move on to non-carpeted floors (wood, tile, etc.) with both the vacuum and the mop. And as an added bonus, the mop arms will move to the top of the Roomba when it detects carpeting (or rugs), so you shouldn’t have to worry about damp floor coverings. Aside from mopping, the j7+ will also take advantage of iRobot OS 5.0 for improved navigation and object recognition. Roombas (and other compatible iRobot devices) will automatically detect “Clean Zones” like couches, dishwashers, and pet bowls, as well as detect and avoid small miscellaneous objects such as litter boxes and backpacks. And if for any reason you decide you don’t want a particular room to be cleaned during a cycle, you can tell the Roomba to skip it using the Home App or with an Alexa command. Pre-orders for the Roomba Combo j7+ are open today, priced at $1,099, with shipping expected to begin on October 4. It will also be available as part of the iRobot Select membership, which is $29/month (plus possible activation costs and other fees), starting in 2023.
