I’ve been a Roomba user for over 5+ years now and tried many other different brands including Samsung and Neato. The first Samsung I had left a lot to be desired, and while the Neato was decent, the Roomba Robot Vacuums have always been the pinnacle brand of Robot Vacuums. I’ve had 4 different Roombas over the years and have enjoyed seeing the growth in technology and features that they’ve been able to achieve. The J9+ is probably the most technologically advanced Robot Vacuum I’ve owned so far and am happy to explain why!Out of the box the J9+ setup was probably the easiest I’ve encountered so far. The Roomba app on my Iphone detected it immediately and was linked in less than a minute or two. I let the Roomba charge up and first thing I had it do was do a smart ... MoreI’ve been a Roomba user for over 5+ years now and tried many other different brands including Samsung and Neato. The first Samsung I had left a lot to be desired, and while the Neato was decent, the Roomba Robot Vacuums have always been the pinnacle brand of Robot Vacuums. I’ve had 4 different Roombas over the years and have enjoyed seeing the growth in technology and features that they’ve been able to achieve. The J9+ is probably the most technologically advanced Robot Vacuum I’ve owned so far and am happy to explain why!Out of the box the J9+ setup was probably the easiest I’ve encountered so far. The Roomba app on my Iphone detected it immediately and was linked in less than a minute or two. I let the Roomba charge up and first thing I had it do was do a smart map of my home. I will admit the first mapping left some room for improvement, but I believe it didn’t map correctly because I looked at the map while it was in the process of mapping and might have thrown it off. Doing another run after it was able to map our first floor with surprising accuracy. It even detected where area rugs were on our floor and you’re also able to label areas to avoid. Once mapping and labeling the rooms was done the Roomba was ready to do its thing.What I immediately noticed compared to previous models I’ve owned is just how customizable the J9+ Roomba is. When creating schedules in the Roomba app you’re able to select your suction power preference from Low to High with Low being a quieter setting with less frequent charging, middle being the best balance for all floor types, and High being a more powerful clean with more frequent recharging. You can also change whether you want the vacuum to make one or two cleaning passes. So, with the smart mapping feature you can choose to have your Roomba do 2 passes with higher suction on higher traffic areas. There’s also a setting called Careful drive which will have the Roomba do its best to avoid walls and furniture. I noticed there is a little white light that utilizes their “Precision Vision Navigation” to avoid objects left on the ground and does a great job not sucking up cords which has been a problem for some of my Roombas in the past. This Roomba is certified to avoid dog messes, or they’ll replace it for free, which is nice for your piece of mind. The app will also detect your cleaning habits over time and suggest when to clean. By far the coolest feature I have come across so far is the Automation with scheduling which will use Location services with your phone to determine when you have left your home and vacuum while you’re away. So, you never realize the Roomba is running but always come home to a clean house. If you have an Ecobee thermometer, August Lock, or My Q garage door opener you can utilize them as well to tell the Roomba you’re away. Features like this truly are a great use of smart technology in the home and something I would have never thought would be possible but kudos to the App developers for thinking of it! The J9+ can also utilize Automation via Alexa to clean specific rooms with voice command which is very handy as well! Overall, this Roomba is a technological beast!Testing the J9+ for the last week it’s done a great job of cleaning our home. Having it run while we are out doing errands and having it dispose of the dirt automatically in the bin allows us to let the Roomba do its job without even thinking twice about it. With past models that didn’t have smart mapping I would always get funny messages like “your Roomba has fallen off a cliff” and we’d come home to find it in our recessed shower. The j9+ with Smart Mapping has done a great job of doing exactly what it’s supposed to do without getting stuck. I truly believe the Roomba brand has reached an impressive level of smart technology with the j9+ that truly makes it worth the money. If you’re looking for a set it and forget it Robot vacuum the j9+ is exactly what you’re looking for, I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a truly “smart” vacuum!

Robot vacuums are, in my opinion, one of the best smart home investments you can make. On the whole they work well, and automate a regular task without much intervention. With a range of machines and price points available, is it worth investing in a higher-end model? I've owned a number of iRobot's Roomba models at different price points, as well as robot vacuums from other manufacturers. Going up in price brings notable differences, and depending on your use case, you might find paying more worthwhile.The latest trend in robotic cleaning is the addition of mopping capabilities. Each manufacturer does things differently and iRobot is no exception. Their latest offering is the Roomba Combo j9+, which offers vacuuming and mopping capabilities as well as automatic ... MoreRobot vacuums are, in my opinion, one of the best smart home investments you can make. On the whole they work well, and automate a regular task without much intervention. With a range of machines and price points available, is it worth investing in a higher-end model? I've owned a number of iRobot's Roomba models at different price points, as well as robot vacuums from other manufacturers. Going up in price brings notable differences, and depending on your use case, you might find paying more worthwhile.The latest trend in robotic cleaning is the addition of mopping capabilities. Each manufacturer does things differently and iRobot is no exception. Their latest offering is the Roomba Combo j9+, which offers vacuuming and mopping capabilities as well as automatic dirt disposal and mopping tank refills -- a first for iRobot. I've been waiting for iRobot to introduce automated taking refilling; the idea of manually filling the robot's clean water tank has held me back, as the need to fill it before each mopping session really defeats the hands-off nature afforded by self-emptying robotic vacuums, which I've really come to love with my previous Roomba j7+.The Combo j9+ arrived in a massive box: this is no ordinary robot vacuum. As usual, iRobot has carefully and smartly packaged the entire system, using very little plastic and lots of recyclable materials. Everything is easy to unbox and I was able to recycle all the packaging materials, which is a huge plus in my book.The massive box is a result of the new base station that enables automatic dirt disposal and clean water tank refills. It's certainly large and in charge compared to other Roomba self-emptying stations, but the overall footprint on the floor is nearly identical to that of my j7+ -- the biggest change is that the base now swallows nearly the entire Roomba when it's docked. This creates room for the dirt disposal and large refillable base station water tank, as well as storage for dirt disposal bags, mopping pads and other robot accessories, all hidden behind a large front door.iRobot really put a lot of thought into the base station, and it shows. Not only is it cleverly designed, it's also well-made and, dare I say, somewhat attractive. Yes, it's all plastic, including the woodgrain panel on top, but the combination of the woodgrain, matte black plastic and ribbed design elements really go a long way to making the base station something you won't feel the need to hide away -- which is good, because it's big enough overall that you may need to keep it out in full view. Happily I was able to find a spot for it, and the cube design keeps most of the robot vacuum hidden, so it's less obtrusive in that way.Setup was straightforward, with basic instructions included the box, and a simple pairing process in the iRobot app, which walks you through everything to get the Combo j9+ up and running. iRobot's app is cleanly designed and definitely leans toward the minimal, which is both good and bad. Basic settings and commands are handled easily, but digging into your robot's settings comes with a bit of a learning curve. You'll find settings for the machine (default cleaning modes, child lock, updates etc.) in one area, but some settings for each "mission" -- what iRobot terms vacuuming/mopping jobs -- are only accessible when creating a job itself. This gives you the flexibility to change suction, cleaning passes and water levels with each job, but it took me a minute to find all the settings I was looking for. Just something to note.The app lets you start cleaning missions on the fly as well as schedule them based on time or your location, which is how I set up my j9+. This requires integrating the app with IFTTT to track your phone's location, although I was also given the option to connect the app with my ecobee smart thermostat for location information. I wish home/away geolocation was built directly into the iRobot app, but regardless, a few minutes of tinkering and your robot will know when you leave and return, and behave accordingly.I have my Combo j9+ set to vacuum every day when I leave the house, and vacuum and mop a few days during the week when I leave. It's just me and my cat in an apartment, so I don't find the need for the floors to be mopped daily, but I love coming home to a freshly-vacuumed house. It makes a huge difference keeping the cat hair at bay. Most folks who come over comment on how they can't tell I have a cat until they see him, and that's due in large part to Roomba cleaning my floors for me.After setting the j9+ up for the first time I sent it on a mapping-only mission, which devotes all the robot's smarts to creating a map of your house. The j9+ spent about an hour mapping on its first run, and it got stuck twice (under a dining room chair and under a side table). Because this was its first run, I cut it some slack, thinking it would remember where it got stuck and not go back again. After the mapping run was complete the app offered me a pretty complete map of my home, with the rooms already labeled and the rugs identified as carpet. Every time you run the Roomba it will improve the map, and I especially like how it will identify obstacles and take pictures for you to designate no-go zones later. Expect the j9+ to get stuck a few times as it learns your home, and take a few minutes to mark no-go zones in the map, as this will make a big difference in how your robot performs. I was impressed with the level of detail and speed with which it created this map, so I immediately sent the j9+ on a cleaning mission to see how it performed.The j9+ is quieter than my j7+, but not by all that much. It is able to detect the difference between carpet and bare floors and the vacuum suction changes within a second, which is neat. It largely cleans in rows, followed by a trip around the edges of the room, whether it's just vacuuming or vacuuming + mopping. As I was hoping, the j9+ is a very strong performer, just like my j7+, living up to iRobot's reputation. While it's a little quieter, it's not what I would call quiet, which is why I have it set to run when I'm not home.Automatic mopping was the big draw for me, and I'm pleased to say the j9+ does a fairly good job. The robot is able to turn around and fill its own tank from the base station before a job, and just like in the commercials, it only puts the mopping pad down on bare floors. When it's done with floors and moves to carpet the machine smoothly picks the pad up and docks it on top of its body. It's very satisfying to watch and really does keep your carpets dry. After a job the machine will return to the base and empty its dust bin. Here, too, iRobot has reduced the noise a bit compared to my j7, but the auto-emptying is still fairly loud -- another reason I like it all done while I'm not home.Overall I'm very pleased with the Roomba Combo j9+. It's very well-built, nice to look at, and the addition of an auto-filling water tank means you can go weeks at a time without emptying the vacuum or filling the water tank. The mop pads are washable and like most parts of the vacuum easily replaceable, which is another hallmark of the iRobot brand. After getting stuck a handful of times on its first few runs the j9+ noted all the no-go zones I hoped it would and hasn't had a single issue in the days after. My quibbles are few; namely, mapping is not foolproof and requires some human intervention, so please know that. I do wish iRobot offered more granular settings for the robot, like the ability to disable all lights and buttons (my cat is far too smart for his own good), but these are things that may come in time. If you want a vacuum and a mop and you're looking for the best balance of quality, reliability, repairability and cleaning performance, I think it's tough to beat the Roomba Combo j9+.

The Roomba J9+ was simple to unbox and get up and running. Everything comes pre-assembled and merely required unpacking and room placement. Device activation and configuration was completed through the iRobot app which subsequently applied a “10 minute” update that actually ran for over 40 minutes. I was forced to abort and close the app due to other obligations, but when I returned later I noticed the vacuum software version number had jumped from 7.X to 9.9. Although it wasn’t exactly a smooth start, the issue apparently resolved on its own and the Roomba has been problem free since.Cleaning tasks are managed through the iRobot app, which also provides the capability to monitor and maintain the device. The Roomba can clean on demand, or as specified through ... MoreThe Roomba J9+ was simple to unbox and get up and running. Everything comes pre-assembled and merely required unpacking and room placement. Device activation and configuration was completed through the iRobot app which subsequently applied a “10 minute” update that actually ran for over 40 minutes. I was forced to abort and close the app due to other obligations, but when I returned later I noticed the vacuum software version number had jumped from 7.X to 9.9. Although it wasn’t exactly a smooth start, the issue apparently resolved on its own and the Roomba has been problem free since.Cleaning tasks are managed through the iRobot app, which also provides the capability to monitor and maintain the device. The Roomba can clean on demand, or as specified through custom cleaning schedules. The app is straightforward and intuitive to use, with all options logically arranged and easily accessible. One of the most useful features of the app is home mapping. The Roomba maps the layout of the home as it cleans, which is then saved in the app. Mapping allows more refined custom on-demand cleaning by allowing me to select specific rooms or the entire floor.Mapping can also be used with scheduling to clean individual rooms or areas on specified dates and times. This is good for automatically cleaning heavily trafficked or soiled areas more frequently and any less trafficked areas less frequently. Mapping isn’t perfect however, especially if there are a lot of random obstacles or oddly shaped or angled rooms. But it gets more accurate the more the machine runs and learns the home’s layout. I can also go in and edit the layout to make it more accurately represent my floorplan.Watching the Roomba run the first few times is like watching a baby deer learn to walk. It’s clumsy, unsure, frequently repeats areas, and seemingly puts too much emphasis on certain spots. Once the vacuum gets a good sampling of the house layout, it runs more efficiently, although it still occasionally runs in questionable patterns at times. The vacuum is moderately loud while cleaning but gets much louder when self-emptying due to the drastically increased suction used to empty the device. Both modes are loud enough to potentially frighten sensitive pets, but the noise from the emptying process is much more likely to do so.Cleaning results are pretty good. The J9+ does a thorough job and frequently doubles back to ensure cleanliness. It occasionally misses debris, just as my previous Roomba 981 did, but it seems a little more thorough than the 981 and usually does a good job overall. It’s adept at traveling onto and cleaning large low pile area rugs and good at avoiding stairs, obstructions, drops and other obstacles. It sometimes lightly bumps against walls and furniture rather than stopping before impact, but this became less frequent the more it learned the layout. Once it finishes all areas, it automatically returns to its home base where it self empties automatically. Dirt is sucked out of the Roomba and into a disposable vacuum bag inside the base. Once the bag is full, it gets removed and tossed like any other vacuum bag.The only areas I don’t like the J9+ traveling onto are floor vents and small rugs and mats. Small lightweight rugs and mats tend to get caught up in the roller and suction, and the grinding sounds the machine makes while traveling over floor vents makes me wince. Out of an abundance of caution, I usually remove small rugs/mats and cover floor vents before cleaning. The rollers and brushes are consumable user replaceable parts that I fear will may deteriorate prematurely from unfriendly surfaces like grated vent covers. The app monitors consumables and advises when it’s time for replacement, but it is time and use based. I suspect it may not accurately account for excessive wear caused by environmental factors.We’ve been pleased with the Roomba J9+ performance. It cleans the house reliably with few missed spots. We don’t have small children, pets, or a lot if foot traffic, so I’m sure that makes it easier to clean and likely plays a role in our results. The iRobot app scheduling, coupled with the self-emptying feature, makes the J9+ practically a set and forget appliance until it’s necessary to empty the base. The robot accurately cleans areas automatically for us on a daily schedule and returns to its home base afterward. Overall, it accomplishes the bulk of our vacuuming needs and even with our large area rugs, we’re seldom forced to use our uprights to supplement the Roomba.