iRobot says this model is designed for busy households with a mixture of carpets, rugs and hard floors. iRobot also claims that “unlike other 2-in-1s, the Roomba Combo j7+ vacuums rugs and carpets first and then vacuums and mops hard floors concurrently, saving users time by cleaning the area in a single job.” Which is really only partially true. Most 2-in-1 vacuums will vacuum and mop concurrently. iRobot is saying here that this is the only one that will prioritize the carpets and rugs before moving to hardwood and tile floors. This is all thanks to the PrecisionVision Navigation system on iRobot’s robot vacuums. So customers won’t need to worry about cleaning up before the cleaning begins. The Roomba Combo j7+ also lifts the mop to keep the carpets dry. So you won’t need to remove the mop for cleaning carpets, like you do on some other robot vacuums that can also mop.
iRobot OS 5.0 is also debuting
The company is also debuting a huge update to its operating system. As part of this update, you’ll be able to clean more specific places on command. There are also new Clean Zone recommendations, and that is in addition to previously announced objects like couches, tables, counters and holiday trees. It can also avoid more of the objects that you want it to avoid. It can skip a room on the fly, and there are now more Siri shortcuts for iOS. While iRobot was not specific, it sounds like this update will come to all of its Roomba robot vacuums and Braava jet robot mops.
Pricing & Availability
The iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ is going to be available for pre-sale beginning today in the US. With shipments starting on October 4. The price is set at $1,099, making it a pretty pricey robot vacuum, but interestingly, not the most expensive one to launch this year. In Canada, it’ll be available on October 4 as well as in Europe. Other international markets will get availability in the fourth quarter.