5 new Roombas got here out, and one has iRobot's finest suction and mopping but

TL;DR: On Sept. 11, iRobot introduced the second half of its 2023 lineup, totaling 5 new Roombas ranging in value from $349.99 to $1,399.99. Highlights embrace a brand new flagship Combo Roomba with iRobot’s most superior suction, scrubbing, and automated dock up to now. All are that can be purchased or preorder now.

The recognizability of “Roomba” is palpable each time somebody refers to a robotic vacuum from any model as a Roomba. However iRobot’s 2023 product drop appears to take purpose at these whose expertise with Roomba ends at identify recognition, notably stretching mopping capabilities — a characteristic beforehand reserved for its most costly vacuum — to a surprisingly varietal value vary of $349.99 to $1,399.99.

The discharge of the fleet of 5 new Roombas was truly damaged up into two components. The tip of August noticed a considerably quiet launch of the upgraded variations of the prevailing i5 collection, whereas Sept. 11 marked the launch of two new collection: the j5 and the brand new flagship j9. This is the total lineup:

New Roombas that mop

New Roomba that does not mop

(To inform Roomba titles aside at a look, do not forget that the plus signal signifies automated emptying, and the phrase “combo” signifies the retractable mopping pad.)

Whereas the 2023 line does appear to concentrate on higher balancing superior cleansing options with decrease prices, the j9 collection is a deal with for seasoned iRobot converts who can pay for probably the most souped-up cleansing expertise.

Earlier than breaking down the main points differentiating the 2023 Roombas from one another and their predecessors, let’s elaborate on iRobot’s concentrate on mopping that we talked about earlier. After a 12 months of the $1,099.99 Roomba Combo j7+ being the one true 2-in-1 Roomba, iRobot now has a number of choices with a water tank and mopping pad.

There are two forms of hybrid Roombas now

The Roomba Combo tank holds sufficient water for a month’s price of on-demand mopping.
Credit score: iRobot

Roomba Swap and Mop vacs will return to wash rugs as soon as the water tank is eliminated.
Credit score: iRobot

It is the place the tank and pad reside when not in use that units the brand new vacs aside. The Combo’s declare to fame is a retractable mopping pad that absolutely lifts above the physique of the vacuum when it isn’t mopping reasonably than letting a soggy pad riskily hover over carpet and rugs. The Roomba Combo j9+ and the Roomba Combo j5+ use the Combo mechanism.

The brand new Swap and Mop is a less-advanced however less-expensive design during which you may bodily swap a full-sized mud bin for a water tank relying on the kind of flooring being tackled. The 2 new i5 fashions characteristic the Swap and Mop design.

To maintain prices low, the Swap and Mop system omits the retractable mopping pad and as a substitute makes use of a extra primary two-tank system. Switching to mopping mode does require you to be house, nevertheless it’s straightforward: Simply click on the full-sized mud bin or the water tank into place relying on the cleansing session being run. Although Swap and Mop Roombas do carry out some dry vacuuming whereas mopping, you’ll be able to designate carpeted areas to keep away from within the app, then swap the bins to have the Roomba take a legit carpet lap.

The Combo j9+ has iRobot’s most superior all the things

A mere 12 months after launching its very first true 2-in-1 robotic vacuum and mop (the Roomba Combo j7+), iRobot is already constructing considerably on practically each side of that design with the brand new Roomba Combo j9+.

Credit score: iRobot

Earlier than the Combo j9+, your high-end Roomba choices had been the Combo j7+ and the s9+. The Combo j7+ was the one alternative for mopping and detection of small obstacles like cords and pet waste, whereas the s9+ was the selection for deep carpet cleansing, deploying 40 occasions the suction of the older 600 Sequence Roombas (the j7 solely provided 10 occasions higher suction). Every excelled on one flooring sort or the opposite, however not each.

The mastery of each flooring varieties is not mutually unique with the Combo j9+. On mushy flooring, iRobot’s strongest suction energy but works with twin rubber brushes and an automated suction increase to dig into thick carpet fibers and seize hair, fur, or crumbs. On laborious flooring, iRobot’s new SmartScrub method sends the mopping pad backwards and forwards (full with some precise elbow grease) over sticky spills and cussed footprints for scrubbing two occasions deeper than the Combo j7+. The Combo j9+ tank can be appropriate with an extended listing of cleansing options reasonably than simply water.

Up to date know-how inside the brand new Roombas additionally helps them apply these extra highly effective cleansing methods to the rooms that want it most. With iRobot’s new Filth Detective know-how, your Combo j9+ cleans the dirtiest rooms first on any basic cleansing run.

The opposite standout tech characteristic carried over from the j7+ is the crew of a front-facing digicam and front-facing LED gentle that kind iRobot’s PrecisionVision tech. This illuminates and detects small obstacles that journey different robotic vacuums up, like cords, socks, and pet waste.

The Combo j9+ has gold-tinted metallic accents and a flat high with a contemporary wooden end.
Credit score: iRobot

The brand new self-emptying dock itself deserves equal hype. Its newfound capacity to refill the vac’s water tank for 30 days relieves the one main recurring downfall seen when evaluating the Combo j7+ to different 2-in-1 robotic vacuums. The dock is considerably larger than iRobot’s earlier docks, however can be considerably extra stylish and doubles as a full-time facet desk.

Notice: The unique mopping Roomba, the trusty, beloved Combo j7+, has acquired a everlasting value drop to $999.99.

Lastly, mopping Roombas that aren’t $1,000

Up till now, anybody who was set on proudly owning a Roomba — not simply any robotic vacuum — mainly had to decide on between spending loads and securing superior options like deep carpet cleansing, small impediment avoidance, and even mopping, or spending manner much less however settling for simply first rate cleansing and first rate navigation. iRobot made positive to handle this hole with the 2023 growth.

The 2 new mid-range Roomba fashions, the j5 collection and upgraded i5 collection, truly launched first, quietly going reside on iRobot’s web site on the finish of August 2023. This is what they provide:

Credit score: iRobot

The j5 is the brand new j7 by way of appears and value level, with one trick up its sleeve that Roombas at this value have not seen earlier than. There are two iterations right here: the $799.99 Combo j5+, a robotic vacuum and mop with an automated filth disposal dock, and the $599.99 Combo j5, the identical actual factor minus the automated emptying. These value tags are $50 cheaper than the debut costs of the j7+ and the j7 once they got here out in fall 2021.

However the gag is that, regardless of being costlier, the unique j7 fashions did not mop. The primary Roomba to supply mopping ever was the Roomba Combo j7+, launched in Sept. 2022 at $1,099.99. With the Combo s9+ now carrying the crown for most costly Roomba, iRobot shifted to create two mid-range mopping Roombas, each of which can be found with a self-emptying dock or as standalone vacs.

Selecting between the j collection and that i collection comes down as to if or not you are feeling like cleansing up the ground earlier than sending your Roomba out. The j collection makes use of iRobot’s most superior digicam system to keep away from small objects like pet waste, cords, and socks (and from our expertise, is definitely fairly good at it). The j5+ is now the most cost effective Roomba with small impediment avoidance tech.

The i5 collection fills out the low finish of the worth spectrum for the mopping Roombas. At $549.99 for the self-emptying model or $349.99 for the standalone vac, the most cost effective Roomba mops greater than halves the $1,399.99 price ticket of the Combo j9+.

After all, the worth reduce comes with characteristic cuts. The i5 collection are one other Swap and Mop mannequin that will not decide up on these pesky small obstacles talked about earlier. It does, nevertheless, acknowledge partitions and furnishings nicely sufficient to recollect the structure of your house and clear particular rooms on demand. (A 2022 firmware replace unlocked Imprint good mapping capabilities for all Roomba i collection vacuums, other than the i1 and i2).

When you’re upgrading to any of the 2023 Roombas from one other Roomba that already created a map of your own home, you’ll be able to skip the cleansing run and switch the outdated Roomba’s map to the brand new vac within the iRobot app.