The best Roombas for every home

We would say that the j7+ goes where no Roomba has gone before, but it's more about where it doesn't go. The j7 bots are the first to use iRobot's PrecisionVision Navigation sensors to avoid small, oddly-shaped obstacles that are typically blind spots for vacs not being operated by humans, like phone chargers or pet waste.

The j7+ self-empties into a more compact auto-empty dock without sacrificing the 60-day capacity. Though it doesn't mop like the Combo j7+ does, skipping the hybrid capabilities saves you about £300 when both models are on sale, which is worth it in our book if you're fine with occasional Swiffering.

Finally, the robot vacuum that's least likely to eat your phone charger is now also the least likely to soak your carpet. In Oct. 2022, iRobot announced a mopping version of its smartest device, the well-reviewed j7+ — the first true hybrid Roomba. The Combo j7+ looks nearly identical to the original, but with the addition of what looks like the spoiler on a sports car — a retractable mop.

iRobot's PrecisionNavigation allows the j7+ to perceive obstacles that other robot vacuums plow right into. Those smarts extend to sensing carpet in mop mode, too: Instead of dragging the mop on the plush surface, the arms lift the mop to its original spot on top of the vacuum.

Unfortunately, unlike some similarly-priced premium vacs from Roborock or Ecovacs that wash their own mopping pads, you'll be responsible for swapping those out yourself.

The oldest model that's still active in iRobot's rotation is the s9+. Two unique facets explain why it has stuck around while other releases from the same year have been sunset: Deep carpet cleaning and a flat edge.

Plush pile meets its match with iRobot's most powerful bot to date, providing 40 times the suction power of the 600 Series Roombas. (For reference, the j7 line provides 10 times the suction of the 600 Series.) That boosted suction takes on medium and high-pile carpets with ease, using a wider rubber brush roll to collect pet hair without tangling. Despite exerting so much oomph, the s9+ cleans for two hours before returning to charge.

During that long cleaning run, the s9+ will also detail your walls, undersides of cabinets, and corners. Its D-shape allows it to sneak right up along flat edges where round vacuums are solely dependent on the reach of a side brush.

Earn Roomba bragging rights without going over £500 with iRobot's current baseline vac, which offers a standard clean that you can trust for light daily upkeep. Hard floors are a breeze and low-pile carpets are tackled efficiently with Roomba's loosen-then-lift strategy.

iRobot's suite of sensors handle surface changes with ease and can be trusted not to eat scattered toys or low-hanging curtains. This Roomba's cleaning gets more methodical over time, and seeks out high-traffic areas with Dirt Detect. Though it can't be sent to certain rooms or zones like its more advanced siblings, cleanings can still be scheduled through the app.

The iRobot fam has grown considerably since it first brought the self-emptying innovation home. Now, this robot vac exists as a more affordable path to that hands-off convenience. Its Clean Base gets you off the hook from touching a dust bin for the same amount of time as the j7+ and s9+.

The i3+ does skimp on some tech like smart mapping. However, those in smaller spaces shouldn't be affected much by its inability to target specific rooms. They will, however, appreciate its peaceful noise level and effectiveness on pet hair (specifically, 10 times the suction power of the aforementioned Roomba 694).

Stripped of the plus sign, the regular j7 doesn't self-empty like the j7+ or mop like the Combo j7+. But it's still one of the best robot vacuums you could have under your roof, especially if your small space would benefit more from reliable clutter navigation than finding somewhere to house an auto-empty dock.

The j7's is on the modest side price-wise because of its status as a standalone vac. Almost every competing robot vacuum with similar obstacle avoidance smarts comes paired with an auto-empty dock, naturally costing more.