The iRobot Roomba j7 is a powerful, effective robot vacuum that can also avoid cable nests and pet mess

Superb mapping; Avoids messy obstacles; Generally good at cleaning, scheduling and voice control;

Slower than some rivals; Bumps into tables and chairs;

Clean Base is excellent; Good navigation; Useful map control;

Suction power could be better; Dust bags are quite expensive;

Here's a five-word horror story: Robot vacuum meets dog poop. I've never experienced this disaster firsthand, but imagine it would be traumatizing enough to swear off floor-cleaning robots for life. The $849.99 iRobot Roomba j7+ promises to solve this problem by using a built-in camera and machine learning technology to detect and automatically avoid common obstacles, namely pet waste and cords. It’s smart in other ways, too. For example, it can detect (and then bypass) potential obstacles based on your feedback. When it docks after a cleaning run, the robot automatically empties its dustbin into an allergen-sealed bag. And while its battery life doesn't blow us away, the robot will navigate back to its base to recharge and then pick up where it left off when it runs low on power. So despite its premium price, the j7+ earns our Editors' Choice award for high-end robotic vacuums, especially if you have a cluttered home or accident-prone pets.iRobot's Lineup The Roomba j7+ costs $84...

While pricey, iRobot's Roomba j7+ robot vacuum has smarts to spare, with a guarantee to avoid pet waste and a self-emptying base that means you rarely have to lift a finger.

Pet waste-avoidance guarantee; Auto-empty base; Intelligently suggests Keep-Out Zones; Supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands; Allows for scheduled area cleanings; Rarely gets stuck; User-friendly companion app

Expensive; Unimpressive battery life

Clever navigation; Very flexible jobs and routines; Generally excellent performance;

Expensive;

Few robot vacuums have been as smart, svelte and sophisticated as the iRobot Roomba J7 Plus. However, its newest sibling offers even more, with the same superior suction but with mopping to boot. The Roomba Combo J7 Plus comes with a retractable mop pad, and when paired with iRobot’s highly intelligent programming, grants an automated clean like never before – and without getting your carpets soggy.

Mops and vacuums; Accurate room mapping; Easy setup and use

Very expensive; Side brush flicks debris; Self-emptying bin is very noisy

What a great vacuum havent had to use the Dyson best thing ever

I purchased the Roomba j7 for my mom, I have another brand of vaccum T8 that always ran into object even tho it was suppose to avoid them so I wanted to try out Roomba. It's so much smarter the little app sends photos every time it runs and ask if it should avoid them, it's alot less set and forget then mine. I have found the camera light helpful aswell at stopping it getting stuck. All up very happy with the purchase

Once it maps your house the rest is easy

The roomba is great. After two clean-everything runs, it had pretty much mapped my place, and allowed me to customise the map. I can now schedule it to do whatever rooms I want. It will head straight for the area it is tasked to clean, will methodically clean it, and go straight onto the next area or to base. No random driving in circles like the low spec models. When it's moving between areas it saves power by turning the vacuum off. Obstacle avoidance works well. My work room has all sorts of bits and cables littering the floor, and it moves around them. If it gets full or the battery goes empty, it will return to base to empty and/or charge, and then return to where it left off until the job is finished. When it gets hung up on a particular carpet corner, it has always managed to free itself, go around and continue on. I once deliberately blocked the return path to the base, and after trying to get through for a minute, it switched to using the long way around via a door through ano...

Easy to setup ; Offers an excellent clean ; True hands-free operation ; Fully customisable ;

Expensive ; Can’t clean stairs;