I tried the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop - it's the best I've come across

Roomba as a brand is fairly synonymous with the best robot vacuums. Often people I talk to about my job will jump straight in with 'do you have a Roomba?!'. Turns out I do, and the one I have is definitely one of the most kitted out on the market: the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop.

The top line with this vacuum is that it can map your house (extensively), and then vacuum and mop it depending on the floor type it finds. It's also self-emptying, meaning that when it toddles back up to its charging port, you don't even need to empty the dust bin yourself. That all should mean no more dirty work when it comes to vacuuming. 

The only kicker? The Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop is a whopping £999.00. We understand that for that price, you might prefer to go on a nice holiday, but if you can stretch to that sort of price for a cleaning companion then be sure to keep reading to discover why I think it's a solid choice. 

Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop product specs

• Power source: Lithium-ion battery
• Dimensions: ‎H46 x W39.29 x D38.2 cm
• Weight: 3.24kg
• Dustbin capacity: 0.4L
• Battery life: Up to 300 minutes
• Charging time: 4 hours
• Floor coverage: 250 sq m
• Power levels: 3

Who tested this robot vacuum?

Molly Cleary

Molly is the Ecommerce Editor at Ideal Home covering appliances - that's everything from vacuums to air fryers. She is perhaps a little more interested in vacuums than the average person, and has tested a fair few robot vacuums in her time too. 

She tested the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop at home for two months before writing up this review, giving her time to get to grips with the app, set up and scheduling function. Molly lives in a two-bedroom flat in West London that has both hard floor and carpeted areas.

How easy is the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop to set up?

The j7+ is as clever during the unboxing process as it is during use. Unpacking the compact square box is a seamless experience, with the boxes themselves actually carrying instructions on when you'll need to use what's inside so that you can get the essential ones in front of you for initial set up. 

In the box, you'll find the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop itself and the CleanBase Automatic Dirt Disposal dock, which is where the bot charges and self-empties. Together, this is definitely the nicest-looking robot vacuum I've seen, and I especially like the textured panelling on the dock part. The big shiny thing that's very exciting about the base is that it is capable of holding up to 60 days of dirt, dust and hair - apparently - so I was excited to see if that was true. 

In the box there was an infographic card that walks you through the steps until you get onto the app. It tells you to get your robot, base and power cord out, and to position your charging dock in a sensible place away from clutter, so that there's an easy path for re-docking. 

The robot itself is quite nice to look at, with a matte black finish and a silver top. It also has green detailing on the bottom where you can see the brush rolls, and eventually pull them out when you need to clean them or retrieve something that's jammed.

What's the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop like to use?

The Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop is definitely the most user friendly robot vacuum I've ever tested. The box essentially holds your hand through the set up process, and the app is non-glitchy, and ultra-straightforward.

I like how you can make using the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop as complex or non-complicated as you like. I've set mine up with a three-day-a-week cleaning schedule, which works absolutely perfectly to sort out dust and hair in my flat. It goes off at 6pm, which is a not too disruptive time, and means the cleaning is usually done before I even get back from work.

The mapping with this robot is also astronomically good, and it has laid out every nook of my (quite small) flat, which is reassuring when it comes to the type of cleaning power you're getting on every outing. 

Every time the vacuum does its rounds, the flat is noticeably cleaner, and it does it all without a fuss or even much of a sound, really. On the whole, it's a very quiet robot, except for when it returns home and empties itself, which can be a little bit loud. Due to the fact it's saving me a job I hate for up to 60 days (!), I do not mind a jot that it makes a little fuss as it cleans itself, as it means this is by far the lowest maintenance robot I've ever tried. 

To my eye, vacuuming with this robot is as capable on hardwood floors as it is on carpets and rugs, which I have throughout my house. It doesn't do that thing where it disrupts your rugs either, by suctioning too hard and meaning you have to lay them back down again.

The mopping element of this robot is also entirely hassle-free. It knows which part of your room to mop and which part to vacuum, so you don't risk having to deal with a damp rug at the end of a long day. It's a very comprehensive mopper in terms of performance and saves another chore that is always at the bottom of my to-do list.

Which smart features are included and are they worth it?

Boy, there are a lot of smart features included with the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop. Straight away, you'll be wowed by the mapping technology which is really great at working at no-go areas for itself, to give it a clear cleaning path for future trips out.

Every robot vacuum I've tried in the past loves to eat my cables and cords, but thankfully the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop has moved past that. There's also a feature that allows the robot to take a photo of an obstacle and have it sent to your phone, so that you can tell the robot what to do with it remotely.

I am not lucky enough to have a pet (yet), but this robot also incredibly can avoid pet 'accidents' with it's P.O.O.P. (Pet Owner Official Promise)* (I know, funny). In real terms, it means this robot can identify and move around any nasty hazards, which is going to be especially handy if you're puppy training or the owner of a kitten. 

The other smart thing? Edge cleaning has been upgraded with this robot, with a plethora of brushes situated on the body that can actually get under cabinets and up close to skirting boards.

It can also pay special attention to areas of high-traffic (like your front door) to make them cleaner. These areas it can detect itself, which is pretty clever.

Is it easy to empty and maintain the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop?

There's essentially zero maintenance with the j7+ thanks to the self emptying function, which is absolutely a dream to use, because you don't have to ANYTHING. The only thing I have had to do with this robot is to once or twice untangle an obstruction from the roller brushes that had accidentally become trapped. 

It's a huge change from other robot vacuums I've used which become a little less useful as soon as you need to empty them. 

Should you buy the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop?

If you have the budget, then you won't do better than the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop if you want a robot vacuum that can do absolutely everything. It's a top-of-the-range model that ticks all of the boxes when it comes to mapping, vacuuming and mapping. 

It's kitted out with super-intelligent technology when it comes to improving the level of cleaning in your home too. My Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop gives me tips on how it can do a better job next time, which is how you know it's a hard worker. 

Of course, that all hinges on having the budget - I know that £899.99 is an awful lot to spend. Other alternatives that we've tried at Ideal Home recently include the Proscenic M8, which has similar features but doesn't quite have that do-it-all edge.  

About this review, and the reviewer 

Molly tested this vacuum out in her two-bedroom West London flat, which has plenty of carpet, hard floor and the occasional rug for the Roomba Combo® j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop to get stuck into. She tested it for a series of months, and is pretty happy it's now part of her regular cleaning routine, especially as it means she doesn't have to lift a finger.