With a new owner just around the corner, iRobot is already getting into the Amazon discount game by lowering the prices of its new vacuums this Cyber Monday. On Friday, it kicked off its new budget and mid-range lines, Roomba Combo i5 Plus and Combo j5 Plus, and on Sunday, iRobot slashed $400 off its new top-of-the-line models, j9 Plus and Combo j9 Plus.
The Roomba j9 Plus is the company’s flagship robot vacuum cleaner and is on sale for $599. under $899 at Amazon. It comes with a self-emptying base and all the intelligence of the Roomba j7, including ai-powered obstacle avoidance to stay away from household clutter like cords, clothes, shoes and pet waste, plus greater suction power than the j7. It also adds the option for three levels of vacuuming (previously only found on the Roomba s9) and has a new feature called Dirt Detective that learns which rooms are the dirtiest in your home and cleans them first.
The Roomba Combo j9 Plus mopping version is also $400 off, as it’s on sale for $999, down from $1,399. This is the first Roomba that can refill its own mop tank and empty its bin. Its redesigned auto-fill/empty base has a sleek new look that’s also practical: its wooden top can act as a side table and has room for additional supplies for the robot. Unlike most other robot mops, the Combo j9 has a retractable mop that you can lift over your body when you need to vacuum a carpet. Read my review of the Combo j7 to see how it performs.
The j9 Combo adds a new mopping feature (also coming on the j7) called SmartScrub that moves the robot back and forth while mopping to simulate scrubbing. SmartScrub combines with Dirt Detective to target rooms that are most likely to need it, such as kitchens and entryways.
I haven’t tried these new robots yet, but as an upgrade from my higher-budget pick, the Roomba i3 Evo (which is hard to find right now), the Combo i5 Plus adds an interchangeable mopping bowl and a sleeker self-emptying base. . It has mapping but no exclusion zones, so it’s best for hardwood floors; Unlike higher-end Combo models, it doesn’t lift the mop when it hits a carpet.
The new Roomba Combo J5 Plus It is essentially the same robot but with more intelligence. It allows no-go zones and no-mop zones and has the ai-powered obstacle avoidance capabilities of the j7 and j9 lines, so you’ll avoid common household messes.
All new models work with the iRobot app for programming and mapping and can be controlled by smart home platforms and voice assistants, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri.
Feeling a little overwhelmed about which deals to take advantage of? Need some technology buying tips? Our Marginal offers The team is here for your retail therapy and we’ll be answering your burning Cyber Monday shopping questions live on November 27 at 11am ET. Leave a question here.
