Roomba Combo j9+
4 independent reviewsRead the findings →iRobot's upgraded Combo j7+, whose mop flips onto its back to keep rugs dry. It suits rug-heavy homes with a pet prone to accidents. But the dock never washes the pad, so that's your job.
Updated
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in iRobot’s range
- Roomba Combo j9+Same flip-up mop; you refill the water by hand
- Roomba Combo j9+This model
- Roomba j9+Vacuum-only version with a self-emptying dock
- Roomba Combo 10 MaxAdds a dock that washes and dries the pad
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What reviewers found
Four full tests. Vacuum Wars bought one and ran its standard pickup, mopping and obstacle tests over a few weeks, PCMag measured pickup in two rooms, Tom's Guide lived with it for two weeks, and Engadget used it in a busy family home with cats. All agree the retracting mop keeps carpets dry and that obstacle dodging is good. Pickup splits them: Vacuum Wars rates it among the best, PCMag found weaker hard-floor results than a rival, and Tom's Guide saw pet hair pushed around.
Vacuum Wars, lab test, A few weeks · PCMag, lab test, Feb 2024 · Tom's Guide, hands-on, Two weeks, Mar 2024 · Engadget, hands-on, Mar 2024
Hard floors
Mixed resultsVacuum Wars found pickup as good as any robot it has tested, but PCMag saw it trail an Ecovacs rival on hardwood and scatter rice across the room, and Tom's Guide found it pushed pet hair along hard floors, leaving about a quarter behind.
Carpet and rugs
Mixed resultsVacuum Wars recorded one of its best-ever deep-carpet results and Tom's Guide saw it clear almost all kitty litter from shag carpet. PCMag measured strong rice pickup on carpet but found it left most of the fine sand behind.
Pet hair
Not enough evidenceOnly Tom's Guide tested pet hair directly, finding it pushed hair along hard floors and left about a quarter of it behind.
Mopping
Reviewers rate it highlyVacuum Wars was very impressed on dried grape juice and wet spills, and Tom's Guide lifted pasta sauce and melted chocolate in one pass. PCMag left a sticky patch of jelly, and every tester had to wash the pad by hand.
Navigation and obstacles
Reviewers rate it highlyIt dodges clutter and pet mess well: Engadget saw it stop short of real cat poo, PCMag had it avoid every cat toy, and Tom's Guide watched it curve round power strips and shoes. Mapping and runs were slow for Vacuum Wars and PCMag.
Dock and upkeep
Reviewers rate it highlyPCMag found the auto-fill dock lower-maintenance than the j7+'s and the best-looking it has seen, and Tom's Guide liked its multifunctional design. The pad isn't washed, though: Tom's Guide cleaned it after every job and Engadget swapped it every two or three runs.
App and software
Reviewers rate it highlyTom's Guide found the iRobot app easy to navigate, with schedules and smart-home automations, PCMag rated it feature-rich, and Engadget liked controlling passes and cleaning modes per job.
Noise
Not enough evidenceOnly Tom's Guide commented on noise, listing it as loud. None of the testers measured it.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use has run it long-term or judged iRobot's support yet.
Value
Mixed resultsTom's Guide and Engadget both found it pricey. Engadget thought it too expensive for first-time buyers but more palatable on sale for long-time Roomba owners, and Tom's Guide felt it has to compete with more versatile premium rivals.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
Rugs stay dry and get cleaned
On rugs the mop lifts right onto the robot's back, and every tester found it worked. Vacuum Wars calls the system a big deal because it vacuums and mops mixed floors in one run. Tom's Guide found it mopped within millimetres of a rug's edge without touching it, then vacuumed the rug in crisp rows. PCMag says it keeps carpets drier than any other model it has seen, since rivals only lift their pads a few millimetres.
Excellent vacuuming, with some disagreement
Vacuum Wars found it as good as or better than any robot on the market in pickup tests, with its second-best deep-carpet score ever, and confirmed the extra suction. Tom's Guide saw it clear almost all kitty litter from shag carpet. PCMag measured 95.8% of rice from carpet but only 38.5% of sand, and on hardwood it trailed an Ecovacs rival and scattered rice. Tom's Guide also found it pushed pet hair along hard floors, leaving about a quarter behind. Carpeted homes will be happiest.
Good mop, but you wash the pad
Vacuum Wars was very impressed on dried grape juice and wet spills, where spinning-pad robots tend to smear. Tom's Guide saw it lift pasta sauce and melted chocolate in one pass, though thick caramel needed the SmartScrub mode. Engadget noticed occasional streaks but cleaned dried litter paw prints. PCMag found it wiped up most of a jelly spill but left a sticky patch. Every tester had to take the pad off and wash it by hand, and Engadget changed it every two or three runs.
Dodges clutter and pet mess well
Engadget put real cat poo in its path, and it stopped about six inches away and backed off. PCMag saw it avoid every cat toy, including a white mouse on a pale carpet, after bumping a food bowl once. Tom's Guide watched it curve round power strips, shoes and fake dog mess. Vacuum Wars scored it about the same as its main rivals: not perfect, but far better than a robot without a camera. iRobot also promises a replacement if it runs over pet mess.
Slow mapping and runs
Speed is where it lags. Vacuum Wars timed about 25 minutes to map, and roughly 10 minutes longer than rivals to clean its test area. PCMag measured 39 minutes to map a two-bedroom flat, and later runs in one room took far longer than an Ecovacs rival while the mop arm snagged under a door. Tom's Guide had a quicker time of it, mapping 800 sq ft in under 10 minutes. Battery life is good: PCMag got 115 minutes, and Engadget saw runs of two hours or more.
Our take
Should you buy the Roomba Combo j9+?
Best for: Homes wanting to mop hard floors while keeping rugs dry. Skip it if: You do not want to wash the mop pad yourself.
a good buy at a discount for a home with rugs you never want damp and carpet that needs a thorough vacuum, and its avoidance suits a pet that has accidents. The Roomba Combo 10 Max adds a washing dock to the same flip-up mop, and the MOVA P10 Pro Ultra does nearly all the upkeep for you.
The Combo j9+ took over from the Combo j7+ at the top of iRobot's older j range. It keeps the single mop pad on metal arms that lifts onto the robot's back on rugs, and iRobot says suction is double its i-series, with a back-and-forth scrubbing mode added. The dock has a wooden top, empties the bin into a bag and refills the water tank, but it never washes the pad.
Four testers agree the mop keeps carpets dry and that it dodges clutter well, with Engadget watching it stop short of real cat poo. Pickup divides them. Vacuum Wars found it as good as any robot it has tested, with one of its best-ever deep-carpet scores, but PCMag saw it trail an Ecovacs rival on hardwood and leave most of the fine sand in carpet, and Tom's Guide found it pushed pet hair along hard floors and left about a quarter behind. Mopping impressed Vacuum Wars and Tom's Guide, though PCMag was left with a sticky patch of jelly. Every tester washed the pad by hand, and Vacuum Wars and PCMag found mapping and runs slow. Tom's Guide and Engadget both called it pricey, and iRobot's US store now lists it only at other retailers.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Can it leave the mop in the dock for carpet?
It doesn't need to. The pad lifts onto the top of the robot whenever it detects carpet, per the specifications, and Vacuum Wars, PCMag and Tom's Guide all found rugs stayed dry. You can also leave the pad off and just vacuum.
Will it avoid cables and pet mess?
It's one of the better robots for this. Engadget saw it stop short of real cat poo, and Tom's Guide watched it avoid power strips and fake dog mess. PCMag had it bump a food bowl once, then suggest a keep-out zone.
How often do I have to empty or refill it?
iRobot says the dock's water tank lasts about 30 days, per the specifications, and Vacuum Wars notes iRobot claims 60 days per dust bag. The pad is the chore: Tom's Guide had to wash it after each job, and Engadget swapped it every two or three runs.
How big is the dock, and is it loud?
It's about 40 × 42 × 41cm, per the specifications, and its wooden top doubles as a side table. PCMag calls it the best-looking dock it has seen. iRobot says it's its quietest dock yet, but none of the testers measured the noise.
Does it fit under low furniture?
The robot is 8.6cm tall and 34.8cm across, per the specifications. Tom's Guide found it slid under a sofa and kitchen cabinet overhangs, and PCMag saw it clean under a desk, coffee table and bed.
Alternatives
Other robot vacuums to compare.
Roomba Combo 10 Max
Why consider it: The same flip-up mop idea, with a dock that also washes and dries the pad.
The compromise: Testers found its mapping slow and were let down by the dock.
P10 Pro Ultra
Why consider it: A full self-cleaning dock and long battery life, and it's good on hard floors.
The compromise: All three of its tests found it weak on pet hair in carpet.
Roomba Plus 575 Combo
Why consider it: A slim newer Roomba with a camera for clutter and a dock that hot-washes and dries its pads.
The compromise: Its spinning pads lift rather than stow, and one tester hit repeated Wi-Fi dropouts.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the Roomba Combo j9+?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- Vacuum Wars: iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ Review – the King of Clean? ↗Lab test, A few weeks
- PCMag: iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ Review ↗3.5 / 5, GoodLab test
- Tom's Guide: Roomba J9+ Combo robot vacuum and mop review ↗4 / 5Hands-on, Two weeks
- Engadget: Roomba Combo j9+ review: The ideal robot vacuum and mop ↗Hands-on
Sources
Videos
- Search YouTube for iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.