Roomba Combo j7+
iRobot's first proper vacuum and mop, whose mop pad swings up onto its back so carpets never get wet. It vacuums very well and dodges clutter, but the mop drags rather than scrubs, and all the mop upkeep is yours.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
The short version
The Combo j7+ is the mopping version of the Roomba j7+, from iRobot's older j range. It uses a front camera to find its way and spot cables, socks and pet mess, cleans with the twin rubber brushes Roombas are known for, and parks itself on a dock that empties the bin into a bag. The trick is the mop: a pad on two metal arms that lowers onto hard floors and lifts right up onto the robot's back when it reaches a rug.
The trade-off is everything the dock doesn't do. You fill the water tank by hand, and you take off and wash the mop pad yourself, where newer rivals wash and dry their own pads. The mop drags rather than scrubs, so old sticky marks need several passes. It's also an older model now: iRobot's US store lists it as available only at other retailers, and the Combo j9+ and Combo 10 Max followed it.
Our take: Buy it if you can find one cheaply, your home mixes hard floors with rugs, and you want strong vacuuming plus a light daily mop that can't dampen carpet. If you'd rather not wash pads or refill water, the Roomba Plus 575 Combo washes and dries its own pads and still steers round clutter. If mopping power matters most, the Roborock Qrevo S5V scrubs harder, though it's far worse at dodging objects.
Where it sits in iRobot’s range
- Roomba Combo j7+This model
- Roomba j7+Same robot and dock, without the mop
- Roomba Combo j9+More suction and a dock that refills the water
- Roomba Combo 10 MaxLater flagship whose dock also washes and dries the pad · $1,399.99
What reviewers found
Three full tests, all positive about the vacuuming and the carpet-safe mop. Vacuum Wars bought one and put it through its standard tests, PCMag ran it daily for a week in a 1,000 sq ft home, and TechRadar lived with it for several months. All three rate the vacuuming, though TechRadar found big spills overwhelmed it. They split on the mop: TechRadar loved the shine, PCMag found it scrubs less than rivals. PCMag also needed a replacement unit after a pump fault.
Vacuum Wars, lab test · PCMag, hands-on, A week of daily runs, Mar 2023 · TechRadar, hands-on, Several months, Nov 2022
Carpets stay dry, every time
This is the reason to buy it. Vacuum Wars couldn't trick it into mopping carpet, and TechRadar moved a bathroom rug around before and during a run and still saw it stow the mop in time. PCMag watched it lift the pad onto its back on every rug and finish vacuuming the rug before mopping round it. If you have rugs you'd hate to dampen, few combos are this safe.
Strong vacuuming, but big spills overwhelm it
Vacuum Wars found it excellent on every vacuuming test, with a deep-clean score of 91 against a 73 average, and unusually good with heavier debris on hard floors. PCMag saw it collect dust, dirt and pet hair from every floor type and never get stuck in a week. TechRadar was less impressed: a flour-and-crumb spill and a scatter of rice overwhelmed it, and rice ended up pushed against a rug edge. Daily dirt is fine; big messes may need a hand vacuum.
Mopping: shiny floors, weak on old stains
The mop drags a single pad and only sometimes shuffles back and forth. TechRadar was very impressed once the pad had soaked through, which took about five minutes, and found floors shiny and mark-free. PCMag saw shinier tiles after two passes, but some smudges stayed, and says it scrubs less than rivals with spinning pads. Vacuum Wars rated it better than average on dried coffee and juice, but weeks-old stains needed many passes. Fine for daily upkeep; not for set-in grime.
Good at dodging clutter
The front camera is a real strength. Vacuum Wars found it avoided cords, small items and fake pet waste better than the earlier j7, though it isn't perfect with oddly shaped things. PCMag lists its obstacle avoidance as excellent. TechRadar saw it steer round laundry, wires and people, but curtains and small cat toys still got caught. iRobot also promises a free replacement if it runs over pet mess, which says something about its confidence.
Slow runs and manual mop upkeep
Because it vacuums first and mops after, Vacuum Wars timed an hour and 20 minutes to vacuum and mop about 400 sq ft, where a rival took 50 minutes. The dock only empties the bin: PCMag and TechRadar both refilled the tank and washed the pad by hand after runs. TechRadar also measured about 90dB while the dock emptied the bin, and PCMag about 88dB. Expect a short, very loud burst after every clean.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Can it leave the mops in the dock for carpet?
It doesn't need to. The pad lifts right up onto the top of the robot on rugs, per the specifications, and Vacuum Wars, PCMag and TechRadar all found carpets stayed dry. You can also run it with no pad fitted to vacuum only.
Will it avoid cables and pet mess?
Mostly. Vacuum Wars found it avoided cords and fake pet waste well, and iRobot backs pet-mess avoidance with a replacement promise. TechRadar still had curtains and small cat toys pulled in, so tidy away anything thin and dangling.
How often do I have to empty or refill anything?
The dock bag holds about 60 days of dirt, per the specifications. The water tank is another story: PCMag says you refill it by hand every run or two, and the pad goes in the wash after each mopping run. There's no automatic pad washing.
Does it fit under low furniture?
It's 8.6cm tall and 33.8cm across, per the specifications, which is lower than many newer robots with laser turrets. TechRadar notes it's on the large, heavy side, which can limit it in tight spaces. Measure under your sofa before you buy.
How big is the dock, and is it loud?
The dock is about 40 × 30 × 34cm, per the specifications. The robot itself is fairly quiet: TechRadar measured up to 68dB. Emptying is another matter, at about 90dB for TechRadar and 88dB for PCMag, so don't schedule it while someone's asleep.
Compare with
Roomba Combo 10 Max
It keeps the same flip-up mop but adds a dock that refills, washes and dries the pad.
Testers found its mapping slow and were let down by the dock.
Roomba Plus 575 Combo
A slimmer Roomba with a camera for clutter and a dock that hot-washes and dries its spinning pads.
Its pads lift rather than stow, and one tester hit repeated Wi-Fi dropouts.
Qrevo S5V
Tests found excellent mopping and carpet cleaning, and the dock washes and dries the pads.
It has some of the worst obstacle avoidance around, so tidy up first.
Full specifications
Figures come from the manufacturer’s product page unless a source is named. A blank means nobody we trust has confirmed it.
Owner reviews
Own a Roomba Combo j7+?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner reviews are shown separately from expert tests and never mixed into the score.
Sources
Everything cited on this page. Expert scores are shown as the reviewer gave them.
- Vacuum Wars: iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ ReviewLab test
- PCMag: iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ Review · 4.0 / 5, ExcellentHands-on, A week of daily runs
- TechRadar: iRobot Roomba Combo j7 Plus review · 4 / 5Hands-on, Several months
- iRobot: Roomba Combo j7+ robot vacuum and mopManufacturer