iRobot’s new Roomba Combo j9+ robot vacuum and mop doesn’t just hike up its mop pads a tiny amount when it hits carpet; it lifts them onto the top of the robot to avoid drips. When deployed, the new Roomba features SmartScrub to apply extra downward pressure and back-and-forth motions on the mop for what iRobot says is twice the scrubbing impact. Meanwhile, dual rubber brushes apply additional pressure, and iRobot claims 100% more powerful suction than the Roomba i Series.
iRobot
The new hardware works with iRobot OS 7.0’s Dirt Detective feature that analyzes the cleaning requirements of each room. It’ll prioritize which rooms to tackle first depending on which are likely dirtiest or most recently cleaned. It knows to do two passes in kitchens and bathrooms, ramp up vacuuming strength on carpet, and use less liquid on hardwood floors. Dirt Detective will also leave the bathroom for last so the Roomba doesn’t track messes into other rooms.
iRobot
Mapping is done up to 7x faster than before, iRobot says, with support for automatic room naming. Manual override of settings is supported in the iRobot app, and the Roomba itself can spot more than 80 everyday household objects — including wires, socks, and (perhaps most importantly) pet waste — and then circumnavigate them accordingly. iRobot’s Pet Owner Official Promise (P.O.O.P.) guarantee, launched on the Roomba j7+ in 2021, guarantees the company will replace any robot that doesn’t skirt around solid pet waste.