iRobot Combo Essential Cleaner Review
While iRobot has released a lot of innovations over the past few years and the Combo Essential is the first robot in its lineup that focuses on cleaning basics. It has a sleek, smart design and a mop that does the job well.
iRobot OS lets you start and stop cleanings using the app, plus gives you personalized suggestions as well as map/obstacle avoidance images (opt-in). The Clean Base auto-fill dock charges the battery, automatically emptying the dust bin, and refills the water tank.
What is the Roomba Combo Essential?
This 2-in-1 robot mop and vacuum is powered by Efficient Cleaning: iRobot Roomba Combo j5 – 2-in-1 Smart Vacuum OS and comes with various cleaning products. It allows customers to complete two tasks with a single device. It features intelligent navigation, three levels of suction that are powerful, and up to 120 minutes of battery life. With its sleek, low-profile design and Edge-Sweeping Brush, dirt can’t be hidden in corners or under furniture.
The 4-Stage System uses an all-surface V-shaped brush, a microfiber pad that is supplied by a pump and adjustable liquid settings that allow you to clean multiple floors with a single pass. It also comes with 18x more suction2 and an Edge-Sweeping Brush to help eliminate dirt and dust at the edges of rooms, and under furniture. It also has an easy-to-use iRobot Home App controls, suggested cleaning schedules, and thorough Clean Map reports.
With the iRobot free app, customers can select from a range of cleaning modes, including spot-cleaning, automatic, or mop-only. They can also set the timers for start and stop and pause cleaning. The Combo Essential also supports voice control integration with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant and allows you to start a cleaning session using a simple voice command.
When the Combo Essential has finished its cleaning job, it will automatically return to its docking station to empty the dustbin into the dirt bin. Depending on the amount of dust that Combo has collected, it may be necessary to empty it frequently. The app allows users to monitor and control the battery of the cleaner, as well as a mop pads change reminder.
GearBrain will be testing the new Roomba Combo Essential over the next few weeks, but for now we can say that it’s an excellent upgrade to the 600 Series. We’re impressed that it’s loaded with smart features and still offers a strong clean even with the reduced cost.
We’re looking forward to testing the Combo Essential in our homes If you’re looking to take your cleaning routine to the next level, it’s available today for $275. For more information and a complete list of specs, visit the iRobot website.
What is the Roomba Combo j9+?
iRobot has established itself as the market leader in the smart vacuum/mopping space and its newest model, the Combo j9+, builds on that legacy. It is rated as having the best dirt and dust pick up performance, and features an intelligent mopping tool that’s powered by the new iRobot OS. The latest software offers robots “smart cleaning preferences” and lets them automatically clean rooms based on the requirements of the room. For instance they might be more attentive to the floors in the kitchen and may increase the pressure on the floor scrubber while in the entryway, or increase the suction power of carpeted areas.
The j9+ is an excellent choice for homes with a mix of floor surfaces as it has a remarkable level of dirt and dust removal on both unfinished and carpeted floors. Its navigation system was reliable and it was able to avoid obstacles during our tests. It also comes with an option that allows you to see pictures of objects it encounters on the course, which can help it to better map out routes and prevent these hazards in the future.
Its mops are simple to replace and comes with an enormous water tank that can keep it going for about one month between refills. The dustbin onboard is large and has a swinging lid that makes it easy for you to empty. Although it self-empties well however, you’ll need to remove the filter manually every now and then to avoid blocking.
Another nice touch is its Clean Base Auto-Fill dock, that can completely empty the robot’s dustbin and fill up its water tank. It’s a feature that many of its competitors lack and it’s a fantastic feature that cuts down on the amount of maintenance tasks that you need to do.
The iRobot App is intuitive and simple, but it’s not perfect. It doesn’t have live coverage maps or remote control feature however it can be a bit difficult to use. It’s also susceptible to losing connections and frequently signs you out. This is not the most pleasant experience. Also, it doesn’t allow you to set a particular date when the robot should finish an cleaning task.
What is the Roomba Combo j7+?
The Combo j7+ is a real 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop. It has an impressive 3.8 star rating on Amazon, and is one of the most intelligent mopping robots available (though it is not the only option, as the Ecovacs X1 Omni or the Roborock q5+ are better in cleaning up spills). Its strengths lie in its reliability obstacle avoidance and home navigation, which allow it to maintain the same level of tidiness between more thorough cleaning sessions.
It also does a great job of keeping floors clean, even in high-pile carpeting. The robot’s PrecisionVision Navigation system steers clear of obstacles like shoes, cords, pet waste, and toys. Dirt Detect Technology also identifies dirty areas and begins to clean them up more thoroughly. Place the pad on top of the mops, and the robot will begin cleaning.
Besides the standard mop and robot vacuum mode in addition to the standard mop and robot vacuum modes, the Combo J7+ can also be set to operate in a sweep-only mode, where it simply sweeps the floor without using its mops. You can plan cleaning sessions prior to time, but we found it best to use the default setting for auto-cleaning.
Automatic updates are another feature that keeps your Roomba running smoothly. You can also manually update it if you want to connect it to Wi-Fi. Download the latest software and wait a few minutes.
As with other iRobot robots, the Combo J7+ requires some maintenance. Its dust bin should be cleaned out every two weeks and its liquid chamber can be filled with cleaning solutions. It comes with a sample bottle of iRobot’s cleaner solution, however, the help section suggests that Bona’s Hardwood/Hard Surface Cleaner as a good alternative that won’t damage the device. The front wheel can be removed to clean and its socket should at least once a week be cleaned of hair and debris that has become tangled.
The Combo J7+ can be used to clean up to 60 floors. However the number of floors you can clean in a single charge will depend on the type of floor you have and frequency of cleaning. The battery life lasts up to 90 minutes per charge, and you can recharge it with the included AC adapter. The docking base’s sensors as well as charging contacts need to be cleaned free of dirt and dust every two weeks.
What is the Roomba Combo j6+?
The Combo j9+ is the latest combination cleaner for robots from iRobot. Although it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the more advanced (and way more expensive -the price starts at $1,800!) Robot floor cleaners are still capable of a thorough clean on carpets and hard floors. Its strengths are its dependable obstacle avoidance and navigation systems, as well as its outstanding mopsweeping and vacuuming capabilities.
The j9+ mops have self-retracting features that help prevent messes from forming on your carpets and rug. Its cleaning system makes use of SmartScrub mop heads that go back and forth with constant pressure to provide a thorough scrubbing even on tough stains such as coffee. It is equipped with an effective suction system that can be used to remove dirt from carpets or rugs.
The navigation system of the j9+ has two cameras that can aid in navigation around your home without getting snagged or bumping into things as can sometimes be the case with other Roomba models. These cameras are powered by iRobot PrecisionVision technology which allows your j9+ to avoid cords and other obstacles. It also keeps track of specific rooms and carpeted areas so that it knows to avoid mopping these spaces. This feature is referred to as Imprint smart map, and is only available to Roomba i7 models.
This robot has a massive debris-capacity, which is important because it is able to perform both jobs at once. The dirt bin on the outside can hold 2.4L of debris, which is slightly smaller than the top-rated iRobot robot, the Roomba i8+, however it’s plenty for most homes.
The mops can be easily cleaned and recharged so you don’t have to be concerned about when it’s time to replace or refill them. This model comes with a functional dock that is visually pleasing and practical. It comes with indicators that inform you whether the Combo J9+ needs to be charged, refilled, or cleaned. It also has plenty of storage space for dust bags and mops. This is a significant upgrade from the previous version of J9+, which was an outdated and ugly style.