iRobot Roomba j7+ Vacuum Review

This vacuum has amazing build quality. Its body is made of high-grade plastic, with a gloss-finish outer casing and glossy top cover. The vacuum's camera sits at the front of the vacuum and features a small LED light to help it see obstructions and hazards. There are a few obvious weak points in the vacuum's construction, and while its internal dustbin could break if you were to drop it, it still feels sturdier than most other robot vacuums' dustbins. Its dock also feels very well-built, and even features premium touches like a leatherette pull tab to lift open the external dustbin lid.

Out-of-the-box setup is very easy, with no actual assembly required. You only really need to pair the vacuum with its charging station, and the external dirt compartment comes with a dirtbag already in place.

The iRobot j7 Plus has quite a few parts requiring regular maintenance, but thankfully they're quite easy to access. You can also check the 'Maintenance' tab in its companion app to watch instructional videos for maintaining different components.

• Dirt Compartment: The internal dustbin can be removed by pressing the release button on the side of the vacuum. If there's any leftover debris inside the internal dustbin, you can wipe it out with a dry cloth or tap it against the side of a trash can. If necessary, you can wash it with water, but be sure to remove the filter beforehand. The dirt compartment should be allowed to dry for 24 hours before it's put back in the vacuum.
• Dirtbag: The dirtbag can simply be pulled out of its housing inside the charging station. It isn't reusable and needs to be thrown away when it's full, which is indicated by the status light on the docking station switching from white to red. The status light also turns red when the dustbin is blocked, though you also receive an in-app warning when this occurs. A cover on the dirtbag prevents dust and debris from spilling out when removing it.
• HEPA Filter: The filter is located inside the dirt compartment. You can clean it by tapping it against the side of a trash can once or twice a week, depending on your usage habits. You shouldn't wash it with water.
• Brushrolls: The brushrolls can be accessed by lifting the brush guard on the bottom of the vacuum and pulling them out. You should clean them by removing any hair tangles or debris once or twice a week, depending on your usage habits. It can be a little difficult to put them back in place since they need to be precisely aligned in their housing.
• Side Brush: The side brush is under the vacuum, and you should clean it of any stuck-on debris once a month.
• Wheel: The front caster wheel can simply be pulled out of the vacuum and then pushed out of its socket. You should clear it of any tangled hair or debris every two weeks.
• Sensors and Charging Contacts: The sensors and charging contacts on the vacuum and docking station should be wiped clean with a dry cloth every two weeks.

The iRobot j7 Plus incurs very high recurring costs since it has several parts that need regular replacing.

• HEPA Filter: You should replace the HEPA filter every two months.
• Rubber Brushrolls: You should replace the brushrolls every six to 12 months.
• Front Wheel: You should replace the front wheel every 12 months, though it isn't currently listed on the manufacturer website.
• Side Brush: The manufacturer recommends replacing this every three months.
• Dirtbag: You need to throw away and replace the dirtbag when it's full.

iRobot sells replacement parts as individual packs, but you can also buy a 'Replenishment Kit' on its website that includes brushrolls, three side brushes, and three HEPA filters.

The iRobot j7 Plus is amazingly easy to store. The vacuum itself is small, as is its charging station/external dustbin, which has a rack to store any excess length of power cord.

The iRobot j7 Plus has a large overall debris capacity. Its external dirtbag has a similar capacity to the iRobot Roomba i3+, as it can fit 2.4L of debris. Its internal dustbin has a capacity of 0.25L. The indicator light on the docking station changes from white to red when the bag is full or whenever there's been a blockage in the entry to the dirtbag, which is accompanied by a notification in its companion app.

• iRobot j7 robot vacuum
• Recharge station/External dustbin
• Charging cable
• 2x HEPA filter
• Dirt compartment
• 2x Side brush (one is already fitted to the vacuum)
• 2x Multi-surface rubber brushrolls with bearings
• 2x Dirtbags
• Getting started guide

The iRobot j7's range is limited only by remaining battery life, though it can't climb or descend staircases.

This vacuum is very portable. It's slightly lighter than alternatives like the yeedi vac station, but unfortunately, it doesn't come with a carrying handle to make picking it up a little easier.

The iRobot j7 has strong overall battery performance. It can run for more than 100 minutes on a single charge, and since there are no dedicated power modes, you shouldn't see too significant a deviation from that in the real world. While it takes notably longer to recharge than the iRobot Roomba i7+, it does have longer battery life. The indicator light under the clean button changes from white to red as its charge level drops, and you can keep an eye on its precise battery level by checking its companion app. You might want to consider the Roborock Q5+ if you're looking for a self-emptying robot vacuum with a much longer maximum battery life and don't mind a slower recharge time.

The iRobot j7's front camera is advertised as being capable of identifying hazards like pet waste or power cables and avoiding them. It also features a headlight to help the camera see in dimmer conditions. Still, you might want to consider an alternative like the Roborock S7 MaxV if you want a vacuum with LIDAR mapping for superior low-light mapping and maneuverability. The iRobot j7 has a surface detection feature and consequently adjusts its head height depending on the floor type that it's on, though you can't adjust this manually. It can also identify areas with a higher concentration of dirt and focus on cleaning those spots.

The iRobot j7 has a side brush that directs debris from the side of the vacuum into the path of the twin primary rubber brushrolls.

The iRobot j7 offers decent performance on bare floors. It does a reasonably good job of sucking up bulky debris like cereal and easily cleans smaller material like rice.

Note: All testing was completed when the dirt compartment was empty, with the data for the 0.25L, 0.75L, and 1.5L tests being copied from the 0L test. Since the iRobot j7+ automatically empties its internal dirt compartment when docked after completing its job, it doesn't lose suction performance.

The iRobot j7 performs poorly on low-pile carpet. Its ability to deal with larger debris like sand is middling, and it struggles with sucking up fine material like baking soda on this surface type.

Note: All testing was completed when the dirt compartment was empty, with the data for the 0.25L, 0.75L, and 1.5L tests being copied from the 0L test. Since the iRobot Roomba j7+ automatically empties its internal dirt compartment when docked after completing its job, it doesn't lose suction performance.

The iRobot j7 has good performance on high-pile carpet. It cleans an impressive amount of larger materials like sand. In addition, while it may need to make another pass to fully clear fine debris like baking soda on this surface type, its performance is still relatively adequate.

Note: All testing was completed when the dirt compartment was empty, with the data for the 0.25L, 0.75L, and 1.5L tests being copied from the 0L test. Since the iRobot Roomba j7+ automatically empties its internal dirt compartment when docked after completing its job, it doesn't lose suction performance.

The iRobot j7 does a great job of dealing with pet hair. It clears away this kind of debris pretty easily on bare floors and low-pile carpet, but it has a really hard time clearing it away on high-pile carpet.

The iRobot Roomba j7's suction force isn't very strong, though this isn't unusual for a robot vacuum; its suction inlet is positioned too high above the contact surface to generate a tight seal on bare surfaces, even with its height-adjustable brushroll, so real-world suction measurements are quite low.

The iRobot j7 is remarkably quiet. You'll hear what people nearby are saying even when the vacuum is running in its most powerful suction mode.

The iRobot j7 has excellent maneuverability. It cleans in an organized pattern and immediately returns to its docking station after it's finished with its current task. It's small enough to clean under chairs and tables, and its hazard detection feature is effective in causing it to avoid objects like electrical cords. However, you may need to clean the area around the cable yourself if you want a complete clean. It can also get caught on rug tassels and struggles to climb onto high-pile rugs without lifting them.

The iRobot j7 is reasonably effective in sealing in fine particles. While there are no specific claims regarding the vacuum's sealing performance, it does come with a high-efficiency filter advertised to trap 99% of dog and cat dander allergens.

The iRobot j7 has middling crack-cleaning performance compared to manually-operated vacuums, but it does a relatively good job for a robot vacuum. Its side brush helps dislodge debris in cracks, but it lacks the necessary suction force to draw debris from deep within crevices.

The iRobot Roomba j7+ has terrible stain-clearing performance. Unlike comparably priced alternatives like the Ecovacs DEEBOT OZMO T8 AIVI, this vacuum doesn't have any sort of mopping capability to help clean dried-on stains with water.

The iRobot j7+ has an exceptional range of automation features. Aside from its most obvious self-emptying feature, it's advertised as being capable of recognizing your schedule and organizing its cleaning sessions around it. It's fully compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home devices, meaning you can control it with voice commands. Unfortunately, its camera-based navigation system is much slower to map out its coverage area compared to LIDAR alternatives, like the Roborock S7 MaxV.

The iRobot Home app is great. With the app, you can access a virtual map of its coverage area. You can then use to set up virtual boundary markers, place no-go zones, or set up precise cleaning zones. If you have a compatible Braava Jet M-Series robot mop, the "Imprint Link Technology" feature allows it to start mopping automatically after the iRobot j7 is finished vacuuming.