Roomba’s newest robot vacuums are up to $400 off for Cyber Monday
With a new owner looming, iRobot is already getting into the Amazon discounting game by dropping the prices on its brand-new vacuums this Cyber Monday. On Friday, it started with its new budget and midrange lines, the Roomba Combo i5 Plus and Combo j5 Plus, and on Sunday, iRobot slashed $400 off its new top-of-the-line models, the j9 Plus and Combo j9 Plus.
The Roomba j9 Plus is the company’s flagship robot vacuum and is on sale for $599, down from $899 at Amazon. It comes with a self-empty dock and all the smarts of the Roomba j7, including AI-powered obstacle avoidance to steer clear of household clutter such as cords, clothes, shoes, and pet poop, plus higher suction power than the j7. It also adds the option of three vacuuming levels (previously only found on the Roomba s9) and has a new feature called Dirt Detective that learns which rooms are dirtiest in your home and cleans them first.
The Roomba Combo j9 Plus mopping version is also $400 off, on sale for $999, down from $1,399. This is the first Roomba that can refill its own mop reservoir as well as empty its bin. Its redesigned self-empty/fill dock has a new stylish look that’s also practical — its wooden top can act as a side table, and it has space for extra supplies for the robot. Unlike most other mopping robots, the Combo j9 has a retractable mop that it can lift up over its body when it needs to vacuum carpet. Read my review of the Combo j7 to see how it works.
The Combo j9 adds a new mopping feature (also coming to the j7) called SmartScrub that moves the robot back and forth while mopping to simulate scrubbing. SmartScrub combines with Dirt Detective to target rooms that are more likely to need it, like kitchens and entryways.
I’ve not tested these new bots yet, but as an upgrade to my top budget pick, the Roomba i3 Evo (which is hard to find right now), the Combo i5 Plus adds a swappable mopping bin and a sleeker self-empty base. It has mapping but no keep-out zones, so it is best for hardwood floors — unlike the higher-end Combo models, it doesn’t lift its mop up when it comes across carpet.
The new Roomba Combo j5 Plus is essentially the same robot but with more smarts. It allows for keep-out zones and no-mop zones and has the AI-powered obstacle avoidance of the j7 and j9 lines, so it will avoid common household clutter.
All the new models work with the iRobot app for scheduling and mapping and can be controlled by smart home platforms and voice assistants, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri.
Feeling a little overwhelmed on what deals to pounce on? Need some tech buying advice? Our Verge Deals team is here for your retail therapy, and we’ll be answering your burning shopping questions for Cyber Monday live on November 27th at 11AM ET. Leave a question here.
With a new owner looming, iRobot is already getting into the Amazon discounting game by dropping the prices on its brand-new vacuums this Cyber Monday. On Friday, it started with its new budget and midrange lines, the Roomba Combo i5 Plus and Combo j5 Plus, and on Sunday, iRobot slashed…
Recent Posts
- Quordle today – hints and answers for Wednesday, May 1 (game #828)
- NYT Strands today — hints, answers and spangram for Wednesday, May 1 (game #59)
- Turns out the Rabbit R1 was just an Android app all along
- iOS 17.5 beta lets you keep Find My on during iPhone repairs
- Apple’s latest AirPods Pro with USB-C have returned to their all-time low
Archives
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- December 2011