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iRobot has become pretty synonymous with robot vacuums. Much like Android phones are now often referred to as “Galaxy’s” or you don’t say you searched for something, you “Googled” it. You don’t say what kind of robot vacuum you have, it’s just a Roomba. And over the years, iRobot has released quite a few new robot vacuums, including three this past fall. So we are here to help you pick out the right one for your home, or office.
We have spent hours testing the latest Roomba robot vacuums and mops, as well as their competitors. So we have a good idea of which ones are great, good and just okay. To be honest, none of iRobot’s options are bad, and that’s not a surprise, seeing as iRobot has been making robot vacuums for well over 20 years. So here are the best iRobot Roomba Robot Vacuums that you can buy today.
Best Overall Roomba: iRobot Roomba Combo j9+
Not only does the Roomba Combo j9+ do a great job at cleaning, it’s also stylish
This is one of iRobot’s newest robot vacuums, and it takes the new “combo” to a new level. A couple of years ago, iRobot announced its first Roomba Combo vacuum, which added mopping capabilities. Well behind the competition, however, iRobot did some over-engineering here to make sure your carpets stay nice and dry. The Roomba Combo j9+ essentially lifts the entire mop up and over the top of the vacuum. This way there’s no chance that your carpets get mopped.
Like many of the last few Roomba’s to hit the market, Roomba Combo j9+ does indeed include the iRobot P.O.O.P. Promise. Basically, this promises not to run over dog waste and smear it around the house. Which apparently was becoming a pretty big deal. This is because iRobot has included a camera in the front along with an LED light that helps the Roomba Combo j9+ avoid obstacles, including pet waste, toys, cables, scales, shoes and so much more. This also means that you’ll likely never need to rescue this robot vacuum, and that’s really impressive.
Mopping isn’t the only trick up the sleeve of the Roomba Combo j9+ however. It also is able to refill the water tank when it docks. And that’s on top of emptying the dustbin. Really the only thing missing here is the ability to clean the mopping pad on the vacuum. As it can do literally everything else.
Speaking of the docking system, iRobot wanted to make the dock a bit more stylish. So that it fits in better in your home, versus some other docks that really just look like small trash cans. It has a wood top that looks really nice actually. Additionally, iRobot has made the dock quieter when emptying the dustbin. Finally, it also has space for storing extra bags and mop pads. That’s something that no other robot vacuum has actually. And it’s a huge selling point, to be quite honest.
Best for Pet Owners: iRobot Roomba j6+
iRobot’s Roomba j6+ is able to clean up all that pet hair, and avoid pet waste at the same time
The Roomba j6+ is one of my favorite robot vacuums, for a number of reasons. Firstly, it does come with the auto-emptying dock, and it does also have a camera on the front. This camera is used to help map out your home, but also to avoid obstacles. The auto-emptying dock is able to hold dirt and debris picked up off the floor for about 30 days. Now this number will really depend on much dirt and debris is on the floor of course. But during our testing, we found that vacuuming everyday, it would take about 40 days before needing to empty the base and replace the dust bag.
The other big feature here is PrecisionVision. This uses the camera on the front to identify objects. In our testing, we found that it did a really good job at identifying these objects and avoiding them. Now the identifying portion could use some help, however, it was able to see and avoid them with ease. Thankfully, my dog doesn’t ever poop in the house, so I never had to test it out with pet waste, but when it comes to dog toys, cables, shoes, and other things, it avoided them with ease.
With the iRobot Roomba j6+, you’re getting some pretty smart features too. It works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. While this sounds cool, I’ll tell you, I’ve never really asked either one to have my Roomba start cleaning my house. Part of that is because I have it on a schedule, so it’s just not needed. And the other is, I’ll normally open the iRobot Home app to start a cleaning session. So it’s great to have it included, it’s just not something that I normally use.
For those of us that live in multi-story homes, you may want to take your robot vacuum and move it to another floor. Well, with the iRobot Roomba j6+, you can do just that. It is able to remember up to three different floor plans. And once you move it to another floor, it can automatically determine which floor plan to use. So you can use this to clean your whole home. However, I’d still recommend keeping it on the floor that you’ll use it on the most. Because it is a nuisance to move it from floor to floor. We really need robots that can go up and down a flight of stairs.
Best Budget Roomba: iRobot Roomba 694
This is a cheap, but not a bad iRobot Roomba robot vacuum
Don’t be fooled by the price of the Roomba 694. It’s cheap, but it’s still a very good robot vacuum. Now, this is a few years old, so you are going to be missing some recent features like PrecisionVision, and the auto-empty dock. But for those that just want a robot vacuum at a low price, this is the way to go. The Roomba 694 typically runs for under $200.
The Roomba 694 can be thought of as the “essentials Roomba”. It gives you all of the essential features, without any of the bells and whistles. Which explains why it is about a fifth of the price of some other robot vacuums on this list.
With the Roomba 694, you’ll still get iRobot’s patented 3-stage cleaning system, which is able to lift dirt, dust and debris with ease. This also includes a edge brush that is able to lift the dirt from the walls and corners for the Roomba 694 to actually pick up.
Like many of the other Roomba’s on this list, it does work with the iRobot Home app, which is actually a really good app. iRobot has done a good job making sure that it is easy to use, and not giving people to many options. The app lets you set up a schedule for cleanings, as well as having the Roomba 694 clean specific areas when needed, among many other things.
Best Robot Mop: iRobot Braava Jet M6
This is by far the best robot mop on the market, largely because it has one job – to mop your floors
Long before iRobot started to make the Roomba Combo with vacuum and mopping in one, the company made Braava robot mops, like the Braava Jet M6. This is a few years old at this point, but it is still a really good robot mop. This is something I’d recommend for people that have a lot of hardwood, tile or laminate floors, and very few carpeted areas. Because that is all it is going to do.
With the Braava Jet M6, you get a jet spray, that will spray the floor in front of it, and then mop it up. This alone makes the Braava Jet M6 a really impressive robot mop that can actually scrub your floors with ease. This jet spray does a really good job at breaking up sticky messes, grime and kitchen grease. Those of us with pets and/or kids, know all about that, and the Braava Jet M6 will definitely help you out there.
This does also have it’s own navigation system, which works incredibly well. But why is that important? Well, that allows the Braava Jet M6 to actually clean every inch of your floors. The Braava Jet M6 will clean in straight lines going back and forth until the entire floor is cleaned. Without a navigation system, it would run in a random pattern and most likely miss some spots. So while that might sound like a pretty small thing, it’s actually a huge feature, and good to see available on iRobot’s mops too.
Best 2-in-1 Roomba: iRobot Roomba Combo i5+
This is the best combo Roomba available, and the even better news is that it’s under $550
In 2023, iRobot announced a slew of new Roomba Combo models, including the new Roomba Combo i5+ which is it’s cheapest 2-in-1. Now that might confuse you as to why we have it listed as the best. Well, it’s the best when considering the price. Some of iRobot’s other 2-in-1 models are well over $1,000 while this is about $549 normally.
One of the main differences with this one, however, is that it does come with a separate dustbin. So instead of having arms to lift the mopping pad up and over the vacuum, it instead has you swapping out the dustbins. So it comes with two dustbins, one is a regular dustbin, while the other is a dustbin and water reservoir with the mopping pad attached. Now this is going to require more input from you, as it moves from tile, hardwood or laminate into a carpeted area. However, it is half the price of the other Roomba Combo’s like the j9+. So in our opinion, it is worth the trade-off here.
Like most of iRobot’s other robot vacuums, the Roomba Combo i5+ does also include a dual multi-surface brush system on the bottom. This brush system allows the vacuum to get closer to the ground to pick up more dirt, dust and other debris. It also has the edge-sweeping brush to help loosen dirt off the floor, and in the corners and edges of the room. The rubber brushes are great because they are less likely to get tangled with hair. Something that can really cause havoc with brush-style brushes.
Finally, the iRobot Roomba Combo i5+ is the plus model, which means that it does come with the auto-empty dock. This dock is able to hold enough dirt for about 60 days. Obviously, this will be subjective, and while we were testing out this robot vacuum, we found that it would take about 75 days or longer to fill up the dust bag. So it really depends on how much dirt and debris it is picking up from your floors.
Best Budget Auto-Emptying Robot Vacuum: iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO
The iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO offers an auto-emptying dock for under $400
Rounding out our list here is the iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO. This is another one that actually initially launched a few years ago, but was refreshed a year or two ago, hence the “EVO” on its name now. Basically, this is a cheap Roomba that is able to auto-empty its dock.
So what’s so great about an auto-emptying dock? Trust me, once you use a robot vacuum with one, you won’t want to go back. This makes the vacuuming of your home a bit more automated, as it allows the vacuum to clean your home, then go back to the dock and empty itself. This dock here is able to hold up to 60 days of dirt and debris. So you really only need to think about emptying it every two months or longer. As this really depends on how dirty your home really gets. For instance, I have a dog that seems to never stop shedding, so it can fill up the dustbin quite quickly, even with vacuuming everyday. But I’m still able to only need to empty this one about every 70-75 days.
The iRobot Roomba i3+ also has a lot of the other useful features that most other Roomba’s have. This includes a dual multi-surface rubber brush system in the center. This rubber brush system is really good actually. Since it’s rubber, it doesn’t get torn as easily, nor does it get tangled with hair. And it lets the vacuum get closer to the floor to suck up more dirt and debris. Additionally, there is an edge-sweeping brush on the front. This works to loosen dirt, dust and debris to get more of it up by that mult-surface brush system. Finally, it does have some pretty impressive suction too. So you can be rest assured that it won’t leave anything behind.
iRobot Roomba FAQ
Here are a few frequently asked questions that should help you out with your iRobot Roomba and help you decide which one to buy.
How do I empty my Roomba’s dustbin?
On the majority of the newer iRobot Roomba models, there will be a button on the side of the vacuum. Typically on the right side, towards the back. Just push on that, and the dustbin will pop out. Then head to a trash can to empty it.
This is a pretty important aspect of your robot vacuum, to keep it in tip-top shape, you want to make sure to clean it periodically. That includes the dustbin, sensor and the brushes. The good thing is iRobot and its competitors make it easy to remove the brushes and clean it.
How do I reset a Roomba?
You won’t need to do this often, but if you do ever need to reset your Roomba, just simply press the CLEAN button for about 10 to 20 seconds, depending on your model. You’ll then hear a reset tone or see a white light when it has rebooted.
How often should I change the dust bag in the auto-empty dock?
If you did purchase an auto-emptying Roomba, it’s a good idea to check the dustbag every week or so. That way you can see when it’s getting full, and empty it. There’s no real set time-frame for emptying it and changing it. While iRobot will say it will last for about 30 to 60 days depending on the model, that is not always the case for everyone. You can order additional dustbags from Amazon too.