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I love a clean space, but I do not like cleaning. Once I get started, it's tough to stop. I end up cleaning every inch of my space, and before long, I realize I've completely lost track of time, and it's dark outside. With pets in the mix, how does one keep a space tidy without constantly getting pulled into obsessive cleaning frenzies? Enter: Robot vacuums.
I've tried many iterations over the years, from models that get tangled up in any cord lying around to robots that seem intent on throwing themselves off a flight of stairs at any opportunity. Then I finally invested in a Roomba j7+. A dream robot cleaner that effortlessly picks up dog hair, dust, and bird seed — all while avoiding obstacles like dog toys and iPhone chargers.
Since I had such a great experience with my previous Roomba, I was excited to try the iRobot Roomba j9+, which has since replaced the J7+. It boasts more powerful suction and better battery life and continues to offer the top-tier obstacle avoidance features I loved in the earlier model. The j9 series of robot vacuums also features a combination vacuum mop model, but the j9+ is the vacuum-only version.
I spent several weeks with a tester j9+ unit to see how it compares to my experience with previous robot vacuums and whether it's a cleaning tool worth investing in.
The J9+ is a powerful robot vacuum that deftly navigates around household obstacles, leaves hardwood floors spotless, and tackles low-pile carpets with ease.
- Excellent cleaning abilities
- Easy to set up and intuitive app
- Multiple suction settings
- Longer battery life than earlier models
- Loud
- Some connectivity issues
Design
The j9+ has a sleek, clean black base. Together, the vacuum and base only take up about a square foot, so it's easy to place within a room. The company warns that you need to provide at least a foot of clearance on either side of the clean base, but I had no issues placing mine in the corner of a room slightly closer to a wall than recommended. The vacuum robot itself measures 13.7 wide by 3.4 inches high.
A front-facing camera aids with navigation — and that's where the J series robots shine. Sensors elsewhere on the robot help prevent it from bumping too hard into obstacles or falling down stairs. Large rubber brushes underside help with sucking up dirt, especially on carpeted floors. A side sweeper brush helps retrieve debris from corners and walls and usher it into the suction area, though the round robot isn't a pro at getting into corners.
Our review of the iRobot Roomba j9+ vacuum
The vacuum and clean base's sleekness help them blend into your decor, but how does the j9+ actually perform? Let's dig in.
Setup
The packaging is smartly designed, with quick-start setup instructions right within view upon unboxing. It took me less than 10 minutes to connect the vacuum to WiFi and release it for its first cleaning task.
Because I already have the j7+, the app was able to load up a previously saved smart map of my space for the new robot. If you're setting up a Roomba in a new space or for the first time, your vacuum will need to map out its space before it can start cleaning in earnest, a process that takes between 1 and 2 charges depending on the size of your home.
Based on my previous smart mapping experience with the j7+, the J series robots are incredibly good at determining where rooms end and begin.
iRobot App
In addition to setup, the app is where you'll do everything to control your new cleaning sidekick, including start a cleaning task, pause your robot; skip a room during a cleaning session, create cleaning schedules, set do-not-disturb times, mark cleaning or keep-out zones, adjust smart maps, review obstacle photos (if you opt-in to obstacle detection review), and view your vacuum history.
You can choose to clean everywhere or schedule cleaning tasks throughout the week. When creating a new schedule, the app asks you to decide on the start time and whether the task will be repeated on certain days of the week. From there, you'll select whether you want the robot to clean everywhere or only specific rooms.
You can also adjust suction strength (low, medium, or high) — a feature not previously available with the j7+ model — and select whether you want the robot to clean the entire space once or twice. Roomba also says this model will prioritize the dirtiest rooms first, though I didn't really notice a difference here. It's possible I didn't test for long enough to provide it with enough data.
Like the j7+, the newer j9+ has excellent mapping skills. It's easy to adjust the map and add no-go zones, which means the vacuum rarely gets stuck or struggles to find its way home. If you opt-in to obstacle detection review, the app will log photos of potential room items for you to review after a cleaning session. You can mark them as temporary obstacles or non-obstacles or even add a keep-out zone to your map. The more photos you review, the better your robot vacuum will become at getting around rooms.
I did run into some connectivity issues. The fix was to delete the app and reconnect the vacuum to WiFi, but it never occurred again.
Ease of use
One of my biggest pet peeves with previous robot vacuums I've owned is the need to constantly babysit them: emptying the bin, untangling cords, and helping with navigation to the charging base. After all, the point of a robot vacuum is to do less work.
Roomba's J series vacuums are virtually hands-off. I never have to empty the bin mid-cycle and only need to empty the clean base dirt bag every two months or so, depending on whether it's dog shedding season.
The vacuum knows when its battery is running low and easily finds its way back to the clean base to empty and recharge. It then starts where it left off without any additional effort from me.
It goes around obstacles, even new ones. Cardboard boxes by the door bound for recycling? Dogs toys strewn about? The j9+ expertly navigates around. Roomba also offers a yearlong "Pet Owner Official Promise" (aka P.O.O.P. promise) that the vacuum will detect and avoid your pet's poop (solid cat and dog waste specifically) or they'll replace the unit.
Sometimes, I need to pause the robot while it's cleaning because I'm about to hop onto a Zoom meeting. I can quickly do that from the app or shout at my Google to temporarily stop the cleaning cycle. Roomba's slate of smart cleaning tools also works with Alexa.
Cleaning performance
Sure, it sounds pretty smart, but can it actually vacuum? How does it compare to a traditional vacuum cleaner?
I rarely use my upright vacuum cleaner anymore because the Roomba does such a great job at picking up debris on a daily basis. With pets, I used to have to vacuum every day to prevent grittiness underfoot.
The Roomba j9+ is a pro hardwood floor cleaner. It snatches up almost everything except large pieces of debris that get stuck between the rubber brushes. It also effortlessly picks up nuts, seeds, pet hair, dog kibble, and fine dust.
In testing, I placed a tablespoon of flour on open areas of carpet and hardwood, and the vacuum excelled at grabbing up every spec of flour on the hardwood floor. On low pile carpet, it left about 20% of the flour but was able to pick up the remainder on a second pass.
The j9+ can tell carpet from hardwood and, and adjusts its suction depending on the surface — stronger suction for carpeting. It does fine on low-pile rugs but is not great at tackling medium and high-pile carpeting. Once suctioning starts, it quickly gets stuck in longer fibers.
Unless your house is fully covered in shag carpeting, the Roomba j9+ is a pretty masterful cleaner. Although it's a bit loud, the highest suction setting outperforms the j7+.
Dustbin and Maintenance
iRobot also makes it very easy to care for its robot vacuums. The app has a handy "product health" section that lets you know when it might be time to swap out the dust bin filter or change the rubber brushes. Replacements for dust bags, brushes, and filters are readily available online.
The self-emptying base holds 2.4L of dirt and debris in a bag that easily clicks into place. There's also a small section of the top bin that holds extra bags for when you need to change out one that's full.
While you can rinse out the robot vacuum's dust bin, the high-efficiency filter isn't designed to be washed. iRobot recommends shaking it free of dust every week or so and replacing it every 2 months. On the other hand, the rubber brushes are easy to rinse clean, and I've even had luck running mine through the dishwasher. Long human hairs and pet hairs tend to get tangled up in the brushes every so often, so it's a good idea to remove the brushes weekly to help keep them spinning smoothly.
Cons to consider
The j9+ has some of the same issues as the j7. It lacks a second side-sweeping brush, which previous robot vacuums I tried had. Two side-sweeping brushes help direct debris toward the suction area without accidentally flinging debris further away.
There's also still no option to manually navigate the robot from the app. If you want it to spot clean, you either have to create a new clean zone in the app or place the robot exactly where the mess is. Meanwhile, brands like Roborock make it easy to direct the robot to a specific spot, or Eufy lets you manually control the robot's path.
There's also been no improvement in noise level with the j9+. The lowest suction setting is supposed to be quieter, but it's still loud enough to drown out sound on the TV. I measured it at 61.9 decibels. On high suction, it registers at 67.7 dBA, like city traffic. When emptying into the dock, the j9+ hits 93.4 dBA, which is about the level of a hairdryer, but some compare it to a jet taking off. Thankfully, you can set do-not-disturb times that let the vacuum know when to stay put.
Because of its round shape, it also performs poorly in corner areas. In our flour test, the robot barely picked up any flour in corners, mostly just distributing it around and making an even bigger mess on the carpet and hardwood. I had to grab a towel to clean up all the flour while the robot continued on its merry way, vacuuming flour-free spots.
What are your alternatives?
Looking for something a little more budget-friendly? For an iRobot at its lowest price with an auto-empty, iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO robot vacuum is an older model and a longtime team favorite for its automatic dirt disposal, strong suction, and good cleaning performance. Meanwhile, the Roomba i5+ can be found on sale for as low as $350, but it doesn't have the same obstacle avoidance features that the J-series is known for.
If you're looking for the total cleaning package, iRobot has also been emphasizing its combo vacuum mops, such as the Combo j9+ with an auto-filling dock and unique retractable mopping mechanism to limit wet parts coming into contact with carpets. There's also the Combo j7+, which has the same retractable mopping design but the same base as the j9+.
For other non-Roomba options in the robot vacuum space, check out competitor models from brands like Ecovacs, eufy, Roborock, and Bissell.
The bottom line
The j9+ is a powerful vacuum robot that can tackle almost any dry mess, from clumps of pet hair to scattered cereal bits. It navigates with ease, avoids obstacles, and finds its way around a room even in the dark.
For those looking to replace an old, broken robot vacuum or entering the world of smart cleaning tools for the first time, the j9+ is the cream of the crop.
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