Lab – The retractable mop of the Roomba Combo J7+, an ingenious system, but not very effective

Robots that do nothing but vacuum hardly exist anymore, except from a few manufacturers. Neato is arguably the furthest behind, but iRobot has been holding out for a long time. The American had certainly launched a first Roomba Combo in 2020, but he quickly returned to dedicated robots, explaining that a 2-in-1 robot could never achieve the same efficiency. It is therefore with astonishment that we learn of the launch of the Roomba Combo J7+ at the end of last year. And for this new model, capable of both vacuuming and washing the floor, iRobot did not hesitate to think outside the box and offers a mop system “totally retractable” unprecedented on the market. But is it more effective than existing solutions?

The new star robot from iRobot recently passed through our laboratory, and we paid particular attention to its washing function. It must be said that, without it, it would be neither more nor less than a Roomba J7, or rather than a Roomba J7+, since we received the version with automatic emptying.

Indeed, the two models are largely identical, but the new one is adorned with a mobile support on the back. A slide and Velcro allow you to install a small mop, which then deploys from the top of the robot to scrub the floor when the washing function is activated. If a rug is detected, it automatically stows away to avoid getting it wet. It is certainly the most practical system. Opposite, there are at best robots capable of lifting their mop a few millimeters, and others capable of leaving it in their station. Systems that each have a drawback since carpets that are too thick still risk getting wet in the first case, while the robot must make two passes in the second. The Roomba Combo J7+ is the only one that can vacuum and wash the whole house in one pass without risking carpets.

To accompany this mop, iRobot of course also had to add a water tank to humidify it. It is located just above the dust bin, which certainly retains the same capacity as on the Roomba J7 (400 ml), but loses the one-handed opening control. Instead of the latter, a small cover rises to fill the tank, which can accommodate up to 210 ml of water. For a more effective cleaning, iRobot advises to add a cleaning solution of its creation and moreover provides a sample to try it, which obviously brings us to the question of effectiveness.

To appreciate it, we reproduce the washing test of the protocol developed for floor cleaning robots. Four types of stains are made on the floor and left to dry for several hours: soda, carbon black mixed with water, oil and lipstick. The robot is then invited to go over it with its mop. In the case of the Roomba Combo J7+, one passage will have made it possible to remove a good part of the soda, and at best to reduce the other stains. By adding iRobot’s solution, the soda disappears completely, but we don’t see any real gain on the rest. That’s a little disappointing considering the price of a full bottle of this solution, which iRobot charges €14.99 in its online store. We prefer to program the robot to make two passes. Admittedly, only the soda is again erased, but the price of the consumable is saved. By adding the latter and programming two passages, the result is only marginally better.

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If it does not therefore shine particularly on this test, the Roomba Combo J7+ does not have to be ashamed of the competition. The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra, for example, didn’t fare any better with its floor-to-ceiling mop. “sonic vibration”. The Roomba could even have done much better with a wetter mop. Even setting it to the highest water flow, it barely wets the floor. Because of this low flow, moreover, the mop also takes some time before being wet, and therefore operational. Some will no doubt add that the system is not necessarily very hygienic, the mop coming to be pressed against the top of the robot after storage; it can therefore be useful to clean this area regularly, in addition of course to the mop. It is not automatically washed by the station, but goes in the washing machine.

In short, if it is ingenious, the system developed by iRobot is not very effective. However, it is not worse than the others and should therefore not be a sufficient reason to prefer a competing model of this Roomba Combo J7+. Its navigation system penalizes it more, but we invite you to read our full test to find out more.