In today’s fast paced life, cleaning is towards the bottom of my interest and to do list. For a long time, I have wanted a robot vacuum and mop that could tackle my floors effectively and efficiently. Fortunately, the new Roomba j9+ Auto-Fill Robot Vacuum and Mop can both vacuum and mop floors at the same time. Additionally, this cutting-edge robot vacuum and mop thoroughly cleans both carpets and hard floors. The Roomba j9+ is iRobot’s most powerful vacuum and mop for hands-free cleaning.
The Roomba j9+ comes with a stylish Clean Base dock. Not only is the dock able to integrate into housing décor, it also comes with storage for extra bags and mop pads. The Auto-Fill Dock empties waste for up to 60 days, and holds refill liquid for the mop (up to 30-day supply). This means the j9+ is ready for nearly a month of autonomous cleaning (Wi-Fi connection is necessary).
First Impression:
I admit, I am slightly skeptical as I send Rosey out for her first run. Rosey is what we named the Roomba j9+ after the housekeeper in the cartoon show “The Jettison’s” (perhaps I’m aging myself here). Our main floor consists of hardwood floors, rugs, kid’s toys, shoes, and tricky furniture arrangements. Not to mention with five young kids its hardly tidy – and tends to have lots of crumbs.
On Rosey Roomba’s first outing she maps our house with incredible detail. The iRobot OS and PrecisionVision Navigation surprise me with its ability to recognize objects (even tiny toys) and avoid obstacles without getting hung-up or stuck. My skepticism is put to shame as the j9+ even recognizes low profile area rugs. The Auto-Retract Mopping System lifts the mop pad on top of the robot to avoid getting carpet and rugs wet. However, on hard floors it demonstrates its efficiency by vacuuming and mopping at the same time.
Experience:
I notice the Edge-Sweeping Brush is a little over zealous and sometimes sends food and debris skidding along the floor past the cleaning zone. It also struggles with getting the corners clean and often leaves a few crumbs behind. However, despite this it is hardly even an issue because the Roomba j9+ is so thorough in its cleaning coverage. Additionally, I find if I have larger messes simply setting the j9+ to run two passes is and simple solution (which is easy to setup with the app). The only real negative I have is the Roomba j9+ is loud. Thankfully, we can run it remotely through the app on my iPhone when we aren’t home.
The app is extremely user friendly. It provides me with real-time updates on the cleaning job status, allows me to program cleaning schedules, and even gives me updates on the health of Roomba j9+ and its parts with the ability to order replacements right in the app.
After about 30 hours of use I run into an issue. I keep getting a dustbin is full message and directions to clean the charging contacts. I follow several trouble shooting directions in the app (which even come with useful videos). However, in the end after exhausting all the possible problems, the culprit is a build-up of caked dust in the dual multi-surface brush well (which isn’t one of the listed possible issues). Once I clear this, everything is back in working order.
Additional Features:
The Roomba j9+ isn’t perfect… but it’s pretty close. It definitely exceeds my expectations (which tend to be high and if you ask my wife, sometimes unrealistic). The Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes and 100% stronger Power-Lifting Suction translates to deeper more noticeably clean floors. The SmartScrub feature uses a back-and-forth pressure mopping motion to leave floors looking hand scrubbed. The only downside to these features is I no longer get credit for cleaning.
Additional features that make the Roomba j9+ an incredible addition to your home is the cleaning capabilities. The j9+ learns from past cleaning to prioritize dirtier rooms, adjusts cleaning passes and settings like suction and scrubbing. Using the app, I can create my own schedule cleanings, send it on a new job to a clean a specific room or set of rooms, and even relabel and adjust my house map. The best part is that I can do this from virtually anywhere I get service since the Roomba j9+ connects with my home Wi-Fi. I even get updates and reports on my phone after the cleaning cycle is finished.
Summary:
The Roomba j9+ is nearly perfect, and it exceeded my expectations. While you won’t be able to get rid of your handheld vacuum, you may find that you’ll hardly use it. With outstanding sensors and mapping, intuitive and adaptive responses, and remote operating capabilities – you’ll be in total control and come home to a clean house.
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