iRobot Debuts 2 New Robot Vacuum and Mop Combos Made for a Multitude of Spaces

Clean small rooms and hard floors or thoroughly scrub multiple surfaces

Fact checked by Jerri Ledford

These new robot vacs clean and mope more effectively whether you have big or small rooms, carpet, or hardwood floors. And those pet mess horror stories are a thing of the past, too.

Two new Roomba vacuum and mop combo devices are coming from iRobot, offering both cleaning options for small or complex living spaces.

Roomba's 2-in-1 vacuum and mop combo device lineup is about to get bigger, with iRobot getting set to roll out its new Roomba Combo j5+ and i5+ robot cleaners. Each new device claims a simple swap between vacuuming and mopping via changing out the attached bin, but they also promise their own cleaning specialties.

iRobot

The Roomba Combo i5+ is built for more compact spaces and hard (i.e., not carpeted) floors—something that iRobot states is helped by cleaning patterns made with successive tidy rows. The iRobot Home App can be used to create a map of each room and assign cleaning tasks, and the Combo i5+ will pause jobs to recharge (if needed) before getting back to work.

Much like the i5+, the Roomba Combo j5+ handles both mopping and vacuuming; however, it offers an "all-floor" vacuum rather than being limited to hard surfaces. Its internal rubber brushes also claim to avoid hair tangles (pet or otherwise), as well as being able to pull in larger bits of dirt and other debris that might end up on the floor.

iRobot

An area's level of dirtiness is something iRobot says the j5+ can detect on its own and thus clean more thoroughly as needed, while iRobot OS allows it to learn room layouts as it works. The j5+ claims to recognize several types of obstacles and "hazards"—from cords and accidental pet waste to litter boxes and appliances—so it won't get stuck or make a mess. And if you use the iRobot Home App, you can designate specific areas as "No Mop Zones" in order to keep rugs dry, preserve delicate surfaces, etc.

Both the Roomba Combo j5+ and Roomba Combo i5+ are up for preorder in North America now directly through iRobot, priced at $799.99 and $549.99, respectively. Additional preorders will open through other online retailers starting Sunday, September 3, with shipping expected to begin on Sunday, September 17.