iRobot Roomba J9+ review: Perfect sucker for pet parents 

Introduction

Hailed as iRobot’s most powerful and smartest robot vacuum yet, the iRobot Roomba j9+ is designed to clean larger homes and those with furry pets. It has a three-stage cleaning system that automatically detects your floor type and adjusts its suction power, sweeping up dust with dual rubber brushes and removing trapped pet hair from deep dish carpets. When the cleaning is done, the robot returns to its sleek looking base, where it empties itself automatically for up to two months.

iRobot has debuted a host of new tech here, including ‘Dirt Detective’ – an automatic mode that prioritises your dirtiest rooms based on past cleaning patterns. Here’s how it got on after a month of testing in a family home.

Design & features 

I liked the minimal one-button design on the iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ when I reviewed it and was pleased to see it lives on with the iRobot Roomba j9+. A brushed metal finish gives the vacuum a high-end look, as does the leather pull tab for the dock lid that reveals a hidden storage compartment for extra Clean Base bags. The dock itself is pretty sleek. It will fit flush against a wall or is easily hidden under a table.

Set-up couldn’t be easier. After un-boxing you simply plug the dock in, sit the hoover in it to charge, download the iRobot app and configure the cleaning schedule. You’re good to go in about ten minutes. The app is where to adjust all the fine-grain settings, but the simple stuff can be handled by either Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri using your voice. Pairing with Siri was easy and is great for quickly telling it which areas, like “under my desk”, to clean.

The big new addition is Dirt Detective, which lets the Roomba j9+ automate where it cleans based on its job history. It learns where the dirtiest, most travelled rooms are and adjusts its suction, cleaning passes and scrubbing settings to suit. You get a ‘Cleanliness Assessment Map’, in the app, with a room-by-room assessment that might sound OTT, but I found very telling of what rooms I used the most.

Dirty Room Prioritisation can then make the Roomba j9+ prioritise where to vacuum, tackling the higher trafficked rooms first. It quickly learned to clean my office twice, as that’s where my dog sleeps while I work.

iRobot Roomba J9+ pet features 

Testing during moulting season, the Roomba J9+ made easy work of lifting pet hair from deep within carpets. I liked how it could identify what was ahead (iRobot calls this PrecisionVision navigation), so it would steer clear of pet bowls and toys, litter boxes, and – thankfully – pet waste.

My dog isn’t an inside pooper – but if I were getting a new puppy, I’d be pleased with iRobot’s P.O.O.P offering. ‘Pet Owner’s Official Promise’ guarantees a replacement if it ever sweeps over accidental pet messes, which will be real peace of mind for animal lovers.

Importantly, the Roomba J9+ knows to avoid pets themselves as well as all the paraphernalia, so you don’t have to worry when you’ve scheduled a clean and you’re out.

Cleaning performance

I have an average sized three-bedroom home, but with a young family there are always ever-changing things strewn about. I was most impressed with how the J9+ navigated around all of these. We haven’t even lost any Lego. This is important as you don’t want to be worrying about cleaning up ahead of automated cleans.

It made easy work of mapping the upstairs of my home, embarrassingly highlighting the fact my office is the dirtiest room on its Cleanliness Assessment Map. It then created a custom plan that included cleaning the office first, and twice per cycle. I’m also pleased to report that the J9+ hasn’t fallen down the stairs once, despite giving the lip of the stairs a good clean with every pass.

I found the J9+ to be very powerful, especially on high suction, and found my carpets to be as clean as when I put the effort in do them with my Dyson Pet vacuum. As well as full marks for pet hair it’s also made keeping my bedroom carpet free on my own wild hair, which I’m currently taming with the Dyson Airstrait, look easy.

iRobot Roomba J9+ verdict 

I struggled to find fault with the iRobot Roomba J9+. It looks smart, is intuitive to use, and is intelligent enough that you don’t actually do anything after setting up your cleaning schedule. I’ve programmed it to clean when I know I’ll be out, and after a month of testing it hasn’t got stuck or required any attention when I’ve got home.

It has great suction and made light work of my thick carpets. even with my moulting dog. It handles corners very well, and for someone who likes a clean home, it’s amazing I haven’t once felt the need to use my handheld vacuum since the J9+ arrived.

The only thing this model doesn’t do is mop. If you mostly have hard floors, the pricier Combo J9+ will surely be the better choice.