iRobot Roomba j9+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum

Verdict

The iRobot Roomba j9+ is a high-end robot vacuum that shines on hard floors and low-pile carpets, offering powerful suction, excellent obstacle avoidance, and largely hands-off ownership. It is loud, struggles with corners and medium to high-pile carpets, and costs more than older Roomba models, but for many homes it remains one of the best all-around smart vacuums you can buy.

Pros

  • Assembly and Setup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
    Quick, straightforward setup with clear packaging and rapid Wi-Fi onboarding.
  • Bin & Bag ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  • Docking & Auto-Empty Reliability (Robot) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  • Ease of use ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
    Hands-off ownership thanks to self-emptying, dependable navigation, and simple pause or voice controls.
  • Emptying & Mess Control ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  • Hard Floor — Fine Dust Pickup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
    Outstanding fine dust pickup on hardwoods, clearing flour-level debris in testing.
  • Map & Path Efficiency (Robot Vacuums) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  • Obstacle Avoidance (Robot) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
    Excellent obstacle avoidance around cords, toys, and pet messes, reducing interventions during daily runs.
  • Pet-Ready Features ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
    Great for pet households, picking up hair while avoiding pet accidents via dedicated detection.
  • Storage footprint & upright-stand stability ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 5.0
  • Aesthetic design & finish ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
  • AI, Smart & App / Automation ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
  • Battery & Charging ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
  • Controls & UI ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
  • Overall opinion ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.5
    A reliable, high-performing robot vacuum that excels on hard floors and in obstacle-dense homes.
  • Carpet — Low-Pile Pickup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0
    Solid low-pile carpet cleaning that improves with a second pass when needed.
  • Hard Floor — Large Debris Intake ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0
    Handles common large debris like kibble and seeds, though very large pieces can jam brushes.
  • Maintenance requirements ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0
    Maintenance is straightforward, with app-based part reminders, rinseable brushes and bin, and a simple shake-and-replace routine for the filter.
  • Price & Value ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0
  • Stuck resistance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0
    Generally avoids getting stuck, though long fibers on deep carpets can trap the rollers.
  • Suction & Airflow ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 4.0

Cons

  • Hair‑Wrap / Tangle Resistance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 3.0
  • Carpet — High-Pile Pickup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.0
    High-pile and shag carpets are challenging, with frequent sticking once suction engages.
  • Carpet — Medium-Pile Pickup ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.0
    Middling results on medium-pile rugs, with occasional stalls in thicker fibers.
  • Corner Cleaning (Robot) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.0
    Round body limits corner reach; side brush helps along walls but leaves corner residue.
  • Dock noise ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.0
    Auto-empty cycle is disruptive in volume; scheduling around quiet hours is recommended.
  • Noise level ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ 1 review 2.0

Reviews we analyzed