iRobot Roomba i7+

The iRobot Roomba i7+ used a grid pattern to impressively navigate our floors and even maneuver over the dark carpet in the lab. The vacuum claims to have smart mapping technology that allows it to learn, map and adapt to the areas to be cleaned. As it moved around our test surfaces, it scattered debris at first but its dirt detect mode was activated when it sensed the mess and it traveled back and forth spot cleaning before moving to another area. You know the spot cleaning mode is activated when the LED ring on the top of the vacuum turns blue. The stand-out feature on this vacuuming system is that it comes with a Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal that, once the robot is docked, a vacuum in the docking station automatically sucks the contents from the bin into an enclosed, disposable bag that is attached to the base. We tested the Automatic Dirt Disposal and it indeed sucked most of the debris from the robot's bin, aside from a few grains of rice and sand. The product claims to hold up to 30 cleaning cycle's worth of debris but the results will vary based on floor surfaces and debris. Once the bag is full, the iRobot App can notify you that the bag is full. The downside of the system is that you have to purchase replacement bags. The brushroll has counter-rotating rubber treads that help clean various types of debris from different surfaces. Pet hair was caught in the brushrolls but the hair slid off of the brushrolls easily. Its brushroll cage and track type wheels have suspension that allow it to automatically adjust to different floor types and transition over thresholds of about .75 inches after a few attempts. The one edge brush performed well at cleaning edges. Like other Roombas, the i7+ doesn't have a remote, you must use the app to control it remotely however, you can start the vac without the app. It has the signature handle for easy carrying and it avoided getting caught in rug tassels and power cords. Features: Auto, spot cleaning modes and a find mode for when the robot is lost. It has a full bin sensor and the app tells you when the dirt disposal bag is full. The app also allows you to schedule cleaning and view the status of the vac and the cleaning job as well as map where the vacuum has cleaned. The vacuum can also be controlled with Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT. You can also label rooms and tell the vacuum to clean particular rooms by name. App: iRobot Home version 5.0.1 Battery: Li-Ion (19/24 V, 1.25 A) Includes: 1 Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal, 2 Dirt Disposal Bags, Line Cord, Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier, Extra Filter, Extra Side Brush. 1 year warranty.

The iRobot Roomba i7+ is part of the Vacuum Cleaners test program at Consumer Reports. In our lab tests, Robotic Vacuums models like the Roomba i7+ are rated on multiple criteria, such as those listed below.

Carpet: Shows how much surface litter (cereal, rice, and peas) and embedded dust the vacuum picked up from a medium-pile carpet.

Bare floors: Indicates the vacuum's ability to remove surface debris from a bare laminate floor.

Navigation: A composite score that includes combined coverage over multiple runs, clearance under furniture and obstacle and entrapment avoidance.