Expert Analysis on the iRobot Roomba J5 Duo: Robust Vacuum and Mop Unit Reviewed

Key Takeaways

The iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ offers a 2-in-1 vacuum and mop solution but with some limitations.
The vacuum performs well for daily cleaning tasks.
The mobile app is user-friendly, but the need to manually switch between vacuum and mop functions may be inconvenient for regular mopping needs.

The trend in robot vacuums has been to add more features, rather than lower the prices. But what if you don’t want the highest-end dirt sucker and mop? The iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ isn’t a low-end option, but it may be able to satisfy your basic cleaning needs without breaking the bank.

iRobot Roomba Combo j5+

7/ 10

$449 $800 Save $351

The same powerful vacuum technology as Roomba j7+ vacuum, now with a mop. converting our most popular Roomba j7+ vacuum to a vacuum & mop solution with the simple switch of a bin. spend less time worrying about your floor and more time in control of the clean you want. the innovative thinking you’ve come to expect from iRobot now gives you double the clean with one machine.

Dimensions

3.4 x 13.3 x 13.3in

Weight

7.5lb

Connectivity

Wi-Fi

Suction

One level

Mop

Separate accessory

Base station dimensions

15.8 x 12.2 x 13.3in

BASE STATION WEIGHT

8.7lb

Pros

Simplified mobile app
Cleaning Station holds about 60 days worth of dirt
Fine cleaning performance for a robot

Cons

Need to switch between vacuum and mop manually
Only one suction level available

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$449 at Amazon $799.99 at iRobot

What the Combo j5+ Can and Can’t Do

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The Roomba Combo j5+ gets you an autonomous vacuum and mop, but not the most premium experience of either. Instead of dragging a dirty mopping rag around all the time, or putting it on top like the j9+, this unit needs to switch out dirt and water tanks for those individual tasks. The unit will still vacuum when the mop addition is added, so why not leave that on all the time? Because it won’t perform the same direct detection with the mop attached and it won’t vacuum in “no mop” zones, for starters.

Ultimately, that means the j5+ isn’t as efficient if you always want to vacuum and mop your floors at the same time. On the other hand, if your mopping needs are more infrequent, it means that you don’t have to constantly deal with a water tank or a damp mop rag.

I see this product as being primarily for vacuuming with a mopping option to use sparingly. You can use it however you want, but after testing dozens of these robots, I’ve found it is a surprising amount of work to constantly deal with changing water if the base station doesn’t have refill tanks—and this one doesn’t.

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

The key here is that you still get access to iRobot’s great Roomba app. You get a base station that can hold about 60 days’ worth of dirt. Plus, you get fine, predictable cleaning performance.

Cleaning Performance Was Fine For a Robot

The Roomba Combo j5+ is the entry model for the newest j-series that includes the j7+ and j9+. Since it is more economical, it does have paired-down cleaning capabilities. It only has standard-level suction. This manifests itself in the app by not being able to select a different power level, while the Combo j9+ has three different suction choices.

On paper, or the comparison chart , there aren’t too many differences between this vacuum and the Combo j9+ I’ve also tested. In fact, there aren’t any listed differences for the smart features or mapping and navigation areas. In practice, the Combo j5+ seemed clunkier and heavy-handed in its approach. It constantly had trouble leaving its docking station and getting confused under the kitchen table as it made its way to its cleaning room.

To see exactly how well the Combo j5+ picked up larger pieces of debris, I used grains of white rice. I positioned all the pieces inside blue tape on my hardwood floor so I could see how much it picked up and how much it flung outside of the starting area.

The Combo j5+ displaced a healthy amount of the rice, picking up about half of the pieces. If this was a real mess, I might have had the vacuum do two passes of the area, but I was curious to see what it did in a default, generic configuration.

To see how the vacuum handled smaller, finer pieces of dirt, I crushed up a handful of Cheerios and placed the dust-like debris in the same taped-off area on hardwood flooring.

The vacuum was much more successful in this test, picking up nearly all the tiny crumbs and dust bits. Of the two controlled tests, this one ranks a little more important for daily cleanings.

To see how the vacuum cleaned carpets, I sprinkled some baking soda on a rug and watched it suck up the mess. For heavily soiled areas, two passes will be needed, in the same way you would run a handheld vacuum over a spot several times. But a single pass should do fine for regular cleaning schedules to keep crumbs from accumulating.

The Combo j5+ mopping was limited, but fine. It doesn’t do the same smart scrubbing that the higher-end model will do so it is ultimately a fancy wet-cloth wipe-down. You can leave the mop part attached most of the time, but the vacuum will skip parts of your floors that you label as “no mop” zones.

Battery Life and Mobile App

There are no battery life estimates on the Combo j5+ website, and beyond a generic battery icon in the app, iRobot doesn’t freely mention a hard number of cleaning minutes. I had no problem cleaning a roughly 1,000-square-foot area on a single charge and could probably have done a space twice as big in a single pass. However, if you demand too much of the robot, it will simply return to its dock automatically to recharge before it finishes its assigned job.

On the mobile app front, the iRobot Home app is available for iPhone and Android . It’s one of the better-designed interfaces for controlling a robot vacuum on a small screen. Beyond the hidden area-cleaning functionality inside a saved map, I found the app easy to navigate quickly. Beyond regular scheduling, you can connect voice assistants to activate cleaning without a phone. Or, you can connect smart home devices so the vacuum will clean when you leave the house.

The company isn’t as aggressive about cramming in every cutting-edge feature that other vacuum companies like Roborock seem to be, but I was never left wanting. I appreciated the large text and overall intuitive layout.

Price and Availability

The iRobot Combo j5+ is available now and retails for $799.

Comparing the j5+ to the j9+

The Combo j5+ and Combo j9+ are in completely different leagues—about a $600 price difference between the two—but if you are curious about the differences, the bulk of it comes down to the integrated mop and charging station. The higher-end Combo j9+ has a fancy swivel mop arm that keeps it away from carpet, but that gets activated automatically if you’ve told it to mop. Its CleanStation houses water and dirt and also includes a storage room for extra parts.

The Combo j5+ is overall less featured but largely still vacuums the same way. If price is the main concern, then the Combo j5+ is the way to go. If convenience and extra performance are more critical, then Combo j9+ should be worth its higher price.

Should You Buy the iRobot Roomba Combo j5+?

Tyler Hayes / How-To Geek

With a $799 retail price, I think the iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ is a little steep for its included features and performance. It’s a fine vacuum and an okay mop, but the inconvenience of storing the mop tank and then switching it back and forth was a pain.

I wouldn’t shy away from this 2-in-1 combo on sale, but at its full retail price, its value is less than some other mainstream brands like Evovacs or Roborock. Heavily consider this product if you want the most simplified app for a robot vacuum, but skip it if you plan on using the mop regularly.

iRobot Roomba Combo j5+

7/ 10

$449 $800 Save $351

$449 at Amazon $799.99 at iRobot

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Expert Analysis on the iRobot Roomba J5 Duo: Robust Vacuum and Mop Unit Reviewed