iRobot products rely heavily on an optical sensor underneath to determine the perimeter of an area. There’s not much difference with dirt volume. The S7 has a slightly larger capacity at 420-ml versus the J7’s 400-ml volume. I got this robo vacuum to run the house in the new year because I got new hard floors laid on December 31 last year. I just had 88sqm of epoxy flooring laid in all the main living, kitchen, dining, and hallways. In my split level home, 6sqm of floor is downstairs and the main 82sqm of flooring is upstairs. The robot doesn't do downstairs at all. I call this robot "Raffa".

It features five different suction power modes: the energy-efficient 'Quiet' mode, the default 'Balanced' mode, 'Turbo', 'Max', and 'Max+' which is meant for cleaning extremely stubborn debris. Running the vacuum in its 'Balanced' mode allows it to automatically change its power level. I like bagged systems since they keep dirt inside a sealed bag, so allergens stay inside during disposal. Deep cleans better: It is no surprise that the J7 did better than the S9 at cleaning embedded sand with its counter-rotating extractors and dirt detectors. We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update builds on our previous 'Suction' test with a new ' Airflow' test that more accurately measures a vacuum's ability to generate air movement. If you'd like to see an in-depth look at the reasoning and methodology behind this change, you can see our full changelog here.. It fit under this sofa with a 3.8″ clearance, so it’s something to consider if you own furniture like this.But with the self-emptying feature, dirt volume shouldn’t be a deciding factor unless you opt for the robot-only alternative. 5. Auto-Empty Station Design The eye test also shows the S7 slightly better, making cleaner passes, even with heavy debris like pet litter. Another similarity is both use a bagged clean base station, meaning a bag stores debris collected from the robots.

iRobot doesn’t have this feature since it uses a camera. It’s one colossal advantage a LIDAR robot like the S7 has over a VSLAM robot. 4. Map Drawings Based on internal testing carried out by the manufacturer according to IEC 62885-2:2021/5.11 standards, using Max+ mode with a full battery. Actual results may vary according to the home environment. Over the week of testing in our office, the robot vacuum consistently finished its cleaning cycle within 51-57 minutes. The S7 is also better in the sand on hard floor test (99.8% vs. 98.64%), which is my barometer for hard floor performance. Edge Cleaning Comparison

Older bags (I and S-Series) will fit in the J7. I like this forward compatibility because there won’t be any supply issues. E11 Filter: The filter is located under the top cover of the dirt compartment. You should wash it under water every two weeks. It’s the only robot in the North American and EU market with this feature since iRobot owns the patent. 2. Bagged System

Based on internal testing carried out by the manufacturer. Stains used for testing include coffee (dried for two hours and 24 hours), juice (dried for 24 hours), cola (dried for 24 hours) and mud (dried for 2 hours). For context, this app and the process of syncing the robot to your phone is, in our subjective opinion, easier than most products with companion apps. Controls There are 4 standard vacuum strengths and a Max+ option to give the highest suction strength. I haven't tried Max+. I found the first two levels not quite enough for my liking so I only leave it on level 3 "Turbo" for all my hard floors. The higher the suction level, the louder it gets. "Turbo" mode is a good balance between a good vacuum performance and sound level.We've verified that the 'Scheduled Start Buttons' field in the 'Physical Automation' section should be set to 'Yes', as you can manually activate the vacuum's mop washing capability using the physical control buttons on the vacuum. The score and text remain unchanged. Robot body: Use a clean microfiber town to wipe down the robot body and clean any dust and fingerprint buildup.

The dust bag is designed to last 7 weeks with typical use. Aside from those, there are plenty of things to watch for over the course of a year of cleaning. The J7 utilizes a low-profile base station with a single narrow port for dirt disposal. It has a storage slot for an extra bag. Better value: Consumers will get better value from the S7 because it can vacuum and mop without buying another robot. Both robots utilize a round frame with a single side brush. One variance is the J7 using its patented counter-rotating extractors. Set permanent obstacle zones: The iRobot app has this cool feature that allows users to set permanent zones, automatically creating keep-out zones.Robot vacuum technology has evolved over the past five years. I’ve seen dramatic improvements in two areas – navigation and obstacle avoidance. The J7’s lower profile design is its biggest advantage and somewhat negates the inefficiency disadvantage. And it didn’t take long to find out. The Roomba J7+ is that encore, and its most prominent upgrade is the front camera sensor, helping it avoid obstacles.