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OUR RATING

4.5/5

iRobot Roomba i7+ 2021 Review: Powerful Self-cleaning Robot

We’ve tested and used the iRobot Roomba i7+ vacuum cleaner since 2018. Even though there are quite some advanced vacuum cleaners in the market offering similar or new features - we still haven’t decided to replace the i7+.

Not because of its refined look and smooth vacuum cleaning performance, but also because of its advanced technology that was honestly above its time. Roomba i7+ was many of the first robots that introduced automated dust bin cleaning and voice recognition system. The upshot of using it is that you won’t have to touch the cleaner for days or even weeks, because everything with this robot is precisely automated.

Design overview and Features

The iRobot Roomba i7+ is a very sleek vacuum cleaner with glossy and matt black components. There are 3 capacitive touch buttons on top; One to send it home, one to initiate the cleaning process, and one to set the spot cleaning. There’s an LED bulb around the clean button that glows in different colors depending on the situation.

At the center, there’s a black divot that houses the navigation camera. This helps the robot to navigate your home and make the precise mapping. There are 2 more sensors situated beside this; one to identify object detection and the other to help navigate the robot to its base. The bottom of the robot houses the dustbin, drop sensor, two main treads, side brush, and a dual rubber roller.

Clean base

One of the main highlighted features of the i7+ is the clean base, which is typically bigger than any other vacuum cleaner charging dock. That said, it’s not too bulky sitting in your home. At the foot of the base, there’s a tiny square that connects with the vacuum cleaner and works its magic.

Also, whenever the i7+ docks, the base will automatically suck all the dust and debris from the vacuum to a much larger dust bin. This contains a separate bag located on the top that you can easily clean.

Canister Bag System

Speaking of bags, the system support canister bag is custom made for i7+. You will, however, have to buy additional bags because iRobot only includes 2 in the box. Buying replacement bags costs around $14.99 for a pack of 3.

During our cleaning, we found out that the cleaning bags are very versatile. If you run your robot 2 times per week, the bag can easily last up to 3 months.

Setup and iRobot App

The setup process is fairly simple. First, you have to download the iRobot app on your smartphone. The app walks you through all the settings depending on your room condition and space. Before you use the robot, you have to first send it for a training run where it will navigate your entire home. Once it creates a map on your smartphone, you can start the cleaning process.

The iRobot Roomba i7+ also comes with a virtual wall barrier that you can place in areas where you don’t want the robot to be. We placed it beside our stairs so that our tiny little friend won’t fall off.

Cleaning Experience

And finally, how’s the robot actually cleaning your home? In short, it’s good and gets the job done in a very futuristic way!

The Roomba i7+ can easily handle various floor types including hardwood, tile, carpet, and vinyl without issue. It also automatically increase the speed of the brushes if it lands on the carpet. Surprisingly enough, the robot also trawled over loose cords of my laptop and raised its ledges when there was an uneven space.

The robot cleans in a back-and-forth formation which becomes more efficient the more times it cleans the surface. Once the robot completely navigates your room and all its surrounding, it can efficiently clean every corner. Another great feature of the robot is that it comes with a dust filter.

If you have a dog or cat in the house, the robot can efficiently clean the fur and all the germs and molds lefts behind.

Battery Life

The Roomba i7+ is also good in terms of battery life. You’ve got 60-minutes of full cleaning time on high settings. After this, the robot will automatically return to its base and charge itself. In case, if the robot is cleaning your room and the battery juice runs out, it will go back to the charging dock, get some energy, and then get back to the cleaning process.

Also, the robot is smart enough to not leave your room all hanging during the charging. For example, if the charge runs out and there are only 5-minutes of cleaning left. The robot will charge for some appointed time, get the 5-minutes work done, and then recharge again.

Some Issues we faced

As with any other robot, we faced some downsides with Roomba i7+ as well.

  • Sticking Department: During our usage of the robot, there was a handful of times when the i7+ stuck on something. Most of the time, it gets off. But once it gets stuck on something, it stays there until the battery runs out. For this, the App recommends you remove any large objects from the floor that might get stuck with the robot. The app will also notify you if the robot got stuck and showcase the location on the minimap so you can manually free it.
  • Noice: If you never had a robot vacuum before, then you’re fine with the noise. But if you had, this one produces quite a bit more sound compared to the rest. The loudest part of the whole journey is when the robot returns to its dock surface and empty the dustbin.
  • Maintenance: This part is a bit tricky with a lot of maintenance required every now so often. The robot comes with an instructional manual of what things you have to clean. Check those before you go on to your cleaning journey.

Final Thoughts:

Even though it’s quite old now, the iRobot Roomba i7+ packs some impressive features that are not available today. It has some unique cleaning skills that can make your job a lot easier. It’s practically irresistible when it comes to vacuuming and sweeping.

Still, the price is a factor you all have to consider. If you can get a good deal on any online store, then the Roomba i7+ earns our Recommended award.

PROS

  • Battery life

  • Cleaning preferences

  • Self cleaning base
  • APP

CONS

  • Sticking Department

  • Noice

  • Maintenance
  • Not working great in dark rooms

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