Let’s talk about keeping your floors clean without it taking over your weekend. If you’ve been considering a robot vacuum, the iRobot Roomba i7+ is a model that often comes up. This in-detail review and rating will help you decide if its famous self-emptying feature is worth the investment for your home.
I spend most of my days with my hands in the soil, so tracking in dirt and debris is a constant battle. A clean floor isn’t just about looks; it’s about keeping garden messes from spreading. A good robot vacuum can be a game-changer, and the Roomba i7+ aims to be just that.
iRobot Roomba i7+
This robot vacuum and its Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal system promise a new level of hands-off cleaning. But how does it really perform in a lived-in home, especially one with pets, plants, and plenty of foot traffic? Let’s get into the details.
What’s in the Box?
When you unbox the Roomba i7+, you get several key components:
* The Roomba i7 robot vacuum itself.
* The Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal charging station.
* A extra high-efficiency filter.
* One virtual wall barrier (a device that keeps the Roomba out of specific areas).
* The power cord and a quick start guide.
Setup is straightforward. You place the Clean Base against a wall, plug it in, and let the Roomba charge. The real setup happens in the iRobot HOME app, which is essential for using all the i7+’s smart features.
Key Features and How They Work
The i7+ isn’t just a random bumper car for your floors. It has some specific technologies that define how it cleans.
Imprint Smart Mapping
This is the brains of the operation. On its first few cleaning runs, the Roomba i7+ learns the layout of your home. It creates a map you can see in the app. This is huge because it allows for:
* Room-by-Room Cleaning: You can tell it to clean just the kitchen or the living room.
* Keep-Out Zones: You can draw lines on the map where you don’t want it to go, like around a pet water bowl or a delicate floor lamp.
Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal
This is the headline act. When the Roomba i7+ finishes cleaning, it returns to its base. The base suctions all the dirt and debris from the robot’s bin into a sealed, disposable bag inside the tower. This means you can go for weeks—or even months—without touching the dustbin. It’s a significant convenience, especially for those with allergies.
Performance Suction & 3-Stage Cleaning
It adapts its suction power to the surface (carpet vs. hard floor) and uses the classic iRobot 3-stage system: dual rubber brushes to agitate dirt, a suction channel to pull it in, and a brush on the side to get edges.
Setting It Up in Your Home
Getting started is simple. Here’s the basic process:
1. Charge the robot on the Clean Base for a few hours.
2. Download the iRobot HOME app on your smartphone.
3. Follow the in-app instructions to connect the Roomba to your Wi-Fi.
4. Let it do a few “training runs” to build its smart map. It’s best to do this when you can clear the floors a bit.
A tip from a gardener: do a quick sweep for larger pebbles, twigs, or clumps of mud before its first run or after you’ve been potting plants. While it handles everyday dirt well, larger, harder debris can sometimes get stuck in the brushes.
Daily Use and Cleaning Performance
In daily use, the iRobot Roomba i7+ is mostly set-and-forget. You can schedule whole-home cleanings or target specific rooms with a tap in the app.
On hard floors like wood or tile, it excels at picking up dust, crumbs, and tracked-in garden grit. On carpets, it does a solid job on surface-level dirt and pet hair. It transitions smoothly between floor types, ramping up suction for carpets.
It’s not perfect, though. Its navigation, while smart, can sometimes mean it takes a longer, methodical path to clean a room compared to some newer models with faster, more direct navigation. It will occasionally get hung up on a thick rug tassel or a dark floor mat it mistakes for a cliff.
The self-emptying base is as satisfying as advertised. You hear a loud (but brief) vacuum sound from the base when it empties the robot. The bags hold about 30 bins worth of dirt, so you really do forget about it for a long time.
Maintenance You Can’t Ignore
Even with self-emptying, the robot itself needs regular care. Neglecting this is the main reason people have problems. Here’s the routine:
* Clean the Brushes Weekly: Remove the roller brushes and cut away any wrapped hair or threads. Check the side brush for debris.
* Empty the Filter Regularly: Tap out the filter weekly. Replace it every two months for best suction.
* Wipe the Sensors: Gently clean the cliff sensors and charging contacts on the robot and base with a dry cloth.
* Check the Wheels: Make sure the wheels spin freely and aren’t clogged.
If you skip this, performance will drop and errors will pop up. It’s like keeping your garden tools clean—a little upkeep makes everything work better.
Pros and Cons Summary
Pros:
* The self-emptying Clean Base is a legitimate time-saver.
* Smart mapping allows for room-specific cleaning and keep-out zones.
* Reliable cleaning performance on multiple surfaces.
* Strong suction for pet hair and everyday mess.
* The app is intuitive and scheduling is simple.
Cons:
* The navigation can be slower and noisier than some competitors.
* The Clean Base emptying process is quite loud.
* Replacement bags for the base are an ongoing cost.
* It can struggle with very high-pile carpets or dark rugs.
* Requires consistent manual maintenance of brushes and filters.
Who Is This Robot Vacuum Best For?
The iRobot Roomba i7+ is an excellent fit for:
* Busy households that want daily floor maintenance without daily intervention.
* Pet owners dealing with constant fur and tracked-in dirt.
* People with allergies, as the sealed bag system locks in dust and allergens.
* Tech users who appreciate the control of room-by-room cleaning via an app.
It might not be the best choice if:
* You have a home with lots of complex furniture or wires on the floor.
* You are very sensitive to noise (the vacuum and base are both loud).
* You want the absolute latest and fastest navigation technology.
* You prefer a device with no ongoing bag costs.
Final Rating and Verdict
After using it extensively, the iRobot Roomba i7+ earns a strong 4 out of 5 stars.
It delivers on its core promise: automated cleaning with minimal hands-on emptying. The smart mapping works well and the cleaning performance is very good for most common messes. The major points deducted are for its sometimes clumsy navigation, the noise level, and the necesity of buying those proprietary bags.
It’s like a reliable perennial in your garden—it might not be the flashiest new variety, but it does its job consistently year after year with proper care. If you want a significant reduction in your floor-cleaning chores and the self-emptying feature calls to you, the Roomba i7+ remains a compelling and effective choice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How long does the battery last?
A full charge gives about 75 minutes of cleaning time, which is enough for most homes. If it doesn’t finish, it will return to its base to recharge and then resume where it left off.
Does it work with voice assistants?
Yes, the iRobot Roomba i7+ is compatible with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. You can start, stop, or send it home with voice commands.
How often do I need to change the bag in the Clean Base?
It depends on how much dirt your home generates, but for an average home, one bag can last 4 to 8 weeks. The app will notify you when the bag is full.
Can it handle multiple floors?
The robot itself can clean multiple floors, but the Clean Base and its map are tied to one level. To clean another floor, you’d need to carry the robot and its base to that level and create a separate map for it.
Is the maintenance difficult?
Not at all, but it is regular. Cleaning the brushes weekly and replacing the filter every couple months is essential for keeping it running smoothly. The app sends helpful reminders.