iRobot Roomba i7+(Plus) – Test
In this test, we will review in detail whether the great premium features of the iRobot Roomba i7+ are worth the high ” Premium Price”. First of all: We are very excited about the iRobot i7 Plus, which has some very special features to offer. Among them are the automatic suction station and the smart voice control.
Are the comfortable functions of the iRobot Roomba i7+ worth the very high price (approx. $799)? Would it be better to save $200 by not having the automatic suction station? Finally, are there better alternatives on the market?
The Roomba i7+’s “Plus” stands for the extra feature that an automatic suction device (“Clean Base”) is included in the scope of delivery. But if you decide not to buy the automatic suction station, you can get the Roomba i7 for about $599 Everything else about the Roomba i7 is the same.
Automatic suction station – Useful or Extra?
Well, first of all, the automatic suction station is the big feature of the iRobot Roomba i7+. Since the dust bin has low capacity, it can be filled quickly (depending on the amount of dirt). Therefore, you have to empty the dust bin almost every day which is annoying. The Roomba i7 Plus overcomes this problem with its automatic suction station.
When the robot vacuum enters the charging station, the contents of the dust bin are automatically emptied. It takes about 8 – 10 seconds for this process to complete and it is quite noisy. This dirt is stored in a separate dust bin at the top of the suction station. What the manufacturer says is that the dust bin in the Clean Base can hold up to 30 full loads of the dust bin.
You can easily buy the base bags for the Clean Base at any time in a pack of 3 for about $15.99 via Amazon. Although $15.99 is not a small amount of money in our opinion, the base bag in the station is large and takes quite a long time to be filled. It of course depends on the level of dirt in your home. It will fill up much faster if you have pets.
Tip: If you do not have any allergic reactions, it is possible to save some money by vacuuming the base bag in the charging station with the help of a conventional vacuum cleaner.
For people with allergies, the charging station with the automatic suction device is a great feature. Theoretically, you don’t need to come into contact with house dust at all (except for washing out the dust bin). Overall, the Roomba i7+’s automatic suction station completely impressed us in the test. iRobot is taking a significant step in the area of automated cleaning. The Clean Base is simply saving us plenty of time and work.
iRobot Roomba i7+ in the suction test
Suction test on hard floors
The iRobot Roomba i7 Plus had few problems with the rice grains. There was only a bit of dirt in the hard-to-reach corners. Some rice grains can also be found on the suction surface. This is because the light rice grains were “flung” through the room from time to time by the fast-spinning side brush.
The Roomba i7 (+) also had little trouble with the coarse cereals. The vacuum robot did its job well. Here, too, only a few flakes remained in the hard-to-reach corners and occasionally in the room. The sand is usually a bigger challenge for vacuum robots. The vacuum robot did its job well in vacuuming sand.
iRobot Roomba i7 Plus during the suction test on the carpet.
iRobot has no automatic carpet detection function or automatic increase of the suction power when the Roomba i7 Plus navigates a carpet. It doesn’t need to, though because the result in our suction test is still very good. The two rubber brushes rotate in opposite directions to ensure that the carpet looks brushed and fresh after the vacuuming session. In principle, especially high pile carpets are more challenging for a robot vacuum.
But the Roomba i7 Plus proved its worth on the carpet. The robot did not have much trouble with the rice grains. The robot vacuum could also completely convince us with the granular Cereals. The sand on the carpet is something like the ultimate challenge for every robot vacuum. The Roomba i7+ does a great job here as well and the result is great compared to other top models.
The sand sinks into the carpet relatively quickly and is very difficult for a robot vacuum cleaner to get out again. It is not only robotic vacuum cleaners but also conventional vacuum cleaners that quickly reach their limits and do not offer much better performance in this area. In most cases, there will be hardly any sand on the carpet in your apartment.
Also, your new robot will vacuum the apartment much more often, which results in a consistent cleaning experience. The vacuum robot is also in constant use almost every day. Dirt can hardly accumulate on carpets or in corners. With a typically dirty apartment, the cleaning power of the iRobot Roomba i7+ is completely sufficient. You will be delighted.
Suction test along the baseboards and in corners
We were impressed by the cleaning along the baseboards and in corners. It is obvious, though, that the iRobot Roomba i7 cannot achieve a perfect result in corners just because of its round shape. Since you will most likely use the Roomba i7+ more often per week, dirt will not accumulate in the corners. So the problem at this point is not that big in principle.
iRobot Roomba i7+ – Pet and human hair
iRobot uses two rubber brushes rotating in opposite directions (“dual-brush system”). Because of the design of the brushes and the opposite rotation, very little dirt gets caught in the brushes. If some dirt (especially animal and human hair) does get wrapped around the brushes, the two brushes can be removed by a simple “click mechanism”. The hair can then be “pulled out” without much effort. The maintenance effort is reduced enormously. This makes the iRobot Roomba i7+ particularly well suited for pet owners.
Navigation, Mapping, and Memory
The Roomba i7+ has to create a map of your home before it can do anything. That happens completely without any manual action on your part. Just press a button in the app and the robot will do the rest. First, the robot vacuum cleaner maps out the layout of your apartment. After the first run, iRobot Roomba i7+ theoretically already knows your apartment. But the map is not 100% accurate and some details are missing.
Our tip: Before the first run, clean up your apartment so that there are no small items such as Lego bricks, clothes, etc. lying around on the floor. These disturb the Roomba i7+ during its work. Also, don’t forget to open all the doors. So the robot vacuum can safely reach every spot in your home.
The map is created after 3 – 4 cleaning runs and is available to you in the app. You can edit it according to your preferences and customize the suction process. iRobot Roomba i7+ can store up to 10 floors. The Roomba i7+ can create and store up to 10 maps. Thus, the iRobot Roomba i7 Plus also works perfectly in houses/apartments with several floors.
As the i7+ is unfortunately not yet able to climb stairs, the small robot vacuum can be easily carried from floor to floor with the help of the very practical carrying handle.
Camera-based navigation
Based on our previous experience, good navigation is crucial for a good cleaning result. Because when the robot vacuum does not navigate in a structured path and misses out on areas, then there will be a negative impact on the cleaning result. For this, iRobot relies on camera-based navigation technology (iAdapt Navigation Technology).
Efficient navigation is supported by the many built-in sensors (shock sensors, crash sensors). With iAdapt technology, the apartment is systematically scanned. The robot vacuum always calculates the fastest route and can determine very precisely where it has already been and where it has to go.
The Roomba i7 (+) is pretty fast on its way. For our 900 square feet (84m²) apartment, the vacuum cleaner robot spent 40 minutes. There is one disadvantage of the camera-based navigation technology: In poor lighting conditions, the Roomba i7 spends a bit more time. The iRobot Roomba i7+ is not able to do its job in the dark. This point is not important, since the vacuum robot will rarely be used at night. Except if you want to annoy your neighbors.
Obstacle detection
The obstacle detection works quite well. By navigating with the help of the camera Roomba i7+ recognizes the position of objects. The map that has been created is checked and adjusted in real-time. Thus, the Roomba i7+ avoids most of the obstacles with ease. If the robot vacuum misses an obstacle, then it simply uses the bumper for support. But this is less often the case. The robot vacuum cleaner is gentle with the furnishings. They will certainly not be damaged.
The iRobot Roomba i7+ was able to climb a height of about 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) during the test. This means that standard doorsteps and smaller obstacles do not pose a challenge for the Roomba i7+. To be biased, we only perform our tests on hard 90-degree edges, and we are certain that the robot vacuum cleaner will perform even better on rounded obstacles.
To detect cliffs, the robot vacuum cleaner uses typical cliff detection sensors. We have tested this in front of the stairs and also on a table. The iRobot Roomba i7+ easily handled the challenge. It stops briefly before a cliff and then moves in a new direction. We recommend cleaning the sensors with a dry microfiber cloth once a week to ensure that no accidents happen.
Battery: Running and charging times
The Roomba i7 Plus has a 3300 mAh lithium-ion battery which allows it to clean your home for about 75 minutes in one go. This is equivalent to an area of up to 1000 square feet. And we tested it precisely. For our 900 square feet (84m²) apartment, the smart home tool took about 40 minutes to clean.
The battery was still about 50% charged. But if the battery runs out in the middle of cleaning, it is not a problem at all. The robot vacuum cleaner remembers exactly where its vacuuming process is interrupted. Once the battery is fully charged again, the Roomba i7+ will return to that location and continue cleaning (“Recharge & Resume”).
Loudness
The Roomba i7 Plus is remarkably quiet. During our tests, we measured a volume of 65 dB. Having a conversation in the same room – while the robot vacuum is doing its work – is possible, but not very pleasant. It is similar when watching TV.
Mobile app – The iRobot Home app
The iRobot Home app is available for both Android and IOS (Apple App Store). This app from iRobot is another great feature of the Roomba i7 Plus. The app gives you a lot of great features right away while still being user-friendly. You can start using the numerous features in the app as soon as the map is created.
You can edit the map as much as you want after it is created. It is possible to merge and separate rooms. Also, you can name the rooms individually. This feature seems so simple, yet few other models on the market offer this functionality. It is possible to set very individualized schedules for cleaning. For example, you can say that the i7 Plus should clean the kitchen and living room at 10 a.m. on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Specific areas can be excluded from cleaning by setting up no-go zones. The package also includes a virtual wall for defining no-go zones. But thanks to the no-go zones that can be set up via the app, the virtual wall is not needed. It was not possible to set up no-go zones at the launch, but it was added via an update. The “Maintenance” section shows you when the various spare parts ( Brushes, HEPA filters, etc.) should be replaced.
Voice Assistants
The Roomba i7 plus is compatible with popular voice assistants – Alexa and Google Home Assistant. In our experience, iRobot also excels here compared to its rivals. This is because the communication is not limited to a simple “start”, “stop” and “return to charging station”. A large number of voice commands are available.
Another noticeable feature is that you do not have to learn a sentence from memory and repeat it over and over again. The voice control is very intelligent and your Roomba i7 Plus can understand different variations of voice commands.
For example, you can send the iRobot to a specific room, or you can have it clean your bedroom first and then your living room. You can tell Roomba i7 Plus to vacuum your living room only in the evening. Moreover, the voice assistant asks smart and meaningful questions, such as “Should I go back to the charging station?”, “Which room should I vacuum?”, etc. So you have a lot of options and it’s just really fun to communicate with your robot vacuum via a voice assistant.
Imprint Link Technology – Link the Roomba i7+ with the Braava mopping robot
iRobot has one more special feature to offer. The iRobot devices are linked with each other via the “Imprint Link Technology”. Currently, a link between the Roomba i7 (+) and the Braava Jet M6 mop robot is possible. If you have both of these devices, you can configure them so that the Braava Jet M6 robot mop automatically starts working as soon as Roomba i7+ has finished its vacuuming task.
Purchasing the two robots is very expensive. But such possibilities are a real pleasure for every smart-home fan. Thus, the cleaning process is automated a bit more.
Scope of delivery, accessories, and spare parts
- 1 North American Line Cord,
- 1 Roomba® i7+ Robot Vacuum,
- 1 Extra High-Efficiency Filter,
- 1 Extra Side Brush,
- 1 Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal,
- 2 Dirt Disposal Bags
In addition to the iRobot Roomba i7+ vacuum robot and the quite large and very cool-looking suction station, iRobot also provides some accessories. That is always appreciated when the manufacturer adds a bit more than the absolute essentials to the scope of delivery. That way, spare parts (HEPA filter, side brush) are available immediately if needed.
Also, iRobot ships 2 dust bins for the automatic station in the scope of delivery. So you have some time of peace and don’t have to worry about buying more. The scope of delivery is very generous overall. Spare parts and accessories can be easily ordered online via Amazon.
Design & Dimensions
At this point, it should be mentioned that the design of the Roomba i7+ won the prestigious “Red Dot Award”.
The robot vacuum cleaner still features the usual round shape. The dimensions are: width: 13.34 x length: 13.34 x height: 3.63 inches (34 cm x 34 cm x 9.3 cm) and it weighs 7.44 pounds (3.38 kg).
Roomba i7+ is only available in a combination of two colors (black with some gray). The robot looks great, no doubt about it. But we would still be happy if there were other colors to choose from.
This is because a dark vacuum robot does not always fit into every apartment in terms of color.
The touchscreen buttons on the upper side are: “Clean” (start/stop cleaning process), “Home” (return to charging station), and “Spot Clean”. There is also a camera at the top, ensuring excellent navigation.
Also, a very practical carrying handle allows the robot vacuum to be carried from floor to floor. iRobot has a reputation for very high-quality build and absolute quality. Roomba i7+ is no exception here. The device is perfectly produced and looks very classy. The materials used make a very high-quality impression.
As we already said, the Clean Base is an outstanding feature of the iRobot Roomba i7+. At the back of the charging base, a long power cable including a cable management system can be found. Apart from providing charging pins for the robot vacuum, the Clean Base also empties the dust bin automatically.
The charging station including the automatic suction function is a bit larger than a standard docking station. But the Clean Base (like the robot itself) looks very classy and is an absolute eye-catcher.
Price-Performance & Conclusion
The products made by iRobot in general – and also the iRobot Roomba i7+ in particular – are expensive luxury products. Yet the Roomba i7 Plus robot vacuum offers very respectable performance along with great premium features. We should highlight the sophisticated voice control system and the automatic suction station.
The Roomba i7+ costs approximately $799. But if you choose not to purchase the station, the price is reduced to around $599. You will have to decide for yourself whether the luxury of the automatic station is worth the higher price. We hope this review can help you decide.
If you don’t need all the luxury and would rather save a bit of money, you may find what you are looking for in the models from Roborock (Roborock S5 Max Test, Roborock S6 MaxV Test) or Ecovacs (Deebot OZMO T8 AIVI Test, Deebot Ozmo 950).
