You’re not alone if you’re scratching your head over the similarities between the Roomba J7+ vs J8+. These robots are indeed similar in their looks and functions. But the Roomba J8+ uses a larger battery, resulting in longer battery life, and comes with four disposable dust bags (whereas the Roomba J7+ only has 2 bags). Additionally, the J8+ is a Costco-exclusive offering, whereas the J7+ is widely available at various major retailers, including Amazon.
That said, they share all the bells and whistles, such as a front-mounted camera to detect and avoid objects and the ability to be customized via the iRobot App. On top of that, both come with a Clean Base to do the dirty work for you.
Roomba J7+ Vs J8+: Comparison Chart
Roomba J7+ Vs J8+: Differences
The J8+ has a 5-3 win against the J7+. My upcoming comprehensive comparison will delve into the similarities and differences between these two models.
Design & Usability
Winner: Roomba J8+
Cleaning Performance
Winner: Tie
Hard Floor
| Roomba J7+ | Roomba J8+ |
|---|---|
| ≈ 95% | ≈ 97 % |
Given that they are virtually the same robot, it’s unsurprising that they both exhibit similar cleaning performance. My tests show that they both got very high scores across the board, but it’s noteworthy that previous models like the Roomba S9 could achieve a 99% debris removal rate.
Carpets
| Roomba J7+ | Roomba J8+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Low-pile Carpet | ≈ 92% | ≈ 94 % |
| High-pile Carpet | ≈ 96% | ≈ 93 % |
Once again, these Roombas proved themselves to be great options for cleaning carpets. They could efficiently remove the majority of debris from both low- and high-pile carpets, leaving only a negligible amount of mixed particles behind.
Hair Pet
| Roomba J7+ | Roomba J8+ | |
|---|---|---|
| 5-inch Strands | ≈ 72% | ≈ 78% |
| 10-inch Strands | ≈ 56% | ≈ 62% |
Apart from general cleaning tests, I also put them on hair cleaning experiments by placing 5- and 10-inch strands of hair into their direct cleaning paths. I found they did a great job of collecting 5-inch strands of hair but leaving room for improvement regarding removing 10-inch hair. Fortunately, only a few longer strands did wrap around their brush rollers, which were easily removable for untangling.
Dimensions & Weight
| Roomba J7+ | Roomba J8+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 13.3 x 3.4 inches | 13.3 x 3.4 inches |
| Weight | 7.49 lbs | 7.49 lbs |
These Roombas flaunt a 3.4-inch circular design cloaked in elegant stainless steel and black chrome casing. With a solitary button on their tops, they offer easy access to the majority of the features and functionalities without having to take out your smartphone. They also sport a front-facing combination of a camera and LED light for enhanced navigation.
Extractor & Side Brush
On the underside of these robots, there is a pair of 6.75-inch multi-surface rollers in the heart of the machine that rotate in opposite directions to easily suck up dirt and debris on a wide range of floor types. Since these rollers are made of silicone and have no nylon bristles, they are less prone to hair tangles and untangling them is a breeze. Interestingly, they can adapt seamlessly to varying floor heights, such as hardwood, carpet, and rugs.
Both also share a black side spinning brush with three rotating bristle brushes to agitate and loosen dirt, dust, and debris from the floor surface and push them toward the main extractor of the robot. I personally found their side brushes spun a bit faster than necessary and scattered a small amount of debris during my run tests.
Navigation
Instead of doing random movements, the J7+ and J8+ move in logical routes to ensure complete coverage of your floor space. Similar to other models in the Roomba lineup, they employ Imprint Smart Mapping to quickly familiarize themselves with your home’s layout. They record details like obstacles, furniture locations, and room boundaries, using this information to create a comprehensive virtual map viewable on your smartphone via the iRobot app. They can remember and save up to 10 layouts, so you can use them in your multi-floor apartment without fear of cross-effects.
The biggest selling point of these smart robots that sets them apart from older Roombas is PrecisionVision Navigation technology. As mentioned earlier, unlike the top-mounted cameras on the S9 or I7 models, these robots feature a small front-facing camera that enables them to “see” and circumvent obstacles before any collisions occur. This is truly a dream come true for pet parents!
Historically, pet owners have been wary of robot vacuums or found themselves constantly tidying floors before each cleaning cycle and keeping an eye on them until they finished the job. Since these old robots were essentially blind and navigated by “bumping to learn,” the risk of them running over pet waste and spreading it around the home was a genuine concern.
Thankfully, such modern machines like the J7 and J8 that were created to keep that worry at bay are finally here. iRobot even launched the P.O.O.P. (Pet Owner Official Promise) warranty, which says they will be responsible for replacing your robot for free if this one rolls over pet feces. This gives you peace of mind, so you can just turn the vacuum on, exit the room, and come back to find it neatly returned to its home base.
Their ability to avoid obstacles is a godsend for families with kids as well because they can recognize a wide variety of objects, including shoelaces, shoes, toys, cables, and more. Even better, they can learn and get smarter over time by sending you pictures of unfamiliar objects they come across and asking you what they should do when they encounter these objects in the future. iRobot continually updates their database to improve object recognition, making these robots ever more intelligent.
Battery Life
| Roomba J7+ | Roomba J8+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Life | ≈ 98 mins | ≈ 131 mins |
| Charging Time | ≈ 120 mins | ≈ 128 mins |
The Roomba J8+ uses a larger 4400 mAh lithium-ion battery compared to the 2410 mAh battery on the J7+, resulting in a longer run time with a full charge. To my mind, the run time isn’t a crucial factor here since these Roombas have the “Recharge and Resume” feature. This involves them automatically returning to their home station for a battery top-up when their batteries reach a low level and then picking up right where they left off.
Control
Winner: Tie
Manual Control
Operating these Roomba robots couldn’t be simpler, even without your smartphone. A single button on the top of the unit enables you to control everything: a single tap starts the cleaning cycle, another halts it, and holding it down sends the robot back to its charging base.
App Connectivity
For tech enthusiasts, the ability to remotely control these robots via the free iRobot Home app is truly the pièce de résistance. This app lets you connect these Roombas to your phone that are Wi-Fi enabled to schedule vacuuming and make cleaning paths to keep your living space spotless at all times.
Besides basic tasks like start, stop, and pause cleanings, you access your saved virtual maps and draw clean areas for selective cleaning and keep-out zones to indicate areas that you want your robot to stay away from. By the way, you can activate the “Clean While I’m Away” function to ensure the vacuum only operates when you’re far from home and returns to its charging base when you’re back.
You can also inspect the cleaning history and monitor the health of the HEPA filter, roller, and side brush. Don’t forget that they will send you images of ambiguous objects so you can determine whether they should be considered obstacles.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Winner: Roomba J8+
Both have a detachable and washable 500-ml dustbin to house the collected dust and dirt. It is quite small and needs to be emptied frequently, but the good news is that it shouldn’t be on your to-do list. Every time their bins are full, they roll back to their clean bases and send all the contents to a hidden disposable waste bag.
The J7+ comes with 2 dust bags, while the J8+ takes the lead with 4. iRobot claims that each bag can last up to 2 months or so, and you will eventually need to throw away the full waste bag manually with ease. The spare dust bag and HEPA filter can easily be purchased on Amazon.
Other Features
Winner: Tie
Noise
| Roomba J7+ | Roomba J8+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Working | ≈ 59 dB | ≈ 62 dB |
| Self-Emptying | ≈ 72 dB | ≈ 75 dB |
They both maintain a comfortable noise level during vacuuming, but the dirt disposal process is a tad louder. Anyway, I don’t consider it a deal-breaker since the process is relatively brief.
Imprint Link
The J7+ and J8+ offer an extra feature known as Imprint Link, which lets the Roomba robot vacuum communicate and collaborate with the Braava Jet M6, a robot mop. Specifically, as soon as the J7 or J8 completes its vacuuming task, the app automatically triggers the Jet M6 to start mopping, creating a seamless transition from vacuuming to mopping.
LED Headlight
Located next to the camera on the front of these robots is a small LED light, which is designed to illuminate dark corners. It ensures clear visibility even when these robots operate in poorly lit conditions. However, I found they still worked poorly in really dark areas.
Quick Rundown Of Roomba J8+
Quick Rundown Of Roomba J7+
- CLEANS WHEN AND WHERE YOU WANT– Only iRobot brings you Imprint Smart Mapping allowing you to control and schedule which rooms are cleaned and when, while storing multiple maps for easier cleaning on each level of your home.
- AVOIDS PET ACCIDENTS – WE GUARANTEE IT - IRobot brings you P.O.O.P. (Pet Owner Official Promise). You can rely on your Roomba j7+ to avoid pet waste, or we’ll replace it for free. Additional terms and conditions apply – see iRobot website for details.
- IT DOESN’T JUST LEARN YOUR HOME; IT REACTS TO IT IN REAL TIME. With PrecisionVision Navigation and a camera, your robot identifies and avoids obstacles of all sizes like pet waste, charging cords, socks and shoes to get the whole job done.
- MORE THOUGHTFUL THAN YOU THOUGHT - The Roomba j7+ takes vacuuming off your mind with personalized cleaning suggestions powered by the unique intelligence of IRobot OS. Learns your habits and your routines.
- POWERFUL PERFORMANCE. The 3-Stage Cleaning System packs 10x the Power-Lifting Suction, an Edge-Sweeping Brush gets along walls and corners, and Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes flex to adjust to different floor types. Compared to the Roomba 600 series.
Product Videos
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References:
- Roomba J8+: https://www.irobot.com/en_US/roomba_i8_plus/I855020.html
- Roomba J7+: https://www.irobot.com/en_US/roomba-j7plus-self-emptying-robot-vacuum/J755020.html
Richard B. Schmidt is a prominent figure in the vacuum cleaner industry, boasting over 15 years of expertise. Armed with a Robotics Engineering degree from Northeastern University and a Master’s in Consumer Science from Harvard, his unique blend of technical knowledge and consumer insights positions him as a sought-after authority in vacuum cleaner evaluation. Richard’s career began at Dyson, where he contributed to the development of innovative vacuum models. Transitioning to advocacy and reviews, he co-founded the first Vacuum-focused blog in 2008, offering comprehensive analysis and user guides for various vacuum cleaners. In 2020, he founded RoboMop.net, providing ongoing insights through columns and buyer’s guides.