Roomba i7+, the new Roomba robot vacuum cleaner that will make your life easier

The American iRobot has managed to position its Roomba robots as a benchmark in the market, and not by chance. Technology, quality and robustness are characteristics that have led to the brand's leadership throughout these years., and the new Roomba i7+ is a good example of this.

The competition is strong, and brands like Conga from Cecotec, Xiaomi or Deebot, for example, have achieved important market shares, offering robots with high performance, at reasonable prices.

In this context, The Roomba i7 Plus aims to stand out from other proposals, offering not only a set of advanced features.

Robot vacuum cleaners are triumphing in the market due to the comfort they provide when cleaning the home. In this sense, the biggest job they do is emptying the tank periodically.

And that is where the Roomba i7+ has differentiated itself from the competition.

Why does the tank have to be emptied daily or every few days? What if this task could be done much more spaced out over time, for example, every month?

Our assessment

The Roomba i7 Plus obtains a rating of 96 points out of 100. It is a modern and powerful robot, with an advanced navigation system and the latest technology incorporated by iRobot. in terms of dirt absorption.

In addition to all this, it has something that distinguishes it from the competition, and that is that it has a charging base in which the robot empties what it collects each day, so that it requires very little dedication.

While in other robots we have to empty the tank often, in the Roomba i7 Plus we only have to take care of this operation approximately once a month. (depending on the frequency of cleaning and the level of dirt in the home).

What is the difference between the Roomba i7+ and the Roomba i7

You may have heard of these two models. The difference between the Roomba i7+ and the Roomba i7 It is precisely that the first includes the Home Base (Dirt Disposal), that special charging base that will allow you to not have to take care of the robot more than once a month, or even less.

If you are not interested in having that functionality, but you do want the most modern device that iRobot offers you right now, you can purchase the Roomba i7, saving a lot of money (the difference between both devices can be around 300 euros).

It is possible to purchase the base separately later, although in this case, keep in mind that it may be more expensive than buying the i7 Plus directly.. That is, when in doubt, it is better to purchase the latter now (as an example, at the time of writing this article, the difference between buying the i7+ and purchasing the i7 and the base separately is around 150 euros.

Roomba i7+: What's in the box

Roomba i7+: Getting started

As usual, it is recommended to fully charge the robot before using it for the first time. The robot will come partially charged, but it will be necessary to leave it charging for about 3 hours, before putting it to work.

We will look for a clear place in which to place the Home Base, so that the robot can maneuver well to go to it, resting it on a wall. You must leave approximately 0,5 meters on each side, and 1,2 meters in front (if there are stairs, also leave this distance). These measurements are also valid in the case of buying the Roomba i7 outright, with the normal charging base.

When not cleaning, the robot will normally remain in its charging base, waiting (consumption is minimal). If it is not going to be used for a long period of time, it is best to turn it off (by pressing the Home button, which has a little house, for 10 seconds) and store it in a cool, dry place.

As is usual with Roomba, the i7 Plus has a large button on the top, which is used to start and pause the robot, as well as two buttons that allow you to activate the classic spot cleaning mode (with a crosshair). and send the robot to the charging base (with a little house).

However, the most comfortable and practical thing is to control the robot through the app, which will allow us to access many more features, so we will discuss how to configure it.

Do you want to know the new roomba s9+? Find out in our article:

Connection to Wi-Fi and installation of the app

Connecting the Roomba i7 and i7+ to Wi-Fi is very simple, and the app itself guides us. We start by downloading the application, compatible with iOS (10 or higher) and Android (5.0 and higher), on our phone.

Once the app is installed, we will have to create an account if we don't have one, and once done, we can click on "Add a robot", to which we can give a name. Next, we will look for the Wi-Fi network to connect, which in the case of the i series Roomba, unlike others, will be 5G (the process itself already indicates this). The network is chosen and its password is entered so that the robot can connect to it.

To link the robot, press the Home button and the Spot button for a few seconds at the same time, until it makes a sound, confirming that it has been done. Finally, on the phone, the network that begins with Roomba, iRobot, or similar will be chosen and marked. A message will appear indicating that the connection was successful.

Roomba i7 Plus vs Roomba 980

The Roomba i7 Plus shares some features with the Roomba 980, which for several years has been the brand's flagship, the robot with the most features. Besides, adds some aspects and improves others, to get an even rounder robot.

However, the fundamental difference lies in its famous charging base, which makes it a more autonomous robot.

The question that arose was the following: yes, robot vacuum cleaners are very comfortable and provide great help in the home, because they vacuum themselves, but they have to be emptied frequently. The solution to this problem comes from the Home Base, the new charging base for the Roomba i7 Plus.

Simplifying quite a bit, you could say that the decision between buying the new Roomba i7 Plus and the Roomba 980 will be made based on how much you hate emptying the dirt tank.

It is by no means the only difference between both robots, as we will see, but it is, without a doubt, the most relevant.

Also, depending on the prices that can be found (since now there are starting to be good offers for the 980, which until recently was around 1.000 euros), you can consider whether you prefer to purchase the Roomba 980 or the more modern Roomba i7 (without the Home Base).

Roomba i7+ operation

As is usual in the latest Roomba releases, To get the most out of the robot, you have to do it through the application.

Once the Wi-Fi connection is installed and configured, as explained above, we can begin to operate the robot comfortably from anywhere.

In addition to cleaning in automatic mode, the Roomba i7 Plus incorporates some aspects that differentiate it from the competition, such as the famous Dirt Detect, the brand's patented system through which the robot places more emphasis on those places where there is more dirt.

It is also remarkable its three-phase cleaning system, which helped in this case by the AeroForce brushes, manages to remove more dirt, achieving greater efficiency on all types of floors, both hard and carpets.

The i7+ includes the classic navigation and mapping system based on a camera that includes the robot on its top. This way, The robot captures images of the house and creates a map of the home (in the case of this robot, it is capable of saving up to 10 maps).

This is combined with vSLAM® technology, a cutting-edge technology also used in areas such as autonomous vehicles, which helps you build the map and estimate the best trajectories to navigate, depending on the different obstacles that may be encountered.

In this way, the Roomba i7 Plus moves agilely and efficiently, managing to cover 100% of the surface to be cleaned in less time.

The camera-based mapping system has a drawback compared to laser mapping, which other competing robots incorporate, and that is that it needs light to work..

It is not necessary that there be great brightness, but it cannot work in the dark. Even in this sense, iRobot recommends making the robot work at different times of the day, with different lighting conditions, so that the robot "practices" and better adapts to possible variations.

Once the home map is built, it is extremely easy to tell this robot which area or areas we want it to clean.

Thanks to its intelligent mapping technology, we can establish the areas of the house the way we want, assigning a name to each room; and in this way, we will send the robot to clean the room or room that we want, simply by marking them in the app.

Moreover, The robot includes a Virtual Wall Dual virtual wall, which serves to delimit areas where we do not want the robot to enter., and which includes two modes of operation: in wall mode, for example, to prevent it from entering a room, and in halo mode, which draws a semicircular area, so that the robot does not pass, for example, through the food area of pets.

As for cleaning carpets, although it does not have a specific mode that activates the Turbo when it detects one, as in the case of the Roomba 980, iRobot indicates that its high suction power does not make it necessary, doing a great job. on these types of surfaces.

The Home Base, the biggest difference from the Roomba i7+

Of course, The biggest differentiating factor of this robot is the Home Base, the integrated automatic emptying system, which allows the robot to empty the dirt it keeps in its tank every time it cleans.

In this way, we largely avoid the work involved in having to empty the robot's tank. The Home Base will suck its contents into bags that it includes, similar to those of a conventional vacuum cleaner, with a capacity for about 30 tanks.

When the Roomba i7+ is placed on the Home Base, a somewhat loud noise is heard for a short period of time. Dirt from the robot tank is sucked into the bag that is in the Home Base, and the robot is already with its tank empty, ready for another cleaning.

Therefore, We have approximately one month of autonomy, in which we will not even have to worry about emptying anything (It may even be more, depending on the dirt that can accumulate in our home, if there are pets, etc.).

In addition, The process of removing accumulated dirt is much cleaner and more hygienic, you simply have to open the Home Base and remove the corresponding bag, without having any contact with dust, which is of great interest for people with allergies or similar problems.

Compatible with voice commands

In addition to the great functionality provided by app management, the Roomba i7 Plus is compatible with voice assistants, like Google Home and Alexa. This is easily configured in the iRobot application itself, in the Smart Home section, and following the steps shown in the app itself.

Advantages of the Roomba i7+

Drawbacks

The biggest drawback of this robot is, without a doubt, its price, which is not suitable for all budgets. It is an excellent robot, which provides maximum comfort and hygiene when cleaning the home, but its i7+ version exceeds 800 euros, while the i7, without the Home Base, costs about 300 euros less (but loses part of the advantage that his older sister provides). To this we must add the cost of the bags, which can be around 4 euros per bag.

Opinions about the Roomba i7+

The robot cleans very well, iRobot has greatly improved the app and is now faster. I love rubber rollers. I haven't had to empty the bag yet in a month of cleaning.

Excellent, This robot is incredible, it vacuums everything in its path, navigates very fluidly and returns to its base without problems. On the rugs you can see how well he has done every square inch. It works with or without the app, but the app adds mapping and some other cool stuff.

It's a significant improvement over our previous Roomba. Is quieter, smarter and does a better job vacuuming.

Great solution for our house, we live in an area with a lot of dust, and this Roomba solves the problem to a large extent. I definitely recommend this product, it is easy to install and use..

At first I was against buying it, but now I don't regret it at all. It really saves me time, which I can use to do other things..

I love this robot, it's the best I've ever had. The automatic emptying container is priceless, it is really worth it.

Why buy a Roomba i7+

If you want to have one of the best robots on the market, with all the technology that the leading brand iRobot has, the Roomba i7 Plus is an excellent alternative.

If you want to have a unique robot on the market, capable of mapping the house and knowing each room in it, and that minimizes human intervention in the most difficult task for a robot vacuum cleaner, emptying the tank, the Roomba i7+ is the robot you need.

Other Roombas

If you want to see the characteristics of other Roomba, in case they suit your needs better, consult our comparison table:

Alternatives to the Roomba i7 Plus

There are already several alternatives to the Roomba i7+ in other brands, which offer an automatic emptying tank and laser navigation technology, at prices even lower than those of the protagonist of this analysis, so they are a interesting option for those looking to combine efficiency and comfort.

Roomba i7+: Image gallery

We visually show you the Roomba i7+, and some of the things it can do for you. Click on an image if you want to see it larger.