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Roomba vacuum mop has been on a roll lately improving automation in their range of robotic home helpers.
Last year, they launched the Roomba i7+ with automatic bin disposal. If you have an i7+ robot vacuum, you no longer have to empty the bin after every vacuuming session.
This year they launched several three more robotic cleaners in the US –two robot vacuums (the S9 and S9+) and one robot mop (the Braava jet® m6).
These also came with a new automated feature. The mop and the robot vacuums can work together to vacuum and mop your home.
When the robot vacuum finishes vacuuming, it signals the M6 to begin mopping. You don’t have to launch each separately.
If you’d already bought the iRobot i7+, you could still take advantage of this technology, which iRobot calls Imprint™ Link. The Braava Jet M6 is compatible with both the S series and last year’s I Series robot vacuums.
If you have an older Roomba model, we recommend upgrading straight to the premium S9 or S9+. It has a couple of improvements over the i7 and i7+robot vacuums.
About the Roomba S Series
Similar to the I Series, iRobot releases to versions of the s series: the s9 and the s9+. The only difference is that the s9+has automatic dirt disposal while the s9 doesn’t have it.
If you don’t mind emptying the bin yourself, you can save around $300 by opting for the base s9 model.
One of the most significant changes iRobot made was adopting the D-shape that is more common with Neato robot vacuums.
The new shape allows the s series robot vacuums to clean corners and edges more thoroughly. The wide brushes can get up against the wall where the previous round Roomba’s couldn’t reach.
The new s9 robot vacuum also comes with added suction power (40 times that of Roombas in the 600 series), an improved edge sweeping brush and a more effective filtration system that captures 99% of allergens.
The s9 and s9+ come with the same mapping capabilities we saw in the i7 and i7+ robot vacuums.
The robot creates an intelligent map as it cleans, which you can access on the app.
You can label different rooms and send the robot to clean a specific place.
The only thing you cannot do is set virtual boundaries or no-go zones on the app, a limitation I was hoping the s9 would solve. You still have to rely on Roomba’s dual-mode virtual wall.
About the Braava Jet M6
The Braava Jet m6 was iRobot’s first refresh of its robotic mops lineup in a long while. The m6 comes with a slate of new automation and connection upgrades from the Braava 380t and Braava jet 240.
It is WiFi-connected, meaning you can control and monitor it remotely via the iRobot smartphone app.
It can also map your home, recharge, and resume and is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant.
The Braava jet m6 does a great job cleaning your hardwood floors thanks to features like precision jet spray, smart navigation, dry and wet mop modes, and enhanced edge-cleaning design.
The biggest improvement to the m6 is its ability to communicate wirelessly with the Roomba s9/s9+ and i7/i7+.
How Braava and Roomba Work Together
Other than the initial setup of individual robots, you don’t need to do anything to get the Braava and Roomba to link up.
To get the duo to work in tandem, use the iRobot Home app.
There, you can select which rooms you want the Roomba to vacuum and which ones you want the Braava to mop.
You can also use a voice command like, “Alexa, ask Roomba to vacuum the living room and Braava to mop the bedroom.”
Roomba will be the first one to go. Once it mops up the selected rooms, it automatically returns to dock and sends a signal to the Braava mop.
The m6 will then start mopping the rooms you selected.
The main limitation of this new feature is that you cannot schedule it. You cannot set the Roomba and Braava to clean the floors together at a specific time.
But this is not a big deal since you can command them to start cleaning wherever you are with the iRobot Home app.
Price
Already, the s9 robot vacuum is pricey on its own. Add the $500 Braava Jet m6 to cart, and your total comes to $1,500 or more if you opt for the s9+.
Luckily, prices for new Roomba models tend to come down after a while. But that would mean waiting for months or even a year to enjoy a better bargain.
