Recently, I’ve had a bit of a 'mare with my robot vacuum. I’ve been using the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus since I first reviewed it almost two years ago, and while it’s been a stellar sucker until the last few months, a litany of sudden issues has me wanting to try something new.
It’s not the first iRobot Roomba I’ve tried, and I doubt it’ll be the last, but given its lofty price, I’m pretty surprised by some of its issues. Despite my regular cleaning and maintenance, the mop function has stopped working almost entirely. Suddenly, the vacuum is rubbish at cleaning edges, and despite the really impressive navigation technology I observed during my test, my Combo J7 Plus somehow managed to gouge out a chunk of its camera lens during a cleaning job, meaning obstacle detection seems to be permanently marred.*
iRobot is facing increasingly intense competition in the robot vacuum space, and with news of its failed Amazon acquisition, there’s less and less room for Roomba to continue its decades-long market dominance.
That’s especially true now some of the big-name household appliance brands like Dyson and Samsung are jostling for their slice of the pie, and doing so with increasing promise (though the Dyson 360 Vis Nav failed to impress us). I had the chance to see Samsung’s new Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI robot vacuum in the flesh at its global Bespoke AI launch event, and I’m pretty excited by the promised improvements upon its predecessor.
A brief history
When Samsung announced its first Jet Bot AI+ robot vacuum at CES 2021, all eyes were on the tech giant, waiting in anticipation to see if it could sweep the market with its new tech.
Unfortunately, at least based on our Samsung Jet Bot AI+ review, the OG Jet Bot robot vacuum lagged behind the competition with some pretty fundamental issues. For one thing, it’s 3.9in / 13.7cm tall; compared to the best robot vacuums we’ve tested, which average around the 3.2in / 8.1cm mark, that makes the Jet Bot AI pretty chunky, which isn’t ideal for cleaning under furniture.
Then there was the slightly sloppy navigation and less-than-impressive edge cleaning, all of which amounted to a very expensive bot that didn’t quite warrant its lofty price tag, even with the armory of cool features Samsung built-in to the Jet Bot AI+.
Still, it was a decent attempt at re-entering the robotic cleaning market following a handful of earlier attempts that failed to fully take off (RIP Crubo and PowerBot), and the Jet Bot AI+ still managed to impress with its fantastic suction and ability to suck up debris many other robovacs would have simply brushed aside.
What’s new, pussy cat?
On the other hand, Samsung’s new Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI is poised to deliver a much better cleaning experience - and not just because it can mop, too.
First announced at CES 2024, the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI doesn’t only include returning features like the ability to spy on your pets, but it’s also seen some serious upgrades to both hardware and software.
Most noticeably, it’s a fair bit shorter than the original Jet Bot AI+. By my eye, it looks to be around the same height, if not slightly taller than my iRobot Roomba Combo J7+ at 3.4in / 8.6cm tall. While I do prefer even slimmer robot vacuums, even the extra clearance space compared to its predecessor makes the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI far superior.
Then there are the powerful spinning mop pads, which rotate at 170RPM to offer a thorough clean on even the toughest stains. Thanks to the vacuum’s ability to recognize floor types and adjust the cleaning patterns accordingly, the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI will automatically lift mop pads to avoid dampening carpets. The best part? The Clean Station will even steam, wash, and sanitize mop pads, neutralizing 99.9% of bacteria.
Speaking of the Clean Station, the Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI’s auto-emptying home base features 3-litre tanks for dirty and clean water in addition to a compartment for the dust bin, which Samsung says needs replacing on average every 2-3 months. That does mean it’s pretty enormous, which can be a real turn-off for some, but it’s the nature of combination robot vacuum and mops that feature mop pad cleaning.
On the software side, things are looking up, too. This clever cleaner leverages a database of 1.7 million images to bolster its deep AI neural network for features like obstacle detection.
Only time will tell…
I can’t speak to the performance of Samsung’s new Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI, having only seen it leave its base, pirouette, and return, but I’m certainly ready to try something new.
Samsung’s experience in home appliances combined with its software chops in theory makes for a strong contender, though I’ve no idea if the vacuum will outlast my presently-inept iRobot Roomba Combo J7+.
The Bespoke Jet Bot Combo AI is currently available for pre-order on Samsung’s US website, with a list price of $1,699, which is reduced by $300 as of writing, but we’ve not got pricing or release date details for the UK or Australia right now. The US pricing does, however, give us an indicator for price comparison; it’s $300 more than iRobot’s most recent combination cleaner, the Roomba J9+, which retails for $1,399.99 / £1,249 / AU$1,999 and $200 more than the vacuum-only Dyson Vis Nav, which costs $1,199.99 / £1,399.99 / AU$2,399.
*Editor's note: It's worth highlighting that the iRobot Roomba Combo J7+ has a two-year warranty, though that doesn't often apply to review samples like mine. I've used iRobot's troubleshooting facilities to attempt to resolve the mop pad issues, but not yet contacted customer services.
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