iRobot Roomba i7+ UK Review (2024)

The "Plus" in the Roomba i7+ stands for the self-emptying dust bin ("Clean Base") that comes with it.

You have to dig quite deep into your pockets for the i7+ (incl. Clean Base).

But if you can do without the auto-empty dust bin, the price is much lower.

All other functions and features are identical.

So the key question is: is the Clean Base (automatic dirt disposal) worth the money?

We’ll get to the bottom of that in the following chapters.

Suction test on a hardwood floor

First, the iRobot Roomba i7 Plus had to deal with dirt on the laminate floor.

Test result for lentils (removed 43g of 50g | 86 %)

The iRobot Roomba i7 Plus did a great job removing the lentils.

It only left a few lentils in the corners that are difficult to access.

You can also find a few single lentils on the suction surface.

That’s because the fast-spinning side brush "flung" some light and grainy lentils across the room from time to time.

Test result for oat flakes (removed 45g of 50g | 90 %)

The Roomba i7 (+) also had no trouble with the grainy oat flakes.

The robotic vacuum cleaner reliably removes the dirt.

It left a few flakes in the hard-to-reach corners and single bits in the room, too.

Test result with sand (removed 47g of 50g | 94 %)

The heavy sand is usually very challenging for all robot vacuums.

But the Roomba i7 came out with flying colours and removed a whopping 94% of the sand on the laminate.

Check Amazon*

iRobot Roomba i7 on carpets – our review

The Roomba i7 Plus doesn’t have an automatic carpet detection function. Thus, it also doesn’t increase the suction power automatically when it drives on a carpet.

It still achieved excellent results in our suction test.

The two rubber rollers rotate in opposite directions so that they thoroughly brush through the carpet. It’ll look super clean after the vacuuming trip.

Suction test result on the low-pile carpet:

Suction test result on the high-pile carpet:

Higher carpets usually pose a threat to robot vacuums.

But not so with the Roomba i7 Plus.

The robotic vacuum cleaner hardly reached its limits with the lentils (short carpet: 94%, long carpet 98%).

It's a great result.

The robot vacuum also didn’t have any problems with the oat flakes.

It removed 96% of the dirt on both short and high carpet, which leaves nothing to be desired.

The heavy sand on the carpet is the biggest challenge for all robot vacuums.

The Roomba i7+ does a great job here, too, and removes 60% of the sand on the short carpet and 70% on the higher carpet.

The percentages may seem relatively low at first, but the result is excellent compared to other top models.

The heavy sand sinks deep into the carpet, which is why robot vacuums have a hard time removing it.

Plus, you have to keep in mind that our tests are extreme situations.

It’s doubtful that so much sand ends up on your carpet.

Your new household helper also vacuums the home much more frequently, which creates a permanent level of cleanliness.

The iRobot Roomba i7+’s cleaning performance is entirely sufficient for an average flat.

You will be thrilled!

Check Amazon*

Cleaning along skirting boards and in corners – our review

The robot vacuum did a great job cleaning along the skirtings and in corners.

However, the iRobot Roomba i7 obviously can’t achieve a perfect result in corners because of its round shape.

Since the Roomba i7+ probably cleans the home several times a week, dirt can hardly accumulate in the corners.

So it’s not a big deal.

iRobot Roomba i7 Plus vs. pet hair and human hair

Most robot vacuums have one combination brush made of bristles and lamellae.

The iRobot has two rubber rollers rotating in opposite directions ("dual brush system") instead.

Hardly any dirt gets caught in the brushes, thanks to brushes’ material and the opposite rotation.

You can remove the two brushes by a simple "click mechanism" if some dirt (especially pet and human hair) should ever wrap itself around the brushes.

Then you can easily “pull out” the hair.

That reduces maintenance to a minimum, making the iRobot Roomba i7+ particularly suitable for pet owners.

The Roomba i7 Plus has a 3300 mAh lithium-ion battery. With that, it can clean your home for about 75 minutes at a stretch and cover an area of about 100 m².

However, if the battery runs out during a cleaning session, that’s no problem either.

The robot vacuum remembers the exact spot where it has to interrupt its cleaning trip. The Roomba i7+ returns to this spot and continues cleaning ("Recharge & Resume") as soon as the battery is full.

The iRobot Home App is available for Android and iOS. (Wi-fi connection needed)

The iRobot app is another highlight of the Roomba i7 Plus. The app offers a lot of great features and is still super user-friendly.

Once the robot vacuum has created the map, you can use the numerous functions in the app.

You can edit the map however you like once it’s in the iRobot Roomba i7+ App. You can merge and separate rooms and also name the individual rooms.

You can also set up individualised cleaning schedules. For example, you can let the i7 Plus clean the kitchen and living room on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 9 a.m.

You can exclude specific areas from cleaning by setting up no-go zones.

The delivery scope also includes a “virtual wall barriers” for defining restricted areas. However, you don't need the virtual wall since you can set up no-go zones via the app.

Apart from that, you have the usual functions at your disposal:

• Language selection and voice output (You can select English, Germanand many other languages)
• Choose your region (UK)
• In "History", you can view the individual cleaning processes, including data, statistics, etc.
• In the "Maintenance" section, you can see when you have to replace individual spare parts (brushes, HEPA filters, etc.).

Check out our review of all the best Roomba models here.

iRobot has another unique feature to offer. And it’s one of a kind.

You can connect iRobot devices via the "Imprint Link Technology".

At the moment, you can connect the Roomba i7 (+) and the Braava Jet M6 robot mop.

If you have both devices in use, you can let the Braava Jet M6 mopping robot start its trip as soon as Roomba i7+ has finished vacuuming.

That’s another step towards fully automated cleaning.

We speak from our own experience here ?.

iRobot relies on continuity in design. The manufacturer also doesn’t have any reason why it should change anything.

The robot vacuum still has a round shape. The dimensions are: width: 34.2 cm (13.5 inches) x length: 34 cm (13.4 inches) x height 9.3 cm (3.6 inches) . It weighs 3.38 kg.

The Roomba i7+ is only available in the UK in one colour combination (black with grey accents).

A dark robotic vacuum cleaner may not fit into every flat in terms of colour.

You can operate the following touch screen buttons at the robot vacuum’s top: "Clean" (2) (start/stop cleaning process), "Home" (3) (return to charging station) and "Spot Clean" (1) (clean one precise spot).

There’s also a camera at the top that ensures excellent navigation.

Furthermore, the smart vacuum cleaner robot also has a convenient carrying handle (4), so you can easily carry it from floor to floor.

The dust container is not inside but at the back of the robot vacuum.

You can easily remove it by pressing a button.

The bottom side looks pretty much the same.

iRobot stands for premium quality. The Roomba i7+ is no exception.

The device has an excellent finish and looks very classy. The materials used seem to be of very high-quality.

Check Amazon*

Dimensions, design and weight of the charging dock (clean base)

One thing is for sure: The iRobot Roomba i7+ Clean Base is an absolute highlight.

It has a long power cable, including a cable management system, at the charging dock’s back.

The robot vacuum can charge whenever it docks at the Clean Base, which also automatically empties the mobile dust container.

The clean base has the following dimensions: height: 48 cm (18.9 inches) x depth: 15 cm (5.9 inches) x width: 18 cm (7 inches).

The clean base, including the automatic dirt disposal, is somewhat larger than a conventional charging dock.

However, the Clean Base looks very classy (like the robot itself) and is an absolute eye-catcher.