Roomba J5 vs i5: How They Stack Up Against Each Other

The Combo J5 is identical to all other Roombas except the S9, which is D-shaped, while the J5 is round-shaped.

The compact and low-profile design enables it to maneuver through tight spaces and slide under low-clearance furniture such as sofas, where most dirt accumulates, and my cat hides to groom, leaving lots of hair.

The build quality is exceptional and will easily withstand the common falls when moving it from one floor to another or when your cat suddenly attacks like my Maine Coone does. Regarding the finish, it’s black/silver and sleek.

The Roomba J5 is a great deal if you want to save on the costs of buying a Braava M6 robot mop or a separate cleaner for washing, as it’s a vac and mop combo – talk of killing two birds with one stone.

Besides 2-in-1 cleaning, it’s a multisurface cleaner designed for homes with both hard floors and carpets. I like the fact that it doesn’t wet rugs, something many robot vac and wash combos do.

In my week-long test, the robot also managed to tackle the stubborn long hairs of my Afghan Hound without a problem and wiped paw marks.

The J5 maintains the 3-stage cleaning system used by previous models, where it agitates, lifts, and sucks dirt into the bin. To facilitate suctioning, iRobot equipped the J5 with a 2nd Gen motor that averages 850-900Pa.

It might not be the most powerful model I have reviewed, but the suction is enough to pick up fine and large debris as well.

Unfortunately, there was no way I could adjust suction manually, and besides, there is no Carpet Boost.

Roomba J5 Combo comes with a basic mopping system. I found it a bummer having to swap the standard bin for the Interchangeable Combo Bin when mopping.

I’m used to robot vacuums that have all vacuuming and mopping components in one unit, for example, the Roomba J7 and J9, which don’t need any swapping. The tank is big enough but doesn’t have any innovation for precise water dispensation.

The microfiber mopping pad attached under the Combo Bin was gentle on my hardwood floor and left no messes around, not even streaks.

Among the outstanding features of the Roomba J5 is PrecisionVision, which gives the robot better obstacle detection. It leverages a sophisticated system of algorithms that enable the robot to detect over 40 common household obstacles.

I tried this in my tests, and I was amazed it detected belts, power cords, headphones, chargers, socks, and pet toys with high accuracy. iRobot says it can also detect dog poop, but this isn’t something I was ready for.

The J5 managed to find its way around my house without many problems, avoiding obstacles and changing direction immediately courtesy of Reactive 3D Obstacle Detection.

iRobot has been an industry leader in matters of mapping and continues to shine, with the Roomba J5 boasting the company’s latest features.

By deploying Imprint Smart Mapping, it creates and saves up to 10 maps, making it superb for homes with more than one level. The map it generates is hyperaccurate and is the reason it leaves no spot untouched and cleans pretty fast.

You also get access to all smart mapping features so you can clean by room, clean specific spots, set boundaries, and set zones that don’t require mopping.

The Combo J5+ will vacuum, mop, and even freshen up your ambiance.

Even though I have my Coway Airmega AP-1512HH Mighty air purifier, I still noted some differences, especially with pet-related dander. Under the hood, it packs a high-efficiency filter that captures 99.97% of allergens such as dust mites and pollen.

If you are the type that will immediately start sneezing after you come under allergens, it’s a superb choice.

Gone are the days when you had to empty your Roomba after every cleaning session. The J5+ supports automatic self-emptying. It has a large capacity onboard bin, together with a full bin indicator.

However, the Plus model comes with a multifunctional dock with a disposable dust bag and a mechanism that sucks dirt from the onboard bin into the bag. It’s fantastic that the bin can hold dirt for up to 60 days, so you have more time to focus on other chores.

Sweeping, agitation, and dirt lift-up are core to the functioning of a robot vacuum. Roomba has a robust brush system specialized to make all these possible.

The primary brush consists of two brushes – one for loosening dirt and the other for lifting. It’s effective in eliminating embedded dirt and will pick up even those long hair strands without getting jammed.

The main brush is complemented by a side brush, which sweeps the wall edges and baseboards effectively but isn’t practical for the deep corners, as iRobot says.

These days, the runtime of robot vacuums isn’t so crucial as most, including the Roomba J5 Combo, come with the auto-recharge and resume function.

Unlike old models, the J5 will recharge and, after getting juiced up, complete the cleaning task from where it left off. Under the hood, it packs a 2210mAh i8 Denali battery that offers around 90 minutes of runtime.

This is the smart home era, so iRobot made sure that the Combo J5 is smart home-ready courtesy of 2.4GHz WiFi compatibility and iRobot OS.

It works with the iRobot Home app (iOS and Android), meaning you get access to the full controls remotely as long as you are connected to WiFi.

For example, you can set cleaning schedules, set zones, set cleaning preferences, customize cleaning, check cleaning locations, plus a lot more. You basically have the full remote controller of the robot.

Interestingly, you can use voice control by hooking up Alexa or any other voice assistant.

As is Roomba’s tradition, the J5 is covered by a one-year warranty, so in case of a manufacturing defect within the first year of purchase, talk to iRobot for repair or replacement. You can get help via live chat and telephone.

You could even check out troubleshooting guides and tutorials. Roomba parts and supplies are available on Amazon and other outlets. But as I have always reiterated, Amazon has the best deals, plus variety.

The Roomba j5 package I received from Amazon had the following items: