Roomba j7+ vs j8+: Is There Even a Difference?

In a nutshell, what are the differences between the Roomba j7+ and the Roomba j8+?

• The j8+ has a larger battery than the j7+.
• The j8+ comes with extra disposal bags and filters.
• The Roomba j8+ is a Costco exclusive.

The j7 is the same as the j7+, just without the auto-emptying bin included. There doesn’t appear to be a j8 for sale as of now, only the j8+.

Difference 1: The Roomba j8+ has a bigger battery than the j7+.

The j7+ and the j8+ are near-identical robot vacuums, but the biggest difference between the two is that the j8+ has a longer battery life than the j7+.

The j7+ can clean your home for more or less 85 minutes without having to recharge. In contrast, the j8+ can clean for up to 120 minutes.

The longer runtime is of course nicer if you have a big house, but with recharge and resume on all modern Roombas, battery life is not as big an issue. Go with whichever model is cheaper at the moment.

See Roomba j7+ on Amazon

Or click here to see the Roomba j7 on Amazon.

Difference 2: The j8+ comes with extra accessories and is only sold at Costco.

The j8+ comes with more accessories than the j7+. The j7+ comes with 2 dirt disposal bags, an extra filter, and an extra corner brush. The j8+ comes with 2 more dirt disposal bags and one more filter.

The j8+ is a Costco-specific model. The j7+ is widely available at most major retailers.

That’s all for the differences. Read on to find out what they have in common.

See Roomba j8+ on Costco

Similarities between the Roomba j7+ and the Roomba j8+

Similarity 1: Both the j7+ and j8+ can recognize and avoid pet waste.

The j7+ and the j8+ both have front-facing cameras that allow them to recognize a wide variety of objects. These include shoes, shoelaces, toys, cables, and more.

Both robot vacuums can also reliably avoid pet waste. Even if it’s a remote possibility, it’s nice to know that the j7+ and the j8+ are able to avoid driving straight into pet waste and making a bigger mess of things.

The system gets smarter over time, texting you pictures of what it encounters to ask you what it should do when it comes across this object again. iRobot also regularly updates its database so their robot vacuums can recognize more objects in the future.

This means that you won’t have to declutter your floors before every cleaning session. You also won’t have to worry if your pet leaves an accidental present on the floor for you.

Similarity 2: Both models come with an auto-empty base.

The iRobot Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal is where your robot vacuum returns to recharge as well as automatically empty its dustbin.

Without the Clean Base, you’ll have to empty your robot vacuum’s dustbin manually after each cleaning session.

Though the process is simple enough, if you’re busy and you’re often not at home, you might not always be around to empty the dustbin.

The Clean Base takes care of this for you. It will suction everything out of the docked Roomba’s dustbin into its own onboard waste bag.

You’ll need to empty the waste bag manually when it eventually gets full, but each bag should last you up to 2 months or so.

Similarity 3: The app enables “keep out zones” and other helpful cleaning features.

The iRobot app allows you to have a lot of control over your robot vacuum. Not only will you be able to start and stop cleaning sessions remotely, but you’ll also be able to create cleaning schedules, set up spot cleaning, and more.

You’ll also be able to access your saved maps through the app. You can then use the maps to draw keep out zones on areas in your home that you want your robot vacuum to avoid. Aside from keep out zones, you can also draw clean zones to indicate areas that you want your robot vacuum to focus on.

Additionally, you can use the maps to select individual rooms that you want your robot vacuum to clean without having to start an entire cleaning session.

Aside from the app, you can also use voice commands to start and stop cleaning sessions. The j7+ and j8+ are compatible with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and Siri.

Similarity 4: Both models can save up to 10 maps.

You can set the j7+ and the j8+ on their initial mapping runs so they can learn the layout of your home. This can take a few hours, but once the mapping run is complete, both robot vacuums will be able to create maps of your home. If your home has multiple floor levels, they’ll be able to create maps for each one.

You can then save up to 10 of these maps under custom labels so you can more easily keep track of them. These saved maps are instrumental in helping you create custom cleaning schedules and routines, and you can also use them for things like spot cleaning and selective cleaning.

Similarity 5: Both models move in straight lines across a room.

Instead of bouncing around randomly, the j7+ and j8+ move in logical routes around your house, making sure not to skip over any areas.

The spinning side brush allows the Roomba to reach into corners that the round edge of the robot vacuums won’t be able to fit into.

They also clean along the edges of the room and around the legs of chairs and tables.

Similarity 6: Both models use a dual brush system.

Both of the main brushes are made of silicone and are bristle-free, making them easier to maintain. With traditional bristled rollers, hair gets stuck easily.

With the j7+ and j8+, hair rarely gets stuck on the rollers. When hair does get stuck, it’s very easy to remove.

It’s very easy to open the compartment to the rolling brushes and pull out any stuck hair, making maintenance a breeze.

Another advantage of the dual brush design is a more effective clean. One of the brushes is designed to loosen up dirt from various surfaces, and the second brush will then sweep the dirt up into the vacuum’s intake.

This dual brush system makes the j7+ and j8+ especially effective on carpeted floors because they can more easily remove dirt from carpet fibers.

FAQs

Is there a Roomba j8?

There is currently no Roomba j8 for sale, only the Roomba j8+. The Roomba j8+ is mostly identical to the Roomba j7+, but it has a larger battery and can clean your home for a longer period than the j7+. It’s only available at Costco.

What model is the Costco Roomba?

The Roomba i4+, i8+, and j8+ are Costco-exclusive Roomba models. You’ll be able to purchase these robot vacuum models if you’re a Costco member.

Does the Roomba j7+ work on carpets?

Yes. The j7+ has two main brushes, one of which is meant to loosen up dirt from carpet fibers. Because of this and its considerable suction power, the j7+ can clean carpets quite effectively.

How often do you need to empty the Roomba j7+?

The robot vacuum’s dustbin can fill up quite quickly, depending on how much ground the vacuum has covered. You might have to empty the dustbin after every cleaning session. However, the j7+’s Clean Base has an onboard waste bag that will only need to be emptied around every 2 months.

Can the Roomba j7+ work without wifi?

Yes. You can turn the robot vacuum on and start and stop cleaning sessions by using its buttons. However, you won’t be able to use the iRobot app and you won’t be able to use voice commands without wifi.

So, Which One Should You Choose?

The Roomba j7+ and j8+ are essentially the same vacuum, with the main difference being that the j8+ has a bigger battery.

This is not that big of a deal because recharge and resume is available on both models. It’s also not a big deal if your house isn’t too big.

If you have a large house, get the j8+.

See Roomba j8+ on Costco

Otherwise, the choice comes down to price. Pick up whichever one you can get for cheaper!

See Roomba j7+ on Amazon

Or click here to see the Roomba j7 on Amazon.