iRobot Roomba j7+ Self-Emptying Vacuum

Sometimes. In some homes it rarely gets trapped. In others it gets stuck, struggles to line up with the dock, or skips corners and cluttered spots around furniture. A tidy floor gives the j7+ its best chance of finishing a run without needing a rescue.

Very loud. The self-empty cycle is short, but it's loud enough that people leave the room or avoid running the j7+ near bedrooms at night. Scheduling it for when you're out sidesteps the problem entirely.

Yes, that's one of its strengths. It steers around cords, toys and pet bowls, and sends a photo of each obstacle to the app so you can mark it as temporary or set a no-go zone there. That makes the j7+ easier to run in a lived-in home.

Mostly. Self-emptying is the best part for most people. In one home with a dog and a cat, though, hair clogged the bin opening, so the j7+ kept returning to the base and the opening needed clearing by hand. Heavy shedders should check it now and then.

Well on both, pet hair included. Its dual rubber rollers are easy to clear of hair, and an edge-sweeping brush works along walls. The j7+ suits daily upkeep on hard floors and low-pile carpet, with deeper cleans left to a full-size vacuum.

For most people, yes: setting zones and schedules is simple. There's no resume button or manual drive mode, though, so steering the j7+ out of a tight spot means picking it up. Room targeting and on-demand runs are already in the app.