iRobot’s Roomba j7 Plus, our favorite robot vacuum, has hit an all-time low

The Roomba j7 Plus offers everything you could want in a robovac, including an auto-empty dock. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The VergeThere’s a reason people still often refer to robot vacuums as “Roombas.” The company behind...

Aug 13, 2023 - 21:01

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iRobot’s Roomba j7 Plus, our favorite robot vacuum, has hit an all-time low

There’s a reason people still often refer to robot vacuums as “Roombas.” The company behind the well-known robovac series, iRobot, has spent decades iterating in the space, resulting in some of the best robot vacuums you can buy. The Roomba j7 Plus is a great example, one that’s on sale at Wellbots for Verge readers for $549 ($250 off) — its lowest price to date — with coupon code VERGE200.

While still pricey, the j7 Plus brings together a host of terrific features for under $550. Its dual rubber roller brush system is great at picking up dirt off your floor, while its intuitive AI obstacle avoidance ensures it will steer clear of cables, stray pairs of shoes, and even pet waste. It’s also known to receive new features — a recent update added Siri support, for instance, while another added the ability to use it as a security camera — which has only made it a better robovac since we first tested it last year.

Unlike the standard j7, the discounted “Plus” model on offer here comes with a slick auto-empty dock, which typically retailers for about $250 on its own and cuts down on unwanted maintenance. Wellbots is also heavily discounting the Roomba Combo j7 Plus using the same promo code, which drops the mop-equipped model down to $799 ($250 off).

The j7 Plus is good at avoiding obstacles, features good battery life, and includes an auto-emptying docking station. Best of all, it’s available at Wellbots until September 2nd (or while supplies last) for just $549 with offer code VERGE200.

The Combo j7 Plus is a minor upgrade to an already fantastic robovac, but it’s worth considering if you have hardwood floors. Now until September 2nd, Verge readers can grab it at Wellbots for $799 ($250 off) with promo code VERGE200.

While nothing has been confirmed (yet), Apple is widely expected to unveil its next set of smartwatches alongside the iPhone 15 next month — which is perhaps why we’re currently seeing some steep discounts on some last-gen models. Right now, for instance, you can pick up a 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 with LTE at Walmart for $299 ($100 off), one the best prices to date on the 41mm model with cellular connectivity.

As my colleague Victoria Song noted in her review of the Apple Watch Series 8, the latest model isn’t all that different from the last-gen Series 7. It touts Apple’s newer Crash Detection feature and temperature sensors for menstrual tracking, but, otherwise, the two are nearly identical. The Series 7 features roughly the same processing power, the same always-on display, and all of the same health-tracking features — not to mention forward compatibility with watchOS 10 when it launches in the fall.

In the end, you’re saving $130 by opting for the last-gen smartwatch over its newer counterpart, even with all the discounts the Series 8 is currently receiving at Amazon, Walmart, and other retailers.

The Apple Watch Series 7 sports a larger display than its predecessors and fast charging. It also comes in a range of colors with either GPS or GPS and LTE cellular connectivity.

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