I usually avoid robot vacuums, but this record-low price on an iRobot makes me rethink my life choices

This record-low price makes me want to tap buy

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Black Friday dealsare getting hotter as we move closer to the date, and while the discounts on thebest Roomba Black Friday dealsaren’t as good right now as they were last week, some of the models are still at their record-low prices.

Take the iRobot Roomba Combo j5, for example. This robot vacuum and mop combo is on fire right now, hitting a new record low onAmazonin the US. Currently42% off, it’s almost half its retail price, which is a lot considering that it typically costs around $600.

This early Black Friday discount puts this mid-range model right in the budget sphere, making it accessible to thrifty consumers who don’t necessarily want to commit to an expensive model. It’s one of thebest robot vacuumsfor robot vacuum newbies.

If you want more options on robot vacuums, you should also check out thebest robot vacuum Black Friday dealsas brands likeShark, eufy, and roborock are also offering early Black Friday discounts as well.

iRobot Roomba Combo j5 - new record-low price

iRobot Roomba Combo j5:was $600now $349 at Amazon42% off- One of iRobot’s more affordable robot vacuum and mop combos is at itslowest price everright now at Amazon with this whopping 42% discount. This highly-rated robot vac sweeps and mops your floors at the same time, making it a fantastic value investment. It even has advanced features like mapping and obstacle avoidance.

If you know me, you know that I’ve been trying to steer clear of robot vacuums. It’s not a weird quirk or me being a troll who’s already formed strong opinions about something without ever trying it.

On the contrary, I have owned and tested more than my share of robot vacuums from different brands since the early days of iRobot. And, if I’m being perfectly honest, my experience with any of the ones I’ve owned has never really been as great as with thecordless vacuums- whether it’s because they don’t clean my floors to my satisfaction or they have issues with their mapping technology.

After chatting with a friend last weekend about them, however, my strong feelings about robot vacuums are starting to thaw. Especially during this busy time of the year when I’ve found it difficult to vacuum my apartment every day. I have two cats; so it’s an absolute necessity to do so. Robot vacuums have their uses.

They might not be able to clean as well as I would, but they can keep my apartment as clean as they can until I get around to vacuuming myself. And, because this particular model can mop and vacuum at the same time, it helps deep clean it a little so I don’t have to look at dirt stains on the floor or be afraid of walking barefoot.

The best part is that I don’t even have to lift a finger. I can just ask Alexa to tell it to start cleaning as needed as well as set a routine so it automatically does it as scheduled.

The fact that this near-50% discount makes the iRobot Roomba Combo j5 affordable is just cherry on top.

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Michelle Rae Uy is the former Computing Reviews and Buying Guides Editor at TechRadar. She’s a Los Angeles-based tech, travel and lifestyle writer covering a wide range of topics, from computing to the latest in green commutes to the best hiking trails. She’s an ambivert who enjoys communing with nature and traveling for months at a time just as much as watching movies and playing sim games at home. That also means that she has a lot more avenues to explore in terms of understanding how tech can improve the different aspects of our lives.

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