Best early Black Friday Roomba deals: 45% off the Combo j5+

A quick look at the best Roomba deals before Black Friday

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So many robot vacuums go on sale for Black Friday that decision fatigue is imminent — unless you’re specifically set on a Roomba, that is.

Roombas do tend to run slightly more expensive than competitors with the same features, so November is a wise time to buy one — Black Friday has been known to trigger new record-breaking discounts on several Roomba models. In terms of where that happens, Amazon is the best place to find a Roomba on sale despite the flop of the acquisition of iRobot by Amazon (though iRobot’s own website has good options, too). Because iRobot doesn’t debut new models for the year at CES in January like many other big robot vacuum brands do, you can also be confident that the Roombas on sale during Black Friday won’t be phased out in a month or two.

But wouldn’t it be nice to get this Roomba in your home sooner to prepare for Thanksgiving guests or take care of the dust from the boxes of holiday decor? Several Roombas are already on sale weeks ahead of actual Black Friday on Nov. 29, including the hidden gem sitting at nearly 50% off that we’ve highlighted below.

This story will be updated any time a new noteworthy Roomba deal drops between now and Black Friday, so if you’re still waiting for a certain model to go on sale, check back often. Not sure which Roomba model is best? Check out my guide that unpacks the differences between the main Roombas.

Best Roomba deal pre-Black Friday

Why we like it

Being offered almost 50% off the Roomba Combo j5+ weeks before Black Friday is a treat on its own, but the deal is sweetened considerably when put next to the current deal on the less-smart Roomba Combo i5+.

So for $100 less than the $499.99 Combo i5+ — let that sink in — the Combo j5+ brings home my favorite Roomba feature, one that lead me to crown the Combo j5+ as the best mopping Roomba value: iRobot’s obstacle avoidance tech that keeps the vacuum from trying to suck up phone chargers or pet waste. I first experienced small obstacle avoidance when testing the Combo j7+, and it’s easily the feature I prioritize most in robot vacuums now. If your previous complaint about robot vacuums was that you had to tidy up so that they wouldn’t get stuck while cleaning, this will change the game.

Note that both the Combo j5 and i5 require you to be home to manually click the water tank on, and both can map your home and avoid (or tackle) carpeted rooms on command.

Other Roomba deals at Amazon

Other Roomba deals at iRobot.com