Best Roomba deal: Roomba Combo j5 hits new record-low of $249

SAVE 53%: As of Feb. 18, the Roomba Combo j5 is on sale for $249 at Amazon. That’s a $280.99 discount from its original $529.99.

If you’re on a tight budget or live in a tight space, one of the main calls to you’ll have to make during robot vacuum shopping is whether you care about automatic emptying. If you’re deciding to opt out, look no further than today’s deal on a multitalented Roomba.

As of Feb. 18, the Roomba Combo j5 is on sale for $249, down from $529.99, at Amazon. That’s 53% off, and the cheapest it’s ever been.

The Roomba Combo j5 is the cheapest Roomba with small obstacle avoidance technology: a camera system that can scope out and avoid items like cords and pet waste that more basic botvacs can’t even see (and will therefore run over). With that agility, plus the ability to remember a map of your home and clean specific rooms on command, there should be few opportunities for the Roomba Combo j5 to get lost and piss you off — a frequent experience you’d typically have to settle for when eyeing a robot vacuum in this price range.

For example, the Combo j5’s record-low $249 sale price is the regular asking price for the newest base tier Roomba, the Roomba Q0120 — which doesn’t mop, can’t map your home or clean specific rooms, and will definitely eat your phone charger. That model is currently on sale for $209.95, but spending an extra $40-ish for the smarts of the Roomba Combo j5 is almost comically worth it.

In terms of its actual cleaning performance, the Roomba Combo j5+ was pretty OK during the few months that I tested it in my apartment. Its four-stage suction system couldn’t exactly deep clean my rugs covered in cat hair, but it was definitely enough to keep up with daily crumbs and kitty litter.

It’s the same story with mopping: There’s not much actual scrubbing going on with this mopping pad, but it’s certainly nice to have on hand for spills in the kitchen or near the front door. The fact that mopping a specific room or spot on command is reason enough to make it the best mopping Roomba value in my eyes. Just remember to set a No Mop zone around your rugs, and click the water tank on and off depending on whether you need wet or dry cleaning that time.