My ‘godsend’ £749 self-emptying robot vacuum is scanning for £479 in insane Prime Day deal

A FEW months ago I started renovating my house, and have since become accustomed to the constant presence of builders, noise and dust.

However, just after the work started I was offered the opportunity to review the iRobot Roomba j5+, and I can testify that it’s been an absolute godsend in this trying time.

iRobot Roomba j5+ Robot Vacuum, £749 £479 from Amazon

I said as much in my iRobot Roomba J5+ robot vacuum review; it cleans hard-to-reach places, fits around my lifestyle, empties itself, and is a breeze to set up and use.

In fact, the only thing I didn’t like about it was its price tag.

As it comes with mapping, mopping and self-emptying functions, the j5+ isn’t cheap; if you pay the full price, you’ll be parting with £749. When I reviewed it, it was a whopping £899.

In my verdict, I wrote: “The price tag is still quite a big factor for me to overcome […] it’s such a lot of money to spend on a gadget.”

Thankfully, Amazon seems to have heard my prayers.

For its Prime Big Deal Days sale (a.k.a. Prime Day 2.0), the retailer has slashed a massive £270 off the j5+’s price tag, bringing it down to a much more palatable £479.

iRobot Roomba j5+ Robot Vacuum, £749 £479 from Amazon

That’s the joint-lowest price ever — it hasn’t been this cheap since Amazon’s last big sales event in July.

It’s one of several robot vacuum deals that Amazon has unveiled; the bells-and-whistles Roomba Combo 10 Max has been discounted by a massive £500, while the more budget Eufy X8 has had its already-affordable price cut by a third.

iRobot Roomba j5+ Robot Vacuum, £749 £479 from Amazon

While I found it hard to recommend the j5+ when you’d have to spend the better part of £1000 to get your hands on it, I’d happily recommend it at this price.

I’ve been constantly impressed by how hands-off it is; I come downstairs every morning to a clean floor, and it’s made light work of the aforementioned construction dust. I’d go as far as to say that it handles dust better than my Dyson stick vacuum.

I also dogsit twice per week, and luckily the j5+ is designed with pets in mind; it easily picks up dirt and hair while — crucially — avoiding any pet mess. My mum laughed at her when I told her about this function, and then 2 weeks later had an unfortunate incident where her robot vacuum tracked dog poo all through the house. Awkward.

Admittedly the dogs themselves weren’t a big fan of it initially, but then again, I wasn’t either; it does take some getting used to, and there was a two-week teething period while I figured out how best to fit it around my lifestyle.

iRobot Roomba j5+ Robot Vacuum, £749 £479 from Amazon

I now get it to vacuum three times per week, and it gets its chores done before I even get up in the morning, meaning that it barely impacts my life.

My favourite thing about it is the self-emptying function; I didn’t have to empty the bin for around two months – and that’s with a house full of dust.

The biggest compliment I can give the j5+ is that it keeps my house clean and dust-free, and I barely even notice its presence.

For under £500, it’s hard to say no to that.

You can check out more Amazon Prime Day deals in our roundup.