Roomba vacuums can now clean around Christmas trees and stray shoes

The holidays can be messy, but iRobot is betting its robot vacuums will make the cleanup somewhat bearable. It's updating the Roomba J7 and J7+ with the ability to recommend a Christmas tree zone through the iRobot Home app. Accept the suggestion and your bot should clean the pine needle carnage without touching the tree skirt or presents.

The upgrade might also be helpful if you're having guests over for the holidays. The J7 and J7+ can now detect loose shoes and socks. Your relatives won't find their footwear damaged or relocated if it wasn't sitting in a 'safe' area. This might help if your laundry doesn't always stay put in the basket or hamper.

And yes, there's an improvement if you're buying a Roomba (currently on sale, we'd add) or as a gift. All iRobot devices with Smart Mapping support, including Braava mops, can finally transfer existing maps to other compatible models. This will mainly be useful if you're either upgrading a not-too-old robot or buying a second model to complement the first, but it should save your robovac from having to re-learn a floor.

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