iRobot’s Roomba j7 Plus and its auto-empty base. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Let’s get down to the dirty business of things and keep it professional. Here’s a deal on a robot vacuum that detects doo-doo.
The iRobot Roomba j7 Plus is one of the newest models from the most recognizable brand in the robot vacuum world. It’s currently on sale for $599 ($250 off) at Best Buy, Amazon, and Wellbots. This one has the kinds of fancy features you may come to expect from a fairly expensive robo-vac, like room mapping with keep-out zones, spot cleaning, and automatic bin-emptying. It also has an ace up its sleeve: the ability to detect pet waste and (ideally) not run over it.
Our resident smart home expert and reviewer, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, recently tested the Roomba J7 Plus against the Samsung Jet Bot AI Plus, and the Roomba scored higher with its better price-to-performance value compared to the pricier Samsung model. Though it did run over the fake poop she laid out for it one time out of the dozen tests she ran — so just like with actual pets, accidents happen. Though if it does make a smeary mess of fecal matter on your floor in the first year of ownership, then iRobot will replace the vacuum.
All right now, let’s not be party-poopers for this entire post. The JBL Charge 5 is a Bluetooth speaker that gets loud, can go anywhere, and can keep your phone juiced up while you’re vibing to tunes. Woot has it for $149.99 in black, teal, red, and green color options. That’s about $30 off the usual new cost, and it’s the best price around right now. We have not tested this exact model yet, but the JBL Charge line has found its way into The Verge’s list of best Bluetooth speakers in the past. The Charge 5 ups the waterproofing and dustproofing with an IP67 rating, so it is perfect for socially distant outdoor events. You’ll be prepared for the summer beaches already, and it’s only January.
Keyboards are a very personal thing, and I’m about to get a little personal with a somewhat spicy take: full-size mechanical keyboards from the big accessory brands like Razer and Corsair are usually overpriced for what you get. Since they’re marketed to gamers, these companies know that, generally speaking, they’re often willing to spend extra on extravagant features, like RGB lighting (hey, I’m guilty of it on occasion, too, so I’m also putting myself on blast).
And yet, here’s a good Logitech mechanical keyboard that seems to be priced just right for what it offers. Its G413 in silver is just $49.99 ($20 off) at Best Buy. It uses Logitech’s own Romer-G tactile mechanical switches. While it lacks RGB lighting, its white key backlighting is more than serviceable, and the subdued look lends it the ability to blend in at an office or just about anywhere.
Remember when I said let’s not be suckers for superfluous things like colorful lights? Yeah, hold that thought while we get nerdy about some colorful smart lights because Nanoleaf is running a big sale on its original light panels that are being phased out.
The Nanoleaf Light Panels Rhythm 30-pack smarter kit is about $260 off, knocking the price down to $419.99 from its original $679.97. Yes, that’s a lot of money for lighting, but 30 panels is enough to make some really unique designs on your wall and really light up a small space. Nanoleaf has some other kits of light panels and accessories for up to 50 percent off, and while these models are being discontinued, the company is promising to maintain their current functionality in its app.
Some other deals that don’t stink:
Anker’s handy dual-port USB-C 40W 521 Charger is 15 percent off on Amazon when you click the on-page coupon, bringing it down to $30.59.
While not its best price, the Sony 75-inch X85J LED 4K UHD TV is $1,299.99 ($300 off) at Best Buy. Notably, it supports a native 120Hz refresh rate, a feature you don’t typically see on TVs this big for this low of a price.
Need a microSD card for a Switch, phone or some other device? The SanDisk 400GB Ultra microSDXC is $43.49 on Amazon, only about $5 away from its all-time lowest price we saw during the holidays.
Razer’s Battle Bundle consists of its BlackShark V2 X headset, DeathAdder V2 mouse, and Gigantus V2 M mouse pad, and Best Buy has it for $69.99 ($80 off). That’s a nice value if you need both a mouse and headset and prefer wired over wireless.