Your Roomba won’t be knocking down Christmas trees this year thanks to a new update

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If you’ve got one of the latest Roombas, iRobot has just released a new update that will come in clutch this holiday season. That’s because the j7 and j7 Plus robovacs can now dodge holiday trees, and also shoes and socks if they’re left out on the floor.

Yes, no more having to rescue a choking Roomba from the air-denying sock that fell out of the hamper, or one of your prized sneakers being dragged around after the laces tangle in the sweeping brush (just don’t ask us how we know about this one).

You’ll also get recommended cleaning zones around your festive tree, with a cleaning zone around the outside to sweep up those pesky pine needles, and a keep-out zone in the middle so it doesn’t bump the stand and topple the tree.

The holiday feature is the latest update to the Roomba’s navigation and control software, Genius Home Intelligence, which was released last year in August.

The other big thing to come in this update is Map Copy, which transfers the Smart Maps from your existing iRobot robovac to a new one, like if you upgrade with one of the huge deals that are on right now, or add a Braava robo mop to your existing setup.

Those deals include saving $315 on the Roomba j7 Plus and Braava jet m6 robo mop bundle, which is self-emptying and also gets the holiday update to keep your tree trimmed, and your socks unsullied; or $200 off the Roomba j7 Plus if you want it on its own.

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Editors’ Recommendations:

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• You can now use Siri Shortcuts on your Neato robovac

Just a heads up, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the sale. It’s one of the ways we keep the lights on here. Click here for more.

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.