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iRobot Roomba s9 (9150) Robot Vacuum Review

Corners caked with dirt, movement with no direction, entire rooms with dirty floors by the day’s end – These are common complaints among robotic vacuum owners. iRobot aims to solve these problems with the Roomba s9 (9150) Robot Vacuum, which is arguably the cleverest Roomba to date.

iRobot Roomba s9 (9150) Robot Vacuum Review


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For the self-cleaning charging dock version, please check our iRobot Roomba s9+ (9550) Robot Vacuum Review

The stunning D-shaped robot is equipped with a corner brush, allowing it to reach edges traditional round robot vacuums can’t. Control is at your fingertips with a smartphone app that provides a customizable map and other high-end features. You can even guide the s9 to the room of your choice by the sound of your voice.

Wherever it goes, an array of sensors will keep it safe and on course. The inclusion of two brushrolls and automatic variable suction mean the robotic vacuum can clean any type of flooring you’ve got. The high-efficiency filter and dirt bin are top-loading, and the auto-resume function keeps the Roomba s9 going until the job is done.

iRobot Roomba s9 (9150) Robot Vacuum

iRobot Roomba S9 Specs
Suction Power 2200 Pa
Сleaning Area 2153 ft2
Dust Container400 ml
Battery Capacity 3300 mAh
Run-time 120 min
Charging Time 240 min
Noise65 db
Weight 7.43 lbs
Width 13.34 in
Height 3.63 in
ReleaseMay, 2019
PriceClick here


Sophisticated Appearance

Our eyes first landed on the shiny copper center on top of the Roomba s9. The contrast of the metallic and black finish dazzles the eye. However, it’s more than just an aesthetically pleasing accent; the copper center is actually a lid that houses the dirt bin. The lid is encircled by a motion light ring that communicates the current operating status.

The D shape of the robot is a departure from the typical round robotic vacuum. It’s the shape of the s9 that gives it corner-cleaning prowess. The straight edge of the robot vacuum is protected by a bumper. At 3.5 inches, it’s a little taller than some of the slim models on the market. Spot-clean, dock and start buttons offer limited onboard control.

Comparison Article: iRobot Roomba s9+ Vs. iRobot Roomba i7+ (7550) Robot Vacuums

Corner Cleaning

iRobot incorporated its proprietary PerfectEdge system into the Roomba s9. Along with intelligent sensors, PerfectEdge consists of one spinning brush positioned on the corner of the robot. The brush sits at a 27-degree angle to maximize its reach. Instead of the typical three-blade brush, the s9’s brush features five wispy propellers that pull dirt from corners of wall edges.

iRobot Roomba s9

iRobot Roomba S9 Cleaning
Suction Power 2200 Pa
Сleaning Area 2153 ft2
Dust Container400 ml
Auto Dirt Disposal no
Wet Mopping no
Barrier-cross Height 0.79 in
HEPA Filtration yes
Washable Filter no


Smartphone and Voice Control

Even though the s9 does not come with an infrared remote, you get amazing functionality with the iRobot HOME app. Compatible with Androids and iPhones, the smartphone app provides maintenance alerts, an event history, day/time scheduling and cleaning options such as the number of passes and a final edge clean.

Once the s9 has the opportunity to make a few rounds through your house, an interactive map becomes available on the app’s interface. You can touch the map to label, split and combine rooms. There is even an option to schedule cleaning sessions by room.

The s9 also works with Alexa and Assistant. Voice control is not a new feature for robotic vacuums, but the commands for the s9 go beyond start, stop and dock. You can direct the Roomba to clean any room of your choice by speaking the room’s name.

iRobot Roomba s9Robot Vacuum

Imprint Smart Mapping

To learn the layout of your home and adapt to its dynamic environment, the Roomba s9 uses Imprint Smart Mapping. It’s this technology that creates the map you can customize via the smartphone app. To assist with map drawing, iRobot included a vSLAM optical sensor, which gathers over 200,000 data points per second.

After a map is made, you can test the route by sending the s9 on a training run. During the run, it will simply move along its plotted course without applying suction or brushroll power.

3D Navigation

This robot vacuum is certainly not one that will constantly bump into objects and make nonsensical movements. The s9’s is equipped with a 3D sensor to help it navigate. The sensor projects light patterns onto objects to determine whether there is an obstacle in its path, and it makes 25 of these determinations every second.

On the robot, there are four cliff sensors, so you can let the s9 run without worrying that it will tumble down the stairs. A pair of treaded wheels provides excellent traction to any surface. If you have one of iRobot’s dual-mode virtual walls, you can use it with the Roomba s9.

iRobot Roomba S9 Control
Scheduling yes
IR Remote Control no
App yes
Wi-Fi Frequency Bands 2.4 / 5 GHz
Amazon Alexayes
Google Assistantyes
Virtual Walls yes


Roomba s9 Robot Vacuum

Multi-Surface Brushrolls

To deeply clean hard floors and carpets alike, the Roomba s9 is affixed with two different brushrolls. Both rolling brushes are made of flexible rubber to ensure close contact to the floor they’re cleaning. Thanks to their extra-wide width, the brushrolls can cover a lot of floor per pass.

Automatic Variable Suction

Like every other aspect of the s9, the suction is smart. Dirt-detection sensors identify thick carpeting and areas with significant amounts of dirt, automatically increasing the suction until the mess is gone. The floor plate even adjusts itself to position the suction inlet as close the floor as possible.

From the app, you can set the s9 to detailed clean, quiet clean or custom clean. Detailed clean generates extra-powerful suction for tough messes, quiet clean is ideal for everyday vacuuming and custom clean is great for small areas. If you have the Braava Jet Mop, Imprint Link technology connects the s9 and the mop, so the mop will run after the robo vac finishes.

Roomba s9 Review

iRobot Roomba S9 Battery
Battery Capacity 3300 mAh
Runing time 120 min
Charging Time 240 min
Rated Power58 W


Top-Loading Dirt Bin

Dumping the 13-ounce dirty bin is easy. Lift the copper-colored lid on the s9 and pull the bin by its swinging handle. The dirt-release hatch opens from the bottom, keeping your hands free of filth. You can access the high-efficiency pleated filter by opening the top compartment on the bin.

If you choose, you may rinse the bin with water and use it with a separately purchased automatic disposal.

Auto-Dock and Resume

Inside the robot, there is a lithium-ion battery that provides unwavering suction and a 120-minute runtime. When the battery level is low, the s9 immediately attaches to the dock, resting until the battery is fully charged, which takes about 2 hours.

To check the charging status, tap the LED ring indicator on the dock. If the robot vacuum still has more work to do, it will return to the last place it cleaned and continue vacuuming.

iRobot Roomba s9 Review

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It Keeps Getting Better

For the Roomba s9, iRobot has given us a lot of exciting technology. Wide dual brushrolls make the s9 a handy helper for pet owners. The long runtime and auto-resume function mean the robot performs well in large homes, and the self-adjusting suction feature lifts ground-in dirt from carpet like a champ.

From the color choice to the D shape, we love the way the Roomba s9 looks. The corner-cleaning brush and customizable map enhance the robot’s efficiency. An additional level of convenience is had with the advanced hands-free control feature.

One area we’d like to see improved upon in subsequent models are the bin; while top-loading and automatic disposal-compatible make maintenance easier, the bin capacity is a little small. Also, the height of the robot is 3.5 inches; shaving off a half-inch would allow future Roombas to slip under low-sitting furniture.

Otherwise, you’ll be just as amazed as we are at the purposefulness of the Roomba s9’s movements and the intuitiveness of its decision-making.

Roomba S9


Recommended Robot Vacuums

Affordable Option The iRobot Roomba 694 is a basic robot vacuum. It feels well-built, offers fantastic battery performance, and can adjust its suction power and brushroll height automatically depending on the surface that it's on.

Best of the Best The Roborock S7+ can vacuum and mop, and does an excellent job at both. It's also the company's most powerful vacuum yet, with 2,500Pa of suction.

Popular Option The Shark AV911S EZ is one of the least expensive robot vacuum with self-empty base. The bagless, self-emptying base holds up to 30 days of dirt and debris.

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About the author

Hi I’m Alex, founder of HouseholdMe.com and I’d like to say thank you for dropping by. Like most of you, the first thing I look at before buying something online is reviews or buying guides. By reading what other people say will help me gauge whether or not a product is good or not.  I am trying to help people find answers, solve problems, and get inspired.

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