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.
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 Specs | |
Suction Power | 2200 Pa |
Сleaning Area | 2153 ft2 |
Dust Container | 400 ml |
Battery Capacity | 3300 mAh |
Run-time | 120 min |
Charging Time | 240 min |
Noise | 65 db |
Weight | 7.43 lbs |
Width | 13.34 in |
Height | 3.63 in |
Release | May, 2019 |
Price | Click 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 Cleaning | |
Suction Power | 2200 Pa |
Сleaning Area | 2153 ft2 |
Dust Container | 400 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.
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 Alexa | yes |
Google Assistant | yes |
Virtual Walls | yes |
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.
iRobot Roomba S9 Battery | |
Battery Capacity | 3300 mAh |
Runing time | 120 min |
Charging Time | 240 min |
Rated Power | 58 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.
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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.
If you have any questions or comments, please add them below in the comment section. Similarly, please let us know if you spot any mistakes or omissions. Thanks!