iRobot is expanding its line of robot vacuums today with its most premium robot vacuum ever, the iRobot Roomba s9. It’s not just about being a more premium product than ever though, it’s about a brand new design that’s made to work differently than the rest of the robot vacuums in iRobot’s line. While every other Roomba in existence has been a round, puck-like design, the Roomba s9 features a D-shape design instead.
There are certainly similarities to be drawn to the Neato Botvac series on design alone, and that includes the new wider roller brushes underneath that are situated toward the front of the vacuum now instead of in the middle. There’s also a smaller side-brush that’s designed to knock the debris out of the very edge of corners and into those new larger roller brushes.
Unlike Neato, however, iRobot utilizes double rubber rollers that are designed to hug the floor together and help knock debris loose better than a traditional brush design. They’re also adjustable in height and will move a bit depending on what sort of surface they’re trying to clean.
A new motor inside provides 40x more suction than the Roomba 600 Series with AeroVac technology, as well as additional suction over last year’s Roomba i7.
Aside from the fact that a D-shape just fits into corners better than a circular shape, the robot is smart enough to be able to clean outside corners better by backing up and covering the entire corner instead of just turning around it.
This updated mapping system, called iAdapt 3.0 Navigation with Imprint Smart Mapping, can be used in conjunction with the new Braava jet m6 robot mop to give your home a deeper clean automatically. A map can be shared between the two devices automatically when connected to the same iRobot account, and a simple click of the “Clean” button in the app will vacuum your home first, followed by a wet mop of the hard-surface floors after vacuuming is complete.
This sort of automatic linking between multiple robots is something we haven’t seen done yet and represents an exciting feature addition for consumers who want to make their homes smarter and their lives easier.
A new 3D sensor on the front of the S9 works in conjunction with the camera on top to more accurately identify corners and other objects around the home, enabling the most precise clean ever for a Roomba vacuum.
Just like the iRobot Roomba i7 that launched last Fall, the Roomba s9 is able to automatically empty its dustbin via a special Clean Base Charging Station. This Clean Base Charging Station only works for the Roomba s9 and is not interchangeable with the Roomba i7 because of large design differences between the two robots.
iRobot’s new design language feature a large multi-color LED ring up top that more clearly gives the status of the vacuum via colored rings, which looks more classy and elegant than previous generations, adding a bit of luxury to what would otherwise be a simple tool in your home.
iRobot is making the Roomba s9+ available immediately on its website for $1,299, which includes the Clean Base Charging Station. The Roomba s9 without the Clean Base can be purchased for $999, and the Clean Base separately for $349. You can find the Roomba s9 series at retailers on June 9, 2019, and across Europe for €1,499 on July 12. Additional Dirt Disposal Bags for the Clean Base can be purchased for $16.99 in a 3-pack.