It also plays nicely with iRobot’s new mop
iRobot is introducing a new robot vacuum to its lineup, the iRobot Roomba s9+, its most powerful and geometrically-sensible robot vac yet.
The S9+ brings a bunch of features over from the i7+ such as Smart Mapping for learning your home’s layout, but the biggest news here is the D-shaped design, making the vac more effective at tackling hard edges and corners in your home.
The company says the S9+ should provide around 40 x the suction power of the company’s 600 series (the i7 offers just 10 x). Combine that with wider rubber brushes and a new corner brush, which uses five angled arms to cast debris into the path of Roomba’s unrelenting jaws, and it should be able to tackle most floor filth.
Tried and tested: Roomba S9+ review
The s9+ will also be able to detect carpets and rugs, activating its “Power Boost” tech when it does to give it more suction. This one will be a real test, as we find that carpets and rugs continue to outsmart many of the best robot vacuums around. The company also promises the vac’s filter will eradicate 99% of mold, pollen and dust mite allergens.
Like the i7+ the new s9+ also comes with the automatic dirt disposal built into its home station, where the vac will empty itself at the end of a job. But if that seems a little extravagant, the cheaper s9 – no plus – comes without the middle man, so you’ll just need to empty the Roomba yourself when it’s full.
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iRobot says it’s improved the bot’s vision with a new 3D sensor that will help it better navigate cluttered environments and reduce the number of chair leg collisions (something our iRobot 980 does a lot of). And like previous models, the new vac works with Alexa and Google Assistant, letting you start and end cleans with voice commands, and even ask it to clean specific rooms.
But that’s not the only thing iRobot is launching. The s9+ is getting a pal in the form of the new Braava Jet M6 mop, which uses a combination of jet spray and mopping pads to clean grime off those hard floors.
The M6 also has a corner-conscious design and should be able to hit every spot that the s9+ can – which is why iRobot is having the two work together. Should you own both, you can have Roomba head off on a cleaning job and tell the Braava to go clean when it’s done, with each taking on different rooms if you so specify.
When a job is done, those mop pads are detachable in such a way you don’t have to touch them and get your hands covered in grease.
The Roomba s9+, which includes the automatic dirt disposal, will cost $1,299, while the disposal-less s9 is $999. The Braava Jet M6 costs $499. Everything will be available in the US starting 29 May.
