Roomba S9+ Review

[@ModernCastle]

Buy Roomba S9+ - amzn.to/2QCkzSU Questions? Ask in the comments! I do my best to respond within 24 hours.

[@MW-dn8dh]

Is it noisier than the i7

[@ModernCastle]

@@MW-dn8dh It's about the same in terms of noise.

[@janacurry3362]

I love that you have time cards for your video! Thank you.

[@ModernCastle]

You're welcome! I'm glad you like them.

[@dog69420]

love the big brown on it

[@glennpomerantz]

Question: How big of a step can the Roomba handle. For example, the change in height from my kitchen's hardwood floor to the foyer's tile floor is about 3/8". Will it be able to go up/down? Or will I have to make a tiny ramp?

[@ModernCastle]

It should be fine on that. About 0.5" is comfortable when it can handle.

[@Leandro-up9ht]

Is the S9+ worth over the i7+? Worth the extra buck? Thanks!

[@ModernCastle]

Do you have lots of high pile carpets that really need deep cleaning? If so, then the added suction of the S9+ is probably worth the added cost. If not, then I'd go with i7+ and save the money.

[@Leandro-up9ht]

@@ModernCastle thanks for the help!

[@ModernCastle]

@@Leandro-up9ht You're welcome!

[@stevengarreyn3433]

Hey, thank you for the review. Question can this opperate in a dark room (ex. at night) off cource once it created its map.

[@ModernCastle]

Pitch black = no However, I have routinely operated it in near total darkness (just ambient light from outside) and it does perfectly fine with that.

[@sarah-annparker7231]

Hello, I have the s9+ but can’t get on with the cleaning bin and would prefer the charger without the bin (uk volt). I can’t find one so any suggestions would be welcome.

[@ModernCastle]

The Roomba charger is basically universal since the 600 series. So anything that works for 600, 700, 800, 900, i, e, or s series will work across all of those models. See here - amzn.to/3cy2J08

[@glohora]

Do you have to bring the base to the first floor when hoovering bedrooms? If so, how heavy is it? Or will the hoover manage away from the base? Thank you

[@ModernCastle]

You do not.

[@glohora]

Thank you 😊 would you know if the j9 plus has a similar suction power to the s9 plus, please? I can’t find that information anywhere. Thank you !

[@ModernCastle]

@@glohora I don't know for 100%, but my guess would be no. Roomba has made a point to keep the S9+ at the absolute top of it's line when it comes to suction power. No reason to think that the J9+ would be more than it.

[@glohora]

@@ModernCastle thank you. It’s strange the way they don’t specify. If it’s not as powerful, it would be tempting to get the Roborock S8 pro ultra, which I believe, has the same suction power as the iRobot S9, and seems very self sufficient … I’m just not sure of the after care Roborock offers.

[@ModernCastle]

@@glohora Indeed...it would be nice if they just listed the air watts like Dyson does.

[@sarah-annparker7231]

Hello again, below is the reply I received from iRobot when I asked to purchase the charger without the bin. This one will not be compatible with the s series, I am sorry. At this time there are no s9 standard home bases or clean bases for sale on their own.

[@ModernCastle]

Really was surprised at their response so I just got back from my lab where I store all the robots...and yep, you're right. iRobot slightly repositioned the charging pins on the S9 / S9+, so they won't quite line up to the charging that works with all other models. I looked around online to see if I could find a charger base somewhere, but wasn't able to. My apologies for the misinformation in my first reply. I'm sorry I wasn't able to help.

[@ashurgeorge4604]

Great upload Derek, You're one of my favorite reviewers of all time. I had to re-find you, once you started Modern Castle, but i'm glad I did~! Keep up the great work!

[@ModernCastle]

Thanks so much for your kind words and the support! I'm glad you were able to find our new home here. We're hoping to get on a regular 1 video a week schedule. So look for more from us soon :)

[@kitklaber6426]

Is the charging base easy/difficult for an older person to carry up and down the stairs? How much does it weigh?

[@ModernCastle]

I would think it would be fairly easy for most. It's about the size of a medium box and weighs something like 12-14 pounds

[@kimberlyragsdale2095]

I have two questions before I make a purchase. 1. Will the navigation learn a new pattern in an existing room?, i.e. if I have a sofa that the unit will not fit under and then I move the sofa to a different spot, will the old spot be ignored or will the roomba start cleaning it now that the sofa is gone? And 2. If I omit a room in the house and then decide to add it later, can I add that new room without re-mapping the entire house? Thanks for a great review.

[@ModernCastle]

1) Yes, it will learn new patterns in existing rooms. Roomba is always sort of double checking for new areas, even if it has seen obstacles there in the past. In most cases, will see you've changed the room and update the map. If it doesn't' you might need to remap, but that only takes a couple of cleaning cycles to figure it out. 2) As with #1, yes, most likely it will be able to see and add the new room. I would suggest simply blocking it using the new Keep Out Zones in the app. Then you could just remove the zone and Roomba will try to find that new area.

[@conorc4594]

fantastic video man! I love your high quality and in-depth videos! Please keep it up :)

[@ModernCastle]

Thanks so much, Conor! I'm glad to hear we're hitting the right marks :)

[@theresaharrison9321]

I owned a S9 plus. Yes, amazing cleaning power, very smart vac. BUT, if you have issues with hair wrap, this is NOT the vaccum for you. The hair cut into the rubber rollers and cuts the rollers in half. My rollers last 3-10 days with checking them for hair wrap everyday before running the s9. The rollers are 44. bucks a pair. Unless you can afford another 100 bucks a month in maintenance, this is not the robot vacuum for you. The shark rv1000 has no hair wrap but the auto empty will not clear debris of any size, for example a leaf. I'm back to emptying the tank with the old style brushes

[@ModernCastle]

Wow, that is indeed a shocking experience. I have never heard of anything like that happening. In my experience with iRobot's rubberized brushrolls + long hair...it tends to wrap around the far side of the axels. Over time it would build up and you'd want to clean it out every few weeks. But large volumes of hair never wrapped around any portion of the rubber so that it would be able to cut it in half.

[@julianseidenberg2881]

Will the S9 work on an uneven tiled floor with wide grout lines? We have two rooms with hideous tile and 1/2" to 3/4" wide grout lines that will eventually get replaced.

[@ModernCastle]

I think any robot is likely to have a hard time with that, but I think the S9+ has the best chest of any of doing well due to the incredibly high suction (most suction of any robot vacuum that I've seen to date).

[@Greyvriseeyoubf]

Love this! This is like having a little maid in your home. Like the body style as well.

[@ModernCastle]

Haha...very true! Nothing better than not have to ever vacuum.

[@MarketStalker]

If you had to choose between the Roborock S6 MaxV and the Roomba s9+, which would you choose. I have a large house with 3 floors, 2 dogs.. so pet hair... and one of the dogs sometimes has accidents. There are pros for each but not sure which is the best for my scenario. Any suggestions..

[@ModernCastle]

I would say it comes down to a couple of major things... 1) If you have all or mostly carpets, get the S9+. It's better at cleaning carpet due to increased suction. 2) If you have mostly hard surface floors, get the S6 MaxV. The mopping function may seem just like a nice extra, but it really does add a lot to daily maintenance style cleaning. 3) If you have a home with lots of stuff for a bot to get stuck on...get the S6 MaxV if not, get the S9+. They both have improved usability in different ways. The S6 MaxV via its obstacle detection and the S9+ via its self empty bin. So really it comes down to which you're going to get the most out of. Hope that helps! By the way, the MaxV is now available here - amzn.to/3cGk9EN S9+ is here - amzn.to/2MPCaWo

[@MarketStalker]

@@ModernCastle thank you for heads up. I have the braava m6. Just arrived today. But was still waiting on which vacume to get. I have large house all wood floors and pets which is why s9 is good. But I also have 2 kids and a dog that sometimes has accidents... Which is why it is so close.

[@TrevorHawes]

Just on a production note - Stick to a fixed/Manual focus. The auto focus is sensitive and keeps picking up other items as you move forward or point. As things in the background go in and out of focus (or even the foreground) it gives a headache! Also, on the audio, add more bass, and speak a little slower and clearer.

[@ModernCastle]

Thanks, Trevor. I agree, our auto focus on this lens is a mess. I'd like to upgrade our equipment at some point in the near future with a lens that has better auto focus. I'm apprehensive to do manual focus as we just can never seem to get it dialed in right. We're definitely working on our pacing. I think our newer videos have better dictation pacing, so hopefully we're resolving the speed and clarity issues. We've also made improvements to our audio mixing in our more recent videos. Thank you again for your feedback.

[@lits3212]

I’m between the Dyson V10 absolute and a Roomba. Which should I buy?

[@ModernCastle]

How big is your home? What floor types? Any pets? Any allergies?

[@lits3212]

Modern Castle Hi! 1 floor apartment, hardwood floors in the bedrooms and marble for the rest, carpets on the floor as well. There is a lot of diat and hair on the floor. I’m worried that the Roomba won’t fit through many tight spaces or pock up the human hair that falls continuously. Manu thanks!!!

[@lits3212]

Modern Castle No pets and no allergies.

[@ModernCastle]

@@lits3212 If you're worried that the Roomba won't be able to squeeze into the tight spaces in your apartment, I think that's enough reason to go with the Dyson V10. Both are fantastic machines...and in many ways it's hard to go wrong. But I think I would suggest the V10. It's a great all around machine everywhere in your apartment and car. The attachments make a big difference. Since you have hardwoods and marble I would highly suggest opting for the V10 Absolute so you get the soft roller head - amzn.to/36SN891 If you still think you want a robot, I would consider the Roomba E5 - amzn.to/3nC8Jsj You can get a Dyson V10 Absolute and a Roomba E5 for less than the price of the Roomba S9+. This really gets you the best of both worlds. While the E5 doesn't have as impressive of navigation and digital mapping as the S9+, it was nearly as good in terms of raw cleaning power vs. the S9+...so it's no slouch as a robot vacuum. Hope this help!

[@lits3212]

Modern Castle Excellente information and tips! Many thanks. I’ll buy the Dyson first and then save up for the Roomba E5. I imagine you mention both for different situations, right?

[@biancar2412]

When will the new version of this be released? It's Roomba's top model and yet it's missing AI so must be due to be replaced

[@ModernCastle]

iRobot typically launches in robots in late summer / early fall. I'd guess between August & October.

[@simplyroger2763]

Greetings from The Netherlands - great video! Thanks for the upload and keep up the good work!

[@ModernCastle]

Thanks so much, Roger!

[@charizito3726]

Liked the video. But you need to place it 18” from other objects in your video. The instructions said that was important.

[@ModernCastle]

Thanks! That's true, that is what iRobot recommends.

[@lizmenzies2356]

Derek I'm in a studio apt all wood floors no carpet. Which roomba is best for me? Thanks!

[@ModernCastle]

Most any newer model Roomba would work well. I would suggest the Roomba 675 - amzn.to/3036LYq - it doesn't have all the fancy bells and whistles, but it has a 90 minute run time and scored a 99% on our hardwood floor tests. 675 is the most budget-friendly option that can still easily handle your space and floor type.

[@lizmenzies2356]

@@ModernCastle Thank you very much!!

[@coleeandro6110]

Brought the Roomba s9 and it’s been nothing but trouble. The customer service reps iRobot are nice people ;based in Dominica) but every call takes 45 minutes to an hour including waiting time. The robot constantly gets stuck (error 31) and is now have problems connecting to the internet. I think I’m sending mine back. I’ve had to call their tech support five bloody times and the thing is still not working.

[@ModernCastle]

One last thing worth trying, Cole. Remove the battery and leave it out for an hour or so (so it fully factory resets). Also delete the app. Then setup everything again...sometimes a fully factory reset like that can correct weird issues like you're experiencing.

[@timourvasey5715]

Hi, great video! I was wondering if it would work at night or if maybe it needs light in order to navigate and do the mapping ?

[@ModernCastle]

I have not run it in pitch black...so I'm not 100% sure about that, but for sure it does not need much light at all. Just a little ambient light seems to be more than sufficient. We've bee running the S9+ in our office / studio over night and it hasn't had any issues to date. When we run it over night there are no lights on in our office / studio. So the only light coming in is a very small amount of external light from nearby buildings, the moon, etc.

[@RobotMasters]

Ohhhh cool Roomba s9+. Yours looks nicer and cleaner than my Roomba 😮😒. I like your style of review, and didn’t realize how heavy the Roomba was 🤯. Keep Up the Good Work 👍🏻

[@ModernCastle]

Thank you very much! We'll keep it up :) Look for our Roomba 675 vs. 690 review tomorrow or Friday

[@RobotMasters]

@@ModernCastle Will do, I just got a Roomba 960 and e5 so I may see how it compares to the s9 and i7.

[@ModernCastle]

@@RobotMasters Sounds good!

[@barskaan4014]

A nice quality video keep going i bet u will be a larger channel soon

[@ModernCastle]

Thanks! That's our goal :)

[@smithersapp]

What if you want it to clean upstairs. Do you have take the docking station with it??

[@ModernCastle]

No. You can just place the Roomba up stairs and let it go. When you bring it back door stairs or to the dock it will empty when it charges back up.

[@saabforever6404]

Do you really need to replace the sidebrush? I was a reseller back in the time where the first roomba brushes broke off. The red ones. Anybody remember them? 500 and 600 series. Are they back to that low level?

[@ModernCastle]

They do occasionally wear out or get tangled and destroyed. If they don't get tangled you can probably just replace every 2-3 years.

[@snmcntrk]

I wonder the height of the robot whether is ist capable of cleaning under the bed or couch, is it less than 10cm? Thank you.

[@ModernCastle]

S9+ is 3.5" (8.89 cm) tall, so it should be fine to squeeze under 10 cm (3.9" for my US readers)

[@patyaccardo5063]

Great explaining the features of the irobot s9

[@ModernCastle]

Thanks, Paty!

[@liorohayon]

Only reason I'm willing to pay more because my i7 is way too loud? How loud is the S9+? Or what is the quietest vacuum?

[@ModernCastle]

S9+ is similar to the i7+ in terms of noise (if not slightly louder). If you want a quieter high-end robot check out the Roborock S6 Pure - amzn.to/2AJ4YNx It's designed to be quiet, while still being a strong performer (and it's a 2-in-1 that also mops).

[@newtonbruton5252]

really good

[@aymanhaque]

Hello So I recently bought the s9+ and there's a bit of a problem It works really amazingly but there's a problem with carpet On certain carpets(like flat ones) it works fine But on rougher ones, the corner brush gets tangled up and it gets stuck So I was thinking of using blocking out the rough carpets with smart map But because of the side brush getting tangled, the smart map doesn't end up properly Do you think it'd be safe if I took out the corner brush temporarily and did a mapping run?

[@ModernCastle]

Oh yeah, that's no problem at all. The corner brush just helps sweep debris into the cleaning path...it's not essential for operation.

[@izaak_memoria]

What if you have two (or 3 or 4) floors in your house. When you lift it to the second floor, does it work there as well, even if the station is downstairs ?

[@ModernCastle]

If I remember correctly, the S9+ can handle up to 4 different floors of your home. So yes, you can put it upstairs, even if the station is downstairs. It will clean, understand that it's a new floor of your home, and then await for you to take it back to the charging station.

[@Nivekkom]

Will the roomba work well without WiFi?

[@Nivekkom]

I have a phone with data but no WiFi for the roomba to connect to

[@ModernCastle]

Not particularly, no. You really need to be able to connect to the app to take full advantage of all of the features (scheduling, history viewing, remote access, etc.)

[@lesschroeder4293]

I've seen in written reviews that the S9+ has trouble moving from a floor up to an area rug? Did you test for that, by chance? And, I see in the video that it cleans well on a short pile carpet. Did you test it on a medium pile carpet? Thanks.

[@ModernCastle]

As part of our longer term S9+ test we did look at it's ability to move up to higher surfaces, including area rugs. Thus far, we haven't seen any problems with it. However, it does sometimes struggle with tangly bath mats (we usually just close the bathroom door to avoid any issues). As far as medium pile carpet, no we did not test on medium pile. However, we do test on high pile. I would expect medium pile to be at least as good as high pile and perhaps a little better. In either case, I expect the S9+ to easily handle removing debris from medium pile.

[@Margot924]

I have one problem, after 3 minutes he stop and say clean the brushes and push on clean, and repeat and repeat all the time my warranties is finish and I cannot fix , what should I do? Thank you.

[@ModernCastle]

Clean all of the sensors. And remove the brushes and make 100% sure they are clean, take everything out, put it all back in. That should fix it.

[@DailyDriver.]

Great video !

[@ModernCastle]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!

[@spiritwolf7000]

Love your review! I have a Few questions, as I own this roomba already have you had any happenings when the roomba won't give you a clean map report after it does its job but it clearly did it? And is there any solution to the sidebrushes constantly tangling over itself when it cleans rugs or any carpet? Mine get destroyed quite easily in a few weeks and we have all hardwood floors and just 2 rugs.

[@ModernCastle]

Thanks! The only instances I've had where Roomba won't show the map is when it's still learning your home. It can take 3-4 runs before the map will appear while it's learning. So if it's new to your home or it forgot its map somehow, it might need time to relearn it. Unfortunately, there isn't a solution to the side brush tangling. It's a problem most robot vacuums deal with. Fortunately, the brushes are pretty inexpensive to replace.

[@vivste2946]

Great review

[@ModernCastle]

Thank you!

[@mrgcav]

Good video.

[@ModernCastle]

Thank you

[@Callampinbombin1093]

Hola, soy de Chile. donde puedo comprar los repuestos como el cepillo, filtros y bolsa desechable

[@ModernCastle]

Echa un vistazo a store.irobot.com/default/parts-and-accessories/ puedes pedir piezas por modelo allí. In English Check out store.irobot.com/default/parts-and-accessories/ you can order parts by model there.

[@catlaiphuong3150]

Hello! I bought roomba s9 +, the power source in my area is 220v, do I need to use additional pressure reducing device? Please guide me, thank you

[@ModernCastle]

Unfortunately, I'm not sure about that. You should reach out to iRobot directly for support here - homesupport.irobot.com/

[@Str8ABH]

All that should have been required is for Modern Castle to flip the Clean Base over and check the input specs on the tag on the bottom of the device. I'm sure you've discovered by this point that 220v is just fine.

[@rickboucher669]

Good video. Thanks

[@ModernCastle]

Thank you!

[@mihirdaiya9676]

Hi, thanks for this video, was very informative. Could you please guide on how to create a smart map for the first time post buying a new iRobot roomba s9+

[@ModernCastle]

We probably don't need a full video guide for that as it's really simple. Here is the process: 1) Open iRobot home app 2) Select your robot 3) Hit the "Smart Maps" button at the bottom 4) Hit the 3 dots in the upper right corner 5) Click "training run" You'll usually need 2-4 training runs to fully map out your home.

[@fondoo]

I am so tempted but after reading the reviews on amazon, i decided to just use my dyson v8 absolute

[@ModernCastle]

Maybe go with the less expensive i3? It just launched this past week here - amzn.to/33aHwEZ We'll be testing it soon

[@eleanorgribbin9724]

How much Ins it?

[@ModernCastle]

Typically around $1,100.

[@ivetteminguela9639]

Why my iRobot makes a noise when is vacuuming

[@ModernCastle]

Could be any number of issues, or there could be no issue at all. We need more information.

[@bocephallus]

I ❤ and shared.

[@ModernCastle]

Thank you!

[@att.6134]

You said in the review that the S9+ was _one of the best_ that you tested so far. Which was _the_ best? If not this model, then which model was the best? There is no information in saying "one of the best". In a marathon with 5000 participants even the last one on rank 5000 in one of the best. After all, he is part of the top 5000. The concrete rank is what counts.

[@ModernCastle]

I don't really think there is a concrete rank because the idea of "best" changes from person to person. Nevertheless, let's talk about what it is best at. The S9+ objectively scored the best we have seen to date on our cleaning performance tests. However, it tied with others, including the Roomba e5 and Roomba i7+. The S9+ is only one of three robots that can empty their own dust bin, including the Roomba i7+ and Shark's IQ (though we haven't tested it). The S9+ is among a small group of robots that has a camera, digitally maps the home, has zoned cleaning, and has keep out zones. I don't have a complete list of these bots, but off the top of my head I know the others are the Roomba 900 series, Neato D7, Roomba i7+, Roborock S4, S5, and S6. Generally, these robots are going to be $500+. Because of these features the S9+ (and the others listed here) have among the best navigation. The S9+ is the most expensive robot vacuum on the market to the best of my knowledge. I hope that adds a little more clarity and answers your quesiton.

[@dianecelento4974]

Great job advertising this product. Good luck on your youtube channel

[@MikeJones__Who]

The spinning brush on carpet is almost useless. It has no torque behind it...

[@ModernCastle]

Not according to our tests that measure the amount of debris removed by volume. S9+ removed 99% on all debris types. Which is not something that can be said for the vast majority of robot vacuums. We've only tested 3-4 models that scored 99%.

[@MikeJones__Who]

@@ModernCastle I was referring to the side brush on the s9+ not the entire vacuum itself.... You can see it folding up underneath itself and just being dragged across the carpet not doing much if anything.

[@ModernCastle]

@@MikeJones__Who Ah, gotcha. Thanks for the clarification. The side brushes on all robot vacuums we've tested are really more for pulling light debris into the primary cleaning path. You're right though, the torque on them isn't all that impressive.

[@CReedProductions]

how hard is that thing hitting the walls though???!!!

[@ModernCastle]

Not especially hard, in my opinion. I would say all Roomba hit the wall with the same amount of force. I would call it about the same force as a light to moderate knock on your front door.

[@philknirck7347]

a bit too basic for my taste. would like some more comparison that are real. still gave u a thumb up

[@ModernCastle]

We've got a few S9+ comparisons moderncastle.com/roomba-s9-plus-vs-s9-vs-i7-plus-vs-i7-vs-e5/ and here moderncastle.com/shark-iq-vs-roomba-s9-plus-vs-roomba-i7-plus/

[@jimmymahone5420]

Does it come with "dust bin technology," or a "dust bin." "Technology" is the most hackneyed word of the 21st Century, so please give us a break, since every new product or feature is not a "technology." Having said that, thanks for a worthy, thumbs-up video.

[@mattm7788]

3:40 Misses 20% of debris “Wasn’t enough to measure on our digital scale” You should get a new scale.

[@ModernCastle]

That is not the complete test. With more time the vacuum will clean the entire area.

[@matthewisraeli3351]

After 2 months it’s garbage.warranty will charge you $200 for any error.waste of money in the thousands

[@ModernCastle]

iRobot tried to charge you $200 for what exactly?