Dreame D9 Hands-On Review

Review of:
Dreame D9
Brand name:
Dreame
Model:
D9
Reviewed by:
natalie
Rating:
Published On:
Jan. 4, 2021, 11:29 a.m.
Edited On:
Jan. 4, 2021, 11:50 a.m.

Summary

The Dreame D9 is a decent robot vacuum. For such a price, you would not get anything similar that would have a good vacuum and mopping performance. The cheapest Lidar Roborock with mopping would cost more. As to issues the robot currently has such as carpet boost that works weird and map distortion/rotation issue (which I had only once, but it mentioned by other users as well), I would say those might not be a big deal for most people and I do believe those will be fixed as soon as possible. The app is stable, in my experience, it didn't crush even once. Navigation is very close to the Roborock robots that are the best in this area; as to cleaning, the robot does the job better than most robots in this price range. If you want something similar to the Roborock S5 Max, have a look at the Dreame D9, it costs less, has a great cleaning performance, and overall a decent competitor to most high-end devices.

Dreame Technology is a part of the Xiaomi ecological chain and has been producing cordless vacuum cleaners since 2015. In 2019 they presented their first robot vacuum, the Dreame F9, which has camera-based navigation, strong suction, and a large battery. The Dreame D9 is its second robot vacuum and first Lidar-guided model. We finally got our hands on the D9, so let’s see what this device brings to the table.

Dreame D9 Hands-On
Dreame D9

Navigation & Mapping

The Dreame D9 uses the LDS laser in tandem with other sensors to navigate around the house and create a map of the cleaning area. As it cleans it moves back-and-forth methodically covering the room without skipping a spot.

Navigation is very close to the Roborock robots the robot is pretty gentle with furniture and overall coverage is close to perfect. When it cleaned the first time, it finishes cleaning in 44 minutes which is the fastest so far. Other Lidar-guided robots need up to 50-60 minutes when running the first time.

I haven't noticed any flaws with navigation and was surprised by how well the D9 navigates.

When the map is complete, the robot automatically divides it into separate sections (rooms) so you can make it work in a specific room further.

Design

Dreame D9 robot vacuum looks very similar to the Roborock S6 Pure

The design of the D9 kind of reminds me of the Roborock S6 Pure. A 570 ml dustbin with a HEPA filter sits under the lid. The robot comes with one of the biggest water tanks in the industry (270 ml). One side brush helps to catch debris but in my opinion, spins a little too fast which causes scattering on hard floors. Tho on carpets it does the job just fine.

Dreame D9 underneath
Dreame D9 underneath

The cleaning brush has detachable side tips which is perfect for cleaning the brush off clogged hair which mostly gets tangled around the edges.

The charging dock also looks very similar to the Roborock S5 Max.

Dreame D9 charging dock
Dreame D9 charging dock
Dreame D9 dustbin hidden under the lid
Dustbin and cleaning tool are hidden under the lid

Cleaning performance

The robot can climb on an obstacle up to 20 mm / 0.79 in tall which makes the robot suitable for medium-pile carpets. It also automatically increases suction on carpet.

So far I noticed carpet boost does not work as it supposed to be. It looks like it's always on even when the robot on hard floor. When shutting it off in the app, the robot does not increase suction on carpet but the cleaning modes work accurately. I think it’s a software issue and do hope DreameTeach will fix it in the next firmware update.

A large 5,200 mah battery makes the robot last up to 150 minutes on low power settings and up to 90 minutes on max power. Those are impressive numbers as usually the working time on max mode drops significantly compared to low power results.

As to noise, the Dreame is not as loud as some cheaper models but is not the quietest either. I would say it is not distracting on low power but a bit noticeable on max mode which is what you expect the robot to be.

Dreame D9 cleaning & navigation tests

We did a few cleaning tests to find out how it performs on different floor surfaces.

The Dreame D9 was tested on hard floors, low and medium-pile carpets.

As to hard floors pickup, the side brush tends to scatter heavy debris like rice or quinoa. In the end, it scored 98.8% on Max suction and 98.3% on low power settings. Those are good results for premium segment robots.

As to cleaning sand on hard floor, the D9 didn't have noticeable issues as well. It was able to pick up 98.4% of sand which is one of the best results so far. Normally sand is hard to pick up as it is heavy and small in size. Worth mentioning that the Dreame D9 pickup sand a bit better than the Roborock S5 Max, at least on bare floors.

On low-pile capret, the D9 did well too. It picked up 99.9% debris which is a great result.

As to picking up sand on a low-pile carpet, the robot was able to score 87.4%.

Cleaning results on a medium-pile carpet with debris were one of the best too. The robot picked up 99.5% of debris.

The overall average score for the robot - 97.06% which is very good especially considering the price.

Noteworthy, the D9 handles hair better than most robots too. It has a standard cleaning brush similar to those the Xiaomi and Roborock are equipped with. The brush is easy to clean off clogged hair. After testing, the hair ended up on a brush and in the dustbin 50/50. Taking to account that I spent less than a minute to remove the hair off the brush, I conclude that the D9 is ideal for pet and long human hair.

Mopping & Performance

The robot is equipped with a large 270 ml electronic water tank which means you can control the water level output in the app.

Dreame D9 water tank
A 270 ml water tank with an electric water pump
Mopping cloth
Mopping cloth attached to the water tank

I've had an issue with the mopping when the robot almost not used any water while mopping and the floor was dry. But after some testing, I noticed that the rubber cap has a small hole which prevents the formation of vacuum inside the water tank. The water pump can't supply water when there is a vacuum inside the water tank, so that's why the mopping didn't work as expected.

Keep the air hole in the water tank clean and dry
Keep the air hole in the water tank clean and dry

As to mopping performance, the robot did okay. No better or worse than the others with a similar water tank. Enough to maintain your floors clean but would not be able to get rid of stubborn stains.

App & Features

The Dreame D9 can be controlled by your smartphone via the Mi Home app (iOS/Android). In the app, you can switch between cleaning models and water level outputs as well as starting and stopping the robot.

the Mi Home app
No-go zones set

Additional features allow setting no-go zones, customize cleaning area, and make the robot clean a particular room.

Before starting the cleaning, you can select among cleaning modes, and when the water tank is attached, set among three water level outputs.

In the "Room" menu, the robot can go clean the room up to two times.

"Zone" allows the robot to go over the same area up to two times.

"Virtual wall/restricted area" has the following options:

Virtual Walls. Those are boundary tapes you can set to prevent the robot from crossing some areas.

Cleaning the Restricted Area is better known as No-Go zones. Those are square form zones that are better to use for carpeting areas or some furniture.

Mopping No-Go Zone is active only when the water tank is attached. Those prevent the robot from going over carpets in mopping mode. Unlike the No-Go zones, those become inactive once the mopping attachments are removed.

Customize where to clean with the Dreame D9
Set zoned cleaning and no-go zones with the Mi Home app

In "Map management," you can edit areas (rooms) and reset the current map if you are not satisfied with the current map.

As to the other options, you can change a voice pack and robot's voice volume; carpet boost that currently is not working correctly; turn on resume cleanup that makes the robot to finish cleaning after recharging; DND mode prevents the robot from resuming cleaning, for example at night (scheduled cleanups, however, will still be on); mop cleaning alerts when the robot finishes mopping so you remove the water tank. You can choose from three options: 15, 30, and 45 minutes after finishing cleaning. I haven't seen such a feature in any robot vacuum and this is handy as I often forget to remove the tank which might cause floor damage.

Scheduled setting. This has some cool features.

Scheduling cleaning settings
Scheduling offers a wide range of settings

You can choose from cleaning the whole place or one or a few rooms. When choosing a few rooms, you can make the robot start in the kitchen first, then the bedroom, then the living room.

Cleaning room sequence
Set which room to clean first

Then you choosing cleaning time and when to repeat (up to 7 days a week). After everything is selected, set cleaning mode (silent, standard, strong, and turbo) and water level setting (low, medium, high). Customizable options like this only available in a few models such as the Roborock S5 Max and S6 MaxV, however, with the Roborock you can set cleaning modes for each room separately. To select different cleaning modes for each room, you can make a few separate schedulings.

The map easily can be zoomed in and out if needed. So far tho, the robot saves one map only, but Dreame promised to add multimap support within a few months.


Ease of Use

As to using the Dreame D9, I would say I didn't notice lots of things that make it challenging.

The dustbin is easy to remove and empty. Some robots have those tricky bins that you have to figure out how to open.

The cleaning brush is essential for everyone who has long hair and pets. Hair tends to get clogged around the edges the most so the removable tips help a ton. It takes a few moments to clean the brush tho I would do it after every other cleaning (as someone whose hair is long).

As to the app, I like how easily you can set no-go and no-mop zones. The map is zoomed easily which makes it convenient to set restricted areas or zoned cleaning. Overall, I didn't notice any significant bugs in the app. It is stable, does not crush, and works more or less smoothly.

What I wish would be better

When switching between the cleaning modes, sometimes you need to tap twice on the mode icon. I think this will be fixed with future updates.

Probably one of the most frustrating things about the app is the battery indicator. You can't see the actual remaining battery life in percentages. This is just an icon so you are not sure the battery is 20% or 40% charged.

The robot does not come with a water-proof mat. I actually only saw the Roborocks coming with one in the box and this is a handy thing if you use mopping every other cleaning cycle. Tho you can set the alerts so the robot reminds you when the tank should be removed.

Another thing is the app language. Sometimes it is not very understandable. As someone who tested a couple of other robots, I figured what each feature does, but I believe most people wouldn't. Gladly it is something that can be fixed with future updates too.


Price & Where to buy

The Dreame D9 is available on Amazon for $299.99.


About Dreame

Dreame Technology was established in 2015 and since then been producing cordless vacuum cleaners & robot vacuums. At the end of 2017, Dreame joined the Xiaomi Ecological Chain, as the driving force and leading enterprise of smart household cleaning appliances. 

The connection to what you eat, how you feel, and your level of happiness is so important to pay attention to. Not only do we believe in being mindful to the planet by eating a plant-based diet, but we also believe in living mindful everyday with each other and with ourselves, — Dreame Technology

To sum up

The Dreame D9 is a decent robot vacuum. For such a price, you would not get anything similar that would have a good vacuum and mopping performance. The cheapest Lidar Roborock with mopping would cost more.

As to issues the robot currently has such as carpet boost that works weird and map distortion/rotation issue (which I had only once, but it mentioned by other users as well), I would say those might not be a big deal for most people and I do believe those will be fixed as soon as possible.

The app is stable, in my experience, it didn't crush even once; but the response time can be a bit long sometimes when servers are overloaded. Navigation is very close to the Roborock robots that are the best in this area; as to cleaning, the robot does the job better than most robots in this price range. If you want something similar to the Roborock S5 Max, have a look at the Dreame D9, it is cheaper, does the job just fine, and overall a decent competitor to most high-end devices.

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44 comments
Gugi ⋅ 3 years, 5 months ago #

Hi Natalie, great review as always. It's been a year since I first check your videos and reviews, especially for the Mijia 1C, and now about to decide what to purchase, and still confuse :)

Could you help me decide whether to buy the Dreame D9 or Mijia 1C? My house is about 154 m2 excluding all the furniture, all tiles. I was comparing the Mijia 1C with Roborock S5 Max when I found out about the Dreame D9. Do you think it's worth it to add the budget to get the D9?

Previously I was just trying the get the best bang for the buck in 1C, but after few consideration (the long hairs of my wife and daughter, suction power, battery life, technology/feature (in that order)) I now tend to go with the D9. But I am still not too sure.

As some features were added to the 1C like no go zone, virtual wall, map saving etc., it has become more and more attractive. We would like to have the robot vacuum to be able to be summoned to a specific area in the house/spot cleaning. Clean the house early in the morning before we got up. How does the latest update on the 1C perform? Is it working great as intended or still buggy?

Do you think I should just spent USD 70 more on the D9? I am willing to, but not sure if I need to.

Looking forward to get some insight from you.

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 5 months ago #

Hi Gugi, I would go for the D9. The MiJia 1C has a small battery, it wouldn't be enough to cover your whole place in one charge. I live in a small 70 sq m apartment and it is not enough to finish cleaning before the robot needs to charge.

In my opinion, $70 is not that much to pay but you would get much more from the robot with Lidar like advanced navigation, ability to work in the dark, overall cleaning performance, etc.

Just my two cents :)

Gugi ⋅ 3 years, 5 months ago #

Thanks, Natalie! Agree with you, I think I just need reassurance for my purchase. i have placed an order earlier for the D9 and waiting for it in a couple of days.

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 5 months ago #

Yeey! Hope you love the robot :)

Antek82 ⋅ 3 years, 9 months ago #

Hello everyone, nice review!
I have it from half january, it has been wonderful until....side brush motor stop working, and the robot doesn't work, telling to clean the side brush. So it's unusable, and this already happened to few people. I'm waiting for answer from Dreame. If somebody wants to join with the same problem...I'll let know.

dobby ⋅ 3 years, 9 months ago #

I just replied to your message on the forum - will possibly try your fix.. you are no alone with that issue !

Antek82 ⋅ 3 years, 9 months ago #

Hello everyone, nice review !
I have it from half january, it has been wonderful until....side brush motor stop working, and the robot doesn't work, telling to clean the side brush. So it's unusable, and this already happened to few people. I'm waiting for answer from Dreame. If somebody wants to join with the same problem...I'll let know.

Fred ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Hello, are the accessories, brushes and mobs, the same on Dreame F9 (I got one) and Mijia 1C (maybe our next buy) ? Thank you !

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Technically should be but I am not sure as I never tested the Dreame :)

Fred ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Ok thank you. Very satisfied of my f9. Hope you can test it soon.

Rod T ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Thank you for the through review. We were able to get this off Amazon for $280 shipped.( both discounts stacked) Will be arriving 3 days from now

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Wow, that is a great price for this one. You'll get a lot comparing to others in this price segment.

Jorge Pereira ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Hi, do you think the silicone side brush from roborock s5 max will fit the d9?

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Hi Jorge, no the side brush from the S5 Max would not fit the D9 and vice versa

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

great review. Now Im tempted to go buy one.. :(

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Why so sad? :)

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

I bought a Roborock, but spent a tad more. Not sure if id miss anything switching. Still in return period lol

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Ah lol :) A Roborock is a good machine as well especially the S5 Max if you need mopping

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Bought the regular S6. Its nice, but if the Dreame is 95% the same thing, I rather just save $100 USD. :)

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

If you decided to switch, tell me about your experience with both ;)

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

The only issue I have with it is that the S6 struggles with Bathroom rugs.. The S6 Pure I bought prior didn't have the same issue, but it was significantly worse with 1 pass pickup on area rugs for some reason..

Whats your thoughts on the two models as someone that has access to many robots?

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

I am not sure why the S6 Pure performed better on your bathroom rug. Technically both should be equally the same on carpets. I didn't test the S6 Pure tho...

The Dreame has an electronic water tank which is more convenient if you mostly use the app to set waterflow. On the other hand, it lacks multi-floor and additional accessories of the Roborock S6.

It probably depends on what you are looking for in your robot vacuum. Both are great as well as both have some flaws...

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

I think the S6 pure sits up a little higher than the S6. I noticed the top sticker is getting scratched over bedroom tile/carpet door dividers while the S6 Pure never had that issue.

From what I independently researched, the S6 pure is a rebranded "P5" model, while the S6 is the T6.. Technically two different machines with different airflow and sensory hardware.

I don't have much carpet and arguably don't think I'm going to be mopping often, but I have used the S6's no mop zones feature and everything works pretty nice. I'm sure the S5 MAX is better all around for 2 in 1 vac/mop given it has pressure oriented hardware from the T7, but It seems like a downgrade (from S6/T6) at the same time? At least in terms of nerdy stuff that probably doesn't matter much in real world. :)

I care more about tile and carpet performance for every day use and I'm wondering if the S6 would be worse in the real word given it seems to have lower CFM performance at max setting? Not sure how the PA rating impact things either. There could also be tolerances per unit that vary highly :D

Ah I'm over thinking it huh? Thank you for responding though

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Might be the case (re: the S6 Pure sitting higher).

The overall built quality of the S6 feels better. And as a mop+vacuum, the S5 Max is a bit better. The S6 is quieter, comes with more accessories, and has a different water tank. As to airflow, I didn't notice these numbers affecting cleaning performance. I have tested robots with high numbers but much worse cleaning performance and vice versa.

I always say, on a day-to-day basis, you wouldn't notice a difference between robots that are very similar. If you run the robot every other day, the difference in cleaning results might not be significant. However, I didn't compare both head-to-head. I believe on carpet the difference between the two would not be noticeable.

All I know is Roborock having good customer support. I am not sure about the Dreame as I haven't had a chance to contact them.

So I am not sure whether you are overthinking or no lol. You just want to get the best for your dollar and that's totally understandable.

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Yeah even compared to the S6 Pure, the S6 feels much more premium relatively. So the D9 is a step below, huh?

S5 MAX seems like a hybrid design of an early "custom" P5 design (sensory) mixed with the T7 (E-Tank/rubber bumper) which never got released globally outside of china. Likely the reason the S5 MAX exist since china doesn't have this model either.. :)

From that perspective, the S6 is better in the nerdy stuff that doesn't really matter in real world cleaning, but I like knowing and understanding why stuff is better or worse. I used be in your situation where I would "test" stuff pre-release and rely information back to project mangers for a relatively big peripheral company and I guess I'm just generally interested in what is competitive at a given price point and peaking behind the scenes.

The D9 interests me because the Chinese to USD price conversions aren't that different where Roborock seems heavily inflated off sale in the US and Europe. Granted, they likely have legitimate support where Dreame might require a 3rd party warranty or amazon assistance in the US... (At least the 3rd-Party warranty would be half the price for 3 years and still end up cheaper than the Roborock S6 with its 1 year manufacturer coverage).

I just want something that last with comparable performance I guess? :P

I know its hard for you to gauge the dreame d9 since its a relatively new vacuum and this is likely more of a side project for them.

Ah Decisions..

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Update.. Dreame has a 2nd promo code on Amazon bring the price down to 259.99 shipped.... I will buy one and update you once I mess around with it. I'll likely add the 3rd party warranty if I decide to keep it.

Thank you for your help so far Natalie!

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Cool, the price is really good :) Tell me about your experience, I'd love to hear someone else's opinion

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Hi Natalie. I got my D9 today, but I noticed a few things.

Perceivable build quality is obviously lower than the S6/T6, but that was expected.. there's just something that's bothering me.

When I look at your maps, they're quite square like Roborock, but my D9 is cleaning in an angled pattern across rooms. Meaning, if a wall looks like "|", The bot goes in a zig zag pattern like "\" opposed to "|" like Roborock. It continues this type of cleaning pattern even after mapping and room division which I'd argue is much worse than Roborock. It's also harder to divide things since I have an island bar between living room and kitchen and the app refuses to adjust. (It's fine on Roborock Software though so its a Dreame issue).

On a second note your pathing patterns look WAY wider than mine, while mine are closer to a roborock navigation algorithm in terms of turning radius. Can You confirm that your Dreame has the latest firmware? I'd hate to have an "NA exclusive" version since every European reviewer has given this bot great remarks!

I noticed my extractor brush isn't capable of removing the ends and I'd assume that's due to being a "Dreame D9 NA version" as written on box. Was just wondering if I got an NA exclusive firmware too lol... I did update right away though. I did not check previous firmware.

Other that that, my initial experience is quite good. I think it can perform next to more expensive bots like the S6 Pure quite easily in some areas.

The bin was actually extremely full after not cleaning for 3 days which honestly shocked me because I feel like the Roborock is better at picking up certain kinds of debris like cat liter, but its an obvious improvement for hair/dust which makes me legitimately question what I'm going to do between keeping the D9 or S6. lol I believe this has to do with having a physically larger bin and screen over the filter which should promote better airflow in long term use.

Internally the hardware is an obvious downgrade and I would certainly opt for having a 3rd party warranty after looking at FCC pics of this model. Roborocks are just better built from what I can see internally. I wouldn't call this a cheaper Roborock at all. The industrial design even has nuisances that point towards different factory, but I expected that.

Navigation wise, its worse around table legs, but goes over bathroom rugs just fine like the S6 Pure, granted there's more suction since the rugs move from under the bot... just not from the wheels or anything like the S6. This bot also sort of sits lower and can get under stuff easier. Again its like the S6 Pure in that merit as well..

Vs the S6, both the S6P and D9 have similar height profiles with Lidar. S6 Lidar/bot profile sits up higher comparatively and does noticeably have more nuances getting under stuff like my refrigerator. Not an issue with the other two bots, at least from what I could remember when I had the Pure. S6 is just a much heavier and well made bot

Mixed feelings, but I'm impressed too. I'll update you in a day or two. I'll likely be more nitpicky.

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Hi Jake,
thanks for sharing your experience with both devices. Regarding your comments:

Perceivable build quality is obviously lower than the S6/T6, but that was expected… there's just something that's bothering me.

I didn't notice a significant difference in the build quality between the Roborock S6 and Dreame D9. What exactly in the D9 is cheaper in your opinion?

but my D9 is cleaning in an angled pattern across rooms

Lidar guided robot vacuums usually go perpendicular or parallel to the wall where you placed the dock, so maybe the wall where you placed the dock is diagonal to other walls in your house (like on this screenshot). I would suggest to move the dock to the other wall or even room, delete the map, and create a new one. Also, make sure there is some space from both sides around the dock (the user manual recommends to have 1 meter from both sides of the dock). Once I placed my robot near the corner and it rotated/distorted the map, so better not to place it in tight places and leave some space from the left and right around the dock.

On a second note your pathing patterns look WAY wider than mine

I updated my firmware to the latest one but didn't test it yet. Maybe they adjusted the turning radius, not sure. A wider cleaning pattern means faster cleaning, but a more narrow pattern should provide better cleaning performance.

I noticed my extractor brush isn't capable of removing the ends and I'd assume that's due to being a «Dreame D9 NA version» as written on box.

That's strange, looks like there are different versions of the robot.

screen over the filter which should promote better airflow in long term use

Agree, it was a good idea to add the screen over the filter, the filter is not as clogged after cleaning as the Roborock one so you don't need to clean it as often. Regarding the cleaning performance, they are pretty close, not sure which one is better, maybe I'll make a comparison of these robots with cleaning tests.

Internally the hardware is an obvious downgrade and I would certainly opt for having a 3rd party warranty after looking at FCC pics of this model.

Could you please share what exactly feels like a downgrade? I mean at first glance they look very similar and there are no significant differences in quality, but maybe I missed some important details.

Navigation wise, its worse around table legs

Yeah, the Roborock probably has better navigation (I think the best I've seen so far). But that is something that can be fixed via firmware updates, so it depends on how Dreame is going to improve its product. Roborock releases updates with fixes and improvements pretty often compared to other brands.

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Hi Natalie. The top cover is a little more flimsy and weight is less which impacts "perceivable" build to an extent. Not saying it's that much more but the D9 puts off a slightly cheaper feel, at least to me.

The internal PCB from looking at American FCC pics is a bit worse in regards to solder flux residue which should be typically cleaner than what I saw. Excess flux can promote electronical failure earlier, but that may not impact my specific unit.

Anyway, moving the D9 to a different room does sold that issue, but the turning radius does seems closer to Roborock, at least on my IPhones screen. I also noticed the MiHome app sucks battery life like crazy which is very annoying. Roborocks own app is fine.

The Roborock(s) didn't have this specific issue in the same location, which made me question it.

Also on a side note, my app does look different but I assume this is just a update/iphone issue? I can't adjust airflow or water level unless I go to the general setting screen.

The D9 Seems to pick up A LOT more dust/dirt, but again, certain debris are also much less. Not sure what to think about that factor. Its just something I noticed right off the bat of not running my bot for 2-3 days. Even with a 2nd or 3rd run via the d9, the D9 Seems to always have a decent chunk in its bin.

I'm sure if this was tested "objectively", it would paint a different picture for bigger debris? At least that's what I would assume. I've seen some reviewers that claim the D9 is worse than any roborock, but I disagree and tend to side with your opinion on this. I think they generally trade off depending on what's being picked up. Could be a result of the higher PA motor, not sure.

There could also be a factor of firmware adjustments pushing performance upward too. The S4 MAX should be a good example of this as it seems to have much higher flow than other models, while being based off the same general platform aside from mechanical adjustments or different hydraulics.

Right now my biggest issue with the dreame is dividing the kitchen and living room which I cant seem to do via the app. Any room with a door area is fine though.

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Hi Jake,
Thanks for the explanation about the build quality. Maybe you are right about the build quality, but at least, the D9 costs less so it's still a good robot vacuum for the price.

> I also noticed the MiHome app sucks battery life like crazy which is very annoying. Roborocks own app is fine.

Yeah, the Mi Home app looks bloated and heavy compared to the Roborock app, so I'm not surprised it drains the battery faster.

> The Roborock(s) didn't have this specific issue in the same location, which made me question it.

Roborock cleaners have more polished firmware/software (mapping and navigation algorithms), so perhaps it is more precise in terms of recognizing their position, obstacle avoidance, and overall navigation.

> Also on a side note, my app does look different but I assume this is just a update/iphone issue?

Yeah, they updated the app UI recently, probably I'll update the screenshots in the article.

Regarding the cleaning performance, I noticed that the Dreame D9 pick up the sand a bit better than the Roborock S5 Max. Maybe because of the higher suction and airflow. Would be great to compare them side-by-side.

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

I feel like it's the Dreame UI itself rather than the MIHome app in general (The home screen is fine and doesn't drain my battery), but there could be some poor optimizations on IPhone. Not sure.. I haven't tried my Roborock via Mihome app.

Roborock's IPhone app has worked perfectly fine though, so I guess theres no reason for me to experiment :)

Yeah... The D9 100% picks up way more dirt/dust particles. Its quite noticeable when knocking debris out of the filters, its just bigger larger debris either get knocked out of the way due to the side brush speed or the main brush isn't exactly picking stuff up as well as the Roborock's.

I like the D9, but I'm leaning towards keeping the S6 due to being able to clean larger particles in less passes if that makes sense. I do 100% think the Dreame is better at filling the bin after 2 days of not cleaning though.

The asked around with my connections and found out the Roborock main PCBs are manufactured by a well known company that is popular in the laptop sector. So the level of internal quality is certainly higher. Not sure if that matters for you to know, but I'm picky with certain things lol

Thanks Natalie!

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Hi Jake,
Thank you for the information regarding the Roborock build quality, I'm glad to learn new things about robot vacuums, so of course, it matters. Your comments will be helpful for other readers as well, so any additional information or feedback is welcomed here.

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Apparently Dreame will have another update in March (mutli level). Google home support comes in June.

Debating if I should wait it out.. It's certainly a good value and hard to beat @ the $260 USD I paid. It sells for 1999 RMB ($308) on sale in mainland china.. Maybe they're willing to cut profit to build market share in the west.. not sure.

My biggest issue is really the APP.. Its just not as refined right now and the battery drain (iphone) is quite a big problem.

The water tank seems worse than the passive Roborock tank when comparing in kitchen, though I do not mop that much. I tried messing with the airflow hole but it doesn't seem to matter.

The odd thing about dreame is that theres a lot of parts shared or copied from shark ninja corp such as the WIFI module and general brush and wheel motors.

Wonder what the story is there :)

I'd love to see you make a comparison video of robots in the same price/feature bracket vs the D9. Granted.. Not sure if Mine being an "NA edition" is a set back :)

Maybe I should ask Dreame if they will send me a global version of the brush if I end up keeping it.

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

The news sounds cool! When filling the tank with water make sure the rubber cover is dry. There is a warning on it that says you have to be careful not to spilling water on it.

As to a comparison video... there are not many robot vacuums in the same price range with such features. Can do so with the Roborock S5 Max which is more expensive as well as the Xiaomi MiJia Mop P. Those three are similar in some aspects.

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

It's certainly competing with the S5 MAX in regards to feature set and tank size, granted I'm sure the S5 MAX is better all around, but the sale prices reflect that improvement lol.

If the app was more refined, I would definitely overlook the current short comings.

Gugi ⋅ 3 years, 5 months ago #

Hi Jake,

How was it going with your Dreame D9? I am about to purchase it in the next few day, still trying to make up my decision.

Have you updated the app? How was it?

I was about to buy the Mijia 1C but now swayed toward the D9 because of Natalie's video and review as well as the price point.

If you can give some updates, I will much obliged.

Best,
Gugi

Ricke ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Love the D9 seems soild and like Jake pointed out GREAT DEAL @ $260 I'm tempted to pick it up in place of the 360 S9 I like the 3000 pa, 360 support has been soild and the 360 now has 2650 pa, You have tested them both how do they compare? Mopping, Carpet pick up, app, is the ultra sonic sensor hype of real? Navigation, etc.. I noticed the cfm on the 360 tested higher with the 2200 pa version

Jake ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Its actually a good deal since the MSRP/launch price is 2300 Yuan in mainland china. Went on sale for 1999 during the holidays.

Compare this to last years Roborock S6 that launched at 2800 Yuan ($433 as of today) and is currently on some sort of a perma sale at 1949-1999 yuan.. covered at current rate of $300-309 USD. I think the S6/T6 and S4/T4 are soon to be discontinued given the older design layouts internally. P5/T7/T7 PRO all have a rear exit vacuum motor and seem to reflect on the newer stucture of roborock designs.. As well as having a lower spec of memory/ram.. T7 PRO (S6MAXV) is the only one that has significant upgrades over previous models.

I'm not sure of the logistics behind having to deal with amazon as a market place seller and or covering defective products, but I would assume thats where Roborock is fronting the extra cost for products sold in the US/Euro. Aside from extra profit.

The recent Roborock holiday sales aren't technically "sales" from this perspective, but rather selling the products at domestic Chinese MSRP prices opposed to the heavily inflated robot market in US and Europe. Insane to think they were selling the S6/T6 @ $600~ at one point lol

Not sure why the Dreame is priced super low unless this is a mistake (Maybe it wasn't suppose to overlap?), but even then, both of those "coupon" deals on their own put it fairly even with conversion rates.. so.. :)

Basically $100 USD off on a brand new product at chinese pricing ($355).. Crazy.

Smeet ⋅ 3 years, 7 months ago #

Hey Jake would you fork out the extra cash for a S5 Max? The D9 sounds good as I'm not looking for anything too fancy, just good cleaning and decent mopping but if the support and reliability is better on the RR I might cough up the $150 more. Just a little confused between the 2

Luce ⋅ 3 years, 4 months ago #

Hi Jake, I’m doing some research on robot vac and mop as wanting to buy one. I have read your reviews on dreame d9 and wonder if you still have/keep it and if so what are your thoughts now? I’m considering between the dreame d 9 and rr s6. Thank you.

Deacon ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

I have the iLife V-8 and have not been able to find brushes or filters for it for over a year I finally gave up and bought a shark IQ and it is not any good I can’t even hear the vacuum run. So I can return it if somebody knows where I can get replacement parts.

Deacon ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

I have a side-by-side video of them both running, won’t let me post, and the iLife v8 will pick up cat food cat pellets iams, and shark just rattles it around dropping pieces off around the house. Don’t know if you’ve ever stepped on one of those in the middle of the night but it’s no Bueno. not to mention very simply,m you can’t even hear the shark run Except for beater bar and cat food,in the trail it leaves. So if you know where to get those parts brushes and filters I would love to know. Thanks

Natalie Red ⋅ 3 years, 11 months ago #

Have you looked on Aliexpress? Here and here

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