Review of the DreameTech D9 Robotic Vacuum and Mop

When you think about the latest technology, you probably think of fun, sexy things like a smartphone or game console. To be fair, those are the flashiest examples of technology, and they get the most media attention. When a new iPhone model is released, everyone is talking about it. But technology is also transforming our lives in many other ways. For instance, you’ve probably heard about the Internet of Things (IoT). All kinds of household appliances and gadgets are going online.

Technology also allows us to automate a number of household tasks. We have smart home devices, like Alexa and Siri, to control our appliances and even our lights. And what better task to automate than vacuuming? In fact, vacuuming was one of the first household chores to get the “smart” treatment. Before the iPhone even existed, the iRobot Roomba pioneered the automatic vacuum market. But just like smartphones, robot vacuums have come a long, long way since the original. They’ve gotten more powerful, and they’ve been integrated with smartphone apps.

Today, we’re going to review the DreameTech D9 Robotic Vacuum and Mop. This is one of the beefier, smarter robot vacuums on the market. It comes with a companion app that offers a ton of smart features, so we have high expectations. Not only that, but it’s expensive, so our standards are a little bit stricter than they normally would be. So, does the D9 offer premium quality in exchange for its premium price tag? To find out, we’ll need to take a deeper dive into its design and features. Let’s dig in, and see what we learn!

Overall Design

The DreameTech D9 Robotic Vacuum and Mop is a circular unit, constructed from glossy white plastic. It’s about the size of a dinner plate, and slim enough to fit under most furniture. This allows it to cover your entire floor, including under couches and other obstructions. The glossy finish has a tendency to show fingerprints if it’s handled frequently. On the other hand, it’s easy to wipe down and keep clean. The outer edges are built like a bumper, with a deep ridge between them and the center. There are infrared sensors on the front, with the removable dust bin located in the back.

The dust bin has a capacity of 570ml, which is a touch larger than your average robot vacuum. The industry standard is 500ml, so you’re getting an extra 14 percent capacity. The bin removes and replaces easily, so it takes just a few seconds to dump out. Also located inside the housing is a 270ml water tank for the mopping function. This container is also easy to remove and refill.

On top of the D9 vacuum, towards the front, you’ll see a row of soft touch buttons. These allow you to perform the D9’s most basic functions. You can start a cleaning cycle, spot clean or send the unit back to its base station. These are only meant to be basic controls, and just scratch the surface of what the D9 can do. The bulk of the controls are performed through the smartphone app, which we’ll talk about more in a second.

In addition to the infrared sensors on the sides, the top of the D9 sports a LIDAR sensor. This sensor is capable of creating a detailed 3D map of your home. It’s far more powerful and precise than a basic infrared sensor, and is essential for the D9’s smart functions.

Underneath, you’ll find a standard spiral roller brush. This is comparable to the main brush on most vacuums, and sweeps dirt directly into the vacuum opening. In addition to the main brush, you’ll also see a pair of side brushes. These rotate horizontally, and are designed to sweep debris towards the center of the vacuum. These brushes don’t do much on a carpet, but they greatly expand the cleaning area on a solid surface.

On the bottom of the D9, you’ll also see a velcro strip for the mopping function. There’s a set of washable mop heads included in the kit, which can be reused almost indefinitely. When they eventually wear out, replacement mop heads are available separately.

Along with the vacuum and the mop heads, you also get a charging base station. This is a low-profile unit that sits against your baseboard and plugs into a power outlet. It’s also where your vacuum lives whenever it’s not in use. For this reason, it’s best to locate the base station in an out-of-the-way place, like a laundry room. That way, it will present a minimal hazard of tripping.

About the only thing the D9 vacuum kit doesn’t include is a remote control. This isn’t really necessary, because the whole unit is controlled via the smartphone app. That said, you might prefer a vacuum that doesn’t require an app. In that case, consider the Tesvor S6. It has similar smart features to the D9, along with a remote control, but it’s not as powerful.

The DreameTech D9 vacuum is covered by a 12-month manufacturers warranty. This protects you from any defects in materials or workmanship.

Vacuum and Mopping Performance

The DreameTech D9 Robotic Vacuum has a maximum suction of 3,000 Pascals (Pa). This is 50 percent more powerful than most robotic vacuums, which typically provide 2,000Pa of suction. As a result, the D9 is among the most powerful robot vacuums on the market. If you want something even more powerful, you’ll need to use an upright vacuum. For example, the Onson EV696 stick vac is battery-powered, and offers 11,000Pa of suction. That’s almost as powerful as a corded vacuum, which will typically provide around 14,000Pa. Even so, the D9 is powerful enough to handle tough messes without the need for any other tool.

There are four vacuum suction levels, so it doesn’t always have to run on high. This is fortunate, since higher power levels will drain the battery faster. When run on the lowest mode, the D9 will clean over 2,500 square feet in vacuuming mode. It will also clean over 2,100 square feet in mopping mode. Similarly to vacuuming, the mopping mode is also adjustable. There are three different levels of water flow to choose from.

In general, it’s best to run the D9 on the lowest possible setting to maximize your battery life. At the lowest level, it will mop or vacuum for 2.5 hours without recharging. At higher levels, the operating life will correspondingly shorten. Once again, though, you’re looking at a vacuum that far outperforms most comparable units. Most robot vacuums max out at around 90 minutes, a full hour less than the D9 offers on a charge.

When the D9’s battery starts to get low, it will automatically return to the charging dock. If it needs to do this in the middle of a cleaning cycle, it won’t end the cycle. The D9 will automatically pick up where it left off, once the battery has been fully charged. It will also return to the base station whenever it’s not cleaning. This way, the battery will always have a full charge when you need it.

Setup & Everyday Use

The DreameTech D9 vacuum is designed to run as efficiently as possible. However, this may not be apparent at first glance. When it runs for the first time, it will seem to be roaming around randomly. Don’t panic! It’s not broken; it’s just mapping your house. Using the LIDAR sensor on the top, it generates a 3D map of your home. Once that’s done, it will be able to clean your floor efficiently every time. The map will also update automatically if anything changes. If you move your furniture around or even move to a new house, the D9 will adjust.

Through the smartphone app, you can adjust a variety of settings. As we already discussed, you can change the suction power, or alter the level of water flow for mopping. You can also check the vacuum’s battery, or the remaining space in the water tank or dust bin. Not only that, but you can use the app to pair the D9 vacuum with Alexa and other home assistants. From there, you can clean your floor using simple voice commands.

The D9 offers multiple cleaning and mapping modes. By default, when you run the vacuum, it will clean your entire home. However, you can also choose specific rooms to clean. Once your home has been mapped, just select a room to perform a one-time cleaning. Within the app, you can also create virtual boundaries. For instance, you can keep your baby’s playpen off-limits. You can even set separate boundaries for the mop and the vacuum. Vacuum and mop tile and hardwood, and use the vacuum only on carpeted areas. You can also set zones that need to be vacuumed twice. This is a great way to achieve better results on high-traffic areas.

DreameTech is constantly improving the D9’s firmware. It receives over-the-air updates as long as it’s connected to the internet. DreameTech has announced that they’re developing the ability to map three separate floors. This will be a huge benefit for multi-level homes, although it’s not available to the public yet. DremeTech currently plans to release this feature via an over-the-air update in the near future.

If you like all of the D9’s smart features but want to pay less, check out the Aoso S3. It has most of the same options as the D9, but at a more affordable price. On the downside, it doesn’t have a mop function, and it only provides 2,000Pa of suction.

Final Verdict

The DremeTech D9 Robotic Vacuum and Mop is one of the most powerful robot vacuums on the market. With 3,000Pa of suction, it can handle just about any mess. And with its wet mop function, it’s ideal for cleaning up hardwoods and tile. Not only that, but it includes a wide array of smart features to make it as efficient and versatile as possible. If you don’t mind the price tag, there’s a lot of value here.