Today, we’ll introduce a new robot vacuum, the DreameTech D9. This is their first smart robotic vacuum cleaner. We’ve put it through many tests to ensure it works well.
These claims are lofty. One refers to the 3,000 Pascals per minute of suction. It’s not yet tested, but we’ll be able to determine how much airflow it has and how it contrasts to the best brands.
Dreame Robot Vacuum Overview
DreameTech’s D9 is DreameTech’s very first LIDAR-based navigation robot. It has high-end features like no-go zones, invisible walls to keep it from going over-limits areas, and invisible walls.
These two features are not available on many robots within this price point. The LIDAR sensor makes navigation a strong point. It performed well in cleaning tests but could have been better. We’ll explain more in our Cleaning Performance section.
Pros & Cons
Also read: How good is Eureka Blaze 3 in 1?
Introduction to Dreame D9 Robot Vacuum
DreameTech first reached out to us to review their V10 product a few months ago. It’s now the S9 smart vacuum. The robot’s design is inspired by Roborock, which is not surprising considering it is a Xiaomi product.
It is designed to compete with Roborock, 360, and other robot vacuums priced between $300 and $400. It boasts a 3.0 LIDAR, smart navigation, and a 150-minute runtime. The tank holds 270 ml of water. How does it perform in real-world situations?
We’ll start by going over the features.
1. Design
For now, the Dreame D9 is only available in one color – a glossy (and matte!) finish. Three buttons are located above the LIDAR cover – dock, and spot, clean.
These buttons won’t be used as often since the app is available, which we’ll discuss in another section.
Below the LIDAR, you will find the storage area for your brush cleaning tool and dustbin. Dreame’s dustbin can be loaded from the top, just like Roborock. Dreame was able to use a larger dustbin that has a 570ml capacity without the need for a bulky water tank.
It is larger in contrast to the Roborock S4 Max/S5 Max and holds more dirt.
It has a combination brush that is similar to a Roborock. The D9 features a unique design, with rubber flaps at the front and a rubber seal at the back.
Dreame placed these flaps. We don’t know why, but it probably hurt cleaning performance because it prevented debris from getting into the brush.
There is a slot behind its brush where one can insert the mopping water pad/tank.
2. Vacuum and Robot
The Dreame D9 can vacuum and mop like the Roborock S5 Max. However, the former is the more affordable option.
It had a 270ml capacity, which was surprising to us since it had a somewhat flat design. It is good at dispensing just the perfect amount of water to the pad to keep them damp but not soaking.
3. SLAM + 3.0 LDS Laser System
Dreame has installed the most recent LDS sensor technology into the D9, which they call the “new 3.0 LDS Laser System”.
The robot scans your room at 2080 points/second with decent accuracy. This technology can be combined with SLAM to create a highly efficient robot that navigates through mazes of rooms. LIDAR has the advantage of not needing any light, so you can use it in dark conditions.
4. Navigation
The D9 vacuum navigates like a Neato or Roborock, thanks to LIDAR/SLAM and LIDAR/SLAM. It cleans the edges and then moves straight ahead towards the middle.
It has its quirks, we’d say. One is its wider overlap at the turns. This shouldn’t cause any problems with regular clean-ups, as it only needs to deal with hair and dust.
The default D9 will go around twice and doesn’t have an option to go beyond two. Dreame should increase this number to three as part of future app rollouts in order to be competitive with Roborock.
5. Scuff Furnishings
Even in the middle, the D9 does a great job of avoiding objects. To check how the robot pushes itself, we placed one alcohol dispenser right in front of it and a smaller bottle.
It only managed to move the alcohol dispenser, and it avoided it during subsequent passes. It pushed the bottle, but it was not enough to fall.
This means that the D9 will not be able to bump into furniture as hard as it should.
6. An Invisible Wall, No Go Zones, and No-Mop Areas
Dreame is the cheapest option we tested considering the above-mentioned features. It gives you access to invisible walls, no-go zones, and no-mop areas.
These features are crucial in any robot vacuum. This gives you the ability to stop robots from entering prohibited areas. It eliminates the need to physically block the robot. Trust us. These areas are part of every home.
An invisible wall is nothing but a line that stops the robot from passing it. There are numerous options for what areas you can block.
In that, it blocks an area square or rectangular; the no-go zone and no-mop zones are very similar.
Also read: Is Vaclife Handheld truly an excellent choice?
- Our trust is with Amazon
App Features
The Dreame is compatible with the D9 Xiaomi Home app. Let us walk you through all the features.
1. Carpet Boost
The carpet boost feature allows the robot to automatically elevate its suction levels when it finds carpet. This feature is great because it extends the run time without micromanaging.
You can set it to a lower setting and use the carpet boost to boost suction on the carpet.
2. Room Naming
Although users can assign names to sections of a map’s top section, there is no custom naming option. The app only allows you to choose from a pre-selected list of names.
3. Unlimited Scheduling
Dreame also offers unlimited scheduling for the D9. You can now schedule infinity runs per day. This feature is not available on mid-level Roomba options such as the 980. This gives users more control over the robot’s operation and the ability to select the power mode that best suits their needs.
You can ask the robot for night running at any lower setting, and it will not disrupt most activities.
4. Live Map
You can view the D9 app’s live map in real-time to see where the robot is, its size, battery status, and other information.
It does not have map-saving capabilities. It is suitable for single-level homes. If you live in a multi-story home, you might need a Roborock S4 Max. This is unless you are okay with the robot having the map redrawn and you having the robot set the no-go zones or invisible wall whenever it cleans another floor.
5. Selective Room Cleaning
You can also choose which areas you want to clean. You can do this by tapping on an area of the map, but only after you have created partitions. If the mop is attached, you can adjust the order in which the rooms will be cleaned as well as the power and water levels.
This feature is available on the D9, which is the most affordable robot vacuum we’ve tested.
6. No Go Zones, No-Mop Areas, and Invisible Wall
These features have been mentioned before. Let us quickly explain each function. You can create invisible walls vertically, horizontally, and diagonally to prevent robots from entering certain areas.
No-mop and no-go zones are rectangular and square areas that are out of reach for the robot. These are features we believe robot vacuums must-have.
7. Water and Power Settings
The Dreame D9 has four power settings besides three water level settings. These setting appears only when the water tank has been attached.
8. Recharge and Resume
The robot can also be set to use the resume function, which will tell it to clean after charging if it hasn’t completed the task before.
We Wish the D9 Had:
Dreame has omitted features we believe they should have. One of these features is the inability to save maps. The D9 app actually can’t save maps. The map must be reset if you move the robot to another level.
These are some of the downsides, but it is easy to fix because it is software. It can only run two passes.
Service Schedule
This tab will alert users when the side brush, filter, and main brush need to be changed. This is not the only thing you should rely on. These parts should be inspected regularly to determine if they need cleaning or replacement.
Cleaning History
This tab displays the last cleaning cycles and the associated maps. This tab gives you an overview of total usage, including hours, area, and total runs.
A Word About the Dreame D9’s Power?
Dreame claims that the D9 can produce as high as 3000 Pascals suction. We’re still trying to determine how to measure suction, so we can’t confirm this.
These are the results of the Dreame D9’s four power settings using an anemometer.
- Turbo 15.96 CFM
- Standard: 11.11 CFM
- Quiet: 9.08 CFM
- Strong 13.33 CFM
Airflow results are good but not great. Deep cleaning results confirmed the airflow levels with an average of 84.2% after a 2-pass run.
Deep cleaning is dependent on airflow, but there are other factors such as brush roll design and seal.
- Our trust is with Amazon
Cleaning Efficiency
To test how well the Dreame D9 vacuum picks up different debris, we tested it with coffee grounds, quinoa, quaker oatmeal, and pet litter.
Here are the scores.
- Overall: 87.11
- Hard floor 96.1%
- Carpet (surface). 96.12%
- Deep cleaning: 82.54% (2nd run: 84.2%)
- Sand on the hard floor: 93.31% (2nd run: 99.4%)
These scores are based on a single, 2-pass Dreame D9 run. A second, two-pass test was done for the sand-on hard floor test and deep clean test.
Although the results are almost identical on the carpet and hard floors, we believe that the D9 is better suited to cleaning the carpet.
Its potential for clean-ability is severely affected by the absence of a third pass or wider turns. It means that there are virtually no overlaps between rows. If debris is found between rows, it’s likely that the robot will not see it.
1. Hard Floor Results
- Quaker oatmeal: 97.4%
- Coffee grounds 96.8%
- Quinoa: 93.9%
- Pet litter: 97.1%
Although the scores were good, they were not as high as those of Roborock or iRobot.
The D9 failed to pick up any debris despite the high airflow. After the initial pass, there was still visible debris. The flaps are the problem, so we use scotch tape to remove them. The results were the same.
Its cleaning potential was also limited by the two-pass-only run and deficit of overlap. The side brush also caused a scattering problem during cleaning tests. It spun faster than we expected.
2. Carpet Results
We used the same set of debris to test the DreameTech D9 on low/mid pile carpet.
The D9 performed better on carpet than hard surfaces in the eye test. Because the side brush has more friction, there was less scattering. Although the passes were cleaner, it was unable to pick up large quantities of fine debris such as coffee grounds.
Low Pile
- Quaker oatmeal: 98.64%
- Coffee grounds 89.41%
- Quinoa: 100%
- Pet litter: 99.8%
The D9 scored 100% with pet litter and quinoa, while the D9 struggled with coffee grounds. The problem isn’t airflow but agitation or the seal behind the brush.
Mid Pile
- Quaker Oats: 98.4%
- Coffee grounds 88.2%
- Quinoa: 100%
- Pet litter: 99.9%
Mid-pile results are identical to the low pile test only. Besides that, it scored almost 100% with quinoa, pet litter, and coffee ground.
3. Mopping
The DreameTech D9 water tank is the most affordable option we have tested. Although it looks small due to its flat design, the tank holds a whopping 270 ml. You can’t use detergents or cleaners as they can damage the electronic and rubber parts inside.
It worked well on dried wine stains. We left it overnight.
This experiment was done with the highest water flow setting. The mid setting was used for the first pass. However, it didn’t sufficiently saturate the pad.
It was able to remove the stain quickly and efficiently by moving up to the maximum flow level.
Although it left some marks, the dust quickly dissipated as the floor was damp. The DreameTech D9 is a great choice if mopping is a priority.
4. Edge Cleaning
To see how much the D9 takes up, we sprinkled coffee grounds in one corner. After two passes, the D9 was able to pick up most of it. The D9 was limited by its round frame and couldn’t reach every crumb.
5. Sand on Hard Floor Test
Sand is one of the most difficult items to clean from a hard floor. We spread 100 grams of sand on a test area to see how the D9 handles it.
After the second two-pass run, it successfully picked up 97.6% and left a noticeable area. The score was 99.2% after the second run.
It was evident that only some sand (not even visible) was left behind, so we recommend it for regular cleaning.
6. Hair Wrap Test
We used the D9 to test its resistance to hair tangles. First, we tested it with one gram of human hair measuring five and seven inches in length. Then we weighed the contents of the bin and the strands surrounding the brush.
The Hair in the Dustbin of the D9
Both five-inch and seven-inch strands yield identical results.
- 5 inch test: 0.3g in the bin (30%)
- 7 inch test: 0.3g in the bin (30%)
Untangling hair is an important part of maintenance. The D9’s anti-tangle system doesn’t suffice to remove long hair strands from the brush.
7. Deep Cleaning Test
We used 100g of fine sand to clean the carpet in the middle pile.
After the first two passes, the D9 averaged 85.55%. We ran another run, and the score was 84.2%. This is a good result, but it doesn’t replace a stick/upright vacuum in terms of cleaning embedded dirt.
How Loud Is the Dreame D9’s Sound?
Here are the results of a sound meter we used to test the D9’s noise levels.
- Quiet: 59.3 dB
- Standard 60.2
- Strong 62.7
- Turbo 64.3
Similar results were obtained with the Roborock S5 Max at 65 decibels. It’s quiet enough that it can be used without disturbing the conversation at lower settings. The lowest setting, however, is not very useful except for dust cleaning. However, it is perfect for mopping.
- Our trust is with Amazon
How Long Does the Dreame D9 Last?
In its lowest setting, the D9 can run for up to 151 minutes. The D9 has a recharge and resume feature, so it shouldn’t take too long to run. Even if the D9 doesn’t complete cleaning, it will continue cleaning once it has been recharged.
What’s in the Box?
These items will be available in the original box.
- Dreame D9 robot vacuum
- Guide for quick and easy start
- Charger station and plug
- Water tank plus microfiber pad
Parts
The D9 is new, and there aren’t many parts available. Components such as the main brush, side brush, and filter should be available soon.
Maintenance
Robot vacuums last a long time if they are maintained properly. Here are the parts you need to clean and replace regularly.
- Filter: Dreame states that the HEPA filter can be washed. To get rid of any debris stuck to the filter, tap it on a hard surface. As part of your maintenance, you can use a handheld equipped with a brush attachment.
- Side brush: Check this section for hair wrapping at the base. It’s much easier to remove the D9’s version because it doesn’t have any bolts.
- Wheels: Use a damp towel to clean the caster and side wheels.
- Primary Brush: This is the part that gets the most abuse because it cleans hair and debris. This component should be inspected regularly for dust and hair accumulation.
- Dustbin: Clean out the contents of your dustbin after each cleaning cycle to stop dust mites breeding.
- Sensors: Clean the drop sensors with a microfiber towel.
Is the Dreame D9 a Great Value?
Dreame is a combination of features that make it an attractive option for those looking for a robot vacuum at a lower price.
It is the cheapest we’ve tested. It has an electronic no go zone, water tank, no mop zones, an invisible wall, and an electronic water tank.
Roborock is more expensive, but this robot can mop floors as well. It doesn’t vacuum the floors. It is not designed for navigation or cleaning dynamics but should be able to handle daily cleaning tasks.
Excellent for Mopping, Average with Vacuuming Flooring
The robot’s performance was pleasing after we spent several days testing it. It was not as good as Roomba and Roborock in cleaning and navigation, but it’s much more than what you’re paying for.
The passes were clean, and the navigation was efficient.
Although the mopping feature was pleasant, DreameTech needs to improve its navigation and cleaning dynamics if it wants to be competitive with household brands, but at this price, it’s truly unbeatable. You can’t demand everything; it will be too much. You’re actually compromising very less.
Also read: Very Shocking expert testing of Electrolux Ergorapido
The Verdict
Dreame was a product we were looking forward to. It delivered on its promise with the mopping function. It passed the cleaning tests. However, it failed to pass the cleaning tests as cleanly as some 150% more expensive models do. You won’t be bothered by any big problems. We can’t call it a satisfactory performer; it’s decent for the price actually.
- Our trust is with Amazon
