MIDEA M9: high power, 3D sensors, cloth lifting on carpets

The Midea M9 robot vacuum cleaner is the latest new product to be reviewed and tested. Priced at no more than $270 (or no more than $350 at the exchange rate at the time of writing), the device boasts a number of advanced features. These include a cleaning cloth lift function when driving onto carpets, 3D sensors on the bumper to detect and carefully avoid objects on the floor, increased suction power of 4000 Pa, and downforce from the cleaning cloth platform, which allows for better floor cleaning. At least, this is what the manufacturer claims in its promotional materials. Find out how it performs in the real world by reading the review. I thoroughly tested the Midea M9 and then expressed my opinion on what I liked and disliked. So, let's get started!

Equipment

The robot vacuum cleaner arrived in a branded box like this:

The package includes:

1. Charging base with non-detachable cord.
2. Operating instructions.
3. Two spare side brushes.
4. Spare HEPA filter.
5. Spare microfiber cloth.
6. Robot cleaning tool.

The kit is good, there are all spare consumables for the first time of using the robot.

Appearance

Let's take a look at the design of the Midea M9 robot vacuum cleaner. It's white, made of matte plastic that resists fingerprints. The body is round.

Wall sensors are located on both sides of the bumper. 3D sensors are located in the center, behind the glass, to detect and accurately avoid objects on the floor. The body is 97 mm high.

The control panel features three mechanical control buttons. Navigation is handled by a lidar sensor, which is equipped with a spring-loaded cover to prevent the robot from getting stuck under furniture.

The combined water and waste container is removed from the rear. It holds up to 220 ml of water. It features a dual filtration system, with a mesh filter and a HEPA filter. The dust container capacity is stated as 250 ml, although it appears significantly larger—approximately 400-500 ml. The dust container has a dust removal flap. Unfortunately, according to the brand, this model is not compatible with the self-cleaning station. This is odd.

A holder with a napkin is installed underneath the robot. The napkin is attached to the holder using Velcro and a groove.

The robot vacuum cleaner is equipped with four fall protection sensors. A carpet detection sensor is located near the swivel roller, which is a plus. There are two side brushes, three-pronged and quick-release. The central brush unit is floating. The turbo brush has soft, fluffy inserts. Both sides can be removed to remove tangled hair and fur.

And, as mentioned earlier, the platform with the cloth can not only rise when driving onto carpets and returning to the charging base, but also press harder against the floor on hard surfaces, exerting a firmer pressure to remove dirt. The platform can be raised up to 10 mm.

There are no complaints about the robot's design. A number of advanced features have been implemented that improve its performance and allow it to vacuum and mop simultaneously, leaving carpets dry and clean. The only disappointing feature is the lack of a self-cleaning function.

Technical specifications

Main characteristics of Midea M9, ​​as declared by the manufacturer:

• Li-Ion battery 5200 mAh.
• Suction power up to 4000 Pa.
• Operating time up to 180 min.
• Cleaning area >100 sq.m.
• Dust collector 250 ml.
• Water tank 220 ml.
• Napkin lifting height: 10 mm.
• Obstacle clearance up to 20 mm.
• Dimensions: 350*97 mm.
• Weight: 4.8 kg.

It is important to highlight the increased suction power here, which will be verified in tests.

Functional capabilities

Speaking of the Midea M9's features, the robot vacuum cleaner is controlled via the proprietary MSmartHome mobile app. It's available in Russian. The robot connects to Wi-Fi without any issues. Follow the manufacturer's instructions.

The main capabilities of the robot are displayed on the screen:

• Saving multiple cleaning maps.
• Automatic zoning of premises into rooms.
• Selecting areas and rooms for cleaning.
• Virtual walls and no-go zones (and for wet cleaning mode).
• Suction power adjustment.
• Adjusting the water supply level.
• Cleaning log.
• Setting up cleaning according to a schedule.
• Voice notifications in Russian.
• Automatic power increase on carpet.
• Automatic lifting of the napkin on the carpet.

Overall, it has almost all the necessary features for customizing cleaning parameters to your needs. The only things missing are a custom mode to allow you to select individual parameters for each room, as well as control via Yandex.Alice. I hope these features will be added.

Testing

A detailed video review of the Midea M9, ​​including all tests, has already been prepared and published on the channel:

Navigation

And finally, let's move on to the tests. First, we'll test the Midea M9's navigation in a room with obstacles. First, the robot vacuum cleaner navigates the perimeter of the room, then cleans the entire accessible area in a serpentine pattern. It didn't navigate neatly around the legs of the clothes dryer, but it didn't get stuck on them either. It also swept around three of the four chair legs and a box, then returned to the charging base. This test was passed!

Speaking of navigation within the home, the Midea M9 cleans room by room, following the perimeter and then in a serpentine pattern. There were no uncleaned areas, and the cleaning speed is on par with lidar-based robots, so I have no complaints about the navigation!

Identifying objects on the floor

I also decided to test the floor detection system. The manufacturer claims that the 3D sensors can detect objects as small as 10 mm in height. However, the Midea M9 got caught in its traps, even knocked over a large stuffed animal, and chewed on a wire.

Another issue: the robot sometimes detects medium-pile carpets as obstacles and avoids the edges. In some areas, it does manage to reach the carpet and clean it, but given the low efficiency of the 3D sensors, it would be nice to have the option to disable them completely. This feature isn't available in the app.

So, as a result, I believe that the system for determining subjects is currently not effective and requires improvement.

Suction power

The Midea M9's suction power was impressive. Like its predecessors, the Midea M7 Pro and S8+, the robot vacuum cleaner was able to suck up debris from a 10 mm-deep crevice. This is a truly powerful robot vacuum!

Dry cleaning

The dry cleaning performance was excellent: the robot picked up all the debris from the laminate flooring, leaving only a small amount in the corners, where round robot vacuums are unable to sweep debris. The central brush caught some hair and lint, but the bulk of the debris was collected in the dust bin. The test was passed successfully.

Cleaning the carpet

Thanks to its powerful suction and floating turbo brush, the robot effectively picks up debris from carpet, delivering a deep clean. The Midea M9 has no complaints in this regard either. Another test passed!

Wet cleaning

The cleaning performance for light stains is generally good. The robot vacuum was able to remove dried-on dirt without leaving streaks. This is a plus. The only remaining area is a narrow zone along the baseboard, which is a blind spot for almost all existing robot vacuums.

It's also worth noting that the Midea M9 can vacuum and mop simultaneously. That's also a good thing.

Wet cleaning and carpets

When it comes to wet cleaning on carpets, the robot raises its platform, meaning the cleaning cloth barely comes into contact with the carpet. This is a plus. However, there's no automatic carpet avoidance feature in wet cleaning mode. You have to set separate no-go zones for wet cleaning, which is inconvenient, considering the robot vacuum cleaner correctly identifies carpets.

Obstacle clearance

The robot easily navigates 2 cm high thresholds, as stated by the manufacturer. That's a plus.

Driving on black surfaces

Driving over black surfaces can be problematic. The robot vacuum cleaner is sensitive to black carpet; the height sensors detect it as a drop, causing the robot to back away. However, the Midea M9 is not sensitive to hard black surfaces and can easily navigate them. This is important to keep in mind.

Noise level

Finally, we measured the noise level of the Midea M9. It ranged from 58.5 to 68 dB. Considering its high suction power, I can say this robot's noise level is reduced, which is a plus.

Personal opinion

The Midea M9 robot vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 118 pointsThis is more than previously released Midea M6 And M7 Pro, but less than that of S8+, which is equipped with self-cleaning.

Overall rating of tested robot vacuum cleaners: https://robovac.washerhouse.com/en/rejtingi/robovac-obshhij-rejting-robotov-pylesosov-robo.html.

I'll highlight the pros and cons of the Midea M9, ​​and then share my own opinion. I liked the following:

1. Very high real suction power.
2. The function of lifting the napkin on carpets.
3. Good quality dry and wet cleaning.
4. Capable of vacuuming and mopping the floor at the same time.
5. Full Russification of the application and voice notifications.
6. Good equipment.
7. Good cross-country ability.
8. Relatively low noise level for such power.

Speaking about the disadvantages, the main ones are:

1. The object detection system is not effective and cannot be turned off to avoid interfering with the robot.
2. The robot vacuum cleaner is afraid of black carpets.
3. Self-cleaning is not provided, although the dust collector is equipped with a curtain for unloading debris.

And, like all other round robots, the Midea M9 doesn't sweep into corners, and like absolutely all its analogs, it doesn't clean dirt right up to the baseboard.

Overall, if the 3D sensors worked correctly, I'd call it one of the best in the sub-$300 price segment, given its design. And considering it sells for under $200 during sales, it has virtually no worthy competitors at that price. The Midea M9 does a really good job of vacuuming and mopping, lifting the cloth on carpets, allowing them to remain dry and clean after cleaning. Therefore, it's important to consider the price when deciding on a purchase price. Under 20,000 rubles, it's definitely a winner. But for prices closer to $300, you'll need to carefully weigh its advantages against the competition.

On this note, I'd like to end this review. Happy shopping. Bye!