Ecovac’s Deebot T9+ robot vacuum is an autonomous vacuum that can do it all.
Its 3000 Pa suction power capacity is one of the highest in robot vacuums. The iRobot Roomba S9+ has 2500 Pa and the Ecovacs N8 Pro boasts a maximum 2600 Pa. It’s easy to set up, it’s “smart,” and most importantly, it makes it so you never have to worry about vacuuming again.
This flagship model comes with some new, premium features. A built-in air freshener, the latest True Detect 2.0 software, and a larger 175-minute battery. It also comes with an automatic empty station and scrubs the floor when mopping.
While these features are welcome upgrades, I’d suggest they aren’t enough to make existing Ecovac customers upgrade from the Ecovacs N8 Pro.
The main decision you’re going to have to make here is deciding whether or not you want an auto empty station.
If not, the N8 Pro is a cheaper alternative to the T9+ that performs just as well. If yes, the T9+ saves you the hassle of making two purchases (the N8 Pro is compatible with the auto empty station), and you’ll know that it has the latest and greatest features Ecovacs can deliver.
Pros
- Easy to setup
- Effective vacuuming and mopping
- Comes with an auto empty station
- You’ll never have to worry about vacuuming again
- TrueDetect 2.0
- Massive battery
Cons
- Similar performance to the N8 Pro
Price
The Deebot T9+ costs $1,189. Compared to the $760 Deebot N8 Pro, this seems expensive, however the T9+ comes with an automatic empty station.
The Pro is compatible with the empty station, but be prepared to pay an extra $400. The T9+ only costs around $100 more than the N8 Pro with an auto empty station, so it’s well priced.
Features
If you already have the latest Ecovacs Deebot robotic vacuum cleaner (N8 Pro), you won’t notice much difference when using the T9+. The features are mostly the same.
The initial setup is easy. Connect to it with your phone, open the Ecovacs app and let it do its thing. The vacuum will crawl around the floor and, using Ecovacs’ TrueMapping technology, create a map of your home.
Once this process is done, you’ll be able to see a 2D map of your house with the rooms individually identified. You can create cleaning sequences defining what spaces you want cleaning in what order, set timers for when you want the T9+ to vacuum, and manually create boundaries that you don’t want the T9+ to cross. It’s all straightforward, and most importantly, it’s accurate. The map of my house was almost perfect, and the vacuum never crossed the boundaries I set.
The T9+ has been upgraded with TrueMapping and TrueDetect 3D 2.0 technology. Ecovacs claims this makes the vacuum better at detecting objects like toys or cables on the floor. Though, I didn’t notice much difference after using the N8 Pro (which has version 1.8 of the software). The N8 Pro was just as good at avoiding obstacles.
Like other vacuums in the Deebot lineup, the T9+ has anti-fall sensors that accurately identify areas where the vacuum could fall. I have a few stairways in my house, and not once did the T9+ fall down them.
A new feature is the ability to map your house in 3D. After the T9+ has identified your rooms, you can turn the basic 2D map into 3D. This felt a bit gimmicky, though. It involved me selecting and adding 3D models to the room like I was playing The Sims. I would choose a couch, bed or table and place it on the map. It was more hassle than it was worth, and in the end, I didn’t bother doing it.
An area where the T9+ is a lot better than its successor, the N8 Pro, is mopping. Both vacuums are able to identify hardwood floors and simultaneously mop/vacuum them. The mop is larger on the T9+ and it uses an OZMO Pro 2.0 Electric Oscillating Mopping System. This system means the mop moves horizontally with the vacuum’s movements. Basically, it scrubs the floor instead of simply dragging a wet cloth over it. This was better at getting rid of tough stains when compared to the N8 Pro.
The downside is that the T9+ requires constant replacing of disposable mopping pads, whereas the N8 Pro has a reusable one. The whole point of a robotic vacuum is that it allows you not to worry about vacuuming or mopping. Having to change the pads constantly took away from that.
The T9+ comes with an automatic empty station that doubles as the charging station. Once the vacuum has finished its cleaning cycle, it will return to the station and empty itself. The station has a capacity for 30 days worth of cleaning. Only having to empty the bin once a month was great, and it made me think even less about the vacuuming.
Performance
The T9+’s performance is very good. While it’s not as good as the latest Dyson vacuum, it certainly gets the job done. It picks up dust and dirt, and you’ll be able to notice when the vacuum has gone around the house.
The T9+ boasts 3000 Pa of suction power. It’s more powerful than the N8 Pro’s 2600 Pa but I didn’t notice much difference in performance.
The mopping performance is okay. It’s definitely more effective than the N8 Pro due to the oscillating functionality; however it still doesn’t compare to good old-fashioned manual mopping.
It goes without saying the T9+ is best in a single-story house. Ecovacs, or any robotic vacuum company for that matter, hasn’t released a robotic vacuum that can traverse stairs… yet. Fortunately, you can set up multiple maps in the Ecovacs app. The stairs in my house meant I had to move the vacuum to different floors manually. Yes, this did detract from the vacuum’s autonomy; however, once here, the T9+ was able to quickly locate where it was, and begin cleaning.
Battery
The T9+ has a larger battery that will last 175 minutes. This is a 59% increase which is a significant upgrade on the 110-minute battery found inside the N8 Pro.
If you have a lot of rooms that need cleaning all at once, the larger battery is helpful, but if not, it’s a bit pointless. The T9+’s Continuous Cleaning feature means that when the vacuum is low on battery, it will return to the charging station, charge itself, then continue where it left off. Charging usually only took 1-2 hours, so I didn’t notice many benefits of the larger battery.
Verdict
The T9+ is a very good robot vacuum. Its 3000 Pa suction power has decent performance; its TrueMapping technology creates an accurate map of the house; it’s great at navigating obstacles; and it’s easy to set up and leave to do its thing.
Other than coming with an auto-empty station, and oscillating when it’s mopping, the T9+ doesn’t offer much more than Ecovacs other robot vacuum, the N8 Pro. The T9+’s air freshener is a nice but not necessary addition. The larger battery is a bit redundant due to the Continuous Cleaning function, and I didn’t notice it was any better at navigating obstacles.
That’s not to say the T9+ isn’t a good robot vacuum because it is very good. It’s just not worth upgrading for.
If you already have the N8 Pro, buy the $400 auto empty station, and you’ll have a robot vacuum comparable to the T9+. If this is your first foray into robot vacuums, you’ll love the T9+. It does exactly what it sets out to, you’ll never have to worry about vacuuming again.
