Midea M9, robot vacuum cleaner review

The battle for the best quality-price robot vacuum is intensifying with the arrival of new brands and models willing to offer more for less. And for sample, this Midea M9 that we have analyzed. After the high-end Midea S8+, the Chinese firm known for its large household appliances brings this firm candidate for cost benefits to Europe.

Design: classic and yet premium

The Midea M9 is a robot vacuum cleaner with the usual cylinder format and slightly more generous dimensions than standard. However, we can already tell you that in practice it is not an inconvenience beyond the logical problem of not fitting into certain spaces. But we are talking about a little more than a centimeter, nothing dramatic. If space is a problem in your apartment, don’t panic because the base is very compact, since it only serves to load the vacuum cleaner.

Aesthetically, the Chinese firm has achieved a premium but functional finish thanks to a white matte surface with silver details that are pleasing to the eye and that withstand handling with the hands and the blows to which this device is exposed.

Let’s take a look at each of its sides and its main elements:

• In the upper part it has the typical t xapela where it hides the LiDAR sensor responsible for navigation. It also has three illuminated buttons: ON/OFF, localized cleaning and network configuration, and sending to the base. The chromatic lighting is most intuitive, with flashing and red color in case of incident.
• Unlike a good part of vacuum cleaners, with a lid in the upper area, the Midea M9 has access to the filter and tanks on the rear side. In this sense, I want to highlight how comfortable and practical the double pressure system is for its extraction. Here we see two compartments: one to house the vacuumed dirt and another for the washing water. In our experience, both tanks have fallen somewhat short, having to be aware of emptying and filling them, respectively, often. Turning to the side we will also see the object detection bumper in the front and hidden area, a reset button.
• With the robot upside down we find the classic steering-displacement wheels, the load plates and complementary sensors for navigation and cleaning such as anti-fall and an ultrasonic for detecting carpets. Regarding the configuration of brushes , we find two lateral ones and a single central roller of bristles arranged in a spiral that combine some more rigid and others thicker and softer.

Navigation

As we have already detailed in the design section, the Midea M9 mainly uses a LiDAR viewer for navigation, according to the brand, using double-line lasers. The laser is a consolidated technology for mapping, initially present in high-end models but which has already been democratized enough to be present in the mid-range and even in models that are around 200 dollars.

In these weeks of testing the Midea M9, ​​we have used it daily to clean the entire house (my apartment is 50 – 60 square meters), something that it achieves in slightly less than half an hour. As can be seen in the application, the robot goes room by room, initially going around the perimeter to later draw zigzags until it is complete. In this sense, it is worth noting the optimization of its route so as not to give too many passes, although obviously it does not pass through the areas where it does not fit. There are others, for example the space of the table and the chairs in the dining room, in which it does fit but the navigation algorithm does not think so. In any case, if we raise the chairs (general recommendation for the best results: clear the space to be cleared of obstacles), it passes without a problem.

The set responsible for navigation is not infallible with obstacles either. Thus, it has swallowed the bedroom curtains (which reach the floor) and has taken the cables from the power strip on the floor. Of course, as it is a moderately large and bulky model, it has not had problems with the bathroom scale, another classic natural enemy of the laser for being so low that it escapes its “detection field”.

Cleaning

Three brushes and up to 4,000 Pascals are going to be in charge of preventing us from using the broom less. In practice, that suction capacity is divided into four: silent, delicate, standard and powerful.

Our house is rather small, it has a tiled floor (ideal for scrubbing) and unfortunately there are no pets, so during the day it has faced crumbs, dust and hair that falls on us. It is not much, and the truth is that with the delicate and standard mode it has been enough.

At specific moments, that extra power has come in handy , for example when you take off your shoes and socks after playing paddle tennis and sand falls. In any case, we consider the overall power to be more than enough.

In the suction section, I want to highlight the configuration of the central roller, which by combining bristles of different thickness and hardness is more effective than the classic hard bristles, especially for small solids such as dust. Of course, as there is a lot of hair on the floor, with this type of brush a tangle is prepared that is difficult to loosen without damaging it.

We have a couple of small, thin rugs at home that we clean occasionally with a cordless vacuum, and the rug mode (which automatically turns the power up to max when detected) does a good job of keeping them clean, at least both visually and by agitating them so they throw up dust Taking into account that they are relatively simple rugs and their size, rather than worrying about cleaning, the problem I find is that the robot vacuum cleaner takes them with it.

The vacuum comes with a scrubbing attachment that the manufacturer claims is pressurized to increase pressure. Thus, it is not just a damp mop rubbing against the floor, but in theory friction is increased . We can also choose between four levels of water dosing. The truth is that this pressure is not visible visually and apart from a small soft stain, the classic drop of coffee that falls to the ground and dries has remained there. In the same way, the dirt that accumulates between the cracks in the tiles stays there, being a finite mop (come on, it doesn’t have those mop tufts that get anywhere).

An interesting fact is that the scrubbing system is raised 10 millimeters to avoid damaging carpets when you vacuum and scrub simultaneously. Here I have mixed feelings, since one centimeter is a lot of height (not even for mine!) and even if it is only going up and down, the mop and carpet will rub a bit. And this is not pleasant or convenient for the conservation of the fabric or to avoid odors.

Autonomy

The Midea M9 integrates a 5,200 mAh battery that according to the house provides a range of up to 180 minutes… in the best of cases. So we have tested it in the worst possible scenario: scrubbing and vacuuming at maximum power. And the truth is, more than a vacuum cleaner, it is a rabbit of a certain brand of batteries because it lasts, lasts and lasts : almost four times it has completely cleaned my apartment (86 minutes in operation).

If we take into account that my apartment is around 50 – 60 square meters and that working at full capacity it can clean about 200 square meters, we are facing a robot vacuum cleaner that shines in autonomy.

In addition, two important details must be taken into account: the first is that we have not normally needed this powerful mode, so the autonomy on a day-to-day basis would still be greate . The second is a common function, but one that should not be underestimated for that reason: if it runs out of battery, it returns to the base to charge itself and then resumes cleaning with what remains to be done.

Midea app

Although with the three buttons on the top you can do the bare minimum, your thing is to download the MSmartHome application (available for iOS and Android ) in order to control the robot vacuum cleaner from your phone via Wi-Fi (only compatible with the 2.4 GHz band).

From the application you will be able to do many more things: choose between the four levels of suction and scrubbing power, edit the map, do partial cleanings, add “forbidden” areas for vacuuming/scrubbing, programming, access the manual, see the deterioration consumables, factory reset, among others.

We have highlighted the design of the device, but we cannot say the same about the application : the main screen, although pleasing to the eye, is not very intuitive due to details such as the icons to configure the suction and scrubbing power and the zones prohibited, which are neither visible at first glance nor have a clear drawing. Likewise, and as you can see in the screenshots of the application, there are texts that appear cut off. Although I have been able to handle it without a problem, it would need a facelift to make it more accessible.

Maintenance

In the previous point we have already seen that from the application you can see the deterioration of the filter and the brushes, but what you will have to worry about the most is emptying and filling the mixed tank and cleaning the brushes.

With the mixed deposit, one of lime and the other of sand. Both extracting the part from the robot and opening the compartments for solids and the access to the filter (they go separately) is comfortable and practical. In fact, it is one of the models that best solve it. The not so good thing is the size: both the capacity to accumulate dirt and that of water are rather small, so you have to be aware because the robot does not warn.

Cleaning the brush is equally simple : just turn the robot vacuum over, press the two tabs to remove the piece that holds it and pull it. Once in hand, we can remove the dirt with the accessory. Of course, be careful because the bristles are easily damaged by hairballs.