Eufy X9 Pro robot vacuum and mop – one of the best of 2023 (cleaning review)
The Eufy X9 Pro robot vacuum and mop has great features that suit mixed hard and soft floor types, like carpet detection (no mop) and heated mop pad drying. It is close to a one-pass solution.
We reviewed the Eufy X8 Twin-Turbine Hybrid robovac/mop – a powerful little sucker and found it well made and fit for purpose for vacuuming hard or soft floors. The twin motors, each producing 2,200Pa, made for impressive carpet cleaning. The mopping attachment was a static platen and lost points there.
So when we were offered the Eufy X9 Pro with 5400Pa, carpet detection, hot air mop cleaning and one of the smartest AI navigation systems we have seen, we were keen to put it through its paces.
It is not quite perfect (lacking a dustbin empty function), but it is one of the best robot vacuums and mops for one-pass cleaning on mixed floors. But the real question is whether it is good value at the $1499 price.
Before you read the review, check out Five Tips for Choosing a robovac/mop (2023 update cleaning guide), especially the part on house preparation.
Australian review – Eufy X9 Pro robot vacuum and mop
Website | Product page Manual Quick Start Support pages |
Price | Eufy X9 Pro $1499, including mop cleaning station |
From | My Anker, JB Hi-Fi, Robot Specialist |
Warranty | 1-year ACL |
Made in | China |
Company | Eufy is an Anker Innovations brand. Directed Electronics Australia and New Zealand exclusively distribute it. Anker (Shenzhen Oceanwing Smart Innovations Technology Co., Ltd) is a Chinese electronics company that produces computer and mobile peripherals, including phone chargers, power banks, earbuds, headphones, speakers, data hubs, charging cables, torches, screen protectors, security cameras, and more under multiple brands. |
More | CyberShack robot vacuum news and reviews |
We use Fail (below expectations), Passable (meets low expectations), Pass (meets expectations), Pass+ (near Exceed but not class-leading) and Exceed (surpasses expectations or is the class leader) against many of the items below. You can click on most images for an enlargement.
Feature summary – Exceed
- Carpet detection: Lifts mop pads 12mm and stops rotating
- 5500Pa adaptive vacuum power (on Max mode)
- Rotating mop: 180 RPM, 1 kg downward pressure
- Self-cleaning and 40° mop drying station: All that is missing is dustbin emptying.
- Gen 4 smarts: iPath Laser (LiDAR), AI.See (camera and object detection), 3D ToF sensors (depth and avoidance), IR sensors (front) and Wall sensors (side). An ultra-brainy bot.
- Quick mapping takes minutes, not hours, for an accurate map.
- The App is one of the better ones.
First Impression – big and sombre – Pass
A cleaning station, by definition, needs to be big, and this is at 443 (H – lid open 730) x 412 (W) x 308 (D) plus ramp totalling 416mm (Deep). Add a metre clear in front and 50cm at each side for the robot to manoeuvre.
The robot is also larger and heavier than expected at 352 (W) x 326 (D) x 94mm. It all looks quite serious. Eufy needs to look at more fashionable colours and finishes to capture Gen Z and Millennials, who often buy on looks, not specs.
Privacy – minimal risk
Robovacs generally present minor privacy concerns, unlike, say, security cameras. The privacy provisions are typical and benign, and the camera is not used for surveillance.
Setup – Pass+
Download the Eufy Home App, register for an account, connect to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi (which also supports Mesh routers/satellites), and that is it.
The Quick map feature is fast (<10 minutes) and fantastic (accurate). It does the edges first, then a U-shaped clean with different rooms defined by colours that you can rename. It improves on the map on subsequent cleaning runs. It can store five maps.
Once you are happy with the map, you can edit it to split/merge rooms, add no-go boundaries and more. This allows you to select rooms to clean and set a cleaning order. You can set schedules, tap and go (cleans the room you tap), manually control, show cleaning history, voice assistant settings, and update the firmware.
As it has carpet detection and no mop, you don’t have to shut doors or set no-go zones unless there are areas you don’t want to be cleaned.
Navigation – Exceed
This is an ultra-brainy-bot. It has:
- iPath Laser (LiDAR) and SLAM mapping
- AI.See (camera and object detection). It is nice that the ability to use this as a video camera has been removed.
- 3D T-F sensors (depth and avoidance)
- IR sensors (front)
- Wall sensors (side)
- Cliff detector (under)
It also has a forward/side bumper, but we have yet to see it run into furniture. The sensors do an excellent job.
Obstacle recognition – Pass+
We try to trick robot vacuums/mops with everything from electric cables, USB charging cords, shoelaces, shoes, toys and Leggo bricks. Gen 3 robots usually have a few issues. Over four weeks, this Gen 4 ultra-brainy bot did not get stuck anywhere or try to eat shoelaces.
This means that you can confidently leave it unattended for cleaning, and it should avoid any obstacles etc.
Cleaning time – Pass+
In one pass mode (vacuum and mop), it covers about 1m2 per minute.
Vacuum efficiency – Pass+
The claim is 5500Pa suction. That is impressive, but the reality is the Max mode only. It has Turbo (about 3800Pa), Standard – default (about 2800Pa) and Quiet (about 2000Pa). The more suction, the shorter the battery life.
We found that on short sisal pile carpet, standard mode left too much of our test sample (70% efficiency). Switching to Turbo (set as the new default) improved the detritus collection to 85%. Then we discovered a new function – see below.
BoostIQ Feature – Pass+
The App allows you to set power-on defaults for mopping and vacuum strength. But the BoostIQ feature automatically varies suction power if it detects thicker carpets and hard-to-sweep messes. This improved detritus collection on sisal carpet to 87%.
Hard floors only need standard mode, recovering 92% of the test sample. Turbo mode increased this to 93%.
As with all robot vacuums, it does not do edges or stairs.
Mopping – Pass+
You need to understand a few issues first.
It has no inbuilt water tank. Every 10 minutes (about 10m2 but user-definable), it returns to the base for a mop pad wash and clean. The mop pads are two parts – a microfibre mop and an absorbent pad under. It mops using only that water every 10m2 it is back to base for ‘rinse and repeat’.
The advantage is that there is no leaky water or dragging an increasingly dirty static platen over the floor.
The disadvantage is that in multi-level mapping – you can’t mop, or it tries to return to the station on another floor.
Mopping efficiency is good – Pass+ because of the frequent mop cleaning. Combining 180 RPM and 1 kg downward pressure means it can remove much more than a static platen mop.
Sills – Pass
We found it struggled on the claimed 20mm sills negotiation when coming from the carpet to hard floors. It was fine on 15mm.
Noise – Pass
It ranges from 55 to 75 dB, depending on the mode. On default settings, it is about 65 dB.
Edge clean and clearance – Pass
It uses a single left-side whisker but cleans the edges first, then performs a U-pattern between the edges. Like any robot vacuum/mop, it cannot do edges like a stick vac can.
At 93mm high, it can get under most cupboard and furniture overhangs.
Battery – Pass+
It uses a 14.4V/5.2A/75W LiPo battery. LiPo (lithium-poly) is considered safer than Li-ion using a gel-like (Silicon-Graphene) material (less combustible, lower chance of leakage). The downside is they are larger (less energy dense), more costly to make, don’t last as long (300-500 maximum charge cycles) and take longer to charge – about 5 hours in this case.
But given the terrible publicity about Lithium-ion batteries and their runaway fire issues, I will take safety any day.
The charge station provides 20V/1.2A/24W, which is extremely safe. You can leave a LiPo battery on the charger without issue.
The station uses 60W when cleaning and hot air drying.
Runtime – default settings
- 180min (vacuum only).
- 120min (vacuum and mop).
- BoostIQ has little effect on battery life as it is only used momentarily.
You can halve these figures if you use Turbo or Max vacuum constantly.
Maintenance – consumables seem expensive – Pass
Not on the Eufy AU website. Prices from the US website – at least double for an indicative price
- Dustbin 410ml (US$22.95) – empty after every use or 50m2 – (Washable 24-hour dry).
- Dustbin Pre-filter (US$15.99) – wash after each use (24-hour dry).
- Dustbin Post-filter ($US29 for 2)– washable (24-hour dry).
- Dirty water tank 3.6L (US$38.99) – empty after every use.
- Clean water tank 4.1L (US$38.99) – fill after every use.
- Mop pads ($US29.00) – replace every three months. A polyester/nylon outer layer and an inner sponge layer provide extra water absorbency.
- Mop Pad holder (US$17.99)
- Whisker brush (US$29 for 2) – every 3-6 months.
- Rubber roller ($US20) – bristle-less, made of silicone wedges (replace every six months).
- Brush guard (US$29) – every six months.
- Cleaning tray (dock) $US39.99– clean regularly.
- Dock ($US205.99).
- Accessory kit bundle ($US79.99) 2 x mop pads, rubber roller, Dustbin filter-
OK Google or Alexa
While it offers voice control, the range of commands is limited.
Alexa | Google Assistant | Action |
Alexa, ask RoboVac to start cleaning. | Ok Google, ask RoboVac to start cleaning. | Start |
Alexa, ask RoboVac to stop cleaning. | Ok Google, ask RoboVac to stop cleaning. | Stop |
Alexa, ask RoboVac to go home. | Ok Google, ask RoboVac to go home. | Go Back |
CyberShack’s view – Eufy X9 Pro robot vacuum and mop is one of the best
Once you get over the $1499 price tag, you will understand that this is necessary for one of the best AI navigation systems we have yet seen.
The auto-lift rotating mop is important where you have a mix of soft and hard floors, as you can let it go and do its job unattended.
It would have been perfect if it emptied the dustbin (yes, we are lazy).
Ratings – Eufy X9 Pro
- Features: 95 – all that is missing is the dustbin empty
- Value: 90 – Great value for all that tech (that works)
- Performance: 95 – better than average mopping, mop lift on carpet, and terrific on hard floors. Carpet may require a higher vacuum setting or use BoostIQ.
- Ease of Use: 90 – easy to set up, and Quick Map is excellent.
- Design: 90 – sombre. Let’s have some flair for such a vital piece of home furniture.
Eufy X9 Pro
Item | Explanation | Grade | |
Shape | Round | Round shape robovacs have issues with edge and corner cleaning | Pass |
Lidar | 2D | 360° single LiDAR builds a 2D map | Pass+ |
Camera | AI.See | Used to identify objects. Not used for surveillance. | Pass+ |
Sensor | dToF | Time of Flight used for depth sensing | Pass+ |
Sensor | IR | A forward IR and right-side sensor helps to avoid obstacles | Pass+ |
Sensor | Bumper | Forward and side – I never saw it bump anything | Pass+ |
Wall sensor | Whisker side | It helps to get closer to the edges | Pass+ |
Cliff sensor | Yes | Stops going over stairs | Pass |
Maps | 5 | Stores up to 5, but you must take the base station to each level | Pass |
Map edit | Yes | All the usual, including mop and no mop zones | Pass |
App | App | Google Play Store or Apple App Store Meets all typical needs. Modes include vacuum, mop or both, suction (four levels), battery level and cleaning diary, area vacuum, and U-shaped navigation pattern. | Pass |
Voice | Assistance | Google or Alexa are limited to three commands. | Pass |
Edge | Limited ability to clean edges and corners – slightly better than same as any round robovacs. | Passable | |
Vacuum efficiency | Great on IQ Boost and hard floors. You need to set Turbo or 2x repeat for carpet. | Pass | |
Carpet | It depends on carpet type – use a stronger suction setting or IQ Boost | Pass | |
Carpet Lift | Yes | 12mm lift (good for low pile carpets to 6mm) | Pass+ |
Sills | 20mm | Had some issues on carpet to hard floor | Pass |
Suction | 5500Pa | On Max Around 2800Pa on standard | Pass+ |
Dustbin | 410ml | Adequate but needs frequent emptying. No bin-full detector | Pass |
Water | N/A | Mop wash and wet every 10m2 – depends on the setting | Pass+ |
Mop efficiency | Two rotating pads | Excellent mopping power | Pass+ |
Eufy X9 Pro continued
Battery life | Recharge time is about 5 to 5 hours, and it has a plastic floor ramp/protector for the mop. | Pass | |
Battery | 5200mAh | 14.4V/5.2A/75W LiPo safety battery | Pass |
Wi-Fi | 2.4GHz | Same as most robot vacuum/mops | Pass |
Size | 352 (W) x 326 (D) x 94mm | Pass | |
Dock | Yes | Recharge time is about 5 to 5 hours, and it has a plastic floor ramp/protector for mop. | Pass |
Self-empty dustbin | No | Our only real disappointment | N/A |
Inbox | Robotic vacuum cleaner Charging base Clean Water Tank Dirty Water Tank 2 x Mop pads One spare Post Filter Owner’s Manual & Other Documents | Pass |
Eufy X9 Pro robot vacuum and mop
$1499Pros
- One of the best AI navigation and obstacle avoidance systems
- No home prep is necessary, and you can leave to do its job unattended.
- Carpet detection and lift action are excellent for one-pass whole-of-home cleaning
- No water tank – uses the mop for 10m2 and cleans it
- Above maintenance standard mopping
Cons
- Carpet vacuum requires a Turbo setting, or BoostIQ may do
- No dustbin empty – it would have made it perfect
- If the mop pads get dirty, they spread dirt – send it back for a clean.
- 20mm sills can defeat it
- Large dock space