I’d definitely count it among thebest budget robovacsI’ve tested.
I was less enamored with its mopping skills, however.
The app is well designed and intuitive.
This bot has a single rubber roller and one side brush
That’s the short version; read on for my full Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 robot vacuum review.
Note that I spotted the vacuum being offered at big discounts in all territories while writing this review.
However, for most controls you’ll want to use the companion app.
This bot has a single rubber roller and one side brush
This model uses LiDAR for navigation, hence the raised puck.
There’s also a camera at the front of the bot.
Slightly more unusual is the approach to the mop pad.
A wide, flat water tank is attached on the underside of the mop pad(Image credit: Future)
Dreame has integrated a wide, very shallow water tank onto the underside of the D-shaped mop pad.
Other robovacs will have a separate tank inside the bot itself, but that uses up valuable dust-storing space.
), so it doesn’t need to be attached when you’re just vacuuming.
… and the whole thing snaps onto the underside of the bot(Image credit: Future)
However, it’s as I’d expect for a robot vacuum in this price bracket.
This is very slightly fiddly to remove from the inside of the bot.
There’s also a brush and hair-cutter tool, for easier maintenance.
A hinged lid opens to reveal the onboard dust bin and filter(Image credit: Future)
That has the benefit of being far more compact good news, if you have a small home.
This took under five mins, and involved the bot meandering into each room and vaguely looking around.
I then set it off on its first cleaning run.
Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 robot vacuum with top lid open to show where the dustbin fits inside(Image credit: Future)
I was pretty impressed.
Navigation & obstacle avoidance
In general, the Dreame Max Gen 2 navigates very well.
However, it isn’t as reliable when it comes to obstacle avoidance.
This bot probably isn’t the best choice if you have a lot of clutter on your floors.
To assess cleaning power, I ranTechRadar’s standard tests.
I started by sprinkling tea and oats on separate patches of carpet.
The bot got a little stuck making its way around my fireplace
It cleared most of the tea in one pass, and almost all of it in two.
I was impressed with how it handled the oat spillage, too.
However, in my general use of the vacuum on carpet, I had a few minor complaints.
The D9 Max Gen 2 sadly failed to avoid any of these obstacles
I also found it wasn’t amazing at dealing with hair.
I repeated my tea suction test on hard floor.
On the first pass, the D9 Max Gen 2 seemed to just push the tea leaves around everywhere.
Tea on carpet before test(Image credit: Future)
On the second and third passes, though, it had gathered pretty much everything.
Only a few escaped and that was because they’d bounced their way out of my set cleaning zone.
There’s no option to use this bot with a floor cleaner.
Remaining tea on carpet after a single pass(Image credit: Future)
There are three water levels to choose from, and I selected the middle one for my mop tests.
To see how it fared with trickier spillages, I smeared a tiny bit of ketchup on the floor.
Unfortunately, it barely touched this at all, even after traversing the area three times.
Remaining tea on carpet after a second pass(Image credit: Future)
There’s also some maintenance to be aware of.
Next I drained the tank, although the placement of the inlet meant I couldn’t empty it completely.
Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 review: app
The Dreame app is well-designed and intuitive.
Oats on carpet before test(Image credit: Future)
There’s also an area where you might adjust your suction and water controls.
It’s also possible to adjust the order in which the bot cleans you rooms.
Should you buy the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2?
Remaining oats on carpet after a single pass(Image credit: Future)
4 / 5
Design
A standard hybrid robovac with removable D-shaped mop pad and charge-only dock.
Fairly basic in design, but good for the price.
3.5 / 5
Performance
Good mapping and navigation, but unreliable object avoidance.
Tea on lino floor before suction test(Image credit: Future)
Vacuuming is good, but mopping functionality is underwhelming.
App
Easy to use and nicely designed.
It’s well-built, straightforward to use, and navigates reliably.
During the suction test(Image credit: Future)
It also means you won’t have to make room for a massive dock.
Don’t buy it if…
I compared my experience with other robot vacuums I’ve tested, both budget and premium models.
After one pass(Image credit: Future)
Read we test robot vacuum cleaners.
Oats on lino before the suction test…(Image credit: Future)
… during the test…(Image credit: Future)
… and the ones that got away(Image credit: Future)
Ketchup smear on floor before mopping(Image credit: Future)
… and what was left after a couple of passes(Image credit: Future)
