Samsung POWERbot R9250 Review: High Power Clean

In a market full of robotic vacuums, it is nice to have as many choices as we do. Sometimes deciding on the right fit is harder than it first seems. With so many brands, models and options the choices pile up quickly. You want the best that matches your budget. Perhaps the Samsung POWERbot R9250 is the one for you.

In this article, I will cover all of the features, options and details of the machine while explaining how it works, where it falls short and what you can expect. Read the entire article below to get all the details you need to decide for yourself if this is a good fit for you.

Who Is The POWERbot R9250 For?

The Samsung POWERbot R9250 is a good fit for some people. You might be that person if:

• You have a large floor plan that needs to be cleaned regularly.
• You have the need for wireless control either through apps or voice commands.
• You need a vacuum with a large capacity for dirt and a long battery life.

Who Is The POWERbot R9250 Not For?

The POWERbot R9250 isn’t for everyone. It may not be a good fit if you:

• Are on a tighter budget and need to save money.
• Have allergies and need better filtration.
• Don’t want to spend your maintenance time cleaning off brushes and unclogging ducts.
• Require an app support with features beyond the basic start and stop.

Features

Now, I will dive inside to give you the details of the features, components and dimensions of the Samsung POWERbot R9250.

Navigation and Mapping Might Just be the Best on the Market

The POWERbot R9250, along with the other models in the POWERbot line, has a superb navigation and mapping system. The camera has a wide, 120-degree view and actually scans the ceiling of the area. By locating the corners and landmarks such as ceiling fans and light fixtures, the machine will be able to map where it has been and where it needs to go.

The other factors of the navigation are the sensors. The drop sensors keep the unit from falling off ledges or downstairs. They work by sending an infrared beam towards the floor. Light colors reflect this beam and it will tell the robot how far off the ground it is.

One caution (this goes for all robotic vacuums): black and darker colors can absorb the beam which will tell the device there is a ledge when there isn’t.

There are also bump sensors on the machine that will alert the robot to upcoming obstacles like furniture and walls. The machine will slow down to avoid damage and will get as close as possible to clean as much floor space as it can.

In the event of a collision, the robot will stop and change direction, navigating by feel until it makes it around or past the obstacle.

The Battery is Improved and it Shows

The POWERbot line up is not known for its battery life. However, with the release of the POWERbot R9250, the battery got a major improvement. The first thing that Samsung changed was making the battery pack larger. Instead of the 2200mAh pack, the R9250 has a 33mAh pack. This extends the runtime by 40 percent and the charge time by an hour.

The tradeoff, though, is that the robot will be able to clean up to 1200 square feet (including carpeting) on a single charge. The recharge time is almost four hours if the robot makes it back to the charger in time.

As the battery level drops below 15 percent, the R9250 will stop the cleaning cycle and return to the base. However, it happens that the vacuum won’t always make it back before the battery completely dies. You may find, on occasion, that you come home to a dead robot in the middle of the floor.

Once the robot has recharged, however, it will leave the base station and resume cleaning from where it left off. This is called entire level cleaning and it will ensure your whole floor gets cleaned as scheduled.

The spec sheets will list the battery life runtime of up to 100 minutes. While this is a vast improvement over the previous models’ 60 minutes, you will have to account for drop off. What I mean is that to get 100 minutes you must run in optimal (lab quality) conditions. The more carpet you have, the more open floor space, the more obstacles, how dirty the filter is, everything brings the battery life down.

Under normal conditions in a normal environment, you can expect the actual runtime to be closer to 60 or 65 minutes. This is still plenty of time to clean up to 1200 square feet on a single charge and is a huge improvement over the other batteries in the lineup.

The Filters Have Not Been Upgraded, Though They Should Have Been

The filtration in the Samsung vacuums has always left more to be desired. They are not HEPA certified and they don’t claim any allergen relief at all.

The filters are a sponge filter that is machine washable. It will catch large particles and dust or debris but will not catch allergy causing microns.

If you suffer allergies, this may be the deciding factor for you. However, if your upright vacuum has a HEPA filter and you maintain its use, you will still receive those benefits.

Controlling the R9250 Can Be Accomplished Fairly Well With Wireless Communications

There are several ways to control the actions of the R9250 and the first is the remote control that ships with it. The remote will enable you to start, stop, pause and resume cleaning activities. It will also allow you to pinpoint where you want the robot to go.

If you have a specific area that needs to be cleaned, you can enable the laser pointer and the robot will follow the pointer to the desired cleaning area, kind of like a cat.

One other option is to download the Samsung app and use your mobile device to control the robot. You will be able to start, stop, pause and resume as well as force dock the robot. The app is very basic. You will not get reports, push notifications or anything like that. Basic controls just through the app instead of the remote.

The third option is to use your voice. You can sync the robot with Amazon Alexa voice commands and Google Home. Because Samsung is the parent company, it also integrates with SmartThings hub. This includes any other app that can connect to SmartThings as well.

The voice commands work a lot better than the mobile app, which has numerous reports of syncing issues. If you are able to get it to connect, the app will often crash and lock up. The remote control is the best option for control and set up and is the only way to use the laser pointer.

The Improved Suction is an Actual Improvement

The packaging will claim that there is 50 percent more suction power than previous models. This may be true (I have no personal way of testing), but the motor is louder and has quite a bit of suction.

Aside from the power performance, one of the biggest improvements is the actual suction. In prior models, such as the R7040 one of the biggest complaints was the improved suction also caused a lot of chaos. Throw rugs would be sucked up and carried around the house or bind the motor.

This can still happen, as it can with any vacuum, but the reports for the R9250 have never mentioned this issue and it seems Samsung finally got the power to suction ratio correct.

The Parts That You Don’t Really Notice Make The Difference

Let me just jump in real fast here and mention a few of the parts that don’t normally get talked about. The collection bin is a lot larger now. It will hold 0.7 Liters of dirt and debris; this is over twice as much as the other models in the POWERbot lineup.

This means maintenance schedules are less frequent. The brush bar is also now easier to clean thanks to a redesign of the bristle pattern. While it is still a pain to remove and get to the ducting in the event of a clog, it is easier to detangle and free the hair and strings that will get wrapped around.

The wheels also got upgraded and will more easily traverse all terrain types. Where other models in the line had a tendency to hit a corner of a rug or carpet and get turned around, the POWERbot R9250 doesn’t seem to have this issue. The wheel better adjusts to the change from hard floor to carpet.

Specifications Table

Let me show you now the full features list in a handy chart. You can even print it out and take it home to hang on the fridge!

	Samsung POWERbot R9250
Battery	Lithium-Ion
Battery Charge Time	4 Hours
Battery Drain Time	Up to 100 minutes
Filter	Machine Washable
Wireless Connection	Yes
Remote Control	Yes
Local Control	Yes
Navigation	Visionary Plus
Drop Sensors	Yes
Bump Sensors	Yes
Automatic Recharge	Yes
Entire Level Cleaning	Yes
Scheduling	Yes
Extraction Method	Brush Bar
Collection Bin Capacity	0.7 liter
Warranty	1 year

 Alternative Options

If you feel that maybe the Samsung POWERbot R9250 is not for you, there are a few other options to consider.

Roomba 980

The Roomba 980 is currently the king of the hill. In virtually every facet the 980 will win against any other machine on the market. It boasts superb cleaning on all floor types including high pile shag; has HEPA filtration; low maintenance and will run for a very long time before recharging.

The iRobot app is the best on the market and scheduling, programming and reporting are flawless and easy to use.

POWERbot VR9300

If you want a little bit more and want to spend a little more, the next step up is the VR9300. While the machines are virtually identical, the VR9300 continues to improve in the areas the R9250 left off on.

Fewer collisions with walls and obstacles and an even better battery runtime. If you want to get near to the top of the line without buying a Roomba, this could be your answer.

Neato BotVac Connected

Another entry in the higher tiered area is from Neato. Now with wireless technology, better filtration and better overall performance, Neato has an entry to rival even the Roomba 980.

If you are looking for a smart vacuum with the capabilities to run like a Roomba, the Neato BotVac Connected should be on your list to check out.

Frequently Asked Questions

There are a few questions that come up time and again, so I thought I would take the time from my busy schedule to answer them for you (I have to do everything!).

Q. How well does this do going under furniture?

A. As long as there is clearance, it won’t be a problem. The R9250 is a tall machine though, and one of the tallest on the market. Sitting 5.3 inches off the ground, your furniture will need to be near six inches off the ground for proper clearance.If it is any less, the robot may make it under but could get stuck as it pivots around to get back out.

Q. My vacuum keeps going back to the docking station and then after a few hours starts cleaning again, is this normal?

A. Yes. This means that there is not enough battery life to clean your entire floor space in one charge. The robot then returns to the dock when the battery gets low and recharges itself. It will then resume cleaning from where it left off. This is how it is designed and is working properly.

Q. I have high pile shag carpet, will this vacuum clean it okay?

A. It will clean it fiber by fiber as it rips them out and they get tangled in the brush bar. The answer you are looking for is no. High pile carpet is okay, but high pile shag is out of the question, it is too tall and too loose to not cause problems both for the robot and the carpet.

Q. Can I contain the R9250 to a specific room?

A. Yes, you can! You can use the Samsung boundary marker tape. This is a nine-foot roll of magnetic tape you cut to size and connect to the boundary marker connectors. It will then send out a magnetic field that the robot will not cross.

You will have to block off entryways or you can also use it to surround floor lamps, end tables, pet food bowls, etc. Anything you don’t want to be accessed, bumped into, or vacuumed up can be walled off with the tape. It isn’t the most elegant solution, but it does work well. It is just a tedious process to put down and take up after every cleaning cycle.

In Conclusion

The Samsung POWERbot R9250 is a major step up in the POWERbot line. Almost every feature of the robot is improved over the entry-level bots. With the exception of the mobile app and some of the smaller features, the robot does a fairly decent job of keeping your floors clean.

However, if you need better voice or mobile control, and don’t want to use a handheld remote to drag the vacuum along to a specific spot, a different model may be the choice you are after. You aren’t saving a lot of money over some of the top tier powerhouses in the market with the R9250 and you can get a slightly better clean.

In a Nutshell:

What I Like

• Better suction and power over lower models.
• Laser pointers are cool, even for robots.
• Travels over carpet better with the new wheels.
• Better battery life and runtime over previous models.

What I Don’t Like

• Mobile app and voice controls are clumsy and hard to sync.
• It still knocks into walls and furniture a little too hard.
• The height prevents it from going under a lot of the furniture.

Summary

All in all, the Samsung POWERbot R9250  is a decent entry in the higher tiered robotic vacuum arena. It still doesn’t quite compete with the top guns of the other lines, but it will hold its own. If it were a little less expensive, it would be a solid buy and a top of the mountain in the middle-class line.