You might also be interested in our review of the flagship model, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra.
Many home appliances are designed to simplify specific tasks. This principle certainly applies to robot vacuum cleaners. However, marketing materials often depict these devices operating in idealized settings: spacious, uncluttered environments with minimal obstacles. Instruction manuals often reinforce this notion. While optimal conditions are preferable, they don’t always reflect the reality of most homes.
We previously evaluated the Neato D8, a flagship robot vacuum from Neato, which presented both advantages and disadvantages in practical, lived-in spaces. Therefore, we were eager to test the new Roborock S8 in a challenging environment – a home with three young children and the associated everyday chaos. If you’re skeptical about the effectiveness of robot vacuum cleaners in such conditions, this review aims to provide clarity.
An Overview
The Roborock S8 is designed for both vacuuming and mopping. It employs a small, rotating side brush to guide debris towards the main intake, which features two counter-rotating plastic brushes. The package includes a charging dock and a plastic mat to protect the floor beneath the Roborock S8 during charging.
Beyond the standard S8, there are also the Roborock S8+ and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. A key distinction is the automatic emptying feature, available on the S8+ and S8 Pro Ultra. The base S8 lacks this, resulting in a more compact design without the need for a large docking station, allowing it to fit more easily under furniture like sofas and beds. This can be a considerable advantage for those who prefer a less obtrusive device.
The Roborock S8 is a smart device that can be conveniently managed through a dedicated app, enabling remote start and monitoring from any location. The app also provides warning messages if the unit encounters any operational issues. Upon mapping the home, the Roborock S8 establishes an efficient cleaning routine, typically starting with the perimeter edges in a counterclockwise direction to maximize the reach of the side brush. It then proceeds with long, optimized paths for both vacuuming and mopping.
Requesting the Roborock S8 to repeat a cleaning cycle multiple times results in a modified cleaning pattern. This enhances dirt pickup not only through repetition but also through the variation in the cleaning path. While this increases the overall cleaning time, the process remains automated.
The Roborock S8 offers straightforward setup, integrating seamlessly with both WiFi networks and Google Home. During the initial setup, it requires a single pass per room to generate an accurate map of the environment, demonstrating reasonable accuracy in differentiating between rooms. While not flawless, the map can be manually adjusted within the app, which itself is user-friendly and intuitive. However, it’s currently not possible to directly remove a room that the Roborock S8 accidentally creates (e.g., by misinterpreting a mirror). Workarounds involve using invisible walls or “no-go zones.” Hopefully, direct room deletion will be implemented in future updates.
The Roborock S8 is designed for easy disassembly and reassembly, simplifying the cleaning process. The brushes and mop cloth can be readily detached and cleaned. Furthermore, the brush attachments are removable to facilitate the removal of hair and entangled cords, a feature not universally found in competing models.
Limitations
The Roborock S8 experiences challenges with cords, backpack straps, round rugs, and the area directly at the edge of rugs. In these instances, its performance is comparable to needing to remove the nozzle from a traditional vacuum cleaner to reach specific areas. Achieving complete cleanliness necessitates periodic manual vacuuming of areas inaccessible to the Roborock S8.
The Test
Our evaluation focused on a single room and was structured into three levels, beginning with Level 3, representing a “worst-case scenario.” This level simulates an unedited, real-world mess, mirroring conditions where manual vacuuming might typically be deferred. While this extreme may not be the norm, it reflects situations where some rooms are tidied while others are not. The goal here is to assess whether the Roborock S8 can navigate such an obstacle course without getting stuck, thus providing some level of cleaning even in cluttered environments.
Level 2 involves a partially cluttered environment, simulating a situation where manual vacuuming is plausible. Finally, Level 1 represents the ideal scenario, with the room fully tidied and prepared for vacuuming.
Level 3
Despite the challenging conditions, the Roborock S8 persisted in its cleaning mission. While the cleaning pattern indicates limited effective cleaning, the most significant achievement was the unit’s ability to navigate the obstacle course without getting stuck. It successfully negotiated toys like Brio tracks, balls, and toy cars. This resilience is commendable.
Level 2
After manually removing larger obstructions and clearing a path, we simulated a scenario where children had scattered a few items at the last minute. The cleaning result noticeably improved, with a clearer cleaning pattern and a greater area covered. However, considering the remaining obstacles, we anticipated a slightly more thorough performance.
Level 1
As expected, the Roborock S8 delivered a clear and well-defined cleaning pattern, resulting in excellent overall cleanliness. All surfaces were vacuumed and mopped effectively. Despite the presence of a round rug, the Roborock S8 performed admirably.
Does it get clean then?
Indeed, the Roborock S8 delivers impressive cleaning results, exceeding initial expectations. Corners, edges, hard floors, and rugs are noticeably cleaner, with fewer areas requiring subsequent manual attention. The mopping function also performs well, although we observed that the water from the tank doesn’t always distribute evenly across the mop cloth. We identified two contributing factors: increased program duration leads to better water distribution and improved mopping performance, and a dirtier mop impedes water dispersion.
Conclusion: Roborock S8
It’s important for consumers to have realistic expectations regarding robot vacuum cleaners. While they cannot perfectly replace traditional cleaning methods, they undoubtedly offer significant assistance. It’s beneficial to remember that these devices can perform light cleaning daily with minimal owner intervention, aside from occasional emptying of the dustbin.
The Roborock S8 is priced at 7,500 kronor. This represents a considerable price increase compared to previous base models, such as the Roborock S6, which we use in our office and cost nearly half as much. Given that a standard vacuum cleaner costs approximately 3,000 kronor, the Roborock S8 is a significantly larger investment. The primary justification for this premium is time savings. To some degree, it also saves your own energy. The most significant benefit is daily automated vacuuming.
The Roborock S8 incorporates numerous features that weren’t specifically addressed in this review. Users can fine-tune various parameters to optimize cleaning, define no-go zones, enable child safety features, restrict mopping to specific areas, and adjust sound levels. The primary objective of this review was to assess its suitability for a typical household environment, where conditions may not always be ideal, and it succeeds in this regard.
Perhaps it’s the novelty or the fact that someone else is doing part of the job, but regardless, you are more inclined to keep the home tidy. While a robot vacuum cleaner might not be an absolute necessity, it makes maintaining a clean home noticeably easier. Even for skeptics with young children, a robot vacuum cleaner like the Roborock S8 can be a worthwhile investment. We recommend considering it as a viable option!
Roborock provided the review sample for this test. The provision of materials does not influence our editorial objectivity.
