Roborock regularly receives top marks with its vacuum robots – and goes one better with the current top model S8 Pro Ultra. Below is the review of S8 Pro Ultra.
At the beginning of the year, Roborock officially announced its new S8 series. German smart home fans will soon be able to enjoy the latest cleaning technology. Hot contender for a top spot in the 2023 vacuum robot best list : The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. In this review, we looked at what the current top model from the Chinese market leader can do.
- The top model from the market leader: Roborock S8 Pro Ultra
- Vacuuming: dirt and dust mice disappear so well
- Wiping: The S8 Pro Ultra scrubs so well
- The Dock: Does everything automatically!
- The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is so smart on the go
- Clean around it cleverly – even without a camera
- Roborock S8 Pro Ultra: review conclusion
The top model from the market leader: Roborock S8 Pro Ultra
As already known from the S7 robots from 2022, the devices in the current S8 series also differ primarily in the “home” included. With the simple Roborock S8, the vacuum and mopping robot parks in front of a small charging station without additional functions; the Roborock S8+ comes with a suction station that automatically empties the dust box on board the cleaning aid. The top model Roborock S8 Pro Ultra tested here comes with a massive dock, in which two additional tanks take care of the robot’s smart water supply.
Vacuuming: dirt and dust mice disappear so well
On the S8, Roborock has increased the suction power to 6,000 Pascals (Pa). The S7 was running at 2,500 Pa, the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra at 5100 Pa. The additional boost was noticeable in the test: No other vacuum robot in the test collected as much dirt from the floor as the S8 Pro Ultra. Of the 100 grams of cat litter, cereal and wood chips that the testers distributed around the room, he swallowed an incredible 98.6 grams. Only a few crumbs remained.
The secret besides the high suction power: The cleaning rollers on the bottom of the robot helped, especially on carpets. There are two rubber rollers at work here. They rotate against each other in order to tease out even deep-seated dirt from the fibers. The rollers are not equipped with bristles, but with rubber lips. Why is that? In the test, they had little tendency to get tangled in the carpet, wind up long hair or eat cables lying around. The S8 can make life easier for smart home fans with pets or who tend to be messy. If something gets stuck, it’s no problem: the rollers can be quickly removed from the device at the push of a button, and the suspension can also be freed from easily tangled hair thanks to a handy plug-in system.
Wiping: The S8 Pro Ultra scrubs so well
When it comes to wet cleaning, expensive cleaning robots simply use a wiping cloth that is dragged across the floor and has long since become obsolete. Rightly so, because as we found in its review, this provides some shine, but does not remove stubborn dirt. Round and rotating mop pads like those from Ecovacs or Dreame, which work on tiles and laminate with more pressure, are better. The result: vigorous but often uneven wiping that leaves streaks and leaves out edges. In addition, the mop pads often get stuck on the edge of the carpet.Roborock goes its own way and relies on “VibraRise”. The S8 Pro Ultra scrubs the floor with up to 3,000 shaking movements per minute, and two vibration modules get the mopping plate going. This ensured top performance in the test and even removed nasty stains that had been drying for a while.
The Roborock solution also fits well with the concept of autonomous cleaning. The robot can lift the wiping module and the attached wiping cloth in order to protect the carpet. On the S8 Pro Ultra, the rubber rollers also do this: in pure wiping mode and when returning to the dock, the vacuum cleaner automatically pulls them up by up to 6 millimeters. Advantages: The dirt in the wiping cloth is not spread back into the room, and spilled liquids can be wiped up without sticking the electronics inside the robot.
The Dock: Does everything automatically!
The “RockDock” of the S8 Pro Ultra also ensures less work and seamless cleaning tours. When the robot returns home, it automatically vacuums the dirt it brought with it into a large dust bag, refills the mop water and cleans itself, so to speak, by washing the mop. To ensure that nothing smells or moldy, there is a fan built into the dock. This blows dry the damp wiping cloths with hot air. This worked well in the test, but took two to four hours. After all, drying is only noticeable through a quiet whirring sound, which shouldn’t disturb you when you’re watching TV.
The dock is practical, but there has to be room for it. At just under half a meter high and wide, the S8 Pro Ultra’s station is quite a stunner. However, the design appears less angular and therefore more elegant than its predecessor – the water tanks and dust compartment are now better integrated. There is a small slot at the bottom of the dock for the vacuum cleaner to park into skillfully. For an even better cleaning result, it would be conceivable to automatically and accurately add cleaning agents to the mopping water depending on how dirty it is. Roborock has already given this to its Dyad Pro floor vacuum cleaner. This is not yet accommodated in the S8 Pro Ultra – neither in the dock nor directly in the robot.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is so smart on the go
The robot’s smart functions are also crucial for a good cleaning experience. Roborock has a few of these to offer: As with almost all devices in this price range, there is a small “observation tower” on top of the device with a laser that looks far into the rooms and helps with orientation. Navigating was flawless: the S8 never got lost, never got stuck and only rarely bumped into furniture.
The cleaning work can be controlled in the Roborock app. The virtual map created in it shows rooms and even furniture. Rooms can be named in detail in the floor plan and floor coverings, restricted areas and cleaning plans can be specified. You can put together individual cleaning programs for quick access. In the future, all it will take is a tap of the finger and the robot will vacuum and wipe quickly before the in-laws come or, for example, after breakfast, specifically the area around the dining table with the desired suction strength and amount of water. It works without a cell phone using voice control. With Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant and Siri shortcuts, the vacuum cleaner can be sent off on demand. Roborock has also thought about saving energy: if you get cheaper electricity at night, you can only charge the robot when everyone is asleep.
Clean around it cleverly – even without a camera
The S8 Pro Ultra won’t clean up a messy apartment, but the chaos doesn’t throw it out of sync either. Sensors, cross lasers and 3D object recognition monitor the cleaning journey “forwardly”. In the test, this spared the sleeping cat, the expensive floor vase or objects lying around, which the Roborock neither sucked in nor nudged, but skilfully avoided.
There was also a mark on the map for each disturbing object so that the owner of the house could organize things a bit before the next cleaning tour. The S8 does not have a video camera like the S7 MaxV Ultra on board. That wasn’t for everyone anyway, because she turned the robot, complete with microphone and loudspeaker, into a rolling guard with a video chat function.
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra: review conclusion
Already in 2022, Roborock conquered the top position on our best list. With the S8 Pro Ultra, the market leader is further expanding its lead over the competition from Ecovacs and Dreame : No other vacuum and mopping robot has ever cleaned so well and smartly in the test. Roborock’s top model absorbs the most, scrubs the best, finds its way around excellently and leaves lying objects lying around. It becomes really smart and independent thanks to the docking station, which not only takes care of dust and wiping water, but also self-cleaning and drying the wiping cloth. It couldn’t be better at the moment!
