Quick Review: Roborock S8 Pro Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum
I have been using the Roborock S6 MaxV for the past two years. It is the most advanced robot vacuum at the time of my ownership and I absolutely adore the smart features and excellent cleaning capabilities it has to offer.
As I’m moving into a double-storey house, that means having another robot vacuum to cover another floor would be an excellent option. Enter the brand-new Roborock S8 Pro Ultra 2-in-1 robot vacuum.
This is a robot vacuum with a self-cleaning dock combo. The entire set will cost you about RM 5,000 ~ RM5,500, depending on the colour. For some reason, the black model is more expensive than the white model. Here’s my review after using the S8 Pro Ultra daily for the past two weeks.
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a flat cylindrical-shaped robot vacuum, just like plenty of robot vacuums available in the market.
The robot relies on multiple sensors for navigation. The sensor includes bump sensors, optical sensors, proximity sensors and most importantly, LiDAR.
LiDAR is one of the key selling points of modern Roborock robot vacuums. It enables advanced mapping functionality and obstacle detection. That is the very reason why the company has high confidence when it comes to its robot’s navigation capabilities.
Another key feature of the S8 Pro Ultra is the VibraRise 2.0 function. It allows the robot to selectively raise or lower the mop through the carpet detection function.
Hence the robot is smart enough to avoid mopping on carpets. This feature is also applicable to the vacuum header so that you just use the mopping functionality without being forced to vacuum.
There are three physical buttons on the robot for users who don’t have/want to access the app, especially non-tech-savvy family members.
Left to right: Mop only, Start Cleaning, and Return to dock.
The internal dust canister (470ml) can be easily accessed by opening the lid.
Since I am using the robot vacuum with the self-cleaning dock, that means I don’t have to manually empty the dust canister anymore.
Otherwise, this is a very troublesome process and it can get very messy.
What is not accessible to the users is the 300ml water tank that is hidden within the robot itself. Roborock claims a full tank can clean a 200 sqm (2150 sqft) floor with ease.
I find this hidden tank a bit unsettling since you can’t see if the tank is full or not. Nonetheless, given that everything works as intended, the robot should handle all the tasks by itself – refilling the tank, mopping and self-cleaning the mop cloth.
Every clean cycle will start with the robot vacuum cleaning the mop cloth first then proceed with mopping. Unless specified in the app, the robot will intelligently manage the mop cloth cleaning cycle.
Self-Cleaning Dock
Speaking of self-cleaning, this is where the magic happens. This dock enables the charging of the robot vacuum, cleaning of the mop cloth, refilling the water tank & emptying the dust canister.
This is how it looks at the dock base. You can clearly see the roller brush that will activate to clean the mop cloth. The dock is also capable of emptying the internal canister via the reverse vacuum feature. The idea is identical to Samsung’s Clean Station.
The S8 Pro Ultra dock now has a built-in mop cloth dryer as opposed to the S7 MaxV’s that require an add-on component. A mop cloth dryer is essential to prevent mould from growing as the cloth is damp after a clean cycle.
At the top of the dock, you will have easy access to the three compartments: dirty water tank, clean water tank and dust bag compartment.
Then tanks can be easily removed for emptying/refilling. No manual connect/disconnect of the tubes is required. Based on my usage, a full tank of clean water will be enough for about 150 sqm of mopping with moderate cleaning settings.
If possible always pour away the dirty water and rinse the tank to prevent odour built-up.
The dust collecting compartment is a dust bag instead of a canister. There are pros and cons for each implementation – a dust bag has low maintenance and is extremely suitable for those who are sensitive to micro dust particles, just pull out the bag and throw it when it is full. However, it costs money to replace the bags (about RM20 each, or plenty of OEM options available) and is not as environmentally friendly as a canister which you can wash.
Roborock Mobile App
The Roborock mobile app would be your best friend if you want to fully utilize the features and functions of the robot vacuum. The home dashboard would show a list of your Roborock vacuums.
Tapping into the robot vacuum would show you it’s last cleaning cycle map.
The dock info shows the status of the water tanks and the dustbin. You can also manually initiate the self-cleaning cycle from this interface.
You can also adjust the cleaning intensity according to your needs.
Dock settings are essential for how the robot handles the self-cleaning cycle.
One of the most impressive features of the S8 Pro Ultra is the carpet detection and cleaning capabilities. Since I don’t really have a large carpet at home, thus I have set it to “Avoid” so that it doesn’t pile up the floor mats.
Depending on your flooring, you can now configure the robot to clean along the floor direction. It will minimize the streak visibility and even improve the dust pickup along the seams.
While self-cleaning robots are impressive, the user still plays an important role to make sure the robot is in its best condition. The maintenance tab would show all the “work” you will need to perform to make sure the robot is capable of completing its cleaning task.
Maintenance
Speaking of maintenance, here are some of the points to take note. Make sure the side brush and the wheels are cleaned periodically. Wipe the sensors now and then so that it doesn’t hinder the robot’s navigation system.
Even though the dock is capable of washing the mopping cloth, as you can see it is not perfect. This is how it looks like after almost two weeks of daily use without cleaning (ewww). Judging from how clean the majority part of the cloth looks, I think the dock has done an excellent job on this.
My suggestion is to take off the cloth and manually wash it as often as you can.
The use of a dual rubber roller increases the cleaning capabilities while keeping the noise low. It also reduces the chance of hair tangles.
Believe it or not? This is two weeks’ worth of hair tangles. Take note that my wife and my mother-in-law are staying with me alongside two cats. Hence the solution actually works!
Conclusion
Without a doubt, you will not regret getting the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra if you’re looking for an all-in-one robot vacuum. The inclusion of the self-cleaning dock reduces the maintenance requirement. All I need to do is empty the dirty water tank daily and make sure the clean water is sufficient. Then every week I’ll just replace the mop cloth and do some basic cleaning on the sensors and roller.
At the official price tag of RM 5,599, it is a steep investment. However, if you have the budget to spend on improving your quality of life, then the S8 Pro Ultra will be worth every single cent you spent on it.
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