Let’s be honest, cleaning is a chore. We all have to do it, but we rarely enjoy it. So when I received the Roborock S8 Max V Ultra, I was very excited that this robot vacuum cleaner would make my life a little easier. And to my delight, it has turned out to be. But it’s not all sunshine and roses.
First Impressions
Immediately after purchasing the S8 Max V Ultra, I was impressed. The packaging was minimal, mostly cardboard. In a world obsessed with plastic, that’s great. The robot itself looks sleek and modern, and the docking station is a bit thinner and more luxurious than my previous S8 Pro Ultra.
Features
The S8 Max V Ultra is packed with tons of features, most of which we found incredibly useful. Here are some of them:
RGB camera: This is a breakthrough for navigation. The camera is combined with a LiDAR sensor, which helps the robot avoid obstacles with much more accuracy than previous models I’ve tested. The app also gives me confidence as I can see exactly where the robot is looking.
Smart Plan: This feature makes cleaning easier. Simply specify the rooms you want to clean and the robot will automatically determine the best cleaning mode for each room based on the floor type. This is very convenient and saves a lot of time.
Intelligent dirt detection: S8 Max V Ultra can detect the level of dirt and automatically rewash the mop if it is too dirty. It also rewashes heavily soiled areas, ensuring a thorough cleaning.
Powerful Suction: The S8 Max V Ultra boasts up to 10,000 pascals of suction power in Extreme Suction mode, ideal for carpets and pet hair.
VibraRise 3.0 cleaning system: This feature ensures carpets stay dry when the robot switches from mopping to vacuuming. The mop is raised significantly off the ground to prevent unwanted wetting.
Self-Emptying Dock: This is simply a lifesaver. The dock automatically empties the robot’s trash can, fills it with clean water, washes the mop with hot water, soaks up the dirty water and dries the mop. Detergent can be added for extra cleaning.
Practical use: hands-free cleaning
I have been using the S8 Max V Ultra for six months now, and it has become an integral part of my cleaning routine. It saves me from having to vacuum and mop, and my floors are always clean. The robot is also surprisingly quiet and unobtrusive.
Minuses: No robot is perfect
The S8 Max V Ultra is a great robot vacuum cleaner, but it’s not perfect. Here are the cons I encountered:
Object Avoidance: Despite the built-in RGB camera, the robot sometimes misses small objects. It sucked up socks, ribbons, and even straightened out a plant (my Pothos plant was fine, but my husband not so much).
Edge Cleaning: The Roborock has trouble cleaning the edges of carpets. The flexible arm helps, but is not a perfect solution.
Wi-Fi: The S8 Max V Ultra can only connect to Wi-Fi routers in the 2.4GHz band. This shouldn’t be a problem for most people, but it’s still worth keeping in mind.
Comparison
The top-of-the-line S8 Max V Ultra is probably one of the best robot vacuums out there - it’s more expensive than other popular models like the Roomba Combo j10+ Max Plus and iRobot’s AutoWash Dock. However, the navigation, cleaning and overall performance of the S8 Max V Ultra is superior.
Conclusion: worth it? Depends on the model
The S8 Max V Ultra is a great robot vacuum cleaner, but it’s also expensive. The question is how much automatic cleaning is worth to you. For me, the time savings is definitely worth the investment. But if you’re on a budget, there are other great options out there.
If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line robot vacuum cleaner that will simplify your cleaning and deliver great results, the Roborock S8 Max V Ultra is a great choice. Just be mindful of its limitations and make sure it fits into your budget.