The new Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra promises to clean beyond its limits while simplifying your daily life.
I never really understood the robot vacuum craze, so I jumped at the opportunity to test out the S8 MaxV Ultra, a one-stop solution to clean your home.
Roborock provided this publisher with a device for testing purposes. This did not affect our views of the device, and our review remains independent of the manufacturer.
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It boasts a number of revolutionary features, including a FlexiArm design side brush for corner-to-edge cleaning and a VibraRise 3.0 mopping system to effectively remove dried stains.
It is one of the smartest robot vacuums to hit the market, with its reactive AI 2.0 obstacle recognition and built-in voice assistant. It is also completely self-maintained.
So how well do these features really work, and will it revolutionise your mundane cleaning routine? We tried it and this is what we think.
How do I get it and what will it cost?
The S8 MaxV Ultra hit the market on May 1 and is selling for $2999. It is available to buy from the official Roborock store, as well as major retailers like JB Hi-Fi, Harvey Norman, The Good Guys, Bing Lee, David Jones and Amazon.
Who is it good for and what does it do?
Roborock says its new powerful device has a 10,000Pa suction power, stronger than its previous models, and a 20mm mop module lift height to ensure your carpets and rugs won’t get in the way of the mopping capabilities.
The Roborock app on your phone means you can launch your vacuum from anywhere, or you can schedule cleaning routines for when you’re not at home.
You can also choose a specific area to clean and make the vacuum do all the work as it identifies how well the environment needs to be cleaned using its SmartPlan technology.
If your phone is not nearby, saying “Hello Rocky” will activate the unit, and you can use voice commands to stop, start, or instruct it to clean a certain room. This is helpful for accidental spills, which, let’s face it, do happen.
With its strong suction power, the S8 MaxV Ultra has the ability to deep clean your carpets and rugs.
The robot vacuum also has a VibraRise 3.0 Mopping System which has a vibration speed of 4000 times a minute and a washing and drying temperature of 60C.
For homes with pets, the automatic pet recognition means the robot vacuum will stop and move aside to not scare your furry friends, while also boosting its vacuum power when cleaning around the area your pet mainly resides.
How does it look and work?
The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra comes in both black and white with the dock measuring 419 × 409 × 470mm.
The dock and robot vacuum are both sleek and modern, however you do need a relatively generous space around it for it to work to its full capacity.
When the robot vacuum is in operation, it is quiet and unobtrusive, and takes about 35 minutes to complete a vacuum of a one-bedroom apartment.
It identifies obstacles using a 3D structured light and RGB camera and easily avoids items blocking its way.
Its DirTect Technology can identify messes in your home and adapt to clean them effectively, either by increasing its suction or switching to a mop-only mode.
It thoroughly maps out the house to plan its route, using PreciSense LiDAR Navigation.
The dock holds a 2.5L dustbag as well as a 580ml detergent tank.
The device is controlled through an app where it can be started, stopped and paused with the push of a button, and cleaning routines can be scheduled ahead of time.
How did I find the robot?
Living in a one-bedroom apartment, my usual cleaning routine consists of a quick 15-minute whip around with a vacuum. When I launched the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, I was surprised to discover it took a solid 35 minutes to vacuum the house, putting my personal effort to shame. With the vacuum and mop functions, my floors have never been cleaner.
Despite all the impressive features, what I love the most is walking into a clean house and being able to kick my shoes off and walk around freely without having to dodge the breadcrumbs in the kitchen.
In terms of how this compares to other robot vacuums on the market, the smart technology really makes it a one-stop floor cleaner, with its self-cleaning mechanisms ensuring you do as little as possible.
The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra automatically empties dust into the unit, and the 2.5L dustbag only needs to be emptied about every seven weeks.
When using the mop function, the robot vacuum will automatically return to the unit to empty dirty water and refill, which keeps floorboards and tiles sparkling.
The dock is also self-cleaning to prevent soil and dirt build-up in the vacuum.
The charging time is really impressive, with 30 per cent faster charging saving you on electricity while ensuring you can launch your vacuum whenever you’re ready for a clean.
I find the robot vacuum to be a huge time saver and would be a great choice for families, pet owners, and people who are time poor.
It’s easy to set up and control and makes mundane tasks bearable — basically because you don’t have to lift a finger except to press play on the app.
For more information and to shop the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, head here now.