The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra handles vacuuming and mopping with ease, while a self-cleaning, auto-emptying dock, intelligent mapping, and a host of other features go some way to justify the high price.
Two-minute review
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra offers a wealth of features, from vacuuming and mopping to auto-emptying, self-cleaning, and 3D obstacle avoidance. All that functionality comes at a high price, which brings expectations of near perfection. So does it succeed in that regard? No – but it remains a solid option that will leave your floors cleaner than ever.
Roborock deals exclusively in vacuums, with its main focus on those of the robot variety, so you know it’s throwing most of its efforts into furthering this technology. The top-of-the-line S8 Pro Ultra is the part of the brand’s S8 lineup of vacuums, and the most recent release. A less expensive model from Roborock, such as the Q5+, lacks the mopping and self-cleaning ability but still comes with an auto-emptying base for less than a third of the price.
When it came time to get cleaning, setting up the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra and sending it out was simple and painless, thanks to the easy-to-use companion app. The app created a highly accurate map of my home, allowing me to pick rooms and zones to clean based on preferences. You can also set up schedules, create routines, and change the vacuum settings, among many other things. The app will even send you alerts when cleaning is complete, or if there are issues during the cleaning.
Other than the occasional need to free the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra from the clutches of an evil rug or cord, it had no problem traversing my two-bedroom/two-bathroom apartment. The robot vacuum managed to avoid most obstacles, picking up the majority of the debris or crumbs in its path. However, it didn’t fare as well with larger, so you may have to do more manual cleanup in those cases.
Of course, it also mops simultaneously or separately, depending on the settings you choose. Water automatically fills from the docking station, so that all you truly need to do is start a clean via the app. The vibrating mop head pulses against your floor, cleaning smaller smudges and dust with ease, and the head intelligently lifts on carpets and rugs. However, similar to the vacuuming feature, you won’t want to use this robot vac for larger spills, since it will just spread that mess around.
However, the real star of the show is the docking station referred to as the RockDock Ultra. It delivers on all its claims, and leaves you with little to worry about in terms of robot vacuum maintenance. The self-cleaning and hot-air drying has kept the mop pad looking almost new and virtually dirt-free, even following two weeks of use. The auto-emptying feature means you never need to worry about emptying the dustbin yourself. Simply discard the dirty water, refill the clean water tank, and replace the dust bag every few months.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is expensive, but if you want one of the best robot vacuums, which allows you to clean while being as hands-off as possible, this is it. Your floors will be left sparkling, and you can eliminate two chores from your to-do list with the literal push of a button. That might be reason enough to splurge. Roborock S8 Pro Ultra review: Price and availability
List price: $1,599.99 US/$2,699.00 AU
No plans to launch in the UK
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is available in the US and Australia, with plans to release it in countries such as Germany and France soon. However, there are no plans to launch it in the UK for now.
You can purchase the robot vacuum directly from the US (opens in new tab) and Australian (opens in new tab) Roborock websites. When buying in Australia, a current promotion includes a $149.90 AU accessory kit with additional brushes and mopping pad replacements. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is also available on Amazon (opens in new tab) in the US.
Now, $1,599.99 US/$2,699 AU may seem shocking to some; however, when you consider the highly intelligent vacuuming, limited maintenance, and self-cleaning/self-emptying dock on Roborock’s top-of-the-line model, it’s easier to digest. The Dreametech L10s Ultra offers a similar feature set for not much less, coming in at $1,299.99 in the US and £1,099.99 in the UK. A model such as the Ecovacs Deebot T9+ costs $799.99 in the US, £899 in the UK and $1,299 in Australia. It offers similar functionality, although you lose out on the self-cleaning and auto-refilling mop.
Of course, there are upkeep costs to consider. Most components should last months, if not years, depending on use. However, dust bags and mopping cloths may need to be replaced more frequently. A set of two replacement mopping cloths will set you back $25.99 in the US, so these accessories don’t come cheap.
Value score: 4/5Roborock S8 Pro Ultra review: Specs
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra comes with a robot vacuum and base station.Roborock S8 Pro Ultra review: Design
350ml dustbin/ 200ml water tank on vacuum
Large docking station
Liftable main brush/mopping component
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra arrives in a massive, extremely heavy box. Living on the second floor of my apartment building with no elevator, I was happy the delivery person brought the box up the stairs, as I struggled just to get it inside my apartment. Once you open it up, you’ll find a big sheet of instructions, the robot vacuum fully assembled, and the massive base station – the Rockdock Ultra.
The robot vacuum itself isn’t petite by any means, either, weighing 10lbs while measuring 13.8 inches in diameter and 3.8 inches tall. Some of that height is a result of the LiDAR sensor that rests on top for navigation and obstacle avoidance. You don’t get the security cameras seen in some other high-end robot vacuums, including Roborock’s S7 MaxV Ultra, which means you can’t send out the vacuum to check on your pets, but the extra privacy is nice.
Despite the size, the S8 Pro Ultra still looks sleek and comes in two colors: either a clean white or bold black, with a matching RockDock Ultra. The vacuum’s suction options are selected on the app, and you can choose from Quiet, Balanced, Turbo, Max, and Max+(only available when just vacuuming). The sound level definitely increased with each move up the settings. Similar to vacuuming, the VibraRise mopping feature offers scrubbing intensity levels from mild to intense, and it isn’t possible to change the water flow levels. Honestly, I couldn’t tell the difference visibly or in the performance of the different vibration levels.
Taking a closer look at the top side of the robot vacuum, you’ll find three buttons: a power button that’s also used to resume cleaning; a mop-only button that doubles as a child lock; and a home button to send the vacuum back to the dock. Lifting the hinged lid reveals the Wi-Fi indicator and removable 350ml dust bin. But since this vacuum is self-emptying, you’ll rarely have to worry about taking it out – except for the occasional filter washing. There’s also a 200ml water tank here, although you can’t access that.
Flip over the vacuum and you’ll find the wheels, mop and brushes. Unfortunately, the VibraRise mop component isn’t removable, although it intelligently lifts itself over rugs and carpets. If you’re exclusively cleaning a space covered in more plush carpeting, you may want to grab a different vacuum.
The dual main brushes are also very different from your typical vacuum. There are no long bristles here; instead you’ll find a dual rubber roller brush similar to that found in many iRobot vacuums. I’ve found these prevent hair and other debris from becoming tangled, making them much easier to maintain. The dual brushes also lift up and out of the way, depending on the floor and the cleaning mode you’re using.
