Roborock S8 Plus: Self-cleaning, Object Recognition, Two Brushes, and a Wiper Lift

The Roborock S8 Plus robot vacuum cleaner, a new product for 2023, boasts a number of advanced features. These include a floor recognition system that works in tandem with lidar for navigation, a self-emptying dust bin, two silicone turbo brushes for dust collection, and a vibrating platform with a cleaning cloth that automatically rises when it encounters carpets. For such a comprehensive set of advanced features, you'll have to pay from $800, or $875 at the exchange rate at the time of writing. Below, I'll show you how the Roborock S8 Plus is designed and what it can do, and then I'll express my opinion on whether it's worth the money. Special thanks to Lamobile for providing the sample for review. Let's get started!

Equipment

The robot vacuum cleaner arrived in a box like this:

In addition to the robot and station itself, the kit includes:

1. Nozzle with a cloth for wet cleaning.
2. Power adapter.
3. Spare bag for the station.
4. Documentation for the robot with translation into Russian.

The kit is standard. There are no spare parts for the robot itself. Let's move on!

Appearance

Let's take a look at the Roborock S8 Plus's design. Let's start with the robot vacuum itself. It's available in white and black. Its body is traditionally round and measures 97 mm in height.

A wall sensor is located on the right side of the mechanical bumper. A system of sensors and cameras (Reactive 3D) is installed in the center to detect and accurately avoid objects on the floor. Please note that this model does not have an active camera. This means that remote tracking via smartphone is not supported.

A lidar system is responsible for navigation. It is equipped with a spring-loaded cover to prevent the robot from getting stuck under furniture. The control panel has three mechanical buttons.

The dust container is located under the top cover. It holds up to 350 ml of dry waste. The manufacturer allows the container and filter to be washed with water. The filtration system is HEPA-based only.

The 300 ml water tank is located at the rear. The water flow to the cloth is electronically controlled.

A damp cleaning pad is attached to the bottom of the robot. The platform vibrates as the robot moves, oscillating up to 3,000 times per minute, allowing it to remove even the most stubborn stains from the floor. The pad is attached to the robot via Velcro and a groove.

Another feature: the platform with the cleaning cloth automatically rises 5 mm when entering carpets. This technology is called VibraRise. This allows the Roborock S8 Plus to vacuum and mop simultaneously, leaving carpets dry and clean.

The robot is equipped with six fall protection sensors on its underside. A carpet detection sensor is located next to the swivel roller. It has a single side brush, a three-beam design, secured with a screw.

The central brush unit is floating, which is a plus. The idea of ​​two turbo brushes isn't new, but Roborock engineers have given the technology a unique name: DuoRoller. Both brushes can be removed from both sides to remove tangled hair and pet hair. Very convenient.

Speaking of the station, it is identical Roborock Q7 Max+, which was also previously reviewed. Dust discharge still occurs through the central brush unit. The suction channel can be disassembled from below for cleaning, if necessary. The top cover of the station is easily removed. A dust bag is located underneath. The suction channel shutter closes automatically when the bag is removed. The bag itself is quite dense, and the build quality is better than most robot vacuum cleaners on AliExpress.

Overall, there hasn't been a significant leap in development in terms of design compared to what was released previously. Roborock S7 MaxVThe main change is in the new dual turbo brushes. But in any case, there are no complaints about the robot itself: it's well-built, incorporating most of the advanced technologies, making it versatile and effective.

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Roborock S8 Plus, as stated by the manufacturer:

• Li-Ion battery 5200 mAh.
• Suction power up to 6000 Pa.
• Operating time up to 180 min.
• Cleaning area up to 300 sq.m.
• Dust collector capacity is 350 ml.
• The water tank capacity is 300 ml.
• Garbage bag: 2.5 l.
• Obstacle clearance up to 20 mm.
• Robot dimensions: 353*97 mm.
• Station dimensions: 440*305*448 mm.

Of the characteristics, only the suction power has been increased, which will definitely be verified in tests.

Functional capabilities

Let's move on to an overview of the Roborock S8+'s features. The robot vacuum is controlled via the proprietary Roborock mobile app. Connecting to the network is straightforward; follow the manufacturer's instructions. My version is localized, so not only the app interface is in Russian, but also the voice notifications.

Main functions of the robot vacuum cleaner:

• Self-cleaning at the station.
• Recognizing objects on the floor.
• Saving multiple cleaning maps in memory.
• 3D map of the room.
• Automatic zoning of premises into rooms.
• Selecting areas and rooms for cleaning.
• Virtual walls and no-go zones (and for wet cleaning mode).
• Suction power adjustment.
• Adjusting the degree of wetting of the napkin.
• Intensive wet cleaning mode.
• User mode.
• Cleaning log.
• Setting up cleaning according to a schedule.
• Automatic power increase on carpet.
• Carpet cleaning in wet cleaning mode.
• Lifting the napkin when driving onto carpets.
• Voice notifications in Russian.
• Yandex.Alice support.

The functionality remains largely unchanged from previous models. Only a few new features have been added. For example, an intensive wet cleaning mode, which slows the robot's movements, should improve cleaning quality. You can also now select the robot's path. You can specify the direction of flooring installation, such as laminate, and the robot will clean in that direction, thereby minimizing wear on joints. Overall, even the smallest details are being improved to improve efficiency. The progress isn't significant, but it's there.

Testing

A detailed video review of the Roborock S8 Plus, including all tests, has already been prepared and published on the channel:

Navigation

And finally, let's move on to the tests! First, we'll test the Roborock S8 Plus's navigation in a room with obstacles. When entering the room, the robot vacuum first navigates the perimeter, then cleans the entire accessible area in a serpentine pattern. It recognized the legs of a clothes dryer and carefully navigated around this trap. The robot also navigated around all four chair legs and a box, before returning to its base. Test successful!

Speaking of navigation within the home, the Roborock S8 Plus cleans room by room, first along the perimeter, then in a serpentine pattern. There are no uncleaned areas, the cleaning speed is high, and this model has excellent navigation!

Obstacle recognition and avoidance

We'll also test the floor object recognition system separately. For this purpose, we placed various household items around the room that could interfere with the cleaning process and even block the robot's brushes, causing it to malfunction.

In good lighting, the Roborock S8 Plus was able to accurately navigate around five of the six objects. It only passed over a simulated pet surprise, which most robot vacuums with object recognition systems struggle with. It later recognized this trap and marked it on the map. The robot did touch some objects during cleaning, but most importantly, they didn't interfere with the cleaning process or disable the robot. So, we see that the artificial intelligence in the Roborock S8 Plus accurately identifies what's on the floor. Even in complete darkness, it was able to recognize all these objects and navigate around them accurately. In this case, it even managed to avoid the pet surprise.

So, I can say that this model's obstacle recognition and avoidance system is well implemented. It's not perfect and needs improvement, but even at this level, the robot will clean very carefully and is unlikely to chew on a sock or cord, which is most important.

Suction power

The suction power, however, was disappointing. Despite the increased power rating, the robot only managed to suck up debris from a 2 mm deep crevice, but only partially. I selected both the Maximum and Max+ modes. The smaller version achieved the same result. Roborock S8, which was previously reviewed, so this is definitely not a coincidence.

Moreover, the predecessors Roborock S7 The S7 MaxV and S7 MaxV didn't have this problem, and they thoroughly sucked up debris from a 10mm gap. As I mentioned in the S8 review, the motor itself is likely at least as powerful, and likely even more so. I think the issue lies in the brushes and aerodynamics. Somewhere in the design, something was overlooked, and as a result, suction power is lost. Some may call the test unfair, but I'm used to judging power based on actual cleaning results, so the test results didn't confirm the claimed high power, and that's the first thing that's disappointing.

Dry cleaning

However, the collection of various types of debris on laminate floors is good. Only a little debris remains in the corners, where round robotic vacuums can't sweep. All debris is collected in the dust bin. It's important to note that the central brushes don't get tangled in hair. That's a plus!

Cleaning the carpet

The Roborock S8 Plus also does a good job of cleaning carpets. It's worth noting that the silicone turbo brushes are slightly inferior to a conventional bristle-petal brush in terms of dust collection on carpets, but the cleaning performance is still high for a home environment. Test passed!

Self-cleaning

Immediately after the "dirty tests," I tested the Roborock S8 Plus's self-cleaning performance. I ran it again in a room with a large amount of debris, which the robot picked up without difficulty. The dust bin was tightly packed. I returned the robot to the station and started self-cleaning. The results were excellent. The dust bin was completely clean, with no debris remaining between or behind the turbo brushes in the suction opening. Previous models had a similar issue due to the central brush-based self-cleaning principle. With two tube brushes, there were no issues; the test was successful!

Wet cleaning

The cleaning performance is also excellent. The cloth presses firmly to the floor and absorbs dirt. All that's left is a narrow, unwashed area along the baseboard, which is a weak point for almost all the robot vacuums we reviewed.

Wet cleaning and carpets

For wet cleaning on carpeted floors, the robot has four different modes of interaction. It can carefully navigate around the carpet in wet cleaning mode, enter the carpet and apply the cleaning cloth to the carpet if you want to clean it with the robot, or clean it separately after a full cleaning cycle. And, of course, the best option is to automatically lift the cleaning cloth when entering the carpet.

Obstacle clearance

The Roborock S8 Plus has excellent maneuverability. It can navigate even 2 cm thresholds while lifting a napkin. That's a plus!

Driving on black surfaces

And FINALLY, Roborock engineers have solved the problem with its fear of black surfaces. The Roborock S8 Plus, like its smaller sibling, the S8, is not afraid of black carpet and moves across it with ease. That's a plus!

Noise level

I measured the noise level myself. It ranges from 58 to 73.5 dB, depending on the selected operating mode. The noise level is standard.

Personal opinion

The Roborock S8 Plus robot vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 158 pointsDespite all the criticism, the result is one of the best among robotic vacuum cleaners with a self-cleaning dust collector without a rinsing function.

Overall rating of tested robot vacuum cleaners:https://robovac.washerhouse.com/en/rejtingi/robovac-obshhij-rejting-robotov-pylesosov-robo.html.

I'll highlight the pros and cons of the robot vacuum cleaner I reviewed, and then share my opinion. I liked the following:

1. An accurate system for identifying objects.
2. Good navigation. Roborock has the best navigation system on the market, in my opinion.
3. High-quality self-cleaning dust collector at the station.
4. Two silicone turbo brushes for collecting debris, which are very easy to clean from hair and fur.
5. Lifting the napkin when driving onto carpets.
6. High-quality dry and wet cleaning.
7. Capable of removing even the most difficult stains.
8. A large number of functions in the application.
9. The robot vacuum cleaner is not afraid of black surfaces.
10. Good cross-country ability.
11. High-quality assembly and high brand authority.
12. Availability of a full warranty and service support.

As for the shortcomings, I would like to highlight 3 main comments:

1. The claimed suction power was not confirmed in real-world tests.
2. There is no active camera for remote home monitoring.
3. High price.

The main complaint, of course, is the power. I wouldn't want this to discourage anyone who's interested in this robot, and those who've already ordered it shouldn't be disappointed. In fact, the Roborock S8 Plus cleans well on both hard floors and carpets. Yes, it does lose power, but in everyday use, you likely won't notice the difference. The active camera is a moot point. While some may appreciate the lack of live streaming, for others, it could be a compelling reason to opt for the previously released Roborock S7 MaxV or a newer model from another brand.

Another criticism is that the robot doesn't sweep into corners or clean the narrow area along the baseboard, but this is a problem with most robot vacuum cleaners so far.

Ultimately, I can say that the Roborock S8 Plus is a good option for those who primarily choose a robot vacuum for dry cleaning, or who simply don't care about the rinsing function of the cleaning station, but who still want the robot to automatically clean itself of debris. It's reliable, neat, efficient, and functional. But it's pricey, admittedly.

On that note, I'd like to end this review. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments. Happy shopping. Bye!