ROBOROCK S8: TWO turbo brushes, object recognition, and cleaning action on carpets

The Roborock S8 robot vacuum cleaner is a new product for 2023, featuring two significant upgrades. These include increased suction power (6000 Pa) and two counter-rotating silicone turbo brushes, effectively picking up debris from the floor. Furthermore, the device retains the most advanced design features from previous models, including an object recognition system, a cleaning cloth lift when entering carpets, and a vibration function during wet cleaning. This feature set will set you back between $460 and $620, or $565 to $760 at the exchange rate at the time of writing. I've thoroughly tested the Roborock S8, discussed its pros and cons, and then shared my opinion on whether this robot vacuum is worth buying. Let's get to the review!

Equipment

The robot vacuum cleaner arrived in a branded box like this:

The package includes:

1. Charging base.
2. Plastic backing for the base.
3. Power adapter.
4. Holder with napkin.
5. Documentation for the robot.

The package is standard; there are no spare accessories or consumables.

Appearance

Now let's take a look at the Roborock S8's design. 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 is installed in the center to recognize and accurately avoid objects on the floor (Reactive 3D).

Please note that this model does not have an active camera. This means that remote monitoring via smartphone is not supported. This feature will likely be added to the Roborock S8 MaxV, which, based on past experience, will be released later.

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

The dust container is located under the top cover. It holds up to 400 ml of dry waste. The filtration system is exclusively HEPA-based. Both the HEPA filter and the dust container are washable with water. Inside the body, you'll find a cover that needs to be removed if the robot is equipped with a self-cleaning station, such as the Roborock S8+.

It's unclear whether the standard version of the Roborock S8 is compatible with the self-cleaning station. I don't see any design issues, but there may be software limitations. Representatives aren't providing a clear answer. And while I'm on the subject, the Ultra station for rinsing wipes and self-cleaning is definitely not compatible with this model, as the robot doesn't have the appropriate terminals on the front bumper.

Let's continue with the exterior. The 300 ml water tank is located at the rear. Electronic water flow control is provided.

A damp cleaning cloth is attached to the bottom of the robot. It features a vibration module that vibrates up to 3,000 times per minute, allowing it to clean tough stains from floors. The cloth 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 allows the Roborock S8 to vacuum and mop simultaneously, leaving carpets dry and clean.

The robot has six fall protection sensors mounted on its underside. A carpet detection sensor is located next to the swivel roller. It has a single side brush: a three-pronged unit secured with a screw. The central brush unit is floating, which is a plus. The idea of ​​two turbo brushes isn't new. In fact, iRobot patented it and successfully uses this know-how to this day. It's unclear how Roborock circumvented the patent, but they even named the technology DuoRoller. Both brushes can be removed from both sides to remove tangled hair and fur. Very convenient.

Overall, there hasn't been a significant leap in development in terms of design, even if you compare it not with the Roborock S7 MaxV, but with Roborock S7But there are no complaints about the robot itself: it's well-assembled, and the majority of advanced solutions are implemented, making it versatile and effective.

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Roborock S8, 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 400 ml.
• The water tank capacity is 300 ml.
• Obstacle clearance up to 20 mm.
• Dimensions: 353*97 mm.

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

Functional capabilities

In terms of functionality, the Roborock S8 is controlled via the proprietary Roborock mobile app. Connection is simple and convenient; follow the manufacturer's prompts. The interface is in Russian.

Main functions of the robot vacuum cleaner:

• 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.
• Yandex.Alice support.

The functionality is essentially the same as in previous models. Only a few new features have been added. For example, an intensive wet cleaning mode slows the robot down, which should improve cleaning quality. You can also set areas with difficult-to-cross thresholds so the robot can navigate them more carefully. Finally, you can 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.

Please note that the global version of the robot does not have a Russian voice pack, despite being pre-programmed for a large number of languages. If you need the robot to speak Russian, please choose the Russian-language version; these will be available from local retailers.

Testing

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

Navigation

And finally, let's move on to the tests! First, we'll test the Roborock S8'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 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.

So, in good lighting, the Roborock S8 was able to accurately navigate around five of the six objects. It only failed to recognize the imitation pet surprise. It slightly snagged the stuffed animal, but that's not a big deal. Even in complete darkness, it was able to recognize all of these objects and navigate accurately. Again, with the exception of the pet surprise.

It's important to note that it actually recognizes objects with high accuracy. That's a plus! Another plus is that there's no camera to broadcast the image. This is important for those who are concerned about someone spying on them through the robot's camera and invading their privacy.

Suction power

The suction power, however, was very disappointing. Despite the increased figures, the robot only managed to suck up debris from a 2 mm deep gap, but not completely, and only in one spot did it suck up a tiny amount of debris from an 8 mm gap. I selected both the Maximum and Max+ modes.

I reran the test several times, and then even decided to run the Dreame Bot D10s Pro, which I was testing simultaneously, right after the Roborock S8, under the same conditions. And the Dreame followed the Roborock's lead in sucking up debris from a 10 mm gap, and of course from other gaps as well. This was clearly visible at the 4 and 6 mm marks.

Moreover, the predecessors of Roborock S7 and S7 MaxV There was no such problem, and they thoroughly sucked out debris from a 10 mm gap. Only because of my high level of trust in Roborock and respect for the work of the engineers, I will count the result at 8 mm, but to be completely objective, 2 mm is what it actually showed.

I'm sure the motor itself is at least as powerful, and likely even more so. I think it's due to 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, which is disappointing.

Dry cleaning

The collection quality 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 also does a good job of cleaning carpets. It's worth noting that the silicone turbo brushes are slightly inferior to a conventional bristle brush in terms of picking up debris on carpets, but the cleaning performance is still high for a home environment.

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, a weak point of all the robot vacuums we reviewed.

The Roborock S8 even handles tough stains like dried-on coffee and sauce. Overall, the vibration module feels better. The vibration sound is louder, though it has the same 3,000 vibrations as the Roborock S7 MaxV.

Wet cleaning and carpets

For wet cleaning on carpeted floors, the robot has three modes of interaction with carpets. It can carefully navigate around them in wet cleaning mode, or it can drive over them and press the cleaning cloth against them if you want to clean them with the robot. The best option is to automatically lift the cleaning cloth when driving over carpets.

Obstacle clearance

The Roborock S8 has excellent maneuverability. It can navigate even 2 cm thresholds while still 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 isn't afraid of black carpet and moves across it without any problem. That's a plus!

Noise level

I measured the noise level myself. It ranges from 58.5 to 72 dB, depending on the selected operating mode. The noise level is standard.

Personal opinion

The Roborock S8 robot vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 148 pointsThe result wasn't as high as expected, and this is due to a number of shortcomings, which will be listed below. The Roborock S7 MaxV scored 151 points, while the Roborock S7 scored 134. So, the result was incomplete, and the robot itself is essentially a transitional model to the more powerful MaxV version, which will likely be released later. It's also worth noting that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra version will receive a higher score due to its Ultra Station.

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 in question, and then share my opinion about it.

I liked the following:

1. A very precise system for identifying objects.
2. Good navigation. Roborock has the best navigation system on the market, in my opinion.
3. Two silicone turbo brushes for collecting debris, which are very easy to clean from hair and fur.
4. Lifting the napkin when driving onto carpets.
5. High-quality dry and wet cleaning.
6. Capable of removing even the most difficult stains.
7. A large number of functions in the application.
8. The robot vacuum cleaner is not afraid of black surfaces.
9. Good cross-country ability.
10. High-quality assembly and high brand authority.
11. 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. The robot is not compatible with the Ultra station for rinsing the wipe and self-cleaning, and possibly even with the regular self-cleaning station.
3. There is no active camera for remote home monitoring.

The main complaint, of course, is the power. I wouldn't want this to discourage those who liked this robot from buying it, and those who have already ordered it shouldn't be upset. For example, the leader of my rating, Dreame Bot L10s Ultra, there were also problems with power, but this did not turn out to be a big problem in the end.

In fact, the Roborock S8 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 issue with the station, however, is much more frustrating to me. The company has designed it so that those who aren't sure they need it, or simply can't afford to spend over $1,000 for the complete kit, can purchase it separately. The active camera is debatable. While some may appreciate the lack of live streaming, others may prefer 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, my opinion of the robot is mixed. It's a new product, and some improvements have been made, it cleans well, the controls are user-friendly, and the software works like a Swiss watch. But the issues I discovered left a bad taste in my mouth. I think, at around $430-$450, and even if you don't need a station at all, it's worth considering. But at $600-$620, like most local sellers, I'm not sure it's the best option in terms of price and functionality.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. On that note, I'd like to end this review. Happy shopping, everyone. Bye!