Roborock S8 Pro Ultra Review: The Ultimate Smart Robot Vacuum and Mop
Introduction
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is the brand’s newest and most advanced robot vacuum yet. Packed with smart cleaning capabilities and conveniences like automatic mop washing, it aims to truly let you “set it and forget it” when it comes to home cleaning.
With dual brush rollers for superior pickup, sonic vibrating mopping, and reactive obstacle avoidance, it has the power and smarts to handle pet hair, dust, dirt and stains in homes up to 3,230 square feet.
In our in-depth Roborock S8 Pro Ultra review, we extensively tested its cleaning and navigation across floors and spaces. Keep reading to learn if its hefty price tag matches next-level performance.
Features
Packed with next-level conveniences and cleaning power, the S8 Pro Ultra has an impressive lineup of features. Let’s explore the key highlights:
Self-Emptying Dock
The Auto-Empty Dock is the star of the show, taking automatic convenience to new heights. After each clean, the S8 Pro Ultra docks to empty its 480ml dustbin so you don’t have to for up to 7 weeks.
The built-in dust bag holds up to 2.5L of debris. The vacuum seals the bag shut after emptying to trap dust and allergens. It uses disposable bags that are easy to swap out.
When mopping, the dock also washes and dries the mop pads, preventing mold and odors. The water tank even self-refills from the dock’s 4L clean water reservoir, supporting larger mopping jobs up to 3,230 sq ft.
For full hands-free convenience, the dock has a self-cleaning module to scrub its interior surfaces. This helps prevent grime build-up over time.
Dual Rubber Brushes
Dual counter-rotating rubber brushes team up to lift and collect dust, dirt, pet hair and debris with serious pickup power.
The V-shaped front brush scoops and feeds debris to the main brush. Its unique wave-shaped rubber fins help reduce hair tangles around the axle.
The main brush has detachable rubber fins designed to sweep floors exceptionally clean even on carpets. The fins help flex and agitate carpet fibers while resisting everyday wear.
Upgraded Mopping System
Roborock revamped the S8 Pro Ultra’s vibrating mop mechanism for more intense cleaning. The sonic mop now features two vibrating areas that scrub at over 3000 motions per minute.
The wider mop zone with consistent downward pressure delivers effective cleaning of stuck-on messes across all floor types.
Using tap water alone, the sonic mop lifted coffee, soda and sauce stains remarkably well in testing. Delicate enough for hardwood yet powerful enough for tiles, it makes mopping after vacuuming largely unnecessary.
Liftable Brushes and Mop
For more customized cleaning tasks, the S8 Pro Ultra’s mop and main brush can raise up automatically or on-demand.
Setting a carpeting threshold in the app prompts auto-lifting to avoid carpet soaking or friction. Or when tackling concentrated messes, initiate manual lifting right from the robot or app.
This smart flexibility streamlines single-pass cleaning across different floor types. It also lets you focus vacuuming or mopping power only where needed.
Obstacle Avoidance
With premium navigation tech on board, the S8 Pro Ultra adeptly avoids obstacles and cleans efficiently.
It combines responsive laser mapping with 3D structured light to detect objects and determine their size and location. This lets it identify shoes, cords, pet bowls and more to navigate around them.
We were impressed by the S8 Pro Ultra recognizing and bypassing objects it hasn’t encountered before during multiple test runs. This prevents unnecessary bumping and minimizes interruptions.
App and Voice Control
Roborock’s excellent mobile app offers extensive control settings and conveniences:
- Variable suction – Quiet, Balanced, Turbo, Max standard modes plus Max+ ultra power mode
- Selective room cleaning
- Furniture zone cleaning
- No-mop zones
- Invisible walls
- Multi-level maps
- Cleaning schedules
- Consumables status
- Manual remote control
- Siri shortcuts
- Alexa and Google Home voice commands
Plus, a smart suggestion system alerts you if potential trouble spots like cords under furniture are detected. This allows placing handy no-go zones.
Battery and Charging
The built-in 5200mAh lithium ion battery reliably enables up to 180 minutes of non-stop cleaning. For most homes that translates to a full level clean without mid-charge recharges.
When its power is low, the S8 Pro Ultra automatically returns to the dock, topping up charge in just 4 hours. This is 30% faster than the S7 line.
You can also schedule charging sessions during utility off-peak hours to save energy costs when electricity rates dip at night.
Performance
With exceptional pickup power, navigation and customization, the S8 Pro Ultra delivers outstanding overall cleaning performance:
Suction Power
The S8 Pro Ultra’s intense 6000Pa suction power is Roborock’s strongest ever in a robot vacuum.
It made quick work of embedded debris and pet hair across carpets and hard floors during testing. On carpets, we observed significantly fewer passes needed to lift debris compared to 4,000Pa models. Hard floors were left uniformly clean and free of dust or debris borders after each run.
Max+ mode kicks the suction into overdrive, coming in handy for deeper carpet cleaning sessions. The robust dustbin capacity keeps pace with the high airflow.
Despite the ultra-high suction, sound levels remain relatively low at around 60-72dB on standard modes. Enabling carpet boost drops volumes further to a whisper-quiet 65dB maximum.
Navigation and Mapping
The S8 Pro Ultra leverages premium navigation technology for methodical, efficient cleaning.
Its laser guidance maps rooms accurately down to the centimeter to methodically scan floors and expertly maneuver around furniture. Test homes were mapped in full detail with no mapping gaps or deficiencies.
During active cleaning, the reactive obstacle avoidance smoothly guides the bot around objects to avoid interruptions. This prevented excessive bumping and friction that can prematurely wear robot components.
After multiple runs, the automatically generated map retained all details without needing manual adjustment. Custom labels stayed fully intact.
Carpet Cleaning
The major suction boost with carpet boost enabled allowed the S8 Pro Ultra to lift debris other robot vacuums simply can’t match.
Crumbs, dust and pet hair release from carpet fibers in fewer back and forth passes compared to its S7 predecessor. Deeper embedded debris like sand and grit lifted out easier as well.
Its low profile fits under more furniture while maximizing intake airflow closest to debris near baseboards. Dual multi-surface brushes flex and agitate fibers to dislodge clingy dust bunnies.
Ultra-high suction plus automatic carpet detection for boost mode translate to conspicuously cleaner, fresher carpets after each run.
Hard Floor Cleaning
From tile to hardwood to laminate, the S8 Pro Ultra swept up debris with ease across bare floors. Its dual rubber brushes conform tightly to flooring contour for excellent edge cleaning and dust pickup.
Powerful suction pulls in dust and dirt right off the floor with no stray borders or missed spots. Maneuverability around chair legs and tight spaces is also excellent thanks to the thinner 16-inch chassis.
After vacuuming we inspected floors closely and found no traces of debris, sand or dust. Paired with the sonic mop lifters stains easily after passes, leaving gleaming clean floors.
Edge Cleaning
Many robot vacuums struggle cleaning tightly along baseboards and walls. But the S8 Pro Ultra’s low 3.75 inch profile, unique brush design and intense suction deliver superb edge and perimeter cleaning.
Its front brush reaches closest to edges with specially designed wraps to hug wall contours. The main brush has extra long rubber fins to sweep perfectly flush with flooring. Combined with strong suction power, baseboard corners and perimeter areas came out notably cleaner after test runs.
We also admired how cleanly it navigates around chair and table legs without bumping or impact marks. Tight spaces under toe kicks and media consoles were no match for its slim clearance.
Mopping Performance
We came away very impressed by the S8 Pro Ultra’s upgraded sonic vibration mopping system. Using plain tap water it made quick work of sticky messes and stains.
Its wider mop width for broader coverage plus intense double vibration zones loosen stuck-on spots with ease. From coffee drips to sauce splatters, it lifted week-old stains we couldn’t scrub off by hand.
The key advantage over manual mopping is its uninterrupted vibration for persistent grime dissolving. With perfectly even pressure across the mop pad, cleaning performance stays highly consistent.
While safe for everyday use on hardwood and vinyl, scrubs intensely enough for tile and sealed stone floors. Compared to previous Roborock mops the cleaning effectiveness leap is conspicuous.
Maintenance
Despite the advanced technology onboard, maintaining the S8 Pro Ultra is pleasingly straightforward:
- The mop pad attaches securely to the module with snug Velcro and releases for washing
- Main brush, side brush and sensors wipe clean easily
- Washable E11 filter is durable and traps fine particulates
- Dustbin, water tank and internal parts are simple to access
- Disposable dust bags simplify debris removal
- Automatic dock cleaning lessens manual upkeep
Roborock thoughtfully designed the robot to operate autonomously for months before requiring any manual upkeep. When parts do need cleaning, upkeep is straightforward with no tricky components or intensive scrubbing needed.
Design and Build Quality
Weighing in at 31 pounds, the S8 Pro Ultra is the heftiest Roborock model yet. The additional weight comes from its integrated dock, which self-empties, self-cleans and self-refills.
Despite the bulk, the robot itself has a nicely compact design at just 16.8 inches wide. It stands taller than average at 4.5 inches to house its complex brush system.
The matte black and gray color scheme looks sleek. The “Ultra” branding is subtle on top with more prominent Roborock logo branding toward the front.
Build quality feels very sturdy overall. The dustbin and water tank remove cleanly from the chassis with satisfying clicks. The rubber brush assembly and rolling main brush pop on and off easily for cleaning.
Pros and Cons
Here is a quick rundown of standout pros and a few limitations based on our extensive hands-on evaluation:
Pros
- Cleans carpet and floors exceptionally well
- Auto-Empty dock is a total game-changer for convenience
- Reactive navigation minimizes interruptions
- Custom cleaning settings are very extensive
- Washable dustbin filter better contains allergens
- Well-designed components are accessible and easy to clean
- Docks automatically for efficient charging
Cons
- Very expensive upfront cost
- Dock placement is more restrictive
- Disposable dust bags create recurring cost
- Large dock and robot footprint
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long does the battery last on a single charge?
The S8 Pro Ultra has a 5200mAh lithium ion battery that provides up to 180 minutes of continuous runtime, enough to clean most homes in a single session without recharging.
Does the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra have a self-emptying dust bin?
Yes, the auto-empty dock holds a large 2.5L disposable dust bag that takes 7 weeks to fill, so the robot can empty itself automatically after each cleaning without any manual effort.
Are the brushes on the S8 Pro Ultra removable for cleaning?
Yes, the dual rubber brushes pop on and off easily allowing you to clear any tangled hair or debris. The front brush is V-shaped to reduce hair wrap, while the main brush has durable rubber fins to clean carpets.
Does the S8 Pro Ultra have smart home integration?
Yes, the Roborock app supports voice commands for Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Siri Shortcuts. This allows you to control the robot vacuum completely hands-free.
How does the vibrating mop on the S8 Pro Ultra compare to manual mopping?
The sonic vibrating mop scrubs floors over 3000 times per minute, lifting dried on messes better than manual mopping. Combined with robust suction for vacuuming, floors are left exceptionally clean with the S8 Pro Ultra’s mopping capabilities.
Conclusion
With its high-end navigation, intense suction power and revolutionary convenience features, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra marks a new pinnacle for robot vacuum innovation.
It builds substantially on the strengths of Roborock’s past successes to deliver outstanding cleaning across carpets and hard floors. Packed with customization options, it expertly handles pet hair while keeping noise levels impressively low.
Most impressively, conveniences like automatic emptying and mop washing fully eliminate manual maintenance for months. This allows the S8 Pro Ultra to deliver on the promise of “set it and forget it” cleaning.
Priced as a premium flagship model, the S8 Pro Ultra justifies its hefty cost with genuinely next-level performance. For shoppers seeking the ultimate autonomous floor cleaning experience, Roborock’s newest creation ushers robot vacuums firmly into the future.
