The Roborock E4 is a robot vacuum with decent performance overall. It's similar in many ways to the Roborock S4 but lacks the former's LIDAR navigation system, which means you can't have it clean specific rooms or areas at scheduled times. That said, it has outstanding performance on bare floors, a very good build quality, and is relatively simple to take apart and reassemble. Its compact form allows it to maneuver effectively in tight areas, while its light weight makes it easy to carry up and down flights of stairs. That said, it struggles with both small and large debris on carpeted floors. There are a few parts that need to be replaced on a regular basis, which can quickly add up in terms of cost. However, the vacuum's companion app makes it quite easy to track the current status of any part that requires scheduled replacement.
Our Verdict
The Roborock E4 is great for bare floors. It has no trouble picking up pet hair as well as small and large debris. That said, you may experience a slight drop in performance when clearing large amounts of material like cereal, which can slightly block the entrance to the dirt compartment. It's very well-built and easy to maintain, but there are quite a few parts that need to be taken care of.
- Outstanding performance on bare floors.
- Very good build quality.
- Great maneuverability.
- Remarkable battery life.
- Many maintenance needs.
- High recurring costs.
The Roborock E4 is okay for low-pile carpet. It's sturdily-built and fairly easy to maintain, but there are quite a few components that need regular cleaning or replacement. While it does a good job of clearing pet hair on this kind of surface, it may take a few passes to completely clear small and large debris.
- Excellent pet hair cleaning capability.
- Very good build quality.
- Remarkable battery life.
- Struggles with small and large debris.
- Many maintenance needs.
- High recurring costs.
The Roborock E4 is adequate for high-pile carpet. Unlike many other robot vacuums, it can maneuver effectively on this kind of surface, though it doesn't do an especially impressive job of picking up small and large debris. However, it has no trouble clearing pet hair, is very well-built, and has a decently large dirt compartment for a robot vacuum.
- Excellent pet hair cleaning capability.
- Very good build quality.
- Remarkable battery life.
- Struggles with small and large debris.
- Many maintenance needs.
- High recurring costs.
The Roborock E4 is an excellent fit for pet owners. It has no trouble clearing pet hair on a variety of surfaces while its self-adjusting power level should allow it to adapt to different surface types. Although quite a few parts need regular maintenance, the vacuum is quite easy to take apart and is very well-built.
- Outstanding performance on bare floors.
- Excellent pet hair cleaning capability.
- Very good build quality.
- Remarkable battery life.
- Many maintenance needs.
- High recurring costs.
The Roborock E4 is a robot vacuum that isn't suitable for cleaning stairs.
The Roborock E4 is a robot vacuum that isn't meant to clean the inside of cars.
Changelog
- Updated Dec 14, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.7.
- Updated Oct 17, 2022: We've corrected an error in this review stating that this vacuum has a HEPA-efficiency exhaust filter. This isn't the case, and all mentions of this vacuum having a HEPA filter have been removed.
- Updated Aug 03, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.6.
- Updated Jun 09, 2022: Updated 'Companion App Automation' box to include screenshots of the vacuum's companion app.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
You can purchase the Roborock E4 with a mop attachment and water tank kit to help clear wet messes, similar to the Roborock S5. However, we don't currently test the effectiveness of this feature.
Popular Robot Vacuum Comparisons
The Roborock E4 is a robot vacuum with decent performance. It's similar in many ways to the Roborock S4 and Roborock S5, but it lacks their LIDAR navigation system, which uses a laser to draw a more accurate, precise image of the area they're cleaning. You also can't set up virtual room boundaries in the E4's companion app. It has a decently-sized dirt compartment and outstanding battery life, but it also has quite a few parts that require regular maintenance or even replacement. It also struggles with clearing small and large debris on carpeted floors.
If you're looking for more options, take a look at our list of recommendations for the best robot vacuums, the best robot vacuums for pet hair, and the best robot vacuums for hardwood floors.
The Roborock E4 is a better overall robot vacuum than the Roborock S4. The E4 delivers stronger performance on all surface types, especially high-pile carpets, and has a slightly larger dirt compartment. However, the S4 has a shorter recharge time as well as a LIDAR navigation system that creates a more efficient cleaning path. You can also set up virtual boundary markers in its companion app.
The Roborock S6 and the Roborock E4 perform very similarly overall. The E4 is slightly more compact, easier to carry, and does a little bit better on high-pile carpets. Meanwhile, the S6 features a sturdier design, a more advanced LIDAR navigation system, and superior maneuverability. The S6 features a mop attachment to clean up wet messes, while a mopping kit is available for the E4, though we don't currently test the effectiveness of either feature.
The Roborock E4 is a far more versatile robot vacuum than the Shark ION Robot AV752. The Roborock feels better built, is easier to maintain, maneuvers around obstructions more easily, and has lower recurring costs, not to mention a broader suite of automation features and a larger dust bin. It also offers superior cleaning performance on all surface types. Conversely, the Shark is a little lighter and more compact.
The Roborock E4 is better than the eufy RoboVac G20. The Roborock feels better built, does a better job of filtering out allergens, has a larger dirt compartment that won't need emptying as often, and has a longer maximum battery life while taking less time to recharge. The Roborock also does a better job of maneuvering itself and clears slightly more debris on bare floors as well as low- and high-pile carpets. However, the eufy is a little more compact.
Test Results
The Roborock E4 is an impressively well-built vacuum. It's made of dense, high-grade plastic that looks and feels quite premium. The top cover, used to access the brushroll, features a matte finish and stays open during maintenance. The durable rubber-coated wheels slightly lift the unit and allow it to roll smoothly on carpeted surfaces. However, the dirt compartment feels a little flimsy and could crack if dropped. There are two sets of speakers in the body that provide audible updates concerning the vacuum's current status. The body also has a prominent power button and a button to send it back to its charging dock.
The setup process is user-friendly, requiring you to sync the machine to either the Mi Home or Roborock apps and allow it to connect to its charging dock.
The Roborock E4 is fairly easy to maintain, with a design that makes it easy to access its various parts. That said, there are a lot of parts that require regular maintenance, which can be a nuisance. However, it's easier to maintain than the ONSON GOOVI F007 Robot Vacuum.
- Brushroll: The main brushroll can be accessed by removing the plastic brush guard under the vacuum. It should be cleaned once or twice a week depending on use.
- Side brush: The side brush can be removed with a screwdriver and should be cleared of debris every month.
- Dirt compartment: The dirt compartment is located underneath the top cover and should be emptied fairly frequently depending on use. It can be cleaned with water, but make sure that the component is dry before putting it back in the unit.
- Filter: To access the exhaust filter, you need to remove the dirt compartment and then un-clip the filter from its socket. It should be washed every two weeks and left to dry for at least 24 hours before putting it back in place.
- Wheel: The omnidirectional wheel, located at the rear end of the vacuum, should be cleared of debris once a month by removing it from its socket. Be aware that it can take quite a bit of force to separate it from the main body.
- Sensors: The sensors and charging ports on the vacuum body need to be cleaned with dry cloths after 30 hours of use.
The Mi Home app gives you an estimated service life of every part depending on use and will notify you when it's time to replace a component.
The Roborock E4 has a couple of recurring costs. The washable exhaust filter should be replaced after 150 hours of use. Similarly, the side brush should be cleaned once a month, but the manufacturer recommends replacing this part after 200 hours of use. The main brushroll is also disposable, but it has a much longer service life of 6 to 12 months, depending on your own usage.
You can check the estimated status of each component by looking at the 'Maintenance' tab on the vacuum's companion app. All of these parts are available on the Roborock store page on Amazon.
Similar to many other robot vacuums, the Roborock E4 is amazingly easy to store due to its compact footprint. It even returns to its charging base automatically.
This vacuum's dirt compartment is a decent size. It's larger than the dirt compartments found in the Roborock S5 and Roborock S4, but it still needs fairly frequent emptying. Its companion app will remind you to empty it regularly.
- Roborock E4 vacuum
- Charging dock
- Charging cable
- 1x Exhaust filter
- Main brushroll
- Dirt compartment
- Brushroll guard
- User guide
This vacuum's range is only really limited by its battery life and dirt compartment fill status. That said, it can't climb or descend staircases.
The Roborock E4 has very good portability. Despite lacking a carrying handle, it's relatively easy to carry it around due to its light weight.
The Roborock E4's battery performance is outstanding. Even when running continuously on its most powerful 'Max' mode, it lasts just under two hours. Using it in its least powerful 'Silent' mode, runtime extends to over three hours. However, it does take longer to recharge than some alternatives, such as the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum. It's also worth noting that the vacuum refuses all cleaning tasks once it drops below 20% charge and instead looks for its charging dock. Thankfully, it's easy to know when you're running out of battery as the power button goes from solid white to red when the charge level drops under 20%.
The Roborock E4 has a couple of quality of life features. Four different surface modes adjust the vacuum's suction power to different surfaces, which can be selected automatically or manually. In increasing order of power, these modes are Silent, Balanced, Turbo, and Max. 'Balanced' is the default operating mode.
The Roborock E4 doesn't have much in the way of extra cleaning tools. It's equipped with a side brush to direct debris toward the main brushroll.
The Roborock E4 delivers remarkable performance on bare floors. It has no trouble clearing pet hair, large debris like cereal, and smaller debris like rice. However, it should be noted that some larger debris can get stuck at the entry to the dirt compartment as it fills up, causing them to become trapped in the main brushroll.
The Roborock E4 is alright on low-pile carpet. It doesn't have any trouble clearing pet hair, but struggles a little more with large debris and even more so with smaller, finer material, like baking soda.
Unlike the Roborock S4, the Roborock E4 can maneuver on high-pile carpet. It doesn't have any trouble picking up pet hair, but it may take a lot of passes to completely clear both small and large debris.
Despite lacking the more advanced LIDAR navigation system found in the Roborock S5 and S4, the Roborock E4 still does a very good job of maneuvering around a room. Its OpticEye navigation system creates a fairly efficient S-shaped cleaning route and identifies areas it may have missed on the first go-around. It even produces a map of the area it cleaned after completing a task, which you can view in its companion app. Its compact size allows it to go under couches and tables without a problem while its self-adjusting power level does a good job of quickly adapting to charging surface types. Unfortunately, it can get stuck on rug tassels and electrical cords.
The Roborock E4 has a good selection of automation features. It can be used without initializing its companion app, as its physical buttons can be used to command it to start cleaning an entire area, spot clean, and return to its charging dock. With the companion app, you get access to many more options. It lets you schedule cleaning times, update the firmware, check maintenance status and cleaning history, and even remote control the vacuum to reorient it. Its OpticEye navigation system relies on internal gyroscopes and motion tracking to build a temporary map of the room it's cleaning, but doesn't allow you to schedule individual room cleanings. You also can't set up virtual room boundaries in their companion app, unlike the Roborock S5.
The Roborock E4 has an impressively comprehensive companion app. While it doesn't create a permanent map of its coverage area due to its lack of a LIDAR mapping system, it can show a small area map of the area it cleaned after the end of a cleaning session. Using its app, you can schedule cleaning times for its entire coverage area or make directional inputs with a remote control if it gets stuck.