The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a high-end robot vacuum that sits near the top of the manufacturer's lineup. It builds on the capabilities of the existing Roborock S8 with the inclusion of a multifunction dock, similar to the one bundled with the Roborock Q Revo, which empties the vacuum's internal dustbin, washes and dries its mopping pad, and refills its internal water tank. Other upgrades include a brush lifting system to better adapt to different surfaces and a redesigned mopping system with two vibrating actuators instead of the S8's single larger unit.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is decent for bare floors. It does a good job of dealing with most kinds of solid debris, except in tight corners. Its Reactive 3D real-time hazard avoidance system is also quite effective in spotting and identifying most obstacles, and its LIDAR mapping sensor allows it to quickly plot efficient and thorough cleaning paths. You can use the vacuum without its companion app. However, you'd be losing out on the huge array of in-app configuration options, which allow you to customize virtually every aspect of the vacuum's cleaning performance. Unfortunately, its mopping system isn't particularly effective and will probably require more than one pass to deal with especially stubborn stains. Its multi-function dock is also huge, and you might have trouble finding a convenient place to set it up if you have a smaller home or apartment.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is good for low-pile carpet. Its debris pickup performance on this surface type is okay; it struggles with finer material, especially when it's been worked deep into carpet fibers, but does fairly well with larger material. That said, it does offer a very hands-off ownership experience: its multi-function dock takes care of a lot of the day-to-day maintenance associated with robot vacuums. Its mop lift feature raises its mopping pad when passing onto carpets or rugs, so there's no need to remove the pad manually before having it vacuum a carpeted floor. It can also automatically boost suction on carpets.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a good option for cleaning high-pile carpet. Its debris pickup performance is quite good on this surface type, though you might have to clean any tight corners yourself. Its Dynamic Lift system enables it to automatically raise its mopping pad on carpeted floors, so you don't have to worry about stopping the vacuum to remove its mop pads if you want it to scrub stains on hard floors and clean your carpets within the same cleaning session. While its Reactive 3D hazard avoidance system is pretty good at spotting most obstacles, it, unfortunately, won't always register thick carpets that the vacuum can get stuck on as hazards to avoid.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a good choice for dealing with pet hair on floors. Its twin rubber brushrolls provide good pet hair pickup on a variety of floor types. Since they don't have bristles, they're also easy to clean. While it does have a mopping system to deal with dirt or mud your pet might track in, the system isn't particularly efficient, and it'll take more than one pass to deal with especially stubborn debris. It also does a terrible job of sealing in fine allergens as it cleans, which is far from ideal if you suffer from serious allergies. Its hazard avoidance system is good at spotting obstacles and will avoid hazards like pet waste. It also operates quietly, which is a nice bonus if your pet is sensitive to louder noises.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is available in two colorways: 'Black' or 'White.' We tested the 'Black' version; you can see its label here.
Let us know in the comments if you come across another variant of this vacuum.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a high-end robot vacuum. Among the current crop of high-end robot vacuums with similar overall feature sets, the S8 Pro Ultra sets itself apart with a remarkably slick and feature-rich companion app, good overall hazard recognition performance, and a large but highly capable multifunction dock. That said, aside from its twin roller head, which does a fantastic job of dealing with pet hair, it provides a pretty similar ownership experience to the cheaper Roborock Q Revo.
If you're interested in other robot vacuums, see our recommendations for the best robot vacuums, the best robot vacuums for hardwood floors, and the best robot vacuums for pet hair.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a slight improvement on the Roborock S7 MaxV, though the latter is still a good option. The S8 Pro Ultra's brushroll lifting system prevents its rollers from getting dirty as it mops, though the mopping system isn't quite as effective as that of the S7 MaxV. The S8's twin brushrolls also make it far more effective in dealing with pet hair, and its fast-charging system means that it can replenish its battery much faster than the older S7. Meanwhile, the S7 MaxV has a color camera instead of an infrared system, and you can use it as a roving security camera by looking through its camera in its companion app. The S7 MaxV also has a removable water tank instead of the built-in component found on the S8 Pro Ultra, making it easier to check and clear out blockages. Lastly, while we didn't test it in this configuration, it's worth noting that you can bundle the S7 MaxV with a multi-function dock that's similar to the one bundled with the S8 Pro Ultra.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is marginally better than the Roborock Qrevo. However, the latter is still a fantastic deal and will provide a pretty similar ownership experience outside of a few use cases. The S8 Pro Ultra is the better option for pet owners: its twin roller head is much better at dealing with pet hair, and its brush head lifting system prevents the rollers from getting dirty as it mops. Its Reactive 3D hazard avoidance system is also better at identifying hazards, and the vacuum is less likely to get stuck on obstacles. Meanwhile, the Qrevo's mopping system is better at dealing with dried-on stains. Both vacuums have multi-function docks with similar feature sets, but the Qrevo's dock is taller and narrower, making it easier to fit in a nook between bookshelves or chairs.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is marginally better than the Roborock Qrevo Pro, though the latter is a good choice if you're looking to spend less without skimping on features. The S8 Pro Ultra's twin roller head is much better in clearing away pet hair, and its brush head lifting system prevents the rollers from getting dirty as it mops. It also does a better job of dealing with solid debris on most surfaces. Its Reactive 3D hazard avoidance system is also better at identifying hazards, and the vacuum is less likely to get stuck on obstacles. That said, the Qrevo Pro's mopping system is better at dealing with dried-on stains, and its FlexiArm design allows it to clean far more effectively along walls and in corners. Both vacuums have multi-function docks with similar feature sets, but the Qrevo's dock is taller and narrower.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a better vacuum than the Roborock S8+/S8. The S8 Pro Ultra has a more advanced multifunction dock that empties its dustbin, washes and dries its mop pad, and refills its water tank. The S8 Pro Ultra also has a lifting brush head that can keep the brushes from being stained as it mops. The Pro Ultra has a fast-charging feature, too, leading to less downtime between cleaning sessions. However, it's worth noting that the regular S8's VibraRise mopping system is a little better at dealing with stains compared to the S8 Pro Ultra's VibraRise 2.0 system.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a better overall vacuum/mop than the Narwal Freo X Ultra. In terms of physical design, the Roborock feels even better built, and it charges faster, too. The Roborock also delivers better debris pickup performance on bare floors and carpets, and its dual roller head is far more effective in clearing away pet hair. Its ReactiveAI system does a better job of spotting and avoiding obstacles compared to the Narwal's hazard-avoidance system, and the Roborock companion app provides a bigger range of features and a more intuitive interface. The Roborock's multi-function dock also has a more conventional self-empty feature, which you won't have to empty as often as the Narwal's debris-compressing dustbin.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a slightly more capable robot vacuum than the Dreame L10s Ultra. The Roborock's twin-roller head is better at dealing with pet hair, and its Reactive 3D hazard detection system is better at spotting obstacles, making it less likely to get stuck on obstacles than the Dreame. Its brushroll lifting system also prevents the rollers from getting dirty as it mops. However, it's worth noting that the Dreame's multi-function dock, which has similar capabilities to the Roborock's RockDock, is taller and narrower, making it a little easier to fit in tight spaces.
This vacuum feels very well-built. It's very similar in feel to the older Roborock S8, with a body made mainly from dense, high-grade plastic that looks and feels very premium. However, the overall design differs slightly from the older, cheaper model. Its charging contacts sit at the front of its body rather than its underside. Its brush rolls can also rise instead of being fixed in a static position. Its water tank is internally mounted, like the Roborock Qrevo, and it's fitted with Roborock's newer VibraRise 2.0 mopping system, which uses two smaller vibrating motors instead of the S8's single larger actuator.
The out-of-the-box setup isn't too difficult. You must download the Roborock companion app to complete the setup process and pair the vacuum with its docking station.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has quite a few parts that require regular maintenance, but thankfully they're fairly easy to access. You can keep tabs on the maintenance intervals of different components through the 'Help' menu in the vacuum's companion app.
The vacuum's multi-function dock incurs its maintenance requirements. The manufacturer has a full video breakdown on those maintenance procedures, which you can watch here.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra incurs high recurring costs.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra takes up a fair amount of space, though that's entirely down to its multi-function dock. It has similar capabilities to the dock bundled with the Roborock Q Revo but is shorter and wider, which makes it considerably harder to fit in smaller spaces.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra's internal dustbin is 300ml, which is on the smaller side for a robot vacuum. However, since you don't have to empty it yourself, this isn't a big deal.
Since the vacuum's internal water reservoir is built into the unit and you can't remove it, we can't verify its capacity. However, the manufacturer advertises it as holding 200ml of water.
The docking station has a range of features. Debris is sucked from the vacuum's dustbin into an internal dirtbag. It also has a pair of water tanks, one for clean water that refills the vacuum's internal water reservoir for mopping as well as washing its mop pads, and the other for holding waste water from the mop washing process.
Vacuum components
Multi-function dock components
Various accessories
This vacuum has exceptional battery performance. In its low-power 'Quiet' setting, it can run for almost five hours, while in its high-power 'Max+,' that drops to a little over 100 minutes, which is still enough to clean larger spaces. In both cases, the S8 Pro Ultra's battery performance exceeds that of the older Roborock S8. It also has a fast-charging setting that allows it to recharge its battery nearly 40% faster than the older model.
This is a feature-packed robot vacuum. Overall, it's similarly equipped to the Roborock Q Revo. Like that model, it has the brand's Auto-Mop Lift feature, which lifts its mopping pad by 5 millimeters when the vacuum detects that it's passing onto a carpeted surface, so there's no need to take off its mopping pads if you want the vacuum to clean carpets and mop floors in the same cleaning job. Unlike that model, however, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra's brushrolls can also lift, so they don't drag on the floor while the unit is running a mopping cycle. There are five different suction power modes: the energy-efficient 'Quiet' mode, the default 'Balanced' mode, 'Turbo,' 'Max,' and 'Max+,' which is meant for cleaning extremely stubborn debris. There are also a variety of carpet-specific cleaning functions, where it uses its ultrasonic sensor to detect whether or not it's on carpet: 'Carpet First' mode, 'Carpet Boost' mode, and 'Deep Carpet Cleaning,' the last of which directs the vacuum to only clean carpets after it's finished cleaning the rest of your home. You can also set it to avoid all carpets or, on the opposite end of the spectrum, disable the carpet-detection function entirely so that it may mop rugs and bare floors. This isn't desirable for normal carpets, but it's especially handy for mopping any rubber mats you might have in your home.
There are a variety of mopping options, too. You can choose between three levels of water flow to its mopping pads: 'Low,' 'Medium,' and 'High.' There are also four levels of route mapping settings, which effectively allow you to choose between fast and deep mopping on a sliding scale.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra also features Roborock's Reactive 3D system, which uses a structured light sensor and infrared camera to spot hazards, but this type of sensor ultimately isn't as sophisticated or as effective as the RGB-color camera-based system found on the Roborock S7 MaxV.
This vacuum does a fantastic job of dealing with pet hair on low-pile carpet. Within a single cleaning cycle, it can clear away the majority of strands, with barely anything remaining. Its twin roller head performs far better in this regard than the Roborock Q Revo's single-roller head.
Real-world suction performance is poor. The manufacturer advertises this vacuum as having the same 6000 Pa as the S8. While that's relatively powerful for a robot vacuum, its suction inlet is still positioned too high above the contact surface to generate a tight seal on bare surfaces.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra's airflow performance is decent for a robot vacuum. It's sufficiently powerful enough to lift up heavier debris.
This vacuum is remarkably quiet. Even with the vacuum running nearby in its most powerful setting, you won't have to raise your voice too much to be heard by someone standing nearby.
The multifunction dock is noisier than the vacuum when using the self-empty function, with a peak volume of 74.2 dBA.
This vacuum does a great job of maneuvering itself in its 'Standard' pathing mode. Its LIDAR sensor maps out rooms quickly, and the vacuum cleans in an organized, thorough pattern. It's small enough to fit under most tables and chairs and gets nice and close to furniture legs without getting stuck on them. The Reactive 3D Tech real-time object avoidance system is also fairly good at spotting obstacles, which you can see on the in-app coverage map. That said, it has trouble with power cords and thicker rugs, both being hazards on which it can easily get stuck. Its hazard avoidance system is slightly less sophisticated than the color camera-based technology found on the Roborock S7 MaxV, which is even better at assessing obstacles.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra does a poor job of sealing in fine particles. Like the Roborock S7 MaxV, fine allergens bypass its filter and are blown straight out of its exhaust port.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has poor crack-cleaning performance. It struggles with drawing up fine debris wedged deep within crevices, but its side brush also tends to scatter debris around rather than direct it towards the suction inlet. Running the vacuum in the 'Max+' suction mode makes little to no difference in performance. You can see the final results of said test here.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra's stain-clearing performance is okay when set to its 'Intense' water flow mode and the pathing set to 'Deep Clean+.' Its new VibraRise 2.0 mopping system uses two smaller vibrating motors compared to the older Roborock S8's single-actuator arrangement, which seems to put less force to the ground and has a smaller overall area, resulting in slightly inferior stain-clearing performance. The brush-raise system could also play a part in this; on the older model, the brushroll can lightly scrape against a stain, helping to chip away at it. You can opt to keep the brushroll down on this newer model, which does seem to slightly improve performance, as seen here and here, but it also results in stain residue being left on the rollers, which is far from ideal.
Running a second pass results in slightly better overall performance, but ultimately it's a pretty marginal improvement. You can see the result of running a second pass here.
On the upside, the multi-function dock's mop-washing feature works very well; you can see how the mop cloth looked before cleaning here and after cleaning here. It misses a small amount of debris on the very edges of the pad, but ultimately, it's cleaned pretty thoroughly.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has a broad array of physical automation features. Most obviously, there's the multifunction dock, which not only empties its dustbin but also refills its water tank and washes and dries its mopping pads.
There are three physical control buttons that you can use to perform basic functions, without having to use the app. The power button doubles as a general 'Clean' button, sending the vacuum off to map your home and start a cleaning session. You can press the 'Dock' button to return the vacuum to its base station for self-empty. Holding the button down has the unit return to its dock to run a wash cycle on its mop cloth. Pressing the 'Mop' button has the vacuum start a mopping-only cleaning run, while holding it down engages the child lock.
The Roborock app has a remarkably dense feature set; you can see its interface here.
After it's mapped out your home, you can set up no-go zones, designate specific cleaning zones to spot clean, split, merge, and name those areas, manually set the surface type for different areas, and set the suction and mopping modes you want for individual rooms and even tweak the order through which it moves through each room. You can also set 'Entrapping Areas,' zones in which the vacuum will slow down to minimize damage on delicate surfaces. It also offers multi-level mapping for up to four floors.
You can turn the Reactive 3D hazard avoidance system on or off or tweak its behavior via two different sub-settings: 'Less Collision' mode prioritizes avoiding contact with walls and furniture at the expense of lower-precision scanning in tight spots, and 'Pet' mode boosts object detection performance for avoiding hazards like pet waste, but may degrade overall coverage.
The app also has a 'Help' sub-menu that gives you a projected service interval for its filter, brushroll, side brush, sensors, and mopping pad.
There are also quite a few configuration options for the multifunction dock. You can adjust the frequency of mop-washing cycles, the mop-washing intensity, and the mop-drying cycle length. You can also adjust how often the vacuum will return to its dock to self-empty depending on the size of your home or simply leave it up to the vacuum itself.