The Roborock S8 sits near the top of Roborock's extensive lineup of robot vacuums, just below the mechanically similar Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, which has a few minor improvements. It's a minor upgrade over the existing Roborock S7 MaxV, with the same dual-sensor mapping and hazard recognition system, a slightly more powerful suction motor, and a new cleaning head with twin rubber rollers that are more resistant to hair wraps.
Our Verdict
The Roborock S8 is a decent option for bare floors. It has no trouble dealing with larger debris on surfaces like laminate or hardwood, but it has a harder time with smaller debris piled up against walls and in corners. Its ultrasonic mopping system is far more effective in scrubbing away stains than passive systems found on other models. Its real-time hazard identification system also means you won't have to ensure its cleaning area is completely spotless before letting it run. Build quality is also excellent, and the vacuum itself isn't all that hard to maintain, especially if you go for the S8+ variant, which comes bundled with a self-emptying dock.
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Superb performance on bare floors.
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Relatively easy to maintain.
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Wide array of cleaning configuration options.
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Impressively effective mopping system.
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Incurs high recurring costs.
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Struggles a little with debris in corners.
The Roborock S8 is a satisfactory option for vacuuming low-pile carpet. It can easily handle most kinds of debris on this surface type, though it might need to make an extra pass or two to fully clear away finer material that's gotten deeply embedded within carpet fibers. Its 'Carpet Mode' function is also very effective in enabling it to automatically respond to a change in surface type. Its advanced mapping and navigation system results in impressive overall maneuverability, which will improve as it learns to adapt to your home and plot increasingly efficient routes.
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Relatively easy to maintain.
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Wide array of cleaning configuration options.
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Carpet detection system.
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Incurs high recurring costs.
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Struggles a little with debris in corners.
The Roborock S8 is a decent choice for cleaning high-pile carpet. It's pretty effective in dealing with larger debris on this surface type but struggles more with debris in corners and along walls. Its surface recognition system works well by automatically increasing suction power on carpets. It tends to get stuck on plush carpeting, forcing you to manually free it.
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Relatively easy to maintain.
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Wide array of cleaning configuration options.
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Carpet detection system.
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Incurs high recurring costs.
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Can get bogged down on thick carpeting.
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Struggles a little with debris in corners.
The Roborock S8 does a great job of handling pet hair on floors, though it isn't intended for handling pet hair in hard-to-reach areas or on furniture. Its cleaning head uses twin rubber rollers, which are easy to clean and don't get tangled easily. Its mopping system also does a great job of scrubbing away any dirt or mud that your pet might track in from the outdoors, and its hazard recognition system allows it to automatically avoid hazards like pet waste. It does a terrible job of sealing in most common allergens, like pet dander.
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Easily clears away pet hair.
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Relatively easy to maintain.
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Poor air filtration performance.
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Incurs high recurring costs.
The Roborock S8 is a robot vacuum and isn't designed to be used on stairs.
The Roborock S8 is a robot vacuum and isn't designed to be used for cleaning your car.
The Roborock S8 is a robot vacuum and isn't designed to be used for dealing with messes in workshops.
- 7.1 Bare Floor
- 7.4 Low-Pile Carpet
- 7.1 High-Pile Carpet
- 5.5 Pets
- 5.8 Stairs
- 4.8 Cars
- 4.7 Workshop
- Updated Apr 09, 2024: We've added text to this review for the new tests added in Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Apr 09, 2024: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.3. We've overhauled our floor performance tests and added new 'Hard Floor Pick-Up,' 'High-Pile Carpet Pick-Up,' 'Low-Pile Carpet Pick-Up,' and 'Pet-Hair Pick-Up' tests. You can see the full changelog here.
- Updated Jan 17, 2024: Corrected an error in the 'Airflow' section of the review where we referred to the vacuum by the wrong name.
- Updated Nov 17, 2023: We've added text to this review for the new tests added in Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Nov 07, 2023: We've converted this review to Test Bench 1.2. This update builds on our previous 'Suction' test with a new 'Airflow' test that more accurately measures a vacuum's ability to generate air movement. If you'd like to see an in-depth look at the reasoning and methodology behind this change, you can see our full changelog here..
- Updated Jun 27, 2023: Review published.
- Updated Jun 22, 2023: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 12, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
- Updated May 18, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
- Updated May 05, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
There are two variants of the Roborock S8: the basic variant, referred to as the S8, and the S8+, which comes bundled with a Roborock's Auto-Empty Dock Pure station. Both models can be purchased in either white or black. We tested the S8+ variant in black, and you can see its label here. Both vacuums are mechanically identical and deliver similar overall cleaning performance, though including the auto-empty dock reduces hands-on maintenance requirements.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is mechanically similar to the S8/S8+ but is still treated as a distinct model. Not only does it come with a more advanced docking station that empties its dustbin, refills its water tank, and washes and dries its mopping pad, but it also has a wider mopping module.
If someone comes across a differently-equipped variant of this vacuum, let us know in the discussions, and we'll update our review.
Compared To Other Vacuums
The Roborock S8 is a premium robot vacuum that not only offers a wide range of convenience features but also strong overall performance on a wide variety of surface types, comfortably exceeding the majority of other models on the market. It's not necessarily a revolutionary upgrade over the older Roborock S7 MaxV. However, it still improves upon its predecessor in a few small but welcome ways, with an easier-to-clean dual-roller cleaning head and a slightly more potent suction motor.
If you're looking for alternatives, look at our list of recommendations for the best robot vacuums, the best robot vacuums for hardwood floors, and the best robot vacuums for carpet.
The Roborock S8 is better than the Roborock S7. The S8 has a more powerful suction motor and a more effective cleaning head, resulting in better debris-pickup performance across different surfaces. The S8 also features a separate front-facing optical sensor that allows it to spot, identify, and react to obstacles placed in its way. That said, the S7 uses the same mopping feature and is still a good way of getting a well-rounded robot vacuum for a more affordable price.
The Roborock S8+/S8 is a bit better than the Roborock Q Revo, though the latter is still a great option if you aren't willing to spend as much. The S8 feels a little better built, has fewer parts that need to be cleaned periodically, and has a slightly more sophisticated real-time hazard avoidance system. It also delivers better overall debris pickup performance, and its twin-roller head is more resistant to hair wraps. That said, the Q Revo's multifunction dock offers far more functionality than the dock included with the S8+ variant; not only does it empty the vacuum's internal dustbin, it also refills its water tank for mopping and washes and dries its mop pads.
The Roborock S8 is better than the Roborock Q5, but that isn't surprising, given the significant price disparity. The S8 features a front-facing optical sensor that allows it to react to hazards in real-time, a dual-roller cleaning head that does a better job of resisting hair wraps, and a highly effective mopping system. That said, the Q5's standard-fit bristled roller does provide more surface agitation on carpet, which helps offset a portion of its on-paper power deficit.
As the flagship model in the Roborock lineup, the Roborock S8 is better than the Roborock Q7 Max. The S8 has a more powerful suction motor and a twin roller floorhead, improving debris pickup across most surface types. Its front-facing camera system allows it to spot and react to hazards in real-time. The S8 also feels better built and has a vibrating mop system that's more efficient in scrubbing away stains.
The Roborock S8 is a slight upgrade over the Roborock S7 MaxV, though the vacuums are still pretty similar overall. The S8 has a slightly more potent suction motor and a new dual-roller floorhead, resulting in slightly better debris pickup on most floor types and improving its ability to clear away pet hair. The S8 is also noticeably quieter. The S7 MaxV has a color-capable camera and a built-in microphone, so you can use it as a roving security camera. Unlike the standard S8, it's also available with a docking station that empties its dustbin, washes its mop pad, and refills its water tank.
The Roborock S8+/S8 is better than the iRobot Roomba j9+. The Roborock features a LIDAR mapping sensor that allows for quicker and more precise room mapping, and it boasts a lot more automation features, not to mention a more feature-rich and less buggy companion app. The Roborock generates a live map of its coverage area, allows you to change power settings on the fly, and supports pin-and-go functionality. Both vacuums feature real-time hazard identification systems, and while the iRobot has a nominally more advanced RGB camera-based system, the Roborock does a better job of navigating around obstacles. The Roborock also features an ultrasonic mopping system that effectively handles dried-on stains. If you want the same capability in the iRobot, you'll need to step up to the pricier iRobot Roomba j9+ Combo model.
The Roborock S8 is better than the iRobot j7. Both vacuums offer hazard avoidance capability, enabling them to spot and react to obstacles placed in their way in real-time. Still, the Roborock features an additional LIDAR sensor, resulting in faster room mapping and much-improved low-light maneuverability. The Roborock also has a more potent suction motor, resulting in better debris pickup across different surfaces, and has a mopping feature that is very effective in dealing with stains.
The Roborock S8 is better than the iRobot Roomba S9. The S8 has both LIDAR and front-facing optical sensors, allowing for quick and precise room mapping, even in the dark, and real-time hazard avoidance capability. The S8 is also equipped with an impressive mopping system that deals with stains on hard floors. Both vacuums have cleaning heads with twin rubber rollers that do a fantastic job of handling pet hair and are easy to clean. That said, the iRobot does a much better job of sealing in allergens like pet dander. It also clears away more debris on hard floors and high-pile carpet, though the Roborock is marginally more effective on low-pile carpeting.
As far as hybrid robot vacuums/mops go, the Roborock S8+/S8 is better than the Shark IQ 2-in-1, though that isn't too surprising given the significant gulf in price between the two. The Roborock feels better built, does a better job of maneuvering itself, has an even more feature-rich yet intuitive app, and has a real-time hazard avoidance system. Better yet, it's fully compatible with a base station that empties its dustbin, refills its water tank, and washes and dries its mop pad. The Shark might not be compatible with a self-emptying base station, but its mopping system is surprisingly better at dealing with dried-on stains than the Roborock.
Test Results
This vacuum feels very well-built. It's very similar in feel to the older Roborock S7 MaxV, with a body made mostly from high-grade plastic with a matte finish. You can lift the top cover to see the Wi-Fi indicator light and system reset button. Like its predecessor, it has a front-facing camera to scan for hazards, but unlike that model, you can't look through it. You'll notice the biggest difference from the S7 MaxV on its underside: the S8 uses a new cleaning head with twin rubber rollers, similar to iRobot models like the iRobot Roomba S9. It has a single side brush to direct debris into the path of its cleaning head but with three arms instead of five.
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 is fairly easy to maintain. You can keep tabs on the maintenance intervals of different components through the 'Help' menu in the vacuum's companion app.
- Dirt compartment: The internal dustbin can be removed by pressing the release tabs on either end of the dirt compartment. You can empty it over a trash bin, but if you buy the S8+ variant, it will automatically transfer debris from its dustbin into the dirtbag inside the charging dock. If necessary, wash it with water, but remove the filter beforehand. The dirt compartment must dry for 24 hours before it's put back in the vacuum.
- Base station dirtbag: The S8+ variant comes with a base station that contains a dirtbag, which can simply be pulled out of its housing after you remove the top cover. A cover on the dirtbag automatically seals the bag after removal, preventing dust and debris from spilling out. It isn't reusable and must be thrown away when it's full. It has an advertised capacity of seven weeks' worth of debris, though you'll likely find it less than that depending on whether or not you have floors that gather a lot of dirt, dust, and pet hair. You can use the small screwdriver packaged with the base station to remove debris clogging the inlet to the dirtbag.
- E11 filter: The filter is located inside the dirt compartment and can be unclipped from its housing pretty easily. It has a simple design and isn't especially difficult to clean. You should wash it every two weeks.
- Brushrolls: The twin rubber brushrolls can be accessed by lifting the brush guard on the bottom of the vacuum and pulling them out. Compared to older Roborock models, which featured only a single roller, the S8 has twin rubber rollers with removable bearings, making it a cinch to clear away the small amounts of pet hair that can get stuck. You should clean them by removing any tangled hair or stuck-on debris once or twice a week, depending on whether or not you have any pets.
- Side brush: Unfortunately, you'll need a screwdriver to remove the retaining screw holding the side brush in place, so it isn't quite as easy to clean as most of the other components on this vacuum. You should clear away any stuck-on debris once a month.
- Omni-directional wheel: The omnidirectional front wheel takes quite a bit of effort to pull free of its socket, and you'll probably need to use a pair of pliers for extra leverage. You should clear it of any tangled hair or debris every month.
- Mop cloth: The mopping cloth can be removed from its mounting plate and slid out. You should clean it under water after each use.
- Water tank: You can pull the water tank out from the back of the vacuum. You can clean it as required by filling it with clean water, shaking it gently, and then pouring out the dirty water.
Any component washed under water should dry for at least 24 hours before being reinserted in the vacuum.
This vacuum incurs high recurring costs.
- Brushrolls: The brushrolls need replacing after 300 hours of use or every six to 12 months. Replacements can be purchased here.
- Side brush: The side brush has a service life of 200 hours or approximately three to six months of use. You can buy a two-pack of replacements from the company's website here.
- Filter: The filter needs replacing following 150 hours, according to the maintenance tab of the companion app. You can buy replacements in packs of two here.
- Mop cloth: You should replace the mop cloth every three to six months. Replacements can be bought in packs of two, as seen here.
The S8+ version of the Roborock S8 is very easy to store. The vacuum itself isn't that big, and its self-emptying rack station has the same dimensions as the Roborock Q5+, which is pretty easy to fit between nooks in furniture. It also has a built-in rack to store any excess power cord length. Still, if you don't have a lot of space at home, you might be better off going for the basic S8 variant, which doesn't come with the self-emptying station.
The Roborock S8+'s debris capacity is impressively large. While the actual measured capacity of 2L is smaller than the advertised claim of 2.5L, the dirtbag is still big enough to store a couple of weeks' worth of debris, though not likely the seven weeks the manufacturer advertises. Conversely, its internal dustbin is very small, with a capacity of only 0.25L. The internal water tank, seen here, has an advertised capacity of 0.3L.
It's worth noting that the mechanically similar Roborock S8 Pro Ultra comes bundled with a docking station that not only empties its dustbin but also refills its water tank and washes and dries its mopping pad.
- Roborock S8 vacuum
- Dirt compartment
- Auto-Empty Dock Pure self-emptying charging station (Only included with S8+ model)
- Auto-Empty Dock Pure self-emptying charging station top cover (Only included with S8+ model)
- Auto-Empty Dock Pure self-emptying charging station power cable (Only included with S8+ model)
- 2x Dirtbags (Only included with S8+ model)
- Charging Station (Only included with S8 model)
- Water tank
- 1x E11 filter
- 2x Rubber brushrolls
- Brushroll guard
- Mopping mount
- 1x Mopping cloth
- Recharge station
- Charging cable with Velcro strap
- Moisture-proof mat
- User manual and safety guide
- Quick Start guide
The range is limited only by the vacuum's remaining battery life, though it can't climb or descend staircases.
This vacuum is pretty portable, albeit somewhat heavy for a robot vacuum. There's no carrying handle to facilitate bringing it up and down stairs. Adding the mopping pad adds roughly half a pound to its overall weight.
The battery performance is excellent. It delivers very similar performance to the Roborock S7 MaxV in this respect, with a max runtime of almost four hours in its most power-efficient 'Quiet' mode, which is far more than the advertised max runtime of 180 minutes. It can still run for an hour and a half in its most powerful 'Max+' mode, which is still ample time to deal with heavier debris. The vacuum stops its cleaning task once its charge level drops below 20%, at which point its battery life indicator light turns red, and the vacuum attempts to return to its charging station.
Given the fact that the Roborock S8 is part of the manufacturer's flagship model series, it comes jam-packed with an array of convenience features, though for the most part, it doesn't move the needle far beyond where the Roborock S7 MaxV left off.
It features 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. It has a separate 'Carpet' mode, which you can toggle on and off within the app, and allows the vacuum to automatically increase suction power on different surfaces. Its side brush also spins faster when the vacuum passes along walls and edges.
There are a variety of mopping options, too. You can choose between three levels of scrubbing intensity: 'Mild,' 'Moderate,' and 'Intense.' There are also three modes of mop pathing: 'Standard' for moderately intensive cleaning sessions, 'Deep,' and 'Deep+,' which minimizes the vacuum's suction power and causes the vacuum to move in a tight Z-shaped pattern, resulting in more thorough room coverage.
Like the S7 MaxV, it has a front-facing optical sensor that allows it to spot, identify, and if necessary avoid obstacles in its path, even in low-light conditions.
This vacuum has a three-armed side brush to direct debris into the path of its twin rubber rollers. It also comes with a washable mop cloth that's mounted on a vibrating mop pad to scrub away stains.
This vacuum does an impressive job of cleaning hard floors. Its suction inlet is positioned high enough to easily pass over bulky debris like cereal so that it can suck them up. That said, it does struggle a little bit with smaller material like rice or sand that's piled up against walls or smaller debris that's been pushed deep into corners.
This vacuum does a good job of handling debris on high-pile carpet. It struggles a little with debris that's been pressed right up against walls and in corners, but ultimately, it's quite effective in dealing with fine, medium, and large-sized debris on this surface type, even if another pass is necessary to collect every last bit of debris.
This vacuum performs decently well on low-pile carpet. It's quite effective in dealing with large and medium-sized debris like cereal or rice on this surface type but struggles with finer material like sand that's been worked deep into carpet fibers, especially along walls or in corners.
This vacuum does a great job of dealing with pet hair on low-pile carpet. It clears away the majority of strands worked into carpet fibers, though some shorter hairs can be left behind.
Real-world suction performance is poor. The manufacturer advertises this vacuum as having a stronger 6000 Pa motor than the 5100 Pa motor found in the Roborock S7 MaxV, but its wider dual-roller cleaning head diffuses this suction force over a wider area, resulting in lower measurements at its head.
The Roborock S8's airflow performance is fairly good, especially for a robot vacuum. It can't compete with most manually operated vacuums. Still, it will have an easier time dealing with heavier debris compared to many cheaper robovacs, like the iRobot Roomba j7/j7+.
This vacuum is very quiet. You'll hear what people nearby are saying even when the vacuum is running in its most powerful suction mode. It's a little quieter than the more powerful Roborock S7 MaxV.
The self-emptying station included with the S8+ variant is a little noisier than the vacuum itself, with a peak volume of 74.3 dBA.
This vacuum has excellent maneuverability. After mapping out your home, it cleans in an organized, time-efficient pattern. However, detach its mopping module before letting it map your home for the first time. Similar to the Roborock S7 MaxV, it uses a LIDAR mapping system in conjunction with a camera system that lets it identify and avoid obstacles, which you can see in a coverage map that the vacuum outputs to its companion app at the end of a run. After it's done a few cleaning runs through your home and firmly localized the position of various obstacles, it'll offer you the option of performing a quick-cleaning option that plots the most efficient path through your home. The vacuum noticeably adjusts its suction power when it cleans carpets, and the side brush effectively pushes dirt into the vacuum's path when it's near a wall. It's small enough to fit under low furniture and cleans around the feet of couches and tables. That said, it struggles with climbing onto thick shag-pile carpets, and rug tassels can easily get caught in its brushrolls.
The Roborock S8 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.
This vacuum 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 terms of performance in this regard, with the final results of said test seen here.
This vacuum's stain-clearing performance is great when it's set to its 'Intense' scrubbing mode and the pathing set to 'Deep Clean+.' Installing the mop pads is easy, as seen here. The manufacturer recommends pre-soaking the mopping pad before letting it run. Still, if you want a more thorough clean, it's recommended that you do a second mopping run.
The Roborock S8 isn't designed for dealing with liquid spills. It can clear away small spills by soaking them away with its mopping pads, but having the vacuum suck up liquid will likely result in damage.
The Roborock S8 has a remarkably broad selection of physical automation features. The S8+ variant comes with a self-emptying station that's all but identical to the one included with the '+' variant of the Roborock Q5. That said, only the higher-end Roborock S8 Pro Ultra model comes with a more advanced docking station that not only empties its dustbin but also refills its water tank and washes and dries its mopping pad.
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 start a cleaning session. The 'Spot Clean' button directs the vacuum to clean a small area around itself. Pressing and holding the 'Spot Clean' button engages the child lock. You can press the 'Dock/Home' button to send the vacuum back to its base station.
The Roborock app has a remarkably dense feature set; you can see its interface here.
After it's mapped out your home, you can view a 3D map of the space, set up no-go zones, designate specific cleaning zones to spot clean, and set the suction and mopping modes you want for individual rooms. You can also schedule cleaning sessions for specific rooms or have the vacuum follow a pin that you place on the map.
It also offers multi-level mapping for up to four floors. Like the Roborock S7 MaxV, it can leverage its object recognition system to identify furniture or other landmarks and automatically determine which map it's currently on.
You can use the app to enable 'Carpet' mode, which allows for automatic power adjustment on carpeted floors, 'Low-Collision' mode, which prioritizes avoiding contact with walls and furniture at the expense of lower-precision scanning in tight spots, and 'Home With Pets' mode, which boosts object detection performance for avoiding hazards like pet waste, but may degrade overall coverage. You can also use the remote control function to automatically reorient the vacuum if it gets stuck.
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.