Roborock S8 Pro Ultra Review

Pros

• Excellent cleaning performance with 97.9% debris removal
• Removable pieces make cleaning brushrolls easy
• Automatically can wash, refill, empty, dry, and charge the robot
• Excellent navigational efficiency

Cons

• Failed to avoid mug and cord in obstacle avoidance test

Scoring

In This Review

Cleaning Test | Mop Test | Long Hair Test | Pet Hair Test | Obstacle Avoidance | Navigation Test | Cleaning Speed | Usability | Noise Test | Specs | Summary

Performance Tests

To test the cleaning performance, navigational efficiency, and overall usability we perform 9 different tests on the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra.

Our testing series includes:

• Cleaning test
• Mop test
• Hair test
• Pet hair test
• Obstacle Avoidance test
• Navigation test
• Cleaning speed test
• Usability test
• Noise test

Cleaning Test

For the cleaning test, we use the Roborock S8 on 3 different floor types and 4 different debris types.

We verify the robot vacuum is running on the maximum suction power and perform 2 full cleaning cycles on the testing lane. After, we measure the amount of remaining debris by weight and compare it to the starting amounts. 

Here are the results:

Cleaning performance for the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra was excellent and 1.5% better than the average across all vacuums we’ve tested to date. On average we see an overall debris removal rate of 96.4%.

The S8 had nearly perfect performance on hardwood flooring, but struggled a little more on carpet, both high and low piles. 

On both of the carpets the robot left a small amount of sugar and kitty litter, while being able to remove nearly all of the cereal and rice. That said, it still had better performance than average on both of these floor types, which is 94.8% for low pile carpet and 96.0% for high pile. 

Mop Test

To measure mopping performance on the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, we let it perform multiple cleaning cycles throughout our office and studio space. Once the dirty water tank is full, we empty it and see how much dirt the robot was able to clean up. 

Mopping performance was excellent for the Roborock S8. As we emptied the dirty water tank, you can see a healthy amount of dirt that had rested near the bottom. This level of mopping is perfect for everyday floor cleaning.

One of the key features that the Roborock S8 is able to do is lift / lower the brushroll and mop pads. It does this in various configurations to avoid making messes on carpets or rugs and make cleaning more efficient for the device. This feature alone not only greatly improves overall usability, but ensures that the robot has the right tool for the job all the time. 

Long Hair Test

While cleaning performance was excellent for the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, we also wanted to check how well it managed long strands of hair. To test this, we place 0.3 grams of hair in the direct cleaning path of the robot, let it clean it up, and then check the floor and brushroll for remaining hair or tangles. 

Long hair performance was good for the S8 Pro Ultra. While no hair remained on the floor, a fair amount of it got tangled around the brushroll especially near the ends. This is a common issue we see with robot vacuums in general, so it wasn’t a surprise to see.

What was a surprise was the ability to completely remove various pieces of the brushroll in order to make cleaning them significantly easier. On both of the brushrolls the ends can be easily pulled off by hand, making accessing and removing the hair wound around those ends incredibly simple.

This is a welcome feature that makes dealing with hair tangles much easier. While hair will tangle around the brushroll, you can know removing it is quick and easy. 

Pet Hair Test

For our pet hair test, we check to see how well robot vacuums can remove pet hair from high pile carpet. We nestle 1.0 grams of pet hair in the carpet fibers and run the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra on the maximum suction power for 2 complete cleaning cycles. After we check the carpet and measure how much of it remains by weight. 

Pet hair performance was good for the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, but not the absolute best we’ve seen. That said, if your dog doesn’t shed too much, the Roborock S8 should be capable of handling daily shedding. 

Obstacle Avoidance Test

The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra comes attached with an RGB camera, LiDAR, and infrared sensors. It utilizes these together in what they call “Reactive 3D Obstacle Avoidance” to avoid common objects found around the household. To put that to the test we put 4 objects on the floor and had the robot clean in the area. We observed the cleaning process to see how well it avoided the objects in its path. 

Here are the results:

While the S8 Pro was able to avoid most of the objects, it failed to avoid the mug and cord. In both cases the robot seemed to make attempts to avoid it initially, only to fail and have the side of the robot touch the object. 

Both times it never fully barreled into the objects like we have seen happen before, but it was enough to warrant some concern, especially with the cord. 

After testing, we checked the map on the app and it showed the S8 did recognize a cord and mug and mark them, but just failed to avoid them completely. This recognition and the initial attempts to avoid the cord and mug give me hope that these issues could be resolved with future software updates. 

Navigation Test

In addition to measuring obstacle avoidance, we also check how well the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra cleans on a broader scale. We have it run multiple cleaning cycles in our office and studio space and check 3 core requirements: can it fully clean the space, can it not get stuck, and can it return to the base.

Here is what we found:

Navigational performance was excellent across the board for the S8 Pro Ultra. Despite our floor being littered with film equipment, electronics, furniture, and other products we are testing, the robot performed well. 

Cleaning Speed Test

Our cleaning speed test showed the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra was able to clean out 1,000 sq. ft. office space within 60-70 minutes. 

This is slightly longer than average, but thanks to recharge and resume features, it isn’t a major concern. 

Usability Test

Usability is quite exceptional for the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra. As mentioned previously it has features that help it avoid making messes on carpet, but it has many other additions that make it easy to set up, use, and maintain. 

Setup

Initial setup is quite simple as the majority of it comes ready to go out of the box.

Here is what comes with the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra:

• Roborock S8 pro Ultra
• VibraRis Mop Cloth (pre-installed)
• Empty Wash Fill Dock
• Dust bag (1 pre-installed, 1 extra)
• Power cable
• Manuals

All of the packaging will need to be removed and the power cable needs to be plugged in. After that, you will need to fill the clean water tank and fully charge the robot vacuum before first use. 

Additionally, you can connect the S8 Pro Ultra to the Roborock App by following the in-app instructions. 

Controls

There are only 3 buttons to physically interact with on the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra.

These include:

• Power button: can start/stop a cleaning cycle, and pressed with the mop button to start a spot cleaning cycle.
• Mop button: starts a mop only cleaning cycle and can be held to enable child lock
• Home button: will send the robot back to the dock, can be held at the dock to start a self-washing cycle or pressed at the dock to self-empty.

App

Most of the control is available in the Roborock app. In addition to all the functionality you have with the physical buttons you get much more.

• Map labeling and zone controls
• Custom scheduling
• Suction power settings
• Water flow settings
• Device settings
• Initiate a self-empty, wash, dry cycle
• Do-not-disturb mode
• Cleaning history reports
• Part life
• Voice control settings

The app is intuitive and easy to use, with menus that make sense and settings that are easy to access.

In addition to the features mentioned above, it will mark objects on your map that it recognizes while cleaning and build a 3D map to view and manage.

Maintenance

Maintenance is where the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra really shines. The Empty Wash Fill Dock provides a substantial amount of functionality in regards to maintenance.

It can automatically:

• Empty the robot dustbin
• Refill the robot water tank
• Wash the mop pad
• Dry the mop pad
• Charge the robot

That is the majority of the more frequent maintenance tasks handled automatically by the dock. Of course you will need to replace the dust bag, refill the clean water tank, and empty the dirty water tank. But that can happen every few days, as opposed to daily. 

In addition, you will need to clean the filters on the device and wipe down the sensors as they get dirty. 

Noise Test

To measure noise levels of the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, we ran it on each power mode and used a sound meter to measure the output. In addition, we recorded the ambient noise levels of the room to compare to the robot. Here are the results:

Power Mode	Noise Level
Baseline	40.7 dB
Quiet	64.5 dB
Balanced	66.9 dB
Turbo	70.7 dB
Max	74.5 dB
Max+	76.7 dB
Self-Empty	82.2 dB

Noise levels are fairly average for the Roborock S8. It won’t be too loud, but it can be loud enough to disrupt conversation if nearby. 

Common noise levels

• 20 dB – rustling leaves
• 30 dB – whisper
• 40 dB – quiet library, babbling brook
• 50 dB – refrigerator, moderate rainfall
• 60 dB – normal conversation, dishwashers
• 70 dB – traffic, showers
• 80 dB – alarm clock, telephone dial tone

Roborock S8 vs. S8+ vs. S8 Pro Ultra

There are three different versions of the Roborock S8. We tested the Pro Ultra, which is the most robust and expensive version of the three. 

Specs	S8	S8+	S8 Pro Ultra
Auto Mop Washing	No	No	Yes
Auto Mop Drying	No	No	Yes
Auto Tank Refilling	No	No	Yes
Auto Dust Emptying	No	Yes	Yes
Automatic brush lifting	No	No	Yes
Automatic mop lifting	Yes	Yes	Yes
Obstacle Avoidance	Yes	Yes	Yes
App Control	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mopping Function	Yes	Yes	Yes
Do not Disturb	Yes	Yes	Yes
Battery Capacity	5200mAh	5200mAh	5200mAh
Suitable Area	up to 300㎡	up to 300㎡	up to 300㎡
Dustbin Volume	400ml	350ml	350ml
Water Tank Capacity	300ml	300ml	200ml
Suction	6000Pa	6000Pa	6000Pa
Runtime	180 minutes (Quiet Mode)	180 minutes (Quiet Mode)	180 minutes (Quiet Mode)

While the robots themselves are essentially the same between the 3 versions, with the exception of the standard S8’s dustbin being 400 ml large as opposed to 350 ml and the Pro Ultra’s Water Tank being slightly smaller at 200 ml. The major difference between the versions is the charging dock and its capabilities. 

• S8 Pro Ultra: automatically wash, dry, refill, empty, and charge
• S8+: automatically empty and charge
• S8: automatically charge

Specifications

Specifications
Type	Robot
Manufacturer	Roborock
Model	S8 Pro Ultra
Diameter	13.8″
Height	3.8″
Weight	10.2 lbs.
Floor type	All (indoor)
Sensor	RGB, LiDAR, infrared
Runtime	180 min. (quiet mode)
Noise Level	66.9 dB (balanced mode)
Obstacle Avoidance	Yes
Zone Cleaning	Yes
Room Cleaning	Yes
Digital Mapping	Yes
Returns	Varies by retailer
Warranty	1 year
Price	Check Price

Should you buy the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra robot vacuum robot vacuum?

I would recommend the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra robot vacuum if you’re looking for the following features:

• Excellent cleaning, especially on hardwood: Across all of our tests, the S8 Pro Ultra removed 97.9% of debris. Most notably, it had nearly perfect performance on hardwood removing 99.5% of debris by weight. 
• Easy to clean brushrolls: While hair did tangle around the brushroll in our tests it was easy to clean thanks to the brushrolls. The end pieces (where hair normally tangles in robot vacuums) can be easily pulled off by hand, making pulling off the hair incredibly easy. 
• Automatic maintenance: Thanks to improvements on the dock from the previous edition, it can automatically wash, refill, empty, and dry the robot vacuum. This greatly reduces daily maintenance making the device more hands-off. 
• Fantastic navigation: In all our cleaning tests in our obstacle ridden office space, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra never got stuck, fully cleaned the floor, and made it back to the dock 100% of the time.

For more information or to buy the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra robot vacuum, click here.