Searching for the perfect robotic vacuum for your household can be challenging. There are all kinds of models on the market and new ones are coming out all the time. Let’s look at three models: the Roborock S5, the Roborock S50, and the Roborock S55.
Of the Roborock S5, the Roborock S50, and the Roborock S55, which would be best for you? All three S model vacuums are essentially the same and it depends on which color works best with your household decor. That’s right – the only difference between the three robotic vacuums is the color. The S50 comes in white while the S55 comes in black. The base model, the S5, offers three different colors: black, white, and rose gold.
Since all three vacuums perform the same and they’re all around the same price, why should you purchase these vacuums? What makes them so special? In a word, features. The Roborock S model vacuums have many features that make these models a solid choice for your house cleaning needs. Below, we’ll take a look at why these vacuums are so good at what they do.
The Features That Define the Roborock S Model Vacuums
When deciding which vacuum works best for your household, you always want to consider the features. The Roborock S models have features that work on both hardwood and carpeted floors, as well as the bells and whistles that make your life a little easier. The features that stand out on these models are:
- Dry and Wet Mopping
- WiFi
- Zone Cleaning
- Run Time
- Filtration
- Navigation
- Brush System
- Suction Power
- Intelligent Route Planning
- Service and Warranty
1. Dry and Wet Mopping
By far, the biggest feature of these Roborock vacuums is the dry and wet mopping they offer. Unlike other vacuums that only sweep and vacuum your floors, the Roborock S models can also mop your floors.
Compare that to the more expensive Neato Botvac D7, another robotic vacuum with the same suction power as the Roborock S models. The Neato D7 has a lot of nice features but it can’t mop your floors. This is really what sets the Roborock vacuums apart from the herd.
The mopping feature works on all types of bare floors, including tile, linoleum, ceramic, and vinyl. But it really shines on hardwood floors because it uses minimal water to mop, thus limiting the exposure of water damage to the hardwood floors. The vacuums come with a 140ml tank for mopping and you can add scents to the mop water to give your home a wonderful smell.
The mopping feature is a huge plus for the Roborock vacuum cleaners. The only drawback of these is they don’t offer a jet spray or vibrating heads for tough stains, like the iRobot Braava Jet 240, but unless you have really ground in stains on your hard floors, it probably won’t matter.
The vacuums come with a microfiber cloth to wipe the floors after vacuuming, wiping away any traces of grime or stains.
2. WiFi
Newer robotic vacuums are being set up with WiFi and the Roborock S models also have that feature built in. You can integrate with both Alexa and Google Home to easily give voice commands to your Roborock.
Roborock also has an app for you. Called Mi Home, it allows you to download the app to any smart device and control your Roborock vacuum from wherever you may be. You can set up a cleaning schedule or set up virtual “No-Go” lines so the vacuum won’t bump into your family heirloom or go into a room you want undisturbed. The app also lets you control the vacuum manually or check the cleaning history.
With the app, you can also check your accessory status, choose your clean modes, clean specific areas, or self-recharge. The app is compatible with Android or iOS.
3. Zone Cleaning
Zone cleaning is another feature in which the Roborock vacuums stand out. Zone cleaning allows you to set specific areas for your vacuum to clean. Simply pull up the app and drag the cleaning frame on the map to set the area. It will clean only that area.
Unlike the navigation maps of your home, the zone cleaning map you specify won’t be memorized by the vacuums. However, this feature is very useful if you have a spill or dirt in a certain area in your house that you want to clean.
You can use zone cleaning with both the vacuuming and the mopping features, depending on your spill and what you need to be done. Just pull up the app, set your zone, and watch your vacuum do the work. The Neato Botvac D7 also offers zone cleaning but at a much higher price tag than the Roborocks.
4. Run Time
Run time is important in a robotic vacuum cleaner. The longer the run time, the more area in your house that can be cleaned in one go. Fortunately, these S model Roborocks offer an impressive 150 minute run time, enough to clean an average-sized home during one session.
To a large extent, run time depends on the cleaning mode you’re using. The 150 minute run time offered by the Roborock S models is valid only if the vacuum is in balanced or quiet mode. For hard floors, the balanced mode is going to be all you need, unless you have a particularly dirty area to clean. For carpets, you’re going to want to move to turbo mode to pick up the smaller dirt particles that can lurk in carpets. For deep carpets, you may want to try the MAX mode. Bot the MAX and turbo modes will cut down on the run time of your vacuum.
On the highest setting with the most suction power, MAX, you can get about 100 minutes of run time, still impressive time, and enough to clean most apartments or small houses.
Once the battery dies on the Roborock, the unit will automatically move to the docking station for recharging. Once sufficiently charged, it will continue cleaning.
This is one of the most impressive run times in the robotic vacuum market, beating out the iLife A4s Robot Vacuum cleaner and the Neato Botvac D7.
5. Filtration
The Roborock S models have an E-11 grade filtration system. This is a lower grade than the HEPA filters and may not pick up all the dander and pet allergens that a Roomba e6 vacuum, with its high-grade filter, will.
The E-11 filter is still a good filter and will pick up most allergens floating around in your home. You may want to think twice about getting this vacuum if you have a lot of pets, especially long-haired pets, or if you have a particularly hard time with allergies.
One good feature is that the filter is washable. Simply detach it from the unit, wash it, let it dry and it will be good for another week. Wash it weekly and replace it after around a year of use.
6. Navigation
The Roborock S5, S50 and S55 have sensors at the top of the unit and use LDS (Laser Distance Sensor) technology to send invisible beams to walls. When the beam bounces back to the unit, the Roborocks use SLAM navigation to avoid the walls. SLAM navigation allows the vacuums to map out your house and remember those maps for next time. This allows the units to clean your home efficiently and in the shortest time possible.
The vacuums also have obstacle and drop detection sensors, which prevent them from running into objects or dropping off stairs.
Target clean function will allow you to tap a certain spot on the app and have the S models go to only that spot and clean. It’s a handy feature for smaller areas than is needed in zone cleaning.
An excellent addition to these models is the virtual walls feature. Using the mobile app, you can draw the virtual walls of your home, alerting the vacuums where and where not to go. You can block off entire rooms or certain areas. This is a handy tool and much easier than the virtual wall feature of the Roomba e6 vacuum, which uses bulky devices to set up virtual walls.
7. Brush System
The S models have a primary brush and a secondary brush. The primary brush has a rough, V-shaped bristle brush, perfect for carpets. The secondary brush is the side brush and it will be used to clean the dirt from the corners and edges of your home.
The primary brush prevents tangling so you don’t have to worry as much about long hair clogging up your vacuum or getting to the inside of the unit.
The primary brush is very similar in shape and texture to the Neato Botvac D7 vacuum. Both are excellent brushes for a carpet but not as good for soft hardwood floors.
8. Suction Power
The Roborocks vacuums excel at suction power. All S models feature an impressive 2000Pa suction power. The higher Pa, the better the suction. While the 2000Pa kicks in during MAX mode, the balanced or quiet modes feature good suction power as well.
How powerful is 2000Pa? Tests show that running the vacuum with that suction power allows the models to pick up 2 AA batteries. That’s some really good suction. It can handle the dirt and grime in your home.
The 2000Pa rated suction is comparable to the Neato Botvac D7 and better than the Shark ION R87 machine.
9. Intelligent Route Planning
The Roborocks use the SLAM system, Simultaneous Localization, and Mapping, to map your home’s interior. With this information, it figures out the most efficient and quickest way to clean your house.
SLAM puts the smart in smart robotics. Using this algorithm, you can schedule cleanings from your smartphone or device and know the vacuum will efficiently clean your home and then dock itself.
10. Service and Warranty
Roborock Technology has a robust warranty package attached to these vacuums.
They guarantee the product for one year after purchase, if you purchased it through Amazon. Amazon also gives you a handy 30-day return policy, in case you’re not satisfied with the vacuum.
Refurbished S models get a 6-month warranty from the date of purchase. Again, this warranty is good if you buy through Amazon stores.
The Roborock website offers an easy way to contact the company and a user-friendly screen for registering your product, which you should do after purchasing. They also have U.S. support available at support.roborock.com.
Related Questions
Is Roborock a Xiaomi vacuum robot?
Xiaomi doesn’t actually manufacture the Roborock series of vacuum cleaners. Those are manufactured by Beijing Roborock, Technology Co., LTD, a Chinese company. The company is involved in the Xiaomi ecological chain but they own and manufacture the Roborock vacuums.
How do I connect Roborock s5/s50/s55 to WiFi?
You’re going to sync your vacuum to your smartphone app for connection. Simply download the Mi Home app and enter your account number and information. Open the top cover of your S model and press the power and dock/spot clean buttons simultaneously until the WiFi indicator light starts flashing. Open the app on your phone, click “+” in the upper right-hand corner, and find your vacuum. Click “Done” and you’re all set.
Can this fit under my furniture?
You’ll probably have no problem with these models fitting under your furniture unless your furniture is very low to the ground. The S models are 3.8” high, so they’re higher than many other robot vacuums, like the Eufy and iLife robot vacuums but as long as your furniture is higher than 3.8 inches, you shouldn’t have an issue.
What’s the price on these models?
They range in price from around $390 to $600, but you can currently find the S5 on Amazon at $390.
Do these vacuums offer mapping for multiple floors?
These vacuums do not offer mapping for multiple floors and tend to work better on single-story apartments or homes.
How many square feet can these models mop before the tank is empty?
The S models have a 140ml water tank and can mop between 538 to 645 square feet if the water tank is full.
The S models are different from water filtration vacuum cleaners, like the Bissel 7700 or the Rainbow E2. Those type vacuum cleaners have a larger water tank but the dust is filtered through those tanks, sometimes in conjunction with a HEPA filter, to get rid of almost all the airborne allergens and dirt. Those vacuums perform very well if you have allergies or a respiratory infection.
Do I have to have WiFi to use these vacuums?
You do not have to have WiFi to use the Roborock S models. You can simply touch the buttons on top of your unit for routine cleaning. However, WiFi gives you more functionality and more bells and whistles for these vacuums and we recommend utilizing it.
Final Verdict
The Roborock S models have great suction power, offer WiFi connectivity, and have a mopping feature. They offer superior cleaning for a decent price. They come in cheaper than comparable models like the Neato Botvac D7 and offer the same power. They have excellent customer reviews, averaging around 4.5 out of 5. We think you’ll be happy with the Roborock S model vacuums.
