Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra Robot Vacuum Review

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is a very well-built robot vacuum. In terms of overall feel, it's close to other high-end Roborock models, like the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra and the Roborock Qrevo Curv; its body is made mostly from dense, high-grade plastic that looks and feels like a premium product. That said, there are a few added touches that elevate it just beyond those models, at least on a subjective level. The brand logo at the top of the LIDAR sensor is illuminated, and there's a pair of concealed blades built into the brush guard that are meant to cut away any hair that could get tangled in the rubber gaskets surrounding the roller bearings. The top cover is held in place with a trio of magnets, so you won't have to worry about dirt being kicked up and getting stuck in the mechanism. This vacuum also features the brand's first iteration of the FlexiArm extendable side brush, which is intended to clear away debris in corners.

Unlike the S8 Pro Ultra, the S8 MaxV Ultra has its charging contacts positioned at the rear of the vacuum, allowing the vacuum to recharge and have its mopping pad washed simultaneously, instead of having to turn around and reposition.

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra has quite a few parts that need to be cleaned periodically, but on the upside, everything is pretty easy to access, with few components requiring a tool to access or remove.

Getting to the twin rollers is as simple as flipping the vacuum over, depressing the twin latches holding the brush guard in place, and then pulling them out. They're made of rubber and have slide-out bearings, so cleaning them is a breeze. That said, the bearings can accumulate quite a bit of hair and will need to be cleaned often, despite the aforementioned blades in the brush guard.

Similarly, getting to the dustbin and washable filter requires little more than lifting the top cover. The only components that require a tool to remove are the side brush, which is held in place with a screw, and the omnidirectional wheel, which requires a flat-headed screwdriver or some other small lever to pry out of its socket.

The multifunction RockDock Ultra handles much of the day-to-day maintenance since it refills the vacuum's internal water tank, washes its mopping pads with heated water, and dries them. It also features a self-cleaning mop tray (though it's also easy to remove and manually clean if necessary). That said, this dock also has maintenance requirements. You'll need to dispose of its dirtbag, wash out the dirty water tank periodically, and refill its clean water tank.

For more detailed information, you can also check out the User Manual on Roborock's website or view a set of instructional videos for maintaining the vacuum and the dock on their YouTube channel.

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra incurs high recurring costs.

• DuoRoller brushrolls: The brushrolls need replacing after 300 hours of use or every six to 12 months. Replacements can be purchased on Roborock's Amazon storefront.
• Side brush: The side brush has a service life of 200 hours or approximately three to six months of use. Replacement two-packs are available in either white or black.
• Vacuum filter: The filter needs replacing every 150 hours of use, according to the maintenance tab of the companion app. Packs of two filters can be purchased from Roborock's online store.
• Primary mop cloth: You should replace the mop cloth every three to six months. Replacements can be bought in packs of two.
• Side mop cloth: The swing-out secondary mop cloth should also be swapped out every three to six months, as per the user manual. Two-packs are available for purchase online.
• Multi-function dock dirtbag: A single dirtbag is advertised to hold enough debris for about seven weeks' worth of regular cleaning runs and should be disposed of once filled. You can buy a six-pack of bags online.
• Multi-function dock high-speed maintenance brush: The user manual states that you should replace this brush every six to 12 months. Replacements are available online in packs of two.
• Floor Cleaning Solution: If desired, you can add some floor-cleaning detergent to the clean water tank, though this isn't necessary for the mopping system to actually function properly. 16.23 oz (480 ml) refill bottles are available on Roborock's online storefront.

If you don't want to purchase all of these parts individually, Roborock also offers an Accessory Pack, which contains the following:

• 2x side brushes
• 2x primary mop cloths
• 4x side mop cloths
• 2x vacuum filters

The internal dustbin capacity is quite limited. This isn't overly surprising, as this dustbin has to share space with an internal water tank. The S8 MaxV Ultra is also designed to work in conjunction with its self-empty dock, so you won't have to manually empty its dustbin especially often. All the same, the unit's companion app will send you a reminder if the vacuum hasn't returned to its dock to self-empty in a while.

As is to be expected for a high-end robot vacuum, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra's 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 being a 4L clean water tank that refills the vacuum's internal water reservoir for mopping as well as washing its mop pads, while the other is a 3.75L waste water tank for water from the mop washing process.

If you opt for the variant of this vacuum with the Refill and Drainage system, you'll receive a different iteration of the multifunction dock, as it's meant to be hooked up to your home's water lines. It has no water tanks, though there is a small detergent tank to create a cleaning solution for mopping. It's otherwise identical in terms of functionality.

The RockDock Ultra station does heat the water used to clean the mop pads to a max temperature of 140 °F  (60 °C). This is a little lower than the newer Roborock Qrevo Curv's docking station, which has a higher advertised water temperature of 167 °F (75 °C).

Vacuum components

• Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra vacuum
• Vacuum dustbin
• Magnetic top cover
• 2x DuoRoller Riser brushrolls
• Brush guard
• 1x side brush
• 1x side mop cloth
• 1x primary mop cloth
• Washable filter

Multi-function dock components

• RockDock Ultra multi-function dock
• Clean water tank
• Dirty water tank
• Auto detergent dispenser
• Dirtbag compartment
• 2x disposable dirtbags
• Dock base plate
• Dock power cable

Various accessories

• User manual and safety guide
• Quick start guide

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra returns to its base station for charging once its charge status drops below 15%. Like the Roborock Qrevo Curv, it also features an 'Off-Peak Charging' function, which only allows the vacuum to recharge during off-peak hours to minimize electricity costs. The built-in indicator light gives you a quick overview of its current charge status.

As a near-flagship unit, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is positively chock-full of features. There are the customary multitude of different suction settings (Quiet, Balanced, Turbo, Max, and Max+), water flow and scrubbing modes for the unit's mopping system (Mild, Standard, Intense, and Extreme), and different routing modes for both the vacuuming and mopping functions.

Similar to the Roborock Qrevo Curv, there are a variety of carpet-specific cleaning functions. Carpet First mode sends the vacuum to clean carpets before anything else in its cleaning cycle to prevent them from getting wet, and the Deep Carpet Cleaning mode cleans carpets twice while using a higher suction power level setting. You can also run the Avoid mode to bypass carpets entirely, or, on the opposite side of the spectrum, use the Ignore mode so that the unit will mop carpets and hard floors alike.

This vacuum also has a swing-out FlexiArm side brush for better cleaning along walls and corners, along with a separate swing-out side mop to deal with stains and grime in those same hard-to-reach areas.

It also features Roborock's SmartPlan AI system, which allows the vacuum to automatically select the optimal vacuuming and mopping modes and plan the optimal cleaning route depending on surface type and room type.

Its DirTech system also enables it to detect areas with a higher-than-normal concentration of debris and focus on cleaning them with repeated passes.

One area where the S8 MaxV lags behind the cheaper, but newer Roborock Qrevo Curv is in its height adjustment system. The S8 MaxV's mop pad can lift by 20 mm, while the Curv's AdaptLift system allows it to lift its entire chassis by 10 mm and its twin mop pads by a further 10 mm. The latter unit can traverse common obstructions like room thresholds up to 4 cm in height.

The MaxV moniker has traditionally been reserved for Roborock vacuums with flagship hazard detection features, and the S8 MaxV is no different in that regard. Its Reactive AI 2.0 system combines structured light and RGB-color camera sensors, allowing it to spot and identify hazards in real-time. Since it has a color camera, you can also use it as a roving security camera or make video calls using the built-in microphone and speakers.

Lastly, there's the Hello Rocky voice assistant, which allows you to change various settings or engage different cleaning jobs with no need for an internet connection.

This vacuum's performance on hard floors is great. It's effective at sucking up large and medium-sized debris, but it can leave behind some smaller, lighter material on this surface type. A small amount of debris can also be left behind along walls and in corners, despite the vacuum's FlexiArm cleaning brush.

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra performs well on high-pile carpets with its Carpet Boost function engaged. It struggles a little with finer debris pressed right up against walls, but ultimately clears away larger debris in wide-open areas without too much difficulty.

Performance on low-pile carpets is good. This vacuum doesn't have too much trouble dealing with large and medium-sized debris on this surface type.

Its DirTech debris detection system also functions very well within the scope of this test, as the S8 MaxV is capable of doing a good job of spotting and repeatedly cleaning heavily soiled areas. That said, its overall efficacy is likely to vary in real-world use.

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra does a great job of handling pet hair on carpeted floors. It can quickly clear away the majority of hair from surfaces like low-pile carpeting, with only a small amount of thin hair being left behind after a single cleaning job.

Its twin rubber brushrolls don't jam easily and are fairly resistant to tangled hair. They're also very easy to clean.

Real-world suction performance is poor. Despite offering an advertised 10000 Pa of peak suction, far more than the older and cheaper Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, its performance in this regard is far from noteworthy. Overall, that's mostly to be expected here—like with most robot vacuums, the S8 MaxV's suction inlet is still positioned too high above the contact surface to generate a tight seal on bare surfaces.

Its airflow performance is good overall. This vacuum will do a good job of lifting away heavier debris, but it won't do it quite as easily as the newer and more powerful Roborock Qrevo Curv.

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is fairly quiet. It runs a little louder than the Roborock Qrevo Curv but not by a significant margin, and you aren't likely to have any trouble hearing nearby conversation even when the vacuum runs in its most powerful suction mode.

However, the multifunction dock is noticeably louder than the vacuum when using the self-empty function, peaking at 68 dBA.

This vacuum does a good job of maneuvering itself in its Standard pathing mode. Its LIDAR sensor is quick to map out rooms, and it cleans in an organized and thorough manner, within minimal non-essential backtracking and close overall coverage to obstacles like chair or table legs.

However, its LIDAR sensor and integrated microphone and speakers for its Hello Rocky voice assistant feature make it taller than the norm, and it won't fit under some lower tables. Its Reactive AI 2.0 hazard avoidance system is capable of spotting hazards like power cables, but it still struggles with spotting and negotiating obstacles like area rugs.

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra does a poor job of sealing in fine particles, as they bypass its main filter and are blown straight out of its exhaust port.

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra struggles with debris in cracks and crevices. Its side brush tends to drag debris outwards instead of directing it toward the suction inlet. The side brush is too high above the ground to form a seal with hard floors and generate enough suction to lift debris from cracks and crevices. Running the vacuum in the 'Max+' suction mode has no major impact in this regard.

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra's stain-clearing performance is only okay when set to its Extreme water flow and scrubbing modes and the pathing set to Deep Clean+. Its new VibraRise 3.0 mopping system is advertised to vibrate at a higher frequency than the VibraRise 2.0 system used by the older Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, though the pad itself is a little smaller. Ultimately, neither of these factors have a massive impact on its efficacy in clearing dried-on stains, and mopping performance lags considerably behind that of the Roborock Qrevo Curv, which uses a set of rotating mop pads instead of a single large vibrating pad. The Qrevo Curv also has a more effective stain-recognition system, as it'll automatically run multiple passes over heavily soiled areas.

However, it is worth noting that manually running a second pass with the S8 MaxV Ultra produces noticeably better overall results.

The RockDock Ultra's mop-washing feature works very well, with a clear difference between the mop pads right before being cleaned and right after being cleaned.

This vacuum isn't meant to deal with liquid spills. The user manual recommends keeping it away from very wet surfaces.

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra has many physical automation features, though you're missing out on the majority of its functionality if you decline to use the app.

There are three physical control buttons that you can use to perform basic functions. Pressing and holding the Power/Clean button turns the robot vacuum on and off, while a single press starts a full cleaning cycle. Pressing the Dock button while the vacuum is cleaning sends it back to its base station, pressing it while docked will manually engage the self-empty function, and pressing and holding it engages the mop-washing feature. A quick press of the Mop Only button starts a mopping-only job, while pressing and holding it engages the child lock. Lastly, pressing and holding the Power/Clean and Mop Only buttons simultaneously starts a spot-cleaning job, where the vacuum will deep clean the immediate 1.5 m x 1.5 m area.

The Roborock app is incredibly feature-rich. For those interested, here's a quick tour of the interface.

The app allows you to see the robot vacuum's position in real-time, as it creates a map of your home. It allows you to set up no-go zones and cleaning zones for spot cleaning, reconfigure and name areas, manually set the surface type for each area, set the suction and mopping modes, and customize the order the vacuum moves through each room using the Routines feature.

You can also tailor the behavior of its obstacle avoidance system, too. There are three levels of the Less Collision mode, which tweaks its movement to avoid contact with walls or furniture. The Pet mode enables better animal waste detection, while the Pet Snaps feature leverages the vacuum's built-in camera to take pictures of your pets as it cleans. You can turn the system off entirely. You can also disable the Obstacle Photos feature, which takes photos of identified objects so you can view them from the app.

Like the Roborock Qrevo Curv, the S8 MaxV Ultra also supports Remote Viewing. The remote viewing function allows you to control the robot vacuum and see a live view of what it sees. You can set up a password so only someone with the password can use the feature, and you can also use this function to send the robot vacuum to find your pet and start a phone call with them via the vacuum.

The Maintenance sub-menu gives you a projected service interval for the filter, brushroll, side brush, sensors, and mopping pad, while the Voice Assistant sub-menu allows you to customize related settings.

There are also quite a few configuration options for the multifunction dock. You can adjust the frequency of mop-washing cycles, the intensity of mop-washing, and the length of the mop-drying cycle. Depending on the size of your home, you can also adjust how often the vacuum will return to its dock to self-empty, too.