The Roborock S7 is a premium robot vacuum, sitting above models like the Roborock Q5/Q5+ but below the flagship Roborock S7 MaxV and Roborock S8. It's a LIDAR-equipped robot vacuum with an ultrasonic mopping feature, which scrubs away dried-on stains with vibrating mop pads. Its surface detection system also lets it raise its mopping pad on carpeted surfaces.
The Roborock S7 is okay for bare floors. It clears small and bulky debris with little difficulty but struggles with lifting away debris in cracks and crevices. It's also amazingly well-built, maneuvers itself efficiently, and, depending on your usage patterns and choice of settings, lasts long enough on a single charge to clean large areas without difficulty. Its ultrasonic mopping module is impressively effective in dealing with dried-on dirt and debris. Unfortunately, it has high recurring costs and is rather demanding in regular maintenance.
The Roborock S7 comes in two color variants: 'White' and 'Black'. We tested the 'White' variant, and you can see its label here. We expect the other color variant to perform similarly overall. You can also buy it with Roborock's Auto-Empty Dock, which transfers debris from its dustbin into an external dirt compartment on its charging dock. This bundle is referred to as the Roborock S7+.
Let us know in the discussions if you come across another variant of this vacuum, and we'll update our review.
The Roborock S7 is a reasonably versatile robot vacuum. It performs best on bare floors, where it clears small and bulky debris without too much difficulty. It also has a unique carpet detection feature and a broad range of other automation functions. Unfortunately, it struggles with sucking up pet hair on carpeted floors, has high recurring costs, and is quite demanding in regular maintenance.
If you're looking for alternatives, check out our recommendations for the best robot vacuums, the best robotic 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 S7 is better than the Roborock Q5. The S7 has an ultrasonic mopping feature that allows it to scrub away stains. It also feels substantially better built and delivers superior performance on low and high-pile carpet. Conversely, the Q5 has fewer parts needing periodic cleaning and can be bundled with a self-emptying station at a far more affordable price.
The Roborock S7 is better than the Roborock S5. The S7 feels better built, performs better on carpeted floors, and has a more advanced mopping system. Meanwhile, the S5 struggles significantly less with pet hair on carpeted floors, has a larger dirt compartment, and takes noticeably less time to charge despite offering similar overall battery life.
The Roborock S6 MaxV and Roborock S7 are fairly evenly-matched robot vacuums, so one may suit you better, depending on your needs. The S6 MaxV has a larger dirt compartment, struggles less with pet hair on bare floors and high-pile carpet, and uses its 'ReactiveAI' navigation system to identify and avoid obstacles. However, its overall maneuverability is similar to that of the S7. The S7, meanwhile, has a more advanced mopping system that actively scrubs away stains and lasts a little longer on a single charge when set to its most energy-efficient 'Quiet' mode. Unlike the S6 MaxV, it's also fully compatible with a self-emptying station.
The Roborock S7 is better than the Roborock S5 Max. The S7 feels better built and provides a more hands-off cleaning experience, as it's compatible with a self-emptying station out of the box. Its ultrasonic mopping feature also does a much better job of scrubbing away stains than the S5's entirely passive system. It clears more debris on carpets thanks to its more powerful suction motor. While it's harder to clean, the S5's bristled brushroll does a much better job handling pet hair than the S7's rubber roller. The S5 also has a bigger internal dustbin.
The Roborock S7 is a little better than the Roborock Q7 Max for most uses, though the two are fairly evenly matched for the most part. Both vacuums are compatible with a self-emptying base station and have mopping systems. However, regarding the latter point, the S7's ultrasonic system actively scrubs away stains, making it more efficient than the Q7's entirely passive system. The S7 also feels better built and performs marginally better on carpets. However, the Q7 does a better job of handling pet hair.
The Roborock Qrevo is better than the Roborock S7. The Qrevo comes bundled with an advanced multifunction dock that empties its internal dustbin, refills its water tank, and washes and dries its mop pads. It's also equipped with a real-time hazard avoidance system that allows it to spot and react to smaller obstacles in its way. The Qrevo's mopping system also has a larger range of height adjustments, enabling it to clean carpets and mop hard floors within the same cleaning cycle.
The Roborock S7 MaxV is better than the Roborock S7. The MaxV's 'ReactiveAI 2.0' system allows it to identify obstacles in real-time, determine what kind of room it's in, and suggest different suction or mop settings. It also has a stronger suction motor, improving pet hair pickup, especially on bare floors. While the standard S7 is compatible with Roborock's Auto-Empty dock, you can currently only buy the Empty Wash Fill Dock with the MaxV, which not only empties its dustbin but washes its mopping pads and refills its water tank.
The iRobot Roomba j7 and Roborock S7 each have advantages, and one may suit you better than the other, depending on your needs. While both vacuums are fully compatible with self-emptying stations, the iRobot charges much faster, maneuvers itself more effectively, and is better at dealing with pet hair. It also has a hazard-identification system that allows it to spot and react to hazards like pet waste. Meanwhile, the Roborock has a mopping attachment, incurs lower recurring costs, lasts longer on a single charge, and is more effective at clearing solid debris on all surface types.
The Roborock S7 is better for most uses than the Roborock S6, though they each have their own advantages. The S6 has a bigger dirt compartment, is a little lighter and takes less time to charge while offering a similar overall runtime. Conversely, the S7 is more effective on carpets and has a more advanced mopping function, which does a better job of scrubbing away stains and can be raised when the vacuum is maneuvering on carpets. The S7 is also fully compatible with a self-emptying dock.
The Roborock S7 is slightly better than the Xiaomi Mi Robot Vacuum. The Roborock feels better built, maneuvers itself more effectively, has more automation features, and can clean high-pile carpet. It also has a longer maximum battery life, though the Xiaomi charges faster. The Xiaomi also performs notably better on low-pile carpet and has an easier time cleaning pet hair on bare floors.
The iRobot Roomba 981 and Roborock S7 have different advantages; one may suit you better, depending on your needs. The iRobot has a dustbin with a much larger capacity, maneuvers over obstructions like electrical cords with less difficulty, and delivers superior performance on bare floors and low-pile carpet. It also charges much faster than the Roborock, though its maximum runtime is much shorter. The Roborock also delivers better performance on high-pile carpet, feels better built, and allows you to set up virtual boundary lines through its companion app. The Roborock also comes with a mopping attachment.
The Neato D8 is better than the Roborock S7. The Neato has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, has a bigger dustbin, and cleans more effectively on all surface types. It also takes much less time to recharge, though the Roborock has a much longer runtime. The Roborock also maneuvers around obstacles more easily, feels more sturdily built, and incurs fewer recurring costs.
The eufy RoboVac X8 and Roborock S7 each have strengths, so one might suit you better, depending on your needs. The eufy incurs lower recurring costs, has a removable battery, and clears more debris on bare floors and high-pile carpet. Meanwhile, the Roborock feels better built, maneuvers itself more effectively, and has a mopping attachment to clear messes on bare floors.
The Roborock S7 s better than the iRobot Roomba i7. The Roborock is better built, incurs lower recurring costs, has fewer parts to regularly maintain, and cleans more effectively on bare floors. It also has a significantly longer maximum runtime but takes much longer to recharge than the iRobot. The Roborock also has a LIDAR mapping system better suited to darker environments, not to mention a mopping module to clear away dried-on stains. The iRobot does a better job of dealing with pet hair and comes bundled with a self-emptying station at a more affordable price than the Roborock.
The Ecovacs DEEBOT OZMO T8 AIVI and Roborock S7 each have advantages, so one may suit you better, depending on your needs. The Ecovacs incurs fewer recurring costs, has a longer battery life, and delivers better performance on low-pile carpet. It also clears pet hair more effectively on all surface types and has a hazard-detection system that enables it to identify and react to obstacles like shoes on the floor or pet waste. Meanwhile, the Roborock has fewer parts that need regular cleaning, charges significantly faster, and cleans more debris on bare floors, especially bulky material.
The Roborock S7 is better than the eufy RoboVac 11S. The Roborock is better-built, incurs lower recurring costs, has a larger dustbin, lasts much longer on a single charge, and delivers superior performance on bare floors as well as low and high-pile carpet. The Roborock also has a far more advanced mapping and navigation system that yields much better maneuverability and more advanced automation capabilities, like setting up virtual boundary lines or directing the vacuum to specific rooms within your home.
The Roborock S7 is better than the Roborock E4, though the E4 is still a great option if you're on a budget. The E4 has a bigger dustbin that doesn't need to be emptied as often and cleans more effectively on bare floors and low-pile carpet. However, the S7 has a unique carpet detection feature, a more advanced mopping system, better build quality, and a broader suite of automation features, including virtual boundary markers to prevent it from entering certain areas.
The Roborock S7 is better than the iRobot Roomba 694. The Roborock feels better built, has fewer parts needing regular cleaning, comes with a mopping attachment, offers a broader range of automation features, does a better job of maneuvering itself, and performs better on all surface types. Meanwhile, the iRobot charges faster and has a larger dustbin.
The Roborock S7 is better than the iRobot Roomba i3. The Roborock feels better built, has fewer parts requiring regular cleaning, incurs lower recurring costs, comes with a mopping attachment for tackling messes on bare floors, has a longer battery life, and performs better on bare floors as well as low and high-pile carpet. It also has a more advanced mapping system that lets you schedule cleaning jobs for specific areas or set up virtual boundary lines. Conversely, the i3 charges much faster. This variant of the i3 also has a self-emptying function that allows it to automatically dump debris from its internal dirt compartment to an external dustbin attached to its charging dock. However, a similar feature is available for the Roborock for an additional cost.
The Roborock S4 Max and Roborock S7 have different advantages, so one may suit you better, depending on your needs. The S4 Max has a larger dirt compartment and does a better job of clearing pet hair from all surface types. Conversely, the S7 delivers better debris-cleaning performance on bare floors and carpets. It also feels better built, takes less time to recharge, and comes with a mopping attachment.
The Narwal T10 and Roborock S7 each have their advantages, meaning one may suit you better than the other, depending on your needs. The Narwal has a more advanced mopping system, with a unique self-cleaning system built into its docking station. It also charges faster, though the Roborock does have a slightly longer battery life. In addition, the Roborock does a better job of vacuuming debris on bare floors as well as low and high-pile carpet and can maneuver itself more effectively.
The Roborock S7 is better than the eufy RoboVac 25C, though this is to be expected given that the Roborock is a high-end robot vacuum while the eufy is an entry-level model. The Roborock features an advanced LIDAR mapping system that stores a permanent map of its coverage area, allowing you to set up virtual boundary lines or schedule cleaning sessions for specific rooms. It also delivers superior performance on carpeted surfaces, feels better built, has an ultrasonic mopping feature for dealing with stains, and has longer battery life. Meanwhile, the eufy clears slightly more debris on bare floors, charges faster, and makes less noise.
The iRobot Roomba S9 and Roborock S7 each have their advantages, and one may suit you better than the other, depending on your needs. The iRobot has a bigger dirt compartment, maneuvers itself more easily, and clears far more debris on low and high-pile carpet. It also takes much less time to recharge, though the Roborock has a longer battery life. The iRobot's HEPA filter also does a much better job of sealing in allergens. The Roborock is also less demanding in regular maintenance, incurs lower recurring costs, and performs slightly better overall on bare floors. It also comes with a mopping attachment that's impressively well-suited to tackling dried-on stains. Its LIDAR mapping system also makes it a better option for cleaning dark rooms.
The Roborock S7 is better than the eufy RoboVac G30. The Roborock feels better built, lasts longer on a single charge, delivers better performance on all surface types, and can climb over obstacles like high-pile rugs and power cables with less difficulty. It also has more advanced automation capabilities, with support for virtual boundary lines and scheduling cleaning sessions for individual rooms.
The Neato Botvac D7 is a better robot vacuum than the Roborock S7. The Neato is less demanding in terms of maintenance, has a larger dirt compartment, takes less time to recharge, and performs slightly better on bare floors as well as low and high-pile carpet. Meanwhile, the Roborock is better at maneuvering itself, feels better built, incurs fewer recurring costs, and has longer maximum battery life. It also comes with a mopping attachment, though we don't currently test that feature.
The Roborock S7 is better than the Shark IQ Robot. The Roborock feels better built, has less demanding maintenance requirements, incurs fewer recurring costs, has a longer maximum battery life, and does a better job of maneuvering itself. It also performs better on bare floors and has a mopping attachment for dealing with sticky messes. Conversely, the Shark clears more debris on carpets and has a bigger dustbin.
The Roborock S7 is better for more uses than the Shark AI Robot. The Roborock is better built, has fewer parts requiring regular maintenance, has a larger dustbin, and clears more debris across all surface types. Unlike this variant of the Shark, the Roborock also comes with a mopping attachment for bare floors.
This vacuum has several parts you need to clean periodically, though they're easy to access.
You should allow any part washed with water to dry thoroughly before being put back in the vacuum.
This vacuum incurs few recurring costs.
Roborock sells most parts through their Amazon store, and you can use the 'Maintenance' tab in the vacuum's companion app to check each part's estimated remaining service life.
Battery performance is excellent. In its 'Max' power mode, the Roborock can run for just under 90 minutes. Setting it to its most energy-efficient 'Quiet' mode, it runs for over 200 minutes, longer than its advertised claim of 180 minutes. In any case, 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 returns to its charging station.
The Roborock S7 has a couple of quality-of-life features. It features an ultrasonic sensor to detect carpets automatically. It differs from the system used in the Roborock S6 MaxV, which detects carpets by measuring resistance against its brushroll. When the mopping attachment is in place, you can enable the 'Rise' feature through its companion app, which lifts the mop whenever the vacuum moves over carpet. Its unique 'Carpet Mode', which you can enable through its companion app, boosts its suction power on carpeted floors, increases the rotational speed of the side brush when cleaning along walls, and slows it down when the vacuum is in the middle of a room. The vacuum has four different suction power modes: the energy-efficient 'Quiet' mode, the default 'Balanced' mode, 'Turbo', and 'Max' to deal with stubborn messes. There are also four levels of mop scrubbing intensity: 'No Water', 'Little Water', 'Med Water', and 'High Water'. That said, unlike the newer, pricier Roborock S8, it lacks a forward-facing camera that would allow real-time obstacle identification and avoidance for objects that fall beneath the view of its LIDAR sensor.
This vacuum does a good job of cleaning hard floors. Its suction inlet is positioned high enough to easily pass over bulky debris like cereal so that it can be sucked up. That said, it does struggle a little bit with smaller materials like sand that's piled up against walls or smaller debris that's been pushed into corners.
This vacuum does a good job of handling debris on high-pile carpets. However, it can leave behind a small amount of medium-sized and large debris in corners and along walls.
This vacuum delivers satisfactory overall performance on low-pile carpets. It's pretty effective in dealing with most kinds of debris in wide-open areas, but you'll need to clean up a fair amount of debris along walls and in corners.
This vacuum's pet hair cleaning performance is terrible on low-pile carpets. It does very little to lift away hair that's been pressed into carpet fibers.
The Roborock S7's suction force isn't very strong, though this isn't unusual for a robot vacuum; its suction inlet is positioned too high above the contact surface to generate a tight seal on bare surfaces, resulting in low suction power measurements. Check out the Roborock Q Revo if you want an alternative that's a little more powerful.
The Roborock S7's airflow is okay for a robot vacuum. It won't deal with heavier debris quite as easily as a higher-end model like the Roborock S8, but it'll still outperform most other models on the market and won't struggle much with heavier debris.
This vacuum is pretty quiet. It won't be too disruptive if you have it running in an adjacent room with the door closed, but you'll have to raise your voice somewhat when speaking to somebody in the same room as the vacuum running. Noise levels can vary somewhat when this vacuum is run in its default 'Balanced' mode, as it will automatically increase its suction power to 'Max' when cleaning carpeting. Still, even at higher power levels, it's more discrete than the Roborock S7 MaxV, which has a more powerful motor.
This vacuum has excellent maneuverability. Its laser navigation system develops increasingly efficient cleaning routes as it gets to know its coverage area, though you shouldn't fit the mopping attachment during the initial setup. It's low enough to clean under tables and couches easily. Unfortunately, it can sometimes get stuck on carpets, and rug tassels can catch in its brushroll. While it can push low-lying obstructions, like electrical cords, around, it isn't likely to get stuck on them.
This vacuum does a poor job of sealing in fine particles. Despite having an E11-rated filter, rated to trap 95% of allergens as small as 0.005 μm, fine particles can still bypass this filter and spew from its exhaust port. Consider the Roborock S5 Max if you're looking for a robot vacuum that better filters away fine allergens.
Compared to most manually-operated vacuums, this vacuum struggles to suck up debris from cracks and crevices. However, it does perform better than alternatives like the Shark IQ Robot. Running it in its 'MAX' power mode does help it clear a little more debris in longer cracks, but not by much.
The Roborock S7 does a good job dealing with dried-on stains when used in its 'MAX' scrubbing mode and the pathing set to 'Deep Clean.' The manufacturer recommends pre-soaking the mopping pad before letting it run to distribute water evenly across the pad. Still, if you want a more thorough clean, it's recommended that you do a second mopping run. You can see a video of the vacuum clearing a stain with two passes here, and the outcome of that second run here.
This vacuum 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 damage it.
This vacuum has a great range of automation features. You can use it without its companion app, as the physical buttons on the vacuum allow you to spot-clean an area, clean its coverage area, or return to its dock. It's also fully compatible with the Auto-Empty Dock, which empties its dustbin automatically. You can purchase that separately or bundle it with the pricier Roborock S7+ model.
The Roborock companion app is fantastic, with an easy-to-use interface and plenty of functionality. The vacuum draws a map of its coverage area, which you can then use to set up virtual boundary lines that the vacuum won't cross, establish 'no-go' zones, pinpoint a specific spot you want the vacuum to clean, or direct the vacuum to clean one specific room. You can also check the cleaning history, the maintenance status of certain parts, adjust the volume of its audio cues through the integrated speakers, remote-control the vacuum to re-orient it if it becomes stuck, or adjust its carpet or power settings.