At 63.8 decibels, the Roborock S5 was noticeably louder than the Shark Ion R85 (59.2). We had the ability to have a conversation although the vacuum worked around us, but raised our voices. Much like the program that communicates the Mi Home app, the Eufy Robovac 30C was made to control multiple home devices. The design is not instinctive while the vacuum part of this program is strong. We were amazed with how the Roborock S5 approached walls and obstacles. The bumper on the Roomba 690 appeared to announce it hit something with clunk; the S5 was considerably more considerate.The robot slows its strategy and its own side brush before gingerly approaching an obstruction . The S5 pushed on chairs and puppy bowl than the Shark Ion R85 and also the Neato Botvac D7. It wasn’t harmful, but I wouldn’t leave a fragile vase onto a plant stand around during a cleaning. The Roborock S5 may also be controlled via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. But don’t expect to access some features the choices are On and Away, which prompts to bot to come back to its foundation. Google Assistant adds”Return to Dock,” which sends the robot house, rather than Cease, which divides the vacuum in its paths. Overall, the Roborock S5 gathered an average of 86.8 percent of test debris on carpet–a performance on a par with all the Neato Botvac D7, but well below the Shark Ion R85’s 97.2 percent. The S5’s hardwood performance told a similar story, picking up an average of 83.9% of test debris.

It was bested by the Botvac D7 by 12 percent. If you guessed the Go icon would begin a basic cleaning cycle, then you would be wrong. Instead, Go directs the S5 to a point on the cleaning map for the bot to perform a spot cleaning. A vacuuming cycle is initiated by activating the icon that is sterile. Buried in the Preferences menu are five different Cleanup modes : Quiet, Balanced, Turbo, MAX and Mop. The program, and by extension, the vacuum, retain the mode last used. Flip the Roborock S5 over and you’ll discover two black rubber wheels on either side, a multi-directional wheel at front, and a side brush to the leftside. Between the black wheels are the combination rubber and bristle roller brush. Though like the brush on the Eufy Robovac 30c, the S5’s roller brush stayed free of hair and fuzz. Installation and app The screen displays the most recent area cleaning time and also our favorite item of information. Along the base are icons for Go, Dock, Clean and Zoned Cleanup. Exactly what the Roborock S5 lacked cleaning thoroughness, it made up for with speed, cleaning our hardwood and carpet test area at an average of 15 minutes and 22 seconds, nearly a full hour quicker than the Roomba 690 and 45 minutes fast compared to Shark Ion R85. It was as quickly as the Neato Botvac D7, which cleaned the test region in a mean of 10 minutes. The guide recommends running a vacuum cycle . We did so, but it did not appear to help. The S5 abandoned the mopped area dull and a little sticky. If it had been possible to use something along with water from the tank it could have performed better.

Design As per a Roborock agent, although the Roborock S5 employs the exact same app produced by Xiaomi since the S55 (Xiaomi is an investor in Roborock), map information is saved locally on the robot, and only goes into the Cloud when a user views the map onto the smartphone program. As much as 20 maps are saved in the Cloud at any time, and are deleted after a year. When users delete a map in the program, it’s also removed in the Cloud. The security firm assessed four different app-connected robot vacuums’ security, such as the Roborock S55 and the iRobot Roomba 980. The Roborock S55 performed the worst; AV-Test explained this was”Due partially to gross security deficiencies in data transmission, the transport of data to third parties, the app’s unexplainable thirst for information, in addition to a very clear need for progress in the statement on the handling of customer data.” Note that Map Saving Mode is now in beta and must be toggled on separately under Vacuum Settings from the app. We spent a few test runs re-mapping our floor due to the map not saving mechanically. Both the expensive iRobot Roomba i7+ and the D7 can store floor plans. Despite its size, the Roborock S5 deftly maneuvered through tight spaces. At 3.8 inches high, the S5 sits squarely between the 3.9-inch Botvac D7 and the 3.7-inch Roomba 690. While we do not adore the laser cover at the center, the feature was less obtrusive than the one about the D7, which has a massive overhang and penchant for getting stuck under room seats. In our lab tests, the Roborock S5 performed well, but not outstandingly so. On hardwood and carpeting, it picked up an average of 96.2 percent of the Cheerios strewn throughout the test area, which was marginally less than the iRobot Roomba 690 (99.5 percent), the Neato Botvac D7 (99.8) and the Shark Ion R85, which scooped up a perfect 100 percent on this evaluation.

In the center of this robot is a laser cover around the Neato Botvac D7 using a dab of orange underneath. Above the cover are physical buttons for cleaning, on/off and recharging. Perhaps due to its white colour, the wall detectors on the front and side of the S5 are more conspicuous than on other models, but they don’t detract in the bot appearance. The Roborock S5 is mostly controlled through the Mi Home program (Android and iOS). Linking the robot into the program and also to our home wi-fi network took two triesbecause the directions for pairing the bot into the Wi-Fi network were not too apparent. Instructions that were abstruse became a recurring theme of this S5. “Beginning the cleanup,” a cheery voice announces from deep within the Roborock S5. Instead of a string of Morse code-like beeps and chimes utilized by the Neato Botvac D7, the Shark Ion R85 and lots of modern appliances, the S5 announces what it is likely to perform in easy-to-understand language prompts. Cleaning performance Security concerns You want it to look good — particularly if it’s docked in your living room, if you are adding a robot vacuum to your home. The Roborock S5 eschews the black-and-grey colour scheme adopted by other vacuums for white, with silver trim around the rim. The Roborock S5 steps 13.8 inches in diameter, more than an inch bigger than the Shark Ion R85; it is also bigger than the 13-inch iRobot Roomba 690 and the 13.2-inch Neato Botvac D7. When the Roborock S5 get its claws, it cleaned regions in a detailed back-and-forth snake pattern. The robot vacuum immediately found its way through the maze beneath our dining room tableweaving its way to the other.

We appreciated how tightly the S5 hewed to walls and about chair legs;it tackled walls and borders as the Neato Botvac D7. The vac was also smart enough to fully avert a thick pile rug that felled other robot vacuums, but its taller height meant it didn’t fit under one of our chairs or our low-clearance sofa. One of our favorite design components of the Robovac S5 is its”hood.” Flip up the piece that is thin and you’ll come across the ample dustbin concealed in the center, along with a indicator light and system reset button. The S5 was the only robot vacuum we reviewed that had an onboard area to hold the differently easy-to-lose tool for cleaning the brush roll, a clever way to keep whilst enhancing the overall aesthetic. An section near the rear is supposed to maintain the microfiber mop module. The black-and-white dock for your Roborock S5 is only marginally taller than the vacuum itself. A clear plastic mat attaches to the dock, but it is only needed if you’re planning on using the mop attachment. Mopping performance We were reluctant to give the S5 free reign to wash if it decided to try and clean our carpet, therefore we used the spot-cleaning manner, which sheds a 1.5- meter (4.9 ft ) area around wherever the S5 is placed. Turns our hesitations were unfounded. The Roborock S5 produced about as much water as a wet Swiffer pad on the ground. If only it had cleaned as well as a Swiffer does. Picking up dog hair on both hardwood and carpet stymied many of the robot vacuums we analyzed, including the Roborock S5;it picked up just 79.5 percent of pet hair–10 percent less than the Botvac D7 and 8.5 percent less than the Ion R85. On the other hand, the S5 did finest the Roomba 690’s 73.3 percent pet hair pickup rate. We’re excited about zone cleaning as it is a great way to perform a cleaning of front hall or kitchen. From the main screen on the app, you can draw boxes across the map areas you want vacuumed. Unlike the iRobot Roomba i7+ and the Neato Botvac D7, you cannot save or title the zones, which means you need to redraw the area every time that you wish to wash them. Adding to the confusion is an Edit Map button on the display that lets you draw virtual barrier tape and no-go zones. The Roborock S5 distinguishes itself using a mopping feature that’s unique one of the robot vacuums we tested, but unfortunately, its prowess is helpful. A half-inch slender disc using a microfiber pad resides under the back of the vacuum. Fill the dish with water, click it in, adjust the Cleanup mode in the app and you’re ready to wash.