Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review: The ultimate robot vacuum has built-in AI

Introduced at CES 2024, Roborock’s latest robot vacuum, S8 MaxV Ultra with built-in AI, is now available for the US market. With smart features now in vogue, Roborock joins the artificial intelligence trend with several benefits for its mop and vacuum robot.

While I enjoyed reviewing the Roborock Q8 Max, the mid-tier robot vacuum introduced late last year, I was eager to try the company’s high-end products. Some differences include an intelligent – and needy – dock that tells me when I should add more water and empty the dirty water tank but also constantly washes the robot mop while it cleans the house. So smart.

Still, some of my issues with the mid-tier robot I tested are still here with this high-end product. With that in mind, let’s dive deep into the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra review.

Roborock S8 MavX Ultra specs

Design and specifications

Design-wise, Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra is what you have likely come to expect from a robot vacuum. Available in black or white, it’s fairly compact, with dimensions of 13.8 x 13.9 x 4 inches, which is great for fitting under beds and shelves.

It has 10,000Pa high power suction, a DuoRoller Brush for cleaning dust, ScratchSafe wheels, and brushes to avoid scratching your floor; it offers Reactive AI 2.0 Obstacle recognition, which combines advanced 3D light and an RGB camera to identify floor and room types, in addition to shoes, pet waste, and even floor mirrors. It can recognize up to 73 objects usually found on the floor.

The dock system is pretty advanced, as it offers auto mop washing, auto mop drying, intelligent dirt detection, auto detergent dispenser, auto tank refilling, and auto dust emptying.

Compared to the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra, the S8 MaxV Ultra doubles the suction power while adding a new, improved dock and focusing on AI features, which we’ll discuss further down.

As a newcomer to the robot vacuum world, I was eager to see what the best robot from Roborock could do, especially because I didn’t think Q8 Max did a great job mopping the house.

Setting up is still easy, but Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is a bit smarter thanks to AI

Roborock provides two options to set up the new S8 MaxV Ultra – or any of its other robot vacuums. You can either download the company’s app or Xiaomi’s Smart Home app. Both have a similar interface, but I like Roborock’s better.

After you take the robot out of the box, you can use a QR code to set it up or look for the model you purchased. The onboarding process is easy, and it won’t be long before you’re scanning your home for the first time.

With a LiDAR scanner and Reactive Tech Obstacle Avoidance, I hoped the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra would be more intelligent than the average robovac. It understands depth and won’t fall down stairs, but I have some mirrors on the floor, and it was weird to watch the robot vacuum trying to cross the mirror in the office and the living room. Specifically, seeing it create a completely new room in the app by looking at itself in the mirror was strange.

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

I had the same issue with the Roborock Q8 Max, but I thought this new product, with built-in AI, a better camera, and a LiDAR scanner, would recognize itself in the mirror. Instead, I often see it bumping into the mirror and other objects. It’s so weird.

That said, Roborock’s app lets you edit the rooms by adding No-Go Zones, placing furniture, editing the surface, or even specifying how you would like S8 MaxV Ultra to clean your house. I would love to have the ability to delete a room on the app, though.

Before cleaning, you can select the suction power and water flow. Every time you tap a new configuration, the robot vacuum will make a sound. The water flow can go from “Mild” to “Extreme.” My favorite configurations are “Balanced” or “Turbo” for suction power and “Medium” for water flow. You can also go a step further and set the cleaning mode for each room automatically based on the floor and room type.

AI makes the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra more stubborn

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

What makes the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra so unique is the AI features. While writing this review, I tried most of these features, and I have to say I had mixed feelings.

I didn’t try to use the intelligent voice assistant. Still, the Roborock app suggested I create a shortcut to say, “Siri, start cleaning,” which would make the vacuum start its built-in cleaning settings. I also enjoyed the intelligent dirt detection, which often cleans the mop during the house cleaning. Still, the only time I spilled coffee in the kitchen, it wasn’t helpful.

While the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra cleaned the area, it missed some spots, and the coffee smell was still present even after I asked the robot to mop the kitchen twice. Ultimately, I had to clean that part myself because the robot couldn’t get the job done.

Also, compared to the Roborock Q8 Max, the S8 MaxV Ultra seems to avoid some places it should be able to clean, like between my desk and a cabinet, while it keeps bumping into my office chair for no reason.

I like how it detects some objects, such as cables, flip-flops, and stands, but I still have to keep an eye on it. Several times, the robot vacuum swallowed cables, forcing me to untangle them. It’s funny to see the images it captures with its camera and LiDAR sensor to avoid possible obstacles, but at the same time, it’s odd how it keeps missing my floor mirror.

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is great with floor recognition, carpets, and the like, but I think the Q8 Max was, too, and it didn’t require AI features.

The smart dock is needy but also handy

What I liked the most while reviewing the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra was its smart dock, which stocks clean water, dirty water, dust, and detergent. It also auto-cleans (and dries) the robot during and after use. Still, as I use the robot vacuum almost every other day, it always asks me to check the water tank, dirty water tank, or detergent cartridge.

While the Roborock app has smart settings that allow the dock and the robot to clean themselves and keep everything in order, I noticed it wasn’t emptying the dust from the robot to the dock. The last time I tried to clean the house, my rooms actually got dirtier, as the robot left a trail of dust. Therefore, I had to open the app and manually select to empty the dust bin from the robot to the dock, as I couldn’t remove dirt from the robot myself.

Battery and accessories

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

Like many other robot vacuums, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra has a 5,200mAh battery capacity. Roborock says it can get a runtime of up to 180 minutes. It takes around an hour to clean my entire house, and the battery is consistently above 50% when it’s done. The smart dock also helps a lot, as every 15 minutes, the robot returns to the dock, cleans itself, and gets some extra juice.

With the previous robot, I had an issue with the mopping cloth because cleaning it myself made it not fit properly. But since the smart dock washes the mop cloth with hot water and dries it, I have had no issues so far, and it’s always clean enough to mop the house.

Is the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra worth it?

Image source: José Adorno for BGR

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra costs $1,799.99 and will be available on April 22. For the first week that it’s on sale, you can get a triple gift pack valued at up to $1,000 with a 5-year warranty, a Roborocok Flexi Life, and two accessory packages. If you have an older Roborock robot vacuum, you can get up to $900 by trading it in.

I think this robot vacuum made my cleaning routine better. Its power suction is great, and I love how effective the mop is (when it works). I had mixed feelings about the AI features, but for the most part, they helped more than hindered.

Still, nothing compares to deep cleaning your own house from time to time. I think this robot vacuum is perfect for everyday house maintenance, especially if you have pets. In addition, you don’t need to worry about the smart dock often. But my advice is to read the guide before using this robot; it might save you from putting detergent in the dirty water tank (yes, I know).