As per a Roborock representative, although the Roborock S5 uses the same program produced by Xiaomi since the S55 (Xiaomi is an investor in Roborock), map data is saved locally on the robot, and only enters the Cloud when a user views the map onto the smartphone program. Up to 20 maps are saved in the Cloud at any time, and are deleted after a year. When users delete a map it’s also eliminated from the Cloud. Much like the app that communicates the Mi Home program, the Eufy Robovac 30C is designed to control multiple house devices that were smart. While the vacuum part of this app is robust, the design isn’t instinctive. 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, almost a full hour faster than the Roomba 690 and 45 minutes fast than the Shark Ion R85. It was as fast as the Neato Botvac D7, that cleaned the test area at an average of 10 minutes, 22 minutes. Mopping performance One of our favourite design components of this Robovac S5 is its”hood” Flip the thin piece up and you’ll come across the ample dustbin hidden in the middle, together with a indicator light and system reset button.

The S5 was the robot vacuum we reviewed that had an onboard space to maintain the instrument for cleaning the brush roll, a clever means to keep functionality while enhancing the aesthetic. An section close to the rear is meant to hold the microfiber mop module. When the Roborock S5 get its claws, it cleaned regions in a thorough back-and-forth snake pattern. The robot vacuum immediately found its way beneath our dining room table through the maze , readily weaving its way to the other. We appreciated how tightly the S5 hewed to walls and seat legs;it tackled walls and borders as tightly as the Neato Botvac D7. The van was also smart enough to fully avoid a thick pile rug which felled other robot vacuums, but its taller height meant it did not fit under one of our chairs or our low-clearance couch. All in all, the Roborock S5 gathered an average of 86.8 percent of all test debris on carpeting –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. Notice that tabbed Saving Mode is currently in beta and have to be toggled on separately under Vacuum Settings from the app. We spent a few test runs re-mapping our floor due to this map not saving automatically. Both the expensive iRobot Roomba and the Botvac D7 are able to save floor plans. The security company assessed the security of four distinct robot vacuums, 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 safety deficiencies in data transmission, the transport of data to third parties, the program’s unexplainable thirst for information, in addition to a very clear need for improvement in the announcement on the handling of consumer data.” The guide recommends running a vacuum cycle over the area at least three times. We did this, but it didn’t appear to help. The S5 left the mopped area dull and somewhat sticky. When it was possible to use something in addition to water from the tank, maybe it would have performed better. The Roborock S5 distinguishes itself using a mopping quality that’s unique one of the robot vacuums we tested, but unfortunately, its prowess is useful. A slender disc using a microfiber pad attached with velcro clicks resides under the rear of the vacuum. Fill out the disc with water, click it adjust the Cleanup manner and you’re ready to clean. If you guessed that the Go icon would begin a cleaning cycle, you’d be wrong. Rather, God directs the S5 into a point on the cleaning map for the bot to perform a spot cleaning. Activating the icon that is Clean initiates a vacuuming cycle. Buried in the Settings menu are five different Cleanup modes: Quiet, Balanced, Turbo, MAX and Mop. The app, and by extension, the vacuum, retains the mode last used. In this robot’s middle is a laser cap with a splash of underneath, very similar to this one on the Neato Botvac D7. Over the cover are bodily buttons for spot cleaning, on/off and recharging.

Maybe due to the colour, the wall detectors on front and side of the S5 are more conspicuous than on other versions, but they do not detract from the bot appearance. The Roborock S5 measures 13.8 inches in diameter, more than an inch bigger than the Shark Ion R85; it’s also larger than the 13-inch iRobot Roomba 690 and the 13.2-inch Neato Botvac D7. Cleaning performance Picking up dog hair on both the hardwood and carpeting stymied many of those robot vacuums we analyzed, including the Roborock S5;it picked up only 79.5 percent of pet hair–10 percent less compared to Botvac D7 and 8.5 percent less than the Ion R85. However, the S5 did best the Roomba 690’s 73.3 percent pet hair pickup rate. “Starting the cleanup,” a cheery voice announces from deep inside the Roborock S5. Rather than a string of Morse code-like beeps and chimes employed by the Neato Botvac D7, the Shark Ion R85 and lots of other appliances, the S5 announces what it is likely to do in easy-to-understand terminology prompts. The Roborock S5 performed nicely, but not outstandingly so. On hardwood and carpeting, it picked up an average of 96.2 percent of the Cheerios strewn across the test region, which was marginally less than the iRobot Roomba 690 (99.5 percent), the Neato Botvac D7 (99.8) and the Shark Ion R85, that scooped a perfect 100 percent on this test. In 63.8 decibels, the Roborock S5 was clearly louder than the Shark Ion R85 (59.2). We were able to have a conversation because the vacuum worked around us, but definitely raised our voices.

Security concerns The Roborock S5 is primarily controlled via the Mi Home app (Android and iOS). Connecting the robot into the app and to our home wi-fi network took 2 attempts , mostly because the directions for pairing the bot into the Wi-Fi network weren’t very clear. Instructions that were abstruse became a motif of the S5. The black-and-white dock for your Roborock S5 is just marginally taller than the vacuum. A large plastic mat attaches to the pier, but it’s only needed if you plan on using the attachment. The screen displays the most recent place in yards, cleaning time and our piece of information. Along the base are icons for Go, Dock, Clean and Zoned Cleanup. Despite its larger 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 on the D7, which has a large overhang and penchant for becoming stuck under living room seats. We were hesitant to give the S5 free reign to mop in case it decided to test and wash our rug, therefore we utilized the spot-cleaning manner, which sheds a 1.5- meter (4.9 ft ) area around wherever the S5 is put. Turns our hesitations were unfounded. The Roborock S5 produced about as much water onto the floor as a wet Swiffer pad. If only it had cleaned as well as a Swiffer does.

We were excited about zone cleaning to the Roborock S5, as it is a great way to perform a cleaning of front hall or kitchen where there is more foot traffic. You can draw boxes. Contrary to the iRobot Roomba i7+ and also the Neato Botvac D7, you cannot save or title the zones, which means you need to redraw the area each time you want to wash them. Adding to the confusion is an Edit Map button on the display which lets you draw on virtual barrier tape and no-go zones. Setup and program Layout If you are adding a robot vacuum cleaner you want it to look if it’s docked on your living room. The Roborock S5 eschews the black-and-grey color scheme embraced by other vacuums for white, with muted silver trim around the rim. The Roborock S5 may also be controlled via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. But don’t expect to access some features the only options are On and Off, which prompts to bot to come back to its base. Google Assistant adds”Return to Dock,” which sends the robot home, as opposed to Stop, which divides the vacuum in its tracks. Flip the Roborock S5 over and you’ll find two black rubber wheels on either side, a multi-directional wheel at front, and a side brush to the leftside. Between the wheels is the mix rubber and bristle roller brush. Though like the brush on the Eufy Robovac 30c, the S5’s roller brush remained free of hair and fuzz. We were amazed with how the Roborock S5 approached walls and barriers. The bumper on the Roomba 690 appeared to announce that it struck something with springy clunk; the S5 was much more considerate. The robot slows its own strategy and its own side brush before gingerly approaching an obstruction when the S5 decided an item was approachable, it approached gusto. The S5 pushed on seats and dog bowl than the Shark Ion R85 and also the Neato Botvac D7. It was not harmful, but I wouldn’t leave a vase onto a plant stand around through a cleanup.