Roborock Buyers Guide 2023 Series S vs. Q

As of 2023, Roborock has consolidated into two main product lines the S-series and the Q-series.

The S-series seems to represent Roborock's premium offerings and the Q-series is their entry and mid-level robot line. 

Roborock Buyers Guide 2023. S8 Pro Ultra vs S7 MaxV vs Q Revo vs S7+ vs Q7+ vs Q5 

Product naming conventions

Roborock's product naming is fairly straightforward for instance if a product name has a plus sign the word plus or the word Ultra it includes an advanced dock in the package.

If they have a plus in the name they are capable of automatically emptying the robot's dustbin. 

If they have an Ultra in the name it means that they not only can empty the robot's dustbin automatically. But it also has advanced features centered around managing the robot's mopping system. 

The Q Revo is a new naming convention it also includes an advanced dock but we'll get into the features of various docs later in this guide. 

You may have noticed that all of the robots have an auto-empty dock though each of these robots with the exception of the Q Revo are also available with a far less expensive standard charging base. 

That is without the auto-empty dock though the specs of the robots themselves, in that case, are mostly the same.  

Roborock Q Revo

Based on internal testing carried out by the manufacturer, the mops can be lifted up to 7mm.

$899.99 on Amazon

Navigation

All of the robots in their new lineup use LiDar for mapping and navigation. 

We're big fans of LiDar and it enables a long list of advanced smart features which are fairly consistent across the Roborock lineup for. 

For example, they all have quick mapping which is pretty much what it sounds like they also have multiple floor plan storage. So they can remember a map for each of the levels in your house.

Roborock S7+

Ultrasonic Carpet Detection. Options include mop lifting and even wet mopping. Boost mode will also increase suction for deeper cleaning when the carpet is detected

$949.98 on Amazon

Performance

Their official suction ranges from as little as 2500 pascals all the way up to 6000. 

In terms of how well they perform was found that all Roborock robot vacuums are really good. 

I would say much better than average for vacuuming both hard floors and carpets. I attribute this in part to Roborock's brush roll systems.

All of the robots here have a floating brush roll housing which allows the brush roll to adjust itself to best maintain suction. 

New to Roborock is a dual brush roll system as well as a lifting brush roll. 

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra

A self-cleaning, auto-emptying docking station places it a few notches above other robot vacuums, ensuring a mostly hands-off cleaning experience. 

$1599.99 on Amazon

Mopping

The Q5 is the only model in this new lineup that does not have a mop system. 

The Q7 has a passive mopping system where a pad is attached to the robot and it sort of drags it around as it cleans. 

The S7 and S8 series have a high-speed Sonic mopping system that vibrates the pad to clean stains better. 

Though the S8 has two places that vibrate to only one place on the S7. 

The Q Revo S7 and S8 series also have one of the best mopping features. 

This is where the robot lifts up its mopping pad when it recognizes the carpet. This helps prevent both dampening the carpet and getting unnecessary dirt or debris on the mop pad. But it allows the robot to vacuum and mop in the same run. Virtually doubling its efficiency over competitors that don't have it. 

And now for Roborock in 2023 is a spinning mop pad system. Currently only available on the Roborock Q Revo. 

Roborock Q7+

 Four planes of movement keep the roller close to the floor for more effective cleaning on uneven surfaces.

$469.99 on Amazon

Clean along the floor direction

Related to mopping all the S7 MaxV and S8 models also have clean long floor directions. 

When enabling this mode and having already specified the direction of the flooring in your home the robot will clean in the same direction as the flooring in order to minimize streaks. 

All of the robots have slightly different dust bins and water tank sizes. 

This is one of those things that might change if you decide not to get the one that comes with an auto-empty dock. 

Dock capacity

Advanced auto-empty docks that manage one or more of the robot's regular maintenance. 

Items really do add a lot of value they can all empty the robot's dust bin automatically and each one of these can last several weeks before the bag in the dock needs to be disposed of. 

The Q Revo S7 MaxV Ultra and the S8 Pro Ultra take it a step further with the capability to refill the robot's water tank and wash its mop pads. 

The Q Revo and S8 Pro Ultra are the only ones that heat dry the mop pads out of the box but you can buy a heater as an add-on for the S7 MaxV Ultra dock as well. 

Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra

Sonic Vibration Technology. Mop effectively with sonic mopping that scrubs at up to 3000 cycles per minute to shift dried-on stains.

$1299.99 on Amazon

Obstacle avoidance

One really important difference is that some of these have obstacle-avoidance systems and some don't. 

These are front-mounted cameras and or sensors that identify objects in a robot's path something. 

I think is really worth the upgrade if you have a cluttered house with lots of objects laying around. 

Only the Q Revo S7 MaxV and S8 series have obstacle avoidance. 

The S8 series is the only one that uses structured light and infrared systems instead of a camera like on the others in part because of consumer security concerns. 

In our extensive testing, we found no significant differences between the structured light and camera versions of obstacle avoidance and both were right up there with the best of the best obstacle-avoidant systems on the market. 

Battery life

The maximum run time before needing to recharge for all of these robots is 180 minutes on low power or 3229 square feet.

App and smart features

Roborock has been a leader with smart features and has a well-thought easy-to-use app. 

All of the robots here have the following advanced features:

• no-go zones
• advanced scheduling
• carpet boost
• room cleaning
• zone cleaning
• Amazon Alexa capability
• Google assistant capability
• Siri compatibility with Apple shortcuts
• 3D mapping

The Q Revo and S8 Pro Ultra also have smart suggestions for no-go lines. 

Roborock Q5+

The Self-Empty Dock automatically empties the Q5’s dustbin after each cleanup, so you don’t have to do it manually or frequently.

$699.99 on Amazon

Price

They're lined up here from the least to most expensive with the Q5 being the least and the S8 Pro Ultra being the most expensive. 

Summary

I think that you'll probably be more than happy with whatever Roborock model you choose. They've proven their ability to create highly capable reliable robot vacuums and their fan favorites usually with really good reviews and it's no surprise that they've become one of the best-selling robot vacuum brands in the world.