Robot Vacuums: Roborock S8 Pro Ultra, a robot for each floor

Less than a week after purchasing the Shark 2-in-1 vacuum, I bought the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra with a self-emptying water system.

I used the Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Self-Empty XL for a few days and liked it a lot. It has better suction power than my Shark – AI Ultra Robot Vacuum RV2502AE with XL HEPA Self-Empty Base; however, I wanted to see how the Roborock compared, after all, the water tank is self-emptying also, and while I had every intention of trying out both robot mop vacuums and sending one back. Well… they’re both staying. The Shark 2-in1 has been moved to the basement floor, and the Roborock stays on the main floor, the home for my first Shark vacuum. That Shark, aka Diva, will be moved to the third floor.

As impressive of a job that I did with keeping our hardwood floors clean, having the vacuum and mop take it to another level, and it’s one less chore I have to do daily, and I’m happy with that. Having one dog that sheds, I had my Shark vacuum the floor multiple times daily.

I love my Shark Robots; however, I will say that Roborock has them beat with their mopping system. The Shark has to be refilled each time you use the mop; the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra does not since the water tank is self-emptying, just like the vacuum, and empties the dirty water into the dirty water tank after mopping the floors.

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra: Pros

• It mapped the floor where it’s housed in less than 10 minutes. My Shark takes a little over 40 minutes to map.
• Just like the Shark, you can schedule the Roborock to clean. Our robot vacuums start cleaning every morning at 5:00 am.
• It uses LIDAR technology, just like my Sharks. This vacuum cleans in a straight line! It’s incredibly meticulous with its cleaning.
• Self-Emptying – Yes, the mop does this also!
• It’s elf Washing and has two water tanks; clean water and dirty water.
• The mop pad is much more secure than the Sharks mop cloth because there’s more velcro on the Roborock’s base.
• Roborock shows you where it’s at while vacuuming.
• Roborock cleans and dries the mop pad when it returns to its base. The cleaning and drying feature for the mop pad is excellent and efficient, and since I have extra pads, I don’t need to replace them often; however, I still choose to change them every few days. 

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra: Cons

• Like the Shark, You cannot schedule more than one cleaning session daily. No big deal; I log on to the app and have my vacuums clean again in the evening.
• It uses bags. I last used vacuum bags at least 20 years ago; however, I did locate a business that makes reusable vacuum bags that fit the Robock S8 Pro Ultra. I’ll test it out to see what I think about reusable bags.
• It does not automatically return to its base when the vacuum bag is full. Shark has an auto-detect feature that does this under washing mode. Under Dock Settings, I Clicked on Empty Mode and selected “Max,” which is suitable for large homes and more dirty environments. Under Washing Mode, I chose “Deep,” which is ideal for occasional deep cleaning, with higher water consumption and longer cleaning time.
• If you chose the black robot vacuum, which I did, the cord is white. They also have a white version. It’s a minor quibble; however, come on, Robock!
• It’s pricey – Currently, it is priced at $1599.00.

Roborock S8 Pro Ultra: Things I don’t mind or don’t understand

• If you chose the deep clean settings, it is loud; however, I don’t mind.
• Ok, here’s what I need help understanding. On a few forums, I read that some people who have robot vacuums with self-emptying water tanks complain that the dirty water tank smells over time. Are you serious? Of course, stink! It’s dirty water sitting in a tank. After discovering this, why are you still letting dirty water sit in the tank for days without dumping the water? That’s disgusting. I dump the dirty water tank after each use, rinse and place the tank back into the base. It takes a few minutes and guarantees I won’t have this issue.

Roborock: More thoughts…

• Purchase extra supplies. I have vacuum bags, filters, and even batteries for my vacuums. When I need them, I don’t have to wait for them to arrive. My reusable vacuum bag arrived today. I’m looking forward to trying it out myself.
• There is a kit that you can get which can be attached to your water supply and drainage system.
• No robot vacuum can physically pick up your clutter, at least not yet. If you have small items on your floor, your robot vacuum could have issues when vacuuming or mopping. Since we don’t have clutter, it’s not an issue. Yoki, our working-line German shepherd, has toys and loves playing with them. However, they are placed in her toy bin after she finishes playing with them.  My daughter and I are both organized, me more than her, so we don’t have items strewn on the floor.

I would never have thought I would have three robot vacuums; however, here I am. I purchased my first robot vacuum, Shark – AI Ultra Robot Vacuum RV2502AE with XL HEPA Self-Empty Base, when I stepped in and became the primary caregiver for my father after my mother was taken to the hospital. I needed assistance. I was working, thankfully, from home, I had my daughter, and I was taking care of him full-time. I needed assistance. Purchasing my Shark robot vacuum meant that it was one extra task I was no longer required to do, and I was grateful for that. Yes, it was a bit pricey, but the minutes that gave me back each day made it worthwhile.