The Roborock S6 MaxV is a smart and powerful vacuum, but its mopping function makes it better suited to homes with hard floors. Even the best robot vacuums can encounter trouble when used in a house with pets, because they're known to smear around any significant clumps or dirt, or worse, dog muck. In a bid to tackle this issue, the Roborock S6 MaxV comes with twin cameras and LiDAR navigation to detect obstacles in its path and avoid them. We tested this robot vacuum on both carpet, tile, and wood floors to see how it handled pet hair, flour spills, and daily messes. Here's how it held up.
Roborock S6 MaxV: Design
The Roborock S6 MaxV looks fairly similar to most robot vacuum cleaners, but what sets it apart is its raised top dome that offers LiDAR navigation. LiDAR is the use of lasers to identify nearby items, and approximate how close they are. This means your Roborock shouldn’t bump into walls and table legs, like many less smart robot vacuum cleaners are prone to do.
LiDAR scans for items above the Roborock, but what about smaller items that its radar won’t pick up? Well, for this it has twin cameras which should identify any shoes, toys, or (God forbid) dog muck that lies in its path. This is one of the biggest fears for robot vacuum cleaners, and there’s a whole range of disgusting photos online that show just how devastatingly effective a robot vacuum can be in spreading dog poo or kitty litter.
When the Roborock arrives it does come with a sticker over the camera which reads “To protect your privacy, images captured by ReactiveAI cameras are processed onboard and immediately deleted.” Once you take this off (and give the app permissions to capture images) you can set your vacuum to send you images of any obstacles in its way. We’re not sure what real advantage this offers - cute pictures of your pet sleeping? Nonetheless, if you do want to take advantage of this feature, it’s there, and if you’re not taken with the idea you can leave it.
We’ve tried a few robot vacuums in our time, and the Roborock S6 MaxV is one of the larger ones. It’s unlikely to fit underneath most couches, but because of its navigation, it won’t get stuck trying. Its exact dimensions are 19.2 inches x 16 inches x 6.1 inches, and at 14 pounds, it’s pretty heavy.
Many robot vacuums require you to flip them upside down to remove the bin, but the Roborock S6 MaxV’s is built into the top. You can flip up the rear side of the top layer to access this, and it’s easily emptied into your trash once you lift it out. The vacuum also comes with a tool for cutting hair and built-up fur from the brush, which is a nice touch, and works very well.
Roborock S6 MaxV: How it performed
The Roborock S6 MaxV has a lot of smart features on offer if you’re willing to set up the app just how you want it, but even if you don’t, it’s still a great robot vacuum. It’s got a powerful suction with a maximum of 2500Pa, and while it’s not noisy (at least, not enough to upset the dog) it does give off a noise similar to a handheld vacuum cleaner.
What instantly sets the Roborock S6 apart from other options on the market is its methodical approach to cleaning. Many robot vacuums zig-zag around your room like the standby display on your TV, and much like this display, it’s unsatisfying that they never hit every corner. The Roborock S6 MaxV starts off by mapping around the room to work out the dimensions, and then works back and forth in clean lines to tackle every inch of floor while avoiding any obstacles in its path. It’s capable of picking up plenty of debris too, although it’s not the most effective robot vacuum cleaner we’ve tried at picking up pet hair. It does take a few runs to tackle deep-rooted fur around pet beds, but because you can set up zones that need extra cleaning, it can give these areas the extra attention they need.
Where you’d find the bin for most vacuums is where the Roborock S6 MaxV keeps its water tank. This robot vacuum also mops hard floors, which is a great feature if you have a lot of hardwood or tiles. If you have a mix of carpet and hard floor you need to be careful, because this machine is not designed to take the place of the best carpet cleaners. It won’t automatically detect if it’s in mop mode and runs into the carpet, but you can set no-mop zones in your app for the Roborock to avoid.
The mop function on this robot vacuum truly is excellent. Some reviews report that it leaves floors wet, but we didn’t experience this problem. The mop picks up flour, dirt, and daily messes easily, and when it’s done you simply remove the mop attachment and put it in the washing machine. If you want to use this mop function daily, you can buy a Roborock S6 MaxV bundle which comes with two mop attachments, meaning you can use your spare when yesterday’s mop is in the wash.
The Roborock app is surprisingly easy to use. Setting up an entire map of your home floorplan sounds overwhelming, but the vacuum does all the hard work. Once you’ve got it all set up you can set schedules, switch between cleaning modes, and pair it with Google Assistant or Alexa smart speakers.
One thing we love about this robot vacuum is its sturdy rubber bristles. There are only five, as opposed to the brush-like sweepers you’ll find on most other robot vacuums, and they work to collect any debris from corners without becoming tangled and ineffective. These sweepers will flick any debris or dust into the path of the vacuum as it works around the base of kitchen cabinets and around furniture, which extends its cleaning path.
Roborock S6 MaxV: Price
You’ll find the Roborock S6 MaxV at Amazon, where nearly 1,000 reviewers give it an average score of 4.5 stars. There’s no denying it. With an RRP of $749, the Roborock S6 MaxV is an expensive robot vacuum.
One thing worthy of note is that the high price of this robot vacuum is in part because it offers both mopping and vacuuming. If your home is largely covered in carpet, you’re simply not going to be able to make the most of this versatile machine.
Should you buy the Roborock S6 MaxV?
If you’re willing to splash out on a smart and quiet robot vacuum with plenty of power, the S6 MaxV is the one for you. It’s got a long battery life and successfully avoids obstacles such as furniture, shoes, and dreaded dog droppings.
This robot vacuum is recommended for those with hardwood floors, because its mopping function is best suited to tile and wood, but if you have a few areas with rugs or carpet you can easily exclude them from the mopping function in the Roborock map.
