Time sure does fly by. I remember when I used to think it took forever for just ten minutes to go buy as a kid. Now, ten hours seems to go buy in a blink of an eye. There is just too much to do in a day, and literally not enough time to accomplish it all. I am grateful for companies like Roborock trying to make our lives more convenient because let’s be honest. I do not want to spend the little amount of free time I get vacuuming floors. Roborock’s Q8 Max+ mops and vacuums for me making things a lot more convenient.
Setting Up
Roborock has two things down to a simple science. Unpackaging their fantastic robot vacs and setting them up. Opening the box, I find everything packaged in high quality fashion and ready to quickly set up so I don’t have to waste time sweating over nonsensical instructions. I don’t even really need them as long as I have the Roborock app on my phone. I just add a new vac on the app and scan the new vacuum’s unique QR code and setup walks me through everything to get it online and mapping my house.
Within twenty minutes, I have the vacuum ready to go and it’s finding its way through my upstairs floor recording a detailed map of my room. The only thing I had to really do was attach the emptying station base to its tower. I didn’t even need a tool because Roborock conveniently provides it right under the base. It’s the little things that make companies successful, and I believe these little things are making Roborock what it is today. However, they also nail the big things – like how the Q8 Max+ just puts its proverbial head down and goes to work.
The Performance
As it hauls through my house, being careful not to crash into my furniture, 5500Pa high power suction grabs everything from cat hair to the crumbs that litter my kitchen floor after meal prep. Like the S8 Pro Ultra, it features DuoRoller brushes (rubber instead of actual brush) that don’t tangle like the old school brushes I used to clean after practically every cleaning session on my old Roomba. I mentioned it doesn’t “crash” into my furniture. I still have small knicks on the wooden legs of a chair from that same “old” Roomba 690. It was a warhorse, but that thing didn’t care about damage. The Roborock Q8 Max+ does care, and it shows by slowing down before any obstacle. I highly recommend mapping your home before use, as this helps the vacuum navigate a bit more carefully.
The dust bag fills quickly. I know this thing works because I often manually empty the included vacuum bag, and it is full of dust and debris. It’s amazing how much it collects, but I’m not surprised. This thing (and other vacs) is a must if you have pets. I have two long-haired cats (and three messy boys) and it has been a major timesaver – if you prefer the overdramatic, it’s a lifesaver. It’s almost embarassing how much cat hair I find in the bag, but in the end it just shows how much the Q8 Max+ is able to pick up.
The vacuum is fantastic, the mop is so-so. The mopping feature is certainly a lot more manual and requires some maintenance. This is especially true if you compare it to Roborock’s high tech S8 Pro Ultra. This mop just drags across the floor whereas the S8 Pro Ultra oscillates and scrubs the floor. On one charge it will mop almost 3000 square feet. I’m not saying the Roborock Q8 Max+ mop isn’t helpful. It is nice to have, it just doesn’t compare to the convenience of the upgraded model.
The App
The Roborock app is fantastic, and I use it every single day. I could just set up my vacuum on a cleaning schedule right in the app, but kids make life a bit chaotic, and we aren’t on a perfect schedule every evening. Therefore, I go into the app and manually tell it to start cleaning. A perfect map of each room shows up on my screen where I can put up virtual walls or set up “no go” zones. By the way, it’s amazing how fast it maps!
I can also set it up with Alexa, but boy does the Echo skill need work. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I have to say “Alexa, launch Roborock”, and then it seems to work after I listen to Alexa explain a short list of available commands. It is supposed to work by simple saying “Alexa ask Roborock to start cleaning” or a host of other commands right off the bat. This is where iRobot still has a minor edge. Fortunately, the aforementioned launch option seems to solve this.
Summary
The Roborock Q8 Max+ is a great addition to your home if you are looking for a vacuum/mop combo that doesn’t break the bank like some do. It is ready for the challenge of picking up even what you cannot see and emptying it into the bin without much effort. Mopping still needs work, and if you truly want ultra clean floors from a robot vacuum find one that actually has rotating mop heads (Roborock has one). Just be ready to pony up a bit more cash for your cleaning for one of those. Roborock has been my top choice for robot vacuums over the last few years, and this vacuum only asserts why. Enjoy.
