Roborock S7 robot vacuum review: The first hybrid robot vacuum mop I’d actually use

Our Verdict

The Roborock S7 is the start hybrid robot vacuum and mop nosotros'd actually use.

For

Accurate carpet detection
Fast mapping
Auto-raising mop works well

Against

Dividing spaces in app can be glitchy
Mop pad can catch on area rugs

Tom'due south Guide Verdict

The Roborock S7 is the first hybrid robot vacuum and mop we'd really use.

Pros

+
Accurate carpet detection
+
Fast mapping
+
Auto-raising mop works well

Cons

-
Dividing spaces in app tin can be glitchy
-
Mop pad tin catch on area rugs

Toll: $649.99 ($599.99 at Walmart)

Roborock S7: Specs

Size: 13.9 x 13.8 10 3.8 inches
Modes: Vacuuming, mopping
Weight: 10.iv pounds
On board dustbin capacity: 0.47 liters
Smart home compatibility: Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri

Modernistic gild is built around multitasking, and so why look anything less from our robot vacuums? The Roborock S7, the latest hybrid robot vacuum and mop from Roborock, does just that. Previously, we would never have allowed an unsupervised hybrid robot to run wild around our firm with a full tank of h2o. But, the S7 is smart plenty to heighten its mop when information technology detects carpet, making it an intriguing solution to a long-standing hurdle.

In addition to mopping smarts, the S7 offers strong vacuuming performance paired with fast mapping and an app that'south total of customizations. While information technology's not perfect, in our Roborock S7 review, we finally constitute a hybrid robot vacuum and mop nosotros can trust.

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The Roborock S7 likewise earned a Highly Recommended nod for the Best robot vacuum accolade in the Tom'south Guide Awards 2021 for smart home devices.

Roborock S7: Price and availability

The Roborock S7 was released on March 24, 2021, and is available at Amazon for $649 and Walmart.com for $599. Currently bachelor in white, a black model will exist released in June. Roborock as well plans on releasing an car-emptying dock that volition be compatible with the S7 later on this year.

Roborock S7: Pattern

The Roborock S7 doesn't pause any new design ground. At a glance, it could be mistaken for the Roborock S6 MaxV, minus that model's dual front cameras. Both vacuums are thirteen.9 inches past 13.8 inches effectually and stand iii.viii inches tall, fairly large as robot vacuums go. Neither could fit through the legs of my dining room chairs the way smaller bots, like the 13.3-inch Roomba i7+ tin.

Roborock S7 review — (Paradigm credit: Tom's Guide)

However, the S7 looks classier than both its sibling and the Roomba i7+. It'southward clad in shiny white plastic with brushed silver trim around the height, A raised disc in the center features the Roborock logo and conceals the Lidar sensor. Argent buttons for spot cleaning, power/showtime cleaning, and docking are placed near the front. A vivid orangish button at the rear releases the onboard h2o tank.

While its expect isn't revolutionary, the Roborock S7 has a few design touches that requite the bot a premium look and suggest ability under the hood. First, at that place are concentric "ripples" that spread outward from the logo disc — a subtle nod to the sonic vibrating mop on the car. Much like the iRobot Roomba s9, there's a curved light that moves and changes colour when the robot is in activeness. Though much smaller than the low-cal on the Roomba s9, a white low-cal zooms from left to right in normal vacuum mode. In spot cleaning way, it changes from green to blue and back again.

Those premium touches continue on the underside of the Roborock S7 where a red, studded, prophylactic-finned brush whorl sits betwixt ii large blackness rubberized wheels. The visitor calls it a floating brush and says it's able to get closer to the ground for better cleaning. The brush housing moves easily, only doesn't feel fragile. A five spoke brush with safe bristles sits to the left of the castor curl. A bevy of sensors are placed around the edges, including one that detects carpet about the omni-directional cycle in the front.

The Wi-Fi indicator light and dustbin are hidden under the thin plastic hood. The bin is easy to remove for elimination and can be cleaned under running h2o. Information technology's completely separate from the water tank, meaning you don't have to manually switch out a dustbin for a h2o tank in order to change cleaning modes.

Unlike other hybrid models that just drag a microfiber pad around, Roborock has equipped the S7 with a sonic mopping system which offers multiple scrub settings via a removable half-moon-shaped mopping plate and reusable microfiber pad. Simply here's the extra dandy feature: the mop part automatically raises up v millimeters (0.197 inches) when rug is detected or when the bot is returning to the dock. The company calls it VibraRise engineering science, but what impressed me was that information technology actually worked consistently.

Roborock S7 review: Cleaning functioning

Vacuuming with the Roborock S7 was a fairly quick exercise. It's a relatively fast and thorough cleaner that offers strong overall performance. Considering it uses Lidar for mapping, the vacuum was able to completely map my first floor in one run. One time a map is established, the S7 cleans methodically, outlining the edges of a room, so working in an Southward-shaped pattern. It's gentle, as well. Like almost mapping robots, it slows downwards as information technology approaches a perceived obstruction. I watched it carefully approach a stepstool, make clean underneath it, and then back abroad. Information technology bumped into the stool legs a couple of times, but never enough to move it.

In our lab tests, the S7 earned an overall score of 92.97 — not quite equally good every bit its vacuum-but sibling, the S4 Max, just slightly amend than the iRobot Roomba i7 and Roborock S6 MaxV.

This vacuum performed best on hardwood, earning an boilerplate option up charge per unit of 95.4%, only it held its own on our carpet tests with an boilerplate choice up rate of xc.54%.

Combined cleaning performance scores
	Overall Score	Cereal	Kitty litter	Domestic dog hair
Roborock S7	92.97	98.iv	94.seven	85.82
Roborock S4 Max	96.25	98.38	96.38	94
Deebot Ozmo T8	79.85	89.63	92.15	57.75
Roborock S6 MaxV	ninety.56	98.9	92.28	fourscore.5
Roomba i7+*	90.iv	93.1	87.6	90.5
Shark Ion R85*	94	100	94	88

*Same test performed in a larger 15' x fifteen' expanse.

On hardwood, the Roborock S7 picked up 96.viii% of the Cheerios strewn virtually the examination area. That's nearly identical to the S4 Max'southward score on the same task and merely ane point beneath the S6 MaxV. Still, the S7 rolled over and crushed several Cheerios during our hardwood flooring testing, making more of a mess that information technology and so had to clean up.

Speaking of messes, though the Roborock S7 picked upward 96% of the canis familiaris hair on hardwood, much of it was wrapped around the safe brush roll and the front wheel. Thankfully, both the brush and the wheel were easy to remove and make clean.

Hardwood Floor results
	Cereal	Kitty litter	Dog hair
Roborock S7	96.8	93.4	96
Roborock S4 Max	96.75	97.75	100
Deebot Ozmo T8	86.35	92.3	57.5
Roborock S6 MaxV	97.viii	96.3	78
Roomba i7+*	93.4	87.ix	88
Shark Ion R85*	100	95	77.five

*Same test performed in a larger 15' x 15' surface area.

A big highlight of the Roborock S7 is its ability to automatically detect carpet and increase suction accordingly. That increased suction diameter out in the scores on 2 of our three carpet tests. The S7 earned a perfect score cleaning up Cheerios from our exam carpet, fifty-fifty though it resembled a 4x4 on rough terrain as information technology rolled over cereal pieces before picking them upwards.

Likewise, the S7 was equally impressive in the kitty litter test, picking upwardly 96% of the granules, 1 point better than the Roborock S4 Max. When information technology came to dog hair, the S7 stumbled, cleaning upward 75.half dozen% of the hair. The vacuum tended to roll over the pilus, pushing Fido'due south fur further into the rug, thus making it harder for the vacuum to pick up.

Carpet tests
	Cereal	Kitty litter	Domestic dog hair
Roborock S7	100	96	75.6
Roborock S4 Max	100	95	88
Deebot Ozmo T8	92.9	92	58
Roborock S6 MaxV	100	88.25	83
Roomba i7+*	92.seven	87.3	93
Shark Ion R85*	100	93	98.5

*Same exam performed in a larger 15' 10 fifteen' area.

Roborock S7: Mopping operation

Throughout my testing of dozens of robot vacuums and robot mops, I've typically found hybrid vacuum and mop robots to exist jacks of all trades but masters of none. The Roborock S7 is a pleasant surprise. First, information technology's smart enough to avoid mopping well-nigh carpets. While the 5 millimeters the mopping plate raises itself doesn't sound similar much, I found it was enough to avoid getting my carpet wet. A slightly thicker door mat felt minimally damp after the S7 traveled across it, just less wet than if I'd stepped on information technology subsequently walking in the door during a rainstorm. However, the mopping attachment tended to take hold of the edges of area rugs, causing the corner to temporarily curl upward underneath the vacuum before the bot freed itself.

Like the Roborock S6 MaxV, the S7 is able to both vacuum and mop at the aforementioned time. Dissimilar the S6 MaxV, it did both tasks well. The Roborock S7 vacuumed up a pile of breadcrumbs on my kitchen floor and mopped it clean. It was in this example where I saw the best use of simultaneous vacuuming and mopping: The damp mop pad was able to grab the miniscule crumbs that the vacuum didn't.

The VibraRise auto-lifting mop pad combined with the carpet detection makes the difference with the Roborock S7. In my Roborock S6 MaxV review, I lamented that the bot could detect rug, but couldn't use that data to keep the mop off the carpet. While lifting the mop pad 5 millimeters isn't going to save every area rug from getting mopped, it does help.

In the Roborock app, yous can choose betwixt Standard mopping, which vacuums and mops simultaneously, or Deep Mopping. With Deep Mopping, the S7 will move in a tighter design and comprehend the specified area twice. I didn't notice a big divergence in cleaning between the two modes other than the vacuum not running. In both modes, y'all're able to choose your preferred "Scrub Intensity:" Close, Mild, Moderate, or Intense. I was able to see and hear the difference in the mop vibration as switched between scrubbing options. According to Roborock, the sonic vibrations range from i,650 to iii,000 times a minute. Past comparison, the vibrating mopping attachment sold by Ecovacs to adhere to the Deebot Ozmo T8 oscillates at 480 times a infinitesimal and doesn't enhance its pad.

Roborock recommends running the microfiber pad, detached from the mop plate, under water before using. I found this solved a trouble I've had with other hybrid mops like the iLife V5s Pro — namely, not getting the floor wet plenty to expect like it's fifty-fifty been touched by a mop. On the S7, water drips onto the pad while it's mopping via the electronically-controlled water tank. Like nearly all robotic mops, water —and simply water — is allowed in the S7. While h2o alone isn't going to make your floors await brand new, it's skilful enough for getting light spots off the flooring and in between more thorough mop and saucepan cleaning sessions.

Roborock S7: Setup, app, and mapping

Getting the Roborock S7 upwardly and running took less than five minutes once information technology was situated on its dock and charged. Like other recent Roborock robot vacuums, it's controlled via the Roborock app (Android and iOS). While I loathe the idea of creating all the same some other business relationship with credentials to keep track of, that'south what you take to exercise here. Once the account is prepare, adding a new robot and connecting it to my home wifi network was quick every bit the app walked me through the process.

The Roborock S7 supports four separate maps. I used one map for the first level of my home and one for each test expanse. The S7 is smart, simply you lot'll demand to tell it which map to utilise if you movement it to a different location. To do this, you lot'll take to go into Settings > Manage Maps or access it from the Edit Map button on the main device folio. And so tap Restore to make the map y'all desire to use active. From here, yous can also instruct the bot to create a new map. Information technology feels a little tedious, merely information technology offers more control than the iRobot Home app, which doesn't permit you choose to make a new map — information technology merely decides to do it.

One time a map is created, the Roborock app volition try to separate information technology into rooms. Don't look a miracle, especially if your home has an open floor plan. Thankfully, Edit Map > Edit Room allows you lot to merge, divide, and proper noun rooms. Room sectionalisation is far from perfect and I was dismayed to run into the same dividing issue that I did with the Roborock S4 Max: the "Reset failed" error, which is triggered past rooms having more than one entry point. My solution was to draw 1 line through the center of the map and then split up and merge rooms as needed.

Particular about exactly how much vacuuming and mopping you desire in each room? The Roborock app allows you to customize the vacuum power and scrub intensity in each individual room or throughout the whole level. Simply need cleaning effectually the kitchen sink and tabular array? Gear up up one or more than zones to be cleaned and specify how many times (up to 3) yous'd like the Roborock S7 to clean that zone.

Peradventure more than important than become-to zones are no-go and no-mop zones. While the Roborock S7 detects carpet and shows information technology on the map, drawing a no-mop zone effectually it isn't perfect. I used the carpet demarcation on the map every bit a guide for a no-mop zone in my dining room. While the S7 generally stayed away, information technology interpreted the no-mop zone as starting most 6 inches in from the edge of the carpet. However, thanks to the car-rise mop plate, my rug stayed dry. The no-go zone worked similarly; I boxed out my dog's food and water bowls, but made the zone a little too big, causing the S7 to miss the flooring side by side to the bowls. It's definitely a trial and mistake process.

Thankfully, the app shows you exactly where the Roborock S7 has cleaned, including the path it took from the dock. Y'all can rail the vacuum's progress right in the app and, should it get stuck, you'll know where to find it. It's a nice characteristic and gives yous a clearer picture of any spaces the robot might have missed due to obstacles or other pocket-sized calamities.

Roborock S7 review: Verdict

The Roborock S7 is the first hybrid vacuum and mopping robot that I'd really let mop my home unsupervised. The motorcar-ascension mop plate and rug detection work consistently well. While the mop isn't going to clean your floors well plenty to eat off of them, it does a good enough job to fool houseguests. Plus, information technology'south a solid, fast cleaning vacuum with loads of in-app customizations.

If you don't need the mopping, accept a expect at the $429 Roborock S4 Max, which is our current favorite robot vacuum. But if you want your robot vacuum to multitask, the Roborock S7 offers strong overall vacuuming functioning with predictable water-only mopping that won't soak your rugs.

Meghan McDonough is a journalist who currently tests and writes about robot vacuums. Since 2008, she'due south written near laptops, mobile phones, headphones, speakers, and other consumer tech. When she sees an unfamiliar device, Meghan has a addiction of request complete strangers, "What is that? Does information technology work well for you lot?"

In her spare time, Meghan enjoys seeing live music, tending to her garden, and playing endless games of fetch with her Goldendoodle, Duke of Squirrel.