Roborock Qrevo Curv S5X

The Hard Floor Specialist That Skipped the Camera

Roborock built the Qrevo Curv S5X for a specific buyer: someone who wants premium cleaning automation on hard floors without paying flagship prices or inviting a camera into their home. At $1,150 MSRP (frequently discounted to $850 during sales), this privacy-focused robot delivers exceptional performance on tile, hardwood, and vinyl while making deliberate trade-offs that won’t matter to the right household.

Released globally in March 2025, the S5X strips out the full Qrevo Curv’s RGB camera and drops suction from 18,500 to 16,500 Pa. It also loses the chassis-lifting system that lets its bigger sibling climb 30-40mm thresholds. What remains is a capable, slim vacuum-mop combo that excels where it’s supposed to and struggles exactly where you’d expect.

What Makes the S5X Different from the Full Curv

The comparison matters because these robots share most of their DNA. The full Qrevo Curv costs $200-400 more and brings several upgrades: an RGB camera that recognizes 108 object types versus the S5X’s 62, a larger 6,400 mAh battery compared to 5,200 mAh, and that AdaptiLift chassis for crossing higher thresholds.

The S5X trades those features for a lower price and slimmer profile. At 9.79 cm tall, it squeezes under furniture with just 3.85 inches of clearance. No camera means privacy-conscious users can run the robot without worrying about video feeds, though obstacle recognition does take a hit as a result.

Is the S5X worth buying over the full Curv? For homes with primarily hard floors, moderate cable management, and no high thresholds to cross, absolutely. The $300-400 savings fund more than a year of replacement bags and filters.

Hard Floor Performance: Where the S5X Shines

This robot tackles hard floors with confidence. Fine dust pickup exceeds 95%. Sand and small particles hit 90%+ efficiency. Even larger debris like cereal or rice gets captured at 95%+ rates. Pet hair on hard surfaces? About 85% pickup, which climbs higher with the DuoDivide brush’s anti-tangle design keeping long hair from wrapping around the roller.

The FlexiArm arc side brush extends automatically to hug walls and reach into corners. Edge cleaning performance earned praise from users who’d grown accustomed to robots missing those last few inches along baseboards.

LiDAR navigation with structured light creates accurate maps, typically nailing the home layout within 2-3 runs. The robot works systematically in grid patterns, improving efficiency with each cleaning cycle. Dark rooms don’t faze it since the LiDAR doesn’t rely on visible light.

Carpet Performance: The Honest Truth

Here’s where expectations need calibrating. The S5X manages low-pile carpet adequately with 60-70% fine dust removal, though embedded debris may require multiple passes. Medium-pile carpet drops to 51% sand removal even after 14 passes during independent testing. High-pile carpet over 2 inches? Not recommended.

The robot does lift its mop pads 10mm when sensors detect carpet, preventing soggy fibers. But without the full Curv’s chassis lifting or automatic brush lifting, carpet cleaning remains a secondary function rather than a strength.

Homes dominated by carpet should look elsewhere. The Qrevo CurvX achieves 92% sand removal from medium carpet, a substantial improvement if deep carpet cleaning matters to you.

The Mopping System: Maintenance Hero, Not Deep Cleaner

Dual rotating mop pads spin at 200 RPM with 30 adjustable water flow levels. The extending mop reaches along walls. Hot water at 75 degrees Celsius in the dock washes pads automatically between runs, then warm air drying prevents mold and odors.

For daily maintenance mopping, the system works well. Light spills, footprints, and surface dust get handled effectively. Water-based stains disappear. Grease dissolves better thanks to the hot water assist.

However, user reports consistently describe the mopping as spreading dirt evenly rather than truly scrubbing dried stains. Multiple passes help with heavier soiling, but don’t expect the S5X to replace manual mopping for serious messes. One reviewer bluntly called the mopping “not worth the feature” for carpet-heavy homes, though that’s partly missing the point of a hard-floor-focused machine.

The Dustbin Design Flaw Everyone Should Know About

Roborock rates the dustbin at 220-325 ml, but a design problem limits real-world capacity to around 60% of that. The air filter sits in a position that causes overflow before the bin actually fills. Users report needing to empty manually every 25-35 square meters in dusty environments.

The dock’s auto-empty function helps mask this issue. Its 2.7-liter bagged system can go up to 7 weeks between bag changes depending on usage. But the underlying dustbin overflow remains annoying, especially when cleaning gets interrupted to deal with spillage the full-capacity rating suggested shouldn’t happen.

Dock Features Worth Mentioning

The Multifunctional Dock 3.0 measures 450 x 450 x 450 mm and weighs nearly 10 kg empty. You’ll need about 38 cm of depth plus clearance for the power cable. At 71 dB during auto-empty cycles, the process isn’t quiet, but it’s infrequent enough to schedule around.

Clean water capacity sits between 3.5-4 liters depending on how you measure (manufacturer vs. usable). The dock refills the robot’s tank automatically during cleaning, handles hot water mop washing, dries the pads with warm air, and can trigger rewash cycles when its dirty water sensor detects insufficient cleaning.

Mop washing takes about 4 minutes after each cycle. The self-cleaning base gets its own hot water rinse. App notifications alert you when tanks need attention, though most users report refilling every 1-3 days under typical use.

Navigation and Its Weak Spots

Systematic grid-based cleaning works efficiently on open floors. The LiDAR maps rooms accurately. Chair legs, shoes, toys, and pet bowls get avoided reliably.

Power cables? That’s a different story. The S5X tangles on cords frequently, becoming the most-reported stuck scenario. USB chargers, extension cords, and cables under desks create regular rescue missions. Users in cable-heavy homes report manual assistance 2-5 times monthly.

Lightweight rugs and bath mats also cause problems. The robot can flip them or get stuck on edges. Tasseled or fringed rugs risk entanglement. And black or very dark floors trigger false positives from cliff sensors that think they’re detecting ledges.

The FlexiArm extension that improves edge cleaning actually increases tangle risk when enabled. Some users disable it to reduce cable incidents.

Battery Life in Practice

The 5,200 mAh lithium-ion battery promises up to 240 minutes in quiet mode, dropping to around 180 minutes in balanced mode and approximately 100 minutes at maximum power. Real-world testing by PCMag found 120-180 minutes typical under mixed conditions.

Coverage per charge handles most multi-room homes comfortably. For spaces up to 3,000-4,000 square feet, the robot can complete cleaning with perhaps one return-to-dock charging break. Fast charging (30% quicker than the S7 series) helps minimize waiting during interrupted runs.

Noise Levels: What Roborock Claims vs. Reality

The 55 dB mopping claim holds up in testing. But vacuuming noise runs higher than marketed. User measurements show 64-66 dB in balanced mode at 4 feet, climbing to 66-78 dB at closer range in max mode. The 62 dB claim for balanced vacuuming appears understated, likely measured at greater distance.

The dock’s auto-empty hits about 71 dB at 5 feet, loud enough to notice but brief.

App Experience: Powerful but Temperamental

The Roborock app (4.6 stars with 309,000+ Android reviews) offers extensive customization: multi-floor mapping, no-go zones, virtual walls, room-specific scheduling, and do-not-disturb settings. Voice assistant integration works with Alexa, Google Home, and Siri Shortcuts. Matter protocol support is coming via firmware update.

Connection reliability? Less impressive. Frequent WiFi disconnections frustrate users. Passwords don’t auto-save after app updates. Map loading occasionally glitches. The app’s depth of features earns praise, but the connection issues create ongoing annoyance.

Cloud connection is required for full functionality. What happens if Roborock discontinues service someday remains unclear. Local control options are limited.

Who Should Buy This Robot

The S5X makes sense for homes with hard floors as the dominant surface type. Tile, hardwood, vinyl, or laminate owners get excellent cleaning automation. Light-to-moderate pet hair gets handled effectively, especially long hair that would tangle other robots. Privacy-conscious buyers appreciate the camera-free design.

Budget plays a role too. At $850-1,150 depending on sales, the S5X delivers flagship-adjacent performance for mid-range money. Coming from an S7 series robot? The upgrade brings substantial gains: from 2,500-3,800 Pa suction to 16,500 Pa, plus dual mops, hot water washing, and modern mapping.

Who Should Skip It

Carpet-heavy homes need a different robot. The S5X’s medium-pile performance falls short of alternatives, and high-pile carpet exceeds its capabilities entirely.

Homes with cables everywhere will experience frustration. Without better obstacle avoidance, power cords become a persistent problem requiring either significant cable management or frequent robot rescues.

Black flooring or very dark rugs trigger cliff sensor false positives that may render the robot unable to clean certain areas without workarounds like taping over sensors or setting virtual walls.

Anyone needing 30mm+ threshold crossing should look at the full Curv with its chassis lifting system. The S5X maxes out at 20mm.

Long-Term Ownership Costs

Replacement parts run reasonable. Dust bags cost $20-25 for a six-pack, needed every 2-3 months. Washable filters run $32-40 for two, replaced every 3-6 months. Side brushes and main brushes last 6-12 months at $16-23 respectively. Mop pads need replacement every 3-8 months at $12-30.

Annual maintenance lands around $80-150 total. OEM parts are readily available through Roborock and Amazon. Third-party alternatives exist for filters and bags at lower prices with generally acceptable quality. Brush roll mounts prove harder to source separately.

The one-year warranty covers manufacturing defects but excludes consumables. Refurbished units get only 6 months. Customer support receives mixed reviews: polite representatives who sometimes struggle to resolve issues, with confusing policies around repairs versus replacements.

Battery replacement requires sending the unit to a service center. Cost isn’t disclosed. Expected lifespan follows the industry standard of 3-5 years with proper maintenance.

The Bottom Line

The Roborock Qrevo Curv S5X succeeds as a hard-floor specialist with convenient automation. Its dock handles mop washing, drying, and bin emptying without intervention. Cleaning performance on tile, hardwood, and vinyl impresses. Edge coverage with the FlexiArm extension reaches spots other robots miss.

The dustbin overflow issue annoys. Cable tangling requires either preparation or patience. Carpet cleaning disappoints compared to alternatives. WiFi connectivity needs improvement.

But for the right home, those weaknesses don’t outweigh the strengths. A primarily hard-floor household with moderate clutter and reasonable cable management gets a capable cleaning partner at a competitive price. The privacy-focused design appeals to buyers wary of cameras in their robots. And the $300-400 savings over the full Curv fund nearly two years of consumables.

Match your floors and expectations to this robot’s strengths, and the S5X delivers.