Roborock S8+: A Hard Floor Champion With Some Serious Caveats

Here’s what you need to know upfront: the Roborock S8+ excels at cleaning hard floors and handles pet hair like a champ. But if your home is mostly carpet, or you expect more than two years of trouble-free operation, keep reading before you buy.

Released in January 2023 as the successor to the S7 MaxV, this mid-range hybrid vacuum and mop launched at $999.99 but now sells for $499.99-$699.99. That’s a substantial discount, though the reasons become clearer as you dig into the details.

The Good Stuff: Cleaning Performance

Let’s start with what the S8+ does well, because it genuinely does some things very well.

The 6,000 Pa suction motor delivers roughly three times the power of Roborock’s budget models. Independent testing by Modern Castle showed 97.9% overall debris removal, with hardwood floors hitting an impressive 99.5%. Low-pile carpet? 97.2%. Even high-pile carpet managed 96.9%.

The DuoRoller system—dual rubber rollers with zero bristles—deserves special mention for pet owners. Long hair that would wrap around traditional brushes just… doesn’t. Testers consistently found minimal tangling, making this one of the better options for households with shedding animals.

Surface	Debris Removal
Hardwood	99.5%
Tile	~99%
Low-pile carpet	97.2%
High-pile carpet	96.9%

That single-brush design does create a weakness, though. Corners and edges consistently get neglected. The suction inlet positioning means fine dust accumulates right where walls meet floors.

Where Things Get Complicated: Carpet Obstacle Avoidance

Here’s the twist that Roborock’s marketing doesn’t emphasize: the Reactive 3D obstacle avoidance system (which uses 3D structured light and infrared instead of an RGB camera) performs dramatically differently depending on your floor type.

On hard floors? Excellent. The S8+ detects coiled cords, thin furniture legs, and shoes without issue.

On carpet? That’s another story. RTINGS testing found the robot frequently tangles with socks—the most commonly caught item. Cables get bumped into. Toys go undetected. The carpet fibers seem to confuse the sensors, causing collisions with objects the robot would easily avoid on tile or wood.

For carpet-heavy homes, this means serious “robot-proofing” before every cleaning session. Hard-floor homes can run the S8+ with minimal intervention.

The VibraRise Mopping System

The S8+ comes with Roborock’s VibraRise mopping system—not the upgraded 2.0 version found in the S8 Pro Ultra. It vibrates at 3,000 times per minute (technically in the “sonic” range) with 6 Newtons of consistent pressure.

Real-world performance is mixed. Dried spills on hard floors come up effectively. But the mop lifts only 5mm when detecting carpet, which isn’t enough for thick rugs. Multiple users report carpets left slightly damp—not soaked, but not dry either.

The 300ml water tank also demands frequent refilling. Expect to top it off every couple of mop sessions.

And here’s an important distinction from the pricier S8 Pro Ultra: the S8+‘s dock doesn’t wash or dry the mop pads. You’re doing that manually.

The Auto-Empty Dock

What the S8+ dock does provide: automatic dust collection into 2.5L bagged compartment. Under typical use, you’ll swap bags roughly every seven weeks.

The 350ml onboard dustbin is quite small, so the dock empties frequently. Fair warning: the emptying process hits 74.3 dBA—louder than the robot at maximum suction. In quiet living spaces, this can be jarring.

The filtration captures 99.99% of particles down to 0.3 microns, verified by TUV Rheinland testing.

Battery Life: Some Discrepancies

Roborock advertises 180 minutes of runtime, but that number requires context. RTINGS testing found Quiet mode runs about 240 minutes while Max+ mode drops to roughly 90 minutes. The 5,200 mAh battery takes about four hours to fully charge.

One concerning finding: a tested unit shipped with a 4,900 mAh battery instead of the advertised 5,200 mAh. Whether this represents a quality control issue or something more systemic remains unclear.

After a year of heavy use, expect 11-20% battery capacity loss. Roborock doesn’t sell replacement batteries directly, and third-party options vary in quality.

The App Experience

Credit where it’s due—the Roborock app is genuinely excellent.

iOS users rate it 4.8 out of 5 stars across 586,000 reviews. The interface is intuitive, mapping is responsive, and you get granular control over room-by-room settings. Support for up to four floor maps covers most multi-story homes.

Features include virtual barriers, no-go zones, custom cleaning routines, and voice control through Alexa and Google Assistant. The app also tracks component lifespans and alerts you when maintenance is needed.

The one privacy consideration: data routes through Beijing Roborock Technology Co., Ltd., with cloud connectivity required for remote operation.

Durability Concerns and Customer Support

This is where the S8+ story takes a darker turn.

Multiple sources—Trustpilot, Reddit, YouTube reviewers—document a troubling pattern of failures emerging between 18-36 months:

• LiDAR sensor failures (most common major issue, typically around 12-24 months)
• Wheel motor malfunctions (squealing followed by complete failure)
• Charging contact corrosion
• Mop lift mechanism failures
• Random Wi-Fi disconnections and unexplained factory resets

The timing is notable. Many users report units failing just outside the 12-month warranty window. Coincidence or design? The pattern appears too consistent for comfort.

And about that customer support: Roborock holds a 1.5 out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot from 230+ reviews. Response times stretch to 2-8 weeks. Support is email-only in most regions. Multiple documented cases show legitimate warranty claims denied, with reasons including “liquid infiltration” on a device designed to mop with water.

Strongly consider purchasing through Amazon with an Asurion extended warranty. Many experienced users recommend this specifically to bypass Roborock support entirely.

Annual Maintenance Costs

Beyond the purchase price, budget $150-250 annually for maintenance:

Part	Cost	Replacement Interval
HEPA Filter (2-pack)	$32.99	Every 5-6 months
Side Brush (2-pack)	$15.99	Every 3-6 months
DuoRoller Brush (2-pack)	$22.99-$49.90	Every 6-12 months
Mop Cloth (2-pack)	$22.99+	Every 3-6 months
Dust Bags (6-pack)	$31.99	~26 bags per year

Third-party parts cost 30-50% less on Amazon and AliExpress, though users report faster wear and lower durability.

Technical Specifications

Spec	Value
Suction Power	6,000 Pa
Airflow	12 CFM (max power)
Robot Height	3.8 inches (96.5mm)
Robot Weight	10.8 lbs
Dustbin Capacity	350ml
Water Tank	300ml
Navigation	LiDAR with 3D obstacle detection
Threshold Climbing	20mm (0.79 inches)
Map Storage	4 floor plans
Warranty	12 months

Who Should Buy the S8+

Good fit:

• Single-story homes with predominantly hard floors
• Pet owners dealing with short-to-medium hair shedding
• Users who want mopping capability without mop-washing automation
• Budget-conscious buyers targeting the $500-700 range
• People who prioritize app control and ease of use

Not recommended for:

• Carpet-primary homes or those with high-pile rugs
• Heavy multi-pet households with constant shedding
• Multi-story homes (the robot requires manual carrying between floors)
• Users wanting completely hands-off operation
• Anyone uncomfortable with cloud connectivity and China-based data storage
• Buyers expecting 3+ years of reliable operation

The Bottom Line

The Roborock S8+ represents a genuine bargain for hard-floor cleaning at its current $500-700 price point. The suction power is strong, pet hair handling is excellent, and the app experience is best-in-class.

But the carpet obstacle avoidance limitations, documented durability issues, and notoriously poor customer support create real risks. If you proceed, buy with an extended third-party warranty and realistic expectations about lifespan.

For carpet-heavy homes, look elsewhere. For hard floors with light-to-moderate pet shedding? The S8+ delivers solid performance—just don’t expect it to last forever.