Roborock S8 Pro Ultra

Pet owners, this one’s for you. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra launched in April 2023 with a $1,599 price tag and one standout feature: dual rubber rollers that absolutely devour pet hair without turning into tangled nightmares. If you’ve ever spent twenty minutes picking fur out of a brush roll, you already understand why this matters.

But here’s the reality check: this robot shines brightest on hard floors and struggles more than you’d expect on thick carpets. It’s a genuinely good vacuum wrapped in some frustrating design choices.

What You’re Actually Getting

The S8 Pro Ultra comes with the RockDock Ultra, an all-in-one base station that empties the dustbin, washes the mop pads, dries them with hot air, and refills the robot’s water tank. It’s the hands-off experience most people want from a premium robot vacuum.

The robot itself weighs 10.2 pounds and measures 13.9 x 13.8 x 3.8 inches. That 3.8-inch height means it’ll slide under most furniture but won’t fit beneath low TV stands. The dock takes up considerably more space at 16.8 x 20.2 x 17.7 inches, so plan your placement accordingly.

Available in black or white, the S8 Pro Ultra frequently drops to $899-1,100 during sales despite its $1,599 MSRP. That 40-55% discount is practically the norm now.

The Cleaning System

Vacuuming Performance

Roborock rates this at 6,000 Pa of suction, though real-world testing suggests the actual airflow runs slightly below that number. What matters more is how well it picks things up, and results are mixed.

On hardwood, tile, and vinyl, the dual rubber DuoRoller Riser brushes work beautifully. They handle everything from fine dust to cereal to pet kibble with minimal fuss. The brushes spin in opposite directions, pushing hair toward the ends for easy removal rather than wrapping around the axle.

Carpets tell a different story. Low-pile carpet? Excellent results. Medium-pile? Decent. High-pile or shag? The robot struggles, sometimes getting stuck, often leaving debris behind. And across all carpet types, corners and edges get neglected since there’s no extendable side brush.

The 300ml dustbin empties automatically into the dock’s 2.5L bag, which Roborock claims lasts seven weeks. Pet owners report more like two to four weeks before swapping bags.

Mopping Capabilities

The VibraRise 2.0 system uses dual vibrating pads oscillating at 3,000 times per minute. It handles light-to-moderate stains reasonably well but needs multiple passes for dried-on messes. Don’t expect miracles.

When the robot detects carpet via ultrasonic sensors, the mop pads lift 5mm off the ground. This works for low-pile rugs but won’t clear thicker carpets. The S8 MaxV Ultra lifts its mops 20mm by comparison.

The dock washes the mop pads after each cleaning session and dries them with hot air for up to four hours. Some users still report mold and odor issues on the pads despite the auto-wash feature. Increasing the drying time helps.

One annoyance: you can’t remove the mop pad mount without flipping the entire robot upside down. Minor, but worth knowing.

Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance

Here’s where expectations need adjusting. The S8 Pro Ultra uses spinning LiDAR for navigation and 3D structured light plus infrared for obstacle detection. Notice what’s missing? An RGB camera.

That means this robot recognizes 42 object types but can’t actually see them the way camera-equipped models can. It’ll bump into shoes, get too close to pet bowls, and occasionally suck up power cords despite the obstacle sensors. Users upgrading from the S7 MaxV report the S8 Pro Ultra actually catches more cords, not fewer.

The navigation itself works well. LiDAR creates accurate maps, the robot follows efficient row-by-row patterns, and it handles dark rooms without issues. Mirrors and glass surfaces confuse it, creating phantom rooms on your floor plan.

Mapping takes about 30-77 minutes for a full initial run, or just 5 minutes if you select quick mapping without simultaneous cleaning. You can store up to four floor plans for multi-level homes.

The App Experience

Roborock’s app carries a 4.8 rating on iOS and 4.6 on Android, and those scores are deserved. It’s genuinely one of the better robot vacuum apps available.

You get full map editing, room-specific cleaning schedules, five suction levels, three water flow settings, virtual barriers, and no-go zones. The interface makes sense without needing to consult the manual.

Voice control works through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri Shortcuts. No Matter protocol support, though, and full HomeKit integration remains limited.

The catch? This robot requires cloud connectivity. No WiFi, no app, no vacuum. Your cleaning maps and settings depend on Roborock’s servers, which means if their service ever shuts down, you’re left with an expensive paperweight. Data gets stored in the US, Germany, China, or Russia depending on your region.

Noise Levels

Running on quiet mode, the S8 Pro Ultra produces about 64.5 dB, roughly normal conversation volume. Crank it to Max+ and you’re at 76.7 dB, approaching traditional vacuum territory.

The real noise assault comes from the auto-empty function: 82.2 dB for about 25 seconds, comparable to a leaf blower. Schedule cleaning sessions when you’re not working from home.

Maintenance and Running Costs

Regular Tasks

You’ll need to remove hair from the brush rolls twice weekly, rinse the filter every few days, and empty the dock’s dirty water tank once or twice per week depending on mopping frequency. The side brush requires a Phillips screwdriver to remove, which feels unnecessarily complicated.

All filters and the dustbin are hand-washable but require 24 hours to air dry. The dock’s maintenance brush pops out easily with a red release latch.

Replacement Parts

Annual costs add up faster than you might expect:

• Filters (replace every 3-6 months): $33/year
• Side brushes (replace every 200 hours): $48/year
• Main brush (replace every 6-12 months): $23-46/year
• Mop cloths (replace every 3-6 months): $32-48/year
• Dustbags (6-pack at $31.99): $220/year for heavy users

For daily pet-home operation, budget $250-375 annually. Moderate three to four times weekly use runs closer to $200-250.

Third-party replacement parts cost 50-70% less but reportedly don’t last as long.

Common Problems and Concerns

Hardware Issues

LiDAR sensor failures show up moderately often, rendering the robot unusable until replaced. Out-of-warranty repairs run $300-600+. Some users report dock malfunctions after two years, with similar repair costs.

Battery capacity drops 15-20% after two to three years, and the battery isn’t user-replaceable without disassembly. No official replacement kit exists.

Design Flaws

The laminate floor scratching issue deserves special mention. PCMag’s reviewer and several users noticed thin scratch marks appearing on laminate floors when using the highest mop pressure settings. Roborock blamed incorrect mop pads, but the problem persisted with replacements for some users. Consider sticking to lower mop pressure settings on laminate.

The lack of an RGB camera makes obstacle avoidance unreliable compared to competing models. You can enable “Pet Mode” and set manual virtual barriers, but this requires more babysitting than a premium robot should.

Firmware Updates

The V02.07.14 update drew widespread complaints, with users reporting it “totally ruins” cleaning performance. This isn’t uncommon with robot vacuums, but it’s worth monitoring forums before accepting automatic updates.

Warranty and Support

US buyers get 12 months of warranty coverage. Australia and EU customers receive 24 months. Either way, the warranty explicitly excludes liquid damage, consumables, and unauthorized repairs.

Support quality varies dramatically. Some users report excellent experiences while others describe poor response quality and lengthy warranty claim processes. If something goes wrong, expect delays.

Who Should Buy This

The S8 Pro Ultra makes sense if you:

• Own dogs or cats with short-to-medium hair
• Have primarily hard floors with some low-pile carpet
• Want genuinely hands-off operation
• Can catch it on sale around $900

Skip it if you:

• Have high-pile carpet or shag rugs throughout your home
• Need reliable obstacle avoidance for cluttered spaces
• Require offline or privacy-focused operation
• Have cables and cords scattered across floors
• Already own an S7 MaxV Ultra (the upgrade isn’t worth it)

How It Compares

Against the S8 MaxV Ultra ($1,799): You lose 40% suction power, proper RGB camera obstacle avoidance, the extendable FlexiArm side mop, and significantly higher mop lifting. For $200 less, you’re giving up a lot.

Against the Qrevo Pro ($900-1,100): The Qrevo actually offers an extendable side mop and better edge cleaning for similar or lower money. The S8 Pro Ultra wins on pet hair pickup thanks to the dual brushes.

Against the Roomba Combo j7+ ($800-900): The Roomba has better obstacle avoidance via RGB camera but weaker suction. The S8 Pro Ultra handles pet hair noticeably better.

The Bottom Line

At $899 on sale, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra delivers solid value for pet owners with hard floors. The dual rubber rollers genuinely excel at grabbing fur, the dock automation works as advertised, and the app puts most competitors to shame.

But “solid value” isn’t the same as “best choice.” The mediocre obstacle avoidance, limited mop lift height, and potential laminate scratching issues make this harder to recommend over Roborock’s own newer models. If you spot a deal and your home matches its strengths, go for it. Otherwise, consider the Qrevo Pro for similar money or spring for the S8 MaxV Ultra if budget allows.

Typical lifespan runs three to five years with proper maintenance. Plan accordingly.