Just Fun Tech: Roborock S6 Pure/H6 Combined Review

When it comes to tech, there’s a wide world out there that extends far beyond gaming. As a geek culture site, we love the things that make us better at the games we enjoy but also love the things that push our day-to-day lives into the future. Here at GameSpace, we break those into normal tech reviews and our Just Fun Tech series. Today, we’re returning to a brand favorite to check out the latest and greatest from our friends at Roborock with their brand new S6 Pure robotic vacuum and how they’ve applied all of those lessons into their new H6 Cordless Stick Vacuum. If you like living on the cutting edge, read on and we’ll tell you exactly how Roborock is pushing the smart-home robot industry forward.

 

Roborock S6 Pure: Evolving the Design (Amazon, Roborock Website)

Let me make this simple: if you’re in the market for a robotic vacuum under $1000, the S6 Pure is the way to go. With that out of the way, that’s about all I have to say. See you next time!

Just kidding, but I am serious about the first part: The Roborock S6 Pure is an outstanding vacuum that I have no trouble recommending to friends, family, and you, dear reader. It’s Roborock’s new flagship and comes to market at $549, which is hardly cheap but makes a point to outdo its competition in features and performance. 

Its closest competitor can probably be considered the iRobot 980, which currently retails for $939. iRobot is a brand many of us are familiar with; we’ve been seeing it in department stores for years, and the 980 is their current top of the line model. It offers 1800pa of suction, a 120-minute runtime, and a modest noise level of 68 dB in ECO mode. The Roborock S6 Pure offers 2000pa of suction, a 180-minute runtime, and a volume level of approximately 50 dB. 

The S6 Pure is also just one advanced piece of tech. The second you turn it on, it activates a laser navigation system that maps its radius five times a second. 14 different types of sensors accurately track its surroundings, making sure it never falls down a flight of stairs or gets stuck underneath your couch. It also integrates your smart home, allows real-time assessment of its systems and will send notifications when it’s time to do maintenance. 

The billboard feature this generation brings with it is a 40mL larger water tank. A small upgrade, I know, but it turns out to make a difference. With a capacity of 180mL, it’s now able to cover upwards of 1600 sq. ft of space before needing a refill. That’s enough for all of the hardwoods and tile floors in the downstairs of our 2000 sq. ft home. Using this feature is very simple, as it only requires that you fill the tank, attach the reusable mop pad, set your water flow, and let it go to work. 

Whether you’re vacuuming or mopping, the navigation system is nothing short of impressive. Like the S6, it intelligently tracks the room and determines the most efficient back and forth path. It concludes by going along the edges to pick up and debris that might have been blown to the side. Using the app, you can also lay down virtual barriers to really customize its cleaning cycle. Or, better yet, assign it a schedule so it only runs at the most convenient times of the day. For us, it’s during our kids bedtime routine. By the time we come downstairs, its most of the way done, leaving us with clean floors we barely even had to think about.

It also does a darn good job of cleaning, which is really the make or break feature here. The S6 Pure will intelligently ramp up suction when it senses a carpet versus hardwood or tile and is smart enough to go over messes multiple times in Spot Cleaning mode. The suction power has proven enough for any dry mess we’ve had – and that’s saying something in a house with three kids under 6, three cats, and a young dog. It’s also able to clear obstacles up to 2cm, so it has no problem crossing between rooms with hardwood transitions. 

At this point, I’m beating the same drum I’ve been thumping in each of these reviews. Roborock’s robotic vacuums really are life-changers if you want to rid yourself of the vacuuming chore. Since joining their ecosystem, we haven’t had to pull out the push-vac unless we’re deep cleaning the furniture and even that’s now changing with the H6, I’ll be talking about next. 

If I could change or add anything, I would only wish for self-cleaning functionality. You can tell just by looking at it: the dust bin is small and should be emptied before every clean. That’s a piece of the competition Roborock doesn’t currently have an answer for and will need sooner than later. 

The other piece here is that the S6 Pure just doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself from the original S6. It has a larger water tank, but apart from that, even the product page doesn’t make clear why else a consumer should choose the Pure over the original. Still, that’s enough. If given the choice, go with the Pure.

H6 – Cutting the Cord on the Push Vacuum (Amazon, Roborock Website)

In just as an exciting move, Roborock has also unveiled their H6 Cordless Stick Vacuum. It appears to be taking the Dyson V8 head on, coming in at $449 compared to Dyson’s current $399. Given that Roborock is a less familiar brand in the West, it definitely has something to prove to earn those extra dollars. 

So let’s break it down. The H6 is a modular vacuum, which means you can take it apart and use different tools depending on your need — not unlike most vacuums. Where this one really comes into its own is just for transformative it really is. Within just a few seconds, you can transform it from a hand-vac suited to small messed to a full carpet-cleaning beast. It comes with accessories for each, that include the motorized carpet head, a dusting tool, a crevice tool, a small hand cleaner, a flexible hose, and the stick accessories to use upright.

The unit is driven by a lithium polymer battery which provides excellent suction power for up to 90 minutes on its base setting. At its highest setting, this cleaning time cuts down to 9-10 minutes but provides enough suction to deep clean mid-pile carpets. Our home has mostly hardwood flooring, and the included head (made for carpets) still did an excellent job of picking up the crumbs and debris my three kids track into the house. We were also able to use to with a hand accessory to clean pet fur from the furniture. Your remaining cleaning time and suction mode is displayed on a nice OLED screen.

When you’re done, you don’t need to worry about plugging it in thanks to the included wall-mounted charging dock. I admit to being a little hesitant about drilling yet another hole in my wall, but the convenience of simply hanging it up instead of plugging it in to recharge is well worth it.

Another high point of the device is the filtration system. The H6 uses a five stage filter, including washable front and rear filters. There’s no language about either of these being lifetime rated, however, which is disappointing given the price point and means we’ll have to rely on Roborock or third parties releasing replacements for years to come. You’ll also want to be sure to clean these regularly as they do impact the overall cleaning performance.

So how is it? I was lucky enough to be sent an early unit way back in January, so I’ve spent a good amount of time with it. While I don’t consider it a complete replacement for a traditional vacuum in terms of sheer suction per dollar, the convenience and ease of use is frankly top-notch. There is rarely a mess the H6 isn’t capable of cleaning and the only times it really struggles are when liquids are involved and add a layer of “stickiness” to what I’m trying to clean. Pet fur, usually the most difficult part of cleaning the furniture is within the reach of this device. I also love the fact that it includes a trigger lock so I don’t need to stay gripped all the time. 

I said I don’t view it as a complete replacement for a traditional wall-powered vacuum, and that’s true, but the impact of the H6 has been that I rarely ever have to use it. Between the S6 Pure and H6 Cordless, the old vacuum has turned into an emergency device.

Final Thoughts

Both the S6 Pure and H6 are excellent vacuum cleaners that you really can’t go wrong with. The Pure is an excellent evolution of Roborock’s automated vacuum designs and the H6 is a solid first entry into a brand  new market for the company. They each leave me excited for what the company will do next and make each device an easy recommendation to make. 

Summary
Both the S6 Pure and H6 offer excellent value for the money and great cleaning performance. The future is now.
Good
  • Excellent value compared to the competition at this price
  • Both S6 Pure and H6 offer great cleaning performance
  • S6 Pure is an all-around solid evolution over previous generations
  • H6's modularity makes it very convenient for different types of tasks
Bad
  • H6 filters are not lifetime rated
  • No self-cleaning on S6 Pure
9
Amazing
Chris cut his teeth on games with the original NES. Since then, games and technology have become a passion. He currently acts as the Hardware Editor for MMORPG.com and GameSpace.com.

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