Welcome back to Just Fun Tech, our review column dedicated to exploring the wider world of technology. Whether it’s related to gaming or about improving your quality of life, this tech is just plain fun. Today, we’re taking a look at two new smart products from Roborock: the brand new S8 Pro Ultra robot vacuum system and the Dyad Pro intelligent, self-cleaning Wet-Dry vac. These products integrate with your smart home and are designed to allow you to spend less time doing chores and more time doing what you love: gaming.
If you’ve been on the fence about adding one of these gadgets to your home, it’s officially time to step down. Find out why in this review.
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra – What Makes It Special
We’ve looked at a number of Roborock’s robotic vacuums at this point and the S8 Pro Ultra is its most advanced model yet, easily able to take your home into an era first visualized by the Jetsons. The S8 Pro Ultra is not only a great, self-managing vacuum, it’s also a genuinely smart piece of tech that can completely remove one of the most cumbersome chores from your to-do list and allow you to focus on what’s most important in life.
Beginning with the basics, the S8 Pro Ultra is Roborock’s flagship robotic vacuum. Like its competitors, it navigates its way around your house cleaning up dust and debris, but it sets itself apart with truly impressive navigation capabilities, ultra powerful suction with an improved roller system, all-in-one mop and vacuum self management, and in-depth app controls.
After reviewing the S7 MaxV Ultra last year, it quickly became a mainstay in my home: a nightly companion, cleaning up after my family of six (including four kids that range from two to nine years old). I was impressed at the time and remained so all through the year. Roborock nailed navigation several years ago, and each generation has only refined its capabilities, honing in on a tight cleaning regime that methodically traces back and forth across the room to leave no dirt behind (even those pesky bits that get blow to the edges of the room and often go left behind with other robot vacuums).
The S8 builds upon that solid foundation with an advanced LiDAR navigation and Reactive 3D Obstacle Avoidance system. On the top of the unit, a LiDAR rotates to scan the environment and create comprehensive maps of the home. You can actually watch these maps being created in real-time using the Roborock app, which is rather neat to see.
This system works in conjunction with the Reactive 3D Obstacle Avoidance system, which uses a camera to scan different objects it detects in the environment. These are then placed on the map so the vacuum knows to look out for them during its next cleaning cycle. Things like furniture are just labeled as obstacles, but it’s smart enough to identify up to 42 different objects.
Look — we’ve all seen the viral videos of robot vacuums rolling over little presents left by our pets. It’s catastrophic. A pet owner’s worst nightmare. And totally not something you’ll need to worry about here. The obstacle avoidance system is smart enough to identify even very small objects, like wires to game controllers, and then skirt around them.
It’s not completely perfect. A particular cat toy — one with a little mouse hanging from a string on a stick — still manages to get caught in it. The string, I suspect, sits a little too low so the S8 thinks it can roll over it. But it’s also light enough to get pulled up by the rollers. This causes the vacuum to call out an error so we know to pull the string out and it goes about its business like usual. Overall though, it’s remarkably good.
This isn’t a vacuum that’s going to bump into walls to know where it should stop, but it also has all of that older technology in place too, as well as all of the other important sensors from earlier models. If it does happy to bump you (or you want to clue it in not to vacuum a space without using the app), the face has a spring loaded panel that depresses, tells the vacuum to stop, reverse, and rethink its approach.
At this point, it should be clear that the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra has all of the navigation chops you would expect from a top of the line vacuum, but it really sets itself apart when you see it in action. iRobots, Roombas, and Sharks often trace the room in errant patterns, but the S8 is diligent about its vacuuming pattern. This methodical nature truly does set itself apart and makes it visibly more intelligent.
On the underside, you’ll also find your cliff sensors, depth sensitive wheels, a floor brush, and the new dual-roller cleaning system. The sensors and wheels aid in the navigation and cleaning processes, ensuring that the S8 won’t take an untimely spill down a set of stairs, as well as help it to identify transitions between rooms and to tell the difference between hard floors and carpet (the vacuum uses an ultrasonic detection system for this). When it does sense this transition, it will automatically lift its mop module so it doesn’t wet your carpet and increase the suction to ensure a good clean.
The cleaning power of the S8 Pro Plus is the best of any of Roborock’s catalog of vacuums. Not only can its suction power reach 6000 PA, but it now uses a dual-roller system that stops debris from being blown away. The two rollers spin in opposite ways, forcing dust into the center to be sucked up and deposited into the dust bin.
The S8 Pro Ultra is a dual function robot. In addition to vacuuming, it’s also able to mop with surprising effectiveness. Unlike many competing vacuums, the S8 Pro Ultra uses an active water pump to control the moisture on its removable mop. This is paired with the robot’s VibraRise 2.0 mopping system, which doubles the vibration modules so it can scrub 3,000 times a minute. The intensity of the mop system can be controlled using the Roborock app.
The coup de grâce of this system comes with its new RockDock base, a complete self-management system that allows you to set and forget the vacuum for weeks at a time. The dock allows the S8 to: self-empty dirt, self-fill with clean water, self-wash the mop pad, self-dry the mop, and self-clean the top of the robot. Roborock quotes up to 7 weeks before the internal dust bag will need to be changed and that it can mop up to 3,200 sq/ft before needing to be manually filled again.
This system is nothing short of game-changing for home robots. Before the S7, which had a similar dock, I had to manually empty the vacuum every night or it would lose suction power. With the RockDock, it becomes a self-enclosed unit that only needs to be maintained once every couple of months and only takes minutes.
Of course, all of this wouldn’t mean much without the app. Though I wish you didn’t have to sign up for an account to use it, you absolutely want to. Since the robot only has three buttons, the app is pivotal to accessing its full functionality. Inside, you can view and edit your maps to create no-go zones and engage spot cleaning for individual messes, set schedules so cleaning can take place all on its own, adjust suction and vibration levels, and even control the vacuum manually with a remote control applet. It’s also where you’ll view important maintenance information and update the firmware to take advantage of new features and capabilities as they’re released.
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra – Expensive: Is It Worth Buying?
Let’s be real here: the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is a top of the line vacuum that hovers at the top of the industry right now in what it can do and how well it performs. With that, it also has a top-tier price tag. This full bundle will cost you $1,299 with the current $300-off coupon and $1,599 without. That’s a tall order, but convenience doesn’t come cheap.
Make no mistake: even if you have a robot vacuum right now, the S8 Pro Ultra is almost certainly going to be a big upgrade. The navigation, cleaning ability, and outstanding base all make this a robot that not only does its job but also self-manages itself, including cleaning its own body. That’s impressive stuff and, in my personal experience, is the kind of purchase that gives you a persistent feeling of satisfaction, knowing that you can relax at the end of the day and not have one more chore to add to your list.
I’ve personally been taking that time and playing through Hogwart’s Legacy — and Sebastian Sallow, you’re headed down a dark path m’boy. It’s the freedom you’re paying for, which is where home robotics really excel and seem destined to change our lives for the better.
If $1,300 (or $1,600) is too much for you, Roborock will also being selling a standalone S8 vacuum as well as a S8+ which includes a simple emptying dock at a reduced price last this year. Current pricing details are unknown.
Roborock Dyad Pro – Changing the Game on Handheld Vacuuming and Cleaning?
Along with the S8 Pro Ultra, Roborock also launched its new Dyad Pro Wet Dry Vacuum and sent it along for us to try. It’s not a robot, exactly, but is certainly a smart device, and I was keen to see exactly how well integrated a device like this could be.
The Dyad Pro combines high-powered vacuuming with active, roller-based mopping. It’s surprisingly small and lightweight, really putting traditional stand-up vacuums to shame. I was able to use it one-handed and even taught my nine-year old son how to use it all on his own. It’s simple, effective, and easy to use.
The system works using a small water tank toward the top of the unit, a large dust receptacle down below, and a trio of fabric rollers down below. The water pump feeds water (customizable in the app) to the rollers, allowing it to effortlessly scrub clean stains and marks on sealed floors. At the same time, it’s able to apply 17,000 pa of suction power (nearly triple the S8 Pro Ultra), to clean any dust or debris and suck hard material from the rollers. This design allows it to clean both wet and dry messes, though you won’t want to use it on normal carpet.
The design is also smart in that the rollers go to within 1mm of the edge of the unit, so you can get right against walls, counters, and appliances for a true edge-to-edge clean.
Using three buttons set into the handle (two pictured above), you can select the appropriate mode for what you would like to do. You can choose between Auto (more on that in a moment), Max, Floor Drying Mode, and Eco Mode. Max and Eco Mode work exactly as you would expect, raising and lowering the intensity of its cleaning. Floor Drying mode is used when there water you’re trying to clean up, like on a bathroom floor after a particularly splashy bath.
Where the system shows its smarts is in its Auto mode, dock, and app capabilities. Auto mode is perhaps the most interesting of the three as it actively assesses the intensity of the mess or stain you’re trying to pull up and adjusts accordingly. The intensity of the clean, as well as the current mode and battery level are all displayed on a large display on the body of the unit.
The Dyad Pro is hardly the only vacuum of its kind, but where its sets itself apart is with its base. It charges the unit, as you would expect, but also self-cleans and dries the rollers with warm air. This prevents the unit from getting moldy and smelly, and keeps you from having to manually remove the rollers to clean them yourself.
Like the S8 Pro Ultra, it’s also deeply integrated with the Roborock app. Using it, you can adjust suction power and the water level being disbursed to the rollers. You can also schedule smart self-cleaning and drying schedules, as well as toggle options like automatically resuming cleaning as soon as you unlock the roller head.
Roborock Dyad Pro – Much Less Expensive: Is It Worth Buying?
Compared to the S8 Pro Ultra, the Dyad Pro is significantly cheaper at only $349. If you purchase it, you can also get a coupon for up to $300 off the S8 Pro Ultra. In essence, if you buy them together, the Dyad Pro becomes almost like an add-on and is a great deal at that rate.
Even at $349, I still think it’s a good purchase if your home has sealed floors like vinyl, laminate, and hardwood (be sure it is properly sealed to avoid water damage over time). The suction power is great and the ability to scrub and vacuum at once is genuinely useful. I was impressed at just how good of a job it did in our home. Even on a handful of kitchen stains that were particularly tricky, just leaving the Dyad Pro on top of them for a few extra seconds pulled them right up. It’s also remarkably efficient in how it uses its water reservoir.
Final Thoughts
Our robot future is upon us, and Roborock is proving that they can change our life for the better. As a reviewer, I’m in the unique position to be able to see these products change and develop year after year, and the S8 Pro Ultra is a significant advancement from anything Roborock has produced before. It cleans amazingly well and freed my wife and I from having to worry about spare crumbs around the dinner table, pet fur, tracked in dirt, and other debris that would usually see us doing chores for an extra 20-30 minutes each night. It’s expensive, but freeing, and that extra half hour of relaxing “me time” is well worth investing in.
The Dyad Pro, too, was a pleasant surprise. Doubling up from the S8 Pro Ultra doesn’t feel especially necessary but there are some messes that are too much for any robot, and that’s where it comes in. If you can’t afford the S8 now but want something that will allow you to clean quickly, efficiently, and not leave you cleaning the rollers when you’re done, it’s an excellent option.
Roborock has proven that it’s a company to watch that exists on the cutting edge of smart home cleaning products. These new models only make that more crystal clear. Both would be excellent additions to your smart home.
