Battle of the robotic vacuum mops: Roborock S8 MaxV Extremely versus DreameBot X30 Extremely

There are an absurd variety of robotic vacuums accessible at present, however based mostly on my testing of dozens of bots, only a handful of producers are main the pack on the subject of innovation, selection, and actually good cleansing machines. These embrace Roborock, iRobot, and Dreame. Every has lately launched new flagship fashions: the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, the DreameBot X30 Ultra, and iRobot’s Roomba Combo J9 Plus. 

I’ve reviewed the Combo j9 Plus, and I nonetheless suggest Roombas should you’re searching for both a high-end robovac or a budget bot, largely as a consequence of their repairability, ease of use, and reliability. However the competitors is getting superb, and with iRobot’s future trying shaky following its break up with Amazon, I figured it was time for a deeper dive into its strongest rivals. Right here, I pit the X30 Extremely towards the S8 Max V Extremely to see which one is the perfect. 

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra ($1,799.99) is a robotic vacuum and mop with a charging dock that fills the robotic’s onboard water tank, cleans and dries its mop pads, and empties its onboard dustbin. It contains a whopping 10,000Pa of suction and a digicam for impediment detection and avoidance. Its mop vibrates as much as 4,000 occasions a minute to wash your flooring and raises as much as 20mm to keep away from carpet.

The S8 MaxV has a brand new flexi arm that pushes its spinning facet brush out additional to get into corners higher and a facet mop that helps clear alongside edges. A brand new on-device voice assistant can take direct instructions, so that you don’t want to make use of the app or a third-party speaker to manage the robotic (though it really works with Alexa, Google Dwelling, and Siri Shortcuts). It’s additionally one of the first robot vacuums that will support Matter, though that characteristic hasn’t been turned on but. 

The DreameBot X30 Ultra ($1,699.99) has lots of the similar options because the S8 MaxV Extremely, together with a charging dock that auto-empties, washes the mops, and fills the robotic’s water tank, plus a digicam for impediment detection. It has 8,300Pa suction and makes use of twin spinning mop pads that it might routinely take away when it vacuums — my favourite characteristic. It could additionally carry the mops if wanted (as much as 10.5mm).

Uniquely, the Dreame can prolong its mops out to succeed in baseboards and even underneath low furnishings, so far as 4cm; that is surprisingly efficient at getting up grime from edges. 

I let these two bots battle it out in my house over 10 days, testing their cleansing prowess, mopping chops, navigation abilities, and distinctive options — similar to an arm and mops that do the splits. I additionally evaluated the design and usefulness of their multifunction charging docks and the way properly they meet their promise of hands-free cleansing. I put their companion apps by their paces, diving into all of the settings and options these machines supply of their quest to wash your flooring. Learn on to search out out which one got here out on high.

Whereas Roborock has redesigned its dock into one thing smaller and extra aesthetically pleasing  (it was the primary to launch a multifunction dock, and people early days had been characterised by hulking monstrosities), it’s nonetheless one of many ugliest on the market. Dreame, then again, has perfected the trendy dock look, and whereas it’s larger than Roborock’s, it’s a lot prettier. 

Dreame’s dock can be barely extra purposeful. Whereas each fashions will wash the mops with scorching water and dry them with heated air, which helps take care of the scent and mess, Dreame has little wipers that clear the mop space for you, whereas Roborock’s mop tray wants handbook cleansing. Nevertheless, Roborock has the choice to attach on to your plumbing, disposing of the cumbersome water tank-look solely. You do must get a specific model for this, which prices $100 extra. Whereas Dreame sells an add-on package to its present mannequin for this perform, it’s solely accessible in Asia. A North American mannequin — the X40 — is coming later this month, however it prices nineteen hundred {dollars}.

Each fashions use lidar to map and navigate your house. They each mapped the home rapidly and precisely and responded accurately to requests for room-specific cleansing and zone cleansing — which means they didn’t get misplaced. These robots each have front-facing cameras for AI-powered impediment avoidance, they usually each nimbly averted pretend canine turds, socks, footwear, and bundles of cables. 

Nevertheless, every had weak spots. The Dreame efficiently sucked up a pile of Cheerios, which the Roborock thought was an impediment, however the Dreame bought caught on a stray iPhone cable that the Roborock dodged. Roborock additionally likes to eat pencils. In the long run, although, they had been each not often derailed in comparison with non-camera-powered robots I’ve examined, and that’s the most important good thing about AI-powered impediment avoidance except you usually let your pet poop in your home. 

That is the primary Roborock since the excellent S7 MaxV Ultra to characteristic a digicam for object detection (all the opposite fashions use 3D impediment detection, which isn’t as efficient). However Roombas with the identical characteristic are nonetheless the perfect at understanding what’s in its approach and efficiently avoiding it or cleansing it when needed. Additionally price noting: if in case you have a mattress skirt or cloth round your couch, lidar-powered robots will see it as a wall, whereas a VSLAM-powered model, just like the Roombas, will push proper by and clear underneath your mattress.

Each bots have tremendous suction energy and did a wonderful job getting up each final little bit of bigger particles, similar to rice and oatmeal, on exhausting flooring. However Roborock’s dual-brush system did a greater job on carpet, and its rubber curler design means much less hair tangle. Dreame despatched me its new $50 anti-tangle tri-cut brush (sold separately) that cuts the hair, and I didn’t must take care of any tangles, which was good. However the Roborock was tangle-free with out shopping for an additional accent, and its twin brushes did higher at getting grime and hair up off the carpet.

Roborock’s flexi arm can be an incredible improve. It’s designed to assist the bot clear corners higher by reaching the spinning brush out to swipe up the grime. I’ve seen this in action at CES, however it occurs within the flash of an eye fixed, and regardless of spending a number of time hovering over the bot, I by no means truly noticed it work in my house. However the particles I put within the corners to check it was gone, so I assume it labored?!

Auto-cleaning modes are a brand new characteristic I’m beginning to see on high-end robots. They get rid of the hassle of getting to set particular cleansing modes for various rooms — similar to cleansing the kitchen and entryway twice however the eating room as soon as. Each Roborock and Dreame have variations of this AI-powered cleansing mode. Dreame calls it CleanGenius, and Roborock’s is SmartPlan. I discovered them each very helpful for simply hitting go and never having to plan the route however nonetheless ending up with spotless flooring. 

These modes additionally activate a characteristic that sends the robotic again to wash areas it determines that want extra consideration. This was exhausting to check successfully within the time I’ve had with them, however it’s an fascinating characteristic I’ll be maintaining a tally of. Something that entails much less of me spending time with an app and extra of the robotic doing issues by itself is an efficient factor.

I actually appreciated Roborock’s “Beneficial Routines,” personalised cleansing sequences that once more imply much less programming by you. There’s an After Meals one which tackles the kitchen and eating room and a Pet Provide possibility for cleansing round pet meals areas (the robotic can establish pets, pet beds, and pet bowls), together with just a few different helpful choices. 

Dreame’s auto-detachable mop pads are nonetheless one of the simplest ways I’ve seen to take care of the “how does a robotic mop and vacuum with out messing up your carpet” conundrum. When it’s cleansing carpet, it goes again to its dock, takes off its mop pads, then goes and vacuums. Genius. It could additionally increase its mop to about 10mm if wanted to save lots of time, so it might nonetheless traverse carpet to mop additional away rooms. Roborock’s mop isn’t removable, though you’ll be able to manually take away the pad itself. It does carry lots increased, as much as 20mm, however there’s nonetheless an opportunity of contaminating high-pile carpets except you inform it to keep away from carpets. 

Dreame’s twin oscillating mop pads additionally do a greater job of getting moist messes off the ground than Roborock’s single flat pad. Whereas Roborock’s mop vibrates as much as 4,000 occasions a minute, Dreame efficiently eliminated all of the dried ketchup and OJ in my exams, whereas Roborock left a hint behind. 

The opposite factor Dreame does very properly is clear baseboards and edges. It makes use of a “MopExtend RoboSwing” technology that extends its mop out to succeed in the baseboard and in addition swings the robotic towards the sting to push the mops underneath issues like my fridge and dishwasher, getting the grime that different cleansing strategies miss. Roborock’s Extra Edge Mop system, new on the S8 MaxV Extremely, does give the bot a bit extra mopping attain — a small spinning mop pad extends barely out from the correct of the robotic, however it’s not a patch on the Dreame.

These high-end robovacs have a dizzying quantity of options accessed by their apps; which is the place you arrange the map (title rooms and add furnishings to assist the robotic perceive your house higher). This was straightforward to do on each, they usually have very related apps.

Nevertheless, Roborock’s app is extra refined, extra secure, and barely extra user-friendly. Each have so, so many settings menus to dive into to customise all the pieces from how usually the bot washes its mop and when it empties its bin to which course it cleans your hardwood flooring (sure — you’ll be able to choose “alongside the grain”). However Roborock makes it simpler to get to what you want. It additionally by no means crashed on me, whereas Dreame’s usually confirmed the robotic offline or made me wait some time earlier than I might entry it. 

One neat characteristic is that each can act as roving house safety cameras. Roborock even claims it might go search for your pet — though it failed to search out my 80lb pup when he was sitting proper in entrance of it. To be honest, it was darkish, and he seems to be like a rug. You can too drop in on the robotic’s digicam and see and discuss to folks in your house — sure, that’s as bizarre because it sounds, however there could possibly be a use case. The digicam characteristic just isn’t enabled by default on both Dreame or Roborock and requires a set of actions and a code to entry it remotely.  

Solely Roborock has built-in voice management, a brand new characteristic with this mannequin. The wake phrase is Whats up Rocky, and it labored very properly, responding promptly and understanding my instructions. You do have to attend a beat after activating it to say the command, which takes a little bit of getting used to. Dreame can reply to voice instructions from Alexa, Google Dwelling, and Siri shortcuts (as does Roborock), however the single-purpose use right here makes the expertise significantly better.

Whats up Rocky gave me rather more management than any of the third-party integrations. I might ask it to empty the bin, skip right here, cease drying, and extra, together with all the usual instructions like clear the kitchen and return to the dock. 

Lastly, Roborock helps Matter, which provides it an edge. Whereas not one of the main good house platforms help robotic vacuums in Matter but, most have mentioned they’ll quickly. The truth that Roborock’s S8 MaxV Extremely is already Matter-certified means you’re prepared for that future if and when it arrives. Dreame has mentioned it should help Matter in its latest vacuums however has not made any bulletins in regards to the X30.

Each robots carry out exceptionally properly at mopping and vacuuming, and their all-singing-all-dancing docks make flooring upkeep nearly hands-free. However the Roborock beats the DreameBot general because of its superior vacuuming efficiency, easier-to-use app, and built-in voice management. Its twin curler brushes, facet brush, and 10,000Pa suction demolished all of the dry grime in my exams. And whereas the Dreame is best at mopping, the Roborock remains to be superb.

If mopping is what you actually need, the DreameBot’s oscillating mops do a greater job with moist spills and dried-on gunk, like ketchup. The mop elimination characteristic meant I didn’t have to fret about my white, high-pile carpet in any respect. You probably have a number of carpet or high-pile rugs scattered round your house or want the nicer-looking dock, Dreame could also be a more sensible choice, however in any other case, the Roborock will swimsuit you very properly. 

If you’re offered on these bots however can’t abdomen the worth, each manufacturers have cheaper fashions that do nearly as a lot. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra costs $1,600 and has decrease suction energy, no digicam (so no AI-powered impediment detection), and no voice assistant or Matter. Dreame’s earlier flagship mannequin, the L20 Ultra, is currently $1,500 and slightly better in a few areas. It does have decrease suction energy however can take away its mops and prolong them (although not so far as the X30). Nevertheless, its auto-emptying wasn’t as dependable. 

I ought to word that Dreame has just announced the X40 Ultra, which can be accessible for an eye-watering $1,900 and may have a mannequin with a direct water hookup. The X40 additionally provides a flexi arm — identical to Roborock’s — and 12,000Pa of suction. Nevertheless it nonetheless solely has one curler brush, and the brushes are key to cleansing. Additionally, sure, I do assume these robots are breeding.