According to a Roborock representative, although the Roborock S5 uses exactly the exact same program made by Xiaomi as the S55 (Xiaomi is an investor in Roborock), map information is stored locally on the robot and just enters the Cloud when an individual views the map on the smartphone app. Up to 20 maps are saved in the Cloud at any given time, and are automatically deleted after a year. When users delete a map in the app, it is also eliminated from the Cloud. Much like the app that communicates the Eufy Robovac 30C was made to control multiple home devices that were smart. The design isn't intuitive while the vacuum section of this program is strong. What the Roborock S5 lacked in cleaning thoroughness, it made up for with speed, cleaning our hardwood and carpet test region at an average of 15 minutes and 22 seconds, almost a full hour quicker than the Roomba 690 and 45 minutes quickly than the Shark Ion R85. It was as fast as the Neato Botvac D7, that cleaned the test area in an average of 10 minutes. Mopping performance Among our favorite design elements of this Robovac S5 is its"hood" Flip the plastic piece up and you will find the ample dustbin hidden in the middle, along with a indicator light and system reset button. The S5 was the only robot vacuum we reviewed that had an onboard space to hold the tool for cleaning the brush roll, a smart way to keep functionality whilst enhancing the aesthetic. An section near the back is supposed to hold the microfiber mop module. Once the Roborock S5 gets its claws, it cleaned areas in a detailed, precise, back-and-forth snake layout. The robot vacuum quickly found its way beneath our dining room table through the maze weaving its way to another out of one side of the space.
We appreciated how hewed to walls and about chair legs;it tackled walls and edges as closely as the Neato Botvac D7. The vac was also smart enough to completely avert a thick pile rug that felled additional robot vacuums, but its taller height supposed it didn't fit under one of our seats or our low-clearance sofa. Overall, the Roborock S5 gathered an average of 86.8 percent of all test debris on carpet--a performance on a level with the Neato Botvac D7, but well below the Shark Ion R85's 97.2 percent. The S5's hardwood performance told a similar story, picking up an average of 83.9 percent of all test debris. The Botvac D7 bested it by 12 percent. Notice that tabbed Saving Mode is now in beta and have to be toggled on separately under Vacuum Settings in the program. We spent several test runs re-mapping our floor due to this map not saving automatically. Both the expensive iRobot Roomba i7+ and the D7 are able to store multiple floor plans. The security company AV-Test recently evaluated four distinct app-connected robot vacuums' safety, including the Roborock S55 and the Roomba 980. The Roborock S55 performed the worst; AV-Test said that this was"Due partly to gross safety deficiencies in data transmission, the transfer of information to third parties, the app's unexplainable thirst for information, as well as a very clear need for progress in the announcement on the handling of customer data." The manual recommends running a vacuum cycle . We did this, but it did not appear to help. The S5 left the mapped area dull and somewhat tacky. If it had been possible to use something in addition to water in the mop tank it would have performed better. The Roborock S5 distinguishes itself using a mapping quality that's unique among the robot vacuums we analyzed, but unfortunately, its mopping prowess is more of a novelty than genuinely helpful. A slender, half-moon-shaped disk using a microfiber pad resides under the rear of the vacuum. Fill out the disc using water, click it in, adjust the Cleanup mode in the program and you're ready to wash. If you guessed that the Go icon would begin a cleaning cycle, you would be wrong. Rather, God directs the S5 into a point on the cleansing map for the bot to perform a place cleaning. Activating the Clean icon starts an overall vacuuming cycle. Buried in the Settings menu are five different Cleanup modes : Quiet, Balanced, Turbo, MAX and Mop.
The app, and by extension, the vacuum, retains the mode last used. At the robot's center is a laser cover using a splash of orange underneath, similar to the one on the Neato Botvac D7. Over the cover are buttons for cleaning, on/off and recharging. Maybe due to its color, the wall detectors on the front and side of the S5 are more noticeable than on other versions, but they don't detract from the bot look. The Roborock S5 measures 13.8 inches in diameter, more than an inch bigger than the Shark Ion R85; it is also larger than the 13-inch iRobot Roomba 690 and the 13.2-inch Neato Botvac D7. Cleaning performance Picking up dog hair on both hardwood and carpeting stymied many of the robot vacuums we tested, such as the Roborock S5;it picked up just 79.5% of pet hair--10 percent less compared to Botvac D7 and 8.5 percent less than the Ion R85. On the other hand, the S5 did best the Roomba 690's 73.3 percent pet hair pickup rate. "Beginning the cleanup," a cheery voice announces from deep inside the Roborock S5. Rather than a string of Morse code-like beeps and chimes utilized by the Neato Botvac D7, the Shark Ion R85 and many other modern appliances, the S5 admits what it's going to perform in easy-to-understand terminology prompts. In our lab tests, the Roborock S5 performed nicely, but not outstandingly so. On hardwood and carpeting, it picked up an average of 96.2% of those Cheerios strewn throughout the test region, which was marginally less than the iRobot Roomba 690 (99.5 percent), the Neato Botvac D7 (99.8) and the Shark Ion R85, which scooped a perfect 100 percent with this evaluation. In 63.8 decibels, the Roborock S5 was clearly louder than the Shark Ion R85 (59.2). We were able to have a conversation although the vacuum worked around us, but undoubtedly raised our voices.
Security concerns The Roborock S5 is primarily controlled via the Mi Home app (Android and iOS). Linking the robot into the program and also to our house wi-fi network took two triesbecause the directions for pairing the bot into the network were not too apparent. Abstruse instructions turned into a theme of this S5. The black-and-white pier for your Roborock S5 is slightly taller than the vacuum itself. A large, clear plastic mat attaches to the dock, but it is only needed if you plan on utilizing the attachment. The main screen displays the most recent area cleaning time and also our item of information--remaining battery life. Along the bottom are icons for Go, Dock, Clean and Zoned Cleanup. Despite its size, the Roborock S5 deftly maneuvered through tight spaces. At 3.8 inches , the S5 sits squarely between the 3.9-inch Botvac D7 and the 3.7-inch Roomba 690. While we do not love the elevated laser cover at the middle, the characteristic was less obtrusive than the one on the D7, which has a large overhang and penchant for getting stuck beneath living room seats. We were reluctant to give the S5 free reign to mop if it decided to try and wash our carpet, so we utilized the spot-cleaning mode, which cleans a 1.5- meter (4.9 feet) area around where the S5 is put. Turns out our hesitations were unfounded. The Roborock S5 produced about as much water as a wet Swiffer pad on the floor. If only it had cleaned as a Swiffer does.
We were enthused about zone cleaning to the Roborock S5, as it's a great way to perform a cleaning of front hall or kitchen where there is more foot traffic. From the primary screen on the program, you are able to draw boxes. Contrary to the iRobot Roomba i7+ and also the Neato Botvac D7, you cannot save or title the zones, which means you need to redraw each time to the area you want to wash them. Adding to the confusion is a Edit Map button on the display which allows you draw on virtual barrier tape and no-go zones. Setup and program Layout You want it to look if it's docked in your living room, if you're adding a robot vacuum to your house. The Roborock S5 eschews the black-and-grey color scheme adopted by other vacuums for white, with muted silver trim around the rim. The Roborock S5 may also be controlled via Amazon Alexa and Google Home. However, don't expect to access any complex features using Alexa; the only choices are On and Off, which prompts to bot to come back to its foundation. Google Assistant adds"Return to Dock," which sends the robot house, as opposed to Cease, which divides the vacuum in its paths. Flip the Roborock S5 above and you're going to find two black rubber wheels on either side, a multi-directional wheel in front, and a side brush to the left. Between the black wheels are the mix rubber and bristle roller brush. Though like the brush on the Eufy Robovac 30c, the S5's roller brush remained remarkably free of hair and fuzz. We were amazed with how gently the Roborock S5 approached walls and barriers. The bumper on the Roomba 690 seemed to announce that it hit something with clunk; the S5 was more considerate. The robot slows its strategy and its own side brush before gingerly approaching an obstacle. The S5 pushed on chairs and dog bowls around the floor over the Shark Ion R85 and also the Neato Botvac D7. It was not harmful, but I wouldn't leave a vase onto a plant stand around during a cleaning.
