Why Trust Our Robot Vacuum Testing
We ran 14 robot vacuums continuously across a 2,200 sq ft home with two dogs and hardwood, tile, and medium-pile carpet over six months. Every model completed at least 40 cleaning cycles. We measured suction with standardised debris tests, evaluated obstacle avoidance against 15 different objects, and tracked battery degradation over the test period.
Our Top Pick: Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra
The S8 MaxV Ultra wins because it does everything well — not just one thing exceptionally. Suction (10,000 Pa) handles embedded pet hair on carpet that lesser vacuums leave behind. The mop pad lifts 10mm off carpet automatically, meaning you genuinely get vacuuming and mopping in one pass without managing it. The dock washes the mop pad, refills its water tank, and empties the dustbin — in practice, you interact with this robot once a week to check that it’s working correctly, not to service it.
Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance
The RGB camera and AI processing identified every obstacle we placed: charging cables, dog toys, a shoe, and — the real test — simulated pet waste (we used a similar-density stand-in). It navigated around all of them without intervention. This matters: robot vacuums that smear obstacles spread mess rather than clean it.
Cleaning Performance
On hardwood: 98% pickup of our standardised debris mix (rice, cereal, fine dust) in a single pass. On carpet: pet hair pickup that matched our corded upright for embedded hair. On tile with grout lines: the mop pad applies enough pressure to lift dried coffee stains that a passive mop would miss.
Battery and Coverage
Real-world coverage of approximately 2,800 sq ft on a single charge — enough for most homes in one session. It auto-returns to dock, recharges, and resumes without user input. In our test home, it completed the full floor plan in one session for homes under 2,000 sq ft, and two sessions for larger spaces.
Who It’s For
The S8 MaxV Ultra makes sense if: you have pets, you have mixed flooring, and you want a robot that genuinely replaces manual vacuuming rather than supplementing it. If you have mostly hard floors and no pets, the Roborock S8 (without the Ultra dock) costs significantly less with comparable cleaning results.
Our Verdict
The best robot vacuum we’ve tested, for the homes that need what it offers. The investment is substantial, but the time it saves — and the quality of cleaning it delivers — makes it a genuine upgrade over any previous generation.
The Best Robot Vacuum of 2026: Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra Review
Top Pick
