★★★★★ 5
As my initial review, it's a worthy robotic vacuum
As a rule, I do not write reviews based on a few days of use. I’d give it a month or more, observing how it performs. However, in the case of Roborock, I decided to make an exception, I was, quite frankly, a bit impressed by its performance.
Hence, the following is my initial report about S7 MaxV robotic vacuum.
At first, for many years, I owned Roomba and, since years ago it was the only well-known robotic vacuum, I was happy having such a toy. I did not make a reservation, calling my Roomba a toy, despite paying for it over $900, I did not see much use and enjoyed the first “robot” in my house. I was working on a third floor and heard Roomba vacuuming on a first, often bailing it out when it stuck under kitchen cabinets or some other obstacles.
Years passed, and a month ago, I purchased Eufy G40+ (with a cleaning station) to see if 15 years of robot vacuum development made a leap. Well, if to judge by G40 (~$400), it was far from a leap, more of a stumble. But the reviews, and the price, were good. But a few weeks later, I couldn’t take it anymore, watching as the unit would “stuck” in a totally unobscured area, lifting it, placing it nearby, and watching as it would take about six minutes to cover less than 3-5 feet to get back to its charging station (video is available)
I decided to replace Eufy with Roborock and got two units; a Roborock S7 MaxV ($640) and an automatic vacuum station ($300). Since I ordered them separately, the station came a day later, and, for a day, I used S7 as is with its standard dust bin.
Again, time will pass, and I’ll amend my review, giving a more comprehensive statement. But initially, comparing S7 to Roomba and Eufy G40, I was pleasantly surprised. It works just as one would imagine a vacuum robot must perform.
First of all, it’s quick.
It took just one run to map the first floor very accurately.
It’s doubtless.
S7’s cameras, lidar, and all its sensors guide the unit with bewildering precision. Especially on the second run, I was utterly enjoying watching how it was "hugging" every corner, chair legs, cat dishes, electric candles (my wife placed them on the floor), and so on. It seemed that the robot built my house and was very familiar with the floor plan since it was born. I was also impressed that I did not see yet S7 bumping into any obstacle, it slows down and stops, leaving less than a few millimeters between its front pannel and any barrier.
Dust collection.
That is a bit funny. My wife does everything very diligently. She vacuumed the first floor a day before S7 arrived and was a bit surprised when S7 collected almost a full dust bit on its first run. The next day, we used it again, and when I sent her a picture of collected dust (albeit not as much as on the first day), she replied that in her opinion, S7 had some dust hidden inside its body and now it was just showing off. Well, not only it did a great job, but it also was very quiet, considering that we are talking about a vacuum.
The application.
It is ok. A bit buggy, but useful and comprehensive. You can create and name rooms, make no-go zones, and so on. I’m sure the company will continue improving its functionality. But my general complaint/wish is to see the application designers stop using almost the same colors for font and backgrounds. It is so difficult to read and understand anything if texts are written in a small font and the color (of the text) blends with the backgrounds. I wonder who was the first “genius” who decided to implement such a “clever” trick. How must a person with dilapidating eyesight abilities use such apps?
Thus, as a conclusion to my initial impression - S7 MaxV is worth every penny and an automatic dust evacuation unit only adds great value to an already very capable machine.
To be continued.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2023