Roborock Robot Vacuum Mop and Self-Empty Dock: features and who it suits

This Roborock robot vacuum and mop cleans floors on a schedule, maps your home with LiDAR and returns to a self-emptying dock when it's done. It is aimed at multi-room homes, especially homes with pets, where daily vacuuming is a chore. Here is what its main specifications mean.

Suction: what 10,000 Pa means

Roborock lists 10,000 Pa of HyperForce suction. Pascals describe the pressure difference the vacuum's fan can create, and higher figures generally help lift debris and pet hair out of carpet pile and along edges. As with any vacuum, the figure is the maker's maximum. Real results also depend on the brushes, the airflow and how the robot moves over the floor.

The RockDock Plus: weeks without emptying

After each clean, the robot docks and the RockDock Plus empties its bin into a sealed 2.7-litre dust bag. Roborock says the bag lasts up to 7 to 9 weeks. How long it lasts in your home will depend on the floor area, how often the robot runs and how much your pets shed.

A sealed bag keeps the dust contained when you change it, rather than tipping out an open bin. The bags are a regular consumable, so plan to keep a few spares.

Brushes that resist tangles

Hair wrapped around a robot's brushes is the most common reason to turn one over and cut it free. This model has a JawScrapers main brush and an anti-tangle side brush, both designed to resist hair wrap, even from long-haired pets. Expect to check and clean the brushes now and then all the same.

Vacuuming and mopping in one run

It vacuums and mops in the same run, which picks up fine dust that vacuuming alone can leave behind on hard floors. Three water flow levels let you match the amount of water to the floor: a lower flow suits floors that shouldn't get too wet, such as many wood floors, so check your flooring maker's advice. Robot mopping of this type is typically a light, regular wipe rather than a deep scrub of dried-on spills.

LiDAR mapping and app control

PreciSense LiDAR uses a spinning laser sensor to measure distances and build an accurate map of each room, and because it doesn't depend on room lighting, it works in the dark too. With a map, the robot plans an efficient cleaning path instead of wandering at random, and it supports maps for more than one floor.

In the Roborock app, over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, you can schedule cleanings, set no-go zones, start spot cleans and follow the battery level and cleaning progress in real time. It also works with compatible voice assistants. It suits multi-room homes with pets that want floors kept up day to day with little effort.

What to check before you buy

• Wi-Fi: the robot connects over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi; check that your router provides it.
• Dock space: the dock needs a spot near an outlet with clear space around it.
• Rugs and mopping: check how mopping is handled on carpets and rugs, and whether the mop needs removing before a carpet clean.
• Thresholds and furniture: compare the robot's height with the gap under sofas and beds, and check how it copes with door thresholds.
• Consumables: check that dust bags, mop pads, filters and brushes are easy to get.

The short version

• Robot vacuum and mop with 10,000 Pa of HyperForce suction, according to Roborock.
• The RockDock Plus empties it into a sealed 2.7-litre bag that lasts up to 7 to 9 weeks, Roborock says.
• A JawScrapers main brush and an anti-tangle side brush resist hair wrap.
• Vacuums and mops in one run, with three water flow levels.
• PreciSense LiDAR mapping with multi-floor maps, plus app and voice control over 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi.

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