For years, the Vorwerk VR200 robot vacuum was in use here, but I was never really happy with it. The successor was now not going to be another Vorwerk. I simply didn’t want to spend so much money on repairs anymore. However, one must be aware that with a Vorwerk device, repairs are relatively easy to handle since Vorwerk shops are almost everywhere. It’s also better for the environment. As for the Roborock, I have no idea how it works in that regard. However, I always sell used devices to hobbyists so they can have a second life.
After weeks of research, I finally chose the Roborock S6 MaxV. I admit, I prefer to order from Amazon rather than other places, as there are usually no problems with shipping, etc. However, not this time. Amazon Logistics failed to deliver the package. So, I ended up ordering from somewhere else, and this time it was even nearly 40€ cheaper. No, there wasn’t a local store nearby that had it, otherwise, I would have tried there.
One thing that stands out right away: The Roborock has a plastic housing that feels cheaper. It doesn’t look as premium or as sturdy as the Vorwerk. I actually didn’t want a round robot again because they don’t reach corners as well as, for example, the Vorwerk does. However, since the external brush on the Vorwerk no longer works, it didn’t really matter, and the models that perform well in tests are unfortunately all round.
The Roborock also lacks the handle that the Vorwerk had. You can’t carry it as easily to another room. But that’s not really necessary, because since the Roborock remembers the map of your home, you can simply tell it which room to go to. No more carrying it around. Plus, it can clean the entire apartment in less time and on a single battery charge. The Vorwerk never managed that, not even when it had a brand-new battery. However, there is also a downside: The Vorwerk charged itself on the side by docking with long vertical contacts on the charging station. You didn’t have to be very precise when pushing it onto the station. With the Roborock, it’s different: the charging contacts are small and located underneath the device. It’s better to let it dock itself.
When the Roborock is first switched on, something else stands out: You wonder when it’s going to start vacuuming. It’s super quiet compared to the Vorwerk, despite having much stronger suction power. This means there will be fewer discussions in the future about whether the robot can run during a video conference in other rooms.
The setup via the app wasn’t entirely easy at first, because the software somehow required a code during the registration process. It wasn’t clear that you had to request it first in the registration screen and then use it right there. Otherwise, the rest of the software is several classes better than Vorwerk’s, and I’m not even referring to the new app that you were forced to switch to, which worked even worse. One big advantage of the Roborock app is that you can update the firmware through it. With Vorwerk, this was only possible with a Windows PC, which then had to be connected to the Vorwerk via a cable. I don’t even own a Windows PC, so I always had to borrow one. Though, to be honest, firmware updates were very rare with Vorwerk anyway.
The Roborock app does everything I had wished for from Vorwerk. You can track exactly how the robot moves through the space. Thanks to its two cameras, it “sees” ahead and creates a map of the apartment, even if it hasn’t been to that area yet.
The more it sucked, the more accurate the map became. Here, it also started mapping the hallway, as the door opened once in between. Still, it’s nice to see how you can essentially get a floor plan of the apartment. You can also see how methodical the Roborock is in its approach. Combined with much stronger suction power, the cleaning is much more thorough. And I haven’t even tried the mopping mode yet (which I might try in a later review).
What’s particularly interesting here is that the robot thought we had a pet that had left a mess in the living room. The icon at least looks like that. Fortunately, the robot kindly takes a picture of what it saw. Luckily, it was just the foot of the piano. It reliably identifies cable outlets and such with great accuracy.
Overall, I’m very satisfied with the device so far. It cleans the entire apartment on a single charge, has more suction power, offers better control options, and is still cheaper than the Vorwerk model.