Two cats. 1,200 square feet of hardwood and carpet. And a dustbin I had to empty every single day.
That was my life with my old Roomba 694. The thing worked fine, but the daily maintenance killed me. I'd come home, see the "bin full" notification, sigh, and dump it out. Every. Single. Day.
So when the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra went on sale for $999 (down from $1,599), I pulled the trigger. Eight months later, I've touched the dustbin maybe five times total. That's the difference a self-emptying dock makes.
Looking for more options? Check out our complete guide: The 5 Best Robot Vacuums with Self-Empty Dock — featuring the Dreame L40 Ultra, Shark AI Ultra, and budget-friendly alternatives.
The Verdict
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra
Bottom Line: The S8 Pro Ultra is the robot vacuum that finally made me stop thinking about vacuuming. Truly hands-free operation with 60-day self-empty capacity, effective VibraRise mopping, and dual rubber brushes that handle pet hair without tangling. Worth every penny for anyone tired of daily dustbin duty.
Specifications
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Price | $999 (often on sale from $1,599) |
| Suction Power | 6,000 Pa |
| Navigation | LiDAR + 3D Structured Light |
| Self-Empty Capacity | 60 days |
| Mop Type | VibraRise 2.0 (sonic mopping) |
| Run Time | 180 minutes |
| Dock Features | Auto-empty, auto-wash mop, auto-refill water, hot air drying |
| Amazon Rating | 4.7★ (3,892 reviews) |
Is the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra Worth $999?
Is a thousand-dollar robot vacuum really worth it?
Here's how I think about it: I was spending roughly 20 minutes a day on floor maintenance—vacuuming, spot mopping, emptying the robot's bin. That's over 120 hours a year. At any reasonable hourly rate, the S8 Pro Ultra pays for itself in the first year.
But the real value isn't the time savings. It's the mental load. I don't think about my floors anymore. The robot runs every morning at 9 AM while I'm working, and my floors just... stay clean. No notifications. No maintenance. No thought required.
That's worth $999 to me.
My First Impression (Unboxing)
The box was massive. Like, "did I accidentally order a small refrigerator" massive. The RockDock Ultra base station is not a subtle piece of furniture—it's about the size of a small nightstand.
Setting it up took about 45 minutes. The app walked me through everything: connecting to WiFi (2.4 GHz only, which tripped me up initially), filling the clean water tank, installing the dust bag, and running the initial mapping.
The mapping run impressed me. The robot methodically covered every room, and the resulting map was accurate down to the furniture placement. I could see my couch, my dining table, even the cat tree. The 3D structured light sensor clearly does its job.
One thing that surprised me: the robot is quieter than I expected during normal operation. Around 55 dB on balanced mode—I can take calls while it's running in the next room. The self-emptying cycle, though? That's a different story. More on that later.
What I Love After 8 Months
✅ The Self-Empty Dock Actually Works
This sounds obvious, but after reading horror stories about clogged docks and failed suction, I was skeptical. Eight months in, the dock has worked flawlessly every single time. The robot finishes cleaning, backs into the dock, and 15 seconds of jet-engine noise later, the dustbin is empty.
The 60-day capacity is real. With two cats and daily cleaning, I change the bag every 5-6 weeks. The bags cost about $4 each on Amazon, so we're talking $8-10 per year in consumables. That's nothing.
✅ Dual Rubber Brushes = No Hair Tangles
My old Roomba had bristle brushes that turned into hair-wrapped nightmares every week. The S8 Pro Ultra's dual rubber rollers are a revelation. Cat hair, human hair, carpet fibers—they all get sucked up without wrapping around the brushes.
I've cleaned the brushes maybe three times in eight months, and even then it was just a quick wipe. For pet owners, this alone might justify the upgrade.
✅ VibraRise Mopping Is Legit
I was skeptical about robot mopping. Every robot mop I'd tried before was basically a wet Swiffer being dragged around—better than nothing, but not actually cleaning.
The VibraRise 2.0 is different. The mop pad vibrates at 3,000 times per minute, actually scrubbing the floor instead of just smearing water around. It handles coffee drips, cat food residue, and general kitchen grime surprisingly well.
The auto-lift feature is clutch too. When the robot detects carpet, it raises the mop 5mm to avoid getting your rugs wet. It's not perfect—I still set no-mop zones around my wool rug—but it works for most situations.
✅ Obstacle Avoidance That Actually Avoids
The 3D structured light sensor handles obstacles better than any robot I've used. Cables, cat toys, shoes left in the hallway—it navigates around them without getting stuck.
I tested it with a sock on the floor (the classic robot vacuum nemesis). It detected the sock, mapped around it, and continued cleaning. My old Roomba would have eaten that sock and choked on it.
Fair warning: it's not perfect. Very thin objects like phone charging cables can still trip it up occasionally. I've learned to keep cables off the floor or use the no-go zones feature.
What Annoys Me (The Honest Part)
⚠️ The Self-Empty Noise Is Brutal
I mentioned this earlier, but it bears repeating: the self-emptying cycle sounds like a jet engine. Around 75 dB for 15 seconds. If you're in the same room, you will stop whatever you're doing and wait for it to finish.
My solution: schedule cleaning when I'm out or in a different part of the house. The robot empties itself after each cleaning session, so as long as you're not home when it finishes, you'll never hear it.
⚠️ The Dock Is Huge
The RockDock Ultra needs about 20" x 16" of floor space, plus clearance for the robot to dock. In my 1,200 sq ft apartment, finding a spot for it was a minor challenge. It currently lives in a corner of my living room, partially hidden by a plant.
If you're in a small apartment, measure twice before buying. This thing is not subtle.
⚠️ WiFi Setup Can Be Finicky
The S8 Pro Ultra only connects to 2.4 GHz WiFi networks. If your router broadcasts a combined 2.4/5 GHz network (most modern routers do), you might have connection issues.
I had to temporarily disable my 5 GHz band during setup, then re-enable it afterward. Not a huge deal, but annoying. Several Reddit users report similar issues, and the fix is usually separating your WiFi bands or temporarily disabling 5 GHz.
⚠️ The App Is Powerful But Overwhelming
The Roborock app has approximately 47,000 settings. Okay, not literally, but it feels that way. Suction levels, mop intensity, cleaning routes, room-specific settings, schedules, no-go zones, invisible walls, furniture labels...
For power users, this is great. For everyone else, it's overwhelming. I spent the first week just figuring out what all the options did. The good news: once you set it up, you rarely need to touch it again.
How It Compares to the Competition
S8 Pro Ultra vs Dreame L40 Ultra
The Dreame L40 Ultra is the closest competitor at $899. It offers higher suction (11,000 Pa vs 6,000 Pa) and the MopExtend feature that reaches edges better.
But here's the thing: Roborock has a longer track record. The r/Roborock community consistently rates them as the most reliable brand, with fewer long-term failures than competitors. The app is also more polished.
My take: If you want proven reliability and don't mind paying $100 more, go Roborock. If you want more features per dollar and are okay with a newer brand, the Dreame is excellent value.
S8 Pro Ultra vs Roomba j9+
The Roomba j9+ is iRobot's flagship at around $899. It has excellent obstacle avoidance and the iRobot brand recognition.
But the j9+ doesn't mop, and the self-empty bags are more expensive. Roborock offers more features for similar money.
My take: Unless you're deeply invested in the iRobot ecosystem, the S8 Pro Ultra is the better value.
Long-Term Reliability: What Reddit Says
I spent hours on r/Roborock and r/RobotVacuums before buying, and I've continued monitoring since. Here's the consensus:
The good: Most long-term owners (6+ months) report excellent reliability. "Best purchase I've made for my home" is a common sentiment. The dual rubber brushes and self-empty dock are consistently praised.
The bad: Some users report WiFi connectivity issues, especially with mesh networks. A small percentage have had dock failures or charging issues. Roborock's customer service gets mixed reviews—some users report smooth warranty replacements, others report frustrating experiences.
The ugly: A few users have had units die within the first year. This seems rare based on the volume of positive reports, but it happens. Buy from Amazon for easy returns if you're concerned.
Overall, the community consensus is that Roborock is the reliability leader in the robot vacuum space. That's a big part of why I chose them.
Pros & Cons
What I Love:
- ✅ 60-day self-empty capacity — touched dustbin 5 times in 8 months
- ✅ Dual rubber brushes — no hair tangles, even with two cats
- ✅ VibraRise 2.0 mopping — actually scrubs, not just smears water
- ✅ 3D obstacle avoidance — handles cables, toys, shoes
- ✅ Reliable navigation — never gets stuck
What Bugs Me:
- ❌ Self-empty noise is brutal — 75 dB jet engine for 15 seconds
- ❌ Dock is huge — needs 20" x 16" floor space
- ❌ WiFi setup is finicky — 2.4 GHz only
- ❌ App is overwhelming — too many settings
Final Thoughts & Buying Tips
Before you buy, here are 4 things you need to know:
- Wait for a sale. The S8 Pro Ultra regularly drops to $899-999 during Prime Day, Black Friday, and random Amazon sales. The $1,599 MSRP is a sucker price.
- Measure your space. The dock is big. Make sure you have room for it before ordering.
- Check your WiFi. If you have a combined 2.4/5 GHz network, be prepared for some setup frustration. It's solvable, but annoying.
- Set realistic mopping expectations. The VibraRise mop is good for maintenance cleaning, not deep cleaning. You'll still need a manual mop for sticky messes.
Is it worth $999? For me, absolutely. The combination of reliable navigation, effective mopping, and truly hands-free operation has eliminated floor cleaning from my mental load. I don't think about my floors anymore, and that's exactly what I wanted.
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra worth $999?
Yes, if you value truly hands-free cleaning. I've touched the dustbin maybe 5 times in 8 months. The self-emptying dock holds 60 days of debris, the VibraRise mopping actually cleans, and the dual rubber brushes handle pet hair without tangling. At $999 (sale price), it's paid for itself in time savings alone.
How loud is the self-empty dock?
Loud. The self-emptying cycle hits around 75 dB for about 15 seconds—sounds like a jet engine. I schedule cleaning when I'm out to avoid the noise. The vacuum itself is much quieter at around 55 dB on balanced mode.
S8 Pro Ultra vs Dreame L40 Ultra: Which should I choose?
The Dreame L40 Ultra offers higher suction (11,000 Pa vs 6,000 Pa) and the MopExtend feature for $100 less. But Roborock has a better reliability track record and more polished app. If you want proven reliability, go Roborock. If you want more features per dollar, go Dreame.
Does it work well with pet hair?
Yes. The dual rubber brushes handle pet hair significantly better than bristle brushes. I have two cats and the brushes rarely tangle. Some users with heavy shedders like huskies report needing to clean the brushes weekly, but for most pets it's excellent.
How often do you empty the dock?
The dock holds about 60 days of debris for average homes. With two cats, I empty it every 5-6 weeks. The bags cost around $4 each, so roughly $8-10 per year in consumables.
Does the mop actually clean well?
Better than most robot mops, but don't expect miracles. The VibraRise 2.0 scrubs at 3,000 times per minute and handles light dirt and coffee spills well. For sticky messes or dried stains, you'll still need a manual mop.
What about WiFi connectivity issues?
The S8 Pro Ultra only connects to 2.4 GHz networks. If your router broadcasts a combined 2.4/5 GHz network, you might have setup issues. The fix is usually separating your bands temporarily or disabling 5 GHz during setup. Once connected, it's stable.
Related Reading
- The 5 Best Robot Vacuums with Self-Empty Dock — Our complete guide featuring the Dreame L40 Ultra, Shark AI Ultra, and budget picks starting at $350