Roborock makes more robot vacuum models than any other brand in 2026. The S7, S8, and Q lines all sit on Amazon and at Best Buy with overlapping prices, overlapping feature lists, and confusing suffixes (MaxV, Pro, Ultra, Plus, Edge). A buyer who walks in cold spends an hour reading and comes out more confused. This guide walks through what each line is for, where the lines overlap, and which model to buy at each budget.
The lines, briefly
S7 line. Released 2021 to 2022. Mid-tier model with VibraRise mop (the mop lifts when carpet is detected). Suction in the 2,500 Pa range. Bristle brush bar. No self-wash base station in any S7 variant. Current SKUs in 2026: S7 MaxV Plus, S7 MaxV Ultra. The S7 was the flagship in 2021 and now sits as the upper mid-tier.
S8 line. Released 2023 to 2024. Current flagship. Suction up to 6,000 Pa on the standard S8 and up to 10,000 Pa on the S8 MaxV Ultra. Dual rubber rollers (DuoRoller) on the S8 and S8 Pro Ultra. Reactive 3D obstacle avoidance with a camera on the MaxV variants. Self-wash base station on Pro Ultra and MaxV Ultra. Current SKUs: S8, S8+, S8 Pro Ultra, S8 MaxV Ultra.
Q line. Released 2022 to 2024. Value tier with most of the flagship features at lower prices. Suction in the 5,500 Pa range on Q Revo S. Single rubber brush bar. Self-wash base station on Q Revo and above. Current SKUs: Q5, Q5 Pro, Q7, Q7 Max, Q8, Q Revo, Q Revo Pro, Q Revo S.
Saros line. Released 2025. The new flagship intended to replace the S8 MaxV Ultra at the top of the lineup. Not covered in detail here because availability is limited and pricing is still settling.
Suction comparison
Roborock advertises suction in Pa across the lineup. Real cleaning performance depends on brush design and route planning as much as on suction numbers, but the figures are a useful starting point.
| Model | Max suction | Carpet boost |
|---|---|---|
| Q5 Pro | 5,500 Pa | Yes |
| Q Revo | 5,500 Pa | Yes |
| Q Revo S | 7,000 Pa | Yes |
| S7 MaxV | 5,100 Pa | Yes |
| S8 | 6,000 Pa | Yes |
| S8 Pro Ultra | 6,000 Pa | Yes |
| S8 MaxV Ultra | 10,000 Pa | Yes |
Above 5,000 Pa, suction differences become hard to see in real cleaning. The S8 MaxV Ultra’s 10,000 Pa figure is most useful on medium-pile carpet with embedded pet hair; on hard floor, the lower numbers clean just as well.
Brush bar: rubber wins
Brush bar design separates the lines more than suction does. A rubber roller resists tangling with long human and pet hair, lasts longer than a bristle bar, and lifts debris from carpet slightly better.
The S7 line uses a hybrid bristle-and-rubber brush. Tangles are moderate.
The Q5 and Q7 use a single rubber brush bar. Tangles are minimal. Carpet pickup is slightly weaker than the S8’s dual roller.
The S8 and S8 Pro Ultra use the DuoRoller, two parallel rubber rollers. Tangles are minimal and carpet pickup is the best in the Roborock lineup.
For a home with long-haired pets or long human hair, the dual-roller S8 models are the safer pick.
Mop quality
All current Roborock models include a mop function. The differences are in how the mop is held, washed, and lifted.
VibraRise (S7 line) is a flat mop pad that vibrates at 3,000 cycles per minute. It cleans hard floors well but does not scrub stuck-on stains as aggressively as a rotating pad.
Sonic mopping (Q5 and Q7) is the same VibraRise design at a lower vibration frequency. Adequate for routine cleaning, less effective on dried spills.
Dual rotating mop (S8 Pro Ultra, S8 MaxV Ultra, Q Revo line) uses two circular pads that spin at 200 RPM and apply pressure. Scrubs dried coffee, juice, and milk spills more effectively than the flat pads. The Q Revo and Q Revo S match the S8 Pro Ultra’s mop scrub force.
For mop quality, the dual rotating pad models (Q Revo line, S8 Pro Ultra, S8 MaxV Ultra) are the top choice.
Base station differences
The base station determines how often the user has to intervene.
Charging-only base ships with the S7 MaxV (standalone), S8 (standalone), Q5, Q7. The robot returns to charge. The dustbin must be emptied manually after every clean.
Self-empty base ships with the S7+ (now sold as S7 MaxV Plus), S8+, Q7 Max, Q8. The robot empties its dustbin into a 2.5L dust bag in the base every clean. Bags last 6 to 8 weeks in a typical home.
All-in-one base (self-empty, self-wash mop, self-refill clean water, self-drain dirty water, mop dry) ships with the S7 MaxV Ultra, S8 Pro Ultra, S8 MaxV Ultra, Q Revo, Q Revo Pro, Q Revo S. This is the most refined experience. The user adds clean water and empties dirty water once a week, and replaces the dust bag every 6 to 8 weeks. Everything else is automatic.
For minimum maintenance, the all-in-one bases are the right choice. For a buyer who does not mind manual dustbin emptying and manual mop pad cleaning, the cheaper bases save $200 to $500.
Obstacle avoidance
Obstacle avoidance is the difference between a robot that cleans around a sock and a robot that drags it across the floor.
LiDAR only (Q5, Q7, S8 base model) detects walls and furniture but not small objects on the floor. Socks, cables, and pet waste are not reliably avoided.
ReactiveAI 2.0 (S7 MaxV, Q Revo Pro) adds a single forward camera and small-object detection for common items. Works in well-lit rooms; struggles in dim light.
Reactive 3D / 3D Pro (S8 MaxV Ultra) adds a structured-light projector for accurate depth sensing. Most reliable obstacle avoidance in the Roborock lineup. Detects pet waste, cables, and small toys accurately.
For homes with pets, kids, or frequently scattered cables, the MaxV models pay back the premium quickly.
Price tiers in May 2026
Approximate US retail prices in May 2026:
- Q5 Pro: $300
- Q7 Max+: $450
- Q Revo: $600
- Q Revo S: $900
- S7 MaxV Plus: $650
- S7 MaxV Ultra: $1,000
- S8: $700
- S8+: $850
- S8 Pro Ultra: $1,300
- S8 MaxV Ultra: $1,600
Prices fluctuate $100 to $200 on Amazon sales and Roborock direct sales (typically Prime Day, Black Friday, and Mother’s Day events).
Which one to buy
For a small apartment with hard floors and no pets: Q Revo at $600. The all-in-one base, the dual rotating mop, and the rubber brush bar handle a typical apartment without intervention.
For a typical family home with mixed floors and pets: S8 Pro Ultra at $1,300. The DuoRoller, the all-in-one base, the dual rotating mop, and the strong navigation make this the best value flagship in 2026.
For a large home with kids, pets, and cluttered floors: S8 MaxV Ultra at $1,600. The Reactive 3D obstacle avoidance is the real upgrade over the Pro Ultra. The added $300 buys reliability in cluttered rooms.
For a budget buyer who wants Roborock quality at the lowest price: Q5 Pro at $300. No self-wash, no mop scrub, no small-object avoidance, but the mapping is excellent and the vacuum function works well.
For the S7 line in 2026: skip unless on a deep sale. The S8 line at the same price offers the rubber dual rollers and stronger suction.
For broader vacuum methodology, see our /methodology page.
The honest framing: Roborock’s confusing lineup is a problem of legacy SKUs. In 2026, three picks cover 90 percent of buyers: Q Revo at $600 for budget, S8 Pro Ultra at $1,300 for the typical buyer, and S8 MaxV Ultra at $1,600 for cluttered homes. The other 10 SKUs exist to fill price gaps.
Frequently asked questions
Is the S8 worth the price jump over the S7?+
For a home with hard floors and pets, yes. The S8 brings stronger suction (6,000 Pa versus 2,500 Pa), the dual rubber roller that replaces the bristle brush and resists tangling, and improved obstacle avoidance on the MaxV variants. For a small home with mostly carpet and no pets, the S7 at the lower price still cleans well and the upgrade premium is harder to justify. The bigger value jump is from S7 to S8 Pro Ultra, which adds the self-wash base.
What is the difference between Q Revo and S8 Pro Ultra?+
The Q Revo is the value-tier all-in-one model and the S8 Pro Ultra is the flagship all-in-one. Both include the self-empty, self-wash, self-refill base station. Differences: the S8 Pro Ultra has higher suction (6,000 versus 5,500 Pa), warmer mop wash water (60 degrees C versus 40 degrees C on early Q Revo units), and Reactive 3D obstacle avoidance with a camera on the MaxV variant. For a buyer who wants the cheaper all-in-one without the camera and hot wash, the Q Revo is the right pick.
Do all Roborock models support multi-floor maps?+
Yes, all current models support multi-floor maps since firmware updates in 2023. The S7, S8, and Q series all save up to four floor maps and can switch between them when the robot is carried to a different floor. The mapping accuracy and switching speed are slightly faster on the S8 due to more powerful onboard processing, but functionally all three lines handle multi-floor homes.
Can older Roborock models be upgraded to use the newer base stations?+
No. The base stations are model-specific. An S7 base does not fit an S8 robot, and a Q Revo base does not fit an S8 Pro Ultra robot. The dock contacts, water plumbing, and dust tube are all dimensioned to the matching robot. The only cross-compatibility is within a single line (an S7 robot fits all S7-series docks; an S8 robot fits all S8-series docks).
Why are there so many Roborock model names in 2026?+
Roborock launches new model variants twice a year and the older models stay on sale at lower prices. The S7 line launched in 2021, the S8 in 2023, the Q series in 2022, and the Saros 10R in 2025. As of mid-2026, all four lines are still actively sold, which produces 12 to 15 active SKUs. The naming uses suffixes (MaxV, Pro, Ultra, Plus) to indicate features. The best way to navigate the lineup is to decide on a budget and then narrow to two or three SKUs.
Morgan Davis
Morgan Davis writes for The Tested Hub.