Although at Fstoppers, we tend to focus on photography-related products, we occasionally feature gadgets and technology outside of our normal focus. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is one of the most incredible gadgets I've ever used, and I wanted to create a video about it.
What Is It?
Last year's Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra and the all-new S8 Pro Ultra are the most advanced robotic vacuums/mops on the market. Both of these robots have the ability to vacuum and mop floors automatically. They navigate obstacles, accurately map your home, and clean your floors with minimal intervention. They come with a companion app that allows you to set restricted zones, schedule cleanings, and check maintenance requirements.
I've owned the older S7 for about a year now, and it's been one of the most reliable gadgets I own. Every day, I wake up to a fully vacuumed and mopped home, and the only thing I need to do is dump the dirty water tank and refill the clean water tank every 3 or 4 days.
The new S8 has an updated design, a better vacuum system with dual rollers, an updated mopping system, and an integrated mop dryer, which prevents the buildup of mildew and other germs on the mop pad. Although these upgrades are great, I have not found any of them significant enough to justify upgrading to the S8 if you already own the S7.
Conclusion
If you want the absolute top-of-the-line robot vacuum/mop in 2023, the Roborock S8 is an incredible product, but last year's S7 is still amazing and will be significantly discounted throughout the year.
If you're interested in my experience with these vacuums, check out the video above.
Why Is This on Fstoppers?
Each time I make a video or write an article about something that I'm interested in that isn't directly related to photography, we are flooded with generic comments about this being unrelated to photography. Ironically, this "unrelated" content is almost always the most popular content we make each year. The video I made about the Roborock S7 last year was one of the most viewed videos we created in the last 12 months. Over the years, I've made content about gifting my dad a car. I've reviewed sound bars, smartwatches, and headphones, and each time, they are met with angry commenters, but then they get 10-100 times the engagement of our "related" content. So basically, I want to create content that I am personally interested in, and I want to create content that gets views. That is why this content is on Fstoppers. Don't worry, Fstoppers is still 99% about photography. If you aren't interested in robot vacuums, you don't have to continue reading.
Can it handle a priceless silk carpet with a fringe on it?
I'm not sure I'd put a robot on anything "priceless" ;)
Could easily argue that a big part of why that robot vacuum is able to do what it does is that it has tiny cameras all over it so really it is "photography" content in a loose sense! ;)
I hope it continues to be awesome for you! I bought an iRobot about 6months ago and it was great for a few weeks but has been nothing but headaches ever since. I swear the thing gets dumber and dumber over time.
truth
I have the earlier model and it is truly amazing. One of the best bits of tech I have purchased.
Lee it's understandable why you would want to use your forum to share. It's your business. The confusion and "angry comments" may be less about this being non-topical and more about the impression you're doing it because of a lucrative sponsorship and not an honest excitement about a product. By association we then start to question the validity of the topical photo-based reviews.
I know it's not be a fair comparison but my 25 years in marketing taught me that is how some minds work.
The Roborock video I made last year was a product that I purchased myself.