Roborock S5 Max Review: Worth the money?

Searching for an answer? Here's our table of contents: 

1) Roborock S5 Max Overview

2) Release Date

3) Pros

4) Cons

5) Summary

       a) Other Roborock vacuum deals

6) Design

7) Specifications

8) Features

       a) Battery Life

       b) Mopping

       c) Mapping & Navigation

       d) Performance

       e) Other features

 9) Comparison of Roborock S5 Max with Other Roborock Robot Vacuum Cleaners

       a) Roborock S5 Max vs S6 MaxV 

       b) Roborock S5 Max vs S6

       c) Roborock S5 Max vs S5 

       d) Roborock S5 Max vs S4

      e) Roborock S5 Max vs Xiaowa E2 vs Xiaowa E3

Price: See offer on Amazon. 

Roborock S5 Max has been released in the United States in December 2019.

• Superb mopping function.
• It feels smarter than its predecessors, with very intelligent mapping functions.
• Strong battery life (180 mins).
• Great suction force (customizable suction power and water flow, in app)
• Big water tank.
• Both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support, unlike its predecessor the S5 (well, it is the Max)
• Smaller docking station than previous models

• The high suction force may also pick up objects like small toys
• Slightly smaller dust bin capacity than the S5 and S6 models
• Higher-end cost (but still lower than other brands)
• No ability to empty the dustbin (but not a real problem for normal size properties)
• Can still get caught on very thick carpet

Roborock S5 Max is an upgraded version of the S5 robotic vacuum and mopping cleaner which comes from a brand of high-end intelligent vacuum cleaners. Since Roborock is part of Xiaomi, one of the youngest companies on the Fortune Global 500 List and 3rd largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, you’re in good hands. This model is a significant improvement over the previous models because it has advanced vacuuming features in addition to mopping abilities. The only model to top S5 Max is S6 MaxV.

In this review, we give you a detailed overview of the S5 Max’s design, features, and performance. We also provide a detailed comparison of this model with the company’s previous models.

Every time Roborock releases a new product, it makes a concerted effort to address a complex cleaning issue. One of the primary limitations of existing smart vacuum cleaners is their inability to provide comprehensive cleaning, i.e., while they can vacuum the dirt and debris off your floors, they can’t mop your floors squeaky clean.

That’s precisely where the Roborock S5 Max comes in. While this robot vacuum cleaner has a lot of advancements in terms of navigation and performance, its greatest accomplishment is the mopping feature. As such, the S5 Max is an all-inclusive cleaning robot.

Roborock S5 Max comes with an inbuilt dustbin and water tank. It uses advanced technologies to precisely control and moderate the amount of water that’s used to clean different surfaces. Furthermore, you can also set up No Mop Zones to keep it from mopping over carpets and other such areas. This makes the S5 Max a completely automatic intelligent vacuum cleaner that needs no supervision.

The advanced features are also coupled with a sleek design that’s suitable for all homes and can easily slide underneath furniture.

Roborock S5 Max has a modern and minimalist design with a sleek matte black or white aesthetic and it measures 353 x 350 x 96.5 mm. It has a large water tank around the side measuring 290 ml, which is independent of the wiping module.

The water tank can be easily removed and is transparent so you can see the water level clearly. The wiping module on the robot functions as a holder for the wiping cloth. The cloth is strong enough that you don’t have to clean it every day — it can sustain several rounds of wiping and mopping. The large tank enhances the vacuum’s flexibility and makes it easier to maintain in the long run.

The body of the Roborock S5 Max is covered in rubber to make it resistant to bumps. It also includes a wide range of sensors — 13, to be precise — that makes it extremely intuitive. The top of the S5 Max features some essential buttons — as such, you can simply start or stop it by tapping it with your toes.

There are two buttons on top, whereas previous models had three. A soft bumper is also present so you can reduce the noise level. It also comes with a charging dock — the same one as is used with the Roborock S5. All things considered, Roborock S5 Max has an impressive design — it’s sleek, aesthetically pleasing, minimalist, and still packs advanced features.

The following is an overview of S5 Max’s basic features:

• Size — 353 x 350 x 96.5mm
• Color — Black, White
• Navigation System — Laser Distancing Navigation
• Maximum Suction — 2000 Pa
• Voltage — 58W
• Dustbin Capacity — 460ml
• Water Tank Capacity — 290ml
• Weight — 3.5kg
• Run Time — 150 minutes on Balance Mode
• Cleaning Area — 250m²
• Charging Time — Less than 6 hours.
• Battery — 5200mAh
• Obstacle Crossing Ability — Up to 2cm

Roborock S5 Max has an impressive battery life. It comes with a 5200mAh that offers up to 180 minutes of run time, though it runs for only 150 minutes in normal mode. When the battery runs out in the middle of a cleaning session, this robot vacuum returns to its charging dock automatically to recharge before it starts up again to finish the task.

In the previous Roborock models, the vacuum cleaner had to recharge to 80% of the total battery before resuming. However, Roborock S5 Max calculates how much time it will take to clean the rest of the remaining areas and starts when it has enough charge. It takes 6 hours to charge completely when the battery is drained.

Summary of Battery Life Features:

• 150 minutes to 180 minutes runtime.
• 5200mAh battery.
• Intuitive recharging.
• 6 hours of charging time.

Roborock S5 was one of the first mopping robot vacuum cleaners on the market. The S5 Max builds upon its predecessor’s success to offer even stronger mopping features.

Roborock S5 Max has a water tank capacity of 290 ml, which is enough to mop a 2,000 sq. ft. home or a 700 sq. ft. apartment thrice over. As such, S5 Max is powerful enough to clean your home at least once completely before you need to refill its tank.

S5 Max also comes equipped with a spring-loaded mop that ensures there’s constant pressure on different floor surfaces. It adjusts the pressure accordingly to make sure all of the floor surfaces are cleaned consistently. You can also optimize this by selecting the amount of water to be used in different areas or surface types — as such, different surfaces will receive different levels of water.

This is a considerable improvement over the Roborock S5 or Roborock S6. The S5 doesn't have any water control at all and S6 has two levels of water dripping that can only be toggled after removing the mop cloth. Roborock S5 Max, however, is completely automated so you can optimize the water level virtually using the app, even in the middle of a cleaning session.

One of the primary concerns people have is whether the robot will drip, especially while it’s charging. Well, Roborock S5 Max is equipped with a total water shutoff valve so there’s not a single drop when it’s docked and charging. As such, your robot will remain full for the next mopping session.

In the previous mopping robots, the user had to either manually control the robot or they had to stick around to make sure the robot didn’t mop carpeted areas. However, with Roborock S5 Max, you can set up No Mop Zones through the app — and, you can schedule times and zones for the mopping.

The robot will simply go around carpeted areas or other sensitive areas without mopping them — which means you don’t need to be there for constant supervision. The best part — the moment you remove the mop cloth, the No Mop Zone immediately disappears and the robot starts vacuuming all the zones regularly.

Summary of Mopping Features:

• A high capacity water tank of 290 ml.
• Spring-loaded mop for constant pressure.
• Precision water management for optimization.
• Total water shutoff while docked.
• No Mop Zones.

Roborock S5 Max intelligently maps your home’s layout and allows you to set specific schedules according to time and sequence of rooms. You can even select the precise water level for different areas, suction level, and you can set up No Mop Zones and other restrictions for the robot.

Roborock S5 Max uses high-precision laser navigation to scan the room at 300RPM and create accurate real-time maps of your entire home. Once the entire home has been mapped out, you can demarcate different rooms, areas, or surface types — and then you can set schedules for different rooms at different times and according to variable water flow and suction force.

You can also set up no mop zones and virtual barriers. No mop zones are rectangular areas that the robot vacuum will stay away from while mopping — this is a useful tool to avoid mopping the carpets. The virtual barriers are lines you can place in different shapes around your house to prevent the robot from vacuuming them. Alternatively, you can also manually control the robot using your app and have it follow a custom path from wherever you are.

Summary of Mapping & Navigation Features:

• High-Precision Laser Navigation.
• Selective room cleaning.
• Scheduled cleaning.
• Custom cleaning zones and areas.
• Manual navigation using the app.

Roborock S5 Max also has an extremely powerful suction force of 2000Pa, which is enough to suck up AA batteries even if its dustbin is full. It can also climb up to 20 mm, making it suitable for thick carpets and slightly elevated regions. It also has a disassembled cleaning brush, which is ideal for pet owners. This, however, is one area in which the Roborock has been consistently powerful across all of the different versions.

The robot must also be smart enough to avoid dangerous zones or obstacles. Roborock S5 Max has the highest number of types of sensors (13) and cliff sensors (4) so it can navigate without obstacles and disruptions. These sensors let you know when the filter is clogged, whether the water tank is in place, and if there’s anything else wrong. Whatever the problem may be, you’ll get a notification on your phone and the robot will also inform you verbally.

Summary of Performance Features:

• High suction force of 2000Pa.
• A climbing capacity of 20 mm.
• 13 types of sensors.
• 4 cliff sensors.

In addition to the aforementioned features, Roborock S5 Max also has the following advanced features to simplify your day-to-day chores.

• Voice Navigation: S5 Max is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant so you can use any of the associated devices to give commands and control it virtually.
• Easy Maintenance: S5 Max is extremely easy to maintain because it lets you know when something is wrong using one of the many sensors, it has a quick-release main brush, mop mount, and convenient water tank and dustbin.

Now that you understand everything Roborock S5 Max has to offer, let’s see how it stacks up against all the existing Roborock products out there. Is it worth the upgrade? Let’s find out!

Comparing Roborock S5 Max to S6 MaxV is probably the fairest comparison you can make, since these are the two flagship models of Xiaomi’s brand of vacuum cleaners. As their names suggest, the Max models are improvement on their basic versions – Roborock S5 and S6.

• Water Tank Capacity: S6 MaxV has a slightly larger water tank (300 ml) than S5 Max (290 ml).
• Intelligent Navigation: S5 Max uses sensors and laser scanning to determine the best and most efficient cleaning path to save battery life. Compared to that, S6 MaxV has a more advanced navigation thanks to its stereo cameras and ReactiveAI.
• Selective Room Cleaning: With S5 Max, you can select specific rooms to clean with different levels of water or suction force at different times. Naturally, you can expect the same from S6 MaxV as well.
• No Mop Zones: This feature is available on both models, allowing you to set up off-limit zones so the robot doesn’t get your carpets wet.
• Adjustable Water Flow: You can adjust the water flow level over the app for both S5 Max and S6 MaxV.
• Intelligent Recharging: Both S5 Max and S6 MaxV are able to calculate how long it will take to finish the rest of the house and then recharge to the required battery level to complete the task.

See Roborock S6 MaxV deal on Amazon US and Amazon UK

Roborock S5 Max is an upgrade on the previously-released S5 with stronger mopping features. The following are the different ways in which Roborock S5 Max differs from S5.

• Water Tank Capacity: S5 Max has a 290 ml water tank while S5 only has a 140 ml water tank.
• Intelligent Navigation: S5 Max determines the best and most efficient cleaning path to save battery life.
• Selective Room Cleaning: With S5 Max, you can select specific rooms to clean with different levels of water or suction force at different times.
• No Mop Zones: With S5 Max, you can set up off-limit zones so the robot doesn’t get your carpets wet. The original S5 didn’t have any such features.
• Adjustable Water Flow: You can adjust the water flow level with the S5 Max app. The original S5 couldn’t be moderated.
• Intelligent Recharging: S5 Max calculates how long it will take to finish the rest of the house and then recharges till it achieves the specific level of battery necessary. With S5, the robot charged itself to 80% before setting off again.

See Roborock S5 deal on Amazon US and Amazon UK

Roborock S5 Max is a considerable improvement over Roborock S4. The primary difference between them is that S4 is only a vacuum cleaner while S5 Max also has mopping abilities. The following are the differences between Roborock S5 Max and S4.

• Navigation: Roborock S5 Max has a wide range of sensors to prevent obstacles and slow down when necessary. It also cleans the house in the most efficient path possible to save battery. Roborock S4 has no such features and is more likely to bump into objects.
• Tangle-Free Brush: S5 Max comes with durable silicone tangle-free brushes that don’t get stuck or tangled on fibers or objects. S4 Max also has effective brush rolls but its side brush is more likely to get stuck.
• Mopping: Roborock S4 doesn’t have a mopping feature at all while S5 Max has the strongest mopping feature with a large water tank of 290 ml.
• Remote Control: Roborock S4 comes with a remote control while Roborock S5 Max can only be controlled via the smartphone app.
• Intelligent Recharging: Roborock S5 Max calculates how long it will take to clean the rest of the house when it returns to the dock for charging. It only charges as much as is necessary to complete its task. Roborock S4 needs to charge to at least 80% before it starts again.

Roborock S5 Max is an extremely intelligent robot vacuum cleaner whereas Xiaowa E2 and Xiaowa E3 are a lot less automated. The following are the primary differences between these robot vacuum cleaners.

• Navigation: The biggest difference between Roborock S5 Max and Xiaowa E2 and Xiaowa E3 is in terms of their navigation skills. S5 Max has an extremely advanced LIDAR navigation capacity and it’s equipped with features like adaptive route algorithm, selective room cleaning, high precision maps, etc. Xiaowa E2 and Xiaowa E3, in comparison, don’t have any such features but they do have dual-gyroscope and LED motion tracking sensors — not as effective but still suitable for smaller homes.
• Virtual Boundaries: Roborock S5 Max allows you to set virtual barriers and No Mop zones while the Xiaowa robots don’t have any such features. As such, Xiaowa E2 and E3 require constant supervision but S5 Max doesn’t.
• Battery Life: Roborock S5 Max has a maximum battery life of 180 minutes; Xiaowa E3 has a maximum battery life of 150 minutes; Xiaowa E2 has a maximum battery life of 100 minutes.

See Roborock E2 deal on Amazon US and Amazon UK

See Roborock E3 deal on Amazon US

Comparing Roborock S5 Max to other Roborock models, it’s clear that it has made the greatest improvements over the base S5 model in two sectors — navigation and mopping.

Roborock S5 Max can mop large homes effectively while adjusting the water flow and also avoiding carpets. Its advanced navigation skills allow you to set extremely precise schedules related to different cleaning zones, times, and levels of suction force and water flow. As such, you can mop and vacuum your entire home exactly as you want without supervision. The only downside is if you have a ‘large’ home, the S5 Max can’t empty its own bin and return to vacuuming.

Roborock S5 Max is one of the best mopping and vacuuming robots you can buy. But is it worth the cost? And is it worth the upgrade?

If the money isn’t a big problem, we think it’s worth the investment.