I tested 4 vacuum robots – what difference does the price make?

I tested 4 vacuum robots – what difference does the price make?

In the test, I assigned the same tasks to four vacuum robots: vacuuming, mopping, and avoiding obstacles – and how loud are they while performing their tasks? The robots cost between €215 and €750. What difference does the price make for casual users at home? 

Who is testing here? I am Patrick, and I purchased my first vacuum robot three years ago. However, it went back the same day because I was absolutely dissatisfied. A classic impulse buy on sale, you know it. Before buying my next robot, I spent about 6 hours researching the topic and watched around 20 test videos of the market-leading vacuum cleaners. Since then, I haven’t returned a robot anymore. 

My fleet for dirt combat now consists of four vehicles. They belong to different price categories and are suitable for beginners and advanced users. But what difference does a vacuum in a set for €750 make compared to the cheaper €215 model?

For my test, I locked all subjects in a room where they had to master the same scenario: vacuuming cornflakes off the carpet, mopping jam off the floor, and avoiding bottles as well as a step ladder (without knocking them over). I also measured the noise levels. 

The test devices – X500 Pro, S50, X8 Hybrid, Q7 Max+

Vacuum Robot Participants
My four test candidates in comparison

The Tesvor X500 Pro: My first decent vacuum robot, which I acquired after evaluating many tests. Priced well for beginners, it can mop and vacuum. With a purchase price of just under €229, it is the cheapest participant in the test.

The Roborock S50: The vacuum is priced one tier above the Tesvor X500 Pro. It can also mop and vacuum and is said to perform better in tests than the Tesvor. Is the price of around €400 justified? 

The Eufy X8 Hybrid: The unique feature of the Eufy X8 Hybrid is that it works with Twin-Turbine Technology, which is supposed to provide really strong suction power. Will this show in the test against the other participants? With a price of just under €499 (RRP), it is about as expensive as the Q7 Max+. 

The Roborock Q7 Max+: As the newest and most expensive participant in the test, my eyes are particularly on it. It was provided to us for testing by Roborock. The special feature is that a vacuum station is included in the package. Therefore, the price totals €750. Without the station, the vacuum costs €470 (RRP). However, since I will also be evaluating the station during the test, we assume here the set price.

Technical details of all test devices at a glance:
Suction PowerMax. RuntimeBattery CapacityMax. AreaDust ContainerMap StorageDimensionsPrice
Tesvor X500 Pro1,800 Pa100 Min2,500 mAh150 m²600 mlCreate yes,
store no
35.3 x
35 x
9.65 cm
~€215.00
Roborock S502,000 Pa150 Min5,200 mAh150 m²480 mlYes35.3 x
35 x
9.65 cm
~ €400.00
Eufy X8 Hybrid2,000 Pa180 Min5,200 mAh180 m²400 mlYes34.5 x
34.5 x
9.75 cm
~ €499
Roborock Q7 Max+4,200 Pa180 Min5,200 mAh240 m²470 mlYes35.3 x
35.3 x
9.65 cm
~ €750
The suction power is specified in PA (Pascal)

With the navigation, you can jump directly to the corresponding section of the article:

The Suction Test – Who vacuums better? 

This is how it was tested: In the test room, which measures about 12 – 13 square meters, I laid out a short-pile carpet (dimensions: 130 cm x 190 cm, pile height 12 mm). I crushed a bowl of cornflakes (30 grams) and distributed it on the carpet, then walked over it with shoes to crush the crumbs and work them into the fabric.  

Then I started the vacuum cleaners one by one for a complete cleaning (not spot cleaning, but for the whole room) and then weighed the cornflakes that ended up in the robot’s dust container. This way, you can estimate how good the suction power of the different models is. With each robot, I set up the same test scenario with a new bowl of cornflakes (30 grams). 

Here’s how the models performed:

DeviceAmount Vacuumed
Tesvor X500 Pro24/30 grams
Roborock S5027/30 grams
Eufy X8 Hybrid29/30 grams
Roborock Q7 Max+29/30 grams

This is what stood out when vacuuming

Tesvor X500 Pro with Cornflakes
The Tesvor X500 in action – It is the only vacuum robot in this test with two brushes – one on the left and one on the right

Tesvor X500 Pro: In the app, I set whether the suction power should be ‘normal’ or ‘strong’ during cleaning. The X500 Pro does not have a carpet recognition feature that automatically increases the suction power. It struggles to detect objects, almost knocking over the step ladder during cleaning, but it accurately detected and avoided the bottles. The robot bumped into furniture quite hard. Also, it got stuck a few times on the edge of the carpet and once abruptly stopped the cleaning process. 

Of the cornflakes, the X500 Pro vacuumed about 24 grams. Some flakes were distributed by the brushes in the room, and smaller crumbs remained stuck in the carpet. For rough vacuuming in this price category, the model is quite good and okay for beginners. However, there is a lot of room for improvement in performance. So, if a thoroughly vacuumed floor is very important to you, you should opt for another model. It is okay for clearing the major mess once a day, so that the main cleaning on the weekend is less strenuous.

Pro
  • It reliably recognizes stairs
  • Suitable for beginners
  • Good price/performance ratio
  • Low height of 7.5 cm
  • Dust container holds 0.6 liters
Contra
  • The WeBack app is not very user-friendly
  • Maps of your apartments/rooms cannot be saved in the app
  • Very limited functions
  • Mopping function with too few adjustments

*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!

Roborock S50 with Cornflakes
The Roborock S50 during its work

Roborock S50: The automatic carpet recognition, which can be activated in the Xiaomi Home app for the S50, is positively noticeable. It only takes a fraction of a second for the vacuum to recognize a carpet while passing over and increase the suction power. During the overall cleaning, it runs along the outer walls and then makes its way across the room in a cross pattern. The object detection works well – the bottles stayed put, and the ladder only wobbled briefly. It handled the carpet edges well and did not get stuck. Other objects in the room, like the competitors of the cleaning crew, were approached carefully. 

It vacuumed about 27 grams of cornflakes. A few flakes were found in the carpet, while others were shot across the room by the brush. The suction result is very strong for the price.

Pro
  • Vacuuming is relatively fast (about 1 square meter per minute)
  • Good system for vacuuming – first the edges and then across the room
  • App is easy to understand, with many options
Contra
  • Quite tall (9.6 cm), does not fit under every piece of furniture
  • Dust container holds only 0.48 liters

*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!

Eufy X8 Hybrid with Cornflakes
Here, the Eufy X8 Hybrid finds its way over the cornflake carpet

Eufy X8 Hybrid: The candidate from Eufy carefully runs along the walls during the overall cleaning and gradually moves inward. The object detection works excellently – it only lightly touched the step ladder and safely avoided the bottles. With the carpet, the X8 Hybrid had no problems at all and immediately, thanks to the activated carpet recognition, engaged its turbo on the short-pile. Additionally, it operates really quickly and manages to clean about one square meter per minute. 

It collected about 29 grams of cornflakes, which is almost a perfect result. I found a few cornflakes on the carpet, but hardly any in the room.

Pro
  • Vacuuming quickly (about 1 square meter per minute)
  • Is quite quiet while working
  • Excellent object detection
  • Strong suction power
Contra
  • Neutral: The app is easy to understand, but mopping options are missing
  • No settings for the mopping function
  • Height of 9.78 cm, does not fit under every piece of furniture
  • Small dust container with 400 ml

*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!

Roborock Q7 Max on dirty carpet
The Roborock Q7 Max on the dirty carpet

Roborock Q7 Max+: At the beginning of the room cleaning, the Q7 Max+ first approaches the edges of the room and then focuses on the inner area. While observing, it becomes clear that the laser navigation guides it very carefully through the room. The step ladder was only lightly touched, and the bottles were only slightly pushed aside. As soon as it reaches a carpet, the turbo kicks in within a fraction of a second. This feels even a bit faster than with the S50 and the X8 Hybrid. The cleaning speed, however, is roughly the same as with the other two, at about 1 square meter per minute. The Tesvor is a bit slower. 

The Q7 Max+ vacuumed about 29 grams of the distributed cornflakes on the carpet, about as well as the X8 Hybrid. There’s nothing to complain about; that’s a strong result.

Bonus: Since I am evaluating the set price of €750, including the vacuum station, I will touch upon the accessories. It is super convenient that the vacuum cleaner automatically empties itself at the vacuum station immediately after cleaning. The station contains a dust bag that collects dust and dirt. This way, you don’t have to remove the container from the robot every time you vacuum and empty it in the trash. This only happens every few weeks, depending on how much dirt the vacuum picks up from the floor.

Other stations from Roborock rely on bag-free storage, which I personally prefer, as that way you save the bags and the waste they generate. In the test with the cornflakes, the vacuum station worked well and emptied the robot successfully on the first attempt.

However, I have had the Q7 Max+ in use for several weeks, and the station struggles with pet hair. I have a German Shepherd, which sheds a lot during coat changes. Often, the station fails to empty the full dust container with hair and dust, resulting in having to manually tip out the box again. I have already reported this problem to Roborock, but have not received a solution yet. The vacuum station adds an extra €300 to the Q7 Max – I expected more reliability. Smaller loads in the dust container, however, are easily handled by the station.

Pro
  • Very strong suction power
  • Excellent object detection
  • Vacuuming quickly (about 1 square meter per minute)
  • Easy-to-understand app control
Contra
  • With vacuum station, quite expensive and unreliable
  • Only 470 ml dust container
  • 9.65 cm tall, does not fit under every piece of furniture

*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!

The Mopping Test – Against Jam 

This is how it was tested: In everyday life, it often happens that the bread roll lands with the jam-covered side on the floor.  

I distributed jam on my laminate floor for each of the four robots and let it sit for a day. The stains became hard and sticky. I then urged the cleaning devils to target the soiled areas with their spot cleaning.

You should know this: All robots in the test are hybrids. They can vacuum and mop. There are specific mopping robots that claim to be able to mop well – I haven’t tested any of those. None of the four participants have the option to lift the mop (which mopping robots do when they recognize a carpet). In my case, I removed the carpet from the test room. An alternative is to set “No-Go Zones” on the maps in the robots’ apps where carpets are located. They then avoid these areas and do not wet your carpets. 

The test makes it clear that these four robots can mainly vacuum. Mopping is more like a “nice extra” to wipe away superficial dirt and dust from the floor. Not, however, to remove stubborn stains. They generally just drive through the rooms with a wet cloth.

I filled all the water tanks with lukewarm water and dampened the mops. 

Here’s how the models performed: 

Tesvor X500 Pro: The WeBack app of the Tesvor is quite cumbersome, making it take a few minutes to send the robot to the exact location where the jam stain was. While mopping, I noticed that the robot uses a lot of water and drenches the floor. Additionally, the spot cleaning was spread over a fairly large area of about 2-3 square meters, which made targeted cleaning difficult. 

  • The water tank holds 350 ml.
  • The mopping tank replaces the actual dust container – thus, there is much less space for dust in the tank while vacuuming
  • Poorly translated mopping regulation in the app with “slow”, “fast”, “normal” as mopping modes (and no, they do not regulate the speed of the robot)

Roborock S50: With the Roborock S50, the area cleaning via the app is complicated. I could not activate it while stationary; only after I sent the robot to a specific point and it was still moving, could I start the cleaning while it was driving. However, there is a button on top of the robot to start spot cleaning specifically at the location where the robot stands. 

The mopping itself went okay. The amount of water used was suitable for the laminate floor and can also be adjusted in the app. The robot was barely able to remove any of the jam stain – but it was more targeted than the Tesvor. I’m giving it a score of 4 for mopping. 

  • The water tank holds only 140 ml
  • The water tank is an additional attachment at the bottom of the robot, which does not affect vacuuming
  • The mop can be “inserted” into the tank; it is easy to wash
  • Understandable mopping configuration in the app

Eufy X8 Hybrid: For the X8, the manufacturers explicitly point out that the mopping mode is not intended for stubborn stains. Perhaps that’s why there are no options in the app to adjust the mopping performance. The water tank with the cloth is clipped onto the back of the robot, and one just selects the cleaning mode. The X8 then takes off just like it does during its vacuuming process—only it has a mop underneath that is automatically moistened via valves in the water tank. This is also reflected in the mopping performance – nothing special. I give it a score of 5 for mopping. 

  • The water tank holds 250 ml 
  • No app control for the mopping mode
  • Feels very careless without control

Roborock Q7 Max+: The mopping performance of the Q7 Max+ is already more thought out than that of the other candidates in my cleaning crew. According to the manufacturer, the mop is supposed to exert a uniform pressure of 300g at every point. With up to 30 levels for water flow that can be selected individually or in predefined categories, you can precisely configure how much moisture should be applied to the floor. When mopping, the Q7 Max+ made the best impression compared to the other candidates and was able to remove a visible portion of the stain. However, not all the jam. 

So I had to take a damp paper towel again and could then wipe up all the remains of the jam with little effort. I give the Q7 Max+ a score of 4 for mopping – just sufficient if you want to eliminate dust and light superficial dirt from the floor. But that’s all.

  • The water tank holds 350 ml
  • Best mopping result in the test
  • Understandable control in the app with 30 levels of adjustment

Noise Level – Who vacuums quietly and efficiently?

This is how it was tested: During the area cleaning of the suction test, I hung a noise meter from the ceiling at head height in the test room. I then recorded the quietest and loudest noise level for each robot in the room. Just as if they were buzzing around your office. I also let all robots run at their highest suction power once to determine the max value in the entire room.

DeviceNoise Level (Min/Max)
Tesvor X500 Pro63 – 74 db
Roborock S5068 – 80 db
Eufy X8 Hybrid63 – 74 db
Roborock Q7 Max+60 – 73 db

Conclusion: More money = More performance? 

According to the bare values on paper, the expensive models already offer better performance. But is the extra cost worth it compared to the cheaper models? It depends on what you intend to do with it. The Roborock S50 has good app control and, at a price of nearly €400, is a solid vacuum robot for beginners. If you are new to vacuum robots but have high cleaning requirements, you will get strong price/performance here. Of course, this can also be done more cheaply with the Tesvor X500 Pro, but you have to make significant sacrifices – the app control alone is worlds worse.

With higher expectations and more budget, you will look at the test candidates towards the X8 Hybrid and Q7 Max+. Both vacuums cost about the same (Q7 Max €499 RRP – €769.99 with vacuum station, X8 Hybrid €499 RRP) and still differ. The mopping function on the X8 Hybrid feels merely careless, completely lacking app control. So if you have a sensitive floor, you should opt for the Q7 Max, where the water amount is adjustable. The suction result is about the same for both expensive models, but the X8 Hybrid still goes around the walls a bit more carefully. Map storage works very well, and both object detection and carpet boost function as intended. Both also handle pet hair well, but should be on the move at least once a day so that the dust containers do not fill up during travel and hinder suction power.

If you want to choose the Q7 Max+ because of the vacuum station, you should be aware of the problems highlighted in my test. Once pet hair is in play and the robot’s dust container is fairly full, the station no longer vacuums it as intended. That was my observation in the test. The type of pet hair may make a difference, but in its current state, I do not find the vacuum station worth the additional cost.

In summary, I advise you: if you want to simply dip your toes into the world of vacuum robots, then go for at least a model at the level of the Roborock S50. The advanced technology makes cleaning quite pleasant. If you can stretch the budget a bit more and are looking for more settings options, the Eufy X8 Hybrid and Q7 Max are strong candidates. For a household without pet hair, the vacuum station is also quite good. It should be noted that there is, for example, a vacuum station for the Roborock S7/Max that is bagless and can be emptied directly into the trash.

Which robot for which budget?

If you want to spend a maximum of €250, I would recommend the Tesvor X500 Pro from my test, which targets beginners with a price of €215. But you also need to bring a certain level of frustration tolerance, as some comfort features like map storage are missing. Alternatives that are often recommended are the Roborock E5 and the Trouver Finder.

*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!

If you want to spend a maximum of €400, I can recommend the Roborock S50 based on my test, which costs about €400 new. It is a solid vacuum cleaner that already offers many comfort features of the higher models (like map storage, mopping mode). However, the S50 is popular and often sold out, as it is already an older model. As alternatives, I can recommend the bigger brother Roborock S5 Max for €400 or the 360 S7 for €319.

*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!

If you want to spend a maximum of €500, both the Eufy X8 Hybrid for €499 and the Roborock Q7 Max for €499 from my test are options for you. Both have their pros and cons but are solid purchases. The suction power of both devices is solid, with the X8 being slightly more meticulous in some scenarios. However, the Q7 Max clearly wins when it comes to mopping.

As alternatives, I can recommend the Ecovacs T8 Aivi for €479 (the RRP is €799, but the model is often on sale) or the Roborock S7 for €499.

*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!

If money is no object to you, then the Roborock Q7 Max+ (with vacuum station) from my test is the way to go. However, you should keep in mind that the station has its issues if the dust container is full of pet hair. If you prefer a different model of this kind, the Roborock S7 MaxV Plus with bagless vacuum station for €999 is an option. This model has a maximum suction power of 5100 Pa according to the manufacturer (the Q7 Max offers 4200 Pa) and comes with a mop-lifting function in mopping mode. So, lots of comforts.

*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!

Have you already had a vacuum robot at home? Or did you perhaps discover a model through this test that you would like to acquire? Please share your thoughts on the topic here on MeinMMO in the comments and tell us about your experiences.

How a vacuum robot improved my gaming room, I will show you based on a test with the Eufy X8 Hybrid.

Deine Meinung? Diskutiere mit uns!
12
I like it!
This is an AI-powered translation. Some inaccuracies might exist.
Lost Password

Please enter your username or email address. You will receive a link to create a new password via email.