Roborock Q7 Max+ review: A pricey all-in-one floor cleaner

The Roborock Q7 Max+ is an all-in-one floor cleaner—it vacuums, mops, and empties its own dustbin. Consisting of the vacuum itself and an auto-empty dock that both recharges the robot and sucks the contents from its onboard dustbin, the Q7 Max+ does a capable job of vacuuming and mopping floors. But at an $869.99 list price, the vac costs considerably more than older Roborock models with more advanced features.

The Q7 Max+ delivers 4200Pa of suction and uses LiDAR to map the rooms in your home and navigate more efficiently. It uses a combination dustbin that includes a 470ml receptacle for dust and debris and a 350ml water tank for mopping jobs. For the latter, a separate accessory that holds a mop pad attaches to the bottom of the robot.

This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best smart vacuum cleaners.

The auto-empty dock ships in two pieces: the docking plate and the container for the dust bag. You have to attach these two using a screwdriver stored in the bottom of the plate to tighten six small screws. With that done, you just plug in the dock and set the robot on it to charge.

How big is the Roborock Q7 Max+’s battery?

Roborock says the robot’s 5200mAh Li-ion battery provides up to three hours of cleaning per full charge, or enough to clean 3,229 square feet. My downstairs level where I tested the vacuum is much smaller than that, but I was able to do four or five cleanings of the whole area with each charge.

The Q7 Max+ makes for an easy way to keep up on your vacuuming and mopping, but it’s no small expense.

The robot maps the room the first time it cleans. It starts around the edges of the space before moving to the center and cleans in a methodical up-and-down pattern. You can view the completed map in the Roborock app and toggle between 2D and 3D views. With a completed map, you can choose to clean the full floorplan, specific rooms, or isolated zones within a room.

The app allows you to customize the map by adding details such as room names, floor types, and furniture, as well as setting no-mop zones and invisible walls/no-go zones to prevent the robot from entering forbidden areas. The app also supports scheduling and a pinning feature that lets you select any spot on the map and send the robot directly there to clean.

How is the Roborock Q7 Max+’s vacuuming performance?

I used the Q7 Max+ in my living room and entryway for daily clean-ups. The vacuum’s suction is a bit more powerful than most robot vacuums I’ve used, and it made quick work of the dust, crumbs, and pet hair that accumulate on my hard floors each day. There’s a carpet boost feature you can enable in the app, and I could hear it at work each time the robot rolled over one of the two area rugs on my floor.

After each cleaning session is completed, the vacuum empties its debris into the dock’s dust bag. The app lets you select from four empty modes: “Light” is best for smaller homes or clean environments, “Max” for exactly the opposite, “Balanced” for homes in between those extremes, and “Smart” for those who want the Q7 Max+ to decide what’s best based on its cleaning experience. Each 2.5-liter dust bag holds up to seven weeks of dirt, and an extra bag is included with the vacuum.

Does the Roborock Q7 Max+ perform well as a mop?

For mopping jobs, you fill the water tank with tap water and attach the mopping pad accessory to the bottom of the robot. Typically, mopping robot vacuums simply dampen the cloth and drag it across the floor to wipe away surface grime. The Q7 Max+ is a bit more sophisticated. It uses an electric pump to distribute the water and control 30 flow levels and it consistently applies about 11 ounces of pressure to the floor as it mops.

The Q7 Max+ still can’t replace your stick mop for stubborn stains, but it does give you decent enough results that you won’t have to pull it out of the closet very often. And because the robot can vacuum and mop simultaneously, you can completely clean your floors in a single session.

In addition to managing the vacuum’s operation, the Roborock app also tracks the cleaning history and the life of the vacuum filter, brushes, and sensors.

For voice control, you can pair the Q7 Max+ with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and Apple Siri Shortcuts.

Is the Roborock Q7 Max+ worth the cash?

If you’re looking for an easy way to keep up on your vacuuming and mopping, the Q7 Max+ is definitely up to the task. But at $869.99, it’s no small expense.

You can get many of the same features and cleaning results with one of Roborock’s older models, the S6 MaxV, for around half the price. Plus, the S6 MaxV has a stereo camera and reactive AI that allows it to avoid obstacles like shoes, power strips, and even pet poop.