Roborock S5 MAX vs S6 | Comparison & Review

Robot vacuums are all the rage right now, with new brands popping up left and right looking to cash in on a household technology that’s grown by leaps and bounds over the last few decades.

Today, we want to highlight and compare two of Roborock’s best offerings, the Roborock S5 MAX and the Roborock S6 to see how they stack up against one another. 

If you’re unsure whether or not to pick the Roborock S5 MAX, Roborock S6 or even another robot vacuum instead, be sure to learn a little more about what’s in store for you.

You may also like: Roborock S7 vs S6 MaxV

*The product links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase after following one, I make a small commission from the sale at no additional cost to you. Please see our disclosure page for more information.

Who are Roborock?

Roborock is a relative newcomer to the industry for sure but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t already one of the major players in this business. The tech “under the hood” of the Roborock vacuums ranks right up there with the best in the industry, with many different models available for sale right now – and more in the pipeline such as the amazing-looking S7.

The Roborock S5 MAX and the Roborock S6 robot vacuum cleaners are universally regarded as the best robots this company has to offer right now, so make sure that you check out all the inside information we highlight for you below.

Let’s dive right in and find out which is best in the debate between the Roborock S5 MAX vs Roborock S6!

Roborock S5 MAX vs Roborock S6 side by side

Roborock S5 MAX
Roborock S6
roborock S5 MAX Robot Vacuum and Mop Cleaner, Self-Charging Robotic Vacuum, Lidar Navigation,...
roborock S6 Robot Vacuum, Robotic Vacuum Cleaner and Mop with Adaptive Routing,Multi-Floor Mapping,...
Suction
2000pa
2000pa
Battery
150 minutes
180 minutes
Water Tank
290ml
140ml
Navigation
Laser Mapping
Laser Mapping
Selective Room Cleaning
Virtual no go zones
Multiple Floor Memory
Recharge and resume
Smart Home Voice Commands
Owners Rating
Prime
-
-
Roborock S5 MAX
roborock S5 MAX Robot Vacuum and Mop Cleaner, Self-Charging Robotic Vacuum, Lidar Navigation,...
Suction
2000pa
Battery
150 minutes
Water Tank
290ml
Navigation
Laser Mapping
Selective Room Cleaning
Virtual no go zones
Multiple Floor Memory
Recharge and resume
Smart Home Voice Commands
Owners Rating
More Details
Prime
-
Roborock S6
roborock S6 Robot Vacuum, Robotic Vacuum Cleaner and Mop with Adaptive Routing,Multi-Floor Mapping,...
Suction
2000pa
Battery
180 minutes
Water Tank
140ml
Navigation
Laser Mapping
Selective Room Cleaning
Virtual no go zones
Multiple Floor Memory
Recharge and resume
Smart Home Voice Commands
Owners Rating
More Details
Prime
-

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Roborock S5 MAX

Roborock S5 MAX Robot Vacuum and Mop
The intense 2000Pa suction, combined with automatic Carpet Boost and a 290ml electric water tank with app control makes it easy to clean all floor types. With with Selective Room Cleaning, multiple maps, virtual no-go and no-mop zones you can completely customize your clean.

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Roborock S6

Roborock S6 Robot Vacuum and Mop
Defeat dirt with Roborock S6. Serious processing power means it not only maps, it recognizes rooms and understands their shape. Now you can set schedules to clean one room, many rooms, or your whole house. Plus S6 will find the fastest route to clean each room based on its shape. It has the suction power to even lift AA batteries, yet it is quiet enough to clean in the dead of night

Last update on 2024-03-28 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Overall Design

For the most part, both the Roborock S5 MAX and the new model Roborock S6 have the same kind of look and the same kind of aesthetic.

The Roborock S5 MAX is a little bit on the larger side of things, though, measuring in at 19” x 16” x 17” compared to the S6 that’s a little more slimline with dimensions that measure 13.7” x 13.8” x 3.8”.

What are some of the key differences in appearance?

The major difference between these two robots is that the Roborock S5 MAX has a larger water tank capacity so that it can not only sweep and vacuum your space but can also handle extended mopping of hard surfaces, too.

The Roborock S6 can mop just as well as the S5 MAX, but its water level will run out sooner.

Which is best, the S5 MAX or the S6?

Taking the few points mentioned above into consideration, most will find the Roborock S5 MAX to be the best in terms of functionality, even if it is a predecessor to the S6 vacuum.

You may also like to read: Roborock S7 Review

Cleanup Capabilities

The cleanup capabilities of these robot vacuum and mop options are spectacular. Both the Roborock S5 MAX and S6 feature incredibly strong 2000Pa suction power at the highest possible settings, which doesn’t quite make them the strongest robot vacuums on the market today – but their suction power is certainly high end, will have no problems with carpet or pet hair and both make a great alternative to Roomba.

The Roborock S6 cleaning up under a sofa while a child sleeps

Vacuum capabilities

In fact, you’ll be able to suck up a AA battery with these Roborock vacuums with no trouble whatsoever. That something that a lot of other robot options (more expensive price points, no less) would struggle with.

Not that you should necessarily be running your vacuum on floors with loose AA batteries laying about, though!

Mopping abilities

Another cool feature that both of these options include is an automatic water shut off component. In fact, all Roborock models now feature this safety solution to guarantee that a leaky water tank or an accidental spill isn’t going to compromise the electronics onboard your robot helper.

Other factors that allow the S5 MAX and S6 robots to perform so well is features like the high-end HEPA filter, quality mopping pad and excellent side brushes.

Essentially, when it comes to the cleaning performance of removing dust, debris and pet hair around your home, these two models are superb.

The Roborock s5 MAX mopping a wooden floor

Is there any work required?

Of course, a little manual work is required. Changing the mopping pad and emptying out the dust bin are just two things that you’ll need to do to keep your S5 MAX and S6 robots cleaning efficiently.

However, the main point of these vacuums is that they do most of the cleaning work themselves, so you won’t need to worry about putting in too much effort.

The key differences between the cleaning performances of the S5 MAX and S6

Both of these robot vacuum cleaners do a pretty standup job when it comes to tackling hard surfaces (both vacuum and mop zone configurations).

The S5 MAX robot vacuum cleaner does a slightly better job of mopping thanks to that additional water tank capacity, with the S6 taking things up a notch when it comes to vacuuming on different floor types (from a hard surface to a pile carpet).

The good news is that Roborock S5 MAX, Roborock S6, and any future products from this company will offer exceptional cleaning capabilities.

Is the S5 MAX or the S6 the better cleaner?

In our opinion, if you’re not too interested in having a robotic mopping assistant and the larger water tank capacity the S5 MAX offers, the suction power improvement made to the Roborock S6 (and what this change results in) may be more worthwhile for you.

Navigation Technology

The navigation tech shoehorned into the almost unbelievably compact robot vacuums from Roborock is based entirely off of Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) tech.

A graphic to visualize the Roborock S5 MAX no go zone

This approach allows these vacuums to capitalize on the exact same navigational tech found in popular automated vehicles today, helping your vacuum map out your individual spaces and cover every square inch with thorough room cleaning without you having to follow them up with manual vacuuming to cover spots that they might have missed.

What does the S6 do better than the S5 MAX?

Something else that is a really cool feature on the Roborock S6 that the S5 MAX does not have is the ability to save multiple floor layouts. This means if you are manually moving your vacuum between the different floors in your house, it will know what to do. We have a bit more about this feature in our full S6 review.

Roborock S6

Enhanced stability in both the S5 MAX and S6

Both the S5 MAX and the Roborock S6 feature advanced drivetrain systems that have been overhauled significantly from the earlier models this company put out into the market. Gone are the “wobbling” that used to plague Roborock options, replaced instead with a stability track system that operates almost like an independent suspension.

Obstacle avoidance

Obstacle avoidance is yet another bonus of these Roborock robots. Not only can this stop your vacuum from bumping into furniture, but also help to protect it from any damage that could be caused from bashing into walls. If you have quite a packed living room or kitchen (or any room), a feature like this can really make a difference.

This guarantees that you’re going to be able to enjoy consistent cleanup results and specific room cleaning over hard and soft surfaces with a seamless transition between the two on both models.

Which one offers better navigation?

Simply because of the ability to save multiple floor layouts, the Roborock S6 is a better choice over the S5 MAX in terms of it’s navigation capabilities.

Battery Life

It’s also important to take run time into consideration, too. Because the Roborock S5 MAX is a little bit larger and ways a little bit more (and because it has more of a focus on mopping) this particular model only has a run time of 150 minutes of continuous and nonstop cleaning capabilities before it has to “return home” to its charging station to replenish its batteries.

Now, that still equates to 2 1/2 hours of continuous cleaning that you don’t have to tackle all on your own – which is certainly going to put a dent in your chores. The Return to Base (RTB) signal that kicks in when the battery starts to run low make sure that you don’t have to manually recharge your Roborock S5 MAX, either.

It will find its way back to its charging dock, hookup to the charger, go through the charging process, and then set out to clean things up all over again all on its own. The ‘auto recharge and resume’ feature is certainly a fan favorite.

The Roborock S6 features all of those same capabilities but includes an extra 30 minutes of continuous cleaning power because of its slimmer profile and smaller water tank for mopping. That means you’ll get three hours of continuous cleaning time with the S6 robot vacuum cleaner (system that includes the same RTB self-charging setup you get with the S5 MAX).

Which offers the longer run time?

As we can see above, the Roborock S6 wins another point over the S5 MAX because of it’s battery life. Even if the S5 MAX has a fairly good runtime, it’s worth noting that the S6 lasts longer. However, with the recharge and resume capabilities, the battery life may not be as much of a concern.

Smart Home integration and app controls

Both the S5 MAX and the S6 use the Roborock app for controlling the settings and cleaning of your robot. Via the smartphone app, you can have complete control over your robot vacuum cleaner for scheduling, live updates and make tweaks to cleaning routes.

Roborock S5 MAX vs S6, a lady on a couch controlling her vacuum via the app

No go zones, voice control and more

One of the most important parts of the app is the ability to set virtual no go zones on the interactive map, key to ensuring any rugs placed on your wood or tiled floors don’t accidentally get a wet wash. One of the smart features that I love is that if you remove the vacuum will know it is no longer in mopping mode and the virtual no mop zones will be ignored.

Mapping is a key feature of these robotic vacuums, since it give you greater control over where the robot goes. Just set up the map and they’ll be good to go! (Although, you may want to ensure that everything’s in order by running one or two cleaning tests first)

Scheduling abilities and being able to control the cleaning cycle and route planning is important to consider too, since this can help you perfectly time and coordinate your robots.

Both the Roborock S6 and the S5 MAX also includes voice commands and integrate with your Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant device.

Which one comes out on top?

When considering the integration and smart capabilities of the S5 MAX and S6 vacuum cleaners, it’s plain to see that both are exceptional devices. Allowing you control over obstacle avoidance, the ability to switch cleaning modes at the tap of a button, and real time voice control and remote control, getting your little robot to keep your house clean won’t be a chore.

Roborock S5 MAX vs S6: final verdict

With any of the new Roborock robot vacuums available on the market today, particularly the S5 MAX and S6 models that we highlighted and compared above, it’s plain to see that you’ll get the quality you deserve.

When you get right down to it, though, those that need mopping features as their home has a lot of hardwood surfaces, tile, stone, or other solid surfaces should probably look to the Roborock S5 MAX. It’s just better suited for those kinds of cleanup tasks.

If you’re going to be cleaning carpets or live on a multi-floor home, though, the odds are pretty good that the Roborock S6 is going to be better suited to your specific needs over the S5 MAX.

Hopefully, this little look into these two different robot vacuum cleaners will give you a better idea of which one to choose, the Roborock S6 vs S5 MAX. From dust bin capacity to the water tank for mopping duties, there are simply so many things that these vacuums can offer.

About the author

Matt is the founder of the Little Robot Shop, who has spent much of the last decade hacking home cleaning with various robots and devices to make keeping his home clean as easy as possible. Not an easy task with two young children.

When not working on the Little Robot Shop website or YouTube channel, he works as technical support and product specialist for a fast-growing digital company. He does his best to get his younglings to code, which will be an essential skill in the future.

5 thoughts on “Roborock S5 MAX vs S6 | Comparison & Review”

  1. Hi,
    You sure about the multiple floors capabilities (your table). Isn’t it the s6 that has it while it is doable (but tricky) with the s5max?

    • Hey Tony, you’re right. That’s a typo and a mix up on our part. I have removed the table while we edit it. Thanks a lot for pointing it out!

Comments are closed.