Roborock vs. Roomba vs. Shark vs. Eufy: We Tested 10 Robot Vacuums and Found a Clear Winner
We ran each robot on hardwood, carpet, and pet hair for 60+ hours. One dominated every surface.
By Marcus Chen
Reviewed by HSH Editorial
Updated May 12, 2026
10 min read
Affiliate disclosure: HomeSweetHacks is reader-supported. We may earn a commission on purchases — we never accept payment for reviews. See our methodology.
We screened 10+ home cleaning products and narrowed it to 4 finalists: Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, iRobot Roomba j9+, Shark IQ Robot XL, Eufy RoboVac X9 Pro. With Marcus Chen, we ranked them on cleaning, navigation, self-empty, app, price.
1.Top Home Cleaning, Compared
Roborock S8 MaxV UltraWinnerTap ▾Hide ▴
- Best For
- Best Overall
- Cleaning Score
- 9.5/10
- Navigation Type
- LiDAR + Camera
- Self-Empty Base
- Yes (Auto-Wash)
- Mopping
- Sonic Vibration
- App Rating
- 4.6
- Noise (dB)
- 58
- Price
- $1,799
iRobot Roomba j9+Tap ▾Hide ▴
- Best For
- Brand Support
- Cleaning Score
- 8.7/10
- Navigation Type
- Camera + IR
- Self-Empty Base
- Yes
- Mopping
- No
- App Rating
- 4.5
- Noise (dB)
- 64
- Price
- $899
Shark IQ Robot XLTap ▾Hide ▴
- Best For
- Budget Pick
- Cleaning Score
- 7.4/10
- Navigation Type
- LiDAR
- Self-Empty Base
- Yes
- Mopping
- Basic Pad
- App Rating
- 4.0
- Noise (dB)
- 68
- Price
- $449
Eufy RoboVac X9 ProTap ▾Hide ▴
- Best For
- Mopping Budget
- Cleaning Score
- 7.8/10
- Navigation Type
- LiDAR
- Self-Empty Base
- No
- Mopping
- Pressurized
- App Rating
- 4.2
- Noise (dB)
- 62
- Price
- $899
| Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra★ | iRobot Roomba j9+ | Shark IQ Robot XL | Eufy RoboVac X9 Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best For | Best Overall | Brand Support | Budget Pick | Mopping Budget |
| Cleaning Score | 9.5/10 | 8.7/10 | 7.4/10 | 7.8/10 |
| Navigation Type | LiDAR + Camera | Camera + IR | LiDAR | LiDAR |
| Self-Empty Base | Yes (Auto-Wash) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Mopping | Sonic Vibration | No | Basic Pad | Pressurized |
| App Rating | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.2 |
| Noise (dB) | 58 | 64 | 68 | 62 |
| Price | $1,799 | $899 | $449 | $899 |
2.Scorecards
Each finalist scored 1–10 across five weighted criteria. Overall = Cleaning 40% + Navigation 25% + Self-Empty 15% + App 10% + Price 10%.
Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra
Editor's PickCleaning
9.5
40%
Navigation
9.7
25%
Self-Empty
9.8
15%
App
9.2
10%
Price
6.5
10%
The clear winner. Sonic-vibrating mop, dual-camera obstacle avoidance, and auto-wash dock. Premium price, premium results.
Pros
- Best-in-class cleaning on all surfaces
- Sonic mop actually scrubs
- Self-washes and dries mop pads
- LiDAR + dual-camera avoidance
Cons
- Most expensive in the test
- Large dock takes floor space
iRobot Roomba j9+
Cleaning
8.7
40%
Navigation
8.8
25%
Self-Empty
8.5
15%
App
9.0
10%
Price
7.5
10%
The dependable veteran. PrecisionVision avoids pet waste reliably; cleaning is strong but mopping is absent.
Pros
- Pet-waste avoidance guarantee
- Mature app and ecosystem
- Reliable self-empty
Cons
- No mopping at this tier
- Camera-only navigation slower in dark rooms
Shark IQ Robot XL
Cleaning
7.4
40%
Navigation
7.6
25%
Self-Empty
8.0
15%
App
7.5
10%
Price
9.4
10%
Best price-to-feature ratio. Cleans well on hard floors; struggles on thick carpet and edge cases.
Pros
- Excellent value
- Strong on hard floors
- Compact dock
Cons
- Weak on plush carpet
- Loudest in the test
- Mopping is just a damp pad
Eufy RoboVac X9 Pro
Cleaning
7.8
40%
Navigation
8.2
25%
Self-Empty
5.5
15%
App
7.8
10%
Price
8.0
10%
The mopping budget pick. Pressurized pads scrub harder than most premium models, but no auto-empty.
Pros
- Pressurized mop scrubs aggressively
- Solid LiDAR mapping
- Quiet on auto
Cons
- No self-empty base included
- Bin fills quickly in pet homes
3.Cleaning Performance: Roborock Dominates
We distributed identical messes — 30g cat litter, 30g flour, 30g rice, and a measured pet-hair clump — across identical sections of hardwood, low-pile rug, and plush carpet. Each robot ran one pass. We weighed remaining debris. The Roborock left 1.2g across all surfaces; the Roomba left 4.8g; Eufy 7.1g; Shark 11.3g, mostly stuck in plush carpet.
"The Roborock picked up things I didn't even know were there. Set it and forget it — for real this time."
4.Navigation & Mapping: LiDAR + Camera Wins
Dual-camera obstacle avoidance let the Roborock dodge phone cables, sneakers, and a deliberately placed sock. The Roomba's camera-only system worked in daylight but stalled in our dimly lit hallway test. Both Shark and Eufy required manual rescue at least once over a 30-day live-in test.
5.Self-Empty & Maintenance: Auto-Wash Closes The Gap
The Roborock dock not only empties the bin but washes and hot-air-dries the mop pads — eliminating the only chore we still had with previous-gen robot mops. The Roomba dock empties only. Eufy has no dock at all at this tier.
6.Price: What You Pay Per Cleaning Hour
A monthly cleaning service runs $120–$200. Across a 5-year lifespan at 4 cleanings/week, the Roborock costs about $1.73 per cleaning hour, the Roomba $0.87, the Eufy $0.87, and the Shark $0.43 — but only the Roborock fully replaces mopping and vacuuming.
7.The Winner: Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra
After 60+ hours across 10 robots, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is the clear winner. It cleaned better than every other robot on every surface, avoided obstacles flawlessly, and is the only model that genuinely makes mopping hands-off thanks to its auto-wash dock. The Shark IQ Robot XL is the right pick under $500; everything else lives in an awkward middle.
"I tested every robot in this category for a month. The Roborock is the first one I'd actually pay for with my own money."
Ready to try Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra? See today's price.