Hi, everyone! Welcome to Robotobzor! In June this year, the world started talking about the launch of a new robot vacuum cleaner – creature of Roborock company. The model is called Roborock E5 – it is an improved version of the previously released model E4, which had many rumors around it.
What`s new about Roborock E5:
- Suction power was increased.
- Remote control was added to the basic configuration. Which, in my opinion, makes the robot much more convenient for the older generation, who might face difficulties to control it from the smartphone.
In this article I will test the Roborock E5. By the way, price of this model is about 300 dollars, which puts the model in the middle price category. Let’s go!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/482hvFL
Package
Roborock E5 is packed in such branded box:
In addition to the robot vacuum cleaner, in the box you will find:
- Charging base.
- Plastic backing under the base.
- Power adapter.
- Nozzle for wet cleaning with installed microfiber cloth.
- A set of spare metering valves.
- Remote Control.
- Batteries for the remote control.
- Instruction manual.
The package bundle is, as always, basic and minimal, there are no spare or extra accessories in the kit.
Design
Now let’s take a look at the robot vacuum cleaner. I`ve got a white and gray model for this review. You might find the Roborock E5 in black color as well.
On top of the device we see a bulgy IR sensor, which significantly steals the height of the body. The body itself is about 3.2 inches high (82 mm), but because of the sensor, the height of the device unnecessarily increases to 3.5 inches (90 mm), which is unreasonable.
A soft-touch mechanical bumper is installed at the front. The control panel has 2 mechanical buttons: start and pause and forced return to the charging station.
Under the top cover there is a 21.6 oz (640 ml) dust container.
The filtration system is based on a HEPA filter only, there is no additional mesh. The manufacturer allows the filter to be washed with water. The container is emptied through the window into which the filter is installed. The dust collector has no cover.
Let’s see how the Roborock E5 is designed from the bottom. It has 4 fall protection sensors. And also an additional navigation part – the OpticEye sensor, which allows the robot to navigate around the space more accurate.
There is only one side brush: silicone, five-beam brush. The central brush is bristly-petal, non-separable, only the cap can be removed, on one side.
The wet cleaning nozzle holds up to 6 oz (180 ml) of water. I have to highlight that this nozzle implements a mechanical adjustment of the water supply, due to the slider under the napkin.
As a summery, I would say that the quality of production is above average.
Technical features
The main characteristics of the Roborock E5, declared by the manufacturer:
- Li-Ion 5200 mAh battery.
- Suction power up to 2500 Pa.
- Working time up to 150 min.
- Cleaning area up to 100 sq.m.
- Capacity of the dust collector is 21.6 oz (640 ml).
- Capacity of the water tank is 6 oz (180 ml).
- Passage of obstacles up to 0.03 inches (up to 20 mm).
- Dimensions: 13.7*3.5 inches (350*90 mm).
Worth highlighting that in the new product the suction power has been increased compared to the Roborock E4, which has a declared 2000 Pa. This will definitely be verified in tests and confirmed.
Functional abilities
Roborock E5 is controlled via a mobile application and a remote control included in the kit. First, let’s check the functionality of the application. To control via a smartphone, you need to install the Mi Home app on your smartphone and connect it to the robot. Surprisingly, Roborock E-series does not support branded app.
On the main working panel, the robot does not display the constructed map, in fact it does not build it in real time, but in the reports you can see the constructed maps in order to check whether the robot has covered the entire area.
The lower row of buttons is responsible for the forced return to the base for charging, starting the automatic cleaning mode and adjusting the suction power.
In the basic settings, you can activate the automatic power increase when driving onto carpets, turn on the gentle mode, in which the robot only wipes the floor, without suction, and also set the time when the robot should not bother you.
In addition, there is a cleaning schedule setting. Here you can select the time and days of the week when the robot vacuum cleaner should start working, as well as set desired suction power.
In the remote control mode, you can not only manually control the robot, but also start the spot or automatic cleaning mode, or return the robot vacuum cleaner to the charging station.
In addition, you can view the cleaning log, the status of consumables, turn on the search for the robot by sound signal, change the name, share the control with other users and, if necessary, update the firmware version.
Besides, Roborock E5 is able to be controlled through voice assistants and continue cleaning after recharging from the place where it left off. There are more than enough functions for a gyro robot.
Speaking about the the remote control, it has duplicated buttons for manual control of the robot, start and pause, spot cleaning mode, regulation of the suction power and forced return of the robot to the charging station. So even without a smartphone, you can still use the basic functional abilities of the robot.
Testing
A detailed video review with all the tests:
Navigation
And finally, let’s start the tests. The first step is to check the Roborock E5 navigation in the obstacle room. The robot vacuum cleaner first goes through the entire available area with a snake moves, then switches to bypassing the perimeter. So here, he got stuck on the dryer and was trapped for several minutes, after which he still managed to get out, but displayed an error already after driven away from the danger zone. After restarting the cleaning process, the robot resumed the cycle, swept around the box and chair legs, and then returned to station. As a result, the Roborock E5 has quite good navigation, considering that there is no camera or lidar, but there are slight problems with building, for which I would take 1 point away.
Speaking about the navigation within the house, the robot also goes through the entire available area, first with a snake moves, then along the perimeter. There were no missing areas left; it took the robot 49 minutes to clean 34 square meters space, which the robot counted as 43 minutes, taking into account the passage of the perimeter. This is quite average result for robotic vacuum cleaners with a gyroscope. Test passed successfully!
Suction power
The suction power of the Roborock E5 really surprised me. The robot was able to suck litter from cracks in the floor up to 0.2 inches deep (6 mm), while the previous model was able to vacum litter only from a 0.07 inches cracks (2 mm), like most of its analogues. So, the Roborock’s engineers have done a great job on increasing the suction power.
Dry cleaning on laminate
There are no complaints about the quality of dry cleaning, the robot was able to collect all the litter from the floor, including wool and hair. Only the corners remained uncleared, where round robotic vacuum cleaners are unable to reach. Most of the litter is collected in the dust collector, the central brush has wrapped part of the hair around itself. Test passed successfully!
Cleaning the carpet
The quality of litter collection on the carpet is also above average, the Roborock E5 cleans carpets well from all types of household waste.
Wet cleaning
Wet cleaning is also at the level of device`s analogues. The nozzle with a napkin is well pressed to the floor and wipes off slightly dried dirt. There is only a small strip along the plinth was left, which robots cannot scrub because of the design features.
But as for everyday wet cleaning, the robot does a great job. Moreover, the floor is not flooded with water, it has moderate water supply. Well, do not forget that Roborock E5 is capable of vacuuming and mopping the floor at the same time, this is a big advantage.
Passage of obstacles
The robot vacuum cleaner is able to overcome paths up to 0.7 inches high (20 mm).
Passage of dark surfaces
Was noticed that the Roborock E5 is afraid of dark surfaces, recognizing them as height differences. He even managed to drive onto a black carpet and report a mistake, just brilliant!
Noise level
And finally, we measure the noise level of the robot in different modes. In the careful mode, it is in the range of 56-58 dB, at the minimum power the noise level rises up to 62 dB, in the middle mode it reaches 65 dB, in the Turbo mode the mark reaches 68 dB, and at the MAX power the peak value was 72.6 dB. Yes, the noise level of the Roborock E5 is above average, but this is due to the increased power, so there are no complaints.
Conclusion
We reviewed and tested The Roborock E5 very carefully. According to our rating system, it was able to score of 55 out of 100, which is 2 points more than the previous model – Roborock E4, which also passed our test room successfully. Just because of the increased power and the presence of the remote control, it was possible to get additional points.
Algorithm of evaluating robots https://robotobzor.com/about-robots/system-for-evaluating-robot-vacuums.html and the overall rating of models that passed the Robotobzor test https://robotobzor.com/ratings/general-rating-of-robot-vacuum-cleaners.html.
Now I will express my own opinion about this device after testing.
I liked the following:
- Increased suction power.
- Control not only through the application, but also with the remote control.
- Simultaneous dry and wet cleaning.
- The quality of cleaning is above average.
- Good navigation as for a gyro robot.
- Automatic increase of power on the carpet surfaces.
- Continue cleaning after recharging.
- High-quality assembly.
- Support for voice control.
Considering the cost of $ 300, as well as the test results, here are some comments on the Roborock E5:
- Fears of dark surfaces.
- There is no electronic regulation of water supply.
- The height of the case is higher than in analogs models.
- Doesn’t support virtual walls.
- Does not save the map and, accordingly, there are no advanced features, such as zoning for rooms and choosing rooms for cleaning.
- Very basic kit.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/482hvFL
There are no critical comments for this devise. And the advantages are more significant in my opinion. Especially the increased power and the included remote control, because many people choose a robot vacuum cleaner as a gift to elderly relatives because of the reasonable price. And this model, in my opinion, is one of the most worthy in the price segment up to $ 300.
Here, I would like to end the review. Thank you for watching. If you have any questions, ask in the comments below the article. Happy shopping everyone, bye!
