Roborock Q5 Pro Plus test: our full opinion –

In recent times, Roborock has stood out as one of the most innovative manufacturers of mopping robots, especially since the announcement of the S7 MaxV Ultra, one of the first models capable of washing its mop autonomously. The brand continued to innovate with the release of the S8 Pro Ultra, but also the more accessible Q Revo. It is on this momentum that the brand announced the Q5 Pro and Q8 Max, taking advantage of the brand’s latest innovations, at a low price. The Q5 Pro is the less expensive of the two, selling for 350 euros in its basic version, and 549 euros for the Pro+ model, and having an automatic dust bin emptying station.

Despite a low price, the Q5 Pro features LiDAR mapping navigation, strong suction power, a dual silicone brush roller, and a mop powered by an onboard water tank . Let’s see what it’s worth on a daily basis and the concessions made by the brand to make its new robot accessible.

Roborock Q5 Pro Plus Technical characteristics

This test was carried out with a product provided by the brand.

Roborock Q5 Pro Plus A sober and discreet design

For its new entry-level model, Roborock has chosen a sober design, featuring a rounded shape of 35 cm in diameter, with three quick access buttons on the top, as well as a LiDAR dome, and simply a button allowing to release the dust container which slides under the robot. Despite the laser rangefinder protruding from the top, the robot is barely 10 cm high, allowing it to easily fit under most furniture.

The lower part is also classic, except for the double DuoRoller brush roller, traditionally reserved for more expensive models. More anecdotally, we find the wheels, the single side brush, as well as a mop module which slides and clips to the robot.

The Q5 Pro comes with a plastic floor protector to stick to the floor, to avoid damaging the parquet with the damp mop after a cleaning cycle. The Q5 Pro+ comes with the new RockDock Plus station, allowing automatic emptying of the dust bin after cleaning. It also includes a plastic platform to avoid wetting the ground when recharging.

The design of the RockDock Plus is particularly discreet, since the station is thinner than the robot, allowing it to integrate more elegantly into your interior without being too visible. Its upper part is topped with a plastic cover with a handle, which hides the 2.5 liter dust bag.

In terms of build quality, the Q5 Pro is well finished and most materials seem sturdy and durable, despite questionable quality plastics on the top and front of the robot.

Both models are offered in white or black, but you will have to make the right choice from the start, because it will be impossible to acquire a RockDock Plus a posteriori. Finally, as usual with the brand, no additional accessories are provided in the box, even if their absence is less annoying in this price range.

Roborock Q5 Pro Plus A simple and effective application

During the first initialization, the robot travels through your home to automatically map it. It manages to clearly demarcate the rooms, without automatically identifying them. The Q5 Pro can save up to four maps thanks to its multi-floor mode, allowing it to automatically recognize its position regardless of the floor it is on.

You can then customize the map by modifying room boundaries, renaming them and adding virtual walls. It is even possible to add furniture, adjust the floor surface and define the order in which rooms are cleaned. Unfortunately, it is impossible to create zones prohibited for wet cleaning, which would have allowed the robot to avoid going over the carpets with the mop.

This leads us to mention the two main limitations of the Q5 Pro, which are the absence of obstacle detection, and therefore the inability to recognize carpets, but also the inability to control the mop module from the application, which means you can neither adjust the water level nor set areas not to clean with the mop.

As for the vacuum cleaner mode, you have the choice between five modes, ranging from the quietest to the most powerful, while having the possibility of defining one per room, to better vacuum the entrance for example. Likewise, you can use a quick route, allowing for more succinct cleaning if you prefer less time-consuming cleaning before your guests arrive. Of course, you can start a complete cleaning, but also send the robot to a specific room or area, directly from the application.

During and after each cycle, you can view the cleaning status as well as the path taken by the robot. Although the Q5 Pro does not detect obstacles, it automatically adjusts the map each time you clean and thus adapts its route if you move a piece of furniture, a flower pot, or a laundry basket, for example.

Finally, in addition to the Roborock application, the Q5 Pro can also be controlled with the Xiaomi Mi Home application, but also Google Assistant and Alexa.

Roborock Q5 Pro Plus Impeccable suction, but ineffective mopping mode

The Q5 Pro has a suction power of 5,500 Pa as well as a double DuoRoller brush roller, ensuring excellent suction performance. Thus, it is on average 20% more effective when it comes to removing dust and dirt compared to a vacuum cleaner with the same suction power, but with a simple brush roll.

In practice, the robot does very well, both when vacuuming on hard floors and on carpets, which it is also able to identify to boost its suction power automatically. Even using low suction powers, the Q5 Pro clears the floor of dust and dirt, and the DuoRoller allows it to reach dirt lodged in the joints or in the pile of a thick carpet. Likewise, it knows how to correctly vacuum the corners and along the skirting boards, ensuring complete cleaning.

When it comes to mopping, things are less glorious. In fact, you must first remove the mop and wash it by hand, before replacing it, then filling the water tank, if it is not full. Worse still, the robot does not allow you to adjust the water level on the application and define areas not to clean when the module is engaged. So, if you’re not careful, he’ll happily mop your carpets. The only way to adjust the water flow and do it directly and manually on the mop module, without the possibility of control or adjustment from the application. You will therefore have understood, the mop mode is more anecdotal on the Q5 Pro than anything else. Moreover, the water tank of only 180 ml is barely enough to cover 50 m², which means remembering to refill it frequently.

Despite the lack of obstacle detection, the Q5 Pro does quite well and never found itself stuck under furniture or between chair legs. However, he sometimes bumps into furniture or other objects, while then understanding how to move around them. Things get complicated, however, for smaller obstacles, such as shoes, which he does not know how to identify and which he drags along in his path. More dramatically, the Q5 Pro drove straight towards my dog ​​and attempted to suck up its tail, before stopping when it realized its wheels were no longer touching the ground.

So understand that if your home is tidy and nothing is lying around, the Q5 Pro will do just fine. On the other hand, if you tend to leave toys, bags, shoes and other objects lying around, obstacle detection will be useful to avoid inconvenience.

In terms of noise pollution, the Q5 Pro is a good student, with only 60 dB measured for silent mode, which is still OK for having a conversation or watching television. Max+ mode emits 70 dB, which is too noisy for these activities, but is still OK if you work nearby.

Finally, the 5,200 mAh battery gives the robot an autonomy of up to four hours in silent mode, allowing it to cover an area of ​​up to 350 m². If this is not enough, the robot can automatically return to recharge and resume work once the battery is full. In addition, the Q5 Pro can recharge during off-peak hours, thus limiting the impact on the electricity network and your bill.

Roborock Q5 Pro Plus Simple maintenance

The difference between the Q5 Pro and the Q5 Pro+ is felt during maintenance since the first does not have an automatic emptying station and therefore requires manually emptying the dust container. Fortunately, its 770 ml capacity means you don’t have to do it too often, although you will have to do it when it is full. The Q5 Pro+ automatically empties into a 2.5L dust bag, giving it an extended battery life of up to seven weeks, depending on the brand.

The mop requires a little elbow grease since it must be rinsed before a cleaning cycle, installed on the module, filled the water tank, then removed and cleaned after each cycle. Fortunately, you don’t have to do this immediately after each cycle, since the platform or floor protector helps prevent damage to your floors.

The rest of the maintenance is made easier, since the double silicone brush roller prevents hairs from getting wrapped around it, so you only need to remove them and remove dirt once a month.

Roborock Q5 Pro Plus Price and availability

The Q5 Pro is sold at a price of 349 euros, excluding promotion, while the Q5 Pro+ costs 549 euros. These are affordable prices, considering the robots’ suction efficiency and navigation capabilities. There are certainly less expensive products, but also less effective.

If your budget doesn’t allow you to afford the Q5 Pro, the Roborock Q7 Max is also a good option, with lower suction performance.