If you’re looking to buy a new robot vacuum cleaner to buy online you may come across the S4 Max and find yourself asking ‘Is it worth the spend?’. As a hard-working member of the Roborock family, the S4 Max robot vacuum has been on our wish list for a while due to its excellent pickup performance and great-value price. We've explored a number of the best robot vacuums for 2022, and the Roborock S4 Max is a name that comes up time and time again, for good reason.
While Roborock has upgraded its lineup with the Q5 Series, you can still find the S4 Max robot cleaner available online, with a price that's as attractive as the robot cleaner specs itself.
Here we take a closer look at what you can expect from the S4 Max robot vacuum so you can decide whether to add it to your shortlist.
Roborock S4 Max: at a glance
With an intuitive smart app for easy control, fast mapping for speedy and superior cleaning and a quiet performance mode, the S4 Max includes many enticing features.
Designed to fit into your daily routine and be simple to set up and start, the S4 Max does a great job at keeping floors around your home clean. It works on carpet, laminate, vinyl or real wood and comes with the tools you need to keep your home free from dirt, dust and dander.
While it doesn't have a self-cleaning dock, this is unlikely to be an issue if you live in a home where space is tight. But if you're not sure whether to opt for a freestanding robot cleaner or one that comes with its own self-cleaning dock, you may want to read our feature comparing the Roborock S4 Max vs Q5 Plus (opens in new tab).
With a sleek H18.9 x W6 x L18.8 inch body, the S4 Max can glide effortlessly around floors picking up dirt and boosting its power where necessary. With an impressive 2000Pa suction power, it can in fact last for up to 180mins on a full charge – which is more than enough time to have a cup of tea and watch your favorite TV show.
LiDar technology makes the S4 Max precise and efficient when traveling around your home and accurate when navigating obstacles. It performs well in rooms that have low light levels too, which comes in useful if you want to use it after hours.
Roborock S4 Max: price and availability
Roborock has upgraded its robot vacuum offering with the latest Q5 Series and discontinued the S4 Max on its own site lineup.
That said, the S4 Max robot vacuum can still be found online at a very enticing price, which is why we understand if you find yourself asking ‘Should I buy the S4 Max?'. Regardless of it being discontinued by Roborock, we think the S4 Max's clever features and affordable price still makes it a very attractive option.
At the time of writing, the S4 Max can be found at Amazon for $299 (opens in new tab)/£254/AU$533 and in the US, only. If you're happy to spend a little more and want more in-app features, you can buy the Q5 Series from $399 (opens in new tab) /£338/AU$712.
Roborock S4 Max: design
Looks aren't everything but the fact that the S4 Max is sleek and simple to use is a plus. It comes with a sleek black body with silver trim similar in style to the Roborock S6 MaxV. At 18.9 x 6 x 18.8-inches (h x w x d) it is slim enough to glide around the room and navigate under furniture where possible.
Its flip-up bin hides the 460ml dustbin and can be pulled out via a handle for easy emptying. It features a five-spoke rubber brush on the underside of the unit to catch dirt and debris and direct it towards the brush roll for more effective cleaning.
While it doesn’t come with a dock that doubles as a self-cleaning bin, the S4 Max does have a small charging dock included in the box. This can be attached to the floor with double-sided tape if you want to secure it in place on particularly wobbly surfaces.
If, however, an auto-empty dock is integral to the type of robot vacuum you'd like, you may want to take a closer look at the Roborock Q5+ (opens in new tab).
Roborock S4 Max: performance
With LiDar navigation for precise and efficient cleaning and automatic carpet detection that gives your rugs and carpets a deeper clean, the S4 Max has a lot going for it. It has the ability to clean up to four levels of your home that can be mapped out on the accompanying Roborock app and built into your routine so the vacuum comes and off at convenient times.
To make things easy, there are four cleaning modes you can choose from including Quiet, Turbo, Max and Balanced. The app also keeps track of which rooms the S4 Max has cleaned and its current location so you know where it’s off to next.
In terms of performance, it’s not the most powerful robot vacuum in the Roborock lineup, but it is an effective one – giving you 2000Pa suction power and up to 180 minutes of runtime on a full charge. When it comes across a carpet, it will automatically go into boost mode to ensure optimum cleaning performance and a feature on the app allows you to target specific areas you need to be cleaned with ease.
Roborock S4 Max: verdict
Currently on sale for $299/£254/AU$533, the S4 Max gives you the high-tech performance you’d expect from a premium robot vacuum cleaner, without the hefty price tag.
While a dedicated auto-cleaning dock (such as the one you find on the Q5+) would be a bonus, the S4 Max has an ample bin that can collect up to 460ml before you have to empty it. At 11.97 pounds, it’s relatively lightweight to pick up and move if needed too.
We think in-app functionality, voice-assistant compatibility and automatic carpet detection are all useful features you’d expect and need from a competent robot vacuum and the S4 Max has all this and more.
In short, an excellent balance between price and performance makes the S4 Max a worthwhile contender for anyone looking for a great-value robot vacuum cleaner.
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