If you are looking at Roborock's flagship lineup and trying to decide between the futuristic Saros Z70 with its OmniGrip robotic arm and the proven S8 MaxV Ultra, here is the short answer: for most people, the older S8 MaxV Ultra is still the smarter buy. The Z70's arm is a fascinating first-generation experiment — it works reliably only about half the time. Meanwhile the S8 MaxV Ultra's dual rubber rollers, hot-air mop drying, and auto-detergent dock quietly deliver better cleaning results at a meaningfully lower price.
We ran both machines through the same three-week testing cycle — kitchen crumbs, pet hair on rugs, dried coffee rings, and yes, the occasional sock left on the floor to see what the arm could do. Here is how they actually compare.
30-Second Summary
- Winner for most people: S8 MaxV Ultra — better carpet cleaning, better mopping, far better value
- Winner for tech enthusiasts: Saros Z70 — if you genuinely want the arm gimmick
- Price gap: Z70 at $2,599.99 vs S8 MaxV Ultra at $1,799.99
- Our scores: Z70 8.5/10 vs S8 MaxV Ultra 9.0/10
- One-line verdict: The arm is cool, but the S8 MaxV Ultra cleans better at a lower price.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Roborock Saros Z70 | Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| MSRP | $2,599.99 | $1,799.99 |
| Current Price | $2,599.99 | $1,799.99 |
| BRV Score | 8.5/10 | 9.0/10 |
| Suction | 22,000 Pa | 10,000 Pa |
| Battery | 6,400 mAh | 5,200 mAh |
| Runtime | Up to 180 min | Up to 180 min |
| Height | 3.14" (7.98 cm) | 3.82" (9.7 cm) |
| Mop Lift | 22 mm (AdaptiLift) | 20 mm (FlexiArm) |
| Brush System | Dual rubber roller | Dual rubber roller |
| Navigation | PreciSense LiDAR + StarSight 3D ToF | LiDAR + Reactive 3D (RGB camera) |
| Robotic Arm | Yes (OmniGrip 5-axis) | No |
| Hot Air Mop Dry | Yes | Yes |
| Auto Detergent | Yes | Yes |
| Plumbed Water Hookup | Yes | Yes |
| Best For | Hard floors, low-clearance furniture | Carpets, pet owners, value |
| Buy | Check on Amazon | Check on Amazon |
Design & Build
The Z70 is the slimmer, more dramatic machine. At just 3.14 inches tall, it slides under beds, couches, and entertainment centers that the S8 MaxV Ultra — at 3.82 inches — simply cannot reach. If you have a bed frame with 4 inches of clearance, the Z70 is your only option.
Then there is the arm. The Z70's OmniGrip mechanical arm extends from the top of the robot to pick up small objects — socks, tissues, slippers — and move them to a designated sorting box before cleaning. When it works, it is genuinely impressive. When it does not work (which is often), it turns into an awkward pause while the robot gives up and moves on.
The S8 MaxV Ultra takes a simpler approach. No arm, no moving parts beyond a retractable side brush (FlexiArm) that extends into corners. What it loses in visual drama it gains in reliability — after 18 months on the market, S8 MaxV Ultra owners have built up a track record of mechanical durability that the brand-new Z70 has not yet earned.
Both docks are massive — call it the size of a small nightstand. Both include clean and dirty water tanks, a bagged dust bin, auto detergent dispensing, and optional plumbing for direct water hookup.
Winner: Z70 for profile, S8 MaxV Ultra for maturity. Pick based on whether you want the arm.
Cleaning Performance: Hard Floors
On hard floors — tile, hardwood, LVP — both machines are excellent, but the gap between them is smaller than the specs suggest.
We ran the standard BRV test: crushed Cheerios, coffee grounds, and fine sand spread across a four-foot section of hardwood. Both robots vacuumed over it twice.
- Saros Z70: picked up ~98% of debris on first pass, 100% after two passes.
- S8 MaxV Ultra: picked up ~96% on first pass, 100% after two.
The 22,000 Pa vs 10,000 Pa spec gap sounds huge, but in real-world hard-floor cleaning it does not translate to a meaningful difference. Once you clear fine dust on the first pass, extra suction has nothing to do. One Reddit owner who upgraded from the S8 to the Z70 summarized it: "The suction numbers are marketing. On hardwood they both pick up everything."
Winner: Tie. Slight edge to Z70 on heavy debris, but not a buying reason.
Cleaning Performance: Carpet
This is where the rankings flip. The S8 MaxV Ultra is meaningfully better on carpet, despite having less than half the suction on paper.
Vacuum Wars measured the Saros Z70 at 67% deep-clean pickup on embedded debris — below their tested average of 75%. Pet hair removal came in at 83%, also below the 92% average across all robots they have tested. The Z70 is genuinely underwhelming on carpet compared to its price.
The S8 MaxV Ultra's dual rubber rollers have been tested repeatedly in the 92-95% range on deep clean and near-100% on pet hair. Its advantage comes from roller geometry — the dual-roller design agitates carpet fibers mechanically, while the Z70 appears to rely more on raw suction (which is less effective at lifting embedded dirt).
One Amazon reviewer with two long-haired cats wrote: "The S8 MaxV handles my living room rug better than my upright Shark. I cannot say the same for the Z70 — I had to run it twice and still found hair."
Winner: S8 MaxV Ultra — meaningfully. If you have carpet or pets, the gap is real and persistent.
Mopping Performance
Both use Roborock's vibrating dual mop pads with hot water washing and hot air drying — the same core system. Both lift mops 20-22mm when crossing carpet, which is high enough to clear medium-pile rugs without dragging moisture.
Where they differ is the dock automation. The S8 MaxV Ultra introduced Roborock's auto-detergent dispensing dock, and our testing found it tackles dried coffee rings and dog paw mud noticeably better than plain water. The Z70 inherits the same system.
We set both robots to scrub a three-foot patch of dried ketchup on tile. Results:
- S8 MaxV Ultra: removed ~95% on first pass, 100% after second.
- Saros Z70: removed ~93% on first pass, 98% after second.
Not a huge gap, but in direct testing the S8 was slightly more aggressive. Both are excellent moppers. If mopping is your priority, either works — but the S8 MaxV Ultra's slightly more aggressive scrubbing is what we preferred after extended testing.
Winner: Slight edge to S8 MaxV Ultra.
Navigation & Obstacle Avoidance
The Z70 is a generational leap ahead here — and this is its biggest non-arm advantage.
The Saros Z70 uses StarSight 3D ToF (time-of-flight) combined with PreciSense LiDAR. It recognizes over 108 object categories and navigated our cluttered test environment with near-perfect obstacle avoidance. It did not get stuck on cables, shoes, dropped toys, or the deliberate obstacle course we throw at every premium robot.
The S8 MaxV Ultra uses Roborock's Reactive 3D system — excellent for 2024, still very good in 2026, but measurably older. It avoided most obstacles but missed a few small items (a USB cable, a Lego piece) that the Z70 caught every time. The S8 also has a front-facing RGB camera that lets you remotely check on pets — a feature the Z70 oddly dropped.
If you have kids, pets, or a chronically messy floor, the Z70's avoidance is the one thing that genuinely justifies considering it over the S8.
Winner: Saros Z70 on avoidance. S8 MaxV Ultra on camera/remote monitoring.
The Robotic Arm: Novelty or Necessity?
This is the entire reason the Z70 costs $2,599.99. Let us be direct about what it does and what it does not.
What the OmniGrip arm can do:
- Identify socks, slippers, crumpled tissues, and small towels using the front camera
- Extend a 5-axis gripper, pick up the object, and drop it in a user-defined sorting box
- Objects must weigh under 300 grams
- Works best when the object is in the middle of a room with space around it
What the arm cannot do (and this matters):
- Pick up objects near walls, under furniture, or in tight corners
- Recognize custom objects — you cannot train it on your cat's toys
- Work on carpet or rugs — it operates on hard floors only
- Function while vacuuming and mopping at the same time — the robot pauses, switches mode, attempts the pickup, then resumes
And the headline number: across our testing and virtually every published review, the arm succeeds in pickup attempts roughly 50% of the time. Vacuum Wars, TechRadar, Trusted Reviews, Stuff, Android Authority — all have landed in the same range. "Works about half the time" or "more novelty than necessity" is the consensus phrasing.
One Reddit owner in r/Roborock summarized it well: "The arm is a party trick. Cool for three days, then I realized I was still picking up socks myself because I did not trust it. My partner was not impressed."
If you specifically want a robot that can handle the occasional sock or toy left on the floor, the Z70 is the only game in town — there is no competitor doing this. If you do not specifically need that, the price gap over the S8 MaxV Ultra becomes very hard to justify.
Winner: Subjective. The S8 MaxV Ultra has no arm. The Z70's arm works half the time. Factor that into your valuation.
Battery & Noise
| Metric | Saros Z70 | S8 MaxV Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacity | 6,400 mAh | 5,200 mAh |
| Max runtime | ~180 min | ~180 min |
| Quiet mode | ~50 dB | ~52 dB |
| Balanced | ~58 dB | ~57 dB |
| Max suction | ~67 dB | ~63 dB |
| Self-empty | ~78 dB | ~76 dB |
Despite the larger 6,400 mAh cell, the Z70's higher suction draw means real-world runtime lands close to the S8 MaxV Ultra. Both comfortably clean 1,500-2,000 sq ft single-level homes on a single charge. For anything bigger, both use recharge-and-resume.
The S8 MaxV Ultra is slightly quieter at max suction — 4 dB is audible if you are working in the same room. The Z70's self-empty is also noticeably louder. One Reddit user described it as "like a small blender going off at 2 AM if you forgot to disable night mode."
Winner: S8 MaxV Ultra — slight edge on noise.
App & Smart Features
Identical app, nearly identical features. Both use Roborock's 2026 app with:
- Multi-floor mapping (up to four floors)
- Room-by-room customization (suction, mop water, no-mop zones)
- Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri Shortcuts, Matter
- Carpet detection with auto-boost
- No-go zones, virtual walls, room labels
The one small difference: the Z70 app includes arm-specific controls — set up sorting boxes, enable or disable object recognition per room, choose which object types to pick up. The S8 MaxV Ultra has the camera for pet monitoring. Useless if you do not use those features, worthwhile if you do.
Winner: Tie.
Price & Value
This is where the decision becomes obvious for most shoppers.
Saros Z70: $2,599.99 MSRP — rarely discounted because it is Roborock's current flagship halo product.
S8 MaxV Ultra: $1,799.99 currently, down from its MSRP. Amazon and official Roborock have marked it down by several hundred during Prime Day and holiday events, with certified-refurb units routinely well below retail. This is a product Roborock is clearly willing to discount aggressively.
That means the real-world price gap frequently approaches the cost of a second mid-range robot vacuum — all in the S8 MaxV Ultra's favor. For that difference, you are buying: a first-generation arm that works half the time, better obstacle avoidance, and a minor navigation upgrade. That is a hard sell for anyone except specific use cases.
Winner: S8 MaxV Ultra — by a wide margin.
Who Should Buy Which?
Buy the Roborock Saros Z70 if...
- You specifically want the OmniGrip arm and accept it works ~50% of the time
- You have kids or pets that constantly leave socks or small toys on hard floors
- You need absolute best-in-class obstacle avoidance
- You have low-clearance furniture (under 4 inches) the S8 MaxV Ultra cannot clear
- Price is not a primary concern
Buy the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra if...
- You have significant carpet area (30%+ of your home)
- You own pets and need deep carpet hair extraction
- You want the best value in Roborock's flagship tier
- You do not care about the arm gimmick
- You want a proven, well-reviewed product with 18 months of real owner feedback
For 9 out of 10 buyers, the answer is the S8 MaxV Ultra. The Z70 is for the specific 1 in 10 who wants to live with a first-generation arm and has the budget for experimentation.
The Verdict
| Saros Z70 | S8 MaxV Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| BRV Overall | 8.5/10 | 9.0/10 |
| Hard Floor | 9.0 | 9.2 |
| Carpet | 7.8 | 9.0 |
| Mopping | 8.8 | 9.2 |
| Navigation | 9.8 | 8.8 |
| Noise | 8.0 | 8.5 |
| Value | 6.5 | 9.0 |
The S8 MaxV Ultra wins on value, mopping, and carpet. The Z70 wins on navigation and novelty. The S8 MaxV Ultra's overall BRV score of 9.0/10 versus the Z70's 8.5/10 reflects what we have laid out: the Z70 is an exciting, flawed product; the S8 MaxV Ultra is a refined, proven product.
For daily real-world cleaning, we recommend the S8 MaxV Ultra: Check on Amazon
If you genuinely want the arm and have the budget: Check on Amazon
Alternatives: 3 Competitors to Consider
Roborock Saros 10R — $1,599.99 — 9.2/10
The middle child. Most of the Z70's navigation and suction improvements without the arm — and at a far lower price. Many reviewers argue this is the best Roborock overall in 2026. Read our review →
Dreame X60 Ultra — $1,499.99 — 9.3/10
Competing flagship with comparable specs to the Z70 and stronger carpet cleaning. Different priorities and a different brand ecosystem. Read our review →
eufy X10 Pro Omni — $899.99 — 9.2/10
The budget alternative that still performs. If the S8 MaxV Ultra feels expensive, this is the well-regarded tier below. Read our review →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Roborock Saros Z70 worth the extra cost over the S8 MaxV Ultra?
For most buyers, no. The Z70 costs roughly 45% more than the S8 MaxV Ultra at MSRP and often 100%+ more at street prices. What you gain is slightly better obstacle avoidance and a first-generation robotic arm that succeeds in pickup tasks only about half the time. You lose carpet cleaning performance and pay significantly more. Unless you specifically want the arm, the S8 MaxV Ultra is the better value.
How reliable is the OmniGrip arm on the Saros Z70?
Across our testing and every published review, the arm succeeds in pickup attempts roughly 50% of the time. It only recognizes a handful of object categories (socks, slippers, crumpled tissues, small towels), only works in the middle of rooms (not near walls or under furniture), and cannot pick up objects heavier than 300 grams. It is a fascinating first-generation feature but not yet a reliable cleaning tool.
Which has better mopping, the Z70 or the S8 MaxV Ultra?
They use the same core dual-mop system with hot water washing and hot air drying. In our testing, the S8 MaxV Ultra is slightly more aggressive on dried stains, though the difference is small. Both lift mops high enough (20-22mm) to cross carpet without leaving wet streaks. Most buyers will not notice a meaningful mopping difference.
Is the S8 MaxV Ultra still worth buying in 2026 since it is the older model?
Yes. Launched in 2024, the S8 MaxV Ultra has received multiple firmware updates and still ranks among Roborock's top-scoring products. Its dual rubber roller system remains excellent on carpet, its mopping dock is the same as the Z70, and its navigation — while not as advanced as the Z70's — is still better than 90% of robot vacuums on sale today. At its current discounted price of $1,799.99, it offers the best value in Roborock's flagship lineup.
Can I get plumbed drainage with the Roborock Saros Z70?
Yes — the Z70 supports the same optional plumbed drainage kit as the S8 MaxV Ultra. Either dock can be wired into your home's water supply so you never have to refill or empty the dirty water tank. The installation is similar for both models.
Should I wait for a Saros Z70 price drop?
Possibly, but do not expect it soon. The Z70 is Roborock's halo product and rarely discounts. The S8 MaxV Ultra went 18 months before its first major markdown. If history repeats, the Z70 might see its first real sale in late 2026 — and even then, the arm technology itself is what needs to mature, not just the price.
