After the S7 launch, Roborock recently unveiled another product, the H7. It’s an upgrade over the previous H6 model. Despite having similar design elements, it has some exciting upgrades that we’ll look at in this review.
Bagged and Bagless Capability!
- Ergonomics - 96%96%
- Surface Cleaning - 95.94%96%
- Deep Cleaning - 96%96%
- Quality - 95%95%
- Design - 95%95%
- Value - 94%94%
Summary
Yes, you heard it right. The H7 provides users the option to use it as a bagged or bagless vacuum. I believe this is a first of its kind with cordless stick vacuums. Roborock did this to address issues with allergen exposure. Other upgrades include the 20% larger dustbin and power upgrade, which we’ll look into in detail below.
It may not wow you with the latest high-tech features, but it is a solidly built product that cleans very well on carpet, thanks to the bump in airflow and suction. This, combined with the larger dustbin, makes it an excellent option for folks looking for a cordless stick vacuum that can clean carpets well. It has its flaws, like the non-detachable battery, but if you don’t mind them, then consider it as an option.
Pros
- Lightweight design makes it very usable as a handheld
- Larger dirt volume than the H6 (500 ml)
- Great at deep cleaning carpet
- Usable as a bagged or bagless vacuum
- Extended run time of up to 91 minutes
- Fast recharge time of just 2.5 hours
- An OLED screen provides excellent contrast and readability
- A wide array of attachments
- Magnetized tools are easier to store
Cons
- Some leaks during the fog test
- Soft roller not included
- Steering could improve
Introduction to the Roborock H7
The H7 is Roborock’s second cordless stick vacuum with the same design cues as the previous H6 model. But this version is slightly bigger, with more power, plus the option to use as a bagged vacuum.
Despite the larger form factor, the weight increase isn’t much (only a little over an ounce), which is excellent news since it retains the compact and light design.
Let’s go through these upgrades one by one.
More power
Roborock increases the H7’s power over the H6 by ten air watts. I verified this uptick by putting the H7 through two different tests – an airflow and suction test.
The H7 has up to 14% more airflow and a 47% increase in suction, which is more than the ten air watt figure given by Roborock. Please note that I did the suction test only on the highest setting.
This uptick in airflow and suction is confirmed in the cleaning tests (more below) as it had better overall scores, particularly on carpet.
Larger dustbin
The next upgrade is the bigger dustbin – around 25% more (500 ml vs. 400ml). This enables the H7 to hold more dirt and necessitate fewer trips to the trash bin.
Bagged and Bagless capability
Most vacuums are bagged or bagless, meaning they use a bag or hold dirt in a plastic container. The H7 is the first I’ve seen that provides users both options. By default, the H7 is a bagless vacuum, but it comes with an insert to convert it to a bagged vacuum.
To convert to a bagged system, remove the filter assembly, attach the insert then slide the bag.
Users will get two bags out of the box.
One advantage of using a bagged system is there’s less exposure to allergens when emptying it. Roborock added this feature to address this concern raised by some of its customers.
The H7 bag looks like this. It has a narrow transparent portion to check if it’s full or not.
One downside for the H7 bag is its small capacity – it will require more frequent replacements.
The bag has a tab beneath that closes the bag when pulled, sealing the content in place, preventing debris from coming out.
Magnetized attachments and Magbase
All the H7 tools are magnetized, so it’s possible to stick them on a metallic surface like a refrigerator for quick access.
This model also has a wall-mountable dock Roborock calls “Magbase,” where users can store the attachments.
Faster recharge
The H7 will recharge at just 2.5 hours or 37% faster than the H6 (at 4 hours). I like this upgrade as it reduces the waiting time. It’s an essential improvement since the H7’s battery isn’t detachable, so there’s no option to buy an extra battery.
Mop add on
Roborock will sell a mopping attachment to extend the functionality of the H7 to mop floors.
Cleaning nozzle
Roborock retains a similarly designed brush attachment with the H7. It only comes with the standard nozzle but not the soft roller attachment, which is a disappointment since it could have added more value to consumers.
One difference with the H7 brush is users can’t remove the brush from the frame. Not a big deal, but I’d prefer something with a detachable brush, so it’s easier to clean.
What I like about the H7 brush is the seal underneath that improves efficiency by funneling debris towards the brush.
Dustbin design and capacity
The H7 retains the same design as the H6 with some subtle improvements. One of which is the filter lock over the primary filter, which was absent in the H6.
As I’ve said earlier, the H7 has 20% more dirt volume than the H6 at 500 ml, so there’s no need to empty it as often.
Aside from the capacity increase, everything remains the same, including the trap door design for disposing of dirt.
Even if it lacks a hygienic system, most debris will fall into the bin when opened. Having the option to use it as a bagged system does provide users a way to empty it without direct exposure to allergens.
Unfortunately, it isn’t a totally sealed system as there were leaks during the fog test.
How much power does the Roborock H7 have?
I measured power using an anemometer and water lift gauge, revealing an increase over the H6.
Here are the results after the airflow test with the cleaning nozzle.
- Low: 18.99 CFM
- Mid: 24.87 CFM
- Max: 36.61 CFM
And the results at the extension wand.
- Low: 21.94 CFM
- Mid: 28.52 CFM
- Max: 47 CFM
One of the new experiments I’ve added is the water lift test using a vacuum gauge. The H7 had a staggering 48% increase over the H6 at 90 inches of water lift (H6 only had 55″ of water lift).
Cleaning performance
Next, we’ll look at how well the H7 picked up various debris types such as pet litter, quaker oats, coffee grounds, quinoa, sand, and pet litter.
It did pretty well, better than the H6, especially on carpet, verifying that the power increase in the H7.
- Overall: 95.76%
- Hard floor: 88.05%
- Sand on hard floor: 99.5%
- Carpet: 99.52%
- Deep cleaning: 96%
One thing you’ll notice is the sub-90% score on hard floors, which I’ll explain below. Aside from that, it was excellent in the other tests, especially on carpet, where it did well on the surface and embedded debris experiments.
Hard floor results
- Quaker oats: 52.4%
- Coffee grounds: 100%
- Quinoa: 100%
- Pet litter: 99.8%
You’ll notice it did a horrible job cleaning quaker oats with only a 52.4% score. It wasn’t a pick-up issue but a clearance issue. The standard brush attachment didn’t have enough clearance for the quaker oat pile to fit through, thus snowplowing it forward.
Sand on hard floor
Cleaning sand is one of the toughest debris to pick up, especially with a standard brush attachment. The H7 picked up an average of 99.5% in two tests. Please note that I used the max setting to pick up the few crumbs of sand left after the first few passes.
It’s still a decent score, and I like the brush has a seal behind the roller, so debris is funneled towards the suction chamber.
Edge cleaning
The H7 also did well in the edge cleaning, picking up most of the coffee grounds in a few passes. This is another proof of the H7 suction increase.
Unfortunately, it didn’t pick up everything on the quarter-inch crevice test.
You can see it left some quinoa on the far right portion, even at the max setting.
Hair wrap test on hard floors
Next, we’ll look at how well the H7 resisted hair tangles. I tested it on five-, seven-, and nine-inch strands until hair wrapped on the brush.
- 5-inch strands: 100% in the dustbin; 0% on the brush
- 7-inch strands: 100% in the dustbin; 0% on the brush
- 9-inch strands: 30% in the dustbin; 70% on the brush
It did well on five- and seven-inch strands, but its limit was nine inches, which is pretty good since this vacuum doesn’t have an active anti-tangle system.
Carpet Cleaning
The Roborock H7 excels at cleaning carpets, and the numbers prove it.
Low pile results
- Quaker oats: 99.2%
- Coffee grounds: 98.4%
- Quinoa: 100%
- Pet litter: 100%
It did well in low pile carpet, picking up in the high 90s with two perfect quinoa and pet litter scores. Again, this is evidence of the higher suction and airflow. Compared to the Dyson V8, it has higher averages on this surface.
Mid pile results
- Quaker oats: 99%
- Coffee grounds: 99.6%
- Quinoa: 100%
- Pet litter: 100%
Surprisingly, the H7 did better on mid-pile carpet, especially on coffee grounds. One reason could be I used the max setting and did more passes. But regardless, this vacuum is an excellent carpet cleaning option outside the similarly priced Dyson V8 and Tineco A11.
Deep cleaning test
Another strength of the H7 is its deep cleaning ability. Not as good as the Dyson V11 or V15, but it’s decent for a cordless vacuum. It picked up an average of 96% on two tests, but please note I used the max setting for these experiments.
Hair wrap test on carpet
I also did a hair wrap test on carpet to check how well the H7 will resist tangles better than on hard floors.
And the results are impressive for a vacuum without an active anti-tangle system.
- 5-inch strands: 100% in the dustbin; 0% on the brush
- 7-inch strands: 100% in the dustbin; 0% on the brush
- 9-inch strands: 100% in the dustbin; 0% on the brush
- 11-inch strands: 85% in the dustbin; 15% on the brush
It resisted tangles from the five, seven, and nine-inch strands, but the limit is eleven inches. But it still picked up 85% with the eleven-inch test, so I’d consider it an excellent score.
How long will the Roborock H7 run?
I tested the Roborock H7 on various configurations, and it exceeded the 90-minute claimed time. It lasted 91 minutes at the lowest setting with the crevice tool attached.
Here are the complete results.
Crevice tool | Cleaning head | |
---|---|---|
Low | 91 mins. | 56:58 mins |
Mid | 45:19 mins. | 41:03 mins |
High | 8:41 mins. | N/A |
This is an improvement over the H6 since it only lasted around 86 minutes before shutting off during the run time experiment.
Please note that the battery isn’t detachable, so there’s no way of doubling the run time.
How noisy is the Roborock H7?
Unfortunately, the H7 isn’t quiet. I tested it with a sound meter (with the main nozzle attached), and it exceeded 70 decibels on all three tests.
- Low: 70.6 dB
- Mid: 71.9 dB
- Max: 76.2 dB
Availability of Parts
Since the H7 is new, the only place you can buy replacement parts such as the bags and filters would be directly from Roborock. Only time will tell if the H7 will gain steam with popularity, so right now, it’s limited.
Product Specifications
Model | Roborock H7 |
---|---|
Brush roll on/off | No |
Battery | 25.2-volt 3600 mAh Li-ion battery |
Charging time | 2.5 hrs. |
Battery life | up to 91 mins. (from one battery) |
Weight | 3.2 lbs. |
Width | 9.8" |
Overall length | 47.5" |
Battery indicator | Yes |
Filter type | Washable pre-motor and HEPA filter |
Dust capacity | 0.5 li |
Airflow | Up to 47 CFM |
Cordless | Yes |
Bagless | Yes |
Warranty | 2 yrs. |
Price | Check Price |
Where can you buy the Roborock H7?
The Roborock H7 will be available in online stores like Amazon. Please check the link below for the latest pricing information.
- Roborock H7 on Amazon
Disclaimer: I will earn a commission if you purchase through the link above, but at no extra cost, so it’s a win-win for us!
Does the Roborock H7 offer good value?
The enhancements Roborock put in the H7 make it a compelling option even at its current price point, which is at the level of a Dyson V8 and Tineco A11. Its ability to clean carpet is among the best I’ve tested and makes a good value alternative since it doubles as a bagged vacuum.
One concern for me is the leaks during the fog test, which was an issue with the Tineco A11. However, the leaks aren’t as evident as Tineco, so it’s a bit better in this area.
The lack of a soft roller attachment is a letdown. I was hoping Roborock add this feature for more value-add. However, as it is, this vacuum still offers excellent value because it cleans carpets as well as a Dyson and Tineco with a longer-lasting battery.
5 Reasons to buy the Roborock H7
- Long run time: The H7 exceeded its 90-minute claim by one minute. If you need something that will run for an extended period, the H7 is an excellent option.
- Bagged or bagless functionality: This cord-free product can function as a bagless or bagged vacuum – a first of its kind.
- Excellent at cleaning carpet: The bump in power enables the H7 to clean carpet better than the previous H6 model. It’s one of the better options for deep cleaning carpet.
- Magnetized tools: All the cleaning attachments included in the package are magnetized – you can stick them on a metallic surface (e.g., on the fridge) for easy storage.
- Lithium Polymer battery: Roborock says the lithium polymer battery is designed to last long. I have the H6, and I didn’t notice much degradation with run time.
The Verdict: Excellent Non-Dyson Option on Carpet
After testing the H7 for the past few days, I’m impressed by its overall cleaning performance, especially on carpet. It’s one of the better options at debris pick up on this surface without breaking the bank on the Dyson V11 Torque Drive, Outsize, or V15 Detect.
There are some issues like the not-as-sharp steering and partial leaks during the fog tests.
But as it is, this product can clean carpet inside small to mid-sized homes, thanks to the extended run time.
Hair pick-up is surprisingly good for a vacuum without an active tangle system, so it’s a viable option for pet owners, at least for cleaning pet hair on floors.