Roidmi F8 Storm Review: Xiaomi’s Answer to Dyson

Over recent years, many Chinese manufacturers have been trying to grab a piece of the cordless stick vacuum pie.

The Roidmi F8 Storm is one such brand from the Far East aiming to unseat Dyson as the best.

Is this product a good substitute for brands such as Dyson and Shark?

We’ll have a close look at the Roidmi F8 in this review and see how it performs and if it’s a good option that’s more cost-efficient.

Table of Contents

Roidmi F8 Design

Regarding design, the Roidmi F8 has much in common with the Dyson V8 and V10. It is similar because it has interchangeable tools, giving it whole-home clean-ability.

However, there are some differences, and we’ll go through them individually.

If you prefer a video review, please watch this video to see what I think about the Roidmi F8.

1. Body design

The Roidmi F8 body is cylindrical, with the motor and dust cup aligned in the same direction. It gives the F8 outstanding airflow and is is primarily why it gets better numbers than the Dyson V8.

It’s similar to the Dyson V10 in that the dust bin and motor are in a straight line. However, there are differences with the placement of the wand.

The V10’s extension wand is smack in the middle of the bin, while the F8 sits slightly on top.

This placement makes the nozzle of the F8 narrower and more prone to clogs (more on that in the cleaning performance section).

2. Cleaning head

Here’s a close look at the F8’s soft roller bar. It’s got plenty of clearance that helps it clean small to medium size dirt. This tool can pick up cheerio-sized debris but clogs at the wand.

This is the carbon fiber brush tool in the F8. It’s also an excellent performer on the carpet and hard floor. In my tests, it could deep clean 83.8% of coffee grounds on low pile carpet.

Another difference is the main cleaning head. The Dyson has two attachments–one for the soft roller and another for the bristled attachment.

On the older Dyson cordless vacuums like the V8 or V6, you’ll need to change the cleaning head-on transitions from hard floor to carpet and vice versa.

The V10 is not as much because the torque drive head has two gates that can accommodate more bulky rubbish.

The F8 only has one nozzle but two different brushes – the soft roller and carbon fiber brush.

Instead of changing the whole head, you’ll only need to change the brush.

3. Ergonomics

Roidmi’s looping handle provides the user with different grip options depending on the area that needs cleaning.

However, since most of the weight of this vacuum is on the top, it’ll put a lot of pressure on the forearm and wrist when cleaning spaces high up.

The Dyson only has one grip option since it uses a trigger as an on/off switch.

One advantage the Roidmi has is the vacuum stays on without the need to squeeze a trigger continuously.

The Dyson V10 feels more balanced in my testing since the handle sits below the motor and dust cup.

The F8 is more straining because the handle is on top and back of the motor, so you’re carrying the whole weight of the vacuum.

How does the Roidmi F8 Storm clean?

To understand how the F8 cleans, let’s first look at the attachments that come along with it.

For the price, it does come with a generous set of tools that can clean nearly every part of the home.

Let’s have a close look at each of these tools.

Roidmi has one cleaning head with two separate brush attachments.

First is the soft roller brush that works exceptionally well on hard surfaces. This technology, first seen in Dyson vacuums, will be the future of hard floor cleaning.

Next is the carbon fiber brush. This attachment combines soft carbon fiber bristles and a stiff squeegee-type blade designed to agitate carpet.

You can use the carbon fiber brush on bare floors, and it will do well even on medium-sized debris because of the high clearance.

On the front of the cleaning head is a row of LED lights that helps track dirt. These lights turn on automatically when the vacuum runs.

The F8 does not have the light sensor in the NEX that only switches on the LED; it detects low lighting conditions.

Both these attachments are interchangeable, and swapping them isn’t hard.

Other tools

Crevice/brush combination tool: This two-in-one tool combines a crevice and brush tool. The brush part is useful for cleaning keyboards and vents, while the crevice tool is great for reaching tight areas. One grip I have is the lack of reach – the crevice tool is too short, in my opinion.

Flexible hose: One of my favorite tools is the flexible hose, which is only usable with the crevice and brush tools. It helps extend the range and maneuverability of the crevice/brush attachment, making this another option for cleaning car interiors.

Mini-turbo brush: This tool is a miniature version of the leading cleaning head. Its motorized brush also works great at cleaning upholstery and stairs. The bottom portion of it swivels forward and backward to help maintain surface contact.

Extension wand: It is a long tube where all the cleaning apparatuses can be attached. With this tool attached, you can use the vacuum as a stick vacuum; without it, the vacuum turns into a handheld.

Magnetic dock: The Roidmi dock is unique because it uses a solid magnet to hold the vacuum. It does not have the charging pins as the Roidmi NEX has, so you’ll have to plug the charger directly into the vacuum itself.

The latest versions of the Roidmi F8 now have two filters – the primary HEPA filter (on the right) and a secondary foam filter (on the left). This adds another layer of filtration to protect the motor from fine dust.

Filter: The F8 comes with an extra filter out of the box. It is made from paper, so it isn’t washable, and since it clogs up fast, especially in dusty environments, buy an extra set.

Cleaning tool: This tool is useful for removing hair that wraps around the brush or for dusting dust around the metal shroud inside the dust bin or the filter.

All these tools combined give the F8 the capability to clean different parts of your house and vehicle.

It does not have the sheer volume of attachments as the Tineco Pure One S12, but it’s good enough for the average household.

Cleaning Performance

To see how well the Roindmi F8 handles dirt, I test it against everyday household messes. These include coffee grounds, cereal, and Quaker oats.

Both tools did well on hard floors and carpet picking up a majority of the dirt I scattered on the surface.

The high clearance of the main nozzle allows it to clean even Cheerios-sized debris.

One issue though, is the wand clogging if you try to clean a lot of large-debris. The opening inside the wand and nozzle is quite narrow, so don’t overload it.

Cleaning Results

• Overall: 94.76%
• Hard Floor: 98.45%
• Carpet: 93.75%
• Deep Cleaning: 92.1%

Hard Floor Tests

Here’s where the soft roller brush shines – cleaning hard floors. The beauty of this tool is the default power setting is enough in most cases to pick up small to medium-sized dirt.

It helps maximize run time to its fullest, which is over 47 minutes. That’s a lot of time for cleaning floors, even in more than one room.

The soft roller attachment did a superb job at picking up almost all of the quaker oats scattered on the surface.

It did equally well on smaller bits of dirt like coffee grounds.

The biggest issue for me would be how the F8 clogs up when cleaning large stuff like Cheerios. It will clog up. The problem isn’t the lack of suction of agitation, but the narrow pathway leading to the dust cup.

Carpet Cleaning Test

When it comes to surface cleaning, the Roidmi F8 did a superb job cleaning Quaker oats as it was able to clean most of it on low pile carpet.

The combination brush of the F8 did an excellent job at cleaning quaker oats.

The F8 struggles a little bit with fine dirt on carpets as you can see the remnants of coffee grounds. It was still able to pick up most of the dirt – around 90% on the highest setting, which is always a good score.

The Roidmi F8 is a capable vacuum that can clean dirt on the carpet. It surprised me with its score on the deep cleaning tests I did – at 92.1% on low pile carpet.

Roidmi F8 vs. Dyson Cordless Vacuums

Now let’s look into how the Roidmi F8 compares with the brand it’s chasing – Dyson. Roidmi has made a lot of claims about their vacuums, and this is where the rubber meets the road. How does it compare, and can it outperform it?

The first comparison we’ll look at is between the F8 and the Dyson V10 Absolute. Both these vacuums are excellent performers.

The final score in the video is lopsided, but I’d like to point out that the V10 Absolute costs almost twice as much as the F8. What surprised me is how close the F8 is when it comes to cleaning floors.

Cleaning Performance

It doesn’t matter if it’s cleaning surface or embedded dirt. The F8’s performance isn’t too far off.

In the deep cleaning tests where I rubbed in 50 grams of fine coffee grounds on medium-pile carpet, the F8 scored 92.3% combined on two tests, while the V10 Absolute scored 94.4%.

That’s very impressive for a vacuum that costs almost half. When it comes to picking up surface dirt, these two vacuums are close, to be honest. If there is a difference, it is just very minimal.

Both vacuums did well at picking up surface dirt on carpets.

On hard floor, both the F8 and V10 did an excellent job even with their standard brush roll.

Here’s a look at the before and after with the soft roller cleaning head.

The one thing that both vacuums struggled with based on tests is cleaning Fruit loops. Cleaning this much fruit loops will result in clogging. For the V10, it clogs up at the nozzle, and with the F8, it can clog up either at the extension tube or the pathway going to the dust cup.

This is the only issue that I had to deal with during the cleaning tests.

Dust Cup Design

However, the V10 is superior when it comes to dirt capacity (almost double) and how easy it is to empty the dust cup thanks to the hygienic system.

Here’s the Roidmi F8 and Dyson V10 side by side.

So, in essence, you don’t have to empty the V10 as often, and it’s less messy.

Run Time Comparison

The V10 also runs longer – up to 61 minutes in the lowest setting using a non-motorized attachment like the combination tool.

Roidmi won’t run as long at just 50 minutes with the brush tool attached.

Accessories

When it comes to accessories, the Dyson V10 Absolute has more than the Roidmi F8.

However, the V10 does not have the flexible hose tool that the F8 has, which helps a lot with cleaning cramped areas, but that can be remedied by purchasing this hose attachment. The F8 has fewer tools, so it doesn’t have as much versatility.

Noise Level

Despite having more power and airflow, there isn’t much difference between the noise levels.

The Dyson V10 and Roidmi F8 have virtually the same noise level on low at 64and 64.1 decibels and 78.7 and 80.3 decibels on high, respectively. Roidmi produces a higher-pitched sound on max while Dyson’s Torque Drive tool can get loud with its vibrations.

Ergonomics

Lastly, we’ll look at ergonomics. The F8’s handle is a mixed bag. It’s is pretty light when cleaning floors even with the less than responsive steering. But if you lift it for any length of time, it can get tiring on the wrist and arm, especially if you hold it straight.

The V10 is a bit heavier to move around with the bulkier body. Still, it’s lighter above floors thanks to the better weight distribution with the handle underneath the motor instead of being at the back.

This shouldn’t be much of an issue without the wand, but it will be if you attach the wand and tool to clean areas high up there.

Again, these are the things you’ll have to consider when looking at these two vacuums.

If you want something much cheaper that performs almost as well and not mind the flaws, then the F8 is an excellent option.

But for people who don’t want to get their hands dirty continually and not mind paying the higher cost, the Dyson V10 makes more sense.

How long does the Roidmi F8 Storm run?

One of the most important criteria one should look for in a cordless stick vacuum is how long the battery runs.

Looking at the Roidmi documentation, it says there that a full charge will run for up to 50 minutes based on my tests.

Take note that the figure is with suction only tools like the crevice tool at the default power mode.

To get an accurate real-world figure, I charge the vacuum and run it with and without the powered tools until the battery is drained and get the statistics from there.

There will be margins of error in this test, so take it with some grain of salt. The goal here is to get a figure of what to expect on the low and high power setting using the powered and non-powered tools.

Even with the main floor nozzle, this vacuum was able to run past 47 minutes! It’s almost 5 minutes longer than the Dyson V8 Absolute.

How easy is it to use the Roidmi F8?

Out of the box, all the components are packed in separate containers.

Let’s first look at the assembly.

Assembling the Roidmi F8 is easy and self-explanatory.

All tools will securely latch in place thanks to the solidly built locking contraption.

However, detaching the tools will require a little bit of force as the quick release button isn’t as smooth as a Dyson.

The main cleaning head comes with the soft roller already attached.

Main cleaning head

Removing the main brush is simple, but there are some quirks.

Underneath the nozzle is a button that releases a lock that holds the brush in place.

The quirk is that the side guards of the brush are smooth. Your fingers will tend to slip as you pull it out.

This isn’t a significant issue, but it’s still not as intuitive as other brands.

Make no mistake; the lock is well-built and seems to be durable, but a quick start quick with large illustrations on how to change the brush would be helpful.

Dust cup

Another source of frustration (at least for me) is the dust cup. It’s not a severe design flaw but something that Roidmi can improve upon in future releases.

While Dyson has the hygienic system that pushes dirt out, the F8 only relies on a latch.

Emptying the dust bin can be messy, no matter how careful you are.

Another potential issue is how easily the filter assembly slips of the outer shell of the bin if you turn it upside down.

I think this only happens if the rubber around the filter wears out when I put in the new filter; it was not an issue anymore.

Newer versions of the F8 seem to have this issue resolved, but it’s something worth noting.

Versatility

Here’s how the F8 looks like with the mini-turbo brush attached in handheld mode.

One of the most significant benefits of the F8 is you can use as a handheld vacuum.

Just remove the long extension wand and attach the tools directly on the unit.

It’s easy, and changing tools is almost as easy as a Dyson and Shark.

The addition of the flexible hose is vital because it makes cleaning small areas much more straightforward.

Smartphone app

One unique feature that Roidmi has is a smartphone app that connects via BlueTooth. This software provides vital information about vacuum, most notably the battery and filter status.

If the filter is clogged, the app gives you a heads up when it needs to be replaced.

It also contains the manual just in case you want to read it using the phone.

Firmware upgrades are also available through the app.

Maneuverability

Yes, the Roidmi F8 primary floor attachment can swivel, so moving around furniture won’t be an issue. However, it can be hard to steer with the wand flat to the ground.

Roidmi has a reliable floor cleaning tool that swivels with ease. This feature makes it easy to move around and underneath furniture.

This is a lengthy vacuum, so even for tall folks, there’s a bit of awkwardness using it. The extended handle does help in this regard because you can hold it at different positions.

Maneuverability in handheld mode is a mixed mag. The vacuum itself is light, but the length of the body will be a challenge in navigating narrow spaces.

Maintenance and replacement parts

The two components that need constant TLC is the filter and cleaning nozzle.

Roidmi does an excellent job of protecting the bearing with the plastic cover on the side.

So it’s just a matter of keeping the brush roll free from hair and dust bunnies.

There are several layers of filtration, but the most critical part is the main filter at the backmost part of the dust cup.

You’ll need to clean the filter once or twice a week, depending on how dusty the environment is.

Roidmi provides a brush tool for this task. Regularly check this filter to see if it is clogged or check the app for the overall status.

Replacement filters are readily available on Amazon, so there’s no issue with that.

No replacement battery

One potential issue in the long term is the lack of a replacement battery.

The battery itself is removable, but you’ll need a special torque screwdriver to remove the bolts that hold the cover in place.

Roidmi says that the production of these batteries is in the works, so let’s wait and see.

How much power does the Roidmi F8 have?

To measure power, I used an anemometer to measure airflow at the wand just to give you an idea of how much power this vacuum has in comparison with other brands.

Remember that there will be some margin for error in these tests, so take it with some grain of salt.

The purpose of these tests is for comparison versus other brands.

All of these figures are airflow from the wand.

Noise level

To accurately measure noise from the F8, I used a sound meter around two feet away for a few minutes.

Here are the results

At MAX power, the F8 is quite loud – almost 10 decibels louder than the Roidmi NEX.

Does the Roidmi F8 provide good value?

The short answer is yes. Roidmi did an outstanding job of building a high-quality product that will perform. It’s a mid-priced stick vacuum that does not lag far behind from options several hundred dollars more expensive.

Does it clean well enough?

Airflow numbers aren’t far off from the Dyson V10, which enables it to clean most debris quite thoroughly.

In terms of surface pick up, the F8 scored above average in nearly all tests except for the massive debris test with Cheerios.

Using this vacuum to clean a large pile of cereal will result in clogging. Other than that hiccup, it was able to work almost flawlessly in the other tests.

One downside with the carbon fiber brush is it does not have as much agitation as a Dyson, Tineco, and Shark. It does not clean carpet as well as those other brands.

How about maintenance costs?

Roidmi has pretty good parts availability – from the brush roll to filters, and several vendors are selling on Amazon.

Check Price

The only issue I have (so far) is the availability of batteries.

I hope that Roidmi follows through with what they told me about having replacement batteries and the special tool to remove the screws.

Roidmi F8 Specifications

Who should buy the Roidmi F8 stick vacuum cleaner?

The Roidmi F8 Storm is an outstanding option for people seeking a mid-priced cordless stick vacuum that cleans.

It’s got enough attachments for whole-home cleaning and above-average performance that keeps floors, upholstery, and stairs free from dirt.

3 Reasons Why You Should Consider the Roidmi F8

1. Need something that vacuums for an extended period: The F8 will run for over 47 minutes with the main floor nozzle attached. That’s more than enough time inside a small to medium-sized home.
2. Versatile functionality: The interchangeable tools make the F8 a versatile vacuum functional in different configurations, such as a stick or handheld vacuum.
3. Need a vacuum that cleans well: In most of the cleaning tests I did, the F8 did almost flawlessly. There were some issues with the cheerios, and it didn’t deep clean carpet as well as the V10, but those were the only hiccups.