Houston, we have a problem. The Roborock H60 Hub Ultra has landed in our home and ‘traditional’ roles in the household have been upended. I’m absolutely not complaining, but weirdly in this busy household, which includes a small dog, it’s been surprisingly difficult to let the floors get dirty enough for a thorough test-drive. The male of the house seems unable to walk past the Roborock dock without taking the unit for a spin.
This is new territory. It appears the masculine and rugged Roborock name has tricked him into filing this in his mind as a blokey gadget, not a piece of housework machinery. This shift of mindset also reveals that the Roborock is clearly simple (and dare I say enjoyable?) to use and appeals to the male psyche.
Where once I had to plead to convince him to drag our squeaky wheeled vacuum out of its dark hallway cupboard of shame (where mops, dusters and a random bag of decades of vacuum attachments go to die), now our carpets and floors are getting daily treatments. No sooner has something spilled than I hear the quiet hum of the Roborock, and whoosh it’s gone.
Test drive
When I finally manage to get some alone time with Roborock, I’m able to run through the three power settings (max power does drain the battery life pretty quickly but to be honest, I’m not sure max would be needed often unless for an unexpected heavy-duty accident). Suction power is more than adequate on levels one and two for everyday chores, including kitchen floors and for wood crumbs around the fireplace.
With the battery unit located on the top, most of the weight of the cordless stick vac is in your hand, but this somehow also makes the Roborock almost feel like it’s in ‘self-drive’ mode. I think this is why it’s so enjoyable to use. It feels more like a gentle guiding of the vac thank having to push one around. And while a small detail, the bright green laser lighting the way really shows up an almost unholy amount of floor dirt in detail. I actually find it quite horrifying – does this mean I’ve been missing all of this dirt with my old vacuum? The light is fantastic for revealing what’s lurking under kitchen cupboards and furniture, and I’m sure the entire house is looking next-level clean after each vacuum.
I also find the height adjustable stick to be much kinder on my back – a lot of the older style vacuums seems to work best only if you’re hunched over them at an unnatural angle. The Roborock politely works in front of you requiring barely any effort to guide.
Now to the elephant in the room (literally). The charging dock is larger than expected at first reveal, but it’s also elegantly designed and presented, and sleek enough that you won’t even mind it being on display in your home.
Having a lifetime of being accustomed to ‘storing’ the vac behind a door or in a cupboard, I initially wondered where I’d ‘hide’ the Roborock and its dock. Turns out weeks after arriving, it’s still in the original spot I placed it – in relatively full view in our hallway alcove, but it’s so aesthetically well designed, it looks like it’s found its permanent home, and I don’t mind it at all.
One of the best features of this entire setup is the auto emptying component (another reason to love the dock). I can’t imagine finding anyone who might miss the need to rummage their hand around in a dust and rubbish filled cavity, as is required to empty most units. And traditionally a major downside of stick vacuums has been their limited capacity, requiring constant emptying to even do one pass over most homes. This hasn’t been an issue at all, as every time the Roborock stick vac is docked to charge, it empties if necessary.
The Roborock auto-empty is just fantastic, with no hands-on whisking required empty the dust chamber. It quietly and discreetly deals with its own mess, self-emptying into the main unit and storing away the vestiges of the less desirable aspects of your life without a trace.
The dock also holds a dustbag and the two extra tools the vac comes with. This also brings me joy. I’m not sure why I’ve felt the need to hang onto the overwhelming array of additional tools that vacuums have come with over the years – but I have quite the collection. They’re finally going to exit this house, as the Roborock has quite rightly streamlined all of the unnecessary into just two additional tools – one for getting into crevasses and corners, and another mini-brush ideal for upholstery and mattresses, etc.
The main head is equipped with an anti-tangle brush (who remembers the agony of trying to separate long hair from the rollers of old vacuums?) It’s perfect for those with family members who insist on brushing their hair anywhere except the bathroom, and for removing evidence of furry canine and feline friends.
If home hygiene and air quality is important to you, you’ll appreciate knowing that the sealed dust bags on the H60 Hub Ultra are designed to trap 99% of bacteria, helping keep dust and allergens securely contained.
Inside the vacuum itself, a 5-stage filtration system, including a HEPA filter, captures 99.95% of microdust particles as small as 0.3 microns, while a 9-cyclone separation system maintains strong, steady suction by preventing clogs. It’s everything you need for a cleaner home, and cleaner air.
Quite simply it’s become our favourite toy/gadget/friend – call it what you will – but it’s definitely here to stay.
Price point: The Roborock H60 Hub Ultra may be at the top tier of the stick vac market, but it’s definitely not just an average stick vac. Taking into account its user friendly design and functions, added features such as auto emptying, auto charging and vastly improved (for this household anyway) standards of hygiene, we reckon it’s worth the spend.
Quick facts
- Roborock H60 Hub Ultra
- Suction: 210AW
- Internal dustbin: 500ml
- Hub (auto emptying) capacity: 3L bag
- Extendable wand from 420-640mm
- HEPA filter
- Washable dust chamber
- 140° wide-angle green dust detection light
- Sealed dust bags and a 5-stage filtration system
- RRP$1299
