Cleaning Power
Roborock pride themselves on providing top quality, high performing products for a fraction of the price of premium brands - and the H6's cleaning power is nothing to be sneezed at (because there won't be any dust left to cause you to sneeze).
Suction Power
The H6 boasts a suction power of 150AW, which is quite impressive - considering that the equivalent Dyson model is a V10, which is substantially more expensive. This is generated by a 420W multi-layer impeller motor, which is driven by a Li-Po battery - but more on that a bit later.
The stick vac picks up all dust, dirt and debris from even the highest pile carpet, and hard floors are no problem at all. All our tests had the H6 performing better than the Dyson V10 in almost every cleaning category.
We tested with numerous debris types on both carpet and hard floors. All in all, the cleaning performance of the H6 was impressive and there is very little to complain about. If I had to pick something to complain about, it would be that occasionally the vac needed two passes to pick up all the debris, but this is pretty standard on cordless stick vacuums.
Included Tools
The H6 comes with a number included tools for cleaning.
Crevice Tool
Designed to get into hard to reach places in the home or car, the crevice tool is pretty standard and works well.
Dusting Brush
Also pretty standard these days, the dusting brush is great for cleaning items like keyboards, window sills or surfaces where there is areas for the dust to hide away.
Floor Tool
The floor tool does a great job at cleaning on both carpets and hard floors.
It has a built in 50w motor which drives the power head brush to assist with picking up stubborn dirt and debris. This motor does reduce the battery life (as does any such floor tool), but not to an unusable amount.
I was actually impressed by this brush, because it seems to pick up long hair with ease, and not get it tangled around the roller itself. Anyone who deals with long hair in their cleaning duties will appreciate this!
One Small IssueThere is one small issue I had with the floor tool, and that is the fact that it uses a 90 degree side to side swivel to achieve maneuverability in the head This is in comparison with the Dyson heads which use a 360 degree rotation instead. It is hard to explain without a demonstration so see the images below.
But basically, I found that the Roborock floor tool gave me less fine control than the Dyson floor tool. It's not a deal breaker, but it does need to be mentioned.
Motorized Mini Brush
This brush is like a small version of the floor tool that is designed to draw the dust and allergens out of soft furnishings such as beds and sofas. I also found it particularly handy to use in vehicles and on car mats.
Noise Levels
We also found the noise of the vacuum to be very reasonable, considering such a high level of suction is present. Roborock tells us this is due to a "specially designed noise dampening chamber and advanced airflow control as well as the rear filter."
We did a quick measurement of the noise readings using a smartphone application:
These measurements were taken using a Huawei P30 Pro, using the 'Sound Meter App' from 1ft behind the units motor. It should be noted that these measurements are not taken by a professional device and are given as indicative levels only.Advanced Cleaning Features
One of the innovative features of the H6 is the auto boost mode (very similar to the s5 Max Robotic Vacuum). The vacuum detects when the floor tool is on a carpet surface, and automatically ramps up the power to ensure a proper clean.
One thing I hate, is features on products that are just a gimmick - a marketing ploy to sucker users into thinking it's a good buy...Well that is not the case with the Roborock H6. This auto boost feature in NOt just a gimmick, it works really well.
Our tests showed the unit detecting carpet within a few seconds of moving from a hard floor to a carpet floor and ramping up the power quickly.
Battery Life
It should be noted that the battery life boasted in the H6 specifications are with no tools attached. The actual run time you will get out of the unit will vary depending on your tool choice, and the power level chosen.
But, in saying that, the battery life is sufficient to carry out most cleaning jobs on a single recharge. The house we tested this unit in is quite large with 5 carpeted bedrooms, multiple living spaces and 3 bathrooms and a daily vacuum was usually completed on a single charge.
The impressive battery life is thanks to the 3.6aH Lithium-polymer battery. Li-Po batteries are very similar to lithium-ion batteries, but they are more dense which allows a larger capacity to be packed into smaller location. This is the same battery technology that is used in high end drones to allow for maximum flight time, from a small sized battery.
Usability
As far as usability goes, this stick vacuum has some advanced features which really add to the ease of use.
Trigger Lock
If there is one feature that may be the deciding feature for some potential users, it's the trigger lock function. It allows you to turn the vacuum on, push the trigger lock button and then take your finger off the trigger to allow the vacuum to stay powered on.
I feel this feature would be especially useful for users with hand strength issues or those with arthritis.
This is also especially handy, because the trigger of the H6 is not completely comfortable and prolonged use without the trigger lock becomes uncomfortable.
OLED Display
An OLED display on a vacuum cleaner may seem a little silly, but it has actually been implemented in quite a useful way.
The display shows:
- The trigger lock status
- The usage time remaining on current power level (alternated from percentage to countdown timer)
- The power level chosen
3 Power Levels
A lot of cordless stick vacuums have only two power levels. The H6 has three - which is very handy because with the other brands I often find myself wishing there was an inbetween setting.
The power level is chosen but pushing the button at the rear of the handle, although as mentioned previously - the unit will automatically switch up a level when it detects carpet underneath the floor tool.
Dustbin and Filters
Emptying the dustbin is as easy as any Dyson model. Simply push the dustbin release lever and the bottom opens up allowing for easy emptying.
If you have stubborn hair or dust stuck in the dustbin, then it is easy to dissemble further to get access to clean it out.
There are also 2 filters that assist with motor protection and allergen/pollen capture which need to be washed monthly.
Roborock also recommends washing out the multi-cyclone assembly monthly along with the filters.
Storage
In the box is a handy wall mounted storage rack which allows you to not only charge the vacuum, but also to store the included tools.
Roborock tells us that you can also get an optional floor stand if wall mount is not possible for you.
Quality
The quality of the H6 seems to be on par with the more expensive brands such as Dyson. The plastic casing feels hard and robust, and some basic drop tests have showed no signs of damage.
The switches and buttons all feel solid and responsive and the connections on the tools and the vacuum seal well and have very little wiggle room.
As far as the build quality itself goes, I cannot find anything to complain about.
Roborock offers 1 year warranty, which is nothing outstanding - and I would really like to see the manufacturer back up their claims of high quality with a longer warranty, but it is pretty standard these days.
I am told that the vacuum is designed to to last for 800+ hours of use, which is going to be hard to confirm - but it's an impressive number!
Roborock H6 Stick Vacuum Alternatives
If you decide that the Roborock H6 isn't for you, then here are a couple of popular alternatives.
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Conclusion
All in all, the Roborock H6 cordless stick vacuum is a great buy.
It offers great performance at a much lower price than the premium brands, and it's cleaning power is just as good, if not better.
A few very small annoyances were all we could find to complain about, so if you are looking for a great buy - the H6 is one for you to check out.
