Viomi S9 vs Roborock Q7 Max is not too different in price tag, and they share a lot of features, such as Recharge & Resume and a bunch of smart functions via the MI and Roborock apps.
The Viomi S9 appears to be a better choice thanks to an included automatic emptying base, so all you have to do is throw a full dust bag out of the base once in a while and put in a new one. As for the Roborock Q7 Max, this one shines with its bristle-free brush roller and an all-rubber side brush, ensuring that upkeep is a breeze.
Viomi S9 Vs Roborock Q7 Max: Comparison Chart
Viomi S9 Vs Roborock Q7 Max: Differences
The Viomi S9 is ahead in the game against the Roborock Q7 Max with a 5-1 win. Let’s dive deep into all the things that set these two feature-packed robovacs apart!
Cleaning Performance
Winner: Roborock Q7 Max
Airflow
| Viomi S9 | Roborock Q7 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Low/Quiet | ≈ 8.2 CFM | ≈ 7.6 CFM |
| Medium/Balanced | ≈ 11.9 CFM | ≈ 9.6 CFM |
| High/Turbo | ≈ 13.2 CFM | ≈ 10.1 CFM |
| Max | ≈ 14.8 CFM | ≈ 15.8 CFM |
To start, let’s dive into the suction prowess of these robots. The Q7 Max boasts a 4200 Pa suction at the max setting, outperforming the Viomi S9 with 2700 Pa by a substantial 35%. My airflow experiments also showed the same picture, where the Viomi S9 has more airflow than the Q7 Max. This was the main reason why the Q7 Max was able to perform better on my hard floors and carpets.
Hard Floor
| Viomi S9 | Roborock Q7 Max |
|---|---|
| ≈ 92% | ≈ 97% |
Both didn’t work perfectly, and some debris remained on the paving, but the scores still stood out. The Q7 Max completed the test with an impressive score of 97%, compared to the Viomi S9’s still impressive score of 92%.
Carpet
| Viomi S9 | Roborock Q7 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Low-pile Carpet | ≈ 91% | ≈ 94% |
| High-pile Carpet | ≈ 90% | ≈ 95% |
On my carpeted surfaces, they also failed to vacuum debris perfectly, but they weren’t bad at all. The Q7 Max still picked up an enviable amount of debris on both types of carpets, while the Viomi S9 trailed a tad behind in effectiveness.
Hair
| Viomi S9 | Roborock Q7 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| 5-inch Strands | ≈ 68% | ≈ 87% |
| 10-inch Strands | ≈ 52% | ≈ 61% |
The Roborock Q7 Max once again was better, picking up higher percentages from both five- and ten-inch strands. Its bristle-less brush roller also proved better at resisting hair tangles and simplifying the cleaning process without the need for scissors or any dedicated tools.
Design & Usability
Winner: Viomi S9
First Look & Dimensions
| Viomi S9 | Roborock Q7 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H) | 13.78 x 3.86 inches | 13.8 x 4.17 inches |
| Weight | 8.38 lbs | 9.59 lbs |
To my mind, the manufacturers have done a very good job in terms of design. Both look elegant, with a familiar disc-shaped frame with a LiDAR 360° scanning laser system and a few buttons on top for manual control. A built-in bumper is around the perimeter to protect the robot from slight and soft impacts with obstacles. They’re a little tall because of the LiDAR tower but are fine for sliding under most furniture.
Out of the box, the Viomi S9 unpacks with a self-cleaning charging station, distinguishing itself from the typical compact charging dock. There are also three single-use bags, a spare side brush, several washable mopping pads, and a bunch of disposable pads. Each spacious 3-liter bag could easily last a month or two, depending on your home’s size, accumulated debris, and how often you clean. The Q7 Max only comes with a charging dock and a mopping pad.
Extractor & Side Brush
The next difference is the brush roller: the Viomi S9 features an old-school combo roller compared to an all-rubber one on the Q7 Max. Needless to say, the Q7 Max’s brush is more durable and easier to untangle, while the Viomi S9 comes with a clean-cut tool for this task.
When it comes to the side brushes, there’s also a clear distinction between the two. I mean, both boast a spinning brush to direct grime into the cleaning path, but the Viomi S9 uses a bristle-tipped brush versus the Q7 Max’s rubber one. Sure, the Q7 Max gets brownie points for its durability, but the Viomi S9 comes with two brushes for a single free replacement.
Navigation
Both use a LIDAR tower on top for 360° scanning for mapping during initial runs and navigation afterward. I loved this navigation system since it can do lightning-fast mapping, at least compared to camera-based bots, and works well in low-light areas and corners. As with all of my LiDAR bots, the Viomi S9 and Q7 Max didn’t need more than two cycles to complete drawing the map of my living space.
You are living in a multi-story apartment? No problem! The Viomi S9 saves up to five maps, while the Q7 Max can memorize four, making them suitable for most households. Just rely on the actual floor count of your abode to choose the appropriate one since there’s no dialing up their memory capacity, remember that!
During my hands-on testing, they both moved in strategic straight lines and got stuck a few times when they got into very narrow spaces and could not get out – just a typical hiccup encountered with robot vacuums. But both have no front-facing camera or any special sensors that allow them to avoid and go around objects. They gently bump and pivot around obstacles, instead, like most robotic vacuums. That means they are prone to getting tangled in wires or passing through pet feces.
Battery Life
| Viomi S9 | Roborock Q7 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Life | ≈ 104-194 mins | ≈ 91-183 mins |
| Charging Time | ≈ 182mins | ≈ 198 mins |
The Viomi S9 and Q7 Max have the most powerful battery with a capacity of up to 5,200mAh, which is claimed to have a life of up to 3 hours before needing a recharge. The Q7 Max’s actual battery life is slightly lower, potentially attributed to its superior airflow, but the difference is marginal. With one charge, they can clean up a very large area, but even if they can’t, they will automatically return to the charging dock to receive more energy and get back to work immediately afterward, thanks to the Recharge & Resume function.
Control
Winner: Viomi S9
Manual Control
Functionally, the atop control panels of these bots are quite minimalistically designed with some physical buttons, through which they are turned on/off or sent to the home base. The Q7 Max has a button for spot cleaning, where this one focuses on a specific, small area. For more advanced settings or scheduling, you need to use an accompanying app on your phone.
App Connectivity
The Q7 Max works with the Roborock app – of course, it does – whereas the Viomi S9 can be added to the Mi (Xiaomi) Home app since the VIOMI brand belongs to the Xiaomi ecosystem. Pairing them with the corresponding app is super fast and simple, and that’s where they get smarter.
Both apps can divide your living space into individual rooms right after the first run. Then you can re-divide or merge them if you want, and each room gets its own unique color. If your house has too many rooms, some may get the same color, but that’s not a big deal since you can label them not only with the available names but also with custom ones.
A bunch of other smart features are then unlocked, including cleaning by room, letting you clean your kitchen or bedroom instead of the entire house, or scheduling a daily automated cleaning experience. If you have Alexa or Google Assistant, you can also “ask” these bots to do the job instead of pulling out your phone. For instance, you could say, “Hey Google, start cleaning the living room,” or “Alexa, send the vacuum to its dock.”
Another shared feature is the live map, showing the location of the robot in real-time, so you can always know where your little housekeeper is and keep an eye on the cleaning progress to ensure the robot is operating efficiently. The Roborock can even show the map in 3D, giving you a more realistic view of your living space.
Both apps enable you to set no-go zones, invisible barriers, and no-mop zones, so they will skip some areas during the cleaning trip. You also have the option to set Cleaning Zone/Area Cleaning so that the Viomi S9/Q7 Max focuses on cleaning in a small square area. The Mi app also has a point vacuuming option, where users can select a specific point on the map, prompting the Viomi S9 to head there for intensive cleaning.
You can also find the status of some components, including the brush roller, side brush, mop, and filter. And last but not least, you can choose between the Y and S moping styles of the Viomi S9, which represent the shape of the mopping path: the S mode is the classic go-to, while the Y mode goes through the space better but requires a tad more time.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Winner: Viomi S9
The Q7 Max uses a 0.48-liter dust box, a bit larger than a 0.3 bin on the Viomi S9. But while the Q7 Max comes with a battery charging dock, the Viomi S9 uses a multifunctional home base. So instead of emptying the Viomi S9’s bin yourself, the base takes care of this, dumping all the contents into a 3-liter bag, and then the bot continues working. The Q7 Max has no auto-emptying function, and you need to upgrade to the Q7 Max Plus to get this.
Alright, a base that can do everything is not a new idea. Even Roborock has its own do-it-all bases that can handle other tasks like washing and drying the mopping pad, but they only come with high-end models that are exorbitantly expensive. The base of the Viomi S9 just charges it and empties its bin, nothing more and nothing less, but it is among the most cost-effective options in the market, boasting a self-emptying feature.
What’s more, the Viomi S9’s docking station also has an integrated LED display that shows the robot’s battery level and waste bag status. Hence, you do not need to open the app to check this information. But the screen is really hard to see, especially under bright light.
Regarding the filtration system, the Viomi S9 contains a washable HEPA filter to trap dirt, allergens, pollen, etc. The Q7 Max uses an E11-grade filter, and it is also rinsable, too.
Other Features
Winner: Viomi S9
Noise
| Viomi S9 | Roborock Q7 Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Working | ≈ 62-72 dB | ≈ 59-75 dB |
| Self-Emptying | ≈ 78 dB | None |
The Q7 Max has a slightly higher maximum noise level since it features higher airflow as a matter of course, but the Viomi S9 is especially noisy when emptying its bin in its dock. The emptying process is quite short but can still disturb your little ones or pets if they are nearby.
Mopping Ability
As touched upon earlier, the Roborock Q7 Max only comes with a semicircular washable mopping pad, while the Viomi S9 has up to two washable pads and a lot of disposable ones. So if you are too busy to wash the mopping pad, just use the single-use pad and discard it once the cleaning session is over, bypassing any washing or upkeep.
Both use a static plate during a hybrid cycle, meaning they drag a damp mopping pad over the floor without agitating elements or putting downward pressure, just like a light wipe, so they only work with light stains and struggle with tougher jobs like dried BBQ sauce. The Viomi S9 mops a bit more efficiently when it is in Y-clean mode, but it doesn’t appear to help much. You still need your hands and an upright mop for washing your floor most thoroughly, after all.
Both do not have the ability to lift their mopping pads when detecting carpets or rigs. So the only way to protect your carpeted areas is to designate no-mop zones within the app so they don’t pass over these zones with the mopping pad attached.
Quick Rundown Of Viomi S9
- 360° All-round Scanning & Mapping: VIOMI S9 robot vacuum and mop combo adopts LDS 2.0 LiDAR navigation system, effectively cover all areas, locate any obstacle, plan a logical cleaning path, avoid losing track, even work effectively in the dark. Self-emptying automatic vacuum cleaner robot Alpha S9, frees your hands to enjoy a relax and clean life!
- 3-in-1 Vacuum, Sweep, and Mop: VIOMI S9 automatic vacuum cleaner robot with wet and dry cleaning method, combined with 3-in-1 technology. S9 automatic vacuum cleaner robot offers multiple cleaning modes to satisfy your different cleaning floor needs and handle different surfaces. The S9 Self emptying robotic vacuum and mop can work 250 mins, to clean up to 4520 square feet. Give better choices to experience your life.
- Ultra-strong 2700Pa Suction: S9 robot vaccum cleaner is topping out at 2700Pa suction, 5200 mAh self charged battery, which is strong enough to lift dirt debris, crumbs off hardwood floors in one pass, and deep clean carpets to remove hair with its carpet boost function.
- Up to 60 Days of Hands-free Cleaning: S9 robot vacuum with a extra-large 3L dust bag in the self-empty station, which is big enough to collect dust for 60 days. Release your hands and reduce the frequency of cleaning trash. Give you more time to do anything you love more.
- Simple Voice Control: Viomi S9 vacuum and mop works with Alexa and Google Assistant. You’ll get the ultimate effortless cleaning without any button touched.
Quick Rundown Of Roborock Q7 Max
- Deeper Cleaning with Powerful 4200 Pa Suction: With an incredible maximum suction power of 4200 Pa, the Q7 Max easily lifts debris and pet hair from floors, drags it from cracks, and draws it from carpets. When a carpet is detected, it will automatically increase its suction to the maximum for deep cleaning.
- Vacuum and Mop Simultaneously: To get rid of fine dust that vacuuming alone might miss, the Q7 Max can vacuum and mop simultaneously. Equipped with an electronic pump, the Q7 Max offers 30 water flow levels so you can fine-tune cleaning to match your floor types and preferences.
- Clean Smarter with PreciSense LiDAR Navigation: LiDAR navigation, which is incredibly accurate, can now be viewed in 3D, building precise maps of your home. It also monitors cleaning routes efficiently. You can virtually recreate your home by adding furnishings and flooring materials.
- Combined Dustbin & Water Tank: Combining the 470 ml dustbin and 350 ml water tank means that you can clean more often without worrying about emptying or refilling.
- Multi-directional Floating All-Rubber Brush: An all-rubber brush strongly resists hair tangles making it ideal for tackling long hair and pet hair. Multi-directional design means the brush can be closer to the floor to provide deeper and more efficient cleaning.
Product Videos
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References:
- Viomi S9: https://www.viomi.com/robot-vacuums/viomi-alpha-s9
- Roborock Q7 Max: https://us.roborock.com/products/roborock-q7-max
Richard B. Schmidt is a prominent figure in the vacuum cleaner industry, boasting over 15 years of expertise. Armed with a Robotics Engineering degree from Northeastern University and a Master’s in Consumer Science from Harvard, his unique blend of technical knowledge and consumer insights positions him as a sought-after authority in vacuum cleaner evaluation. Richard’s career began at Dyson, where he contributed to the development of innovative vacuum models. Transitioning to advocacy and reviews, he co-founded the first Vacuum-focused blog in 2008, offering comprehensive analysis and user guides for various vacuum cleaners. In 2020, he founded RoboMop.net, providing ongoing insights through columns and buyer’s guides.