The Roborock Q5 vs Q5+ are identical, except that the Plus version has a self-emptying home base, whereas the Q5 doesn’t. And that’s all about the difference between them!
The Roborock Q5 is a mid-priced robot vacuum that boasts an array of premium features. This one can quickly draw a map thanks to LiDAR technology and stands as the most budget-friendly Roborock robot equipped with this feature. It can even remember up to 4 floors and show them in 2D or 3D, and it also offers specialized cleaning settings like no-go zones and invisible barriers. The Roborock Q5 Plus offers all that the Q5 does, with the added advantage of an auto-empty base.
Roborock Q5 Vs Q5+: Comparison Chart
Roborock Q5 Vs Q5+: Detailed Chart
Once again, the Roborock Q5+ is essentially the Q5, but it includes a self-cleaning base right from the packaging. Here’s a comprehensive rundown on the Q5/Q5+:
Cleaning Performance
Airflow
| Roborock Q5 | Roborock Q5+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Quiet | 9.6 CFM | 9.4 CFM |
| Balanced | 11.6 CFM | 11.8 CFM |
| Turbo | 13.1 CFM | 13.7 CFM |
| Max | 16.9 CFM | 17.1 CFM |
On its highest power setting, the Q5/Q5+ even has a higher airflow level than the S7 MaxV (13.9 CFM), despite the latter being a premium model. Although airflow is not the only factor in a robot vacuum’s effectiveness, it is nice to see that these bots have genuinely powerful airflow levels.
Hard Floor
| Roborock Q5 | Roborock Q5+ |
|---|---|
| ≈ 99% | ≈ 99% |
As I initially guessed, the Q5/Q5+ picked up perfect scores in my hardwood floor tests. This proves that their robust airflow makes sense for cleaning this type of surface.
Carpet
| Roborock Q5 | Roborock Q5+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Low-pile Carpet | ≈ 97% | ≈ 98% |
| High-pile Carpet | ≈ 94% | ≈ 96% |
The Q5 and Q5+ were generally excellent on both low and high-pile carpets, collecting high percentages of debris, while a variety of robots struggled with these tests.
Hair Pet
| Roborock Q5 | Roborock Q5+ | |
|---|---|---|
| 5-inch Strands | ≈ 78% | ≈ 72% |
| 10-inch Strands | ≈ 51% | ≈ 63% |
The Q5/Q5+ performed decently with 5-inch hair but faced challenges with the longer 10-inch strands. There was a noticeable quantity of hair that did coil around their primary brush rollers. But given that these rollers are removable, addressing the hair accumulation was a straightforward task for me.
Design & Usability
Dimensions & Weight
| Roborock Q5 | Roborock Q5+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (W x H) | 13.78 x 3.78 inches | 13.78 x 3.78 inches |
| Weight | 7.05 lbs | 7.05 lbs |
The Q5 and Q5 Plus both showcase a circular design typical of robot vacuums with a glossy black finish. They are slightly taller than the iRobot Roombas due to the elevated section on top that accommodates the 360-degree LiDAR scanner, but they still fit easily under the majority of low-clearance furnishings like couches and kickstands.
Extractor & Side Brush
Look underneath the Q5/Q5+ and you will find an older Roborock’s brush roller with bristles. By the way, the Q5 can be paired with the new bristle-less roller, which provides better agitation, especially on surfaces like hardwoods, and resists tangles better.
These are also a single five-pronged, all-rubber side brush – a design upgrade that Roborock has begun incorporating since the S5 Max‘s debut. It’s a better design than any bristled side brush, offering better durability, not to mention that it rotates at a gentler pace to ensure debris isn’t flung around during vacuuming.
Navigation
All Roborocks leverage LiDAR technology, or laser distance sensing, for their mapping and navigation capabilities, and the Q5 and Q5+ are no exception. This is housed in a built-in turret, increasing the overall height of the robot, but the speed and precision it brings to the table regarding mapping are very impressive.
While most iRobot vacuums, which rely on an onboard camera, require multiple runs to complete mapping, laser-based bots like the Q5 only require one to two cycles to get the job done. What’s more, this one doesn’t require light to function and can save up to four layouts.
During cleaning, it will traverse around the edges, then move towards the middle portions in straight lines, ensuring the entire floor surface is covered. Due to the absence of obstacle avoidance technology, it will probably touch obstacles that lie in its cleaning path.
The integrated bumpers ensure that both the robot and any obstacles remain safeguarded from potential damage during these encounters. Still, it is best to pre-clean your floor before letting your bot out to play, especially if you are a pet owner (you know what I mean, right?) – and if that’s not your cup of tea, many Roborocks with AI obstacle detection technology, such as the S7 MaxV, are waiting for you to take home.
Battery Life
| Roborock Q5 | Roborock Q5+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Battery Life | ≈ 98–164 mins | ≈ 82–181 mins |
| Charging Time | ≈ 172 mins | ≈ 189 mins |
The Q5 and Q5+ utilize a 5200 mAh lithium-ion battery with a claimed run time of up to three hours. Both have a Recharge and Resume function, meaning if they run out of battery before finishing the cleaning task, they will return to the charging dock, recharge, and then resume cleaning from where they left off. This ensures the entire house gets cleaned, even if a single charge isn’t enough for cleaning the whole house.
Control
Manual Control
The Q5/Q5+ uses a two-button system: Home and Power buttons. The power button turns the robot on and off, while the home button sends it back to the base. Such a simple button system can be a boon for those who don’t want to constantly interact with the app and dig through multiple options just to start a cleaning cycle.
You can even start spot cleaning by giving the home button a long press. Just place the robot near a spill or mess, then press and hold the home button. It will clean the 4.9-foot-square area in which it is centered without having to initiate a full cleaning cycle.
App Connectivity
The Q5/Q5+ is compatible with the Roborock Home app, which is one of the best robot apps with a wealth of features. Within the app, you can access fundamental features like segmenting and labeling rooms, setting cleaning schedules, picking specific rooms for cleaning, and checking the health of various parts such as brushes, filters, and sensors.
Additionally, for a hands-free experience, you can use a voice-activated device like Amazon Alexa to command the robot to do something, such as, “Alexa, tell Roborock to clean my bedroom.” You also have the option to set no-go areas, no-mop zones, and invisible walls to block the robot from entering certain areas.
The Roborock gives you the live map option, giving you a bird’s-eye view of the robot’s current position in real time. Before the advent of Roborock, this was a novelty since no other robot vacuum brands had introduced such a feature. Roborock takes it a step further with the 3D map, but I personally don’t see much value in it.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Flipping the top cover of the Q5 will reveal a 470-ml dust box that houses all the collected grime and an E11-rated air filter. The filter is quoted as being able to grab up to 99.7% of allergens and dust pollen from the air and is entirely washable for reuse many times.
The point is that while you need to empty the dustbin on the Q5 manually, which isn’t a favorite chore for most of us, the clean base that comes with the Q5 Plus does the dirty work for you. The auto-clean base is 16.5 inches tall and carries a 2.5-liter dust bag, which accommodates about a few weeks, even months, of cleanings, depending on your robot’s usage frequency. That means you won’t need to worry about where the dust and dirt will go for a relatively long time.
However, the Q5+ lacks a sensor to detect when the dustbin is full during a cleaning session. This one will auto-empty its bin when returning it to the dock after a cleaning trip. But if it gets full while it is in the middle of a cleaning cycle, you have to press the Home button to send it home to trigger the emptying cycle before restarting. This major shortcoming causes the Q5 Plus to fail in achieving the title of “hands-free robot,” since, after all, you still need to supervise it and touch it to empty the bin.
Other Features
Noise
| Roborock Q5 | Roborock Q5+ | |
|---|---|---|
| Working | ≈ 59-61 dB | ≈ 61-64 dB |
| Self-Emptying | None | ≈ 73 dB |
Noise level is also a crucial factor when considering robot vacuum cleaners. The good news is that the Q5 and Q5+ won’t interrupt your daily activities, given that they operate under 65 dB. They are indeed less likely to disrupt conversations, TV watching, or other activities. Nonetheless, the Q5+’s dustbin emptying phase can be jarringly loud, which might startle or anger your pets.
Mopping Ability
The Q5 and Q5+ don’t have the mopping function, so they can’t vacuum and mop at once as hybrid Roborocks like the Roborock Q5 Pro. So once they’ve wrapped up their vacuuming duties, it’s time to deploy your mop to handle the floor mopping.
Quick Rundown Of Roborock Q5+
- 7-Weeks of Hands-Free Cleaning: The Self-Empty Dock automatically empties the Q5’s dustbin after each cleanup, so you don’t have to do it manually or frequently. Its 2.5L dust bag can hold up to 7 weeks of dirt.
- Clean Smarter with PreciSense LiDAR Navigation: Extremely accurate LiDAR navigation creates precise maps that can even be viewed in 3D. You can also add furniture and floor materials to recreate your home virtually.
- Clean Harder with Powerful 2700 Pa Suction: With an incredible maximum suction power of 2700 Pa, the Q5 easily lifts debris and pet hair from floors and drags it out from deep inside carpets.
- Clean Better with the Multi-Plane Floating Main Brush: A multi-plane floating brush keeps the brush closer to the ground for deeper cleaning, even on uneven surfaces. It is strongly resistant to hair tangles and perfect for homes with pets.
- Keeps Going for Longer: Powered by high-capacity battery and a 470 ml dustbin, you get long lasting cleaning that can easily tackle most homes in one clean.
Quick Rundown Of Roborock Q5
- 【Deeper Cleaning with Powerful 2700Pa Suction】: Roborock Q5 is the upgraded version of S4 Max.With powerful 2700Pa suction, the Roborock Q5 easily picks up pet hair, dust and finer dirts from floors or carpets. When a carpet is detected, it will automatically increase its suction to the maximum for deep cleaning.
- 【Convenient App Control】: Control every element of Q5 through the Roborock app, including viewing the exact vacuuming route, setting cleaning schedules, adjusting the suction power, creating No-Go Zones, Invisible Walls, and much more. All from anywhere you have internet.
- 【Precision Mapping with PreciSense LiDAR】: LiDAR navigation creates accurate maps, and Q5 can save up to 4 maps. Use 3D Mapping to view your home in 3D and add furniture and floor materials to recreate your home virtually.
- 【Handle Large Homes Easily】: 180mins runtime using a large onboard battery means up to 3230 sqft of cleaning on a single charge. A Large dustbin (470ml) means less emptying so you can tackle a large home without pause.
- 【Close to Floors】: The multi-directional floating rubber brush stays close to the ground, ensuring effective cleanup even on uneven surfaces.
Product Videos
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References:
- Roborock Q5+: https://us.roborock.com/products/roborock-q5-plus
- Roborock Q5: https://us.roborock.com/products/roborock-q5
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.