Roborock E4 Review: What Do Experts Say?

What can you expect from a robotic vacuum under $300? Most likely, a machine that can only pinball around.

Roborock E4 is unique in this way – it’s the only robot of this price (in North America) that employs a sophisticated algorithm for navigating. This means it moves in straight lines rather than moving around.

Roborock’s newest model from the E-Series line is an affordable option for those who are budget conscious. The E4 isn’t the typical entry-level robot.

What is the quality of this robot? Let’s find out with this review.

Also read: Get shocked by reading Eureka neu522 Floor Rover review!

Roborock E4 Overview

Although the E4 isn’t the cheapest, it does provide plenty of value. One of the most striking features that have been tested is the way it can navigate.

This isn’t the typical robot that flits about in a random direction when it hits something. It’s more sophisticated, thanks to its dual gyroscope system and the opticEye sensor beneath.

We have been experimenting with the E4 for the past couple of days, and we have been impressed with its ability to navigate, which isn’t as sloppy as the other robots in this price range which tend to hit furniture with a lot of force.

It’s as air-flow-friendly as premium models like those from Roomba S9 and Neato D7 and can make clean, smooth runs.

Also read: Is Eureka neu522 Floor Rover truly an excellent choice?

Introduction of Roborock E4

The E4 is the most recent model in Roborock’s E-Series robots. It also includes E20, E25, and E35.

According to airflow tests, the E4 has the highest airflow of all Roborock robots. It has as much as 21.51 CFM at the Max setting. This is higher than other top models like Neato D7, the Roomba S9+ as well as Shark IQ.

This number is high enough to ensure the cleanest cleaning of carpets and hard surfaces, which is a characteristic of Roborock’s products in general.

1. Roborock E4 Design

The E4 still has the minimalist design elements of the previous E-series robotics. There are some visual variations in E35 and E4, like button positions. The E4 adopts the beveled design inspiration taken from that of the S6 Pure minus the LIDAR case that sits in the middle.

Underneath, E4 has the same layout, with the main brush being placed between two rubber wheels, as well as one side brush.

The newer Roborock models are equipped with a side brush made of all-rubber. We believe it is more durable than bristle brushes. If you have an older version, like the S5, then you can buy the latest model since it’s backward-compatible.

2. What Is the Way That Roborock E4 Navigates?

Roborock has been able to reduce the cost for the E-Series robots because it doesn’t utilize LIDAR.

Instead, it is the combination of two gyroscopes as well as one “opticEye” sensor to indicate its location.

Contrary to Roborock alternatives that come with LIDAR, however, the E4 does not begin cleaning the middle areas before moving toward the edges.

It isn’t as precise as those S-Series robots, which allows users to change the frequency at which it’s able to traverse the zone.

The advantage of this combination over the IR-sensors is that many other brands employ its effectiveness. In a way, the E4 can indeed determine its location, but it’s not as accurate as SLAM or LIDAR.

The program will outline the map, but you will not be able to view the real-time updates. The map will only be visible after the program has been completed.

Also read: Very Shocking expert testing of Bissell PowerGlide Pet 3070

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3. How did it perform in cramped areas?

Another problem with low-cost robot vacuums is the tight spaces between chairs. We have tested E4 in these spaces, and it was capable of finding its escape route without getting wedged or stuck.

4. Does the E4 scratch furniture?

One of the issues with random navigation robots such as Roomba 690 is its tendency to scratch furniture. They don’t slow down, which means they will smash into objects with force.

Roborock E4 will not entirely be able to avoid furnishings, yet it will slow down enough that it won’t crash into it.

5. Is it possible to avoid wires?

We haven’t tried an automated vacuum cleaner that could eliminate cables. The S6 MaxV can manage cords to be avoided up to a certain degree, but it is still bound in cables that are stretched beyond its vision.

Roborock E4 will not avoid wires. We would suggest you move them out of the way before operating the robot to ensure the most efficient outcomes.

Features of Apps in the Roborock E4

Roborock E4 is only compatible with the Xiaomi Home App. Do not think that it will provide the same functionality that you would get with an S5 and S5 Max.

But, for the cost, it’s one of the more robust apps.

We will go over the various aspects.

1. Cleaning history

It shows what number of times the machine cleaned using the maps for each cycle.

At the top, you’ll be able to see how long the robot has been running as well as the total space it cleaned for all its cleaning tasks.

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2. Maintenance

It gives you a heads-up about when to clean and replace parts like filters as well as brushes and how often to wash the sensors. Use this information only to guide you, as it’s not 100% precise.

3. Carpet boost

When enabled, the robot will switch to the highest setting when it notices carpets. We would suggest turning this feature on if your home is carpeted.

4. Scheduling

You’ll be able to access the scheduling feature, which lets users set the duration and time that you would like it to run all day, or only during weekdays, or on specific days.

5. Update firmware

Roborock releases software updates regularly to enhance the capabilities of the application or its ability to navigate. Therefore, make sure you can update the most recent firmware as soon as it becomes available.

So far, we have yet to see a robot with this degree of customization lower than $300.

6. Gentle mode

This feature is only available for mopping. This will reduce the motor’s output to its lowest level, which means it will be able to mop a bigger area.

You’ll need to pay for the mop separately to access this feature.

7. Dust Container Design and Volume

The advantage that comes with the absence of LIDAR is the additional space in the housing. This allows Roborock to place it in an extra dust bin.

Its capacity is 0.64-liters, one of the biggest in the industry.

The issue is that it has a door not as like that of the S5 Max.

To eliminate the contents, you’ll need to take out the filter then shake the container to eliminate everything. This can be a challenge because dirt could get stuck to the edges of your container when you’re not cautious.

What Power Does Roborock E4 Have?

A major surprise for us is the high airflow. The Roborock E4 has more than any other Roborock products wh have tried up to now. They include those called the S5, S5 Max, S6 Pure along the S6 MaxV.

These are the outcomes from the airflow test compared with other Roborock choices.

By default, the E4 does not have an option to enable the “gentle” option, and you’ll have to activate it independently.

The E4 features 16 percent more airflow than the S6 Pure, 31.35% more than the S6 MaxV, and 19.2 percent greater than S5 Max at the highest power setting.

There is a margin of error in these tests. However, the results we have received were consistent across multiple instances.

However, the increased airflow does not translate to more efficient carpet performance because the E4 isn’t as thorough as the S-series robots.

Also read: Is Roomba E5 worth buying?

How Loud Can This Roborock E4 Be?

We used a sound meter to measure noise from a couple of feet away.

Below is the decibel level for every power level:

• Silent: 59.4 dB
• Balanced Level: 61.2 dB
• Turbo: 62.4 dB
• Max: 64.3 dB

It’s not even close to the 65-decibel threshold, and you’ll still enjoy a good conversation with this machine operating.

Is Roborock E4 a Perfect Cleaner?

One thing that is consistent across the majority of Roborock products is the style.

All models are equipped with identical combo brushes as well as the side brush (except for the S5 that uses the more traditional brush design).

The design, in conjunction with the airflow that is high, allows E4 to be extremely efficient in getting rid of surface debris which we’ll examine in the coming weeks.

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Cleaning Performance

To test how the E4 handles various types of debris, we ran it through a stringent set of tests.

Some have claimed that these aren’t representative of the daily cleaning because of the sheer amount. However, we think it’s a fantastic method to evaluate the capabilities of a robot.

If the machine can take care of these mess-ups, then daily cleaning will be easy.

We tried the E4 for various things such as Quaker Oats, coffee, quinoa, dog litter, sand hair Cheerios as well as Fruit Loops.

In a test space, we dumped the debris using the standard cleaning process, and then we weighed the bin before or after the exam to calculate the scores at the end.

Here are the full results.

• Overall: 91.11%
• Carpet (Deep cleaning): 71.95%
• Carpet (Surface pickup): 97 98%
• Hard floor: 99.75%

The low score of testing deep clean brought the total score down. But it was great with the surface clean-up tests.

1. Results of the Hard Floor

• Quaker Oats: 99.33%
• Coffee: 99.77%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet litter: 99.9%

The high airflow of E4 shows through in the way it performed on hard floors. It picked up 100 percent during two tests and two other tests in the upper 90s.

The most impressive part was that the E4 was able to achieve this feat despite having fewer attempts than those of the S5 and S5 Max.

2. Hair test for wraps on hard floors

We put one gram of five to seven-inch human hair across the test area to conduct this test. We think that this test is an excellent gauge of the extent to which a robot vacuum is equipped with an effective anti-tangle mechanism.

The E4 was pretty good, and the majority of the hair went to the trash bin. However, some of the 7-inch-long strands became trapped around the edges of the brush.

The results show that even though the E4 brush does have a decent anti-tangle feature, it’s not completely free of tangles.

3. Sand on floor

One of the most difficult elements to clean up on the hard surface is sand. To test the capability of the E4 to handle it. We sprayed 50 grams of sand. We conducted two tests: one using the balanced setting and one using the max setting.

There was no issue in the E4 cleaning sand for hard flooring. It picked the average 99.4 percent on two runs.

The clean pick-up was evident on both runs, and there were no traces of sand left.

4. Deep cleaning test

To see how the E4 is at cleaning dirt embedded in the carpet, we applied 100g of sand onto the carpet’s mid pile and made one loop to determine how much dirt it takes up. We ran this test 3 times to find the average score.

The E4 could achieve an average figure of 69.83 percent. This is a minor disappointment considering the airflow figures.

5. Edge cleaning

The main issue that circular robots face is their inability to clean edges. The E4 is not an exception, as its round shape, speedy rotating brush, as well as navigation prevent its ability to clean in this space.

While it was able to get rid of a good portion of the debris of the area, it left a clump of pet waste on the edges and corners. The speedy-spinning side brushes also scattered bits toward the middle of the section.

6. Carpet results

In the next section, we’ll examine what the E4 performed on low or mid pile carpets. We utilized the same set of particles that we used in the previous experiments on this carpet.

Results from low pile

• Quinoa: 100%
• Grounds of coffee: 92.3%
• Pet litter: 99.7%
• Quaker Oats: 95.5%

The E4 had the toughest time of cleaning small particles, like coffee grounds from carpets with a low pile. The issue we were seeing was the navigation since it only circled the testing area one and a half times.

If Roborock can alter the algorithm to make it go around twice or three times, it will improve the cleaning efficiency.

Mid pile results

• Quinoa: 100%
• Coffee grounds: 90.1%
• Pet litter: 99.9%
• Quaker Oats: 98.6%

The scores of the mid pile are identical to those of the low pile. It was very successful with the cleaning of quinoa and pet litter; however, it did not do so well with coffee grounds.

The issue here is that there aren’t any passes since the E4 only crossed the area once, at least.

Hair wraps on the carpet

We conducted a different hair test on carpets that used similar amounts of hair—one gram of five to seven inches hair strands.

The E4 was more prone to damage on carpets than hard floors, with more hair wrapped around the brush.

It’s an extreme test, but it will reveal that you’ll have to examine the role of the brush and cut the strands which are wrapped around it.

7. Large debris test

Cleaning up large particles won’t be a problem for the E4. It’s a great cleaning machine and has ample space to accommodate even the largest of items like Fruit loops without blocking.

Do You Think the Roborock E4 Can Mop Clean Perfectly?

Yes, it is indeed true that the E4 can mop. It has an automatic tank that is similar to that of the S6 Pure. However, it does not have the electronic water tank that is found on the S6 MaxV as well as S5 Max. Therefore, it can take up a small area.

To determine how effective E4 is in mopping, We sprinkled drops of wine and pomegranate juice for a few hours.

The E4 was able to remove most of the stains. However, it left behind some tire marks that aren’t visible in the photo.

It was a little sticky and required more mopping to completely clean after cleaning the small space. This means you’ll need to refill it frequently and additional pads to mop an even larger area.

If you’re in search of a powerful robot and mop combination, we would recommend using the Roborock S5 Max, S6 MaxV, or Viomi V3 over this with the more comprehensive navigation system and an electronic water tank.

Also read: These testing results of Roomba i7 vs s9 will shock you!

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How Long Will Robot Rock E4?

The E4 makes use of the same Li-ion 5,200mAh battery that is used in the S-Series robots, including those of the S5, S5 Max, and S6 MaxV.

It can run for about 200 to 300 minutes with a single charge.

A Word About Maintenance

All robot vacuums require some maintenance to keep functioning well. The E4 is no different. Luckily, items like brushes and filters are available on Amazon if you are located somewhere in North America. Also, there are stores such as GearBest or AliExpress for those across Europe and the Far East.

It’s worth noting that the Xiaomi Home App has a “maintenance” tab that informs users to change filters and brushes or clear the sensors. This is something you should take a look at now and then examine.

What is in the box?

Roborock E4 comes with the following options in the box.

1. E4 Robot
2. Quick start guide and instruction manual
3. Power cable
4. Charging dock

It’s not equipped with an additional side brush, filter, mopping pad, and water tank. You’ll need to buy these items separately.

FAQ

Does Roborock E4 Have Recharge and Resume?  

Yes, as per Roborock, the feature is now available on the E4.

This is particularly useful in big homes. If the battery is running low, it will recharge enough to reduce time.

Roborock refers to this as the “top-up cost’.

Where can I get this Roborock E4?

Roborock E4 is available in online stores such as Amazon.

Note: If you purchase using the link above, we will get a small commission, but it will be at no additional expense to you. It’s a win-win-win for us both!

Is the Roborock E4 a good value? Provide A Great Value?

The E4 is among the most value-for-money robot vacuums that are available.

You get many functions at a reasonable price. Therefore, it’s perhaps the most effective budget navigating robot that has a good amount of precision.

It’s not as efficient as Roborock’s more expensive options such as S6 Pure or S6 MaxV. However; it’s the only choice at this price and capable of efficiently cleaning several rooms.

The massive capacity battery with 5,200 mAh and recharge and resume allow it to take on even the largest homes. The double gyroscope, as well as “opticEye,” make it possible to accomplish this without losing its way.

Another thing we love about the app. It offers the features available only in premium plans, such as unlimited schedules for the day, with a variety of frequencies (weekdays, weekends, and custom).

We haven’t seen this kind of personalization with other brands at this price.

The Bottom Line Is: One of the Best Cheap Robot Vacuums for the Money

We were very pleased with our experience with Roborock E4 when you factor all it brings to the table. It has premium airflow, precise navigation, a huge dust bin, a long-running time, and an app with features that are only available in top models.

It’s the only solution lower than the $300 range that we have heard of that has recharge and resume. That’s right, when it’s running low and hasn’t yet completed the task, it recharges and resumes the task.

Also read: What did we find superb about Hoover MaxLife Pro?

To sum up, the reasons why you should buy the RoborockE4:

The Verdict

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