[REVIEW] Roborock H7 is a new high-end stick vacuum model from Xiaomi’s popular sub-brand

Roborock is best known for its robot vacuums, which enjoy huge popularity. In the stick vacuum segment, the brand had a representative in the form of the H6 model, which now has a successor. Roborock H7 aims to become one of the best stick vacuums.

Besides cleaning performance, we’ll also look at battery life, charging, accessories and overall build quality, as well as the features it offers. Since we’ve already tried several stick vacuums from Dreame and JIMMY, we’re curious whether Roborock H7 will offer something extra.

Where to buy Roborock H7?

We purchased the Roborock H7 stick vacuum for our test from our international partner Geekbuying. It was available in an European warehouse, so we didn’t have to pay any additional fees even after the change in legislation. The package was delivered by a DPD courier.

Basic parameters at a glance

You can find a quick overview of the vacuum cleaner’s key specifications in the following table:

A generous bundle full of accessories

We received the Roborock H7 in a cardboard box measuring 81 x 35 x 18.5 cm, which protects the main box. The main box is white with a print of the vacuum and the basic specs. The package was delivered by courier in perfect condition, with no damage at all.

As is common with most robotic vacuum cleaners, this vacuum’s packaging consists of many parts. All components are placed in a cardboard insert where each piece has its own spot, and they are also wrapped in protective film. Everything is perfectly protected against any damage during shipping.

The package includes the main unit of the vacuum, an extension tube, a charger, a user manual, and additional attachments that can be used. They’re divided—traditionally—into passive and active ones, which are powered by electricity.

In this case, the electrical parts are two heads that include a rotating brush. One is designed for vacuuming all types of floors, and the other is for cleaning sofas and mattresses. The electric heads connect either directly to the main unit or to the extension tube.

Passive components are the various attachments. Specifically, these include a flexible hose, a narrow attachment for cleaning less accessible areas, and a duster/brush with bristles. You’ll also find a practical wall mount where you can store the vacuum conveniently, even with the accessories attached.

Roborock H7 also has something extra compared with most stick vacuums. In the package, you’ll find dust bags, so you can choose whether you want to vacuum into the dust container, which you need to empty regularly, or into a bag that you simply throw away and replace with another. Another handy feature is the magnets in the attachments, which let you place them on a fridge, for example.

Build quality and design

The stick vacuum is made mostly of plastic, but it’s high-quality plastic, which makes this model feel quite premium. We also like the design combination of grey with red, which gives it an attractive look.

At first glance, it looks very similar to the Dreame T20 stick vacuum. The main unit has a very similar design. At the top there’s the motor, under which the filters, cyclone and dirt bin are located. The rear section consists of the handle with the power button, beneath which the battery is placed. However, it is integrated and not easily replaceable. That means you can’t buy an extra battery to extend usage time.

In the upper part of the handle, you’ll find a clear OLED display and also a button for switching modes. The side still hides a discreet button for the child lock. The handle has a rough surface texture, so it won’t slip and feels good in your hand. Overall, it fits very well and is comfortable to control.

When it comes to the quality of the attachments, we have a minor reservation about the main floor nozzle. While the whole vacuum cleaner feels truly premium, the floor nozzle makes rattling noises during use, the wheels slightly squeak, and it gives off a cheap impression—like it belongs to a vacuum cleaner that's about two classes cheaper.

OLED display, controls and modes

The small OLED display shows basic information such as the battery level, remaining vacuuming time, the current mode, and whether the lock is turned on or off. The child lock is controlled via a discreet button on the side of the vacuum cleaner. It’s activated by a long press.

By briefly pressing this button, you keep the vacuum cleaner turned on—so you don’t have to hold the trigger button all the time. Even though holding it is kind of natural when gripping the vacuum, we didn’t mind having it pressed for the entire time.

When you press the trigger button, the display lights up and the vacuum cleaner turns on. On the display, you’ll first see the current battery status in percent, which after a few seconds switches to the remaining vacuuming time until the battery is fully depleted. The brush in the floor nozzle starts spinning with a slight delay compared to pressing the trigger button—something you don’t usually see on other vacuum cleaners.

There are three modes available, between which you switch using the button at the start of the handle. The modes are tiered by power, and in all three, automatic carpet recognition is active—when carpets are detected, the vacuum cleaner automatically increases power.

Vacuuming performance quality and our experience after everyday use

A maximum suction power of 160 AW puts this vacuum among the very best. Cleaning performance is really very good, and suction on the highest mode is excellent. On the other hand, the weakest mode is not strong enough for vacuuming solid debris like spilled rice, small stones from a doormat, and the like. For everyday dust cleaning, however, it is sufficient.

Most of the time we used the Roborock H7 on the medium mode, which is perfectly adequate for everyday cleaning. We used the vacuum mainly in an apartment with laminate flooring and two smaller high-pile rugs. It didn’t handle one of them, which is softer, all that well, and several times the rotating brush stopped on it even though the vacuum kept suctioning. After moving back onto the hard floor, however, the brush didn’t start spinning again, and we always had to switch the vacuum off and on to get it running again.

Another small downside, in our view, is the automatic power boost on carpets, which can’t be disabled and is active in all three levels. We’d rather have a separate automatic mode that would be the only one with this feature, similar to how it works on Dreame vacuum cleaners.

Runtime and charging

The manufacturer states a runtime of 90 minutes on a single charge. However, this was measured without any attachment, which doesn’t make much sense. So we tested the real-world battery life while vacuuming. As mentioned above, we were vacuuming in a 3-room apartment that is 95 covered with hard flooring. We only have 2 small carpets in the household.

In the lowest mode, the vacuum shows 58 – 61 minutes on the display until it’s fully discharged. In the mid mode, it’s 35 minutes, and in the strongest mode, it’s 9 minutes. Surprisingly, these times are quite realistic if you vacuum the same surface the whole time. Since we have laminate flooring in every room except the kitchen, the times shown on the vacuum’s display were very accurate. Of course, if we vacuumed only carpets, the time would be reduced by about half.

With most stick vacuums, the big problem is the huge mismatch between charging time and usage time. If you charge for 4 – 5 hours and the vacuum runs out in 25 minutes, that’s not a win. The Roborock brand has finally come with faster charging, so the vacuum charges in roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes.

The downside is the built-in battery, which can’t be easily replaced, so you won’t be able to buy an extra battery to increase runtime. Charging is also possible in the included stand that’s mounted to the wall. The package also includes wall anchors and the appropriate screws.

Filters and cleaning the vacuum

Emptying the dust from the vacuum is very easy. By pressing a small lever on the body of the vacuum, the lower flap of the dust container opens, so you can simply tip out its contents. Sometimes, though, dirt such as hair and pet fur gets caught in the cyclone, so it’s better to empty it more thoroughly outside every so often.

Another option is to use a dust bag, which you then simply throw away and replace with a new one. This method is much cleaner and more suitable for allergy sufferers. The problem, however, is the small bag, which fills up quite quickly. The manufacturer only includes 2 of these bags, so if you want to use this method, you’ll need quite a few more. They cost around 2 € per bag, which is by no means a negligible amount.

Roborock H7 features 5-stage filtration, thanks to which it can capture particles as small as 0.3 µm. It also includes the well-known HEPA filter, which traps up to 99.99 % of particles. This filtration ensures that almost no unwanted particles are released back into the air.

One part of the filters is accessible from the top—you simply remove it by twisting off the top, red cover of the main unit of the vacuum. From the bottom, you can remove the cyclonic unit, which you can take out either through the dust container flap or after removing the entire dust container.

All these filters and cyclones are washable, so maintenance is very easy.

Noise level

As the suction power increases, the vacuum’s noise level also automatically goes up. Higher power is immediately noticeable by sound. We measured the noise level in every mode while vacuuming a laminate floor—here are the results:

• weakest mode: 70 dB
• medium mode: 73 dB
• strongest mode: 80 dB

Short comparison with the flagship model from Dreame

Since we recently tested the flagship vacuum cleaner from Dreame, model T30, let’s quickly compare it with these 2 competing models. In many respects, these vacuums look very similar right from the start. However, you’ll find slight differences.

The Dreame T30 offers more accessories—you’ll also find a practical swivel joint for the main wand and an extra mini brush compared to the Roborock H7 model. However, it doesn’t have magnetic attachments and it can’t vacuum into a disposable bag.

But what’s most important is that the vacuuming quality is very similar. The visible difference is only with carpets with longer pile, which is easier with the Roborock vacuum.

Run time in the lowest mode is higher on the Dreame T30, but in turbo mode the run time is almost the same—similarly for charging time. The Dreame T30 also has an automatic mode that adjusts suction power based on the surface being vacuumed. The Roborock H7 increases power only when it detects carpet, and that’s true across all three modes.

Overall build quality and performance are at a high level on both models, and their price is also almost identical. Since these are very similar vacuums, it’s hard to say which one is better. With both models, you’ll definitely be very satisfied.

Final verdict

Roborock H7 is another great stick vacuum cleaner and one of the best models coming out of China. It handles vacuuming all types of surfaces perfectly thanks to its high suction power of 160 AW. You’ll also like the nice design, solid build, and the many attachments included in the box.

What’s interesting is the magnetic accessory system, so you can clip the attachments to the fridge too. The Roborock H7 also supports vacuuming into a disposable bag, which is a nice bonus compared to other vacuum cleaners.

It’s a shame the manufacturer didn’t include a practical swivel joint for cleaning under sofas or beds, similar to what you get with the Dreame T30. Another quirk is the automatic increase in power when vacuuming carpets—it’s active in every mode and can’t be turned off.

So if our review convinced you to buy this stick vacuum, we definitely recommend choosing our trusted partner Geekbuying, who has it in a European warehouse. You won’t pay extra VAT or customs duty (clo).