Roborock QV 35A Review: 6 Months Later (2026)

At a Glance: QV 35A vs Older Roborock Models

The QV 35A's three real upgrades over older Roborock units: mopping that actually scrubs, a dock that takes care of itself, and a brush that does not eat cat hair. Everything else is incremental.

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Should You Buy It? The Short Version

Get it if: you have pets, mostly hard floors, and you are tired of either sweeping daily or emptying a robot's dustbin every other run. That is the exact problem this thing solves, and it solves it completely. See it on Amazon →

Skip it if: you live in a small apartment with mostly carpet, or you do not have a wall you can give up to a dock the size of a kitchen trash can. A cheaper vacuum-only robot will make you just as happy for half the money.

Why We Upgraded from the Roborock S5

We ran a Roborock S5 for almost three years. It was a solid robot vacuum, but the mopping was basically just dragging a damp cloth around. The navigation was fine for open rooms but it would bump into things constantly. When the S5 started losing suction, we decided it was time to move up.

The QV 35A caught our attention because it promised better suction, actual mopping pressure, and a dock that handles emptying and mop washing. We have had it running daily for six months now, so here is where things stand.

Suction Power

The jump from the S5 to the QV 35A is immediately noticeable. It picks up crumbs, dust, and fine debris on hard floors without any issue. On carpet, it automatically boosts suction and lifts the mop pad so it does not drag a wet pad across your rugs. That carpet detection was something we did not have before, and it makes a real difference.

We have medium-pile carpet in the living room and hard floors everywhere else. The QV 35A handles the transition between surfaces without getting stuck or confused. If that describes your floors too, this is the configuration it was built for.

Pet Hair Performance

We have two cats, and this was the main reason we upgraded. The S5 would get tangled with longer fur and we had to clean the brush roll every few days. The QV 35A has a rubber brush design that resists tangles much better. We still check it once a week, but it rarely needs manual cleaning. The dustbin auto-empties into the dock, so we basically just forget about it between bag changes.

Six months in, this is the part that changed our week the most. Floors stopped being a chore. Check the current price →

Cat hair on furniture is still a manual job, obviously. For couches and cat beds we use the AirRobo PG100 grooming vacuum, which pulls loose fur off the cat before it ever reaches the floor. Pair that with a self-cleaning litter box and the QV 35A has a much easier job. If pet hair is your main concern, our best robot vacuum for pet hair guide compares it against everything else we tested.

Mopping

This is where the QV 35A really separates itself from older Roborock models. It applies actual downward pressure when mopping, and the dock washes and dries the mop pads automatically. We run it on our kitchen tile and bathroom floors, and it does pick up sticky spots and light stains that the S5 never touched.

It will not replace a proper hands-and-knees scrub for really stubborn messes. But for daily maintenance mopping, it keeps things noticeably cleaner. If you have been mopping tile by hand every weekend, this is the upgrade that gives you that hour back.

Navigation and Coverage

LiDAR navigation is a big step up from what we had before. The QV 35A maps your home on the first run, and you can set room-specific cleaning schedules and no-go zones in the app. It rarely gets stuck. In six months, we have had to rescue it maybe twice, both times because it wedged itself under a low shelf we should have blocked off.

It handles chair legs, tight spaces between furniture, and doorway thresholds without issues. One thing worth knowing: it reads low-pile and flatweave rugs cleanly and lifts the mop over them. Our round Cape Cod area rug has never confused it once.

The Dock Station

The dock handles auto-emptying, mop washing, and mop drying. It works well. The trade-off is size. This thing is big. You need a solid 18 inches of clearance in front of it and a dedicated spot along a wall. We put ours in the laundry room, which works fine, but if you are tight on space in your main living area, plan ahead.

You will need to refill the clean water tank and empty the dirty water tank every week or so, depending on how often you mop. Dust bags last about 6-8 weeks for us. Measure your wall space first, then check availability and current pricing.

The App

The Roborock app gives you a lot of control. Room-specific suction and mop settings, schedules, no-go zones, and cleaning history. It took us a few days to figure out everything and set up our routines. Once configured, we barely open it. The app is not bad, it just has a lot of menus and options that are not always obvious at first.

One thing to know: you can set a specific cleaning order for rooms, which is nice if you want the kitchen mopped last so the pads are cleaner for it.

Noise Level

On standard suction, it is quiet enough to run while watching TV in the next room. On max suction (which it uses on carpet), it gets louder. Not unbearable, but you will notice it. We schedule ours to run during work hours, so it is rarely a problem.

What We Do Not Love

• •2.4GHz WiFi only. If your router runs a combined 2.4/5GHz network, you might need to split them or create a separate 2.4GHz SSID for setup. This was mildly annoying.
• •The dock is large. Already mentioned this, but it bears repeating. Measure your space before buying.
• •App learning curve. There are a lot of features buried in submenus. Give yourself a few sessions to explore everything.

None of these were dealbreakers for us six months later. If they are not for you either, here is where to get it.

Common Questions

Does it handle long human hair as well as pet hair?

Yes, better than the S5 did. The rubber brush still collects some strands over a few weeks, but it does not wrap into the solid knot that older bristle brushes formed. A quick cut with scissors once a month is all it has needed.

How often do you actually empty the dock?

Dust bags last us 6-8 weeks with two cats. The dirty water tank needs emptying roughly weekly if you mop daily. That is the entire maintenance routine. Call it five minutes a week.

Is it worth upgrading from a Q5 Pro?

Only if you want real mopping. Suction goes 5500Pa to 8000Pa, which you will barely notice day to day. The spinning mop with actual downward pressure and the self-washing dock are the reasons to move up. Compare the current price against your Q5 Pro →

Will it work on thick carpet?

It handles medium-pile fine and lifts the mop automatically. High-pile shag is a stretch for any robot vacuum, including this one.

Bottom Line

After six months, the Roborock QV 35A is the best home purchase we have made this year. The floors are genuinely cleaner than when we were running the S5 daily. Mopping actually works now, pet hair is handled, and we spend maybe five minutes a week on maintenance. If you have pets or just want clean floors without thinking about it, this one delivers.

See the QV 35A on Amazon →