You're standing at a crossroads: buy a used premium robot vacuum from a few years ago, or go new with a budget-friendly model? It sounds simple, but it's not. One gives you fancy tech that might be outdated; the other gives you a warranty but fewer bells and whistles. Both can clean your floor, but they'll do it very differently—and the choice depends on what matters most to you.
The Roborock S5 is for someone who wants the "best" machine of yesteryear and doesn't mind betting on used tech. The Eufy RoboVac 11S is for a first-time buyer who wants peace of mind, a warranty, and zero regrets about spending too much.
In this post, we'll dig into cleaning power, how each robot finds its way around your home, noise levels, app smarts, and the real financial trade-offs. By the end, you'll know which one deserves a spot under your couch.
The Roborock S5 (around $200–$350 used, originally $500) is a 2018 flagship from a Chinese company famous for making seriously smart vacuums—think of them as the overachievers of the robot vacuum world. The Eufy RoboVac 11S (around $200–$250 new) is a budget model from Anker's robot brand, built to be simple, affordable, and reliable without pretending to be something it's not. The S5 came out when robot vacuums were getting clever; the 11S came out when they were getting accessible.
Cleaning Power: Suction and Real-World Dirt Removal
The Roborock S5 has 2000 Pa of suction (think of Pascal units as the 'push' of the vacuum—higher numbers mean stronger pull), while the Eufy 11S has 1300 Pa. In English: the S5 will grab pet hair and dust more aggressively, especially from carpet, but both handle hard floors fine. For a first-timer with mostly hard floors or light carpet, you won't notice a huge difference day-to-day. If you have a long-haired cat or deep carpet, the S5's extra muscle matters.
Navigation: How They Find Their Way (and Don't Get Lost)
The S5 uses LiDAR (a laser scanner that maps your room like a bat using echolocation), so it builds a digital floor plan, remembers it, and cleans in neat, organized lines—very efficient. The 11S uses camera-based navigation (just a simple optical sensor), which means it bumps around more randomly until it's covered everything. The S5 feels smarter and won't miss that corner behind your couch; the 11S will eventually get there, just with more wandering. For a small apartment, this doesn't matter much. For a large home with lots of furniture, the S5 saves time and battery.
Mopping Capability: Does It Even Matter?
The Roborock S5 can mop—it has a water tank attachment—though owners say it's a nice bonus, not a replacement for real mopping. The Eufy 11S doesn't mop at all. If you never planned to mop anyway, this is a non-issue. If you have a mix of hard floors and carpet and dream of one robot doing both, the S5 checks that box (barely).
Noise Level and Livability
Both are loud-ish when running—neither will whisper while you're on a Zoom call. The S5 tends to be slightly louder due to its more powerful motor, but we're talking 65–70 dB versus 60–65 dB, which is like comparing a busy restaurant to a moderately crowded café. Most owners run them at night or while out. This is a tie for real-world living; just don't expect zen silence.
App and Smart Features: Convenience vs. Simplicity
The S5's app lets you set no-go zones (areas the robot won't enter), create room-specific cleaning schedules, and track battery. It's genuinely useful and feels ahead of its time. The 11S has an app too, but it's more stripped-down—on/off, mode selection, basic info. The S5 appeals to gadget lovers; the 11S appeals to people who just want to press a button and walk away. Both connect to Wi-Fi, but the S5 gives you more control.
Warranty, Reliability, and the Used vs. New Gamble
Here's the hard truth: the S5 is four years old. Buy it used and you're inheriting someone else's wear—battery degradation, worn brushes, sensor grime. No warranty, no help if something breaks tomorrow. The 11S is new, comes with a standard 1-year warranty, and you know exactly what you're getting. If something fails, Anker has your back. On the flip side, the S5 was built when manufacturers weren't cutting corners as aggressively, so it might outlast cheaper new models. This is a bet on durability versus a guarantee of peace of mind.
So, which one should you buy?
The choice boils down to this: are you comfortable with a used appliance to get more features and smarts, or do you want the safety net of warranty and newness at the cost of less capability? The S5 is the more "impressive" robot—it feels like the future of cleaning, even if that future is a few years old. The 11S is the sensible choice—it does the job, asks for nothing fancy, and won't stress you out if something goes wrong next month. Neither is a bad pick; they're just different flavors of smart.
Whatever you choose, know this: you're not buying a luxury item, you're buying your time back. The "best" robot vacuum is the one you'll actually use, the one that fits your home, and the one that makes you feel good about the purchase. Trust your gut on that part, because no spec sheet can measure that for you.