Roborock H5 hands-on review: Featherweight fighter

Light as a feather: Weighing in at just 1.55kg the H5 is significantly easier to handle than many other stick vacuums. Only one other stick vacuum we have reviewed sits under 2kg, and that is the Acerpure Clean Lite which is more of a handheld vacuum.

This 1.55kg number is however, only for the vacuum body and doesn't include any of the attachments. According to Roborock the motorised mini brush is only another 300g, so even with a stick and a head the H5 doesn't get much higher than 2kg.

The lighter a vacuum is the easier it is to manouever, and the better it ends up being ergonomically. Generally you do have to make trade-offs when it comes to battery life in particular, but Roborock has got that covered too.

60 minute battery life: Once again the H5's specs are in the upper echelon for battery life. Most vacuums tote around 40 minutes of battery life at the high end and as low as 10 at the other. While big usage numbers like this aren't unheard of, they do tend to be smaller in more lightweight devices. 

Can use a vacuum bag or not: Over time vacuum cleaners have tended away from vacuum bags which is a double edged sword. On one hand vacuum bags are an added expense and they contribute to extra household waste. But on the other hand bagless vacuums are notoriously difficult to clean and can wreak havoc for asthma sufferers. The H5 tows this line by giving you options.

It can be used with a vacuum bag, or without depending on your preference. How easily it is cleaned without the vacuum bag is yet to be seen, but more options are always better.

Solid suction: The specs say that the H5 uses 158 airwatts of suction, which is a bit more than the Dyson V12 Detect Slim. When we reviewed the V12 we found that the suction was more than sufficient, and early testing of the H5 shows similar performance.

We tested the H5 on dry granola, clumped in various sizes. The debris varied from less than 3mm to over 1.5cm in size and the vacuum picked it up in two passes. These are of course tertiary tests, but a good indication of what the device may be able to handle when we get more time with it.

Small tank: Unfortunately we couldn't get the exact specs for the dustbin, but needless to say it is small. When we've tested other stick vacuums with small dust bins we've found they easily overfill and become a nightmare to clean out. With the H5 this can be avoided by using a dustbag, but you'll innevitably need to change the dustbag more frequently than you would on larger models. Those extra costs add up.

Minimal storage solutions: Aside from self-emptying stations, most stick vacuum storage solutions end up leaning towards home owners rather than renters. It is no different with the H5. While it does have a wall mountable charging and storage solution, if you don't own your home, or have an understanding landlord then you're flat out of luck.