This app-connected wet-dry vacuum cleans where robovacs can’t

About two and a half years ago, I was pretty vocal about giving up on robotic vacuum cleaners, preferring to use a handheld wet-dry vacuum cleaner to make my floors sparkle. Since then, I’ve been amazed by how new products like the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra and Dreame L30 are fully autonomous and can effectively clean a house with almost no human intervention.

While I now rely very heavily on robot vacuums and mops to clean my floors, I still believe a deep cleaning can only be achieved with some elbow grease. To that end, Roborock’s Dyad Pro Combo not only cleans better than even the most advanced robot vacuum, but it also doubles as a stick cordless vacuum cleaner and comes with plenty of accessories to clean your floors, but also your baseboards, your couch, and even your car.

A vacuum that can do it all

Whether you’re a neat freak like me or want to clean your house efficiently, the Roborock Dyad Pro Combo is not just an appliance; it’s the ultimate device to clean your home while retaining some of the automation and intelligence that comes with smart vacuums. It’s actually an evolution of the Dyad Pro, which features three motorized cleaning brush rollers. This innovation makes it exceptionally good at cleaning areas typically neglected by robotic vacuums, such as along the baseboards and in corners. It also makes it easier to use, as you don’t have to put much effort into vacuuming or mopping besides pushing the appliance and letting it move forward.

It also comes with a built-in detergent dispenser, surprisingly not provided in the box. The dispenser helps it achieve excellent cleaning results while preventing you from manually adding it every time you refill the tank. Like similar wet-dry vacuum cleaners, it has a large 900ml clean water tank and an oversized 700ml dirty one, which collects soiled water and dust. In addition, it comes with a dry dust bin, allowing you to use it as a standard vacuum cleaner. It comes with a standard motorized flat multi-surface cleaning tool, a motorized mini brush, perfect for cleaning your couch, and a two-in-one dusting brush and crevice tool.

In terms of cleaning efficiency, the Dyad Pro Combo excels not just in removing dust, dirt, and stains, but in providing a depth of clean that robotic vacuums simply cannot match. It’s automatically able to adjust the cleaning power, but the app also lets you fully customize the settings, ranging from the roller speed, water flow, and detergent dispensing.

For example, I’ve customized mine to automatically wake up in standby mode when I lift it up from its dock, and automatically turn on as soon as I take it out of “parking mode,” which lets it stand by itself when not in use. This smart integration with so many adjustable options is a nod to the convenience offered by robotic vacuums, but with the added benefit of manual control for thorough cleaning.

A great daily cleaner

It is effective when using it for daily cleaning, especially in wet-dry mode. For instance, it saved the day last month when I mistakenly spilled my half-mixed whey shaker on the floor. Cleaning it with any other tool would have been a chore, as part of the powder was already mixed with water, resulting in a hard-to-clean mess. The Dyad Pro Combo did an amazing job at tracking this tough mess, refreshing the floor with clean water and detergent while sucking up the dirt, whey powder, and water into the dirty water tank. This task would have been impossible for a robotic vacuum cleaner and would have required a lot of effort if done manually.

As for dry cleaning, the Dyad Pro Combo also does a good job, but it requires you to eject the main motor from the body, attach the dust bin, and then use the appropriate tool you want to use. This is a bit annoying, especially since the dust bin is relatively hard to latch in place. Similarly, you need to remove it after each use and place the main module back into the wet-dry body to charge it.

While the Dyad Pro Combo does double as a regular vacuum and achieves good results, it’s not as convenient to use as a Dyson stick vacuum because of these extra steps. However, using a single device is great, even to clean surfaces other than floors. For instance, I cleaned my car with the crevice and motorized mini brush, which did an excellent job at removing dust and pet hair from the seats and carpets. The multi-surface brush is also designed to catch hair and dust from carpets and hard surfaces instead of simply sucking dirt. Surprisingly, the multi-surface tool lacks a built-in light, which would make it easier to spot dirt when vacuuming.

Overall, the Roborock Dyad Pro Combo is more than just an excellent appliance; it’s the ultimate appliance to clean your floors and dust virtually any surface. It underlines the importance of deep, manual cleaning in an age of automation while retaining the ease of use of a smart vacuum, thanks to motorized brushes and a smart and connected companion app.

The Dyad Pro Combo isn’t perfect

While the Roborock Dyad Pro Combo is an excellent product, it has a few shortcomings. First, using three brushes means the cleaning head is particularly big and thick, sometimes preventing it from reaching under some furniture. Similarly, it’s a bit heavier than other models, making it harder to maneuver around the house. Its major drawback, though, is the limited battery life. In normal wet-dry mode, you barely get 30 minutes of cleaning time, while Roborock claims 43 minutes. While the wet-dry body has a standing parking mode, the stick vacuum doesn’t, meaning you can’t park it if you need to pause cleaning, which is disappointing. In daily life, though, you get used to these, and the cleaning efficiency and overall versatility make up for these minor shortcomings.

There’s also no getting around the fact that at an MSRP of $660, the Dyad Pro Combo is pricey for a manual vacuum cleaner. There are lesser versions available, though: if you already have a stick vacuum and prefer to keep things separate, the Roborock Dyad Pro is essentially the same product as the Dyad Pro Combo, without the ability to use it for dry vacuuming. Otherwise, the Dyad Air is a slightly stripped-down version that costs less, while offering great cleaning efficiency.

Let’s finish with the maintenance and care, which is relatively simple. In wet-dry mode, you only have to refill the clean tank with fresh water and empty and rinse the dirty one when it’s full. After each cycle, the Roborock Dyad Pro Combo can automatically clean itself, rotating the brush rollers in opposite directions to make sure they’re thoroughly washed. They’re also dried with hot air to prevent mildew and bad odors. When using it in dry mode, all you need to do is remove the filter and empty the contents in the trash, which is also done easily, especially considering you have to remove the dust bin after each usage.

A great vacuum and mop in one device

All in all, the Dyad Pro Combo is an excellent appliance that can replace your regular stick vacuum and your mop. It provides impressive cleaning results, thanks to its three brush rollers, and effectively removes dust, hair, dirt, and stains from almost any surface.

It’s definitely worth considering as a complement or even an alternative to robotic vacuums, especially for those looking for a deeper clean. It cleans better than my Tineco Floor One S5, which I’ve replaced with the Dyad Pro Combo. It may not compare to a Dyson Stick vacuum in terms of dry vacuuming, especially considering there are no pet attachments available for it. Still, it bridges the gap between smart, automated cleaning and the thoroughness of manual deep cleaning.