Proscenic Q8 Max review: Small size, big trade-offs

Price When Reviewed

$299

Best Prices Today: Proscenic Q8 Max

Even as we’re seeing more and more robot vacuum docking stations the size of dorm-room refrigerators, we’ve also noticed some manufacturers bucking the trend with diminutive options. SwitchBot did it with its Mini Robot Vacuum K10+, and now Proscenic has done it with its Q8 Max.

The Q8 Max’s self-emptying base is a compact 10.5 x 8.24 x 6.24 inches (HxWxD). For comparison, consider the Dream X30 Ultra’s base station, which measures a whopping 23 x 18 x 13.4 inches. Despite its small stature, Q8 Max’s base can hold up to 7 weeks of debris in its 2-liter dustbag.

The robot vacuum and mop is also a bit smaller than average at 3.8 inches tall and 12.6 inches in diameter.

Design and suction power

The Q8 Max has a middling 4,200 Pa suction rating and uses a combo dust box and water tank with 350-milliliter and 250-milliliter capacities, respectively.

This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robot vacuums.

Cleaning duties are handled by a removable rubber-and-bristle roller, a spinning side brush, and a microfiber mopping pad affixed to the bottom of the dust box/water tank. The robot is equipped with LiDAR for navigation and mapping.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Setup

There’s minimal assembly required to set up the vacuum. You need to snap one of the two supplied edge brushes onto the bottom, and that’s it.

Once the base is plugged in, you just need to set the robot against the front-facing charging contacts to charge its 3,200 mAh battery.

Finally, you’ll have to download the Proscenic app and follow its setup prompts to connect the Q8 Max to your Wi-Fi. It took me about two minutes to get it online.

Nnavigation and obstacle avoidance

The first time you run the Q8 Max, it maps your space then doubles back and does a whole-house cleaning.

The first cleaning was rough going. While the vacuum ably avoided large obstacles, it got ensnared in charging cables, electrical, cords, socks, shoelaces, backpack straps, and virtually any other clutter in its path.

Depending on the item in question, it might drag the item from room to room or stop cleaning. In the latter case, I’d get a garbled alert from the robot’s voice assistant that was my cue to rescue the bot. Because of these intermittent interruptions, that first cleaning of my 1,100 square foot home took over 90 minutes.

Once I knew the Q8 Max wasn’t going to afford me much leeway around obstacles, I did a thorough decluttering before each cleaning. That kept the robot out of trouble, but it still had a tendency to linger in one or two rooms at the expense of the others, resulting in multiple trips to its base to recharge and longer cleaning times.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Vacuum and mop performance

The vacuum picked up a lot of dust, dirt, food crumbs, and pet hair during my week-long testing period, but there was always a small amount of visible debris left on the floors. Additionally, hair was too easily wrapped around the middle of the roller brush, requiring me to remove it manually with the supplied cleaning tool or a pair of scissors.

The vacuum got passable if not great results in our rice test, which we conduct to see how it handles heavier particles. While it sucked up the entire half-cup I spread on some carpet, it left many scattered grains behind on my laminate floor and dropped several more en route to the next room.

For mopping, you have to manually fill the water tank before dispatching the robot. It then drags its cloth pad over the floor as it vacuums. The results are adequate for removing loose grime and returning some shine to dull floors, but there’s no agitation provided to scrub away stains or sticky messes. Indeed, it failed to completely remove the teaspoon of jelly I spread on the floor as a test.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

As your main interface with the Q8 Max, the Proscenic app provides intuitive controls and many customization options. Cleaning modes, map management tools, and real-time cleaning stats are clearly organized on the home screen, and less frequently accessed functions like scheduling and cleaning histories are a tap or two away in their own menu.

The app supports the most essential map customizations including room partitioning, no-go zones, and area cleaning. You can create up to five different floor plans and tailor cleaning settings for each specific level and room. The maps are securely saved in the cloud for easy retrieval, and you can select and use one map at a time.

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Michael Ansaldo/Foundry

Should you buy the Proscenic Q8 Max?

The Q8 Max’s small footprint is the strongest incentive to get it. Auto-empty base stations are comically huge in some cases, and that can be a concern in terms of space and aesthetics for many users. If you don’t have the room for a bigger base station or just don’t like the look of them, then the Q8 Max is worth a look.

However, there are cleaning compromises at this price point. As seen in my testing results, cleaning efficiency isn’t as great as with more premium models and lower suction power means you might have to supplement your robot’s cleaning with a conventional vacuum or a broom.

There’s also more hands-on maintenance required, whether it’s manually filling the robot’s water tank or detangling hair from its roller after every job.

If these issues matter to you, you’re better off investing a little more in a fully autonomous robot vacuum.