Finally, a stick vacuum that empties itself and stores its attachments

For as good as robot vacuums can be to alleviate manual cleaning, there are a lot of times you still need a good hand-held stick vacuum. The Roborock H60 Hub Ultra is a premium option, complete with an auto-emptying charging station. It features a 2-in-1 design for use as a traditional cordless stick vacuum, as well as including attachments for more handheld use.

I’ve spent more than a decade reviewing consumer electronics and smart home appliances. The H60 Hub Ultra is a compelling product, but it has some rough edges for how much it costs at its full retail price. It’s great for keeping everything tidy, but it could still use some refinement.

This handheld stick vac has an organized place for tools

The Roborock H60 Hub Ultra features up to 90 minutes of cleaning time, a five-stage filtration system, a 140-degree green light, and multiple attachment heads suitable for hardwood, tile, and carpet. Its charging station houses a 100-day debris bag that automatically collects dust from the vacuum when docked.

The side of the hub pops off to store the two smaller attachments for couch and crevice cleaning. The all-in-one design is one of the most appealing parts of this vacuum. The individual elements are nice, but a storage area that’s not visible to everyone in the house is important.

There are still some organizational concerns

My biggest frustration with the H60 Hub Ultra is that it’s so close to solving a lot of problems, and yet, it introduces a few more. For example, the long stick vac attachment doesn’t have a good place to go when you put it into handheld mode. The long piece won’t lean against a wall without sliding down. The end doesn’t stay angled. It wants to continually unbend to be straight.

Additionally, the door that hides the attachment pieces doesn’t have a hinge, so it just pulls off. You’ll likely need to set it down somewhere, too, while grabbing an attachment. It’s a minor detail, but if you’re switching tools frequently, it gets annoying. I’ve had it hit the floor several times after trying to lean it against the wall.

To me, these seem like self-inflicted wounds. Those are easy fixes for future versions, but for now, be aware that even though the H60 Hub Ultra might not be as holistic as it looks.

Cleaning performance: The green light means go

I’ve been using the vacuum for more than a month. The most noticeable thing about it might be its bright green light on the front. It’s not the most important aspect of a vacuum, but it is hard to miss. The light works well to show dust bits on hardwood floors. In fact, it works so well that some people might find it unsettling at first. It will show things you didn’t see before. The green light won’t matter for carpets and rugs, however.

For people uninterested in high-tech gadgets, the H60 Hub Ultra isn’t overly complicated to use. There are only three modes to cycle through on the actual vacuum. The handheld portion is a little big and heavy compared to other units I’ve used, but my teenage daughter was still able to hold it in one hand and clean with it.

Although Roborock advertises up to 90 minutes of runtime, that’s in its eco mode. In the high mode, I got closer to 15 minutes of cleaning time.

The good news is that the cleaning performance is sufficient in the middle, default mode, which balances suction and battery life. During casual use, it antidotally picked up everything I needed it to.

To get a better sense of its cleaning abilities, I tested the stick vac against a Dyson V8 Absolute. I ran each over squares with coffee grounds and crushed up cereal. The Dyson handled one pass well, picking up nearly everything but a single bit or two of cereal and only a faint outline of where the grounds were.

The H60 Hub Ultra did slightly better on its middle suction mode. It picked up more fine-grained debris with a single pass. It still had one chunk of cereal that needed one more pass to get.

The H60 Hub Ultra feels more polished than the V8, which isn’t hard considering it’s a lot older. But the Roborock vac propels itself forward while cleaning, which makes it easier to use for longer periods of time. You can especially feel it pulling forward while cleaning on carpet.

Is the Roborock H60 Hub Ultra worth spending money on?

The Roborock H60 Hub Ultra retails for $600, but has been on sale for as low as $330. If you can find it for close to half off, it’s a great cleaning option. It’s not worth paying full price for. However, I have found it to be plenty powerful, a reliable self-emptying station, and it doesn't leave hair tangled.

The vacuum works great for a quick, grab-and-go cleaning solution to complement a robot’s frequent tidying.