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Stuff.tv
4 days ago
- Stuff.tv
I reviewed the Roborock robot vac with an arm – it would be brilliant, if only it cleaned better
Stuff Verdict The Roborock Saros Z70 is a wildly ambitious robot vacuum that adds a robotic arm into the mix. While its cleaning, navigation and app experience are mostly top-notch, the mechanical arm tech isn't qu Pros Robotic arm tech is a first and genuinely innovative Excellent vacuuming and mopping for the most part Dock easily takes care of most maintenance Remote control via app is surprisingly useful Cons Automated arm functionality is unreliable Rattling noise while cleaning which seems concerning Struggles with cleaning hard floors Very expensive Introduction Roborock has always pushed boundaries in the world of robot vacuums, but the Saros Z70 might be its most ambitious effort yet. It promises to do something no other robot vacuum can: pick up stray objects from your floor before cleaning. This is thanks to a five-axis mechanical arm, which can grab things like socks, slippers, and tissues, and move them out of the way before resuming cleaning. In theory it's the closest we've come to an actual robotic assistant, and I feel the arm makes this vacuum cooler than it usually would be (don't look at me like that). But as excited as I was, in practice the Roborock Saros Z70 is still somewhat of a work in progress. It excelled at cleaning carpets, but performance on hard floors is inconsistent – and there are clear limitations around the arm's autonomous capabilities. There is serious promise here, but early adopters will need patience. How we test kitchen and cleaning tech Every vacuum cleaner, coffee machine and kitchen/cleaning gadget reviewed on Stuff is put through a battery of tests before we give our final verdict and star rating. We use our own years of experience to judge general performance, battery life, ease of use and value for money. Manufacturers have no visibility on reviews before they appear online, and we never accept payment to feature products. Find out more about how we test and rate products. Read more: Best cordless vacuum cleaners in 2025 for tackling every mess Design & build: Svelte and subtle At first glance, the Saros Z70 doesn't look drastically different to other premium robot vacuums. There's no obvious arm sticking out, no dramatic redesign. That's because the OmniGrip arm folds away entirely under a tinted panel, keeping the top of the unit completely flush. Combined with the puck-free navigation system, it means this robot is under 8cm tall and can easily get under most furniture. The dock is a large, modular unit that handles everything from emptying the dustbin to hot water mop washing and drying. I'll commend Roborock on the fact this isn't quite as tall as other docking stations I've stuck in my living room, but I'd say that it's just as wide. This thing is as sleek as a docking station can be, if slightly industrial-looking, and thankfully easy to maintain. Water tanks are accessible from the top, and the dust bag pulls out from behind a panel at the bottom. There's even a detergent tank for automatically refilling the bot. I'm a bit miffed Roborock didn't include this detergent like every other robot vacuum I've ever tested, but here we are. I'll also note that this water tank seemed to drain fairly quickly for the amount I used it. Flip the Z70 over and you'll find a rubber roller brush, a lifting mop pad system with dual spinning heads (one of which kicks out for edge cleaning), and Roborock's usual anti-tangle setup. The OmniGrip arm itself uses a pincer-style grabber and comes with a secondary camera on the arm to assist with positioning. Overall, it's an incredibly thoughtful and clever design, even if the arm's real-world performance is limited. Features: Everything but the kitchen sink So what can the arm actually do? It's strong enough to lift light objects (up to 300g) like socks, slippers, and sandals, then move them to designated areas. Or, it can just pick them up to clean underneath and put them back again. The app lets you choose what objects to pick up and where to put them. The problem is, it only works well under very specific conditions. After experiencing a few problems, Roborock told me that the object (and robot vac) must be on a hard floor, properly oriented, well lit, and not near a wall. That's a big asterisk for a headlining feature. You can manually control the arm through the app, but it has the same limitations. I will say that the arm performs brilliantly, when it works. There were times I caught it lifting up slippers to clean underneath them, so everywhere was free from dust. But that was when it worked. There were plenty of times when it didn't. Sometimes it would misidentify objects. Other times, it would struggle with grabbing or placing items correctly. On one occasion, it picked up an object only to drop it on itself and trigger an error. Controlled remotely, it worked reliably and was genuinely satisfying to use – when you met its stringent rules for operation. Still, the potential is obvious. If Roborock can improve the AI to recognise more object types, allow the arm to operate more freely, and make autonomous pickup more reliable, it could change how we think about robot vacuums entirely. But we're not quite there just yet. Play Beyond the arm, the Saros Z70 is loaded with features. 22,000Pa of suction makes it one of the most powerful cleaners available. But I'm not sure that the raw numbers translate into real-life success here. Dual mop pads apply consistent downward pressure and lift when needed to avoid wetting carpets. I actually found that by using Roborock's smart navigation, it detached the mop pads, cleaned carpeted rooms first, then came back to pick up the mop pads and fill up with water. Genius! The mop system can detect when pads are dirty and wash them at the dock using 80°C water, before drying them with warm air. Navigation works without a LiDAR tower, which contributes to the vacuum's low profile. It proved very reliable in my home, even in tricky layouts. The chassis is able to navigate thresholds up to 4cm. There's definitely something satisfying about watching this robot vac give itself a little leg up. Performance: Mixed results As a cleaning device, the Z70 excels more the most part. Suction on carpets is excellent, edge mopping is surprisingly thorough, and general navigation is precise. I particularly enjoyed the 3D mapping in the Roborock app where the navigation system can identify obstacles and items of furniture. In day-to-day use, it picked up almost everything with Turbo mode switched on for all rooms, but a noticeable amount less in Max mode. Where this robot vac struggled was on hard floors – particularly in the kitchen. It just could not seem to reliably pick up crumbs of varying size. At first, I thought this was because it was mopping and sucking at the same time, but switching the mop off had no effect. This is a little concerning in Turbo mode, as the lower modes wouldn't have had a chance. Speaking of mopping, the dual mops cover large areas quickly and leave no streaks, and the auto-lift feature reliably prevents wet carpets. However my unit made a persistent rattling noise while cleaning, which I suspect came from the arm or its housing. It didn't affect performance, but was irritating over long sessions. Yes, I could hear the noise even when the vacuum was in its Turbo mode. The dock is a workhorse, handling emptying, mopping, cleaning and drying with minimal fuss. It's a bit noisy during operation, but not excessively so. I'd actually say that its quieter than other robot vacs I've reviewed, including the Eufy Omni S1 Pro. Charging is fast, and battery life is strong – easily enough to clean a medium-sized home in one go on the lower modes. But on Turbo mode, it'd have to come home and recharge about 70% of the way through a clean. In fairness, the app does warn you of this when you set it to Turbo mode. Interface: One of the best apps Roborock's companion app is one of the best in the game. It's intuitive, packed with features, and makes the Z70 easy to control. The arm functions are well integrated into the app, with simple toggles to enable or disable object pickup, custom zones, and sorting bins. There's a handy remote view mode with camera switching, and you can manually control the arm's pitch and angle if needed. You can use this remote viewing mode without the arm too, in case you want a mobile security bot while you're on holiday. Elsewhere, the SmartPlan mode I mentioned analyses your home and cleaning habits to adjust settings automatically. Or you can get hands-on and tweak suction, water flow, cleaning patterns and more. You can even talk to the vacuum by saying 'Hello Rocky,' though I found this more of a novelty than a useful feature. It also wasn't particularly accurate, which is becoming a bit of a trend with this vacuum. As expected, Alexa and Google Assistant integration is also included. Roborock still says that Matter support is coming later via an update, but I managed to add my Saros Z70 to the Apple Home app – so it appears to have arrived at least in part. Roborock Saros Z70 verdict The Roborock Saros Z70 is one of the most ambitious robot vacuums I've ever tested. The built-in mechanical arm takes it beyond simple home-cleaning and firmly into the realm of home assistance. And while the arm isn't perfect just yet, the fact it exists at all is still a technical marvel. There's something genuinely exciting about watching a robot vacuum pick up a slipper, clean underneath it, put it back, and then carry on like nothing happened. The app is superb, and manually controlling the robotic arm feels more like playing a futuristic game than household chores. That said, the arm's autonomous smarts aren't quite ready for prime time. The list of objects it can recognise is limited, the conditions have to be perfect, and in testing it failed more often than it succeeded when left to its own devices. While the Z70 is also one of the most powerful vacuums Roborock has made, performance is a mixed bag. It vacuums brilliantly for the most part, mops effectively, and gets under low furniture that rivals can't reach. But it seemed to struggle on hard floors. There's clear promise here – and Roborock says updates are coming – but for now, it's a feature you'll mainly use manually or as a party trick. Add in a very high price, and it becomes a little harder to recommend to anyone other than early adopters. Stuff Says… Score: 3/5 The Roborock Saros Z70 is a wildly ambitious robot vacuum that adds a robotic arm into the mix. While its cleaning, navigation and app experience are mostly top-notch, the mechanical arm tech isn't quite ready for prime time. Pros Robotic arm tech is a first and genuinely innovative Excellent vacuuming and mopping for the most part Dock easily takes care of most maintenance Remote control via app is surprisingly useful Cons Automated arm functionality is unreliable Rattling noise while cleaning which seems concerning Struggles with cleaning hard floors Very expensive Roborock Saros Z70 technical specifications Functions Vacuum, mop, robotic arm pick-up Controls App, Alexa, Google Assistant, built-in voice, Matter Run time 180 minutes Dimensions 350x353x79mm, 12.4kg (robot) 381x475x488mm, 4.9kg (dock)
Android Authority
04-06-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
Roborock's $2,600 robot vacuum with a mechanical arm is an incredible flex with a weird price tag
Roborock Saros Z70 The Roborock Saros Z70 is the company's best robot vacuum to date, but only in a vacuum (pun intended). It cleans as well as anything we've seen, navigates very well, and its object detection is second to none. But it also costs $1,000 more than the Saros 10R, which already does all of that to the same standard, and the innovative-yet-deeply-flawed OmniGrip robot arm doesn't offer anywhere near enough value to cover the huge price hike. Now that I finally have the Roborock Saros Z70 in-house for testing, I can finally say, with authority, that the first commercially available robot vacuum cleaner with a robot arm is super cool… but I don't think cool is enough. It's been several months since I first got to see the Saros Z70 on display as one of the obvious highlights of CES 2025, and it's lost none of that initial wow factor. At first, it looks like any other high-end Roborock robot vacuum, but then the top panel retracts, the robotic arm pops out, and it gets to work picking up your mess. But is that the only trick up its sleeve, and is it really worth the eye-melting $2,600 asking price? Editor's note: Roborock kindly sent over two test units, one to me, and one to my colleague Oliver Cragg. We've both been using the units in our respective homes over the past few weeks to really give this expensive bot the gruelling testing it deserves. This review contains our combined thoughts on the Saros Z70 and its innovative new tech. It's a robot vacuum… Jonathan Feist / Android Authority As much as I want to talk about it, let's get the regular functionality out of the way first. Here's the bottom line: the Roborock Saros Z70 is the best robot vacuum that Roborock has released to date* (I'll get back to that asterisk, Thunderbolts* style). As a robot vacuum and mop machine, the Saros Z70 is reliable, efficient, and does a great job cleaning hard floors, carpets, and rugs. At just 3.14-inches tall, the Saros Z70 is one of the slimmer bots around, making it ideal for cleaning under low furniture. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority That flexibility is improved by the lack of a LiDAR navigation turret that typically sticks out the top of robot vacs, as instead the Saros Z70 relies on its front and rear StarSight Autonomous System 2.0 navigation cameras for mapping, navigation, and obstacle avoidance. This system is built from RGB, 3D ToF, and infrared sensors and is backed by AI-driven object detection. This, combined with the side-mounted VertiBeam Lateral Obstacle Avoidance detection (translation: it looks up and down to avoid impacts under furniture), makes for extremely safe and reliable navigation, whether it's a rogue child's toy, a stray charging cable, or something much larger. Speaking of height, not only can the Saros Z70 lift and lower its brushes, mops, and rollers, but it can lift the entire chassis as well, allowing it to mount high thresholds easily (up to 1.57-inch), and more effectively clean specific surfaces such as thick carpets or rugs. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority For mopping, the Z70 is also equipped with dual circular mop pads, as opposed to the VibraRise single mop of the Saros 10. I prefer the dual pad models from Roborock, as they get fewer tangles and leave a nicer sheen. The FlexiArm system also means the right mop pad will kick out to the side when skirting the edges of a room, so you get a nice clean right up to the edge. This same tech powers the front brush, which flicks dirt into the path of the main vacuum rollers. The bot can also detach the mop heads and leave them in the base station when it knows it's going on a vacuum-only mission. During those excursions, it benefits from up to 22,000Pa of suction pressure; more than enough to collect nearly any dry debris from your deepest carpets. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority And before we get to the main event, a shoutout to the Multifunctional Dock 4.0. You know, the base station. Equipped with large water canisters, an automatically dispensing detergent canister (cleaning solution not supplied, but I recommend getting it as it eliminates streaky floors), and a large vacuum bag, the base station houses, cleans, and charges the Saros Z70. It includes heated mop washing up to an impressive 80 degrees Celsius, heated air drying, and it holds the mop heads when they have been removed for vacuum-only runs. As I said, this is the best robot vacuum cleaner Roborock has ever made, which means it's already a strong contender for the best robot vacuum cleaner you can buy. But here's the catch: it's identical to the Roborock Saros 10R. This is the best robot vacuum cleaner Roborock has ever made, but that claim comes with a huge caveat. Everything I've said and praised about this bot, and everything I said in my top marks Saros 10R review, applies here (the Z70 reportedly has slightly smaller onboard dirt and water storage, but I didn't notice much difference). But that robot vac is $1,599.99, at the time of writing, subject to tariff issues. Meanwhile, the Saros Z70 is a whole $1,000 more expensive, and for that spare change, you could buy a very good second robot vacuum cleaner, a new flagship phone, or a base model MacBook Air M4. So, let's talk about the one thing that is different… …with a robotic arm! Jonathan Feist / Android Authority While we've started to see concept bots with mechanical appendages appear in its wake, Roborock's Saros Z70 is the first robot vacuum to hit the US market that packs a robotic arm. Let's go over how it works first. For the unfamiliar, the fancily named OmniGrip is a 5-axis mechanical arm that can grasp a selected number of small items. There are two tilting joints on the arm, similar to a tractor arm. This allows the arm to extend and bend to nearly any angle and position. The entire arm can spin, but generally operates facing straight ahead. Next, the head of the arm has two symmetrical pincers, this is the clamp for items. Finally, the head can rotate, allowing you to clamp things from multiple angles to get the best grasp. Roborock's Saros Z70 is the first robot vacuum to hit the US market that packs a robotic arm. Object recognition and pickup can be handled autonomously by the bot itself via its front-facing camera and a small camera underneath the arm's pincers, but you can also manually drive the bot and control the arm with touchscreen controls in the Roborock app. You can even view the robot's surroundings remotely through these cameras as a kind of roaming, articulating smart home security camera, if you so desire. Regardless of how you use it, the arm rests inside the Saros Z70's main body when not in use and is covered by a retracting flap. Roborock has also thought through safety measures, as there's an emergency stop button on the top of the robot, a child lock function, and you can fully disable the entire arm in the app. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority Picking up items would be useless on its own; where they are placed back down is what matters. As part of the robot arm strategy, the app now reports detected objects in your space and will highlight them on the in-app map. The app also lets you specify two zones: one for footwear storage and a container for other loose objects. Using AI and its cameras, the bot can detect items such as socks, cloths, paper balls, and some footwear, and categorize them as either clothing or trash. Roborock includes a trash bin accessory that uses a QR code identification, and can be the drop spot for discarded items, or you can set your own. So in theory, with this setup all arranged, the robot can perform a number of functions in combination with the arm: Follow-up cleaning — The robot will move items it recognizes autonomously and lift them to clean underneath. Automatic sorting — The robot will autonomously move footwear to the storage zone and deposit trash/other lighter items into the container. Manual sorting — The Roborock app will show the location of recognized objects, at which point you can manually tell the robot to go pick them up as above. Remote control — You can manually control the arm to pick up items. The inclusion of the robotic arm is undeniably cool, and it'll absolutely wow anyone you show it to. As the robot vacuum industry produced better and better obstacle avoidance, less and less of our floors were being cleaned, so a method of moving those objects was the next logical step. But that's the real question: does the OmniGrip arm help the Saros Z70 actually do what it's supposed to do — clean your floors — to the tune of a $1,000 price hike? The short answer is no, and there are a few big reasons why, some of which are fundamental, likely unsolvable issues, and others that are entirely the fault of this being a first-generation product. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority One big limitation is the weight of objects that the Saros Z70 can lift, as it caps at a maximum of 300g. This is absolutely fine for light items like socks and paper, but shoes — one of the main obstacles of any household — are extremely hit-and-miss. In fairness to Roborock, it only emphasizes sandals, which typically do weigh under the limit, but that puts a low bar on what the bot can pick up. In my testing, the robot arm was actually able to lift a shoe that weighed more than 300g. Because of the weight, however, the bot chose to drive very slowly, would not navigate a threshold, and eventually put the shoe back on the floor, unable to do much else with it. However, despite being officially supported, sandals are the same story, so this isn't a weight issue. I've only ever seen the bot pick up the same sandal, do a circle, and put it back down — not once has it taken a sandal or any other footwear to the designated drop-off location. It's the same story for non-footwear. I've seen the arm move objects temporarily to clean the floor, but I've never actually seen the bot move a piece of crumpled paper or a sock into the companion container on its own. I've seen it get very close a few times, but it'll always end up putting the item beside the box, not in it. Cleaning the floor is my top priority, so at least I'm getting a better clean, but tidying is a complete non-starter. Jonathan Feist / Android Authority Another minor issue is that the bot stores objects' location for future cleaning, rather than doing it on its usual cleaning run. I want the bot to immediately identify objects and move them out of the way immediately, not on a future run. I've successfully forced the Saros Z70 to clear a number of objects, but a lot of these instances were because I put obstacles in the way for testing purposes, rather than it genuinely helping to tidy my space on its own. I have limited space; I can't afford to leave junk on the floor while I wait for it to do its job properly. Roborock has promised that further updates are due to improve performance for the OminGrip, and that further objects will be added to the recognition system. Hopefully, the lack of polish that inevitably comes with any first-gen tech will be resolved in time, but that's nowhere near guaranteed, and you shouldn't buy a product now based on a promise that it'll be better in the future, especially not at this price. Roborock Saros Z70 review verdict: Is it worth $2,700? Jonathan Feist / Android Authority So about that asterisk. The Saros Z70 is a fantastic robot vacuum and Roborock's best to date *however, the only difference between it and the $1,000 cheaper Saros 10R is the robotic arm that, well… doesn't really work right now. Since I first set the Saros Z70 loose in my home, it has undergone many firmware updates, and has already vastly improved its capabilities, but it still can't do most of the tasks Roborock says it can do. I know it can do a lot more, and I'm hopeful it will with future software updates, but as it operates today, it is too rich for my wallet, and I imagine that'll be the case for the vast majority of buyers. The Roborock Saros Z70 has the best party trick of any robot vacuum, but its innovative robot arm isn't worth the price of admission until it improves. The Roborock Saros Z70 is fun, has been a literal party trick I've enjoyed showing guests, and I'll give praise to Roborock for both being first and attempting something innovative in public rather than behind closed R&D doors. But that doesn't mean you should buy it unless you've got money to burn and don't mind being a guinea pig for early adopter tech. Roborock Saros Z70 Robotic arm! • Next-gen navigation • AI-powered object detection • Big battery MSRP: $2,599.00 It'll tidy your space before cleaning it Equipped with a robotic arm, the Roborock Saros Z70 is a next-gen robot vacuum with AI-powered navigation and obstacle avoidance, much larger battery, and the ability to put toys in the toy box, socks in the hamper, and trash in the bin. See price at Amazon Positives Impressive navigation Impressive navigation Robust object detection Robust object detection Cleans really well Cleans really well Innovative robotic arm Cons Huge limitations on robot arm functionality Huge limitations on robot arm functionality Massive price tag
Business Insider
28-05-2025
- Business Insider
The Roborock vacuum robot with a mechanical arm is super cool. I'm certain it's the future, just not yet
The Roborock Saros Z70 robot vacuum and mop expands the cleaning prowess of the best robot vacuums with the addition of a robotic arm alongside its arsenal of sensors and brushes. The idea is that it'll pick up objects in its way and go the extra mile to fully tidy up by actually moving items around. Once you see it in action, the articulating arm is instantly intriguing. It's a potential huge leap forward for robot assistants. After an editor got an early press preview of the Roborock Z70, I spent several weeks with the Z70, putting it through dedicated tests, as well as just letting it perform daily scheduled cleanings. I'm hopeful that its functionality will increase over time, but at the moment, it's strictly a novelty. The exciting potential remains, but the reality is much duller. The robot has a very limited list of items it's allowed to lift and move, including pieces of paper and light slippers. Even within that scope, it didn't always accomplish its tasks. The Z70 is a top-notch vacuum and mop, but its arm is just an added expense that probably won't be helpful to many people just yet. A machine loaded with features and specs The Saros Z70 is wholly feature-complete. Between the adaptive AI cleaning schedules and the video calls you can use the robot for as it does a patrol of the house, it's hard not to be overwhelmed by it. Of course, the elephant in the room is its OmniGrip mechanical arm, which even has an embedded camera and is capable of lifting up to 300 grams. That's 0.66 pounds, or the equivalent of an iPad mini (with cellular). The arm will emerge on its own while vacuuming or mopping, but it can also be activated manually while in its remote control mode if you want to play around with it. The Roborock Z70 retails for $2,599 and is at the tip top of the price spectrum for this category of products. Even without the OmniGrip arm, however, it would still be a high-end product because of all the other tech loaded up inside. It features up to a tremendous 22,000 Pa of suction, a multi-function dock with hot water mop cleaning, an extending brush and pad, and class-leading mapping and navigation sensors. It packs a lot into its compact, 3.14-inch tall frame. So, in addition to knowing where it should and shouldn't go, it can actually fit under more couches and between more chair legs. The unit has a rated 180-minute run time on its quiet mode. In my testing, I got more than 115 minutes with the higher power balanced mode. Observing the battery in real-world use, the battery estimate seems highly accurate. Extrapolating my usage out, the Z70 was averaging about 170 minutes in the higher setting. For times of extended demand, the dock will fast-charge the robot in an advertised 2.5 hours. Mapping and navigation are stellar, helping it avoid bumping into most household items Despite a functional robot arm tucked away into its top, the unit remains compact and nimble. Part of the Z70's ability to scoot through tight spaces like between furniture is its StarSight Autonomous System 2.0. It has forward-facing detection, along with VertiBeam for lateral object avoidance to the side and above. These sensors and cameras help it see 3D depth information and identify more objects, so it knows how to move around household items delicately. On its first mapping, the Z70 instantly created an accurate map of my downstairs rooms. Like other Roborock models, it correctly identified room dividers and even noted things like a table and living room seating. Over the last several years, I've been highly impressed with the cleaning paths Roborock robots take and their general ground coverage. The Z70 is no different in this regard. But from my constant oversight, this year's tech does seem to be at the top of its game. It's highly thorough while remaining efficient. The Roborock app has even added Routines to try to allow you more flexibility in how you clean. One of the recommended options is to clean after a meal. This Routine cleans the kitchen and dining room after the time you set for dinner. Here's what you want to know about a vacuum that has an arm Far and away, the most interesting thing about the Roborock Saros Z70 is its OmniGrip mechanical arm. It can move certain objects out of the way or move them to designated areas. That's the promise, but the reality is much more limited than it initially appears. First, you have to explicitly activate the OmniGrip in the app to turn it on. It won't work by default until you take the step to acknowledge its presence. Secondly, at launch, it's only authorized to pick up tissues, sandals/slippers, and socks — but only certain types of each. So what's the point? Roborock is optimistic that this will help tidy up socks that get left close to closets or tissues that don't quite make it to a trash can. I'm more skeptical. Even if the mechanical arm does gain the ability to pick up new objects in the future via a software up, it ultimately has a physical weight capacity that it can't exceed. It can't go around lifting anything it wants to, including heavy footwear like boots. Plus, there will likely always be some objects like scissors that remain off-limits for safety reasons. Additionally, in regards to safety, there is an emergency shutoff button on the vacuum to stop the arm, and the grip does have a pinch sensor. In terms of the OmniGrip's actual performance, it hasn't been great in my testing. Maybe unsurprisingly, I've needed to manufacture a lot of the testing scenarios because the items it will handle are so limited. I wouldn't have seen it work much, if at all, if I didn't artificially start dropping balls of tissues on the floor. Even when ideal-sized and shaped balls of paper towels were left on the floor in central locations, the results were mixed. Sometimes the robot would pick up one of the tissues and put it in its designated bin, while ignoring the others. I used paper towels, brown packing paper, and bathroom tissue to see if it would identify each of them. Usually, it would take care of one but not the others, with seemingly no logic to which one it handled. The paper towels I left lying flat didn't get any acknowledgment. I also resorted to placing Crocs in the middle of the room, while the Z70 ran its nightly schedule. Doing that usually resulted in one of the clogs being moved to the designated shoe spot while the other one remained untouched. Sometimes the robot would move the sandals out of its way to finish cleaning the area it was assigned to, but then just leave them in a different, inconvenient spot. It's hard not to be disappointed by the results of the OmniGrip mechanical arm. When it works like you assume it will, it's magical. It's easy to see how this functionality will be improved and could spread to be prominent in two to three years. But it's not there yet. It's too limited in nearly every way to be anything but a fun distraction. The Saros Z70 cleaning performance didn't disappoint If you're willing to pay the OmniGrip arm tax, you'll still get a good vacuum and mop. Its side brush and extending mop pad help it pick up crumbs and dirt around chair legs and scrub right up against baseboards. I tested the Z70 on hardwood floors using coffee grounds, flour, and crushed up cereal to see how it vacuumed and mopped up the messes. Using the vacuum and mop on its highest suction level with two passes, it got around 90% of the flour, 90% of the coffee grounds, and 98% of the cereal in a spot, zone cleaning. These results are in line with other high-end robot cleaners. Using the vacuum on carpet with the same simulated spilled food items, the Z70 got an estimated 87% of the flour, 89% of the coffee grounds, and 100% of the crushed up cereal. Again, its results in this area are in line with other premium robots. To see how well the Z70 could get into tough-to-reach areas, I taped off a corner of my room with hardwood floors and sprinkled some flour in the square. The vacuum picked up nearly all of the visible mess. Its corner results were quite remarkable, especially compared to other robots. All of these tests confirmed my general observations of the daily scheduled cleanings I had it doing. It's really good, though not perfect. There were still the occasional crumbs left under the cabinet toe-kicks in the kitchen, but all around the kitchen table, around chair legs, and up against baseboards were free from debris after it finished. The anti-tangle system, a combination of the side and roller brushes, worked well enough that I only saw a few strands of hair from time to time. There was never a collection of hair wrapped up that needed to be cut off. Nearly all of the hair found its way into the dustbin. I don't have a high threshold in my home that I need robot vacuums to cross. However, I do have a mid-to-high pile rug that a lot of vacuums have had a hard time traversing. Thanks to the AdaptiveLift chassis, the Z70 can roll over a threshold as tall as 1.57 inches, which, in my case, made it much easier for the bot to climb onto the carpeted rug and vacuum it without getting stuck. Although the unit can raise itself high off the ground, the Z70 can also detach its mopping pads and leave them behind in the charging dock when doing vacuum-only jobs. This means it won't drag wet pads across the carpet. This isn't a unique feature to Roborock, but one of my favorites that I've come to look for from any premium cleaner. The Z70 isn't the only new vacuum and mop that Roborock released in 2025. It also released the Saros 10R and 10. Putting the 10R through its paces revealed it has a similar performance. It also employs a sleek exterior with a low profile for nimble navigation, along with a FlexiArm side brush and an extending mop pad. Its suction is powerful, and its scrubbing is thorough. The 10 and 10R, varying in minor ways, aren't as flashy as the Z70, but nearly as capable. The bottom line The Roborock Saros Z70 is a great vacuum and mop but not because it has a robotic arm. It performs well at cleaning floors despite its headline feature. The functionality of its arm is just too limited to make it a useful part of the cleaning experience. If the cost doesn't deter you, it's a fine choice with a wow factor that will intrigue anyone who comes across it. But most people in search of a high-powered, premium robot vacuum and mop will find a better value with the Saros 10R.
CNET
20-05-2025
- CNET
I Dreamed of a Robot That Sorted My Socks, But This $2,600 Vacuum Isn't It (Yet)
The Saros Z70 is priced at $2,599, making it one of the most expensive robot vacuums I've seen. You can buy two robot vacuums for this price. The most notable feature is the OmniGrip mechanical arm designed to pick up and sort items. It also has strong vacuuming and mopping capabilities, excellent mapping, and the ability to cross thresholds. The mechanical arm has several issues, including difficulties picking up objects, navigation problems, and software bugs. There were also connectivity issues during setup. Cleaning my hardwood and carpet. Ajay Kumar Pros Good vacuuming on hardwood Brush roller does not get tangled with dog hair Very low profile and fits under pretty much everything Quiet operation Works well with pets Chassis lift prevents it from getting stuck most of the time Cons Dust bin is too small Water tank is too small Mopping performance isn't great Obstacle avoidance needs some improvement Roborock I wanted to love the Roborock Saros Z70. Never before have we seen a robot vacuum with a mechanical arm meant to pick up objects and help you clean before it vacuums and mops. As someone who has three cats, I found this incredibly appealing. I test and write about vacuums for a living. When we first saw the Roborock Saros Z70 at CES earlier this year, we all knew we were witnessing something special. CNET even chose it as one of our best of CES awards. I spent several hours with it in New York City during a demo, giving me fairly high hopes for its time and labor-saving potential. I tested it at my cluttered apartment for the better part of a month and so did my colleague and lead lab tester, Jared Hannah at his home. The reality is, the Saros Z70 certainly has a lot of promise. It vacuums and mops like a champ, can cross thresholds and obstacles as effectively as the Dreame X50 Ultra, and has great mapping and pet recognition in my home. The OmniGrip arm picking up my wife's sock. Ajay Kumar However, when it comes to its signature feature -- the robot arm -- we found it's still not ready for showtime. Right now, the Saros Z70 is fairly limited in its ability to pick up very small objects like pet toys and kid's toys. On occasion, it did recognize and attempt to pick up cat toys it found scattered around my home, but it was never able to succeed at that. Often, it would deploy the arm, then detect my cat or some other object nearby and freeze, blaring 'Error 69,' forcing me to manually reset the arm. At one point, it even tried to pick up my standing desk mat before realizing it wasn't a compatible object and giving up. Roborock tells us they are aware of the issues and are actively working on software fixes that will roll out in June and July. Here are my impressions after a month of testing and whether it's worth its $2,600 price tag. Roborock My experience with Saros Z70 We tested the Saros Z70 at CES 2025, at a live demo, at our New York City Office space, at CNET's testing lab in Louisville KY and most recently at my home. My biggest takeaway from my real-world home test versus my other experiences with this robot vacuum is the various issues with the mechanical arm, its struggle to pick up objects, navigation problems, and software bugs. It cleaned great as a regular robot vacuum and mop, but I couldn't rely on the arm's sorting capabilities. 'Yeah, it seems like it's basically a beta version of the arm,' said Hannah, who was testing the Z70 at the same time as me. 'They should do a bit more development before it's ready for the masses. I would get the error if the arm bumped something while moving an object. It sensed that there was too much resistance, so I think it was doing what it was supposed to, but it seems like that would end up being a common occurrence.' The Saros Z70 got scratched up after trying to clean under the desk chair. Ajay Kumar Vacuuming and mopping: Strong performance, good sand/litter/hair pickup; mopping with clean/dirty tanks and hot air drying is effective. Strong performance, good sand/litter/hair pickup; mopping with clean/dirty tanks and hot air drying is effective. Special features: The OmniGrip arm is the standout special feature, though currently unreliable. I found operational issues during my home testing. It struggled to pick up certain objects, especially pet toys, but I had much better luck with socks. Not only was the Saros Z70 able to identify my wife's purple socks and pick them up off the hardwood floor in the bedroom, but it also began to transport them to my designated shoe-drop-off area that's set up in the foyer. The problem was that partway on this journey, it gave up somewhere between the hallway and the kitchen, dropping the sock, acting like the job was complete, and continuing its regular cleaning cycle. The OmniGrip arm is the standout special feature, though currently unreliable. I found operational issues during my home testing. It struggled to pick up certain objects, especially pet toys, but I had much better luck with socks. Not only was the Saros Z70 able to identify my wife's purple socks and pick them up off the hardwood floor in the bedroom, but it also began to transport them to my designated shoe-drop-off area that's set up in the foyer. The problem was that partway on this journey, it gave up somewhere between the hallway and the kitchen, dropping the sock, acting like the job was complete, and continuing its regular cleaning cycle. Mapping and navigation: It generated a 2D and 3D map of my space, automatically tagging the rooms (bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen), flooring type (hard surface and carpet) and identifying certain pieces of furniture like my couch, TV stand and bed. It also marked notable thresholds in my space where extra effort would be required to cross. You can remap it or tell it to remap a specific room if you're not happy with the result, but it did a great job for me the first time around. It generated a 2D and 3D map of my space, automatically tagging the rooms (bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen), flooring type (hard surface and carpet) and identifying certain pieces of furniture like my couch, TV stand and bed. It also marked notable thresholds in my space where extra effort would be required to cross. You can remap it or tell it to remap a specific room if you're not happy with the result, but it did a great job for me the first time around. Software and app: The app isn't the most straightforward tool to use, with a profusion of settings and nested menus that allow you to adjust just about everything the robot can do, from the dustbin emptying and mop washing frequency, to cleaning patterns, obstacle photos, enabling the robotic arm and more. Just about everything the robot can do is customizable, but I wish all these features and settings were a bit more front and center rather than tucked away in the lengthy settings menu. The app isn't the most straightforward tool to use, with a profusion of settings and nested menus that allow you to adjust just about everything the robot can do, from the dustbin emptying and mop washing frequency, to cleaning patterns, obstacle photos, enabling the robotic arm and more. Just about everything the robot can do is customizable, but I wish all these features and settings were a bit more front and center rather than tucked away in the lengthy settings menu. Design and aesthetics: Low-profile design, good for fitting under furniture, but can lead to scratches. Low-profile design, good for fitting under furniture, but can lead to scratches. Ease of use: Setup had connectivity issues; once set up, basic functions are easy, but advanced settings are complex. Roborock The specs Price: $2,599 $2,599 Object weight limit (OmniGrip Arm): 300 grams rated load; approximately 700 grams actual load capacity during our testing. 300 grams rated load; approximately 700 grams actual load capacity during our testing. Threshold crossing height: Capable of crossing thresholds up to approximately two inches. Capable of crossing thresholds up to approximately two inches. Cleaning time: (Ajay's apartment, 850 sq ft): 1.5 to 2 hours for a full vacuum and mop session. (Ajay's apartment, 850 sq ft): 1.5 to 2 hours for a full vacuum and mop session. Cleaning time: (Jared's house, 1,200 square feet) : 2.5 to 3 hours for a full vacuum and mop session on the main level. (Jared's house, 1,200 square feet) 2.5 to 3 hours for a full vacuum and mop session on the main level. Mapping time (Ajay's apartment, 850 sq ft): 16 to 18 minutes for initial mapping. (Ajay's apartment, 850 sq ft): 16 to 18 minutes for initial mapping. Sand pickup performance on hardwood: 82.46%, this is excellent hardwood performance, falling just shy of our best overall, the Ecovacs Deeboth T30S Combo (85%). 82.46%, this is excellent hardwood performance, falling just shy of our best overall, the Ecovacs Deeboth T30S Combo (85%). Sand pickup performance on carpet (Midpile): 51.77%, this surpasses the Dreame X50 Ultra (44% mid-pile) 51.77%, this surpasses the Dreame X50 Ultra (44% mid-pile) Sand pickup performance on carpet (Low-Pile): 51.06%, which comes close to matching the Shark Power Detect NeverTouch Pro (54.5%). 51.06%, which comes close to matching the Shark Power Detect NeverTouch Pro (54.5%). Voice command compatibility: The app can be connected to Amazon Alexa for voice commands. The app can be connected to Amazon Alexa for voice commands. Customizable: The app allows for a wide range of customization, including dustbin emptying frequency, mop washing frequency, cleaning patterns, obstacle photos, and enabling/disabling the robotic arm. The app allows for a wide range of customization, including dustbin emptying frequency, mop washing frequency, cleaning patterns, obstacle photos, and enabling/disabling the robotic arm. Mapping features: The app displays the 2D and 3D maps generated by the robot, allows for room tagging, furniture identification, and setting "no-go" zones. It also identifies pet areas and allows for "Pet Area Cleaning." The app displays the 2D and 3D maps generated by the robot, allows for room tagging, furniture identification, and setting "no-go" zones. It also identifies pet areas and allows for "Pet Area Cleaning." Wi-Fi connectivity: The robot needs to connect to Wi-Fi for setup and app control. The robot needs to connect to Wi-Fi for setup and app control. Dual spinning mopping pads: The robot uses a pair of dual spinning mopping pads that attach and detach from the docking station. The robot uses a pair of dual spinning mopping pads that attach and detach from the docking station. Clean and dirty water system: Uses clean water for mopping and collects dirty water in a separate tank, ensuring cleaner mopping. Uses clean water for mopping and collects dirty water in a separate tank, ensuring cleaner mopping. Mopping pad cleaning and drying: Mopping pads are washed and hot-air dried at the base station between cleaning sessions. Mopping pads are washed and hot-air dried at the base station between cleaning sessions. Mopping modes: The "Vacuum+Mop" mode vacuums first and then mops the entire space. There are options for Deep cleaning, Pet Area and an AI-powered SmartPlan. Saros Z70 docked Ajay Kumar CNET's buying advice For the time being, I am holding off on scoring, rating or recommending the Saros Z70. While it excels at vacuuming, mopping, and navigation, the core feature – the OmniGrip arm – is not yet reliable enough for me to fully give an opinion on this product as a whole. Roborock told CNET it plans to roll out software updates in June and July that are expected to positively change my experience. Some of the anticipated improvements include improved grab point optimization, smarter sorting optimization, and new pickup categories like sports shoes. It is hard to ignore the $2,599 price tag. I argue that for the price, you could purchase two or three excellent standard robot vacuums and mops, like the Yeedi M12 Pro+, or a comparable high-performing model such as the Dreame X50 Ultra -- both on CNET's best robot vacuums best list. If all you care about is strong vacuuming, mopping and obstacle avoidance: The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo is currently CNET's "best overall robot vacuum. Roborock Without a fully operational and reliable OmniGrip arm, I can't justify its value for the cost at this time. 'The arm is a neat feature to watch, but I personally don't find it very useful,' said Hannah. ' I feel like if the robot is smart enough to avoid obstacles such as shoes and socks, I don't need it to try and pick them up and move them. As long as the robot doesn't get stuck on anything during its cleaning cycle, that's good enough for me.' If the OmniGrip arm is your primary reason for considering the Saros Z70, I recommend you wait for future software updates or consider alternatives until that feature is more refined.
The Verge
20-05-2025
- The Verge
I tested a robot vacuum with an arm, and my dog may never forgive me
I suspect my dog does not like the Roborock Saros Z70. Unlike the dozens of other robot vacuums that Gus happily lets clean around him while he sleeps, the Z70 keeps stealing his treasures. Not his dog toys — although that could be a future feature — but my family's socks that he loves to collect and carry around the house with him. Since the Z70 arrived, he's had competition. The first robot vacuum with a mechanical arm, the Z70 features a five-axis arm, branded the OmniGrip, that uses onboard sensors and a camera to see, pick up, and tidy away a small list of light items, including the aforementioned socks, footwear such as slippers and sandals, tissues, and paper. In theory, this means I should spend less time picking up after my kids or rummaging in Gus' bed to find the socks he's stolen. In practice, it's nowhere near achieving this goal. Yes, the arm can pick up items and put them away, which is seriously impressive. It collected my son's discarded socks and a few balls of paper, putting them where I asked it to. But the Z70's limitations are deal-breakers at this point, and its lack of consistency also lets it down. For example, while the bot would detect footwear, it nearly always opted not to pick up any shoes, only once retrieving a slipper or sandal of its own volition. It also consistently struggled to place more than one item in the correct spot each time it cleaned. Still, this is the first consumer robot vacuum to venture into appendage territory, and even in this beta-like stage, it's remarkable. But for an eye-watering $2,599, the Saros Z70 needs to pick up more than a few socks. The Saros Z70 is a flagship robot vacuum that's a big step up from my current top pick floor sweeper, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra. With over twice the suction power, a more advanced navigation and obstacle detection system, and dual spinning mops that it can automatically remove, it's an impressive cleaner. However, aside from the arm, it's essentially the same vacuum as the $1,599.99 Saros 10R that launched with it earlier this year — with a few modifications made to accommodate the mechanism, including a different roller brush and a smaller onboard bin and water tank. For $1,000 less, the 10R is a better bet right now. While cleaning my house, the Saros Z70 used an AI-powered camera on the front of the robot to identify potential pickable objects, then returned to 'sort' them. This process, which was very slow, involved scrutinizing the object for a few moments, then shuffling around, pausing to unfold the arm from the body of the robot, extending it, twisting it horizontally or vertically, and using its pincer grip to grab the item. A camera in the 'hand' sees the item and determines how to pick it up, then a grip sensor measures the weight of the object — 300 grams (0.66 pounds) is the max. Sensors along the arm also detect if anything is in the way, to stop it pinching an object or banging into something. At one point, it tried to pick up a rug tassel, realized it was too heavy, and let it go. When it did manage to pick something up, it'd hoist the object high into the air and triumphantly carry it toward the zone I'd designated in the app. Socks or paper went into a Roborock-provided bin, with about an 80 percent success rate. The robot always dropped stuff, just not always in the bin. Sometimes just alongside it, and once or twice, when it got confused, absolutely nowhere near it. Footwear was supposed to go to the shoe storage area, but it only managed to pick up one sandal during my testing, studiously avoiding the slippers, flip-flops, and Crocs I left strewn around. Even then, it deposited the sandal just outside the shoe storage zone. Roborock suggested trying the manual control option in the app, which gives a live view from the camera on the arm to see if the bot could accurately identify and pick up one of the shoes it had been ignoring. This worked on the flip-flop, with the arm picking it up when directed. It just wouldn't do it autonomously. (Sidenote: The camera in the arm can be used as a roaming home security camera, providing an additional vantage point to the forward-facing one.) The Z70 did a good job with large socks, small fabric toys that looked like socks, and paper, but it didn't like small socks. However, in most cleaning runs, it only picked up one or two items, even if there were half a dozen shoes and socks scattered around. It also can't pick up items on carpet, so those socks my husband slipped off and hid under the coffee table while watching telly will go untidied. Speaking of tables, the arm can't reach under low furniture; if it detects anything above it within 45cm (17.7 inches), it won't deploy its arm. All of this illustrates the technology's promise versus its current reality. The robot uses AI to identify obstacles and determine whether to avoid them (like pet poop), clean around them (like cables), or pick them up. The logs in the app revealed that its success was comparable to that of a preschooler using flashcards. On one run, it identified the black flip-flop as a cable, a piece of paper as a plastic bag, and a brown slipper as pet poop. But on the next run, it picked up the same ball of paper with no issues. The arm is an impressive novelty, but not functional enough to be worth your money Today, the arm is an impressive novelty, but not functional enough to be worth your money. However, the hardware feels solid, and if the software can be improved, it could be very useful. I'm constantly picking up and relocating footwear that my family discards, and having a robot do it reliably would make my life easier, not to mention help with the Monday morning panic when we can't find my daughter's Crocs. If it could pick up larger items like clothes, deal with phone charging cables, and other common household clutter, I'd love to set it loose on my teenage kids' rooms to tidy up before cleaning. Roborock claims to have a slew of updates in the works for the bot, beginning next month, which it says should improve reliability and expand its object repertoire, crucially to heavier items like sneakers. The bot is currently limited to 300 grams (0.66 pounds) but is capable of handling up to 700 grams (1.5 pounds), according to Roborock. Hopefully, this will make the arm more confident when picking up footwear. Currently, it's very specific about what it will collect, largely as a safety feature. It did pick up the occasional small cat toy and stuffed animal, but mostly opted against trying to grasp an item if there was any doubt. Speaking of safety, both Gus and my cat, Boone, tried playing with the arm, and it immediately stopped moving, so I felt confident that they were safe. The arm is also surprisingly sturdy, although I'm not sure it would hold up to 70-pound Gus if he were determined to retrieve a sock. (There is an emergency stop button for the arm should something go wrong.) Arm issues aside, the Saros Z70 excels as a robot vacuum. Its StarSight 2.0 navigation system (a combination of solid-state lidar, 3D sensors, and cameras) navigated smoothly, dodging obstacles and ably avoiding common robot traps thanks to its ability to lift itself up 10mm and cross thresholds of up to 4cm. It's the first robot vacuum I've tested that never once got stuck on my rug, under my sofa, or between my lounge chair's spindly legs. Its 22,000Pa suction power demolished my oatmeal and Cheerio tests, and the dual spinning mop pads efficiently dispatched small spills of milk, juice, and dried ketchup. If you love the latest tech and are willing to pay (a lot) for potential, the Saros Z70 is a fascinating peek into the future — not to mention a fun toy (yes, you can remote control the arm). But if you're happy to pick up your own socks, Roborock's Saros 10R ($1,599.99) offers all the same floor cleaning abilities, minus the arm, for $1,000 less. (The Z70 was initially priced at $1,899.99, but Roborock recently raised it to $2,599 due to tariffs.) Are robotic arms the future of home cleaning? Probably. With the speed of innovation in home robotics, a Rosie the Robot-like autonomous cleaning machine in our homes is starting to feel less like science fiction. Roborock may have shipped the first robot with an autonomous arm, but it won't be the last. For now, the Z70 is an impressive, if flawed, glimpse of what's to come. Data privacy: Saros Z70 Bringing connected devices into your home also brings with it concerns about how the data they collect is protected. The Verge asks each company whose smart home products we review about safeguards it has in place for your data. The primary home data a robot vacuum like the Roborock manages are the maps it generates and video and image data from its onboard cameras. Roborock says that all map / cleaning data is encrypted before being sent to the cloud. Additionally, it says data only leaves the device if you view the map on its smartphone app. Otherwise, it stays locally on the device. The company says a maximum of 20 cleaning maps are stored at any one time, and any maps stored in the cloud are deleted after one year. A factory reset of the robot will remove any locally stored map information. The remote viewing and obstacle photo features are optional, not enabled by default, must be physically enabled on device, and can be turned off in the app. Remote viewing is live-streaming only (no video is recorded or stored). When viewing is enabled, the device collects your 'user ID, network IP address, and video information captured via the camera,' according to Roborock's Privacy Policy for Remote Viewing. This is in addition to Roborock's standard Privacy Policy. Photos of obstacles are governed by an Obstacle Photo Privacy Policy. Roborock says they are encrypted and stored on the robot vacuum and only sent to the cloud if you click on an icon on the map to view the image on your phone. Then it's secured with Transport Layer Security. It will be deleted from the server within three working days and from your phone when you exit the app. The robotic arm requires a camera to function. It is disabled by default and must be manually activated by the user. Once activated, it can be deactivated in the app.
