The Saros Z70 is priced at $2,599, making it some of the costly robotic vacuums I’ve seen. You should buy two robotic vacuums for this worth. The most notable function is the OmniGrip mechanical arm designed to select up and type objects. It additionally has sturdy vacuuming and mopping capabilities, wonderful mapping and the flexibility to cross thresholds.The mechanical arm has a number of points, together with difficulties choosing up objects, navigation issues and software program bugs. There had been additionally connectivity points throughout setup. Cleaning my hardwood and carpet. Ajay Kumar/CNETProsGood vacuuming on hardwood with 82.5% sand pickupVery low profile and matches beneath just about everythingQuiet operationWorks nicely in properties with petsChassis carry prevents it from getting caught a lot of the timeConsDust bin is just too smallWater tank is just too smallMopping efficiency is not greatObstacle avoidance wants some improvementExpensive at $2,600 at full worth RoborockI’ve been utilizing the Roborock Saros Z70 for 3 months now and, in some ways, it is an excellent robotic vacuum. It’s the primary robotic vacuum with a mechanical arm meant to select up objects and provide help to clear earlier than it vacuums and mops. As somebody who has three cats who depart toys all over the place, I discovered this extremely interesting. I check and write about vacuums for a dwelling and the Saros Z70 actually is the primary of its type. CNET even selected it as considered one of our greatest of CES awards, giving me excessive hopes for its potential. I examined it at my cluttered residence for 3 months and my colleague and lead lab tester Jared Hannah did the identical at his house. The actuality is, the Saros Z70 actually has a variety of promise. It vacuums and mops like a champ, can cross thresholds and obstacles as successfully because the Dreame X50 Ultra, and has nice mapping and pet recognition in my house. The OmniGrip arm choosing up my spouse’s sock. Ajay Kumar/CNETHowever, we discovered its signature function — the robotic arm — continues to be not prepared for showtime. Right now, the Saros Z70 is pretty restricted in its capability to select up very small objects like pet toys and kids’s toys. On event, it did acknowledge and try to select up cat toys it discovered scattered round my house however it was by no means in a position to succeed. Often, it could deploy the arm then detect my cat or another object close by and freeze, blaring “Error 69,” forcing me to manually reset the arm. At one level, it even tried to select up my standing desk mat earlier than realizing it wasn’t a appropriate object and giving up. I examined the Saros Z70 by way of June and July with Roborock’s newest software program updates that had been meant to enhance efficiency. Here are my impressions after three months of testing and whether or not it is price its $2,600 price ticket. RoborockMy expertise with the Saros Z70We examined the Saros Z70 at CES 2025, at a dwell demo, at our New York City workplace house, at CNET’s testing lab in Louisville, Kentucky, and most just lately at my house for 3 months. My greatest takeaway from my real-world house check versus my different experiences with this robotic vacuum is the varied points with the mechanical arm, its wrestle to select up objects, navigation issues and software program bugs. It cleaned nice as a daily robotic vacuum and mop however I could not depend on the arm’s sorting capabilities to reliably choose up footwear and socks, not to mention cat toys. “Yeah, it seems like it’s basically a beta version of the arm,” stated Jared, who was testing the Z70 on the identical time. “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 bought scratched up after making an attempt to scrub beneath the desk chair. Ajay Kumar/CNETVacuuming and mopping: Strong efficiency, good sand/litter/hair pickup; mopping with clear/soiled tanks and sizzling air drying is efficient.Special options: The OmniGrip arm is the standout particular function though at present unreliable. I discovered operational points throughout my house testing. It struggled to select up sure objects, particularly pet toys, however I had a lot better luck with socks. Not solely was the Saros Z70 in a position to determine my spouse’s purple socks and choose them up off the hardwood flooring within the bed room however it additionally started to move them to my designated shoe-drop-off space that is arrange within the lobby. The downside was that partway on this journey, it gave up someplace between the hallway and the kitchen, dropping the sock, appearing just like the job was full and persevering with its common cleansing cycle.Mapping and navigation: It generated a 2D and 3D map of my house, robotically tagging the rooms (bed room, lavatory, front room and kitchen), flooring sort (onerous floor and carpet) and figuring out sure items of furnishings (sofa, TV stand and mattress). It additionally marked notable thresholds in my house the place additional effort could be required to cross. You can remap it or inform it to remap a particular room if you happen to’re not pleased with the end result however it did an excellent job for me the primary time round. Software and app: The app is not probably the most easy software to make use of, with a profusion of settings and nested menus that permit you to modify nearly all the pieces the robotic can do, from the dustbin emptying and mop washing frequency, to cleansing patterns, impediment pictures and enabling the robotic arm. Just about all the pieces the robotic can do is customizable however I want all these options and settings had been a bit extra entrance and middle quite than tucked away within the prolonged settings menu.Design and aesthetics: Low-profile design, good for becoming beneath furnishings, however can result in scratches when it tries to wedge itself beneath issues like my spouse’s workplace chair.Ease of use: Setup had connectivity points; as soon as arrange, primary capabilities are straightforward, however superior settings are advanced. RoborockThe specsPrice: $2,599Object weight restrict (OmniGrip Arm): 300 grams rated load; roughly 700 grams precise load capability throughout our testing.Threshold crossing peak: Capable of crossing thresholds as much as roughly 2 inches.Cleaning time: (Ajay’s residence, 850 sq ft): 1.5 to 2 hours for a full vacuum and mop session.Cleaning time: (Jared’s home, 1,200 sq. ft): 2.5 to 3 hours for a full vacuum and mop session on the principle degree.Mapping time (Ajay’s residence, 850 sq ft): 16 to 18 minutes for preliminary mapping.Sand pickup efficiency on hardwood: 82.46%, that is wonderful hardwood efficiency, falling simply shy of our greatest general, the Ecovacs Deeboth T30S Combo (85%). Sand pickup efficiency on carpet (mid-pile): 51.77%, this surpasses the Dreame X50 Ultra (44% mid-pile) Sand pickup efficiency on carpet (low-pile): 51.06%, which comes near matching the Shark Power Detect NeverTouch Pro (54.5%). Voice command compatibility: The app could be linked to Amazon Alexa for voice instructions.Customizable: The app permits for a variety of customization, together with dustbin emptying frequency, mop washing frequency, cleansing patterns, impediment pictures and enabling/disabling the robotic arm. Mapping options: The app shows the 2D and 3D maps generated by the robotic, permits for room tagging, furnishings identification and setting “no-go” zones. It additionally identifies pet areas and permits for “Pet Area Cleaning.”Wi-Fi connectivity: The robotic wants to connect with Wi-Fi for setup and app management.Dual spinning mopping pads: The robotic makes use of a pair of twin spinning mopping pads that connect and detach from the docking station.Clean and soiled water system: Uses clear water for mopping and collects soiled water in a separate tank, making certain cleaner mopping.Mopping pad cleansing and drying: Mopping pads are washed and hot-air dried on the base station between cleansing classes.Mopping modes: The “Vacuum+Mop” mode vacuums first after which mops the whole house. There are choices for Deep cleansing, Pet Area and an AI-powered SmartPlan. Saros Z70 docked Ajay Kumar/CNETCNET’s shopping for adviceWhile the Roborock Saros Z70 excels at vacuuming, mopping and navigation, the core function — the OmniGrip arm — shouldn’t be but dependable sufficient for me to suggest it if you happen to’re solely seeking to make heavy use of the OmniGrip arm. Recent software program updates in June and July have made some enhancements, together with improved seize level optimization, smarter sorting optimization and new pickup classes like sports activities footwear however the consistency nonetheless leaves loads to be desired. It’s onerous to disregard the $2,599 price ticket. I argue that for the value, you possibly can buy two or three wonderful commonplace robotic vacuums and mops, just like the Yeedi M12 Pro Plus, or a comparable excessive performing mannequin such because the Dreame X50 Ultra which has the flexibility to cross thresholds — each on CNET’s finest robotic vacuums finest record. On the even cheaper price finish, iRobot’s new Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo is our greatest new robotic vacuum for lower than $500, with strong efficiency and a singular mechanical paddle that permits you to retailer 60 days of mud within the dustbin. If all you care about is powerful vacuuming, mopping and impediment avoidance: The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo is at present CNET’s “best overall robot vacuum” and Roborock’s personal Saros 10R affords comparable or higher vacuum and mopping efficiency with more room for the dustbin and water tank as a result of it would not want to suit a mechanical arm in its physique. RoborockWithout a completely operational and dependable OmniGrip arm, I am unable to justify its worth for the fee at the moment.”The arm is a neat feature to watch but I personally don’t find it very useful,” stated Jared. “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 main cause for contemplating the Saros Z70, I like to recommend you proceed to attend for future software program updates or wait a number of years till Roborock and different firms enter the market with newer generations of the know-how.
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