I Dreamed of a Robot That Sorted My Socks, however This $2,600 Vacuum Isn’t It (Yet)

• The Saros Z70 is priced at $2,599, making it some of the dear robotic vacuums I’ve noticed. You should buy two robotic vacuums for this value. 
• The maximum notable characteristic is the OmniGrip mechanical arm designed to pick out up and type pieces. It additionally has sturdy vacuuming and mopping functions, superb mapping, and the facility to pass thresholds.
• The mechanical arm has a number of problems, together with difficulties selecting up gadgets, navigation issues, and instrument insects. There had been additionally connectivity problems all the way through setup. 

Pros

• Good vacuuming on hardwood
• Brush curler does no longer get tangled with canine hair
• Very low profile and suits underneath just about the whole lot
• Quiet operation
• Works smartly with pets
• Chassis raise prevents it from getting caught as a rule

Cons

• Dust bin is simply too small
• Water tank is simply too small
• Mopping efficiency is not grea
• Obstacle avoidance wishes some growth
• Expensive at $2,600 at complete value

I sought after to like the Roborock Saros Z70. Never sooner than have we noticed a robotic vacuum with a mechanical arm supposed to pick out up gadgets and mean you can blank sooner than it vacuums and mops. As anyone who has 3 cats, I discovered this extremely interesting. I check and write about vacuums for a dwelling. When we first noticed the Roborock Saros Z70 at CES previous this 12 months, all of us knew we had been witnessing one thing particular.  

CNET even selected it as considered one of our very best of CES awards. I spent a number of hours with it in New York City all the way through a demo, giving me slightly excessive hopes for its time and labor-saving doable. 

I examined it at my cluttered condominium for the easier a part of a month and so did my colleague and lead lab tester, Jared Hannah at his house. The fact is, the Saros Z70 for sure has a large number of promise. It vacuums and mops like a champ, can pass thresholds and hindrances as successfully because the Dreame X50 Ultra, and has nice mapping and puppy popularity in my house. 

However, with regards to its signature characteristic — the robotic arm — we discovered it is nonetheless no longer able for showtime. Right now, the Saros Z70 is slightly restricted in its talent to pick out up very small gadgets like puppy toys and child’s toys. On instance, it did acknowledge and try to pick out up cat toys it discovered scattered round my house, but it surely used to be by no means in a position to be triumphant at that. Often, it might deploy the arm, then come across my cat or every other object close by and freeze, blaring “Error 69,” forcing me to manually reset the arm. At one level, it even attempted to pick out up my status table mat sooner than knowing it wasn’t a appropriate object and giving up. 

Roborock tells us they’re acutely aware of the problems and are actively running on instrument fixes that may roll out in June and July. Here are my impressions after a month of checking out and whether or not it is value its $2,600 ticket. 

My revel in with Saros Z70

We examined the Saros Z70 at CES 2025, at a are living demo, at our New York City Office area, at CNET’s checking out lab in Louisville KY and maximum not too long ago at my house. My greatest takeaway from my real-world house check as opposed to my different stories with this robotic vacuum is the more than a few problems with the mechanical arm, its fight to pick out up gadgets, navigation issues, and instrument insects. It wiped clean nice as an ordinary robotic vacuum and mop, however I could not depend at the arm’s sorting functions.

“Yeah, it kind of feels find it irresistible’s mainly a beta model of the arm,” stated Hannah, who used to be checking out the Z70 concurrently me. “They will have to do slightly extra building sooner than it is able for the hundreds. I might get the mistake if the arm bumped one thing whilst transferring an object.  It sensed that there used to be an excessive amount of resistance, so I feel it used to be doing what it used to be meant to, however it kind of feels like that will finally end up being a not unusual prevalence.” 

• Vacuuming and mopping: Strong efficiency, excellent sand/clutter/hair pickup; mopping with blank/grimy tanks and sizzling air drying is valuable.
• Special options: The OmniGrip arm is the standout particular characteristic, even though lately unreliable. I discovered operational problems all the way through my house checking out. It struggled to pick out up sure gadgets, particularly puppy toys, however I had significantly better success with socks. Not best used to be the Saros Z70 in a position to spot my spouse’s pink socks and select them up off the hardwood ground within the bed room, but it surely additionally started to move them to my designated shoe-drop-off space that’s arrange within the lobby. The downside used to be that partway in this adventure, it gave up someplace between the hallway and the kitchen, shedding the sock, performing just like the activity used to be entire, and proceeding its common cleansing cycle.
• Mapping and navigation: It generated a 2D and 3-d map of my area, robotically tagging the rooms (bed room, rest room, front room and kitchen), ground sort (exhausting floor and carpet) and figuring out sure items of furnishings like my sofa, TV stand and mattress. It additionally marked notable thresholds in my area the place further effort could be required to pass. You can remap it or inform it to remap a particular room for those who’re no longer pleased with the outcome, but it surely did a perfect activity for me the primary time round. 
• Software and app: The app isn’t the most simple software to make use of, with a large quantity of settings and nested menus that help you modify with regards to the whole lot the robotic can do, from the dustbin emptying and mop washing frequency, to cleansing patterns, impediment footage, enabling the robot arm and extra. Just about the whole lot the robotic can do is customizable, however I want a lot of these options and settings had been slightly extra entrance and middle fairly than tucked away within the long settings menu.
• Design and aesthetics: Low-profile design, excellent for becoming underneath furnishings, however may end up in scratches.
• Ease of use: Setup had connectivity problems; as soon as arrange, fundamental purposes are simple, however complex settings are complicated.

The specifications

• Price: $2,599
• Object weight prohibit (OmniGrip Arm): 300 grams rated load; roughly 700 grams exact load capability all the way through our checking out.
• Threshold crossing peak: Capable of crossing thresholds as much as roughly two inches.
• Cleaning time: (Ajay’s condominium, 850 sq feet): 1.5 to two hours for a complete vacuum and mop consultation.
• Cleaning time: (Jared’s space, 1,200 sq. ft): 2.5 to three hours for a complete vacuum and mop consultation at the primary stage.
• Mapping time (Ajay’s condominium, 850 sq feet): 16 to 18 mins for preliminary mapping.
• Sand pickup efficiency on hardwood: 82.46%, this is superb hardwood efficiency, falling simply shy of our very best total, the Ecovacs Deeboth T30S Combo (85%). 
• Sand pickup efficiency on carpet (Midpile): 51.77%, this surpasses the Dreame X50 Ultra (44% mid-pile) 
• Sand pickup efficiency on carpet (Low-Pile): 51.06%, which comes with regards to matching the Shark Power Detect NeverContact Pro (54.5%). 
• Voice command compatibility: The app will also be attached to Amazon Alexa for voice instructions.
• Customizable: The app lets in for a variety of customization, together with dustbin emptying frequency, mop washing frequency, cleansing patterns, impediment footage, and enabling/disabling the robot arm. 
• Mapping options: The app presentations the 2D and 3-d maps generated via the robotic, lets in for room tagging, furnishings id, and surroundings “no-go” zones. It additionally identifies puppy spaces and lets in for “Pet Area Cleaning.”
• Wi-Fi connectivity:  The robotic wishes to hook up with Wi-Fi for setup and app keep watch over.
• Dual spinning mopping pads: The robotic makes use of a couple of twin spinning mopping pads that connect and detach from the docking station.
• Clean and grimy water gadget: Uses blank water for mopping and collects grimy water in a separate tank, making sure cleaner mopping.
• Mopping pad cleansing and drying: Mopping pads are washed and hot-air dried on the base station between cleansing periods.
• Mopping modes: The “Vacuum+Mop” mode vacuums first after which mops all of the area. There are choices for Deep cleansing, Pet Area and an AI-powered SmartPlan. 

CNET’s purchasing recommendation

For the time being, I’m maintaining off on scoring, score or recommending the Saros Z70. While it excels at vacuuming, mopping, and navigation, the core characteristic – the OmniGrip arm – isn’t but dependable sufficient for me to totally give an opinion in this product as a complete. Roborock instructed CNET it plans to roll out instrument updates in June and July which can be anticipated to undoubtedly trade my revel in. Some of the predicted enhancements come with progressed grasp level optimization, smarter sorting optimization, and new pickup classes like sports activities footwear.

It is tricky to forget about the $2,599 ticket. I argue that for the associated fee, that you must acquire two or 3 superb usual robotic vacuums and mops, just like the Yeedi M12 Pro+, or a similar high-performing type such because the Dreame X50 Ultra — each on CNET’s very best robotic vacuums very best checklist.

If all you care about is powerful vacuuming, mopping and impediment avoidance: The Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo is lately CNET’s “very best total robotic vacuum.

Without a completely operational and dependable OmniGrip arm, I will be able to’t justify its worth for the price right now.

“The arm is a neat characteristic to observe, however I in my opinion do not to find it very helpful,” stated Hannah. “ I believe like if the robotic makes sense sufficient to keep away from hindrances akin to footwear and socks, I are not looking for it to take a look at and select them up and transfer them. As lengthy because the robotic does not get caught on anything else all the way through its cleansing cycle, that is excellent sufficient for me.”

If the OmniGrip arm is your number one explanation why for taking into account the Saros Z70, I like to recommend you watch for long run instrument updates or imagine choices till that characteristic is extra subtle.