The Roborock Saros 10R aces one factor that almost all different robotic vacuums cannot

Desk of Contents

The robotic vacuum with a grabby arm from Roborock’s displaying at CES 2025 has been hogging all the consideration, however that one wasn’t the brand new Roborock vacuum that I needed to check probably the most.

Although I will nonetheless get my palms on the Roborock Saros Z70 sooner or later, I used to be personally extra within the Roborock Saros 10R: a far more sensible robotic vacuum from the 2025 fleet that also goes laborious on premium upgrades.

What’s particular concerning the Roborock Saros 10R?

As Roborock’s thinnest robotic vacuum ever, the Roborock Saros 10R might not appear to be it has room for a giant navigational tech improve — or Roborock’s second-most highly effective suction energy but. However in some way, each of these are packed right into a physique that is barely greater than three inches tall.

The Saros 10R clocks 20,000 Pa of suction energy, solely to be crushed by its sibling, the Saros 10’s 22,000 Pa. Nonetheless, 20,000 Pa is a stage that only a few different robotic vacs out there even come near. To place it in perspective, that is double the whoosh of my favourite robotic vacuum from 2024, the Roborock Qrevo Grasp.

The opposite principal seize right here applies to how perceptive the vac is because it’s maneuvering round your own home. In comparison with the everyday LiDAR system, the Saros 10R axes the round laser tower atop most robotic vacs you are most likely picturing. As a substitute, the Saros 10R is ready to have that skinny, flat prime design because of its implementation of StarSight 2.0 with 3D ToF (Time of Flight) know-how. That is some fancy NASA-coded terminology for a extra exact sense of location inside your partitions and extra exact detection of small objects.

Somewhat than simply counting on laser sensors as conventional LiDAR does, StarSight takes it a step additional with 3D scanning of 21,600 sensor factors across the room. With that, the Saros 10R can sniff out upwards of 108 completely different objects (that is up from the 73 objects that the primary model of Starsight may detect). With the improve to the two.0 model additionally comes Vertibeam Lateral Impediment Avoidance to assist in delicately cleansing round irregular partitions and furnishings.

Now, this is not the primary time we have seen StarSight 2.0 — the 2024 Roborock Qrevo Slim additionally makes use of it. However the Qrevo Slim’s 11,000 Pa of suction energy pales compared to the Saros 10R’s 20,000 Pa. One other Saros mannequin, the Saros Z70, additionally has StarSight 2.0 know-how, however it’s anticipated to value round $2,000 when it lastly comes out. So impressively, the Saros 10R is the one StarSight mannequin that hits 20,000 Pa with out hitting the $2,000 value level.

Additionally, slightly commotion for the Saros 10R’s stylish dock, please.

After years of testing robotic vacuums that mainly strictly exist in plasticky black or plasticky white designs, this dock’s glossy mirrored face with rounded corners is a welcomed glow-up. (The fingerprints it simply attracts? Barely much less stylish.) I nonetheless absolutely stand by my formal plea for robotic vacuums to start out coming in chrome grey to match chrome steel kitchen home equipment, however I digress — the Roborock Saros 10R is a self-emptying dock you will not thoughts sitting out in your front room. At 19 inches tall x 15 inches large x 12 inches deep, it is also on the compact aspect — it is smaller than Dreame X50 Extremely and Roborock Qrevo Grasp’s docks.

Cleansing efficiency: Mopping and nook cleansing are the standouts

I need to discuss concerning the 20,000 Pa of suction energy first. On paper, that is the strongest robotic vacuum I’ve had below my roof to this point — unbelievable information for an individual with barefoot requirements as excessive as mine.

The suction energy bump was most palpable when merely taking good care of on a regular basis particles that retains me up at night time if not cleaned: crumbs and rogue items of shredded cheese close to the kitchen counter, kibble close to the cat meals bowls, kitty litter unfold in a two-foot radius round each litter containers, and strands of lengthy hair all over the place. I despatched the Saros 10R to tidy all of this every day (often twice a day) and was virtually at all times welcomed again into a fairly spotless room. The cleansing was extremely constant on dry particles of assorted sizes and textures, and I wasn’t continually feeling like utilizing the robotic vacuum was only a Band-Help till I had time to truly go in with my trusty Dyson V12 Detect Slim.

Talking of my Dyson, I’ll use its inexperienced laser to show some extent concerning the Saros 10R’s competency on kitty litter (or another small, crunchy remnants that can most likely pop up in most individuals’s properties).

Protection on rugs was barely extra hit-or-miss than on hardwood or tile. The Saros 10R had a couple of 90 % pickup fee on my medium-pile rugs, taking good care of spilled chip crumbs and full Goldfish crackers, layers of shedding from my two cats, and lengthy hair that I pulled immediately out of my brush and threw on the ground (for science).

Sadly, the pickup share dwindled a bit on decrease pile rugs. My cats sunbathe on the one in my room every day, so it is often lined in a layer of cat hair not tremendous seen except you have a look at the underside of your socks. One surefire manner I can see how nicely a robotic vacuum is doing on pet hair is to make use of my Shark PowerDetect stick vacuum afterward. The important thing right here is that that Shark self-empties its dustbin into a bigger dock every time I dangle it again up, which suggests it is at all times beginning with a totally empty, clear dustbin — and meaning I can shortly pinpoint simply how a lot gunk is being sucked up throughout the cleansing session at hand.

That Shark’s dustbin ought to simply not be that full after a robotic vacuum dished out 20,000 Pa of suction energy throughout it. Granted, I’ll say that I additionally did the Shark take a look at on that grey rug a number of paragraphs up, and the Saros 10R had clearly completed a way more thorough job there. Larger pile is usually the trickier size for robotic vacuums to comb by way of, however oddly sufficient, it appears backwards for the Saros 10R — I am undecided if that has one thing to do with the side-by-side brushrolls versus the usually parallel ones or what.

This edge cleansing completely eats

I’ll say, although, that I am not tremendous mad concerning the mediocrity on low pile rugs due to how the Saros 10R aced one downside space that robotic vacs at all times appear to battle with: nook cleansing. Apart from heightened suction energy throughout, that stage of element in proper angles and alongside edges can seemingly be attributed to each the versatile nook arms and upgraded StarSight that permits the bot to higher assess partitions, furnishings, objects, and the way shut it may well get to them.

Extra impressively, the shut nook cleansing additionally applies to mopping. Robotic mops that solely have one massive, largely stationary singular pad simply haven’t got a lot vary of movement, whereas the side-by-side spinning mopping pads on the Saros 10R do. One swings on a hinge and extends out from below the robotic vacuum to hit edges and 90-degree angles {that a} round vacuum would fumble in any other case.

That is one other essential issue for the choosy barefoot crowd who have to know a ground is definitely being scrubbed from a number of angles. In my expertise, the twin spinning design simply gives extra versatile bodily agitation to completely scrub at stains or wipe up stickiness — the large singular pad simply looks like a glorified once-over with a washcloth.

I had no complaints concerning the Saros 10R’s mopping efficiency on skinny consistences like wine and soy sauce spills. Thicker drops like ranch and marinara sauce did danger getting pushed round earlier than the Saros 10R had an opportunity to return to the dock to clean the pads, however general, remnants weren’t actually left behind. Syrup was a battle — the realm across the authentic syrup incident was barely sticky and smelled like syrup earlier than I cleaned it by hand. Two cleansing passes are most likely vital for thicker, peskier spills like that.

Automated mopping with truly good edge mopping has actually come in useful for random droplets below the kitchen counter and for the maintenance of our entrance door state of affairs. Often, there are two stools plus one million pairs of footwear piled up below this island, and the entire space is simply continually lined in footprints, little rocks, hair, and different stuff like that. It has been good to easily push the whole lot out of the way in which, let the Saros 10R get all up in there, after which put the whole lot again. It was significantly scrumptious to look at the Saros 10R efficiently lap up the seen mud, crumbs, and hair that collect below that edge {that a} stick vacuum is just too thick to succeed in.

However I feel my favourite instance of the Saros 10R’s cleansing exhaustiveness comes when it has to hoover and mop on the identical time — for sure messes, that’ll solely go nicely if each components are doing their job nicely. For example, I made a decision to re-pot a snake plant (IDK what I did to kill it, do not come for me) in the midst of my front room. I made an absolute mess of moist potting soil on the hardwood, then despatched the Saros 10R to hoover and mop it on the identical time. Simply vacuuming would nonetheless go away a brown dusty movie that is not actually the consistency to be sucked up, however simply mopping would simply flip that filth into mud.

I used to be critically impressed at how spotless that space was after the Saros 10R got here by way of. I did ship it for 2 passes as a result of I assumed it’d miss some items the primary time. The second journey lined any lingering items on the outskirts of the zone, with the mopping pads coming by way of and eliminating that brown dusty movie. An affordable Roomba attempting to sort out a pile of filth would actually simply make the mess greater.

Navigation: Will get to the suitable spot with out query

The jiffy that it took to unbox and arrange the Saros 10R took longer than the Saros 10R did to finish its first mapping run of my condo. That speediness did not canine its accuracy — a majority of its room designations had been right, full with notches already marked for big obstacles like turns within the wall or huge items of furnishings. All I needed to do was drag some strains to separate the very open-concept kitchen, front room, and entryway up. (The truth that the app has a room restrict is bizarre, however OK.)

Throughout over a month of testing and use a number of instances a day, the Saros 10R actually by no means received misplaced. I used to be virtually at all times both doing a selected room or zone cleansing (slightly than letting a full dwelling cleansing rip), and I by no means needed to give a second thought as to if it’d make it to the suitable spot, whether or not it’d truly cowl the complete chosen space, or whether or not it’d take further lengthy happening aspect missions that I did not assign.

There wasn’t actually any getting caught, both. The Saros 10R fastidiously weaved out and in of assorted desk and chair legs, round cat meals and water bowls, and below a mattress with a chaotic storage state of affairs beneath. My toilet format is slightly tight, with a bathroom, a litter field, and an egg-shaped hamper, and plenty of robotic vacuums surrender as an alternative of cleansing in between all of that stuff. The Saros 10R carved round all of them safely, even selecting up most hairs and kitty litter by the wall.

Previous good mapping, small impediment avoidance is the opposite issue taking part in right into a robotic vacuum’s navigation. It is undoubtedly an important characteristic to have if there are cords or different random crap on the ground occasionally. Whereas the Saros 10R’s observe file was good in my condo, there have been nonetheless some blips on small cat toys, one charger, and wiry string lights dangling on the ground. I do not count on perfection even from a prime Roomba (my most trusted small impediment avoidance tech), however I am undecided that the entire StarSight improve is any extra correct than conventional LiDAR.

Person-friendliness: A comparatively quiet, pet-friendly addition to your own home

Quantity throughout cleansing clearly varies primarily based on the suction stage, which will get as much as 68 decibels on max. I used to be impressed by how unobtrusive the automated emptying whoosh is — round 73 decibels, which is the same stage to the rumble of a washer. It is rather more muffled than I am used to and doesn’t scare the shit out of me each time.

If in case you have pets, the Saros 10R’s livestream pet digital camera is one more characteristic that helps this vacuum mix in with your own home life. Like some older flagship Roborocks, the digital camera tab within the app permits you to see regardless of the robotic sees because it’s driving, together with an choice to “search for the pet.”

Is it a totally vital characteristic? Most likely not. However should you’re a pet guardian and also you say you would not use this, you are mendacity. A ton of individuals have standalone safety cameras to maintain tabs on their pets once they’re not dwelling, so including that pet sitter-like characteristic to an equipment that is already roving your own home is definitely fairly sensible.

Upkeep: Palms-off and competent, as anticipated

As anticipated from any prime robotic vacuum model’s premium fashions these days, the Saros 10R comes with a full self-cleaning dock that features computerized dustbin emptying and computerized mopping pad washing and heated drying, in addition to water tank refilling.

I personally discover the autonomous mopping pad upkeep system to be so value it should you, nicely, truly need to use the mop regularly. When testing mopping robotic vacuums that do not have the auto wash and dry system, I discovered myself not utilizing mopping mode just because I did not really feel like coping with washing a soggy mopping pad daily. The Saros 10R made that half tremendous straightforward and, as with most self-cleaning docks, additionally maintained its mops throughout mopping by returning to rinse them mid-clean.

One tiny factor I’ve seen is that it feels just like the clear water tank is at all times empty or the soiled water tank is at all times full. The tanks are undoubtedly smaller than others in self-cleaning docks that I’ve seen, most likely to maintain the dock compact. Granted, I do ship the Saros 10R out to mop rather a lot — my massive 22-foot x 10-foot hardwood kitchen will get mopped virtually daily, and my tile toilet and the condo entryway get it about each different day. The purple mild to refill the clear water tank comes on as soon as each few days. Although it is extra usually than a lot of the robotic vacs I’ve examined prior to now, it is not outlandish. Plus, the soiled water is fairly rattling gross each time I dump it, and that is simply proof that the vac’s scrubbing completely. And when a robotic mop is so dependable that constructing it right into a every day routine turns into a reflex, extra frequent refilling simply comes with the territory.

Relating to sustaining the comb roll, the Saros 10R would not actually require common maintenance of tangled hair. That is because of its side-by-side DuoDivide brush rolls that spin independently and pull hair towards the center and up into the dustbin. After about two weeks of utilizing the Saros 10R daily, I received my scissors out, anticipating to want to chop some wrapped hairballs out of the underside. To my shock, subsequent to no hair was wrapped round, marking the primary robotic vacuum I’ve ever tried that truly follows by way of on its “anti-tangle” claims.

Downsides: Just a few quirks for being so costly

The Roborock Saros 10R is among the costliest robotic vacuums available on the market in 2025. It is the norm for a model’s high-enders to close or topple the $1,500 value level, and the Saros 10R is fairly superior. Nonetheless, many individuals would most likely snort out loud on the considered spending that a lot on a vacuum.

However FWIW, the $1,599.99 is definitely fairly modest when you think about that Roborock’s costliest flagship from 2024, the S8 MaxV Extremely, additionally debuted at $1,599.99. That vacuum solely has 8,000 Pa of suction energy (in comparison with 20,000) and clearly would not use the upgraded impediment avoidance system that the Saros 10R does, but debuted on the identical value. So the Saros 10R will get credit score there.

Nonetheless, the argument could possibly be made {that a} robotic vacuum this costly ought to function just about completely, and the Saros 10R would not. Firstly, although the entire StarSight factor was presupposed to be a giant promoting level, I am undecided if it is essentially higher than different small impediment avoidance tech on the market, like Roborock’s Reactive AI or iRobot’s camera-based PrecisionVision navigation. My Saros 10R did run over some cat toys and a white telephone charger as soon as (granted, it was sort of mixing in with a rug with white swirls) and utterly ate a wiry string of twinkle lights. Even the neatest botvacs are certain to slide up each on occasion, however nonetheless.

The clear water tank draining and the soiled water tank filling “quickly” cannot even absolutely be categorized as a draw back, for my part, as a result of I do suppose it is a testomony to how usually I am opting to have this factor mop. For the worth, I do suppose the Saros 10R ought to routinely dispense detergent into the clear water tank from contained in the dock.

It is also attainable that the water runs out so actually because the Saros 10R takes ceaselessly to mop. Absolutely it is expending extra water than vital. It isn’t usually a difficulty except I am in a rush for no matter cause, however typically, I am like, “PLEASE be done soon.”

One different minor factor concerning the dock is that the auto-empty suction would not at all times “work” the entire manner. I ceaselessly see a mud bunny hanging out the again of the robotic vacuum itself the place it connects to the dock. That is not an enormous deal.

And whereas I do not count on each dock to be entrance accessible in order that the highest can be utilized like a aspect desk (just like the Roomba Combo Max 10), I do like when the water buckets are flat in order that I can a minimum of set decor on them that may be moved when the tanks should be refilled.

The competitors

General, it simply makes probably the most sense to easily pit the Saros 10R towards different robotic vacuums in the identical value vary. The primary competitor is the Roborock Saros 10 (no R), named practically identically for causes unbeknownst to man. (Roborock did the identical factor with the million Qrevo fashions from final yr.) Whereas the Saros 10 does squeeze out 2,000 Pa extra suction energy than the 10R, that is a negligible distinction while you’re already at 20,000. The mopping pad setup could be my principal deciding issue, as I’ve witnessed extra thorough outcomes from a twin spinning pad design (just like the 10R’s) over the outdated, singular D-shaped pad (just like the Saros 10’s) that may’t actually scootch out from below the vacuum into corners. I will preserve you posted on whether or not the common Saros 10’s Reactive AI impediment avoidance is any higher or worse than the 10R’s StarSight.

For a cheaper-but-still-top-notch Roborock choose, I nonetheless suppose the Qrevo Grasp could be wonderful in most households. Although it has half the suction energy because the Saros 10R, its 10,000 Pa nonetheless fared nicely in my condo. It has the identical spinning mopping pads, self-cleaning dock, and pet digital camera, and is ceaselessly on sale for as little as $899.99.

The opposite Saros mannequin dropped at CES 2025 was the Z70, however the distinction between the Saros 10R and the Saros Z70 is simpler to identify: one has an arm, and one would not. Whereas it sounds cool upon first learn, the Saros Z70’s practicality dwindles shortly while you be taught that it will most likely value round $2,000 for cleansing capabilities not rather more highly effective than the 10R. The Saros 10R actually is not about to be operating over little gadgets any greater than the Z10 is — it simply will not be placing them in a close-by basket. Within the phrases of my fellow Senior Purchasing Reporter Haley Henschel, should you can afford a $2,000 robotic vacuum with an arm, “why not just hire a maid?”

When it comes to non-Roborock fashions, iRobot’s greatest fighter could be the Roomba Combo 10 Max. It is the one Roomba that washes and dries its mopping pads and refills its personal water tank, and could possibly be an excellent bit extra reasonably priced than the Saros 10R if you could find it on sale for $899 or $999. Whereas I am barely extra assured in iRobot’s impediment avoidance, the Combo 10 Max saved lacking particles alongside edges and in corners of my condo. It additionally makes use of a singular flat mop pad that does not cowl a number of floor on one cross.

The Saros 10R’s largest competitors from the category of CES 2025 is the $1,699.99 Dreame X50 Extremely, whose declare to fame is climbing — over small obstacles and thresholds, not up and down stairs. Like my tackle the robotic arm factor, I personally do not care about these fancier bodily strategies of avoiding obstacles so long as nothing is being eaten. Regardless of matching 20,000 Pa suction energy, the X50 Extremely I am testing has left some rolled-up hairballs and fuzzies on extra of my rugs than the 10R has. It additionally has a plasticky construct and a not-so-compact dock.

Is the Roborock Saros 10R value it?

When it prices $1,600, a botvac just like the Roborock Saros 10R ought to be finishing rattling close to each single process flawlessly. I am not going to take a seat right here and inform you that it does.

However I nonetheless suppose the Saros 10R is a wickedly well-rounded robotic vacuum that might be a very passable improve in a number of properties, particularly ones with a number of laborious flooring. Its suction energy and mopping work collectively in tandem to realize outcomes extra dependable than what I’ve ever skilled, even when its work on low pile rugs hasn’t been as distinctive as I would count on for a premium vac. If you happen to’ve been pissed off particularly with nook cleansing, scrubbing, or low-clearance furnishings with different vacuums, I would say the Saros 10R will piss you off manner much less.

However would I await the decision on the opposite blockbuster CES 2025 robotic vacuums, or the decision on one of many fancier Roombas that had been simply introduced. If you happen to nonetheless determine to go for the Saros 10R, that’ll a minimum of provide you with time to attend for a sale.