Roborock Saros Z70: The Grip Arm Extension - A Promising, Yet Underdeveloped Feature
Upgraded Roborock Saros Z70 Falls Short on New Features
By Klaus Wedekind
Connect: Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Email Print Copy Link
Welcome to the era of cleaning robots that don't just suck and mop, but also pick up debris. The Roborock Saros Z70, with its price tag of approximately 1700 euros, boasts an extendable grip arm, aimed at eliminating the need for manual tidying post-cleaning. Here's a rundown of how well it fares in practical testing.
Sleek Design, Hidden Power
At just 8 cm tall and adaptable to clean under low furniture, this guy's compact silhouette hides an impressive grip arm, concealed beneath a flap on top. The arm extends when necessary, blending seamlessly with the rest of the robot's design.
The Saros Z70 docks in a station, where its battery charges, and it refills fresh water while suctioning out dirty water, mopping pads are cleaned, and dried, or stored at up to 80 degrees when not in use.
Mapping and Navigation
Setting up the Saros Z70 is a breeze, thanks to its comprehensive yet easy-to-understand app. You can send the robot to map out the rooms, although this may take a while. Once done, it typically navigates well, hardly missing any reachable spot.
The robot is adept at recognizing surfaces and lifts mops, side brushes, and rollers as required. When transitioning rooms, the Saros Z70 can independently overcome up to 4 cm high thresholds by lifting its chassis.
Packed with Features
Equipped with an onboard camera, the Saros Z70 offers several extra features such as taking photos of obstacles upon request or remote control via smartphone. It can even make video calls to fetch your dog for a play session through the built-in speaker!
Vacuuming Powerhouse
Despite its grip arm taking up space for only one brush roller, the Saros Z70 impresses as a vacuum cleaner. It performs exceptionally well on smooth floors and does a commendable job in corners, thanks to an extendable side brush. It also handles short-pile carpets or carpeted floors with ease, increasing suction power up to 22,000 Pascal for high-pile carpets. However, long-fibered carpets may be problematic due to the brush equipped with blades that cut hair for preventing tangles.
Decent Moping Performance
The Saros Z70 showcases a competent moping performance, leaving no stains on the floor provided there are no dried sauces or similar substances. Increasing water volume or frequency can address stubborn stains.
To reach corners, the Saros Z70 extends a mop, although manual cleaning may still be necessary. This is the case with most moping robots.
Gripper - Potential, but Room for Improvement
Whereas the Saros Z70 excels as a suction and mopping robot, its grip arm integration, at 1700 euros, leaves much to be desired. Currently, it can only pick up socks, large paper balls, and items weighing up to 300g. However, reliability is questionable, as it rarely managed to collect items in the test.
The robot may occasionally drop items next to the storage box instead of placing them inside. Remote control tidying up is available, but it's more fun than efficient.
Conclusion
The Roborock Saros Z70 is a robust suction and mopping robot, capable of handling tasks independently. However, many other top-tier devices can accomplish this to similar degrees. If you're drawn to the grip arm, await future updates to refine its functionalities before investing.
Vocational training in the use of the Roborock Saros Z70's grip arm could help homeowners maximize their investment, as the current performance of the feature leaves room for improvement. For technology enthusiasts, integrating smart-home-devices like the Saros Z70 with other gadgets can enhance home automation, leading to a more efficient smart home setup.
