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Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Roborock Saros Z70 Review: This Robovac's Robotic Arm Is a Swing and a Miss
Coming out of CES 2025, there wasn't a single product that generated more buzz than Roborock's Saros Z70 robot vacuum and mop, aka the one with the robotic arm. Anybody who's used a modern robovac knows you need to tidy up before the robot can go in and take care of the little bits. The Saros Z70 promised to change that. With a robotic arm that emerges from the top of the vacuum, it's supposed to move pieces of garbage into a box and sort your loose slippers over into a dedicated zone. Unfortunately, not only does it fail to do that nearly every time, but it takes a step backward in its cleaning abilities, too. Not great, especially when we're talking about the most expensive robovac on the market ($2,600), by a lot. At its core, the Saros Z70 is very similar to the Saros 10 and Saros 10R, the latter of which is currently our highest-rated robot vacuum. It boasts a whopping 22,000 Pa of suction power, which puts it at the top of robovacs. It has dual spinning mop pads (one of which can extend away from its body to get right up against walls), which can automatically detach and reattach in the base, depending on whether they're needed. There's a sweeper arm that extends off the side of it to get into corners. The Saros Z70 can vault itself over thresholds up to 4 centimeters (1.58 inches) tall. The base has two large water tanks, a small tank for floor cleaning liquid, and a disposable bag where all the dust and debris get collected. The mop pads are washed with 80-degree Celsius water (176 degrees Fahrenheit) and dried with hot air. Like the 10R, the Z70 doesn't have a 360-degree LIDAR turret on top, but it does have LIDAR beaming out from the front, in addition to cameras and other sensors. Roborock Saros Z70 Putting a robotic arm inside a robovac is great idea, but the Roborock Saros Z70 comes up short in execution. Maybe version 2.0 will work properly. Pros Genuinely cool and innovative robot arm Genuinely cool and innovative robot arm Excellent, maintenance-free dock lasts for weeks Excellent, maintenance-free dock lasts for weeks Intuitive setup and customizable app Cons Robot arm fails to sort items as promised Robot arm fails to sort items as promised Cleans worse than last-gen Roborocks Cleans worse than last-gen Roborocks Buggy Buggy Most expensive robovac by about $1,000 But of course, the main point of differentiation between the Z70 and any other robovac we've seen is the arm, which Roborock calls the OmniGrip. When the robot encounters an object that it recognizes as something it can clear, it announces, 'Sorting item,' and then a plastic panel on top opens up, and an articulating arm with a pincer pops out. The arm is then supposed to grab the object and sort it. The Saros Z70 comes with a small cardboard box with QR codes printed on all sides of it. You set the location of that box inside of a companion app, and the robovac is supposed to carry small items (like balls of paper or socks) over to the box and drop them in. If the Saros Z70 detects a slipper, it's supposed to pick it up and bring it to a footwear zone that you designated in the app. Currently, it's limited to recognizing slippers, socks, and balls of paper, but Roborock says it will be adding to those capabilities in future updates. You'll notice I said 'supposed to' a couple of times. That's intentional. Unfortunately, the Saros Z70's performance was absolutely abysmal when it came to doing its special tricks. It actually did a fairly good job recognizing and picking up balls of paper (though it often failed to see them on my patterned rug), and in the odd cases that it missed, it would make a second attempt and grab it. The problem is in the sorting. I ran more than 40 tests with paper balls and the occasional sock, and it only managed to put a ball of paper into the sorting box once. Once! I worked with Roborock on this, experimented with different box placements, placed the zone in the app differently, and remapped my entire apartment. It was going so badly that Roborock sent me a replacement unit just to make sure that there was nothing wrong with mine. Nope. Each time, the robot would pick up a ball of paper, take it somewhere near the box, and drop it on the floor, usually within 18 inches of the box. It would look right at the box, then turn at the last minute and drop it on the floor. It was maddening. Performance with slippers was even worse. In most of my tests, even though I could see in the app that the Z70 correctly identified them as slippers/footwear, the robovac would just bump into them and nudge them around. A few times, the arm would emerge and it would pick up the slipper, but then it would look around for a second and put the slipper right back down where it was. I tried it with three types of slippers and a shoe on both hardwood floors and carpet, and it had a zero-percent success rate. This is tremendously disappointing. It seems that Roborock is aware of these issues and has already issued a statement about fixes planned for June and July firmware updates, but I can only review this product as I'm testing it, and unfortunately, my reservations about the Z70 extend beyond the arm (no pun intended). One of the key differences between the Z70 and previous Roborocks that we have loved is a new vacuum brush design. Units like the Saros 10R, Saros 10, and Qrevo Curv all feature a roller brush that's split in two in the middle, and the system did exceptionally well at picking up debris large and small, as well as remaining tangle-free even when dealing with long hair. The Saros Z70 has a brush that is just one single roller with a smaller diameter, I'm guessing to make more room for the arm that lives in the robot's body. Unfortunately, the new brush simply doesn't work as well. In my Snack Gauntlet Test (patent pending!), it was more prone to crushing Goldfish Crackers and Cheerios and leaving crumbs behind, whereas the previous units slurped them up with little difficulty. It did even worse with pistachio shells. While that's a tougher challenge, the units with the split brush design still managed to choke them down. With the Z70, they just got pinned between the brush and the floor, preventing the roller from spinning at all. It just dragged them around and made a horrible sound until I came and rescued it. I also found that the Z70's mops were more prone to dripping and streaking than previous Roborocks I tested. The Saros Z70 also appears to have more difficulty with navigation than previous Roborocks we've tested. It often takes slow, inexplicable routes. One time, I used the voice command (which works with Google Home, Alexa, and Apple Home, but also has its own mic and works independently), 'Hello Rocky, clean the kitchen,' and it only cleaned the front two-thirds of my kitchen. When I used the app to have it try again, it also only cleaned the front part. This is after it had no issue cleaning my kitchen more than a dozen times over the last two weeks. I had to command it to clean a special zone at the back, and even then, it didn't get nearly as close to the corner or the edges of the wall as it's supposed to. The Z70 was also pretty hit and miss when it came to avoiding power cords. This is personal preference, but I think the dock is a bit more of an eyesore than it was on the Qrevo Curv or Saros 10 (though it's effectively the same as the 10R). The water tanks at the top aren't covered, and it's just a bit more visually obtrusive. I've also noticed that the Z70 tends to bump into and grind along walls a bit more, which has created some white marks on its front bumpers where paint has rubbed off onto it—I don't love that. The Z70 is supposed to have 'Intelligent Dirt Detection,' which will cause it to go back and re-clean an area that it senses as particularly dirty, but I never saw this happen, and it often left messes in its wake, then returned to the base declaring itself finished. There is a first-person view remote control mode, which you can use to manually pick items up and move them around, which is fun, but ultimately it feels like a novelty. It's so slow that it's not something you'd ever really use when you're home. The real nail in the coffin here is the price. The Z70 was set to debut at $2,000 dollars, which would already make it the most expensive robovac on the planet. But between the initial announcement and the actual availability, Trump's tariffs hit, and boy did they hit hard. As a response, Roborock raised the price of the Saros Z70 to a staggering $2,600. That is a full thousand dollars more expensive than the Saros 10R, and it doesn't do basic cleaning as thoroughly based on my tests. I have a hunch that the engineering team spent so much time trying to get the OmniGrip working that it didn't have the resources dedicated to make sure it got the fundamentals right. If it sounds like I'm disappointed, it's only because I'm really, really disappointed. Robovacs are suffering from sameness. They're all practically clones of each other these days, so I was excited to see something so different finally come through. The Saros Z70 was a huge swing, and I love it when companies do that, especially when it could represent a lot of added convenience for the consumer. Unfortunately, Roborock's first attempt is a swing and a miss. There's potential there if the bot really can improve via software updates, and I hope that it does (though I still have concerns about the new roller brush), but as it is right now, I can only say that the Saros Z70 massively underdelivers on its promises.
Malay Mail
16-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Transform Your Home with the Next-Generation Cleaning Companion: Tineco's Young Series – Powerful, Efficient, and Affordable
Tineco launches the Young Series with three new floor washers: the Y2, Y3, and Y5 Stretch Ultra Experience the ultimate cleaning experience with these innovative floor washers, where cutting-edge technology meets energy efficiency and sleek design for unmatched performance Tineco Young Series From left to right: Y5 Stretch Ultra, Y3, and Y2 5-Minute Hot Air Drying and 85°C Hot Water Self-Cleaning: Keeping your vacuum clean with this cutting-edge system that eliminates odors and bacterial growth. 180° Lay Flat Design (Y5 Stretch Ultra): With its 13cm ultra slim profile, it can reach places that are harder than usual to access, guaranteeing a 360° deep clean. Device Availability Launch Promotions T&Cs apply, while stocks last Y2 (Entry-Level) Available now at Courts, Shopee, and Lazada Exclusively at Courts, from May 19th to June 8th Free Tineco Woven bag (worth $49 or wagon (worth $299). Y3 (Hot Drying) $399 (u.p $799) Available now on Courts ,Shopee, and Lazada Y5 Stretch Ultra $549 (u.p $999) Available now on Courts, Shopee, Lazada SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 May 2025 - Tineco, a global leader in smart cleaning technology, today announced the official launch of its Young Series Floor Washers in Singapore. Designed with new homeowners and first-time users in mind, the series features three value-driven models—Y2, Y3, and Y5 Stretch Ultra—offering high-performance cleaning at an accessible price point of just $299 Young Series delivers professional grade cleaning, making it ideal for everyday messes. Designed to handle wet and dry debris, pet hair, and edge dust with ease, these versatile floor washers work seamlessly across hard floors and carpets. All models feature a convenient one-touch self-cleaning. Experience premium cleaning at an accessible price—Tineco's Young Series delivers top-tier the Y3 and Y5 Ultra models gives you an elevated cleaning experience that includes:In conjunction with the launch, from May 19to June 8, all Courts stores and will offer a range of exclusive promotions. It is the perfect opportunity for new and young families to upgrade their cleaning routine and enjoy a superior, fuss-free cleaning #Tineco The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Tineco Founded in 1998, Tineco is a high-tech company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ECOVACS Group (SHA: 603486). Dedicated to innovation, Tineco has consistently delivered smart home cleaning solutions that redefine convenience and efficiency. Tineco has secured "World No.1" sales in the wet & dry category in 2024. With the launch of the Young series, Tineco continues to lead the way in creating products that make everyday life easier and more enjoyable.
Zawya
16-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Transform Your Home with the Next-Generation Cleaning Companion: Tineco's Young Series – Powerful, Efficient, and Affordable
Tineco launches the Young Series with three new floor washers: the Y2, Y3, and Y5 Stretch Ultra Experience the ultimate cleaning experience with these innovative floor washers, where cutting-edge technology meets energy efficiency and sleek design for unmatched performance SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 16 May 2025 - Tineco, a global leader in smart cleaning technology, today announced the official launch of its Young Series Floor Washers in Singapore. Designed with new homeowners and first-time users in mind, the series features three value-driven models—Y2, Y3, and Y5 Stretch Ultra—offering high-performance cleaning at an accessible price point of just $299 onwards. The Young Series delivers professional grade cleaning, making it ideal for everyday messes. Designed to handle wet and dry debris, pet hair, and edge dust with ease, these versatile floor washers work seamlessly across hard floors and carpets. All models feature a convenient one-touch self-cleaning. Experience premium cleaning at an accessible price—Tineco's Young Series delivers top-tier value. Meanwhile, the Y3 and Y5 Ultra models gives you an elevated cleaning experience that includes: 5-Minute Hot Air Drying and 85°C Hot Water Self-Cleaning: Keeping your vacuum clean with this cutting-edge system that eliminates odors and bacterial growth. 180° Lay Flat Design (Y5 Stretch Ultra): With its 13cm ultra slim profile, it can reach places that are harder than usual to access, guaranteeing a 360° deep clean. In conjunction with the launch, from May 19 th to June 8 th, all Courts stores and will offer a range of exclusive promotions. It is the perfect opportunity for new and young families to upgrade their cleaning routine and enjoy a superior, fuss-free cleaning experience. AVAILABILITY & LAUNCH PROMOTIONS Device Availability Launch Promotions T&Cs apply, while stocks last Y2 (Entry-Level) $299 (u.p $499) Available now at Courts, Shopee, and Lazada Exclusively at Courts, from May 19 th to June 8 th Free Tineco Woven bag (worth $49 or wagon (worth $299). Y3 (Hot Drying) $399 (u.p $799) Available now on Courts,Shopee, and Lazada Y5 Stretch Ultra $549 (u.p $999) Available now on Courts, Shopee, Lazada Hashtag: #Tineco The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Tineco Founded in 1998, Tineco is a high-tech company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of ECOVACS Group (SHA: 603486). Dedicated to innovation, Tineco has consistently delivered smart home cleaning solutions that redefine convenience and efficiency. Tineco has secured "World No.1" sales in the wet & dry category in 2024. With the launch of the Young series, Tineco continues to lead the way in creating products that make everyday life easier and more enjoyable. Tineco
CNET
13-05-2025
- CNET
I Saw Ecovacs' New Self-Washing Robot Vacuums That Make Mopping Cleaner
Robot mops aren't really a new concept; they've existed for a few years now with mopping pad attachments and dispensers for cleaning solution and water. However, many are just glorified Swiffers. They smear dirty water around your floors and call it "cleaning." But Ecovacs' Deebot X9 Pro Omni and T80 Omni try to fix that problem with a self-washing mop that, in theory, won't turn your floor into a petri dish. "With Ozmo Roller Mop technology, we're addressing the hygiene gaps traditional mops leave behind, while innovations like Blast suction and ZeroTangle 3.0 take performance and convenience to the next level," David Qian, CEO of Ecovacs Robotics, said in a news release. I got an early look at these robot mops in a Brooklyn coffee shop ahead of their launch. While they're not cheap, starting at $1,200 for the T80 Omni and $1,600 for the X9 Pro Omni, they have a lot of mopping tech that should help make mopping your living space quicker and more hygienic. The X9 Pro Omni tackled a milk spill with ease. Ajay Kumar Self-washing robots The headline feature here is Ecovacs Ozmmo Roller Mop, which first debuted in this year's X8 Pro Omni model. Unlike older robot mops that drag a damp cloth around until it's disgusting, this one has separate clean and dirty water tanks and scrubs the mop pad clean mid-job. It also applies 16 times more pressure than a typical robot mop, so it's closer to an actual hand-scrubbing than a Swiffer. The Ozmo mop roller on the robot vacuum can pop out to hit corners. Ajay Kumar This means your floors get cleaned with fresh water each time instead of reusing old, dirty water. I watched this happen with both the X9 Pro Omni and T80 Omni, where the two robots cleaned up spilled milk from the concrete floor of a coffee shop. I was impressed that, for the most part, they left no mess or streaks behind, though concrete flooring likely isn't the type of surface you have in your home, so the real test will be on tile, vinyl and other hard flooring. I was also impressed by their ability to navigate the fairly crowded coffee shop. I never saw them bump into people's feet or get caught on furniture or carpets. The Omni docking station comes with hot air drying. Ajay Kumar X9 Pro Omni: The flagship robot mop The X9 Pro Omni is Ecovacs' new flagship and will set you back the most at $1,599. Here are some of the key features: The X9 Pro Omni zeroed in on the milk spill. Ajay Kumar Blast suction : Its 100-watt motor and redesigned airflow path give it more vacuuming power. The motor has a high-torque, wider air inlet and more precise fan blades. SuperBoost battery : It comes with Ecovacs' proprietary SuperBoost battery, which the company says can deliver 50% higher discharge current, a 2.5 times longer battery lifespan, and reduced heat output. ZeroTangle 3.0 brushes: This self-maintaining brush system has a main brush and inward-curved side brush that's designed to eliminate pet hair and other debris from wrapping around it. The Deebot did a good job of making sure it didn't hit carpet with the mop by lifting the mopping pad. Ajay Kumar TruEdge 2.0 3D navigation : Corners are usually a challenge for robot vacuums and mops, which TruEdge is designed to address. It has edge sensing and an extending mop and side brush for cleaning corners and along walls. Mop lifting : The X9 Pro can detect carpets and automatically raise the mop to prevent your carpets from getting soggy. That's a pretty common feature these days, but it's still nice to see it. Hot-air drying: The Omni docking station blasts the mop with 145-degree Fahrenheit air, drying it out between uses and preventing bacteria growth. Is all this necessary? Maybe not, unless you're doing frequent wet mopping at home. (Personally, I usually just vacuum, and my floors are lucky if they get mopped more than once a month.) But if you want the closest thing to a "set it and forget it" robot cleaner -- one that vacuums and mops without you babysitting it -- the X9 Pro Omni might be a good option, though we'll need to put it through its paces at our Louisville vacuum testing lab to see how it performs. TruEdge 2.0 3D navigation is enhanced by AI to help tackle obstacles and corners. Ajay Kumar T80 Omni: Less expensive, still feature-packed The T80 Omni strips out some of the X9's features but keeps all the important ones. This includes the Ozmo Roller self-washing mop and AI remopping (where it spots sticky spots and hits them twice). According to Ecovacs, it has 16 times more downward pressure than traditional mops and self-washes with every pass, just like the X9 Omni. There's also the ZeroTangle 3.0 brush, which minimizes tangling and picks up debris better. So what's missing? Well, the docking station uses slightly cooler 113 degrees Fahrenheit air to dry the mop, and the suction isn't quite as strong, but it's still way more capable than some of the more affordable robot vacuums we recommend. The Ozmo roller self-cleans and the rollers stay tangle free, making it a good option for households with kids and pets. Ajay Kumar Price and Availability These aren't cheap, even on sale at Amazon and Ecovacs' site until May 19. The X9 Pro Omni's MSRP is $1,600, though you can get it for $300 until May 19, bringing it down to $1,300. At full price, the X9 Pro Omni costs as much as the Dreame X50 Ultra, one of the most expensive robot vacuums we recommend due to its ability to cross thresholds and obstacles. The T50 Omni is $1,200 at full price, but $1,080 if you buy it between May 13 and May 19. The T80 Omni costs as much as our best overall, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo. However, you're paying for the mopping features and superior navigation, so that makes it a bit more understandable.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TÜV Rheinland Awards Effective Deep Cleaning Certification to Anker Innovations' eufy Robot Vacuum Omni E28
SHENZHEN, China, May 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- TÜV Rheinland Greater China, an international independent third-party testing, inspection, and certification organization has awarded its Effective Deep Cleaning Certification to the eufy Robot Vacuum Omni E28 from Anker Innovations. The latest model featuring a portable deep cleaner integrated into its Omni station. This certification underscores the E28's superior performance across multiple cleaning dimensions, showcasing significant advancements in next-generation robotic cleaning technology. Robot vacuum-mop devices have firmly established themselves as a core category within the cleaning appliance industry. Driven by intense focus in both R&D and market demand, the category has evolved rapidly in recent years, making significant strides in overcoming traditional limitations. Historically, robot vacuum-mops were considered less effective than dedicated floor scrubbers, but thanks to emerging technologies such as intelligent stain recognition and enhanced mop design, the performance gap between the two categories is narrowing quickly. These advancements have enabled the latest generation of robot vacuum-mops to deliver outstanding cleaning capabilities. To support consumers in making more informed and intuitive choices, TÜV Rheinland has extended its Effective Deep Cleaning certification—originally developed for floor scrubbers—to include robot vacuum-mop products. The certification provides a structured evaluation based on real-world cleaning scenarios and focuses on three key performance areas: First, full-scene cleaning performance is tested through over 10 rigorous assessments, including dust removal from hard floors and carpets, large debris pickup, and hair entanglement management. Second, intelligent mopping capabilities are evaluated, particularly in handling both dry and wet stubborn stains. Third, base station ecosystem performance is assessed across eight dimensions, including dust collection efficiency, self-cleaning functionality, and sterilization performance. The eufy Robot Vacuum Omni E28, recently launched overseas by global smart home leader Anker Innovations, has been awarded TÜV Rheinland Effective Deep Cleaning certification in this expanded category. The eufy Robot Vacuum Omni E28 excelled in testing, achieving a floor dust removal rate exceeding 90% and a 100% large particle removal rate. In hair entanglement tests using 30 cm human hair, the E28 consistently demonstrated outstanding anti-tangle performance. It also effectively removed 24-hour dried coffee stains, demonstrating robust mopping performance. Additionally, the mop exhibited remarkable self-cleaning performance, while the base station's cleaning solution achieved a self-cleaning sterilization rate above 99%, affirming the E28's exceptional performance throughout the cleaning cycle. TÜV Rheinland Effective Deep Cleaning certification establishes a new benchmark for the performance of next-generation robot vacuum-mops. By basing evaluations on actual usage conditions, the certification helps highlight products that excel in real-life environments while simplifying the decision-making process for consumers. As cleaning appliance technologies continue to evolve, TÜV Rheinland remains committed to collaborating with industry innovators. Through a rigorous, science-based certification system, TÜV Rheinland will continue to drive product excellence and deliver cleaner, more intelligent solutions to households around the world. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE TUV Rheinland Greater China
