At CES 2026, Roborock unveiled a concept robot vacuum cleaner on legs, but also its latest flagship product, the Saros 20. Spiritual successor to the Saros 10R, Roborock is stepping up its game by building on the technologies we’ve seen on its products in recent years. Launched in April, this robot vacuum redefines what the company considers its best. It can now pass thresholds twice as high as the last model, it has an all-new autonomous system for precise mapping and it has 36,000 Pa of suction power to keep your home clean.
This time, Roborock offers two different docks: one in which you can replace the water manually, which is the one tested by BGR, and one with a built-in recharge and drainage system, which cuts the Saros Dock 20 in half. This option also offers an even more self-contained experience, as users don’t really have to worry about removing and replacing the clean and dirty water tanks.
Over the past few months, I’ve been tirelessly testing Roborock’s Saros 20 robot vacuum, and after relying for a while on the company’s handheld vacuum, the F25 Ace Pro, it’s a nice change of pace to have a robot that does all the hard work, while I can just relax. Here’s everything you need to know about the company’s best robot vacuum, what’s improved over the previous generation, and what Roborock still needs to do to provide the best possible experience for customers.
Design and specifications
At first glance, Roborock’s Saros 20 doesn’t really stand out. With the same ultra-slim 3.14-inch design, this robovac can fit under most furniture while offering powerful suction capabilities, an anti-tangle dual brush design, premium scanners, and its standard dual mop. For the dock – or RockDock – Roborock has improved on the previous model by adding 100 degrees Celsius hot water wash for the mop and dock, cool air drying for the dust bag to prevent mold and even the ability to automatically remove the mop from the robot when it’s not needed. This model can even rewash and reclean the dock or robot to make sure everything is clean.
Although the dock isn’t as bright and unique as the one available with the Saros 10R, it’s still one of the most charming docks on the market, allowing it to blend seamlessly into any environment. Therefore, you can place it not only in the kitchen but also in the living room or bedroom, and it should not clash too much with the rest of the furniture.
This new robot vacuum also includes the StarSight 2.0 autonomous system, which can recognize up to 201 objects in your home, and an improved AdaptiLift 3.0 chassis, which has grown from a threshold of 4 cm to 8.5 cm in two years.
Clean, clean and climb
Like previous high-end models, the Roborock Saros 20 does a remarkable job with its cleaning capabilities. With up to 36,000Pa of suction, the robot is almost twice as powerful as the Roborock Qrevo Curv, released just two years ago. If dust continues to seep into your home because you have to keep your doors and windows open due to another heatwave, you can count on the vacuum cleaner to clean everything efficiently (and without its brush getting tangled in hair). Admittedly, the Saros 20 got off to a rocky start by immediately trying to vacuum up some cables in my house, but as I continued to use the robot, it began to avoid these areas, making the cleaning process smoother.
For cleaning, Roborock uses dual spin mops. They do a good job and can even help remove tough stains on the floor, such as coffee, flour, and other stuck-on dirt. Still, I think a roller mop makes the cleaning process more efficient because it applies more force to the floor. There’s a reason much of the competition has shifted to roller mops.
Finally, the new climbing capabilities should make the Saros 20 capable of crossing small thresholds. However, in my testing, I saw the robot struggle to go over even smaller bumps. He eventually does on the second or third try, but only after accelerating and hitting the threshold rather than gently lifting his chassis and continuing to clean.
Roborock Saros 20 is as smart as it gets
Over the years, Roborock has not only continued to improve the internal specifications of its robot vacuums, but also made them smarter. One of the best examples is the Roborock Saros Z70, which included multiple scanners to recognize objects on the floor, pick up some of them with its arm, and then place them in their place (be it a trash can or another room). Roborock uses all this data and technology on its high-end robot vacuums because it can recognize more than 200 objects, which helps the robot clean the environment more efficiently without vacuuming up your stuff.
This is in addition to one of my favorite features, which is the Roborock app. This is fundamental to owning a Robovac of this brand, since you need it to configure the vacuum cleaner. The process is as smooth as possible, and once logged in, my personal recommendation is to leave it on SmartPlan, which has been upgraded to version 3.0. This feature recognizes room types, learns your cleaning habits, and ensures your home is always clean. With SmartPlan, you don’t have to worry about suction power, amount of water, or whether or not to use a cleaning solution.
What I think is the most interesting part of the Roborock app is that you can see the reasoning behind the robot’s cleaning routine, and for the first time, I’m using voice commands. These are quite precise and can finally be used in natural language, rather than requiring owners to memorize the specific commands accepted by the robot.
Battery life and maintenance
The Roborock Saros 20 has a battery capacity of 6,400 mAh, comparable to previous models, and offers a battery life of 200 minutes. The company claims it can vacuum up to 224 square meters in a single session. One of the main features of this robot is that it can fully charge in 150 minutes, which is faster than the competition.
Still, since the robot always goes to the dock, it’s unlikely that you’ll run out of battery during a session or not have enough battery to return to a specific area that needs attention. In my testing, the Roborock Saros 20 robot vacuum cleaned about 10 square meters in about 24 minutes using 10% of its battery. It goes slow and steady, but it makes up for it with precision. Sometimes it needs to return to its dock to recharge during more demanding sessions, but the fast charging capabilities are no problem.
Plus, taking care of the RockDock is easy. If you choose the manual water option, you receive a warning every time you need to add clean water or remove the dirty tank. The All Debris Dust Bag is capable of holding weeks of dirt and dust. Additionally, as noted above, the Roborock Saros 20 ensures that debris is always dry, preventing mold and bad odors. Since the robot cleans itself, you rarely need to worry about manually cleaning it or its mops.
Is the Roborock Saros 20 worth it?
The Roborock Saros 20 costs $1,599, which is comparable to other high-end Roborock models. From time to time the company enters into agreements, which can make this robot vacuum cleaner much more attractive. I have been using Roborock robot vacuums for a few years now and they have improved my cleaning routine. This model specifically improves smart features, suction power and continues to deliver excellent cleaning. More adventurous users can even rely on Roborock’s personal assistant with voice commands like “Hey Rocky, clean the kitchen” or something similar.
Roborock has also added innovative features to avoid scaring or hurting your pets. The Saros 20 can even send you photos of your pet when you’re away or allow you to talk to your dog or cat through the vacuum cleaner. Once again, Roborock has done a great job with its top-tier robot, and it will also continue to improve over time, as Roborock usually does firmware updates almost every quarter, improving the AI algorithms, making the cleaning process smoother, and even fixing issues such as the robot having difficulty crossing a small threshold.
The company also recently released a Sonic version of the Saros 20, and we could see even more advanced robot vacuums from Roborock at IFA 2026, which takes place in early September. Just like your computer, every robot vacuum seems outdated before you even have a chance to unbox it, but the Saros 20 is a worthwhile buy if you’re in the market for a high-end robovac.
