Roborock Saros 20 Robot Vacuum Review: Almost Too Good To Be True

At CES 2026, Roborock unveiled a concept of a robot vacuum with legs, but also its latest flagship, the Saros 20. The spiritual successor of the Saros 10R, Roborock is stepping up its game by building upon the technologies we've seen on its products over the past few years. Having launched back in April, this robot vacuum redefines what the company believes is its best. It can now cross thresholds of double the height as the last model, it features an all-new autonomous system for precise mapping, and it has 36,000 Pa suction power to can keep your house clean.

This time, Roborock offers two different docks — one in which you can replace the water manually, which is the one BGR tested, and one with a built-in refill and drainage system, which cuts the Saros 20 dock in half. This option also provides an even more autonomous experience, as users don't really need to worry about removing and replacing clean and dirty water tanks.

Over the past few months, I've been relentlessly testing Roborock's Saros 20 robot vacuum, and after relying on the company's handheld vacuum, the F25 Ace Pro, for a while, it's a nice change of pace to have a robot doing all the hard work, while I can just chill. Here's everything you need to know about the company's best robot vacuum, what's improved from the previous generation, and what Roborock still needs to do to offer the best experience possible to customers.

At first glance, Roborock's Saros 20 doesn't really stand out. With the same 3.14-inch ultra-slim design, this robovac can fit under most furniture while still featuring powerful suction capabilities, a dual anti-tangle brush design, top-notch scanners, and its standard double mop. For the dock — or the RockDock — Roborock improved the previous model by adding 100 degree Celsius hot water washing for both the mop and the dock, fresh-air drying for the dust bag to avoid mold, and even the ability to automatically remove the mop from the robot when it's not needed. This model can even re-wash and re-mop the dock or the robot to ensure everything is clean.

While the dock is not as shiny and unique as the one available with the Saros 10R, it's still one of the most charming docks in the market, allowing it to blend in well in any environment. As a result, you can put it not only in the kitchen but in the living room or bedroom, and it shouldn't look too out of place with the rest of the furniture.

This new robot vacuum also features the StarSight Autonomous System 2.0, which can recognize up to 201 objects in your house, and an upgraded AdaptiLift Chassis 3.0, which has evolved from being able to climb a 4cm threshold to up to 8.5cm in two years.

As with previous high-end models, the Roborock Saros 20 does a remarkable job with its cleaning capabilities. With up to 36,000 Pa of suction, the robot is almost twice as powerful as the Roborock Qrevo Curv, released just two years ago. If dust keeps making its way into your home in because you need to keep doors and windows open due to another heatwave, you can count on the vacuum to clean everything efficiently (and without getting its brush tangled on hair). Admittedly, the Saros 20 got off to a rocky start by immediately trying to suck up some cables in my home, but as I continued using the robot, it started to avoid those areas, making the cleaning process smoother.

For mopping, Roborock uses dual spinning mops. They do a good job and can even help with difficult stains on the floor such as coffee, flour, and other stuck-on gunk. Still, I think a roller mop makes the cleaning process more efficient, as it applies more force onto the floor. There's a reason why much of the competition has moved on the roller mops.

Last but not least, the new climbing capabilities should make the Saros 20 capable of overcoming small thresholds. However, during my tests, I've seen the robot struggling to climb over even smaller bumps. It eventually does so on the second or third try, but only after speeding up and bumping into the threshold rather than gently lifting its chassis and continuing to clean.

Over the years, Roborock has continued not only to improve the internal specs of its robot vacuums, but it's also been making them smarter. One of the best examples of this is the Roborock Saros Z70, which included several scanners to recognize objects on the floor, pick some of them up with its arm, and then place them where they belong (whether that's a trash can or another room). Roborock uses all of this data and technology on its premium robot vacuums, as it can recognize over 200 objects, which helps the robot clean the environment more effectively without sucking up your belongings.

This comes on top of one of my favorite features, which is the Roborock app. It's fundamental for the owning one of this brand's robovacs, as you need it to set the vacuum up. The process is as smooth as possible and, once connected, 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 house is consistently clean. With SmartPlan, you don't have to worry about the suction power, the amount of water, or whether or not to use 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've been using voice commands. These are pretty precise and can finally be used with natural language, rather than requiring owners to memorize specific commands that the robot accepts.

The Roborock Saros 20 has a 6,400 mAh battery capacity, which is on par with previous models, and offers a runtime of 200 minutes. The company says it can vacuum up to 224 square meters in a single session. One of the key 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 is unlikely that you'll run out of battery during a session or won't have enough battery to go back over one specific area that needs extra attention. In my tests, the Roborock Saros 20 robot vacuum cleans around 10 square meters in 24-ish minutes using 10 percent of its battery. It goes slow and steady, but it makes up for that with precision. Sometimes, it needs to go back to its dock to recharge throughout more demanding sessions, but the fast-charge capabilities make this a non-issue.

Additionally, taking care of the RockDock is easy. If you choose the manual water option, you get a warning whenever you need to add clean water or remove the dirty tank. The dust bag for all of the debris is capable of holding weeks worth of dirt and dust. Plus, as noted above, the Roborock Saros 20 ensures the debris is always dry, avoiding mold and bad smell. Since the robot cleans itself, you rarely need to worry about manually cleaning it or its mops.

The Roborock Saros 20 costs $1,599, which is on par with the other premium Roborock models. Every once in a while, the company runs deals, which can make this robot vacuum a lot more enticing. For the past few years, I've been using Roborock's robot vacuums, and they have improved my cleaning routine. This model specifically improves the smart features, power suction, and continues to offer great mopping. More adventurous users can even rely on Roborock's personal assistant with voice commands like, "Hey Rocky, clean the kitchen," or something similar.

Roborock also added innovative features to avoid scaring or harming your pets. The Saros 20 can even send you pictures of your pet when you're away or let you talk to your dog or cat through the vacuum. Once again, Roborock did a great job with its top tier robot, and it will continue to improve over time as well, as Roborock typically seeds firmware updates nearly every quarter, making the AI algorithms better, the cleaning process smoother, and even addressing issues like the robot struggling to get over a small threshold.

The company also recently released a Sonic version of the Saros 20, and we might see even more advanced robot vacuums from Roborock at IFA 2026, happening in early September. Much like your computer, every robot vacuum seems to be out of date before you even have a chance to unbox it, but the Saros 20 is a worthwhile purchase if you're in the market for a top-of-the-line robovac.