Verdict
The Roborock Saros 20 Neo delivers an identical high-end clear to the common Saros 20, solely it prices much less.
The trade-offs are principally small: the Neo’s dock makes you take away the water tanks to succeed in the mud bag and detergent, and its retractable LiDAR dome means it’s not fairly as fast to get underneath furnishings, and it’s not fairly pretty much as good at navigation. In lots of instances, these points aren’t sufficient of an issue, and the Neo is a good selection for many houses.
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Wonderful vacuuming and mopping
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Highly effective impediment avoidance
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Does not get tangled with hair
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Sizzling-water mop washing and hot-air drying
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Water tanks should come out to succeed in the mud bag and detergent
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Retractable LiDAR dome slows transferring underneath furnishings
Roborock Saros 20 Neo: Introduction
- Sort: Vacuum and mop
- Docking: Self-clean, self-empty
- Navigation system: Retractable LiDAR
Roborock gave its robotic vacuum vary the Saros title to make issues less complicated, however has instantly muddied the water with the Saros 20 Neo. It feels like a more moderen model of the Saros 20, but it surely’s truly a barely cut-down model, albeit at a cheaper price.
The Neo makes use of a retractable LiDAR dome as an alternative of the Saros 20’s front-facing StarSight Autonomous System 2.0. It’s additionally marginally much less superior on paper, however my assessments discovered little distinction in observe. So, is the Neo the smarter purchase? Largely, sure.
Design and options
- Retractable LiDAR dome
- Self-cleaning, self-emptying dock
- Versatile, highly effective app
The Saros 20 Neo’s black, curved dock seems to be extra just like the one equipped with a Qrevo mannequin, such because the Qrevo Edge 2 Stream, than the Saros 20’s smarter-looking station. It nonetheless handles the essential jobs: emptying the robotic, cleansing its mop pads and retaining them contemporary.
There’s a 4L clean-water tank and a 3L dirty-water tank. The dock heats water to 100°C to scrub the mop pads, then makes use of 55°C air to dry them, stopping odours and micro organism.
Detergent goes in a separate tank beneath the water tanks, whereas a 2.7L mud bag can maintain as much as 65 days’ price of particles. Meaning for almost all of the time, the Saros 20 Neo is a hands-off expertise.
This setup is much like the Saros 20, however the Neo’s dock isn’t fairly as handy, and attending to the detergent and mud bag means lifting out the water tanks. On the Saros 20, each are simpler to succeed in. It’s a small annoyance, however one you’ll discover when it’s time to refill or substitute one thing.
Whereas the usual 20 makes use of the front-facing StarSight Autonomous System 2.0, the Neo makes use of a LiDAR dome. This may be retracted into the robotic’s physique, bringing peak right down to 79.8mm (the identical as on the common Saros 20).
That mentioned, LiDAR isn’t fairly pretty much as good for navigation, and when the Saros 20 Neo meets low furnishings, resembling a settee, it has to plan and retract the dome. This makes it a bit slower to maneuver round in my expertise.
The Saros 20 additionally has extra highly effective object detection on paper, combining 3D sensors with a digital camera. In my assessments, although, the hole was onerous to identify. The Neo navigated obstacles confidently, utilizing its cameras to identify and keep away from the obstacles in its path.
Beneath, two microfibre mop pads apply 14N of downward stress, up from 13N on the older mannequin. A FlexiArm mop swings out to succeed in corners and edges, whereas a second FlexiArm extends the aspect brush to tease mud from tight spots. The mop reaches nicely, though it doesn’t swing so far as the one on the Dreame X60 Professional Extremely Full.
Roborock’s Duo Divide curler brush is designed to tug hair in direction of its centre and vacuum it up with out tangles. The Saros 20 Neo additionally will get the identical AdaptiLift climbing system as on the Saros 20, which might deal with double thresholds as much as 8.7cm excessive: 4.4cm for step one and 4.3cm for the second. It may possibly elevate its physique to cross and clear deep-pile carpet, too.
For carpet cleansing, the robotic can elevate its mop pads or go away them within the dock for a vacuum-only run. Fundamental begin and cease buttons sit on the robotic, however the app is the place the helpful controls dwell.
After connecting to Wi-Fi, the Neo makes a fast mapping run. The app suggests room divisions, which you’ll be able to break up or merge to fit your dwelling. You possibly can add no-go zones and place furnishings on the map, turning a eating desk or couch right into a helpful shortcut for focused cleans.
Select to wash the entire dwelling, chosen rooms or a selected zone. Then choose vacuuming, mopping, a vacuum-first clear or a mop-only run. You possibly can let the robotic determine the settings or modify suction, water stage, route velocity and the variety of passes your self.
There are 4 fundamental vacuum modes, plus a higher-power choice for vacuum-only cleansing. Mopping has 30 selectable water ranges. That’s plenty of decisions for one thing that may very well be a lot less complicated.
Efficiency
- Wonderful vacuuming
- Highly effective mopping
- Assured navigation
Cleansing efficiency is superb, with loads of suction energy: 36,000Pa. Rapidly transferring over carpets, the Roborock Saros 20 Neo picked up deep spills with ease, and did simply as nicely on onerous flooring.
In vacuum-only mode, it left some mess towards the skirting board, however did higher when mopping was used afterwards.
The Neo picked up all of the human hair I placed on the check carpet, and the Duo Divide brush got here away with no single strand tangled round it.
Mopping was simply as sturdy. Two passes eliminated each espresso and red-wine stains. For mud, the robotic vacuumed up the unfastened particles earlier than mopping away what remained.
Dried ketchup proved more durable. With stain recognition on, the Neo made a number of passes and considerably diminished the mess, however didn’t take away all of it. After I sprayed the stain with kitchen cleaner and left it for 5 minutes, the robotic cleaned it fully.
Navigation was glorious. I set out a shoe, pretend pet mess and cables, and the Saros 20 Neo steered round them. It additionally made it underneath my couch, although it needed to plan when to decrease its LiDAR dome. The Saros 20’s completely slim profile offers it a slight benefit underneath furnishings.
Roborock charges battery life at as much as 256 minutes. In my lab, which is the scale of a giant dwelling ground, the Neo had sufficient energy for 2 passes and nonetheless had cost left for spot cleansing. I measured noise at 58.3dB, making it fairly quiet for normal vacuuming.
Remaining ideas
The Roborock Saros 20 Neo will get remarkably near the Saros 20 the place it counts: cleansing efficiency and navigation. Its dock is a bit fiddlier and detergent and baggage more durable to succeed in, and the retractable LiDAR dome means it must plan a bit extra to get underneath low furnishings. However neither subject undermines an in any other case glorious robotic vacuum.
In order for you a lot of the Saros 20 expertise for much less, the Neo is a simple advice. The Saros 20 stays the extra nimble choice, whereas the Dreame X60 Professional Extremely Full affords a number of further cleansing methods. For extra choices, see my information to the finest robotic vacuum cleaners.
How we check
Once we publish our evaluations, you may relaxation assured that they’re the results of “dwelling with” long run assessments.
Robotic cleaners often dwell inside an ecosystem, or a variety of merchandise that – supposedly – all work in concord. And they’re designed to supply a variety of various cleansing choices. Subsequently, it’s not possible to make use of a robo cleaner for every week and ship a verdict.
As a result of we’re testing good dwelling equipment all day, each day, we all know what issues and the way a specific good cleansing machine compares to options that you may also be contemplating.
Our evaluations are complete, goal and honest and, after all, we’re by no means paid on to evaluation a tool.
Learn our information on how we check robotic vacuum cleaners to study extra.
FAQs
The Neo makes use of a retractable LiDAR dome as an alternative of the Saros 20’s front-facing StarSight Autonomous System 2.0, and its dock makes you elevate out the water tanks to succeed in the mud bag and detergent. Cleansing efficiency could be very related, and the Neo prices much less.
Sure. It may possibly elevate its mop pads or go away them within the dock for a vacuum-only run, and it may well elevate its physique to cross and clear deep-pile carpet.
Its AdaptiLift climbing system can deal with double thresholds as much as 8.7cm excessive: 4.4cm for step one and 4.3cm for the second.
Roborock Saros 20 Neo: Specs
| Sort (Colors and elegance) | Robotic vacuum and mop; black or white |
| UK RRP | £999 |
| US RRP | |
| Measurement (Dimensions) | Robotic: 352 x 350 x 79.8mm; dock: 402 x 494 x 450mm |
| Weight | 4.96kg (robotic) |
| Launch Date | 2026 |
| Sensible dwelling Ecosystems | Roborock, Matter |
| Suction | 36,000Pa |
| Bin capability | 2.7L mud bag |
| Water tank dimension | 4L clear, 3L soiled |
| Modes | Vacuum, mop, vacuum then mop, mop solely |
| Dock kind | Self-clean, self-empty, hot-water mop washing, hot-air drying |
| Cost time | 2.5 hours |
| Battery dimension | As much as 256 minutes runtime |
