Roborock Saros 10R

The Saros 10R scored a perfect 24 out of 24 in Vacuum Wars’ obstacle avoidance testing. That’s the headline number for this premium robot vacuum, and it tells you exactly what Roborock prioritized when designing it. This isn’t a machine built around raw suction power - it’s engineered to navigate your home without getting tangled in cables, bumping into furniture, or (thankfully) spreading pet waste across your floors.

But here’s the catch: while the Saros 10R excels at dodging obstacles, independent testing reveals that its actual suction power falls about 15-20% below the advertised 22,000 Pa. One Reddit user reported their older $350 S8 outperformed this $1,600 flagship in actual debris pickup. That’s a significant gap between marketing and reality.

Who Should Actually Buy This

The Saros 10R makes sense if you have a home with obstacles everywhere - toys, cables, pet bowls - and you prioritize mopping over vacuuming. Its 3.14-inch profile means it can squeeze under furniture that other robots can’t reach. The mopping system genuinely works well on hard floors.

But if pet hair is your main concern, look elsewhere. The DuoDivide brush design achieves zero tangling (impressive engineering) at the cost of actually picking up pet hair effectively. Users report needing multiple passes, with hair often clumping into balls rather than getting suctioned up.

Navigation and Obstacle Detection

The StarSight Autonomous System 2.0 combines 3D Time-of-Flight sensors, an RGB camera, and lateral obstacle detection across 21,600 sensor points. The robot recognizes 108 different object types and can detect items as small as 2cm x 2cm.

In practice, this means excellent cable avoidance (though thick Ethernet cables still occasionally cause trouble), reliable shoe and toy detection, and some of the best pet waste avoidance available. The system earned Vacuum Wars’ “Best Obstacle Avoidance” award for mid-2025.

Navigation follows methodical grid patterns with efficient room-to-room transitions. Cliff sensors work reliably on dark flooring with no false positives reported.

Cleaning Performance

Hard floors get excellent results: 95% pickup on fine dust, 95-98% on medium debris like rice, and near-perfect edge coverage.

Low-pile carpet produces adequate results for larger debris but struggles with fine particles, especially along edges.

High-pile carpet requires multiple passes for acceptable results.

Pet hair disappoints consistently. The anti-tangle brush design, while great for reducing maintenance, simply doesn’t extract embedded hair well. Multiple users confirm this limitation.

The Mopping System

Two spinning mop pads (not vibrating, unlike the Saros 10) handle hard floor cleaning. The dock washes pads with 80C (176F) hot water and dries them with 55C warm air. TUV certifies 99.99% bacteria removal.

One mop pad extends automatically via FlexiArm for edge coverage. The system applies 8N of pressure and can lift 8mm when the pads extend, or 22mm when the chassis raises via AdaptiLift.

Water capacity sits around 69-80ml (sources conflict), with the dock holding 4L clean and 3L dirty water. Expect about 20 minutes of mopping before needing a refill.

Battery and Charging

The 6,400 mAh battery officially runs 180 minutes. Real-world performance varies from 118-180 minutes depending on mode and how efficiently the robot navigates. Users report that erratic navigation patterns can drain the battery faster, sometimes preventing completion of large homes in one session.

Charging takes 3.5 hours standard or 2.5 hours with fast charging. Off-peak charging helps manage electricity costs.

The App Experience

SmartPlan 2.0 runs on iOS 12.3+ and Android 6.0+. It’s genuinely comprehensive: multi-level mapping, AI-based automatic settings, virtual barriers, no-go zones, scheduling, pet detection and tracking, remote camera viewing, two-way audio, and “Hello Rocky” voice commands.

Voice control works through Alexa, Google Home, and Siri Shortcuts. Matter 1.4 support is announced with HomeKit integration coming via firmware update.

Maps store locally rather than in the cloud, with TUV Rheinland privacy certification. Quick mapping takes about 10-12 minutes for a two-bedroom apartment.

Early firmware had navigation bugs - robots spinning in place, wall detection errors - but OTA updates have addressed most issues. Current builds (December 2025) run much more reliably than launch versions.

Known Problems

Users have documented several recurring issues:

Battery drain from wandering: The robot sometimes navigates without clear purpose, depleting battery before finishing.

Docking struggles: Connection can take 10-20 minutes; cleaning contacts helps temporarily.

Dry mop pads: Some units leave pads dry after the dock wash cycle.

Water leakage: Reported during both mopping and vacuum-only modes.

No-go zone confusion: Robot enters designated zones, then stops claiming it’s “stuck.”

Pad attachment failures: Auto-detach mechanism sometimes requires manual intervention.

Most issues appear software-related and improve with updates. Hardware durability seems solid, though glossy surfaces scratch easily.

Dock Features

The Multifunctional Dock 4.0 handles auto-emptying, mop washing with hot water, warm air drying, automatic detergent dispensing, and intelligent dirt detection for re-wash cycles. Dust bags (2.7L capacity) last about 70 days between changes.

A plumbing-integrated variant with automatic water refill/drain exists but has limited regional availability.

Pricing and Value

MSRP sits at $1,599.99 with Black Friday pricing around $999.99. International prices: EUR1,499 (Germany), GBP1,499.99 (UK, availability pending), AU$2,999 (Australia). Only black is available; white appears discontinued.

At discounted pricing, the value proposition improves significantly. The full MSRP feels steep given the suction performance gap.

Versus the Competition

Saros 10 (same price): Better obstacle avoidance and spinning mop pads on the 10R; higher effective suction on the 10. Choose the 10R for mopping and navigation priority.

Dreame X50 Ultra ($1,699): The 10R wins obstacle avoidance (24/24 vs 20/24) and stain removal. The X50 climbs thresholds better with retractable legs.

Qrevo Curv ($1,599): Similar positioning, but the Curv handles pet hair better with longer battery life.

Bottom Line

The Saros 10R excels at navigation and obstacle avoidance - genuinely best-in-class. It mops well on hard floors, fits under low furniture, and runs quietly (65 dB in balanced mode, as low as 55 dB mopping-only).

But the gap between advertised and actual suction power matters, and pet hair performance disappoints. At $999, it’s a strong option for the right buyer. At $1,599, the value equation gets harder to justify.

Best for: Mixed-surface homes with lots of obstacles, where mopping matters more than raw vacuuming power.

Skip if: Pet hair is your primary cleaning challenge, or you need maximum suction performance.

Specifications

• Robot: 4.10 kg (9.04 lbs), 350 x 353 x 79.8mm
• Dock: 381 x 475 x 488mm, 11.40 kg
• Dustbin: 270ml robot, 2.7L dock bags
• Battery: 6,400 mAh, 180 min advertised, 118-180 min real-world
• Charging: 3.5 hours standard, 2.5 hours fast charge
• Suction: 22,000 Pa advertised, 18,500-20,000 Pa tested
• Noise: 65 dB (balanced), 55-82.9 dB range
• Threshold climbing: 40mm (1.57”)
• Coverage: Up to 390 sqm (1,218 sq ft) per charge
• Warranty: 1 year manufacturer