If you're tired of personal smoothie makers that struggle with ingredients tougher than milk and bananas, the Beast Mighty 850 Plus could be the best blender for you. Rather than running on a rechargeable battery like many of its rivals, the 850 Plus is mains-powered and has a considerably more powerful motor, paired with a tough blade unit.
That means you won't be able to blend a protein shake in the changing room after a gym session, but if you're interested in making green juices and fresh smoothies using tough fruits and vegetables, it'll produce much smoother and more palatable results.
During my tests, it turned kale, oat milk, and blueberries into a very drinkable beverage with no flecks of leaf to get stuck in my teeth. It also totally blitzed frozen blackcurrants, eliminating the gritty seeds that usually make them a troublesome ingredient.
The Beast Mighty 850 Plus can tackle ingredients that lesser blender leave in lumps (Image credit: Future)
The disadvantage of this power is that the 850 Plus is relatively noisy. However, a single blending cycle is enough to tackle just about anything you can throw at it, so you'll only have to endure the noise for one minute.
This is an attractive appliance that comes in a range of colors, so you can pick one to suit your kitchen. (I chose white, but black, muted blue, and sand are other options.) It comes with three different-sized blending vessels (the small one is particularly good for salad dressings), plus a choice of lids for carrying your creations on the move.
The vessels have ridges on the sides that look interesting, but can be an issue if you're using a sticky ingredient like peanut butter, which can get a bit stuck. Beast supplies a long-handled cleaning brush to remove this debris, but almost all the components are dishwasher-safe, and I found this a much easier way to get everything squeaky clean.
Beast Mighty 850 Plus: price and availability
Available in the US and UK for $149 / £149.99
Beast Health also offers a more affordable model and a premium one
Costs more than most personal blenders, but is more powerful
The Beast Mighty 850 Plus is available direct from Beast, and from third-party retailers, including Amazon, for $149 / £149.99. At the time of writing, Beast Health blenders aren't available in Australia. You'll find today's best prices listed below.
The 850 Plus sits in the middle of Beast Health's range of personal blenders. If you want something a little more affordable and don't mind sacrificing some power and accessories, the Beast Mighty 650 costs £119.99 and is only available in the UK.
The company's top-end model is the Beast Mega 1200 Plus, which is priced at $199 / £199.99. Extra blender vessels in various sizes are available to buy separately.
The Beast Mighty 850 Plus is relatively pricey for a personal blender (for example, the Ninja Blast Max and Nutribullet Flip are both around $89.99/£89.99), but the price difference is understandable considering what you're getting for your money. The 850 Plus has a more powerful motor than those other two, and runs directly from the mains rather than a rechargeable battery. It also comes with a bigger set of accessories, including three different-sized blending vessels.
Value score: 4.5/5
Beast Mighty 850 Plus: design
Stylish blender with three vessels and a choice of lids
Controls are very simple to use
Ingredients can stick in ridges after blending
Dishwasher-safe components
The Beast Mighty 850 Plus is a particularly stylish blender with a large base that houses its powerful motor and a set of three blending vessels with ridged sides. It comes in a variety of colors, including Cloud White (shown here), Mist (slate blue), Sand, and Carbon Black.
Its vessels have capacities of 415ml, 638ml, and 786ml; the larger two are ideal for smoothies and protein shakes, while the smaller one works well for portions of salad dressing or sauce. You also get a screw-on lid, a drinking lid with a carry cap and straw lid, two drinking straws, and a set of two cleaning brushes (a large one for the vessels and a small one for the straws).
The 850 Plus comes with three blending vessels and an assortment of lids (Image credit: Future)
The large brush is particularly useful if you plan to wash the blender vessels by hand because ingredients (especially sticky ones) have a tendency to accumulate in the grooves on the sides. Many personal blenders can be cleaned by adding water with a squirt of dish soap and running a blending cycle, but the Beast blender needs more thorough cleaning.
Thankfully, the blade unit, blending vessels, and caps are all safe to wash in the top drawer of a dishwasher. and came out perfectly clean during my tests. The only parts of the blender that aren't dishwasher-safe are the base unit and the straws.
Unlike some personal blenders we've tested here at TechRadar, the Beast 850 Plus doesn't have a rechargeable battery. This means you can't use it to blend ingredients on the move, but the fact that it runs directly from the mains means it can offer more blending power than portable smoothie makers.
Its controls are very simple to use, with a large yellow power button at the back and a 'blend' button on the front. Pressing this button once will pulse the blender, and holding it briefly will initiate a minute-long blending cycle.
Design score: 4.5/5
Beast Mighty 850 Plus: performance
The Beast Mighty 850 Plus lives up to its name, with the best blending performance of any personal smoothie maker I've tested to date.
I started by testing the blender with a particularly tough ingredient: mixed frozen berries. These pose two challenges: first, frozen strawberries are essentially big chunks of dense ice that many blenders struggle to break through, and second, blackberries and blackcurrants are full of tiny seeds that can leave a smoothie feeling gritty in the mouth if not completely blended.
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Gritty blackcurrant seeds are no challenge for the powerful motor and tough blades of the 850 Plus (Image credit: Future)
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One of the lids has a hole for a drinking straw (two of which are provided with the blender) (Image credit: Future)
I added a good handful of the frozen fruit to the blender along with oat milk and a scoop of vanilla protein powder, and was pleasantly surprised when a single minute-long blending cycle obliterated even the largest strawberries to create an icy shake, while also obliterating the gritty seeds.
The 850 Plus crushes ice cubes equally well, and one blending cycle turned a double shot of espresso with ice and milk into a perfect iced coffee.
I also tried the 850 Plus with our standard testing smoothie – Nutribullet's Banana Kale Blueberry Freeze, which often poses a challenge for blenders due to its high content of fibrous green veg. I added the ingredients to the largest blending vessel, then ran a single blending cycle to see how well everything was combined.
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TechRadar's standard test smoothie includes generous amounts of raw kale (Image credit: Future)
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A single blending cycle produced a smooth and palatable drink, with no flakes of kale (Image credit: Future)
Some blenders (such as the Nutribullet Flip) require a second cycle to break up the kale, but the 850 Plus thoroughly blitzed all the ingredients first time, creating a very drinkable smoothie with no flecks of leaf to stick to my teeth.
The blender averaged around 80dB at the start of a blending cycle. dropping to 75dB once the ingredients started to break down. This makes it one of the loudest blenders I've tested to date, which can be explained by its more powerful motor, but is worth bearing in mind if you're particularly sensitive to noise.
Performance score: 5/5
Beast Mighty 850 Plus: also consider
If you're not sure that the Beast Mighty 850 Plus is the right blender for you, here are two others to consider.
Nutribullet Flip
The Nutribullet Flip has its blades and motor in the lid, meaning you can easily carry the whole appliance wherever you go. Its smooth design makes it hard for ingredients to become stuck, and it generally works well, though it didn’t handle tough kale and frozen strawberries as well as the Beast Mighty 850 Plus.
One of the most powerful portable blenders available right now, the Ninja Blast Max makes light work of most ingredients and can be carried around for blending on the move, making it ideal for post-workout protein shakes.
One of the more expensive personal blenders I've tested, but you're getting a lot for your money.
4.5/5
Design
Very stylish and supplied with three different sized vessels. Ingredients can get stuck on the ridged sides, but the cups are dishwasher-safe.
4.5/5
Performance
Makes light work of difficult ingredients like fibrous vegetables and frozen fruit with a single blending cycle. Quite loud, but very effective.
5/5
Buy it if
You want serious power
The Beast Mighty 850 Plus has a lot more blending power than the average smoothie maker, so it's a great pick if you want to use more challenging ingredients than protein powder and bananas. Frozen fruit and tough veggies are no match for its motor and blades.
You value versatility
This blender's different-sized vessels make it great for more than just drinks. The smallest one is particularly good for whipping up salad dressing and cold sauces.
Don't buy it if
You want to blend on the move
The 850 Plus doesn't run from a battery, so you'll be restricted to blending in the kitchen. If you want to whip up a shake at the gym after your workout, take a look at the offerings from Nutribullet and Ninja instead.
You're watching the pennies
This is a premium personal blender. You're getting a lot for your money, but if you're on a tight budget, then there are cheaper, though less powerful, alternatives available.
How I tested the Beast Mighty 850 Plus
I used the Beast Mighty 850 Plus for a week, making a variety of recipes, including TechRadar’s standard banana, blueberry, and kale smoothie, which we make with all the personal blenders we test.
I used the blender to tackle ingredients I knew to be particularly tough, including large frozen berries and ice, making sure to select the most appropriate blend setting each time.
I measured the volume of the blender during use with a decibel meter app on my phone.
Graywind offers a wide variety of smart blinds, including zebra, panel track, vertical, Ventian, and wood blinds. They also have a variety of smart shades, including roller, Roman, cellular, dual, and more. They even have smart curtains. Within each category, you can choose from selection of sizes, fabrics, and colors.
Then you choose your motor from five options: Eve Apple HomeKit Motor, Rechargeable BLE RF Motor, Zigbee Alexa Motor, Matter Smart Motor, or Hardwired WiFi Motor. I selected the zebra blinds and the Eve Apple HomeKit motor, since I'd be using my iPhone and HomePod to control the blinds.
I can't say that getting the Graywind Smart Blinds up and running was easy. The screws that were included for installation were not great quality, which meant that they stripped easily. Setup was also a little tricky. Still, I managed to get everything up and running. Once completed, the blinds work exactly as expected. You can set up scenes or automations which allow you to set opening and closing to a schedule or situation of your choosing. You can also control the blinds using your smartphone, voice, or just your hands.
(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Graywind Smart Blinds: price & availability
Starting price is relatively inexpensive
Can get pricey with upcharges
Custom fit to many sizes
You can order Graywind Smart Shades, Curtains, and Blinds directly from the Graywind website or you can buy them from Amazon. Prices start at $109.99 (£82.04/169.88 AUD.) I selected the zebra blinds in the charcoal blackout fabric and the Eve Apple HomeKit motor. I also added a solar panel and an extra-long wall charging cable. Blinds in the size and style you see in my photos go for $276.99(£206.59/427.97 AUD) each. It's important to measure your windows carefully if you want the blinds to fit correctly. I chose the outside mount style and made my measurements accordingly.
Value score: 4.5/5
Graywind Smart Blinds: design
Tricky installation and setup
Goes up and down smoothly and quietly
Blinds can get caught in solar panel charging cable
You'll need to be pretty handy and have access to a drill in order to install the Graywind Smart Blinds. You'll also need to be patient and careful, since the included screws are soft and strip quite easily.
Note that if you're charging the blinds via the solar charger, the blinds can get tangled with the charging cord pretty easily. I've gotten around that issue by not opening the blinds 100%. But I shouldn't have to do that.
(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
Once you get the blinds installed and charged via solar panel or wall charger, you're ready to set them up with your smartphone. I ordered two sets of identical blinds for windows right next to each other; I was able to set up the first one using only the Home app on my iPhone.
(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
For some reason, I wasn't able to set up the second set that way. I had to download the Eve app on my iPhone and set it up there. Once that was done, I was able to control both sets of blinds via either the Home or Eve app.
(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
There is also a pull cord that you can use for manual operation, if you wish. One tug on on the pull cord gets the blinds moving in one direction, a second tug stops them, and a third tug gets them moving in the other direction.
Are these the most beautiful blinds I've ever seen? No, and the 'fabric' is plastic. But they look fine, and they do what they are supposed to do.
Design score: 3.5/5
Graywind Smart Blinds: performance
Can be controlled so many different ways
Use with Google, Amazon, or Apple
Opening and closing mechanism works beautifully
As mentioned above, there are five different types of motors, so you'll want to make your selection carefully. I chose the Eve Apple HomeKit motor, since I have both an iPhone and a HomePod. But you can also choose BLE RF Motor (works directly with the Graywind app via Bluetooth, no bridge needed), Hardwired WiFi Motor (no bridge needed), Zigbee Alexa Motor, or a Matter Smart Motor (which allows use of Alexa, Google, HomeKit or SmartThings). A detailed guide on the site can help you choose the right one for your home if you're not sure.
As mentioned above, I was only able to set up one of the blinds using the Apple Home app; to set up the other one I had to use the Eve app. Another little blip was that one of the blinds wanted to roll the wrong way initially, but I was able to fix that by troubleshooting with the owner's manual.
Once your blinds are all set up, it's easy to control them. You can use your smartphone and tap to select how far open you want them, down to an exact percentage. You can also use the cord to control them. If you don't like the look of the cord and you're not going to use it, you can easily remove it.
(Image credit: Karen Freeman / Future)
You can also set up scenes and automations, so that your blinds open and close at specific times or in specific situations of your choosing. For example, you could have the blinds open at sunrise and close at sunset. Or, you can set your blinds to open when you say, "Good morning!" and close when you say, "Good night!" Or have them them close automatically when you leave the house and open when you arrive home. I just set mine to open and close to a specific percentage at a specific time. But there are endless ways you can set them up. I tried several different ways and they all worked great.
Performance score: 4.5/5
Should you buy the Graywind Smart Blinds?
Graywind Smart Blinds score card
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
They start pretty inexpensively for custom smart blinds
4.5/5
Design
Design is fine but there are some minor yet annoying flaws
3.5/5
Performance
Once you get everything set up, the blinds are simple to use and perform beautifully
4.5/5
Buy it if
You want to be able to control your window covering in a variety of ways
Graywind offers five different motors so you can use Bluetooth, Alexa, Apple, Matter, or connect directly to your home's Wi-Fi. You can also control them manually with a cord.
You want customization
Graywind has you covered with smart blinds, shades, and curtains in a huge variety of styles, sizes, fabrics, and colors.
Don't buy it if
It's not in the budget
Graywind's prices actually start quite reasonably, but can ramp up quickly for bigger windows and other customizations.
You want ultra-easy installation, setup, and removal
I found these a little tricky to install and set up. You need a drill and some patience to fiddle around. This might not be ideal for renters, since they do have to be screwed in to the window frame.
Graywind Smart Blinds: also consider
Want some other, similar options to check out? Here are a couple of TechRadar favorites to consider.
SmartWings Smart Blinds
These are pretty similar to Graywind's offerings but, but you may find a particular style more appealing. Read our SmartWings Smart Blinds review to learn more.View Deal
SwitchBot Blind Tilt
Looking to spend a lot less? You can use your existing blinds and just add this little guy. You don't even need a drill, which makes this a renter-friendly option. Check out our SwitchBot Blind Tilt review.View Deal
How I tested the Graywind Smart Blinds
I placed Graywind Smart Blinds in two bedroom windows. I tested out the blinds in a number of different ways. I tapped them open and closed using the Apple Home app, Eve app, and Control Center on my iPhone, both at home and away from home using a HomePod mini as a hub. I told Siri to open and close the blinds. I set up an automation to open the blinds a certain percentage 8:00 a.m. and close them at 9:00 p.m. each day. I also used the manual cord to open and close the blinds.
There are a few different M5 options – the robot is the same, but the dock is different:
Q7 M5: Charge-only dock Q7 M5+: Auto-empty dock Q7 M5 Max+: Auto empty and water refill dock
For this review, I tested the Q7 M5, with the charge-only dock.
The Roborock Q7 M5 is a relatively basic option from within the Roborock robot vacuum lineup, aimed at the more budget-conscious consumer. Despite the affordable pricing, it's still a capable bot, offering the kind of suction specs I'd expect from a much pricier model.
The design may lack the bells and whistles (and robotic arms) of the brand's newest offerings, but it's still effective in use. As well as sporting a robust build, it has a generously sized dust cup and water tank and bouncy suspension that enables it to clear relatively tall room thresholds with confidence. Navigation is also reliable and mapping accurate.
In my vacuuming tests, the Q7 M5 proved up to the task of clearing up debris, large and small, and sucked up an impressive volume of dog hair from my carpets, too. It did struggle a little with getting right into the edges of rooms, however – more advanced robot vacuums typically have a side brush that can extend outwards, whereas the one on the Q7 M5 is fixed.
The mop setup is rather basic, although the bot still managed to clean up a dried ketchup smear surprisingly effectively. Overall I felt mopping was rather wetter than expected, so it perhaps isn't the best choice if you have delicate wooden floors, for example. The Q7 M5 also lacks the capacity to lift its mop when traversing carpet (not surprising at this price point, though).
The model I tested comes with a compact, charge-only dock, and is perfect for those with small homes, or if you want a cleaner for a less-used floor of a multi-storey home. However, owners of larger homes and/or pets should seek out the "Plus" model where possible; it arrives with an auto-empty dock, which will save you from having to empty the onboard bin too frequently.
That's the short version; read on for my full Roborock Q7 M5 review.
The basic Q7 M5's compact dock means it can be tucked out of the way (Image credit: Future)
Roborock Q7 M5 review: price & availability
List price: $299.99 / £239.99
Launched: April 2025
Available: US and UK (AU alternatives available)
The Roborock Q7 M5 launched in April 2025, as an upgraded version of the previous Q7 Max. The brand has plenty of fancier, pricier bots (see the arm-equipped Saros Z70, for example) in its lineup, but the Q7 M5 is designed to appeal to a more budget-conscious consumer.
In the US, the Q7 M5 costs $299.99 direct from Roborock, but was discounted to £239.99 at time of writing. In the UK, the list price when purchased direct from Roborock is £239.99, but at time of writing it was reduced to £179.99. Even at full price, it falls into the budget bracket.
Having tested a few budget bots now, I'd say that even at full price this vacuum offers decent value for the features and performance it delivers, with the discounted prices making it more appealing still. My current favorite robot vacuum around this price level is the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2, which costs $299.99 / £219 at full price. However, the Roborock offers stronger suction specs and slightly more advanced mopping – in that you can switch off that functionality without having to remove the mop pad.
Upgrading to the Q7 M5+ with the auto-empty dock pushes the price up to $429.99, while the Q7 M5 Max+ – with a dock that not only empties dust but also refills the water tanks – is $599.99. Those upgraded options don't appear to be available in the UK, though. In both cases, the list prices are on the high side for what you're getting – although, at time of writing, both models were already available at generous discounts, bringing them more in line with the price I'd expect to pay.
The Q7 M5 doesn't seem to be available in Australia, but there is a Roborock Q7B for AU$399, which looks very similar but has slightly less suction. There's also a Q7T Plus for AU$799, which looks the same as the Q7 M5+ with its auto-empty dock.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Roborock Q7 M5 specs
Max suction:
10,000Pa
Robot diameter:
12.8in / 35.3cm
Robot height:
3.9in / 9.9cm
Dock dimensions (W x D x H):
6.3 x 4 x 2.8in / 16 x 7 x 10.1cm
Dust bin volume (onboard):
Requested
Water tank volume:
Requested
Base type:
Charge only (more advanced docks available)
Roborock Q7 M5 review: design
Robovac with raised LiDAR puck, chunky wheels and charge-only dock
Fixed, D-shaped, removable mop
Dust cup and water tank form one removable unit at side of bot
The Roborock Q7 M5 looks similar to other budget-friendly robot vacuums –except, perhaps, a little more robust. A chunky bumper encircles the perimeter, and there's a raised LiDAR turret for navigation (newer Roborock models such as the Saros 10R have done away with this, in favor of a different navigation method, thus offering a lower overall profile). The top surface is a mix of matte and very shiny black plastic, the latter of which attracts much dust – perhaps not the best choice for this type of gadget.
This shiny surface is a magnet for dust and fingerprints (Image credit: Future)
Flip the whole thing over and you'll find the brushroll, which has a "JawScrapers comb" to prevent hair from tangling around it – although it didn't prove very effective in practice. There's also a rotating side brush to catch dirt from around the edges of rooms. On more advanced bots this will kick out to the side as required, but the version on the Q7 M5 is fixed. Roborock has placed the brushes at an angle, so hair slips off rather than becoming tangled – and from my experience, it seems to work quite well in practice.
The wheels are thick with a deep tread, and sit on a spring-loaded hinge, presumably to allow the robot to bounce its way over tall thresholds. Other bots have more hi-tech solutions for this – the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete has little extending feet, for example – but Roborock's approach seems perfectly effective as a budget alternative.
The chunky wheels are set on a spring-loaded hinge, providing bouncy suspension (Image credit: Future)
Slotted into the side of the bot is a unit that holds the dust cup and water tank. The mop pad itself is a fixed, D-shaped style pad, and it can be clipped on and off the main robot. It doesn't feel enormously secure when clipped on, although it didn't fall off at any point in my tests. The pad part can be removed and popped into the washing machine for cleaning.
This unit houses a generous dust dup and water tank (Image credit: Future)
It's a very basic style of mop in that the pad is simply dragged along the floor, wiping as it goes. Fancier bots have mops that press on the floor or vibrate to dislodge dirt, or have dual-rotating discs.
With some budget bots, the mopping is automatically "on", whenever the mop pad is attached. That isn't the case here: you can switch the water off from within the app. However, the Q7 M5 isn't advanced enough to be able to lift up its mop pad when it encounters carpet, which means you might still end up with slightly damp carpets if the bot is making its way over them after a mopping session. (Some premium bots can even drop off their mop pads at their base station when they're not needed.)
Mopping is courtesy of a removable, D-shaped pad (Image credit: Future)
Speaking of the base station, the one included here is very basic and pleasingly compact. It simply charges the robot. In some territories there are sister models available with more advanced docks. If you're dealing with larger amounts of dust, or have a pet, I'd definitely recommend opting for a version with an auto-empty dock.
Design score: 3.5 out of 5
Roborock Q7 M5 review: performance
Navigation accurate, but object avoidance is patchy
Vacuuming is very good; mopping is fine but not amazing
Sucks up hair (pet and human) well, but it does wrap around the roller
As ever with Roborock, mapping was smooth and navigation reliable. Initial setup simply involved sending it on its way on a "Quick mapping" run, where the bot scoots around – not cleaning, just looking – and builds a map of the space as it goes. On this run, it approached the edge of the top of the stairs repeatedly (and at speed), but stopped itself every time. Good cliff sensors should be a given for any robot vacuum, regardless of price, but I felt reassured nonetheless.
With the map compiled, I could name the rooms and make necessary adjustments. Note that some parts here were slightly buggy, but I'll get into that in the App section.
The bot approached the step edge at speed, but never once took a tumble (Image credit: Future)
To kick things off, I sent the bot out on a whole-floor vacuum, just to get an initial feel for performance. There's a maximum of 10,000Pa of suction here, which is decent, and more in line with what I'd expect from a mid-range robovac. Having checked the dustbin after the run, I could see it had done a stellar job of pulling dust and pet hair from the carpet – the latter of the two being particularly challenging. I'd rate its performance among the best robot vacuums for pet hair, if you're on a budget.
The robot vacuum picked up pet and human hair impressively well (Image credit: Future)
Then it was time for some more formal suction tests. For these, I scattered a teabag's worth of dry tea leaves and a handful of oats onto the carpet, and performed a zone clean of the area. There are five suction modes to choose from: Quiet, Balance, Turbo, Max and MAX+ (I can't help thinking Roborock has gone too hard, too soon, with the naming choices here).
A single pass in Turbo mode cleared most of the oats, but only the top layer of tea. Two more passes in MAX+ and the oats were history, and only a fine scattering of tea remained. That's a super solid result – the tea is purposefully a very tricky test, and it's rare for even expensive robovacs to clear it all.
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Tea and oats on a carpeted floor ready for the carpet suction test (Image credit: Future)
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Results after a single pass in Turbo suction mode... (Image credit: Future)
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... and after two more passes in MAX+ mode (Image credit: Future)
Hard floors are far less challenging to vacuum, so I used the Balanced mode when repeating the test on the tiled bathroom floor. This time, almost all the oats were sucked up on a single pass, and the vast majority of the tea, too. The only real issue was with debris being pinged about; but, thankfully, the robot vacuum would catch any wayward remnants on a later run.
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
Moving on to the mopping tests. For this, I smeared a tiny amount of tomato ketchup on the tiled bathroom floor and left it to dry. I then set the bot on a mopping run to see if it could clear it.
There are three options for water level, or you can set the bot to mop and vacuum simultaneously (I prefer to vacuum first, then mop, to minimize the amount of gunk that ends up stuck to the damp mechanisms.)
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Dried ketchup smeared on the floor ready for the mopping test (Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
Despite having a relatively basic mopping setup, the Q7 M5 actually did a pretty good job here. One pass in medium wetness mode was enough for the robovac to begin to lift the smear, and a couple more in max mode saw only a tiny bit remaining.
This is one of the wetter mopping mechanisms I've used, so it wouldn't be a great choice if you wanted something for hard floor that can only stand a little bit of water. Beware, too, that the mop pad doesn't lift, so if the route back from your hard floor to your dock is carpeted, said carpet will end up a bit damp. Overall, the mopping is fine here, but if that's your priority then there are better choices out there.
The fixed side brush couldn't get right into the edges of rooms (Image credit: Future)
Like most robot vacuums, the Roborock Q7 M5 has a spinning side brush designed to flick debris from the edges of rooms into the path of the suction. Here, it worked fairly well but not amazingly – perhaps because it's fixed rather than being able to extend. The bot shifted some of the tea sprinkled along the edge of the bathroom floor, but left more behind.
Roborock says this bot has anti-hair wrap features built into the brushroll. However, on test I found my long hair tangled around the roller. However, the anti-tangle design of the side brush was more effective on this front.
The main brushroll quickly got tangled with hair (Image credit: Future)
Finally, I ran some object avoidance tests. These involved laying out a series of objects – charge cable, socks, dog bowl – on the floor and seeing if the bot would avoid them. Unfortunately, it confidently ploughed into everything I put in front of it, so a bit of a fail on this front. (One useful hack is to activate a "Pet" mode to increase sensitivity to objects, but there was no such option I could find here.
That said, in my real-life tests the bot performed much better. For instance, it skirted the perimeters of chair legs and the base of the toilet cistern, for example, rather than bumping into them. Nevertheless, I still wouldn't recommend this bot to those who have a lot of clutter in their homes.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Roborock Q7 M5 review: app
Encountered a few bugs that I assume will be fixed
Otherwise well-designed and intuitive
I've used plenty of Roborock robot vacuums and the app has always been great. So I was surprised that things weren't entirely smooth when testing it with the Q7 M5. While there weren't any glaring issues, I did run into several glitches: I was unable to resize a zone properly; the app would forget room names; plus it failed to save a customized cleaning routine, for example.
There was also a strange bug where the text wasn't resizing properly, so the ends of words would routinely be cut off – do you want to "Mo" or "Vacuu"? I assume most of these are temporary glitches and should be fixed before long.
Otherwise, it's the same well-designed app I'm used to. It's pretty intuitive, well-laid out and easy to figure out from scratch.
App score: 3.5 out of 5
Should you buy the Roborock Q7 M5?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Budget price bracket and deals are common. Not the most advanced, but performance is good for the price.
4 / 5
Design
Robust-looking robot with strong suction specs, raised LiDAR tower, bouncy wheels and a basic mop mechanism. Simple but solid design, lacking the advancements of pricier Roborock bots.
3.5 / 5
Performance
Accurate navigation and very good vacuuming, but mopping is a little wet and object avoidance patchy.
4 / 5
App
Unusually glitchy, but otherwise well designed and intuitive.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if...
You're on a budget It's not the most advanced robovac on the market, but it's very affordable and deals are common – and performance is solid for the price.
You're short on space for a dock The dock here is very compact – small enough to comfortably pop under a bed, for example. It's the charge-only type, but if you're okay emptying your own dust bin, it's an ideal space-saving solution.
You mainly want to vacuum The vacuuming here is excellent. There's an impressive 10,000Pa of suction and it performed very well in my real-world vacuuming tests, too.
Don't buy it if...
You want a really capable mop Mopping functionality is basic, and quite wet – it's fine for occasional cleanups, but if you're going to be using this function more regularly, I'd suggest opting for a model with more advanced mopping capabilities.
You have a large house or lots of dust The model on test here has a charge-only dock – if you're dealing with lots of dust or pet hair, you should opt for a model with an auto-empty dock (in some territories you can pick up a M5+, which has an auto-empty dock).
How I tested the Roborock Q7 M5 robot vacuum
I used the Q7 M5 as my main robot vacuum for a week, stationing it on a higher level of my house, which includes a carpeted hall and master bedroom (where a hairy spaniel also sleeps) and a tiled en-suite bathroom. As well as getting a feel for how well it performed in general, I ran specific mopping and vacuuming tests, which included sucking up oats and/or dry tea, and using the mop to clear a smear of dried ketchup off a tiled floor. I also tested obstacle avoidance by laying out common objects to see if the bot would spot and avoid them. I compared the performance, general usability and value for money to other robot vacuums I've tested in the past.
The Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo feels like a missed opportunity given iRobot's recent restructuring and slew of new upgraded floor bots. The unique dust compactor is an intriguing concept – the bot houses an oversized internal dustbin with a motorized paddle that compresses all debris, theoretically negating the need for a large self-emptying dustbin dock. However, in practice it's messy to deal with and ultimately impractical, especially if you have shedding pets in the home.
Granted, the 205's suction performance is acceptable enough – although not up there with what you'd get with one of the best robot vacuum on the market – its halfhearted mopping system is extremely outdated and when the mop pad is fitted, it prevents the robot from traversing rugs or carpet. The 205 is also a much noisier machine than any other robot vacuum cleaner I've thus far reviewed. And while its newly-adopted LiDAR navigation is clearly better than the company's previous V-SLAM camera-based incarnations, it also feels erratic and unsophisticated, at least when compared to other LiDAR systems.
I used to be a massive fan of iRobot products but I'm absolutely dumbfounded by how poorly its latest machines have behaved. The Roomba Combo 10 Max was mostly disappointing but I actually think that the Roomba 205 is worse. It's just so frustrating to use and requires too much intervention from the user. I wish I could recommend this model but it just doesn't perform as you'd expect for a robot vacuum cleaner in the year 2025.
With a list price of $469.99 in the US and £399 in the UK, the iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo sits towards the top of the mid-range price bracket. Note that at time of writing, there's a $170 discount in the US.
Given all the peculiarities with this machine, if you don't mind making a little more space for a simple, small-bodied, self-emptying dock in your home, I would recommend doing some research on other models in the same price range. For instance, the Roborock Q5 Pro+ has a list price of $699.99 / £499.99 but can often be picked up for a similar price to the Roomba 205, and offers far more reliable performance.
Alternatively, if a small dock is the priority and you're not dealing with huge amounts of dust, it could be worth considering a model without dust compression. There are a number of cheaper options in this category, for example, the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2, which costs $299.99 / £219 at list price and impressed our reviewer.
If you're hellbent on going for the Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo simply because of its unique bin system, by all means go ahead. But make sure your home is on the smaller side and with no rugs or carpet to block its path when the mopping pad is attached.
Value for money score: 2.5 out of 5
Roomba 205 DustCompactor specs
Max suction:
Not stated
Robot size:
14 x 14.1in / 35.9 x 35.8cm
Robot height:
4in / 10.1cm
Dock dimensions (W x D x H):
3.5 x 5.9 x 5.3in / 9 x 15 x 13.5cm
Dust bin volume (onboard):
~ 1.5L
Water tank volume:
0.25L
Base type:
Charge only
Max noise level:
78dB at 5ft
Roomba 205 DustCompactor review: design
Hybrid robot vacuum and mop with internal dust compression
Compact, charge-only dock that refuses to stay put
Only one rubber roller rather than iRobot's usual double rollers
Given the financial troubles that have besieged US brand iRobot during the past few years, it's good to see that the company has since restructured itself and developed a new range of robot vacs and mops entirely from the ground up. However, in design terms, I feel that the Roomba 205 is a pale shadow of its forebears like the Roomba ‘i' and ‘j' series, and especially the excellent S9+ (for my money, by far and away the best robot the company ever made).
The USP for the Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo I'm reviewing here is that it's equipped with an extra large onboard dustbin (about 1.5 liters) with an internal motorized plastic paddle that swings back and forth to compact all detritus towards the back of the bin, thereby creating more space for subsequent cleaning sessions. That means it can offer a large dust capacity without the need to make space for a large auto-empty dock.
iRobot states a period of about 60 days before the bin needs emptying but I can see it filling up with dust and hair within a week or so if you have shedding pets in the home (this is not one to consider if you're on the hunt for the best robot vacuum for pet hair). On the plus side, you will never need to buy any extra dust bags.
(Image credit: Future)
From an aesthetics point of view, the 205's dock is almost invisible in a room so I can see the appeal of a back-to-basics approach like this. However, from my tests I've found that emptying the bin myself has been quite messy and not especially pleasant (I'll get into this more in the Performance section).
Personally, I'm not sure such an innovation is necessary, either. The are models on the market that have petite, unobtrusive self-empty docks equipped with large dustbin bags – I'd happily sacrifice those few more inches of floorspace for the relative ease of this setup.
Another drawback of iRobot's solution is that the 205's titchy dock is so light in weight that it shifts around when the robot is docking and this often causes the robot's contacts to fail to connect with the dock. It's even worse when the dock is placed on carpet – I tried this the first time I used the 205 and it failed to dock at all; the charging base simply refused to stay put.
(Image credit: Future)
Let's take a look at the unit itself. The Roomba 205 is roughly the same width as most robot vacs but a bit taller, which means it might not reach under some low furnishings.
Flip it over and you'll notice that the 205 has only one rubber roller brush, which is a bit strange considering that iRobot invented the twin roller brush that so many high-end robot vacs use these days. I'm not sure why, but this roller brush tends to clatter across my hard wooden floors and jitter over one of my Persian-style rugs as if it were on a corrugated surface, which is distinctly annoying.
iRobot doesn't list any of its robots' suction power in Pascals so it's difficult to tell how powerful it is in comparison to other bots on the market. But, hey, you can take it from iRobot that it's ‘70x the suction of the older 600 series', whatever that means. Incidentally, you get three levels of suction power with this unit – Light, Normal and Deep.
The 205 also comes with the obligatory side spinning brush for flinging wayward debris along edges into the path of its suction. However, unlike many newer (and perhaps pricier) robovacs with side brushes that automatically articulate outwards when traveling along edges and in corners, the 205's side brush is firmly fixed in position.
(Image credit: Future)
The 205 DustCompactor's mopping system comprises a simple mop pad with its own 250ml water container above it. The user takes charge of filling the tank and washing the pad – the dock won't help with this, as is the case with some bots.
For mopping, the robot will simply drag the pad along the floor. You can set the amount of water that's dispensed but just don't expect any miracles, especially when it comes to deep stain removal. This kind of basic mopping setup isn't unusual setup for an affordable robovac, and for general day-to-day floor cleaning it does pass some muster.
Me? I've removed it entirely because I've since discovered that the robot refuses to cross rugs or carpet if the mopping pad is attached, but more on that in the Performance chapter.
(Image credit: Future)
Given that iRobot has refused for years to include LiDAR as part of its navigation system, even when every other manufacturer and their dogs have, it's refreshing to note that the company has at last seen fit to include LiDAR navigation on the 205.
However, while most bots have their LiDAR turret in a raised puck their top surface, to allow a full 360-degree view, here iRobot has hidden it behind a narrow slot just above the camera, thus restricting the view to around 180 degrees. Thankfully the camera provides backup, although it's not AI enabled like so many models these days.
Setup
The iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo arrives in a small box containing the robot, its tiny charging dock, a clip-on side brush and rear mop mount. Initial setup was relatively easy but only once I'd discovered that the old iRobot Home app isn't compatible with this model, so I downloaded the newly upgraded Roomba Home app instead.
All went according to plan until it connected to my Wi-Fi and then proceeded to automatically download the latest firmware update. That's normal, I thought, but then a warning popped up saying that ‘Roomba is having some trouble updating and to make sure Rosie (Rosie?) is docked with a good Wi-Fi connection'.
‘Rosie' was docked and the internet was fine so I waited a while, then got impatient and restarted it. It sprang to life again and gave the impression it was ready to work, so I commanded it to and it proceeded to spin round on its dock for about a minute, entangling itself on its own power cable.
(Image credit: Future)
I took it off the dock and placed it on the floor, whereby it started spinning again. At this point I thought I'd been handed a dud so I took it to a different area downstairs, plugged it in and left it to fully charge. Lo and behold, when I launched the app again, it showed the ‘start mapping' screen which suggests it was updating all along, only without any icons or progress bars to tell me so.
Anyway, I tapped the mapping button and it proceeded to map my entire floor plan efficiently and – because the roller brush was turned off – without getting caught on any rugs. The upshot of all this is that if you decide to buy a Roomba 205, just be patient and let it fully charge and complete its first firmware update, even if it says it's having trouble connecting, before trying to request any cleaning.
Woeful mopping and won't ride over carpet with mop attached
Below average obstacle avoidance
After a confusing setup, the 205 started behaving as expected and mapped my open-planned, four-room downstairs area surprisingly quickly, even if it did create nine different rooms that I had to merge in the app. This is common with most robot vacs when mapping open-plan environments though it has to said that nine divisions is a record for me.
Also, for a LiDAR-equipped robot, the detail of its mapping in the app is lamentable and way behind the likes of Roborock, which displays every nook and cranny instead of just a basic overview of one's floor plan.
(Image credit: Future)
Since it's been running, the 205's LiDAR-based navigation has been mostly okay though I have had one or two issues where it has either got stuck while trying to cross a loose rug – a common issue with some models – or suddenly stopped dead next to a kitchen cupboard for no apparent reason. With most other robot vacuum I've tested, I've learned their working methods to some degree, but this model's navigation process remains largely a mystery to me.
Obstacle avoidance
As mentioned above, the Roomba 205's LiDAR is tucked under a slotted housing so it doesn't appear to give the robot a full 360–degree view. There is a camera on the front, however, and this seems to help with its obstacle avoidance. In my test I placed the usual assortment of dog toys in front of it, plus the obligatory phone cable. It carefully avoided the first two large toys but simply snow-ploughed all the others. As expected, it also rode over the phone cable and then dragged it along behind it for a while.
(Image credit: Future)
In the pantheon of obstacle avoidance, the Roomba 205 isn't the worst I've seen but it's not that great either, and clearly not a machine to have running around if you have (for example) a non-house trained puppy in the home.
Vacuum performance
Let's take a look at the vacuuming performance. There are few niggles to note up top. Firstly, as noted above, the Roomba 205's rubber roller made quite a racket as it trundled across my wooden hard floors. But perhaps worse than that was the monotonous high-pitched sound of the suction motor, which was clearly audible from meters away. I measured the sound waves at an average 78dB from five feet away and at an annoyingly high-pitched frequency of 660Hz.
Aside from the noise issues, the side sweeping brush fell off twice during my tests, despite being firmly connected before setting off.
(Image credit: Future)
To get an objective ideal of this bot's suction powers, I ran TechRadar's standard vacuuming tests. This involved sprinkling debris of different sizes – specifically, flour, muesli and rice – on the floor and assessing how efficiently the robot picked it up. Here, the Roomba 205 was pretty decent, though it did leave traces of flour in the cracks.
(Image credit: Future)
However, when I later went to the dock to grab a photo of the robot returning after a standard cleaning session, I noticed a small scattering of rice and muesli that it had deposited in front of the dock from its previous cleaning test, which suggests it never fully sucked all the rice and muesli into its bin and instead simply held some of it in its brush housing. This anomaly hasn't repeated itself on subsequent tests, so hopefully it was just a glitch.
(Image credit: Future)
I then proceeded to run the same tests on carpet. This proved to be quite a challenge, because although the app has a menu item called ‘furniture and zones' under the heading ‘routines', nothing happens when you tap it. What it should do is provide an editable square that can be expanded or contracted over a specific cleaning area.
In the end I opted to select ‘spot clean' which was equally tricky because the map for each room is very basic and cannot be expanded so it takes trial and error to find the exact spot that relates to a specific area. Anyway, I'm pleased – indeed surprised – to report that the 205 collected all evidence of rice and muesli though, like other robots I've tested using this method, it did leave some flour marks behind.
Dust compactor performance
Moving on to the unusual bin system. While the Compactor's paddle does indeed push all detritus to the outer edges of the bin, I found that emptying it has been quite messy and not especially pleasant.
Firstly, the lid of the robot's bin doesn't open anywhere near wide enough, so I couldn't find a practical solution for emptying its dusty and hairy contents into my average-sized Brabantia kitchen bin without some of the contents spilling all over the floor. Worse, my model has a sticky bin latch so I've had to be doubly careful when trying to open the bin lest its contents end up all over the floor and my clothing.
(Image credit: Future)
iRobot states ‘up to 60 days' of cleaning before the dustbin requires emptying but my test model required emptying after just eight days of vacuuming. I should add that I have two Labradors and two cats that regularly shed hair and my home is also surrounded by woodland and farm fields so it's dustier than most urban environments.
Mopping performance
Onto the mopping. First things first: if you have any rugs or carpet dividing your hard floors, this may be the last hybrid robot you want, because it will not traverse any rug or carpet when the mopping pad is fitted. I first thought that it was the small protruding lip at the bottom of the mop mount that was catching on my rugs but it transpires that the unit has a carpet sensor on board that, in my case, refused to allow the robot to proceed the moment the front half of the robot touched the rug.
It did do its darnedest to head over the rug en route to the hard floor kitchen, but after 10 minutes of trying at every conceivable angle, it eventually announced that it was unable to continue cleaning before returning to the dock, having not performed the assigned mopping task. I can't believe that I'm the only household in the world with rugs scattered over hard flooring but what I do know is that, for me, this model has proved to be as useless as a chocolate teapot when it comes to complete household cleaning without any human interjection.
(Image credit: Future)
Anyway, having failed to ride over my rugs, I resorted to carrying the bot to the kitchen so it could perform a spot clean on a spill of milk. I had to make several attempts at this because, as I had discovered for the carpet vacuuming test, the app's map is so unrefined that it's almost impossible to select a specific cleaning spot. Anyway, I eventually spilled some milk in its path and it duly soaked up the milk leaving no signs of it. But then I expected that – much like I'd expect a single swipe with a paper towel to do the same thing.
In its favor, it did also mop the rest of the area quite effectively, leaving only a damp swathe that dried up quickly. I then had to pick the robot up again and place it near its dock so it could get back to charging.
It's not unusual for a budget robot vacuum to have this kind of simple mopping setup (not including the refusal to pass over carpet – that is very unusual). More advanced bots will have pads that vibrate, rotate or press down to dislodge dirt, but you might need to pay a little more for this kind of setup.
Performance score: 2.5 out of 5
iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo review: app
New app for this current range of Roombas
Very basic with incomplete menus and unrefined maps
Frustrating and slow to use
The new iRobot Home app was recently launched as a replacement for the older app that's now been renamed iRobot (Classic). Having used it extensively during the past week I can report that there's a lot of work to be done on making this app more user-friendly. Firstly, it's slow to send commands to the Roomba 205 and some user inputs cause a spinning cog wheel to pop up on screen while it sends its signal.
Perhaps I'm too used to Roborock's fully comprehensive app but I found the iRobot Home app to be too simplistic and, at times, very irritating to use. For instance, the floor plan maps it creates are so basic it's difficult to tell where one room ends and another begins. Also, its Spot Clean function is almost impossible to use since you can't expand the map in this menu and the little spot cleaning square it provides can't be placed exactly where you need it.
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(Image credit: iRobot)
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(Image credit: iRobot)
Although the app allows you to create routines and standard cleaning schedules, and make adjustments to both vacuum power and water amount for mopping, you can't create any specific cleaning zones, like in front of the dog bed or a specific rug. Bizarrely, there is an option to select ‘Furniture and Zones' but when you click on this function, nothing at all happens. I'm sure iRobot will be adding improvements to this app going forward but, as it stands, it's woefully inadequate.
App score: 1.5 out of 5
Should you buy the iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Mid-friendly price, but performance issues make it a poor investment. Other cheap bots work much better.
2.5 / 5
Design
Hybrid robot vacuum and mop with internal dust compaction and a simple, small dock. An intriguing idea let down by multiple design flaws.
2 / 5
Performance
Decent vacuuming but mopping is basic, and navigation and obstacle avoidance are mediocre at best. Noisy and glitchy in use.
2.5 / 5
App
Overly simplistic, buggy and irritating to use, the new iRobot Home app needs a serious overhaul.
1.5 / 5
Buy it if...
You absolutely do not want a large dock The Roomba 205's dust compactor system means it can hold more dust than most bots with charge-only docks.
Your home has a simple layout The 205's basic navigation means it's best suited for simple floor plans.
Don't buy it if...
You have pets The compacting bin will fill too quickly with hair – if you have shedding pets, it's worth investing in a bot that comes with a self-empty dock.
You want hands-off cleaning You will need to empty the bin and clean the mop yourself here, and I experienced various issues that required manual intervention in use.
It's at full price Although not expensive within the market, there are similarly priced (and indeed, cheaper) robovacs that offer much better performance.
How I tested the iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo
As is the way with all TechRadar tests, we live with the product for as long as possible, observing its day-to-day functions and generally appraising it from afar. We then get down to some serious testing while making copious notes on the product's performance.
In the case of the iRobot Roomba 205 DustCompactor Combo, I had it installed at home for just over a week while I observed its navigation behaviour. I then proceeded with my vacuum, mopping tests on both hard floor and carpet using a variety of household ingredients in order to replicate a real-world scenario. I then tested its obstacle avoidance system using some dog toys and the obligatory phone cable.
I should add that this particular review took me a lot longer to complete than usual because the machine in question failed to behave as I expected. Hence, I had to spend extra time repeating tests to make sure its previous hiccups weren't just one-off glitches.
I’ve tested quite a few brands of robot vacuums in the last decade, but this is my first Narwal. I was quite excited to try it out as I’ve read good things about the company’s previous robot vacuums from TechRadar’s other reviewers. That includes our Narwal Freo Z Ultra review, where it “smashed [its] mopping tests”.
The Narwal Freo Z10, a slightly cheaper version of the Freo Z Ultra, is very much cut from the same cloth – it too is a fantastic mop but, like its more expensive sibling, carpets are not its forte. Actually, I will go so far as to say that vacuuming in general isn’t its forte.
It’s 15,000 Pa suction looks good on paper, but it took two consecutive vacuum runs at its highest suction setting for it to pass my vacuuming tests. And that’s just hard floors. It struggles even more on carpets, although if you are patient, it will clean about 80% of hair off the fibers, but that’s not a lot considering there are other robot vacuums I’ve tested recently that do a better job.
The other big issue with the vacuuming is the self-cleaning of the onboard dustbin. Even though I can hear it say “self-cleaning started” and it makes the appropriate noises, dust and debris from several vacuuming sessions just kept compacting inside the onboard bin to a point where I had to pull out the hair and dirt myself to increase suction.
And while its anti-tangle brushes do what they promise, I found that the hair strands it invariably misses sucking up from hard floors get collected by the mop pads as clumps that I have to pick up myself.
So while I question the Freo Z10’s vacuuming prowess, I can’t fault its mopping – and the evidence is there to see in the color of the dirty mop water. The kind of tiles I have in my apartment require high waterflow rates, and the Narwal Freo Z10’s Wet Mopping setting was perfect – however, this mode guzzles water. I had to refill the clean water every time I did a full-home cleaning. If you have wood floors, though, you shouldn’t need to worry as the lower water settings will treat the planks kindly.
While I didn’t mind refilling fresh water in the middle of a cleaning session, I can’t quite forgive how basic the map in the app is. It can be edited, of course, but that’s fiddly to do if your rooms aren’t precisely placed squares or rectangles.
Even that is a small issue compared to my experience with single-room cleaning. This defaults to the Customized Mode option in the app and I think it's badly named. The assumption would be that you can set up custom cleans here (those are, in fact, saved as Shortcuts, by the way), but you have to keep editing it for every room clean you want to do – your living room may not need as much cleaning as your dining room, for example, and switching from one to the other means you’re constantly editing that mode.
Then there’s the Freo Mind automatic cleaning mode which, in theory, uses AI to determine the best clean for the room or full house, but oh boy, does it get it wrong most of the time. During my testing, it invariably cleaned my living room multiple times before moving on to do just a basic cleaning in the rest of the apartment. In one such session, it mopped the living room four times, the dining room twice, while the entry hallway and the home office got just a single mop!
The one really good thing about the Freo Z10 is its intelligent use of detergent. It automatically takes some only when it thinks a floor space needs deeper mopping. This automatic detergent use happens in the Freo Mind mode and I could tell when it was using the soap by keeping an eye on the dirty-water tank for suds after each room’s mopping was done over multiple sessions.
Despite its excellent mopping capabilities, it’s hard to get over the fact that the onboard dustbin doesn’t self-empty properly and the app isn’t well thought out either. For just a robot mop, it’s priced too high.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Narwal Freo Z10 review: Price & availability
First shown at CES in January 2025; released April 2025
Available in the US and Australia, but not in the UK
List price: $1,099 / AU$1,999
Despite being cheaper than the flagship Narwal Freo Z Ultra (which retails for $1,499/ AU$2,499), I can’t really say that the Freo Z10 is ‘affordable’ at its full price of $1,099 / AU$1,999. I can’t even say it’s competitively priced because it’s not quite the efficient cleaner I was hoping it would be.
The only other robot vacuum cleaner that comes in at this price point that I would recommend is the Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni (£799 / AU$1,749), but it isn’t widely available and it's got no detergent dispenser. This cheaper Deebot even beats out the Freo Z10 in terms of performance too, vacuuming and mopping well, although the Narwal is the better mop despite boasting higher suction (15,000 Pa vs 11,000 Pa).
If you want more intelligent features, which the Freo Z Ultra can provide, you’re obviously going to need to spend more. For example, the Dreame L40 Ultra available in the US and the UK with 11,000Pa suction has a list price of $1,499.99 / £999 (unavailable in Australia), but take it up a notch and the 12,000Pa Dreame X40 Ultra with detachable mop pads will set you back a whopping $1,899 / £1,299 / AU$2,799. Similarly, the Eufy Omni S1 Pro, with its interesting slimline design but with a maximum of 8,000Pa of suction costs $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,699.
Of course, as with any all-in-one robot vacuum, you will also need to take into consideration the ongoing cost of maintaining the Freo Z10. Replacement dust bags will cost you $19.99 in the US for a set of two, while it’s AU$29.99 for a set of three Down Under. Similarly, when it comes to replacing the mop pads, a pair will cost you $19.99 / AU$39.95. That said, each dust bag will last you up to 120 days and the mop pads a lot longer.
What you might require more frequently will be the detergent, which will set you back $29.99 / AU$59.95 for the 19.6oz/580ml pack. Again, I say ‘might’ need frequently – this will depend on how often the machine thinks it needs to use soap on your hard floors. So that 19.6oz/580ml bottle might well last months.
• Value score: 3.5 / 5
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Narwal Freo Z10 review: specs
Suction power:
15,000Pa
Onboard bin capacity:
Up to 1L (compressed)
Dust bag capacity:
2.5L
Clean water tank capacity:
4.5L
Dirty water tank capacity:
4L
Reservoir capacity:
N/A
Mop lift:
12mm
Noise level:
up to 55dB
Battery capacity:
5,200mAh
Runtime:
up to 210 minutes
Charging time:
up to 2.5 hours
Dimensions (L x W x H):
Robot = 355 x 350 x 107.7 mm; base station = 431 x 426.8 x 461.5 mm
Weight:
Robot = 4.6kg; base station = 11.3kg
Narwal Freo Z10 review: Design
Curvy but solid base station
Robot tucks right inside base station
Features a detergent dispenser
The Freo Z10 robot vacuum isn’t very different from other vacuum bots, featuring a small turret on top to house some of its sensors, and it's quite similar to the one supplied with the Narwal Freo Z Ultra. The main difference between the two siblings is that the Freo Z10 lacks the camera that the Ultra model has.
I do love the curvaceous look of the base station, though, which is unique to the Freo line. It’s quite different.
What I didn’t expect is how heavy the whole thing would be to take out of the box it came in. You see, the robot is already tucked inside the base station in the packaging, so you’re essentially trying to lift about 11 kilos in one go out of the box. Other robot vacuums come with various parts packed separately, making them easier to set up out of the box.
Well, if you’re prepared to haul out a heavy machine, the rest of the setup is simple. You just need to fit the cleaning tray inside the base station, slip the robot in, then attach the base station extension ramp.
Compared to some other robot vacuums I’ve tested recently, the Freo Z10's base station is broad, so be sure you have enough space around it for the robot to safely maneuver in and out of the base station.
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(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
What sets the Freo Z10 apart from many other brands is that it has two side brushes rather than just one. Both feature two tufts of bristles, but one has them placed closer together, while the other is further apart.
The side brushes turn at different speeds sometimes, depending on what the Freo Z10's DirtSense technology is telling it, or if it’s along a room edge. On paper, the varying speeds should help it push hair and dirt more effectively towards the central bar brush under the robot, but in reality, that doesn’t work as well as I had hoped (more on this in the Performance section).
The central bar brush is anti-tangle and, in the six weeks I’ve used the Freo Z10, I’ve never had to clean it. It pulls everything into a small onboard dustbin that, unlike other such robovacs, doesn’t have a lid, but the filter can be taken off for cleaning.
While it’s supposed to self-empty each time it finishes a vacuum run, I found that dirt just kept compacting inside and I had to manually pull it all out via the two holes (one facing the bar brush, the other towards the base station) as it was beginning to affect the suction.
The mop pads are slightly triangular in shape to help them get into corners, which they do better than most of the rounded mop pads on other similar robovacs.
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(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
The curvaceous base station features a deep cavity that practically engulfs the entire robot when it’s docked, something I haven't seen on any other brand of robot vacuum I've tested. I like that the bot is barely visible, it's a clean aesthetic.
As with similar models, the base station has the capability of emptying out the onboard dustbin into a 2.5L dust bag which, incidentally, is supposed to compact the dirt to accommodate about 3L. As I’ve mentioned though, the self-empty did not work for me and the dust bag remains nearly empty even after six weeks of use at the time of writing.
Beside the cavity for the dust bag is space to fit a bottle of detergent and one comes in the box – the Freo Z10 will automatically take detergent only when it’s needed, which is an intelligent function I appreciate.
On the top of the base station are a few buttons that allow you to control the robot without needing to reach for your phone each time. And under the top cover are two plastic tanks – one for clean water and the other for the dirty mop water.
With some silver accents on the white unit, the Freo Z10 is a well-designed robot vacuum – I just wish it performed as good as it looks.
• Design score: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Narwal Freo Z10 review: Performance
Excellent mopping and good obstacle avoidance
High suction on paper doesn’t translate in performance
Auto-emptying of dustbin doesn’t work; mops get washed even when not used
Starting off with using the Narwal Freo Z10 was a wonderful experience – it connected to my home’s Wi-Fi instantly and was set up within a minute, ready to map my apartment.
Mapping took about six minutes for the one-bedroom space, but I have to admit I wasn’t quite enamored with the final map that was created (more on this later in the App Control section).
The test space for this review, which measures approximately 40sqm, includes wall-to-wall carpet in the bedroom, with the rest being tiled floors throughout.
The Freo Z10’s first cleaning run was fantastic! It did a decent enough job on the carpet (although I have tested others that did slightly better), but I was thrilled with how well it mopped.
Vacuuming
My initial vacuum run with the Freo Z10 was satisfactory, so I went into full testing mode with high expectations from its 15,000 Pa of suction.
It has four vacuum settings – Quiet, Normal, Strong and Super Powerful – and you can choose to have it vacuum up to three times in a single session. One thing I have to note right up front: even on the Strong setting, the Freo Z10 is comparatively very quiet. It’s only when you switch to Super Powerful that it truly makes its presence felt.
In my testing, I wasn’t particularly impressed with the Quiet and Normal settings as it barely sucked up anything – hair strands and visible dust remained on the hard floors and carpets looked untouched. Strong, though, is fine for hard floors, although I found it needed to be set to Super Powerful for the best possible vacuum on carpets.
Case in point: while performing TechRadar’s standard tests of vacuuming oats and tea on carpets and hard floors, I found that the Freo Z10 needed two sessions in the highest suction setting to pick up all the oats from tiles, but I could still see some tea on the tiles (to be fair it’s tea from a bag, so fine particles). I also sprinkled some talcum powder to test suction of very fine particles and it wasn’t able to do a good job even after two passes. I had to use my Dyson V15s Detect Submarine to clean the remaining tea and talcum powder off the tiles.
It was a similar experience on carpets, although here it even struggled to clean up the larger oats pieces too. In the bedroom, where my hair collects on the carpet fibers each day, it managed to clean about 80% of the strands, so a little disappointing compared to the Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni and the Roborock Qrevo Edge I've previously tested in the same area.
Long story short, I’m really not impressed with the Freo Z10’s vacuuming prowess, but it works in a pinch if you need a quick job done before guests arrive – provided the onboard dustbin isn't already full to reduce overall suction.
Mopping
Interestingly the Freo Z10 robot doesn’t have a water reservoir onboard – it just goes back to the doc to repeatedly wet its mop pads. Despite that I was quite impressed with how well it mopped – a pleasant relief after seeing its lack of vacuuming strength.
Its slightly triangular mop pads can manage to get into corners, but temper your expectations for corner cleaning as there's just not enough pressure exerted on the edges of the mop pads to be effective. On the rest of the floor though, the 8 Newtons of pressure it exerts can mop up dried and wet stains well, although the waterflow rate you choose will determine how well.
On the kind of tiles I have in my apartment, the Wet Mopping option was best for dried-up dusty stains and wet sauce spills. A single run was good enough to clean up the former but I found it sometimes needed to be run twice in an area to clean up the latter. It's a slightly different story if there's dried sauce spills on the floor – three turns in the Wet Mopping mode did the trick during my testing, although it will depend on what exactly it's cleaning up.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
For everyday mopping, however, I found the Normal waterflow option to work well and, if you have wood floors, the Low setting will treat them kindly.
One thing to note though: the Freo Z10 guzzles water much more than other robot vacuums I've tested, particularly on the Wet Mopping mode, and I had to refill the clean-water tank every time it did a full-house mop. It's not a deal breaker because it really does a good job.
Another thing to keep in mind about its mopping is related to its lack of vacuuming: because it doesn't always pick up all the hair or fur from a floor, I found the mop pads gather the strands and leave them on the floor as damp clumps. Not ideal at all and that means it's hard to recommend it for households with pets.
Navigation and obstacle avoidance
Complementing the mopping is the Freo Z10's obstacle avoidance. It's the first robot vacuum that I've tested that was able to avoid cables in its path. While it tried to swallow up a very slim Lightning cable for an iPhone, it easily avoided three other USB-C cables I put in its path while testing.
Anything a little bigger and that's an even easier job for the Freo Z10 to avoid. Footwear, slim furniture legs, even little tea-light holders (I have a floor-height shelf under my entertainment unit that most robovacs climb onto) are all left in peace. However, beware the sock on the floor – the Freo Z10 will try and swallow little booties or no-show socks, like practically every other robot vacuum.
Its navigation is a mixed bag, though. It's fine as long you don't move things around after its map has been created, but shift a chair even a little bit and it does tend to get confused.
I noticed this first when I left a large package in a corner that was cleaned on a previous run. While it avoided banging into the box, it moved around it a few times to figure out it couldn't get to that space it had previously roamed. To test this again, I moved my living room chairs a little (just by a couple of inches) and, lo and behold, the precise back and forth movement the Freo Z10 usually employs was messed up and that also meant it went around in circles a few times before getting back to its dock after its job was done.
It never got lost during my testing, but it definitely doesn't quite like things out of place.
Base station performance
Like many other similar robovacs, the Freo Z10's base station is multipurpose, requiring minimal human intervention and, for the most part, that's true. All you need to do is remember to refill the clean water as needed and empty out the dirty so it doesn't begin to grow its own little ecosystem.
It's mop washing is arguably the best I've seen in any robot vacuum. Even after six weeks of use, the mop pads still look quite pristine despite the color of the dirty water being, well, very dirty. I was impressed with the Deebot T30 Omni's washing, but this surpasses even that. Narwal's use of hot-water washing and hot-air drying is very effective indeed.
This could perhaps be attributed to the fact that the mops get washed even if they didn't get used. Every time I did a vacuum-only run (whether it was a single room or the full house), the mops always got washed. I hadn't experienced this with the previous robovacs I'd tested, so it took me by surprise. This also meant that the base station was consuming more power than was necessary as the hot-air drying can take a few hours.
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(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Another feature I appreciate here is the 'disinfecting' of the bin and dust bag. It uses hot air to keep things dry so as to avoid growing bacteria and fungus inside and, after weeks of use, there's no smell anywhere to indicate otherwise.
Now, I can forgive the excessive mop washing I suppose but, as I've already mentioned, the lack of self-emptying of the robot's dustbin is worrying. Where most robot vacuums return to their docks to repeatedly empty their bins in the middle of a vacuum run, the Freo Z10 doesn't – it waits till the job is finished to do so. I can hear the robovac say "self-cleaning started" and the base station suction can be heard but, obviously, no emptying takes place and this subsequently starts affecting the suction power of the bot.
Maintenance of the unit involves needing to refill and clean out the tanks and, every few days, washing and drying the filter on the bin of the bot. What should be minimal intervention, however, also included emptying the bin myself after a few uses, which is far from ideal.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Battery life
Narwal says that the Freo Z10's 5,200mAh battery will run up to 210 minutes on a single charge, but that of course depends on what settings you use.
Despite having it set to max suction (Super Powerful in the app) and at the highest waterflow rate, I found the Freo Z10 could do a single full-house vacuum-then-mop session without needing to go back to the mains to charge.
It needed to top up when it was set to 2x vacuum and 2x mop in the Meticulous cleaning pattern.
The Freo Z10 runs all the way down to about 5% before making its way back to the base station and, in my case, juices up till it's about 45% to complete a job if may have left unfinished.
So when it comes to battery life, I really can't complain.
• Performance score: 3 / 5
Narwal Freo Z10 review: app control
Basic map that's fiddly to edit
Able to save plenty of Shortcut routines
Freo Mind AI mode is not efficient
If there's one thing all robot vacuums have in common is a subpar app experience. I've said this before with the Ecovacs app and a colleague has complained about it with Dreame too. The only brand that has a wonderful, albeit over-the-top, app experience is Roborock.
Sadly the Narwal Freo app can't compete with Roborock and is even more disappointing than the Ecovacs Home app.
Now, don't get me wrong, it's perfectly functional, but the map is very basic and if your home isn't divided into near-perfect squares and rectangles that align well, it's hard to edit the map to accommodate rooms perfectly. In my case, I couldn't edit the entry hallway in my apartment to the correct size, which I was able to do in the Roborock and Ecovacs apps.
That's not a deal breaker, to be honest, and the Narwal Freo app actually does one thing better than Ecovacs – offer a Shortcuts list that accessible from the device's home page. You can set up several routines in this list and it makes for quick and easy access for frequently used cleaning runs (for example, carpet-cleaning only or after-dinner cleaning).
(Image credit: Narwal)
What's confusing is a Customized Mode within the app that it defaults to when you pick a room or zone cleaning. While I can see why it's there, it's rather annoying as you constantly have to edit that one option for each room or zone clean.
Case in point: I clean my dining room more often than the rest of the apartment but each run has different requirements. I might have set it to do a vacuum-then-mop session one afternoon, but the next time I might want just mopping and I have to edit the Customized Mode for each. The next day I might need to vacuum my bedroom only (which is carpeted) and I have to delve into the Mode to change things.
It doesn't take long, but when using it every day or two, it does become rather annoying. Other brands have a more seamless room or zone cleaning app experience in my opinion.
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(Image credit: Narwal)
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(Image credit: Narwal)
Like other premium robot vacuums released in the last year or two, the Freo Z10 also features an AI mode called Freo Mind. In theory, this automatically picks the best cleaning option for your home based on previous sessions but, in reality, I found it to be very inefficient.
In the six weeks of testing, it has cleaned my dining room more than any other space in the apartment, but it doesn't leverage that knowledge. Instead, it chooses to do multiple cleaning sessions in my living room, which hardly ever gets dirty (the dining room is where everyone congregates), but does maybe one or two cleans elsewhere.
This means it's using up its battery life, so chances are it will take the entire day to finish cleaning a home when set to Freo Mind as it will need to repeatedly charge itself. It will also require you to refill the clean water repeatedly if it mops one space multiple times.
After trying out Freo Mind a few times, I gave up on it and never went back – Narwal will need to work on it to make it a little more efficient.
• App score: 3.5 / 5
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Should I buy the Narwal Freo Z10?
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
It's not cheap, but compared to similar options, it's well priced. However, taking its overall performance into account, it's an expensive mop.
3.5 / 5
Design
It's a well-designed, sturdy robot vacuum with a curvaceous base station that I'm personally fond of.
4 / 5
Performance
While its mopping and obstacle avoidance are good, the basic task of vacuuming isn't its best attribute. Moreover, the lack of self-emptying is concerning.
3 / 5
App control
With a fiddly map, an annoying Custom mode and subpar Freo Mind performance, the Narwal Freo app needs work.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if...
Mopping is important to you
If there's anything the Narwal Freo Z10 does better than many other robot vacuums, it's mop. Moreover, its mop washing is one of the best I've seen.
You have a lot of things lying around the house
Home owners with clutter on the floor will appreciate the Freo Z10's obstacle avoidance. Sure, it might swallow up a tiny Lego piece, but it's one of the few robovacs I've tested that doesn't get tangled up in cables.
Don't buy it if...
You want good vacuuming prowess
Mopping might be the Freo Z10's forte, but the basic task of vacuuming is questionable, especially since I found the self-emptying isn't what it's advertised to be. If you have pets, you'll want to look elsewhere for a better robot vacuum.
You want an efficient robot vacuum
The whole idea behind a premium robovac is automated cleaning, but Narwal's Freo Mind isn't the best option to use, so you will need to set up several routines. Moreover, constantly washing mops even when they haven't been used isn't the best consumption of power.
You want a seamless app experience
Most robovacs don't have a good app, but Narwal's Freo is arguably one of the most basic ones I've used.
Narwal Freo Z10 review: Alternatives
Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni
If you can find the Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni where you live, I think it's one of the best-value robot vacuums you can get, and it's often discounted too. It has all the essential features of a premium robovac, and an interesting design as well, and performs well for a bot that has a maximum of 11,000Pa of suction Read my in-depth Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni review
Narwal Freo Z Ultra
If it's a Narwal you have your heart set on, you might be better off spending the extra cash on the Z Ultra as it performed better in our tests. While vacuuming carpets isn't its thing, it still aced its mop tests. Read our in-depth Narwal Freo Z Ultra review
How I tested the Narwal Freo Z10
Used three times a week for six weeks
Set up different custom routines and performed room cleans
Tried different suction and waterflow settings
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
As previously. mentioned, I tested the Narwal Freo Z10 in an apartment with mixed flooring, which gave me a good opportunity to assess both vacuuming and mopping prowess.
I tried all four suction modes and the different waterflow rates for both options, I set up various Shortcuts (or custom routines) and tried room cleaning too. I also delved into the settings in the app to adjust various options, particularly for the base station, and repeatedly checked the dirty-water tank for detergent use.
I also conducted TechRadar's standard tests for both vacuuming and mopping, scattering oats and tea from a bag onto both a carpet and tiles, and allowing a dollop of ketchup to dry.
I've previously tested several robot vacuums, including two in 2025 prior to the Freo Z10, giving me plenty of experience to compare performance and user experience.
The MaxRanger4K Solar is the ideal smart security camera for homes with large areas to monitor.
Thanks to the hub’s 250m range, and the solar panels that help extend the battery life of the cameras, it’s easy to set up and maintain a security camera view of your home space.
The MaxRanger4K's rugged IP66 design means it should withstand dust and rainstorms, plus it's built-in lights and sirens act as less subtle alerts to any would-be intruders that they’re being caught in 4K.
The less tech savvy will appreciate the simplicity of the app and camera installation process. All the instructions arrive in the box and were so easy to follow that I had my cameras up and recording in no time at all.
It has a camera, lights, speakers, and a sensor (Image credit: Future)
There are some drawbacks, however. While a single MaxRanger4K Solar camera costs $129.99 / £199.99 / AU$399.95, add in the cost of the hub, and the cheapest starting price becomes $399.99 / £499.99 / AU$949.95 for a bundle of two cameras.
Nevertheless, on the plus side, there’s no premium subscription option that locks away essential features – only a few added benefits that I've happily managed without. In addition, I’ve found the included 64GB of local storage more than sufficient for most needs, so you won’t miss cloud storage.
Besides cost, something else to be aware of are the camera's sensitivity settings. If set to high and positioned to watch over a "high traffic" area, you might find the cameras run out of charge in a matter of weeks. Some trial and error will be required to find the balance of settings that cater to your security needs while allowing your cameras to chug along without frequent charging.
Overall, however, I’ve been mightily impressed by the MaxRanger4 camera system. It’s certainly been more reliable than my cheaper cameras.
MaxRanger4K Solar: Price and Availability
A MaxRanger4K Solar camera costs $129.99 / £199.99 / AU$399.95. However, as mentioned, it requires a hub to come, which is only available with bundles of two, three, or four cameras.
Bundles will set you back $399.99 / £499.99 / AU$949.95 , £649.99 / AU$1,329.95, and $599.99 / £799.99 / AU$1,699.95 respectively. At the time of writing, Swann’s US web store doesn’t appear to offer the three-camera bundle.
These prices place the MaxRanger4K in the more premium tier of home security systems. However, savings arrive over time from the fact that you won't be paying out for a premium subscription.
The solar panel is very useful for keeping it charged (Image credit: Future)
There is a Swann Secure+ paid option for benefits that include an extended warranty, priority support, some cloud storage, and alerts to further differentiate between cars, people, pets, and package deliveries.
It sounds useful, however during my testing I didn't ever feel the need to subscribe, and remained a free user the entire time – something I can't say for some other home security tech I've tested. My Blink cameras, for example, can be used without paying for a subscripotion, but it's certainly a lot smoother to use the Blink cameras if you do pay.
Value score: 4/5
MaxRanger4K Solar: Design & Performance
Each camera is outfitted with an array of tools to make it a home security champion.
The 4K image sensor, with its wide 105-degree viewing angle, not only allows you to record what’s happening in a large space, but also to go back and make out details should you need to. It records in color night vision, too, allowing you to view footage in greater detail should the need arise.
In addition, the True Detect sensor uses heat and motion to determine the difference between people, vehicles, and other disturbances. Looking through my own recordings, the camera did a very good job of automatically labelling each activation appropriately.
Plus there’s a microphone, too, so you can pick up audio to add further context to your clips. It isn't perfect, but it can pick up bits of conversations if folk are close to the cameras – a few of my clips have been orchestrated by birdsong, which made flicking through them a delight!
Here's my hub tucked away in my home (Image credit: Future)
If the MaxRanger4K Solar does detect something, you can rely on its built-in siren and speaker to scare off any would-be intruders by playing a loud noise or literally shouting at them through your phone. A pair of spotlights bring clarity to your late-night motion detections.
Having said that, I've actually turned these features off through the app (more on that in a moment), as they can prove an annoyance to neighbors.
Lastly, this camera is designed to function through rain and shine. With its IP66 water- and dust-proof rating, it should continue performing even through torrential rain, while its built-in solar panel will keep your MaxRanger4K Solar charged up.
The caveat to that perpetual solar power is obviously how frequently your camera activates, and how often the sun makes an appearance. I have one camera that records just my garden, and another that's pointed onto the street where I park my car. The garden camera triggers far less frequently and hence its battery has lasted quite well.
Meanwhile, the street-view camera triggers more frequently, catching every car that drives past. I had set it up in a darker month and initially hadn't tweaked the default detection settings; it ran out of charge after just a few weeks.
I’ve since recharged it, tuned down its sensitivity settings, and am finding it's lasting much longer – especially now, in the sunnier months.
You can charge the Swann camera with a USB-C cable too (Image credit: Future)
The final part of your MaxRanger4K Solar system is its hub. This box sits in your home and is the device with which your cameras communicate. It can connect to cameras up to 250m away from it.
It comes with 64GB of storage (which is expandable) for recordings, and it even has a built-in battery, so even if you lose power for a while, it can continue recording for up to five hours.
Design score: 5/5
Performance score: 4/5
MaxRanger4K Solar: Software
To manage your security camera system you use the Swann Security app on your phone – a one-stop shop from where you can adjust your MaxRanger4K Solar's settings, and any other Swann home security tech you rely on.
Working through the various tabs from left to right, the first three are fairly straightforward. Activities shows you the frequency of alerts throughout the day and over the past week; Playback is for your day-by-day collection of recorded clips; and Live View lets you see the current view from your cameras.,
Then there’s Modes. Here you can manually adjust your recording settings between Home, Night and Away options, which you can customize to suit how you want your camera system to function under different circumstances.
(Image credit: Future)
Having the ability to alter when the features such as the siren and lights came on based on the setting would have been welcome, but you can just change which cameras are active and their sensitivity. You can choose one setting at a time or set up schedules that automatically adjust the mode based on the time of day.
Finally, the Devices tab allows you to adjust your camera settings, detection zones (so a camera will only record if it detects something in specific parts of its view), alarm settings (whether the siren and lights turn on or not) and the time zone of the camera, so your recordings can be logged correctly.
You can also manage how your recordings are stored from the app. I’ve set up my camera to automatically delete recordings that are over 30 days old, but you can set a different interval – either one, three, seven, 14, or 90 days – or have it automatically overwrite older clips when your storage fills up.
Overall, the app is super intuitive, and setting everything up through it proved simple using the instructions in the box.
Software score: 4/5
Should you buy the Swann MaxRanger4K Solar?
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
You really do get what you pay for, and while the MaxRanger4K cameras are pricey, I’ve found they’re better quality and more reliable than cheaper alternatives.
4/5
Design
It’s hard to find fault with the design of these cameras. They boast a suite of protection features, a relatively sturdy design, and a solar panel that helps to extend their battery life.
5/5
Performance
Generally the MaxRanger4K does a good job of capturing fairly high-quality footage. However, it can run out of charge if you leave it at too high a sensitivity. If you live near a busy-ish street or somewhere where there is plenty of activity, you may need to play with the settings.
4/5
Software
The Swann Security app is clean and intuitive. I just wish the Modes options delivered more control over how I want the cameras to function at different times of the day.
4/5
Buy it if…
You need surveillance for a larger space With a 250m range, the MaxRanger4K Solar is well suited for homes that have generous outdoor spaces that you want to keep an eye on.
You want a wireless solution you won’t need to replace all the time If your home gets enough sunlight, your MaxRanger4K Solar cameras won't need to be charged frequently. With the right settings and frequency of alerts, you might never need to recharge the cameras.
You hate additional fees Unlike some brands, Swann's premium subscription doesn't feel necessary – I've easily made do without paying anything extra.
Don’t buy it if…
You live somewhere that never sees the sun Solar panels are awesome, but if you don’t get much sunlight at home then a wired security solution will likely be much more reliable.
Every view includes a busy street If your camera can see a busy street then you'll likely get a lot of alerts – and it will run out of charge quickly, even if you get plenty of sun. Detection sensitivity and other settings can help reduce the strain, although this means you’ll capture fewer clips – which could impact security.
You want something cheap Swann’s security system may come without extra fees, but it isn’t super-cheap up front. It's a great performer, but if you’re after an affordable option, this isn’t it.
Also consider
Blink Outdoor 4 If you're after a more entry-level outdoor security camera then this could be the best pick for you. It's not the most robust or crisp option on the market, however.
Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam If you're after an indoor camera instead of an outdoor unit, this could be a solid option – although it does lock some tools behind a paywall.
How I tested the MaxRanger4K Solar security camera
To understand how effective the MaxRanger4K Solar camera system is, I had it installed on my home for a couple of months – to get a sense of both its recording abilities and if its sun-powered battery held up.
I tested each of the different security settings, although, to avoid annoying the neighbors, I didn’t keep settings such as the alarm or light on regularly. I also made sure to check back over captured footage, but you’ll notice I haven’t included any of the outside world in this review – primarily because I don’t want to dox myself, as I live within sight of a few notable features of my town.
While the box includes everything you need to affix the Swann cameras into place, I rent my home so I had to purchase a couple of fixtures that allow me to set up the cameras to drain pipes, so as not cause any damage. These worked effectively enough – I haven’t had either camera fall during testing.
Dreame’s latest robot vacuum, the X50 Ultra Complete, sets a new standard for the best robot vacuums, offering a litany of genuinely useful features and excellent cleaning results. It’s low-maintenance, thorough and features all of the bolts and whistles you’d expect from a premium robot vacuum.
While its 2.4in / 6cm threshold-hopping legs have been the main talking point, it's this robot's cleaning performance that prompted me to award it such a high score. It's highly capable at both mopping and vacuuming, though its battery life does leave something to be desired. Plus, its DToF sensor tower can quickly sink into the main body of the vacuum when it needs to clean beneath low-threshold furnishings.
From its extending side brush and mop pads to its excellent mapping, the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete makes full use of its arsenal of cleaning tools, rounded out by efficient 20,000Pa suction. This powerful robovac only really struggles when faced with fine powders on high-pile or tightly bound low-pile carpets; a fairly common issue for vacuums of all shapes and sizes.
When it comes to object detection and avoidance, the X50 Ultra performed fairly well, although it missed crumpled up paper and shorter wires on occasion. It also failed to spot (fake) pet poop during one test – turning on Pet mode helped improve matters.
If you can stretch your budget to buy the X50, you won’t be disappointed in its value proposition. It’s fantastically low-maintenance, the app is easy to use and the results speak for themselves. That's the short version; read on for my full Dreame X50 Ultra Complete review.
(Image credit: Future)
Dreame X50 Ultra Complete: price & availability
Announced January 2025, on sale from spring 2025
List price: $1,699.99 / £1,299 / AU$2,999
At its $1,699.99 / £1,299.00 / AU$2,999.00 list price, the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete is one of the most expensive robot vacuums you can buy today. It's available to buy directly from Dreame, as well as via third-party retailers such as Amazon.
Thankfully, Dreame isn’t afraid of a good deal, and in the months since its release I've seen the price drop by $340 / £150 / AU$200. At its list price, it’s toeing the line of being overpriced, but its early deals make for a strong value proposition. It's fairly common for flagship bots to cost well into the four figures these days, and the features here are in line with (or exceed) what you'd get elsewhere for a similar price.
Plus, Dreame is generous with accessories. Out of the box, you not only get the vacuum and base (which are pre-loaded with a dust bag, filters, a side brush and brush rolls), but you also get a full bottle of Dreame’s Multi-surface floor cleaner, two pre-loaded mop pads and ten replacement pads, two spare side brushes, two spare roller brushes, three spare filters and a cleaning brush for the water tanks, making for low maintenance costs in the first year or so.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Dreame X50 Ultra Complete specs
Max suction:
20,000Pa
Robot diameter:
13.8in / 35cm
Robot height:
3.5in / 8.9cm (with puck retracted)
Dock dimensions (W x D x H):
13.4 x 10.2 x 23.2 in / 34 x 26 x 59cm (excluding ramp)
Robot's navigation puck can retract to enter low spaces
Underneath are tiny legs to hoist the bot over tall thresholds
Comprehensive dock with heated mop cleaning and UV light treatment
Looks-wise, the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete doesn’t break any conventions. Both the vacuum and its dock are fairly neutral, clad in either white or black with gold or gunmetal accents.
The base is slim at 13.4 x 10.2 x 23.2 in / 34 x 26 x 59cm – although you'll need to add space for the ramp and maneuvering room for the robot to dock. Lift up its lid and you’ll find both the fresh and waste water tanks, while the dust bag and detergent tank are behind the accent panel on the front of the base. It’s also compatible with the Dreame Water Hookup Kit if you wanted a fully automated water refill and drainage system, which is a nice added benefit; I didn’t test this for my review, but broadly speaking, these hookup systems are fairly reliable.
(Image credit: Future)
Behind the scenes, there’s a lot more going on in the base; it's self-emptying and refilling, but also packs cleaning tech for both the dust bin and mop pads, offering heated water mop wetting and hot air drying as well as UV light treatment for bacteria removal.
(Image credit: Future)
The robot itself similarly manages to pack ample features and functionality into its relatively compact body. It benefits from the direct time of flight (DToF) sensors situated within the sensor tower for accurate navigation and mapping. This can sink into the robovac in order to reach beneath low-clearance furniture, where it relies on its front-facing camera for navigation and obstacle detection instead. You can remove the lid of the robot vacuum to access the dust bin and set up QR code.
(Image credit: Future)
The underside is where the action happens. Here is where you’ll find its array of cleaning tools. Let’s get the bad news out of the way; while the extending side-arm is fantastic for edge cleaning, my robovac nemesis as a long-haired person are bristled side-arms. Hair is easily tangled, but I’ve yet to test a robovac where I don’t face this problem. Thankfully, the dual brush rollers (Dreame calls these the Hypersteam Detangling Duobrush) are super effective, making light work of pet and human hair alike.
You’ll also find the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete’s golden goose amidst the cleaning tools: two stumpy 'legs' that allow the vacuum to safely propel itself over small thresholds and furniture legs.
Design score: 5 out of 5
Dreame X50 Ultra: performance
Thorough vacuuming, superb mopping, and excellent edge cleaning
Threshold clearing is impressive, but descents are alarmingly noisy
After a painless five-minute setup and quick mapping, the Dreame X50 Ultra is a dream-e come true, passing almost all of my standard robovac tests with flying colors.
Let's start with the special features. The tiny legs could be a game-changer for anyone with tall thresholds. The vacuum will square up against the surface and extend its legs to vault itself up and on to the surface. This part is a little slow, but overall works extremely well. You can see it in action below (filmed at a press event, where I could capture a clearer view of the mechanism in action).
Moving downhill is a little less graceful, and involves charging off the ledge and landing with an alarming crash.
The pop-down puck also worked well on test. I found it consistently identified low-threshold obstacles and receded into the vacuum. The inaccessible area beneath my sofa has never been cleaner.
Cleaning tests
Now on to the general cleaning performance. For this, I ran a range of vacuuming and mopping tests on different floor types.
On hard floors, the X50 Ultra Complete was easily able to collect a majority of the large, small and powder debris on its first pass of the area. While its side brush did send some debris flying, the vacuum returned for second and third rounds of cleaning to collect any mess it had missed the first time around. The story was much the same on my low and high-pile carpets, though as I’d expect, there was some residue left behind from the powder and fine debris.
When it comes to mopping, I was most impressed with the X50 Ultra, offering the most thorough mopping I’ve experienced so far, with ample controls in-app to customize your clean. I put the X50 Ultra to the test with sticky spills, wet spills and dried-on stains, and it cleaned each with ease, though did leave some small streaks. You can either mix in the Dreame-approved detergent directly to the water tank or use the built-in automated detergent tank; I found both worked well.
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
Edge cleaning is similarly impressive, thanks to the extending side-arm and mop pads, which paired with the X50 Ultra Complete’s excellent mapping to offer the most rigorous edge clean I’ve personally experienced.
The X50 Ultra Complete successfully identified all of the flooring types in my apartment, automatically adjusting the level of suction and mopping based on floor type and dirt levels. It features the increasingly popular mop-pad-lifting tech that keeps your carpets from getting soggy.
Broadly speaking, its obstacle detection is solid, though there were some exceptions; you’ll want to make sure small obstacles like shorter wires, crumpled paper and socks are cleared before setting of the X50 Ultra Complete.
Poop detection, however, has a quirk. Before I turned on Pet mode, the X50 Ultra Complete repeatedly failed to spot and avoid my mock pet poop. Instead, it barreled headfirst into the fake feces multiple times, especially when navigating between rooms, in low-light or on dark backdrops. However, its dodge rate improved significantly with Pet mode turned on. The X50 was able to avoid my fake pet poop 95% of the time with this mode on. (This is one of the settings we recommend you adjust when using any robot vacuum.)
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
My apartment's skirting boards are difficult to clean even by hand, but the Dreame X50 made a solid attempt when confronted with high voluems fine powder. For spot cleans, it's excellent.
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(Image credit: Future)
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Similarly, floor type and dirt detection worked really well for me, and while I’ve seen some reviewers found it didn’t always clock carpet, I didn’t face that issue in my testing. As a result, I also found the lift-off mop pads worked well and kept my carpets nice and dry.
When it’s done with clean-up, the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete returns to its base for self-cleaning and drying, which I was really impressed with. It not only washes the pads with hot water, but also dries them, and uses dual UV lamp bacteria removal technology to keep both the mop pads and the dust bag fresh and clean. Overall, it’s pretty low-maintenance, benefiting further from its effective dual-roller Hypersteam Detangling Duobrush requiring little-to-no hair removal. The side brush, however, is prone to clumps of tangled hair.
(Image credit: Future)
One of its only other failings is the battery life; Dreame quotes a 200 minute runtime on quiet mode and a 4.5-hour recharge. When tested in my home, I got an average of 90 minutes use out of the vacuum, which is certainly lower than I’d hope for such a pricey device. I’d assume that’s down to some of the more intelligent features, given the Dreame X40 Ultra features the same 6400 mAh battery but fared better in our testing.
Performance score: 4.5 out of 5
Should I buy the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete?
Value
4
While pricey, the Dreame X50's extensive featurelist helps justify the price tag. Plus, it’s already attracting discounts.
Design
5
The Dreame X50 is well and truly decked out with an arsenal of cleaning tools, including threshold-clearing legs and a pop-down puck.
Performance
4.5
Excellent vacuuming and mopping, and especially good at edge cleaning. Slightly meagre battery life.
Buy it if...
You have lots of low-clearance furniture
Its receding sensor tower gives the X50 Ultra Complete much more mobility to reach and clean beneath low furniture.View Deal
You want superior edge cleaning
I was super impressed with the X50 Ultra Complete’s extending side brush and mop pads, which left my dusty corners cleaner than they’ve been in months.View Deal
You want a seriously low-maintenance robovac
It’s self-cleaning, has pretty effective dual brush rollers when it comes to crushing hair and broadly speaking does well at navigating the home, plus the Dreame X50 Ultra Complete comes with an arsenal of spare parts. View Deal
Don't buy it if...
You have a larger space
While it will return to base to recharge automatically mid-clean, the limited battery life means cleaning will take longer than usual.View Deal
You’ve got a messy home
Broadly, its object detection and navigation specs are great, but the X50 Ultra Complete did struggle on occasion with smaller obstacles, pet poop and the edges of rugs.View Deal
You’re on a budget
At an eyewateringly high price point even during sales, this is far from a budget robovac.View Deal
Dreame X50 Ultra Complete: also consider
Roborock Saros 10
The Roborock Saros 10 is probably the most direct competitor to Dreame’s X50 Ultra as of writing, with similar features and functions and also offering great performance. However, it doesn’t have rotating mop pads and can only cross 4cm thresholds, despite being at a very similar price point.
At time of writing, this bot sits at the top of our best robot vacuum ranking as the model we recommend to most people. It's significantly cheaper than the Saros 10 but not as cutting-edge. There's no pop-up puck here; threshold clearance is much lower; it can't dispense detergent; plus the dock is significantly less stylish. However, it still cleans extremely well, and the mop is great (it uses the dual spinning pads).
I used the Dreame X50 Ultra for two months as my primary robot vacuum, completing regular cleaning cycles in addition to my deeper testing. To test pickup performance, I used everything from fine powder (cornflour) to oats and grains to see how well the vacuum clears up debris both in the middle and at the edges of rooms. To test mopping performance, I made wet, sticky and dry spills for the device to clean up, and I also left various obstacles around my flat to test navigation and object detection.I’ve been testing robot vacuums for three years, and in that time I’ve tried everything from cheaper models to premium devices like the Dreame X50 Ultra, which means I’ve got a solid understanding of what makes a robot vacuum worth the money.
WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight: two-minute review
The first step of setting up my WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit was actually removing my Nanoleaf 4D Screen Mirror Kit, as that was what I had been using for TV accent lighting prior to the test period. Both Nanoleaf and WiZ are among the best smart light brands and so being able to directly compare the two was a valuable asset for the review process.
I’ll admit I was a little sad to put the old Nanoleaf light strip into storage but I really wasn’t going to miss the camera that used to linger above my screen. Luckily, the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit doesn’t have any unwelcome distractions like that, and the setup was a good deal cleaner too.
The light strip's corner pieces are cleverly designed to accommodate different screen sizes (Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
My television is 55 inches, and it was definitely the smallest screen the 55-65” kit could fit on. In fact, I had to readjust my positioning a couple of times to avoid any sections of the LED strip going beyond the TV’s edge. Thanks to the adhesive clips and weirdly ingenious corner sections included with the kit, I was to achieve an application that I was confident would last.
Alongside the included LCD light strip, I also tested the Sync Box’s functionality with other WiZ products, including the Gradient Light Bars. The app has a clever and easy-to-use function where you essentially tell it where your extra lights are in relation to your television and that dictates how its colors shift. Sure enough, the synced lights change in line with the light strip, further expanding the glowing halo around whatever episode of Kitchen Nightmares I happen to be watching.
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The Sync Box only has one HDMI input, but it supports switch splitters (Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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The Sync Box only has one HDMI input, but it supports switch splitters (Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
When it got to actually testing the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit, I encountered a bit of a problem: my partner and I are the kind of adult children who own at least one of every current gen console, so the singular HDMI 2.0 port included with the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit was just not going to cut it.
Thankfully, the sync box supports the use of switch splitters, meaning you can expand your number of inputs provided you’re happy to spend a little extra. Depending on how many more ports you need, HDMI splitters can set you back about $10 to $50, so keep that added cost in mind if you plan to use the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit while gaming across multiple platforms.
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You can extend the effect further with the WiZ Light Bars and Gradient Lamp (Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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You can extend the effect further with the WiZ Light Bars and Gradient Lamp (Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
Skull and Bones is undoubtedly not one of gaming’s greats, but it happened to be one my partner was playing at the time – and, in its defence, it does have an open world that delivers a good deal of color information for the sync box to work with. As I expected, the deep grey-blue of the game’s sea was reflected really beautifully on the wall behind my screen, but what was particularly impressive was when a blast of lightning cut across the game’s skybox.
This in-game weather phenomenon prompted a localised shock of white light to cut across my walls, adding a fabulous sense of drama to what was otherwise rather goofy game.
The WiZ HDMI Sync Box and Light Strip worked particularly well with the weather effects in Skull and Bones (Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
On the other hand, playing Dead by Daylight on a map with a grimy, rust colored palette intermittently produced the most random shade of violet. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a sucker for some good bisexual lighting at the best of times, but I’d appreciate it if my light strip stuck just a tad closer to the script.
One mechanic in Dead by Daylight involves the appearance of what’s called a ‘terror radius’, causing a blood-red glow to emit from another player’s character. When the sync box picked up the terror radius, it looked superb and truly enhanced the thrill of the chase. The only problem was, it didn’t activate all that reliably.
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I sometimes experienced color inaccuracies from the light strip while playing Dead by Daylight (Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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I sometimes experienced color inaccuracies from the light strip while playing Dead by Daylight (Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
Some kind of colored light was always present and enhancing the atmosphere of my media setup, but there were times where I’d pay especially close attention to the WiZ light strip’s output and realise how arbitrary its choices were. I navigated the WiZ app (which as mentioned in my WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp review, is a breeze) and tried to force a firmware update, hoping this would resolve these quirks. Unfortunately, it seems like the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit has a tiny rebellious streak that can’t be quashed.
WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight: specifications
Connectivity
Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only), Bluetooth
Smart home compatibility
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Matter
Supported resolution
4K at 60hz
Supported HDR formats
HDR10+, Dolby Vision
Supported screen sizes
55-65 inch or 75-80 inch
Brightness
Not specified
Color temperature
2,700-6,500k
Total LED strip length
8.5ft / 2.6m
WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight: price and availability
The 55-65” WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit costs $89, while the larger 85” model comes with a bit of a premium at $109. Both can be purchased on the WiZ site or on Amazon.
If you’re in the UK, you can browse WiZ products on the website but when it comes to actually popping them in your basket, you’ll have to head to Amazon. Here, you can pick up the 65” kit for £79.99 and the 85” kit for £99.99.
Should you buy the WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight
Buy it if
You like your TV experience more theatrical
Screen mirroring smart lights transform your living space to match the vibe of the show, film, or game you’re enjoying; it’s fun, it’s flashy, and it’s a little silly. If that sounds like your jam, you know what to add to your shopping list.
You’re on a budget
Whereas some HDMI sync boxes can cost you close to $250, the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit is just $90 (or $109 if you’re opting for the larger size). This is an especially attractive option if you’ve recently splashed the cash on a new TV.
You don’t want a camera
While Nanoleaf offers a screen-mirroring smart light kit that’s similarly-priced, it relies on information from a camera feed instead of a HDMI input. Depending on the layout of your TV, you can have the camera below or above your screen but either way, it’s a little distracting.
Don't buy it if
You rely on smart TV streaming apps
Given the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit bases its screen mirroring on data from a HDMI source, you can’t use it in tandem with smart TV apps. If you watch the majority of your media directly on your TV instead of a console or cable box, you might want to explore other smart light options.
You want a sync box that natively supports multiple HDMI inputs While you have the option to hook up a switch splitter, the WiZ HDMI Sync Box only supports one HDMI input as standard. If you have multiple gaming consoles, keep in mind you’ll have to drop an extra $30 to allow you quickly change between them.
You’d like illumination from all angles
The light strip included with the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit provides coverage across the top and sides of your TV or monitor. The lack of light on the bottom is barely noticeable on standing TVs but is a good deal more obvious if your TV is wall-mounted.
WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight: also consider
Lights sold separately, Hue Bridge required to link
Smart home compatibility
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Matter
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Matter
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple HomeKit (Matter compatible if used with Hue Bridge, sold separately)
Light strip length
8.5ft / 2.6m
11.2ft / 3.4m
13.1ft / 4m
17ft / 5.2m
N/A
Brightness
Not specified
1,075 lumens (65 inch variant)
1,122 lumens (85 inch variant)
N/A
Color temperature
2,700-6,500K
2,700-6,500K
N/A
How I tested the WiZ HDMI Sync Box with TV Backlight
I connected the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit to my TV
I tested the Sync Box using input from my PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X
I experimented with in-app features and controls
During the two weeks I used the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit, I enjoyed a variety of films, tv shows, and video games while observing how the LCD light strip emulated what was onscreen. After assessing the functionality of the light strip alone, I also connected the Sync Box to the WiZ Gradient Light Bars and the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review at TechRadar.
WiZ Gradient Light Bars are a clear dupe of the Philips Hue Play Light Bars (in fact they're produced by the same parent company, Signify), and like their Philips counterparts, they’re mainly designed to be used alongside a HDMI Sync Box to extend its screen-mirroring light effects.
Alongside the light bars themselves, the kit includes two variants of bracket (standing and mounting), and a separate USB-A plug. That second inclusion won’t mean a whole lot to most people but as someone who is constantly hurting for spare outlets on my power strip, being able to connect the bars’ wire to my TV or games console is a godsend.
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
Both the mounts and the light bars themselves are light but hardily-constructed, delivering impressive quality considering the $60 price tag. Really, the only qualm I had with the design was the placing of the light bars’ wires: they jut out from one end of the bar and the standing mounts don’t provide a gap for the wire to go through. As a result, you have to bend the wire at quite a sharp angle and press the bar against it. This is fine for now (albeit a little unsightly) but I am a tad concerned about what impact this might have on the longevity of the wire insulation.
This is a small oversight in what is otherwise a cleverly-designed mounting system. The centre of each WiZ Gradient Light Bar is magnetized, allowing them to slot securely into the mount without worry of it falling out. Because of this magnetization, you could even mount them on the top of a TV niche for some effective downlighting. Fair warning: these lights are really versatile, so when you first unbox them, you’ll likely spend a good while experimenting with different placements to find your favorite.
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
A placement that works best in one layout might not work so well in another. For example, my TV unit isn’t a great deal wider than the TV itself and as a result, the WiZ Gradient Light Bars’ inclusion alongside the HDMI Sync Box Kit’s LED strip felt a tad redundant. Without sufficient spacing between the two light sources, they sort of just blended into each other in a way that made them feel lost in the layout. In that same vein, mounting them on the back of the TV didn’t make much sense either.
For my purposes, I found lying the light bars under my TV a better fit; this also had the added benefit of making up for the slight gap in light caused by the lack of LED strip on my TV’s bottom edge. That said, popping them on a bookshelf nearby produced a truly lovely effect too. Which is a nice reminder that if you don’t have the HDMI Sync Box Kit or just don’t fancy making your WiZ Gradient Light Bars part of your media setup, you really don’t have to.
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
Alongside the screen-mirroring effects made possible by the HDMI Sync Box, the light bars are capable of all the usual static and dynamic light effects found in the WiZ app, and can even be programmed independently of each other. In each lighting mode, the light bars output a beautifully smooth and vibrant gradient glow that looks wonderful diffused against your wall or enjoyed directly. They can also be used for WiZ’s very rudimentary Music Sync mode (you’ll have to check out my review of the WiZ Gradient floor lamp to catch up on the beef I have with that).
Another activation you (theoretically) can set up in the app is SmartSense, WiZ’s motion detection function. Given that SmartSense requires two Bluetooth-enabled WiZ lights, I assumed that the Gradient Light Bars were the perfect candidate for testing this feature. Unfortunately, as far as SmartSense is concerned, the bars count as one single entity. This is a bit of a shame given they can be placed far away enough from each other to meet the setup requirements, but they likely have a shared Wi-Fi receiver that would make SmartSense impossible and the app recognizes that.
(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
If you’re picking up the WiZ Gradient Light Bars, I’m not sure I’d recommend buying a third light source solely for the purpose of using SmartSense. In my testing (using the Gradient Floor Lamp as my third light), I found the motion detection disappointingly unreliable. After a good deal of troubleshooting, jumping up and down like an idiot, and four recalibration attempts, I resigned myself to the fact that there were a lot of things these versatile little light bars could do — and do very well— but motion detection was not one of them.
WiZ Gradient Light Bars: specifications
Connectivity
Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only), Bluetooth
Smart home compatibility
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Matter
Brightness
Not specified
Light temperature
2,200-6,500K
Dimensions (with standing mount)
12.6 x 4.3 x 9.6in / 32 x 11 x 7.5cm
Dimensions (without mount)
11.8 x 1.9 x 1.2in / 30 x 5 x 4cm
WiZ Gradient Light Bars: price and availability
Price: $59.99 / £54.99 (not sold in Australia)
Where to buy: WiZ (US only), Amazon
The WiZ Gradient Light Bars have an MSRP of $59.99 in the US, and are available to purchase on WiZ’s site and on Amazon. However, at time of writing, the bars are sold out at WiZ and are 10% off at Amazon – that certainly makes for an easy decision on where to pick them up.
If you’re in the UK, you’ll be able to check out WiZ’s product lineup on their site but when it comes to actually ordering them, you’re better off heading to Amazon. There, you can purchase the light bars for £54.99.
Should you buy the WiZ Gradient Light Bars?
Buy them if
You want a smart light that’s versatile and doesn’t take up too much space
These little light bars are small but mighty, delivering a powerful glow in a compact package. They can also be placed standing, lying down, or mounted wherever you fancy putting them.
You have a WiZ HDMI Sync Box
While it’s definitely not a prerequisite, the WiZ Gradient Light Bars pairs really well with the HDMI Sync Box and can be used to deliver even more screen-mirroring ambient light around your living space.
You’re on a budget
At $60, the WiZ Gradient Light Bars are a fairly low-cost lighting fixture that offers double the bang for your buck thanks to the fact that it includes two bars in one kit.
Don't buy them if
You want to place your light bars in separate rooms
While the wire linking the WiZ Gradient Light Bars allows for over 7ft of distance between each bar, they are still connected to a single power supply. If you’re hoping for a two-for-one deal that helps you pop a smart light in every room of your house, look elsewhere.
You’re buying WiZ Gradient Light Bars hoping they alone can be used for SmartSense
Technically when you buy the WiZ Gradient Light Bars, you fit SmartSense’s requirement of having two Bluetooth-enabled smart lights that can be placed 6.6ft apart from each other. However, the two light bars count as one unit for the purposes of SmartSense.
WiZ Gradient Light Bars: also consider
If you’re still shopping around, why not consider these alternatives: Govee Table Lamp 2 and Philips Hue Play Light Bars offer very similar functionality at differing price points.
WiZ Gradient Light Bars
Govee Table Lamp 2
Philips Hue Play Light Bars
Price
$59.99 / £54.99
$69.99 / £69.99
$79.99 / £59.99
Number of units included
2
1
1
Smart home compatibility
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Matter
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Matter
Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant (via Philips Hue app)
Brightness
Not specified
500 lumens
500 lumens
Color temperature
2,200-6,500K
2,700-6,500K
2000-6500K
Dimensions (without mount)
30 x 5 x 4cm / 11.8 x 1.9 x 1.2in
4.7 x 11 x 4.7in / 12 x 28 x 12cm
10 x 1.7 x 1.4in / 25.3 x 4.4 x 3.6cm
How I tested the WiZ Gradient Light Bars
I installed the WiZ Gradient Light Bars in my main living space
I used the lights for two weeks, both independently and synced with my TV
I tested various settings and customization options
I tested the WiZ Gradient Light Bars for two weeks, while paired with the WiZ HDMI Sync Box Kit. I used them while they were synced to content from my TV and as standalone smart lights. During periods where they were not synced to the TV, I controlled them via the WiZ app and through voice controls made to my Amazon Alexa. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review at TechRadar.
First impressions account for a lot, and I think I was expecting far less from the Wiz Gradient Floor Lamp based on its freshly out-of-the-box appearance. As its shaft and base are composed entirely of relatively lightweight plastic, the build has a feel that almost borders on flimsy. Undisturbed, the lamp stands perfectly fine, but if you have a pet or a little one tearing through your living space, it’s not difficult to imagine them sending the lamp toppling. So, keep that in mind when deciding where to place it.
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
While it may not feel premium, the lamp doesn’t feel so cheap that I’d worry about its lifespan. I reckon the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp could withstand years of clumsy folks knocking it over. So, unless you particularly value the feel and finish of metal, a plastic smart lamp gets the job done just fine. Actually, it does a lot better than just fine: the seven-segment RGB LCD creates a fabulous wave of color across the room that transforms the mood of the space surprisingly well.
In terms of brightness, the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp lags behind equivalent products from its competitors. For reference, the Govee Floor Lamp Pro is 2,100 lumens, whereas the Philips Hue Gradient Signe sits at 2,500. Your initial instincts might tell you ‘bigger means brighter means better’, but that’s not strictly true. Given that this variety of floor lamp is meant to be placed in a corner and used as ambient light that washes across the walls, you’re not necessarily going to be looking for an output that’s particularly blinding.
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I respect that it’s actually quite difficult to conceptualize exactly how bright 1,000 lumens are, so I'll try to give you some point of reference: it’s enough to provide solid task lighting for an entire medium-sized room. Given that a WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp is very unlikely to be granted the role of ‘big light’ and is instead mainly for localised mood lighting, I’d say 1,080 lumens is perfectly adequate. Maybe those other lamps are compensating for something.
Historically, I’ve not been a big fan of operating smart lights with their associated apps. Obviously, I’ll hop on to do day-one setup and to tweak settings, but by and large, I much prefer importing devices into the Home app or controlling them using my Alexa. But after using WiZ’s app, I was struck by how few ‘smart home app sins’ it actually committed. The UI is clean and easy to navigate, and there aren’t any obtrusive popups, unsubtle attempts to get you to buy more products, or superfluous social features.
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
In fact, the sole problem I had with the app was when trying to pair my device for the first time. When you set up a device manually, it prompts you to define your device type. Apparently, the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp falls under the category of a luminaire. Listen, I’m big enough to admit it: I had no idea that luminaire was just a synonym for light fixture. And so, when I saw that category on the app, I assumed it referred specifically to the WiZ Luminaire Mobile Portable Light – and I feel like the icon of a stout little table lamp just led me further astray. This might be a me-specific problem, and maybe I just should pick up a thesaurus more often, but I really wouldn’t be surprised if you also spend 10 very confused minutes trying to register your lamp as a LED strip.
Alongside the usual combination of static and dynamic light displays, the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp also has a music sync feature. Well, it does with a little help. The device doesn’t have a microphone of its own, so it relies on you to open your app and use your phone’s mic instead. Crucially, that means that your music has to be coming from another audio source than your phone. Placing my phone beside a speaker to control my lamp felt a tad too much like a Rube Goldberg machine for my liking, and frankly, the whole process felt a bit silly.
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
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(Image credit: Abigail Shannon)
But if I’m being honest, I think music sync can afford to be silly. After all, it – at least in my experience – is a sort of novelty that you might pop on during a house party or to be particularly annoying to the people you live with.
WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp: specifications
Designed for
Indoors
Connectivity
Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only), Bluetooth
Smart home compatibility
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Matter
Light color
RGBIC
Height
4.7 feet / 1.4 meters
Brightness
1,080 lumens
Color temperature
Color segments
7
WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp: price and availability
Price: £79.99 / $92.26 (not available in Australia)
Where to buy: WiZ website (available in the UK only), Amazon
You can pick up the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp on Amazon US for about $90. Unfortunately for stateside folks, it seems like the gradient version isn’t available on the WiZ site at the moment (don’t get it confused with the dual-tone floor lamp!). In the UK, the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp is available to purchase directly from WiZ and on Amazon for £79.99.
If you’ve been in the market for smart lights for any amount of time, I’m sure you’ve come across products from Philips Hue. After all, the brand delivers a premium ecosystem that consistently tops best smart lights lists. However, forking out $50 for a single colored smart bulb really isn’t for everyone.
As a more budget-friendly alternative to Philips Hue, I’m well familiar with Nanoleaf and Govee products – they’ve taken up some serious real estate in my apartment up to this point – but they aren’t the only company developing cut-price options for folks who love smart lighting. In fact, WiZ (whose products are made by Signify, the same parent company as Philips Hue) sits one rung further below those competitors in terms of price, dropping the barrier of entry to having a beautifully illuminated, smart living space impressively low.
Should you buy the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp?
Buy it if
You need a smart light that’s kinder to your wallet
It’s a little too easy to rack up a hefty bill when putting together your smart light setup. Thankfully, WiZ products are a more economical choice that allows you to add more goodies to your basket while still staying on budget.
You want ambient lighting
The WiZ floor lamp delivers intense luminescence up close, but that’s not really its intended use. It does its best work when faced up against a wall or a corner, where it fills your living space with a cozy, diffused glow.
You’re looking for a large light source
WiZ also has a number of smart lights that can be mounted on your wall or planted on your table, but if you want something that’s going to make a real impact in your living space, bigger is better.
Don't buy it if
You’ve committed to another ecosystem(without Matter integration)
Mixing and matching products is thankfully easier than ever, thanks to the Matter standard. However, you might own devices that aren’t Matter-enabled. In that case unless you plan to upgrade your entire set-up – buying a new smart light outside of your chosen ecosystem is probably not worth the trouble.
You really value a premium finish
While the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp is a pretty top-notch product for under $100, WiZ had to cut corners somewhere. Thankfully, that’s mostly resulted in superficial downgrades; but still, some folks really appreciate the look and feel of the finer things in life.
WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp: also consider
While you’re shopping around, you’ll probably want to check out some alternatives. The Philips Hue Gradient Signe and Govee Floor Lamp Pro are sort of like the bougee cousins to the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp: sporting very similar features and form factors, albeit at a more premium price.
WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp
Govee Floor Lamp Pro
Philips Hue Gradient Signe Floor Lamp
Price
$92.26 / £79.99
$199 / £219
$329 / £279
Designed for
Indoors
Indoors
Indoors
Connectivity
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
Bluetooth, Zigbee
Smart home compatibility
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Matter
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Matter
Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant & Apple HomeKit (Matter compatible if used with Hue Bridge, sold separately)
Height
1.4m / 4.7ft
1.7m / 5.5ft
1.4m / 4.7ft
Brightness
1,080 lumens
2,100 lumens
2,500 lumens
Color temperature
2,200K-6,500K
2,200K-6,500K
2,000K-6,500K
How I tested the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp
I trialled both automatic and manual setup methods
I operated the lights using voice commands, Apple’s Home app, and the Wiz app
I tested the device’s music sync and automation functions
For three weeks, the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp sat pride-of-place in my home office, where it illuminated my walls with both dynamic and static light effects almost daily. My primary means of operating the lamp was through voice commands to my Amazon Alexa, but I also activated it using the WiZ app and Apple Home app.
In evaluating the WiZ Gradient Floor Lamp, I made a direct effort to compare it to other floor lamps on the market, as well as to the broader array of experience I had with smart lights in general. For more details, see how we test, rate, and review at TechRadar.
