Robot vacuums with arms: do they actually pick things up?
Where it stands
As of Oct 22, 2026: one robot vacuum with an arm is on sale. Reviewers found it works only some of the time.
Every robot vacuum owner knows the routine: pick up the socks and cables before every run. A robot with an arm promises to do that for you. Here's what the demo showed, what reviewers saw at home, and who it's (not yet) for.
What does the arm promise?
The Saros Z70's arm folds out of the robot, picks up socks, paper, small towels and sandals up to 300 g, and drops them in a spot you choose in the app. At CES 2025 it picked up a balled-up sock and dropped it in a basket, but only with the sock placed in one specific spot.
Sources: [1] Mashable (via Yahoo Tech)
Does it work at home?
Only some of the time. In Vacuum Wars' several-week test, the arm worked about half the time on socks, paper clumps and slides, sometimes misplaced items, and ignored objects outside its trained list.
Trusted Reviews left a sock, a tissue and a pair of shoes on the floor. The sock and tissue weren't detected at all and got run over. It picked up a shoe, but at the drop-off the claw caught inside it and the robot drove around with the shoe on its front. TechRadar called the automatic mode buggy and limited.
Sources: [2] Vacuum Wars, [3] Trusted Reviews, [4] TechRadar
Is the rest of the robot any good?
Yes. All three reviews rate its vacuuming and mopping highly. TechRadar found the arm works well when you steer it yourself in the app, and sees potential for people with limited mobility. Trusted Reviews' advice is that the armless Saros 10 cleans as well for less money.
Sources: [3] Trusted Reviews, [4] TechRadar, [2] Vacuum Wars
What's coming next?
Dreame showed the Cyber 10 Ultra at CES 2026, with a multi-jointed arm that reaches about 13 inches and grips items up to 500 g. There was no official price or date; Tom's Guide expected about $2,000. No one has tested it independently yet.
New foreign-made robot vacuums now also need FCC approval before they can be sold in the US. Models authorized before July 28, 2026 are not affected.
Sources: [5] Tom's Guide, [6] Vacuum Wars
Who is it for?
Based on these reviews: not yet for anyone who wants to stop tidying before a run. It may suit someone who wants a top cleaner and enjoys being an early adopter, or who would use the remote-control arm. Everyone else gets the same cleaning for less without the arm.
Sources: [3] Trusted Reviews, [4] TechRadar
What we’ll update next
- Firmware updates that improve the Z70's automatic pickup
- A US price, date and first review of the Dreame Cyber 10 Ultra
- Whether new arm models get FCC approval for the US
How we know (6 sources)
CES 2025 demo of the Roborock Saros Z70: its arm picked up a balled-up sock and dropped it in a basket, but only with the sock in one specific spot. Roborock quoted a 300 g limit for socks, paper, small towels and sandals.
Read the sourceSeveral-week hands-on review of a purchased Saros Z70 (page last updated Sep 18, 2026). The arm worked about half the time on socks, paper clumps and slides, sometimes misplaced items, and ignored objects outside its trained list.
Read the sourceHands-on review of the Saros Z70: excellent vacuuming and mopping, but the OmniGrip arm is unreliable. A small sock and a tissue were ignored and run over; a shoe was picked up, but the claw caught inside it at the drop-off and the robot drove around with it. The arm is off by default.
Read the sourceReview of the Saros Z70: the arm is well designed and works well when steered remotely in the app, but its automatic mode is buggy and limited. Vacuuming, mopping and navigation are outstanding; the price is described as investment-level.
Read the sourceInterview and CES 2026 impressions of the Dreame Cyber 10 Ultra, a robot vacuum with a multi-jointed arm that reaches about 13 inches and grips objects up to 500 g. No official price or date; a premium price around $2,000 was expected and Dreame targeted a late-summer launch.
Read the sourceExplainer (last updated Sep 9, 2026) on the FCC adding foreign-produced advanced robotic devices to its Covered List on July 28, 2026. New foreign-made models can't get the FCC authorization needed to be sold in the US unless they qualify for Conditional Approval. Robots you own, already-authorized models and new units of them are not affected. The definition fits most robot vacuums and can also cover robot mowers and humanoids.
Read the source