Roborock RockMow Z1 Hands-On: SUV Among Robot Lawn Mowers
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At IFA 2025, Roborock unveiled its first robot lawn mower series, which is made up of three models. The flagship model in particular, the RockMow Z1, caused quite a stir. It boasted all-wheel drive, up to two mowing discs, and was designed to handle XXL-sized gardens without breaking a sweat. At a Roborock press event, I had the opportunity to take a closer look at the robot lawn mower to share my first impression of the Roborock RockMow Z1.
Roborock RockMow Z1 Design and Features
The Roborock RockMow Z1 sports the gruff look of an off-road vehicle. I think you can tell right away that this appliance is special in design. It has four wheels and an all-wheel drive mechanism—as already mentioned, just like off-road vehicles. Roborock installed the navigation technology at the front.
Somewhat surprisingly, Roborock does not rely on wireless LiDAR laser navigation, which was copied from robot vacuum cleaners (Best Of list), as some manufacturers already do. Instead, you have to place an RTK station in your garden. If the signal is weaker, another system called VSLAM comes into play. This ensures that the Roborock robot lawn mower never loses its bearings, even in narrow alleyways.
Roborock RockMow Z1 Mowing and Navigation Performance
The RockMow Z1 has a mowing disc consisting of 6 blades, with the option of purchasing an additional disc that allows the appliance to cut edges up to 3 cm. I think it's a shame that the robot lawn mower doesn't come with two mowing discs right out of the box, and customers who are interested in them are confronted with forking out more money. While we're on the subject of mowing close to the edge: The RockMow Z1 got surprisingly close to garden boundaries in the showcase without really leaving a gap. This is something I have criticized in numerous robot lawn mowers (Best Of list), even those equipped with laser navigation. This is all the more surprising in this case because it is still a pre-production model.
The mowing results looked really solid. The cutting height can be adjusted in 0.1 mm increments from 2 to 7 cm in the app (as it currently stands). I was not informed of any other functions. However, you can assume that the usual functions, like setting up no-go zones, will be part of the range of functions.
In this context, Roborock promises that the robot lawn mower can cope with surfaces that have a gradient of up to 80 percent. In other words: 38.7 degrees. In addition, obstacles up to 6 cm high should not be a problem, which I was unable to assess with the naked eye at the showcase. What I did notice, however, was that the robot lawn mower actually had no issues tackling small hills. This is where the Roborock robot lawn mower's suspension helps. Together with the so-called Dynamic Suspension System, the RockMow Z1 can continue to cut grass despite going over bumps and obstacles.
A word about safety: Roborock relies on artificial intelligence to get the job done. This is meant to detect hedgehogs, little critters, or small children ahead of time, before anything worse happens. I have to admit, in some places it looked as if the robot lawn mower wasn't driving straight. The front tires also looked "too agile" at times, but the robot lawn mower never hit a soccer ball or a dummy dog. And yes, the appliance never ran into me or other journalists either, although it had many opportunities to do so. And as I mentioned, this is a pre-production model. A solid evaluation is only possible with an actual production model.
First impression: The beginning is done
My first impression of the Roborock RockMow Z1 proved positive. Part of it had to do with Roborock's strategy. They don't want to copy other manufacturers. They are not satisfied with launching just any ordinary robot lawn mower on the market, just to claim that they are now like their competitors. Rather, they try to solve customers' problems. The RockMow Z1 was also designed with this philosophy in mind. It was designed for XXL gardens, with a maximum area of 1,000 m². The specially designed system for uneven surfaces looked particularly promising.
Roborock also wants to tackle edge cutting—a point of criticism of most robot lawn mowers. Here, a second mowing disc ensures the cut remains close to garden boundaries, done in a prim and proper manner. Only a comprehensive review will show how good the actual lawn cut is. All in all, I hope you are now even more excited about Roborock's upcoming flagship robot lawn mower, as I am. Unfortunately, there is still no information on the price or market launch. The most likely launch date is next spring, when the new lawn season starts.
