(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)
BERLIN—The Roborock QRevo Curv is one of the first robot vacuums to add a third dimension to its traversal capabilities. On display here at IFA in Berlin, the brand's latest vacuum and mop hybrid model has side wheels and a front caster that can each lift off the ground independently, allowing it to clear small obstacles and medium-sized thresholds to cover floors more thoroughly.
Roborock showed off the Curv alongside the Edge, which has the same specs but in a squared body, and the QRevo Slim, which adds a time of flight camera to the front and puts the upper LiDAR periscope flush with the rest of the body, allowing it to fit under furniture that much more easily. All are expected to launch in the US this fall, but Roborock hasn’t announced US pricing.
Aside from its climbing capabilities, the Curv has a new lofty benchmark in cleaning power with 18,500Pa of suction. That’s up quite a bit from the already impressive 10,000Pa of Roborock's current flagship, the S8 MaxV Ultra ($1,799.99).
It also has a brush roll with extra bristles tucked away under the main compartment, designed to keep it clear of pet hair and tangles. According to Roborock, it picks up 100% of hair and produces no tangles in the process.
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The Curv also features an extendable side arm with the bristles all loaded to one side to increase its centrifugal force. Its lifting legs can each elevate 10mm (0.4 inches) in height, which can together help the robot clear thresholds up to 4cm (1.6 inches) tall. The tech isn’t designed to climb stairs. Instead, it’s meant to help it work its way across a single floor with tall thresholds.
The Curv is one of a few lifting vacuums on display at IFA. A tech concept from Dreame is specced to clear the same 1.6-inch thresholds, though during the in-person demos at IFA, the Dreame models looked to be clearing a taller step than the Roborock model. That said, I didn’t have my tape measure on me, and Roborock’s tech is on a model that’s ready to ship, whereas the Dreame advancement is just a concept so far. Shark also has a similar model, though it specifically lifts its rear to keep its mop pads away from the carpet.
(Credit: Andrew Gebhart)Otherwise, the Curv has the self-maintenance features you’d expect from a high-end robot vacuum. It washes and dries its own mop pads. It empties its own dust bin. It strangely doesn’t have a separate mopping detergent dispenser, a feature of the S8 MaxV Ultra, but otherwise it matches that device with onboard voice commands and a built-in camera for remote navigation.
The time of flight sensor gives the QRevo Slim the most advanced navigation of Roborock's new models, while the reduced height should let it slip under furniture. We’ll test both once they become available in the US to see if any make our list of the best robot vacuums.