When you look at your washing machine, you would normally think, “Why don’t you dry my laundry while you are at it, eh? And why don’t you have a touchscreen that turns my iPad green with envy? And why can’t I control you via an app in 2023?” If you answered “Yes” to all these questions, then Roborock has just the right product for you.
With the Roborock Zeo One, the Chinese manufacturer has transformed from churning out just vacuum cleaners to being a vacuum cleaner and washer company. nextpit has all the juicy details for you.
At first glance, the Roborock Zeo One looks as though a trio of iPad minis were arranged horizontally at the top segment of the washing machine. You will not be able to find any mechanical controls in front of the washing machine.
Instead of a rotary knob, it has been replaced by a really long touchscreen for you to perform the necessary selections and programming. Of course, you can also use the Roborock Zeo One’s app over a Wi-Fi connection, but we’ll return to that in a moment.
In washing mode, the Roborock Zeo One can handle up to 10 kg of laundry. When it comes to drying, the maximum weight is somewhat lower at 6 kg. Roborock also promised that lint would be removed automatically (via the LintClear Self-Cleaning System) and the entire appliance would be maintenance-free. We hope to find out how it lives up to such claims in a review later on. Do you want us to review this? Let us know in the comments.
If you were wondering about the name: Roborock didn’t forget the “r” in “Zeo” here. Instead, Zeo stands for zeolite, an alternative drying technology compared to conventional exhaust air and heat pump dryers. Zeolite drying has so far been used in industrial dryers and dishwashers and according to Roborock, is supposed to be more energy-efficient.
There’s no energy rating for this home appliance just yet, but we’ll get one upon its launch. According to the manufacturer, this is supposed to happen this year, but there is no specific date set just yet. The price is set at €1,299, and there is no word of a possible US release at press time.
Is it smart? For starters, instead of having to refill the right amount of detergent for each individual wash cycle, the Roborock Zeo One offers a storage tank for both detergent and fabric softener. The amount of detergent for a particular wash program will then be automatically added in each wash cycle.
However, folks who use a separate detergent for each fiber type will be left out in the cold as there is only one tank for the detergent. At least the detergent storage tank drawer can be removed if you want to clean it from time to time. If you really want to, you can also purchase several of them.
Back to its connectivity: the pre-production units only work with the Roborock app so far. However, the manufacturer is also working on Matter compatibility. Do bear in mind the current Matter standard does not support washing machines or vacuum cleaner robots. Basically, we are eagerly awaiting the next Matter update which should be due in November.
There does not seem to be any plans to have the washing machine boot up in a smart manner, such as when a self-installed balcony power plant has just achieved peak power or when the dynamic electricity tariff (comparison) is at a particularly favorable rate. Roborock, Matter, and the entire smart home bubble definitely still have plenty of work ahead of them.
