Four months of testing across a very steep 500 m²: my verdict on the RockMow Z1 LiDAR, Roborock’s robotic lawn mower with no wire or antenna, which succeeds where others fail.
My garden is a nightmare for robotic lawn mowers. Across 500 m², it has several severe slopes, raised sections and a small isolated patch of grass by the car park. I have watched several models give up: unable to climb, they included the Husqvarna 405XE Nera, which could not tackle my main slope. So, as someone who has used Roborock robot vacuum cleaners for years, I was naturally intrigued by the brand’s move into lawn mowing.
The market has certainly gathered pace: the big names in robot vacuuming are arriving in our gardens one after another, and Roborock has finally taken the plunge with two ranges of robotic lawn mowers. On one side are the RTK-navigation RockNeo models; on the other, the LiDAR-guided RockMow range. This Z1 (or Z120) LiDAR is the flagship model, designed for lawns of up to 2,000 m².
I will spare you the suspense: the RockMow Z1 LiDAR is the first robot to conquer my garden, as well as the most impressive garden product I have ever used. Two genuine questions remain: how does it perform day to day, and is its €2,799 price justified? Here is my review.
What I liked about the Roborock RockMow Z1 LiDAR
Exceptional on slopes
This was the factor that ruled out every predecessor in my garden. A sizeable portion of my plot rises sharply, and all the robots I had tried previously eventually spun their wheels, displayed an error or simply avoided the area. The RockMow Z1 LiDAR, by contrast, travels everywhere as though nothing is happening. In four months, I have never seen it back down from a slope or get stranded in a difficult situation. Its uphill mobility is equally impressive, without leaving marks behind.
Roborock has clearly paid close attention to the mechanical side, and that is obvious at first glance. Sitting on the grass, the Z1 looks unlike anything else: it has two powered, steering front wheels topped by large motor units, plus rear wheels fitted with visibly sprung suspension, rather like an XXL radio-controlled car. Its 21.7 kg weight sits firmly on the lawn. That is excellent in use, but make sure you warm up before delivery day: the box is very heavy and very bulky.
The manufacturer claims it can handle slopes of up to 80% and clear obstacles measuring 8 cm, and, for once, the specification sheet matches what happens in a real garden. It even climbs the raised parts of my plot, which is ideal for reaching my upper garden. That suspension travel is not merely decorative: it lets all four wheels maintain contact with ground that rises, falls and becomes uneven.
Wire-free, antenna-free installation with no fuss
The second relief comes during installation. There is no perimeter wire to lay here, nor is there an RTK antenna to plant in the middle of the lawn, which was one of our criticisms of the RockNeo Q105, the brand’s other robotic lawn mower. Navigation relies on the LiDAR dome and onboard sensors, and that makes all the difference.
Setup simply involves driving the robot around the areas to be mown, and that is it. I found the process easier than Husqvarna’s, while its handling of separate zones is a real advantage: the small patch of garden by my car park gets cut just like the rest. The highly intuitive app then provides every setting, from scheduling to exclusion zones.
One piece of advice, however: take the time to define those exclusion zones properly, because the Z1 is a brute. At my home, it climbed a very low edging that it did not identify as an obstacle and demolished a miniature olive tree on the way through (it survived). Nothing disastrous, and since I set the boundaries correctly, it has been very good at recognising its surroundings and avoiding what it should. Still, with more than 21 kg moving close to your flowerbeds, prevention is preferable.
Fast, neat and quiet mowing
This is where Roborock’s experience with robot vacuum cleaners becomes immediately apparent. The RockMow Z1 LiDAR cuts in exceptionally tidy parallel stripes, following intelligent routes rather than crossing the same spot ten times. Beneath the body, a 24 cm disc with six blades does the work. I had never seen mowing this quick: this morning, it took 3 hours 10 minutes, including 2 hours 17 minutes of mowing, for roughly 260 m², charging included. My entire 500 m² is finished within half a day, including recharges; allow just under an hour for a full charge.
In everyday use, I run it every other day with the cutting height set to 40 mm; height adjustment runs from 20 to 70 mm, accurate to the millimetre. That routine keeps the lawn immaculate without demanding any of my time. During the heatwave, I eased off to avoid stressing the grass, and the app is very convenient for starting it remotely. This morning’s cut was the first for two weeks, yet the garden looks tidy. Another important detail: the robot does not go out in the rain. Special mention goes to the noise, or rather the lack of it: it is almost silent, to the extent that you completely forget it is working.
For finishing, the optional PreciEdge module brings the cut closer to borders and delivers a slightly more precise result. It does not work miracles everywhere: around my terrace, I still need to use a manual edge trimmer. That is the only place where the robot leaves me work to do.
What I liked less about the Roborock RockMow Z1 LiDAR
The price, inevitably
You were expecting it: here comes the painful part. The RockMow Z1 LiDAR has a €2,799 recommended retail price, excluding the PreciEdge module. It is very expensive, even if that figure remains in line with premium robots built for large gardens. I would add one lesson from experience: supposedly more affordable models that cannot climb your slope are simply money wasted.
The real question lies elsewhere: do you need it? If your garden is flat, open and reasonably sized, a much cheaper model will do the job, starting with the brand’s RockNeo range. The Z1 makes sense for difficult, sloping and fragmented plots: precisely the places where other robots give up. In this niche, I see no equivalent. However, knowing Roborock, prices can drop very quickly, and at that point it will come close to perfection.
My verdict after four months with the RockMow Z1 LiDAR
After more than four months of use, I am still looking for genuine flaws in the RockMow Z1 LiDAR. A garden I believed was unsuitable for robotic mowing has become a textbook case: installation was completed in no time, slopes are swallowed up, mowing is fast, tidy and quiet, and the app is up there with Roborock’s best work. You simply need to accept the price and keep an eye on its exclusion zones during the first few weeks.
Currently rated 9.5/10, I will update that score in a year, once I have the necessary perspective on maintenance and durability, which are crucial considerations for robotic lawn mowers. In the meantime, if your lawn resembles a mountain stage more than a golf green and your budget allows it, go for it: I have never used a garden product like this.
Roborock RockMow Z1 LiDAR
€2799
Overall rating
9.5/10
We like
- Perfect for sloping gardens
- Fast and effective mowing
- Comprehensive app
- Simple, quick installation
We like less
- The edge-cutting function requires an additional purchase
- Stratospheric price
Buy at the best price
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