Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 Pro

Although we enjoy reviewing the true flagship models, as that's where the most exciting new features make their debut, it's probably in the infamous "mid-range" section of the spectrum that most people actually buy. It's all well and good that Roborock is launching a Saros 20 Sonic for just over £1,300, but statistically, very few people spend that much.

Okay, so the Qrevo Edge 2 Pro, currently available for around £850, is still an expensive robot vacuum cleaner - as in really expensive - but it might represent a solid compromise for the average consumer, don't you think?

Visually, it's not particularly flashy. Roborock is still going all out with the "subtle robot" look, and although it isn't exactly an eyesore in white and will fit into most homes, the curves from the Curve variant are really missing here.

But it's what's inside that counts, and here Roborock apparently delivers exactly what's so crucial in these mid-range models: flagship features at a lower price. As for the vacuum cleaner itself, you get 25,000 Pa - neither top nor bottom, so to speak - but it also has a LiDAR module on a telescopic arm, allowing it to lower itself and get under lower furniture. It also features AdaptiLift, which allows it to lift itself by over four centimetres, enabling it to navigate into rooms with higher door thresholds.

It also features the Saros 20 Sonics DuoDivide Brush, which effectively eliminates the problem of hair getting tangled around the brush, making vacuuming less effective, and it even has Roborock's FlexiArm Arc, both for the side brush and for the mops at the back.

But to be perfectly honest, development has stagnated somewhat over the last two years, and although models do occasionally arrive that push the boundaries of what we can expect from the category - such as Roborock's own robotic arm or Dreame's interchangeable mop pads - there are now very specific expectations regarding what a device like this should be capable of. This also makes the market vulnerable to products like the Qrevo Edge 2 Pro, because apart from a suction power that is slightly higher, you really do get everything the big boys have to offer for something like £300 less.

Yes, there are minor gripes. The dust bin inside the robot is just 270 millilitres, which means it fills up quickly during a thorough clean, and it's actually smaller than in previous models, which is a bit bizarre. And as I said, it's extremely unimpressive visually, which probably won't bother many people, but which I again believe is a sign of a somewhat stagnant category. They don't have to be either boring or ugly to look at.

That said, the LiDAR navigation and Reactive AI suite are effective, mopping takes place at 100 degrees just like on the flagship models, and the 6400mAh battery gave me something close to the 190 minutes of use between trips to the dock that Roborock promised. There are still limitations. The circular shape means it can't tackle corners quite as effectively, the tolerance level for when something gets stuck or requires human intervention is a bit low, and it still can't scrub hard enough to remove stubborn stains.

But having said all that, the Qrevo Edge 2 Pro represents pretty much the best a robot vacuum can offer, from a rock-solid app to excellent results, and it does so, once again, at a far lower price than you would otherwise pay. For that very reason, it is well worth the money, and more.