Robot vacuum review: how high can the Roborock Qrevo Curv really climb?

For years, users have been asking for a vacuum that can climb over thresholds and ramps. There are countless questions about this across our Community, and the topic is addressed under almost every vacuum robot test.

Now the first robot vacuum is available in our shop, and not even steps or uneven flooring will stop it in its tracks. But only a test will reveal how well the extendable wheels really work.

How well the Roborock Qrevo Curv climbs

As my apartment doesn’t have thresholds, I bought squared planks of wood in different heights to conduct the test. I’ll also use it when I test other models with a climbing feature. Dreame has already released one of these too.

The Roborock Qrevo Curv is supposed to handle four centimetre height differences. However, I read in the small print on the manufacturer’s website that it’s actually only three centimetres. The robot only manages four centimetres on double thresholds, where the first ledge is lower.

18 millimetre thresholds

I start my test with the squared timber measuring 18 millimetres in height. Easy peasy for Curv, it conquers thresholds every time and usually drives over them in one go. To do this, it extends the front wheel, balances itself on the threshold, then increases the ground space at the rear with two other extendable wheels and pushes itself over the obstacle. It doesn’t look very elegant, but it works well. Sometimes it takes two attempts if it tries to cross the plank without a running start or at a slight angle.

By the way, the robot soon recognises the threshold and adds it to the map of the apartment. It then cleans the area in front of the obstacle completely first, then climbs over it and vacuums or mops the area behind it. It uses the same method if the threshold is in the middle of a cleaning area too.

28 millimetre thresholds

We’re already approaching the three centimetre mark – and this is quite clear in the test. On every attempt, the Roborock handles the 28-millimetre plank of wood. However, it takes considerably longer – 30 to 45 seconds every time in fact.

Driving straight over it doesn’t work. It tries to, but gets stuck. Still, it’s able to come away from the awkward situation then manoeuvre over the obstacle on a diagonal. In the video you can see how long it takes – and how hard it looks. I always felt the urge to help out manually. Fortunately, the Curv can extend each wheel individually to push itself over the threshold at an angle. The system is so sophisticated that it tries out different methods at different angles and doesn’t give up straight away.

41 millimetre thresholds

At a height of just over four centimetres, the robot surrenders. There’s no chance of overcoming this obstacle. It’ll be exciting to compare this with the Dreame model, which is expected to be presented at the CES in Las Vegas in January and should manage thresholds of four or more centimetres.

If the thresholds in your home are two to two and a half centimetres, then I can recommend the Roborock. It should be able to cope with these heights without any problems. Two and a half to three centimetres is also possible, but depending on the nature of the threshold or edge, there’s a risk that it’ll get stuck. The obstacle itself shouldn’t be too fragile, as the robot will clamber all over it.

It’s also worth remembering that the Curv will climb. For example, it tried to cross the cats’ coaster and water bowls every time – which has never been a problem in other robot vacuum tests.

Perfect everyday cleaning aid

All the technical gimmicks are useless if the basics aren’t right. And this is where the Roborock Qrevo Curv surprises in everyday use – it’s one of the best vacuum cleaners I’ve ever had. It impressed me even more than the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra I tested in September.

Navigation works perfectly. The robot knows where it is at all times and goes exactly where it needs to go. The following incident is a good example of this: I had to temporarily move the base station to a different location – in the same room, but a few metres away on a different wall. And Curv found its way around immediately without having to rescan the map.

The cleaning performance is excellent. There are two reasons for this. First, the Roborock has finally switched to round, rotating mops, which clean much better than the vibrating plate that’s still installed in the S8 MaxV Ultra. Second, there’s a mop and rotating brush which can be extended to the side so that edges are thoroughly cleaned.

It’s also nice to have a two-piece main brush. This design prevents hair from getting caught. And it actually works: no long hair gets wrapped around the brush.

The new base station is surprisingly good

The base station, which looks like a small igloo, is also eye-catching. It’s much rounder and also much more compact than those of many competitors. The Curv-Station is 45 centimetres high, the one for the Dreame X40 Ultra Complete almost 60 centimetres.

Nevertheless, the base station can do everything you’d expect from a top appliance. Dust is vacuumed into a bag and the robot is automatically supplied with water. The mops are also cleaned with water heated to 75 degrees, then dried with air heated to 45 degrees.

Despite the compact design, the fresh water tank can hold four litres and the waste water tank holds three. But you should empty it before it’s completely full, as the dirty water – as with any robot hoover – soon starts to smell.

The only thing it’s missing is the option to drop the mops off in the base station, for example when you just want to vacuum carpet. At least the robot can lift them so that they don’t get in the way too much.

The battery life was plenty for an apartment with four and a half rooms over 120 square metres in «Vac & Mop» mode, in which the robot vacuums and mops at the same time.

Another great plus is how quietly the Qrevo Curv does its work. I recorded around 57 decibels at a distance of one metre when it was in «Vac & Mop» mode. It’s the quietest robot I’ve tested so far.

The robot itself is unfortunately quite tall – I measured 10.2 centimetres. Depending on your furniture, it may not be able to reach certain areas.

What the software can do – and where it fails

The app is clearly laid out, but offers countless functions. So it takes some time to get used to it. For example, you can save up to four maps and use the robot on different storeys. In the settings, you can also choose whether the robot can take images of obstacles and evaluate them or whether you even want to use it to monitor your home remotely with the camera.

However, the entire set-up process wasn’t very encouraging. Although it’s simple and logically structured, the Roborock shows surprising weaknesses when creating the map of the flat. It took 17 minutes to scan – longer than with most competitors. By comparison, the Dreame X40 Ultra Complete created the map of my flat in around eight minutes. The cheaper brother L10s Pro Ultra Heat took twelve minutes, while its competitor Samsung Jet Bot Steam+ took ten minutes.

Does slower also mean more precise? Unfortunately not in this case. The AI divides the rooms almost completely incorrectly. Only the two small bathrooms are recognised correctly. The living room, kitchen, office and hallway, on the other hand, are combined into a single large room.

Much more troublesome, however, is the fact that the robot creates a connection between the kitchen and bedroom via the balcony, so to speak. On the other hand, it splits the second bedroom in the middle and connects part of it to the first bedroom through the wall. I then have to correct both by hand, which is far from easy.

After all, it’s worth the effort. Since then I haven’t had any problems with the map in day-to-day use. The Qrevo Curv navigates around my apartment precisely, quickly and flawlessly. So if you have initial difficulties, stick with it.