Roborock RockMow Z1

We recently reviewed the Roborock S1 here at Gamereactor, a robotic lawnmower that can reasonably be considered a "mid-range" model. But as you probably already know, although the average consumer tends overwhelmingly to buy the cheaper models in a given range, it's all about pushing the boundaries for manufacturers, and they do that through their flagship models.

So if money is no object, you can spend £3,000 on a Z1, the absolute top-of-the-range model. Rather than looking like a typical lawnmower, this one resembles a sort of all-terrain gadget, which it actually is, with four-wheel drive and the ability to tackle gradients of up to 80 per cent (that's a slope of almost 40 degrees).

It's wireless, of course, that goes without saying. It navigates using both RTK satellite technology and so-called "VSLAM", which is a combination of cameras and sensors on the unit itself. As mentioned, it has AWD, and there are individual steering motors on the front wheels, enabling it to handle the aforementioned gradients, as well as holes up to eight centimetres deep.

It's quite clear, then, that we're once again dealing with a rather serious machine here, and should you be in any doubt, the fact that it can maintain an area of up to 5,000 square metres daily should be the ultimate proof. Once again, we're dealing with a robotic lawnmower that's either genuinely intended for more professional-grade areas, or for those who simply want to buy the top-of-the-range model no matter what.

It features six durable blades and a double-layered cutting disc with an "anti-clogging function", which is marketing speak for the fact that measures have been taken to ensure the cut grass doesn't get stuck inside and reduce cutting performance. Furthermore, the cutting height is electrically adjustable from 20 to 70 millimetres, meaning you don't need to physically adjust the machine to achieve a different result.

PreciEdge is also one of the most precise edge-cutting systems we've seen on a top-of-the-range model during this summer's lawnmower tests. It cuts right up to three centimetres from walls and fences, and works absolutely brilliantly. Overall, the Z1 delivers a rather impressive result, and here we're talking both about its ability to tackle difficult terrain and the neatness of the lawn it leaves behind.

Furthermore, this time round we've delved a little deeper into Roborock's app ecosystem, which appears incredibly mature. Naturally, a host of UI elements have been inherited directly from their robot vacuum app, and that's a good thing, as the layout is intuitive and incredibly cleverly designed. It features built-in 4G connectivity, meaning there are several ways to maintain the signal even if the RTK or Wi-Fi signals were to fail. It's truly robust.

The only real complaint is that the Z1 seems a bit too cautious straight out of the box. By that I mean that the camera seems to detect potential objects left on the lawn a little too sensitively. We tried placing a small pile of leaves, and it was registered as an object and consequently avoided. Admittedly, the app "notes" where the object was and checks it subsequently, so it's not a persistent problem, but situations could easily arise where something the Z1 simply needed to plough through was identified as an obstacle.

The Z1 isn't cheap, so it's not for everyone. Most of its features are available on cheaper models as well, and if you're not interested in PreciEdge or have a larger area to cover, this one is a bit too fancy. That said, this delivers the cleanest cut we've seen from a "consumer model", and we recommend it accordingly.