Roborock RockNeo Q105 review: our long-term test at €799

Oliver Whitfield • August 16, 2026 17:54

Roborock, long a big name in robot vacuum cleaners, is finally moving outdoors with its first range of robotic lawn mowers. Priced at €799 and designed for gardens of up to 500 m², the RockNeo Q105 is the brand’s more “affordable” option. We’ve been testing it for several months.

Driven by the spread of perimeter-wire-free models and the move upmarket in navigation tech (RTK GPS, LiDAR, AI vision), France’s robotic mower market is accelerating rapidly.

In 2024, sales in France rose by roughly 20% in both value and volume, according to NielsenIQ-GfK-faster than the wider market for conventional mowers. Turnover sits at around €170–175 million (depending on the analyst firm), with the average basket in the consumer segment hovering around €500–600.

Husqvarna Group (Husqvarna and Gardena), Mammotion and Ecovacs stand out as leaders in the European market. But the boom in this technology has also made room for new entrants: Segway (Navimow) and Dreame, for instance, are targeting highly connected “without perimeter wire” models.

That is exactly the segment Roborock has chosen for its very first line of robotic mowers-an ambitious move in a market that is already well established and growing fast.

The RockNeo Q105 sits in the entry to mid-range bracket with a compelling tech-to-price balance. Sold for €799, it is built for areas of 500 m². To win a place in your garden, Roborock is relying on its brand reputation and its software and navigation know-how.

We put the RockNeo Q105 through a multi-month test. So, is it worth buying?

What we liked about the RockNeo Q105

Effective mowing

The RockNeo Q105’s first strength is the quality of its cut. On a regularly maintained lawn, it mows in neat, parallel stripes-much like Roborock’s robot vacuum cleaners that methodically cover rooms indoors. The finish looks very tidy, creating a “stadium lawn” effect. To keep that look, you’ll need to run it often because-like most robotic mowers in this class-it will steer around grass that has grown too tall.

The RockNeo Q105 is also comfortable on rougher ground. Its 22 cm cutting width and floating cutting deck help it follow uneven terrain and reduce scalping on bumps and dips.

It will also tackle slopes of up to 45%, climb 4 cm obstacles, and squeeze through passages of roughly 70 cm. Its terrain-adaptation system and large rear wheels help it keep moving on slightly lumpy lawns or mixed surfaces (grass + gravel).

Be cautious, though, if your garden is tree-filled like ours. Even if it can get over larger roots, it does not always come through unscathed. For example, we had to replace our blades after three mowing sessions, as the pre-installed set struck roots very hard.

On the plus side, the optional PreciEdge module lets it get to around 3 cm from walls and fences, helping it trim edges more cleanly. Add effective mulching and you get a well-rounded approach that allows the robot to handle the whole mowing job, including the less enjoyable bits (edges in particular).

It’s also worth highlighting how quiet the RockNeo Q105 is. At 59 dB, it ranks among the most discreet robots in its category. You can hear it, of course, but not to the point where you have to raise your voice to chat while eating on the patio during a mow.

Easy to use

Like the rest of the RockNeo family, the Q105 operates without a perimeter wire, avoiding the installation hassle and the need to repair broken wire. Garden boundaries are set using RTK+Vision navigation and AI-assisted smart mapping that learns the shape of your plot.

Although the initial set-up still requires you to guide the mower along the edges, it remains far more approachable for non-DIY users than older wired robots. Even so, Roborock does not go as far as some rivals whose machines can map the garden fully autonomously.

For safety, the Sentisphere vision system enables the robot to recognise objects, animals and people in real time. Wildlife-protection modes and built-in restrictions on night-time mowing inside the app are additional tools that make day-to-day use smoother.

Lastly, IPX6 certification means you can rinse it off with a garden hose, making maintenance easier after weeks of mowing.

A simple, fully featured app

Roborock brings its software experience to the RockNeo Q105 with its flagship app. It’s the same app used for the brand’s robot vacuum cleaners, following a familiar layout: a garden map, defined areas, mowing history and the key settings. You can schedule mowing windows, manage up to 15 zones, adjust obstacle- and boundary-avoidance sensitivity, and enable options such as night-time wildlife protection (including for hedgehogs).

Rain and frost handling is also well thought-through: a dedicated sensor, automatic return to the base, and the option to delay restarting by 3 to 8 hours to avoid cutting a waterlogged lawn. It’s all here. The interface remains clear and easy to navigate.

What we liked less about the RockNeo Q105

An RTK antenna mandatory in 2026

The RockNeo Q105 does not need a perimeter wire, but it only works if you install an RTK antenna, complete with a mast and a cable that has to be run back to the base. Technically, RTK remains extremely accurate (working like an antenna), but in practice it forces you to find an open spot, sort out mounting, and pay attention to range and signal quality. And frankly, it is an eyesore in a garden.

This is even more disappointing because most competitors blend GPS, vision and AI so they can operate without any external antenna at all. Roborock’s decision here is hard to justify.

Cutting height adjustment is manual only

The RockNeo Q105 can cut across a range of heights from 20 to 60 mm. The issue is that the mowing height is adjusted only via the physical dial on top of the robot. That means you cannot change height from the app, create mowing profiles with different heights for different zones, or adapt the cut to the season with a single tap.

It is not a deal-breaker, but it feels out of place on a smart mower sold for €799. Once again, competitors are starting to offer more granular settings that make everyday use even easier.

Our verdict on the Roborock RockNeo Q105

The RockNeo Q105 turns out to be an appealing robotic mower in several respects. It is straightforward to set up, delivers a clean and consistent cut, and copes well with uneven gardens. The app is clear and comprehensive, and it can handle sloping ground too (up to 45%).

However, at this price, it is disappointing that it does not benefit from all the latest advances seen on rivals-most notably the RTK antenna required for it to operate. It also lacks fully automatic mapping, and the exclusively manual height adjustment prevents you from programming truly customised scenarios.

For a first attempt in the robotic mower market, these shortcomings are easier to overlook-but Roborock will need to adopt the standards set by competitors quickly if it wants to dominate here as it has done with robot vacuum cleaners.