- The SwitchBot K20+ Pro is a mini robot vacuum with a mounting platform that clips on to the top
- A fan, tray, security cam and more can then be mounted on top of the vac
- SwitchBot thinks this will “redefine how we approach smart living”
CES is always a hotbed of exciting new gadgets, and CES 2025 is no exception. I’m not on the floor this year, but my inbox has been flooded with news of weird and wonderful new robot vacuums – like one with tiny little feet for climbing stairs, and another that has a big mechanical pincer arm to pick up your socks. But amongst all the new robovacs being shown off, SwitchBot’s stands out as being the wackiest.
The K20+ Pro can vacuum your floors, but it can also act as an air purifier, patrol your home for security purposes, and even deliver you a sandwich.
The robot vacuum itself is a ‘mini’ bot, like the SwitchBot K10+ Pro (released in August 2024, and rated by TechRadar as the best small robot vacuum), which uses LiDAR for navigation and is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri. Onto this clips the lager wheeled ‘FusionPlatform’ and then various compatible SwitchBot appliances can be attached on top of that. The bot then essentially serves to drive those appliances round.
So you could add on an air purifier or fan, or a security camera, or a tablet stand. Or you could clip on a tray and use it, as the brand suggests, to “deliver items to seniors or manage pet care supplies”. The tray can support up to 8kg in weight, but whether your grandma will appreciate her lunch being delivered by bot rather than hand remains to be seen. The promotional imagery even shows robotic arms picking up litter and throwing it in the trash, but this isn’t mentioned anywhere in the press release.
SwitchBot is selling these as various combo kits, so you can pick the K20+ Pro Patrol Kit if you want the robovac and security cam, for instance, or the Ultimate kit for all the various appendages. It’s due to go on sale “later in the year”, and you can read more about it on the SwitchBot event page.
Elsewhere at CES, SwitchBot has unveiled its S20 Pro, a separate robot vacuum that just vacuums and mops. It’s an update to the brand’s S10, and is due to go on sale later in the year.
A step too far?
SwitchBot thinks the K20+ Pro will “redefine how we approach smart living, offering families an unparalleled blend of convenience, functionality, and adaptability”, but I’m not entirely convinced.
It’s a novel idea, and although I’ve not felt hampered by the fact I haven’t been able to drive my fan and air purifier around, there are perhaps unforeseen benefits to this. The security camera is an interesting option because a number of premium robot vacuums integrate this function into the bot itself, using the camera (and sometimes also an onboard mic) and providing a feed via the companion app. Suggesting people attach a separate cam feels like an altogether clunkier and less elegant solution.
Overall, it feels more like a concept that’s ready to be built upon and customized, rather than a fully realized solution. SwitchBot calls out the DIY possibilities in its press release, describing it as a modular foundation that’s ready to be experimented with, and confirming that it can be integrated with custom-made attachments, 3D-printed components, or third-party devices.
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