Is this the most futuristic robot vacuum yet? It cleans, mops, purifies your air, secures your home, helps you with food deliveries and even helps film videos

When you think of robots, what springs to mind? As a home tech editor, robot vacuums are my front runner, but following the CES 2025 tech conference and the unveiling of the most advanced multi-tasking robot vacuum in the world, I'm having to rethink my definition of what that is.

Leading robotic and interactive tech company SwitchBot showcased the K20+ Pro, with a world of multi-functionality now built in as standard. As if vacuuming and mopping your floors and emptying itself wasn't enough, this stackable robot can now also cool and purify your air, patrol your home, help with deliveries, hold your phone or tablet to assist you when you're filming content or making videos to send to friends and family and help you put laundry away.

As Homes & Gardens' home tech editor, I've written about and had plenty of hands-on experience testing and reviewing the best robot vacuums, and I'm intrigued to see how the widened scope of multi-functionality in the Switchbot K20+ will perform in real time.

What can the SwitchBot K20+ multi-tasking robot do?

CES brings together the latest in home tech and this year, I was most intrigued to hear about the K20+ Pro, which is the first of its kind in the world of robot vacuums because of its immense scope in helpful house functions.

Previously, I'd seen robots like the Samsung AI Bespoke Jet Bot watch your home and talk to your family, and the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which has a station that doubles up as a table.

But the level of multi-functionality in the K20+ hasn't been achieved before and I'm excited to imagine new ways of using this automated, free-roaming and AI-learning tech to improve my home experience.

The K20+ Pro works as any robot vacuum would, moving around the house as it vacuums and mops the floors. But that's essentially the foundation for whatever additional device you want to stack on top, whether it's an air purifier, fan, humidifier, or camera.

You can attach a mount for your phone and tablet to stream a show or video call a friend while your hands are occupied, like when cooking or exercising. Or you could utilize the surface to deliver drinks to somebody in the house, take dry laundry to the bedroom, or bring food from the door to the living room.

This ability to carry items around the house will surely make a difference for anybody with limited mobility. SwitchBot also has a line of home automation gear like smart locks, allowing you to open the door from anywhere whenever a delivery comes. You'll be able to speak to the courier and ask them to place it on top of the K20+ robot.

As somebody who's often moving air purifiers, fans and humidifiers from room to room, I love the idea of a robot that can do it for you, learning which rooms will need cooling or refreshed air quality over time and changing its routine accordingly.

I can also imagine the peace of mind from being able to check on different rooms or even speak to your pets while you're of the house, all in one fancy machine.

My only concern is that, from the experience I've had with robot vacuums, I appreciate that these devices move slowly. Sending items to other rooms or a camera to patrol them won't be a quick movement, and most of the time it'll likely be a task that you could do quicker yourself, or don't mind waiting for.

Also, combining so much variety into one appliance raises the question of how effective each component will be, a sentiment that John Yensen, tech enthusiast and president of Revotech Networks shares.

'I do wonder how packing so much functionality into one device comes at the cost of quality and performance,' he says. 'Consumers will need to see strong performance in all areas to justify the cost.'

'And as someone who lived in a small apartment for four years, this device would need to be a manageable size,' he adds. 'It might deter potential buyers if it's too large, no matter how advanced the features are.'

The different devices can't all run at the same time, so there'd also need to be enough space in the house to store those that aren't being used.

Our Head of Solved Punteha van Terheyden has been testing robot vacuums for months, and her thoughts on the concept are both curious and cautious.

She says, 'First and foremost it would have to be able to clean the floors well. I've used certain robot vacuums that have left a fair amount of mess behind, and if this multi-tasking robot is as hands-free as it claims, I'd hope to not have to use my own cordless vacuum to clean up after it.'

'But as long as it can vacuum and mop, the rest should be straightforward. It's not too difficult to find good-quality purifiers, fans and cameras, so I trust that these elements wouldn't be the snag in this otherwise great idea.'

Punteha has been testing another Switchbot robot vacuum at home for a month and found its function to be excellent.

Personally, I'm excited to see where this advanced tech can take us next. Having a fully automated helper around the house will undoubtedly transform how much work we have to do ourselves. I just hope one day it will be able to do the dishes!

The SwitchBot K20+ Pro will be available in spring this year direct from SwitchBot and other major retailers.

For more automated inspiration, check out our tested guide of the best robot vacuums for pet hair.