Rowenta

A 1909 German brand inside Groupe SEB

Rowenta is an old appliance name that has built a real robot range. Its Swiss About page says "Depuis 1909, la marque allemande Rowenta" (since 1909, the German brand Rowenta), and lists vacuums, irons, steam generators, hair dryers and epilators as its core. The same page places Rowenta inside Groupe SEB, which it calls a world leader in small domestic appliances present in nearly 150 countries, and the Swiss contact page gives Groupe SEB Schweiz GmbH as the local company. On its French store Rowenta also claims to be "N°1 des aspirateurs en France" (number one in vacuum cleaners in France), citing Euromonitor retail volume data for 2025. The robots come in two generations: the older Explorer family, still presented on Rowenta's international page, and the newer X-PLORER series that fills the French store. The French robot category lists 11 products, from simple vacuum-mops to a flagship with a self-washing station.

The Explorer robots

Rowenta's international Explorer page pitches the family as "Your secret weapons against pet hair & allergens." The headline model is the Explorer Serie 60, which Rowenta says is "Only 6 cm high," built to reach pet hair under low furniture on hardwood, tile and carpet. Rowenta bills it as the thinnest 4-in-1 robot, defining 4-in-1 as sweeping, central brushing, vacuuming and mopping, and footnoting the claim against its own reading of 2019 European best-seller panel data.

Three ideas run through the Explorer range. First, every model mops while it vacuums, using what Rowenta calls the 2 in 1 Aqua Force System, "to remove the smallest particles and muddy pawprints." Second, the bi-material Animal turbo brush, available for each Explorer robot, is meant to pick up large dust and pet hair and reduce long-hair tangling. Third, each robot comes in an Allergy version whose high performance filter, Rowenta says, can contain up to 99.9% of dust mites and allergens.

Navigation is where the Explorer models differ. Smart Exploration 2.0 is automatic navigation with infrared sensors to avoid stairs. Smart Exploration 4.0 adds a gyroscope for methodic coverage and a time of flight camera for tracking along walls and furniture. Smart Exploration 8.0 uses a laser and camera system from the Austrian company Robart, with a permanent map in the Rowenta Robots app for no-go zones, spot cleaning and suction adjustment. The Serie 40, Serie 60 and Serie 80 work with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and the app handles schedules and push notifications about the robot's activity and maintenance.

The X-PLORER range on the French store

The newer X-PLORER models publish suction and prices, which makes the range easy to read. The prices below are what the French store showed, often as clearance deals, and they change.

At the entry end, the X-PLORER Serie 65 is a vacuum-mop with methodic cleaning at 219,99 € against a recommended 269,99 €, and the Serie 65+ is 319,99 €. Rowenta calls the 65 models "Le plus fin des robots laser jamais conçu" (the thinnest laser robot ever designed). The X-PLORER Serie 85 is a 6 000 Pa vacuum-mop with 360° laser detection at 229,99 €, and the Serie 85+ is 309,99 €.

In the middle, the X-Plorer Série 75S+ adds a station and smart navigation, listed with 120min of runtime at 279,99 € and promising "60 jours d'autonomie" (60 days of autonomy) from its dock. The X-PLORER Serie 135 and 135+ are laser vacuum-mops at 6000 Pa built to detect and avoid low obstacles, at 319,99 € and 419,99 €. The X-Plorer Serie 220+ offers 5600 Pa at 779,99 €, and the X-Plorer Série 380+, an Animal & Allergie model, reaches 8 000 Pa at 379,99 €.

At the top, the X-Plorer Serie 580 Max is the self-cleaning model: 10 000 PA of suction, 360° laser detection, and a washing station, sold at 499,99 € against a recommended 549,99 €, with web packs that bundle it with an X-Force 5.80 stick vacuum or a Clean-It carpet washer.

Each French listing also shows a repairability index, from 9,1 /10 to 9,6 /10.

The French buying guide explains how the mopping models differ. Rowenta's robot laveurs pair vacuuming with a water tank and vibrating mop pads that lift light stains on tile, parquet and laminate, and models fitted with an anti-tangle central brush capture long and short pet hair. The same guide says every connected model returns to its charging base on its own, and it recommends virtual walls to keep the robot away from fragile corners and thick rugs. The 75 S manual adds plain advice: no liquids, embers or cigarettes, fine plaster or ash, or broken glass, and a charging base placed flat against a wall.

App, manuals and support

The X-PLORER Serie 75 S manual page describes "high-precision navigation, advanced laser technology, and 4-in-1 cleaning with the Smart Aqua Power system," with FAQs on connecting to Google Home, personalizing the map and running zone cleans from the app. It notes that the app no longer works on Android 4.4.4 or lower because of tightened data security. The French category page adds that connected models let you schedule cleans, set virtual walls and track the dust bin from a phone, and that pet owners should look at the X-Plorer Serie 75 Animal and its high performance filter.

Repair is a selling point. Rowenta's sites carry the banner "RÉPARABILITÉ 15 ANS" (15 years of repairability), and the French store promises "Garantie 2 ans & 15 ans de réparabilité" (a 2-year guarantee and 15 years of repairability) alongside free delivery in 3 days and 90 days to change your mind. The Swiss repair page says in-warranty repairs are free at approved repairers, and that owners who prefer to fix things themselves can buy some parts and accessories from the online accessory shop. The French robot page lists filters and side brushes among those parts.

Who it suits

Rowenta suits a European buyer, especially in France, who wants a known appliance brand, a clear price ladder and a long repair promise. Pet owners have the most to gain: the Animal turbo brush, the Allergy versions and the slim Explorer Serie 60 all target fur under low furniture. Budget buyers can start with the Serie 65 at 219,99 € or the Serie 85 at 229,99 €, while the Serie 580 Max is the pick for someone who wants the robot to wash its own mop.

The range is broad and the naming shifts between Explorer and X-PLORER, so check each model's own page for its dock and features. For a buyer who values repair over replacement, that 15 year promise is a strong reason to choose Rowenta.