Kobold VR7
2 independent reviewsRead the findings →Vorwerk's well-built vacuum-only robot, with a D-shaped front for corners. It's good on hard floors and suits existing Kobold owners. But it has no mop, a basic app and patchy obstacle dodging for the money.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Vorwerk’s range
- Kobold VR300Previous Kobold robot, app-only controls
- Kobold VR200Older Kobold robot with the same D shape
- Kobold VR7This model
Feedback
What reviewers found
Smarthomeassistent's test is still in progress. What we cite from it below comes from the parts already published and may change, and it doesn't count towards our two-review minimum yet.
Three tests: tchgdns used it with the RB7 station at home, Smarthomeassistent ran it through measured tests in its test area, and Hardware Upgrade tried the Italian Folletto VR7s. They agree it cleans hard floors well and that the app is basic. Carpet and hair split them, with tchgdns impressed and Smarthomeassistent measuring weak results, and so does obstacle avoidance. tchgdns and Hardware Upgrade both think it offers too little for the price.
tchgdns, hands-on, Jun 2023 · Smarthomeassistent, lab test · Hardware Upgrade, hands-on, Mar 2024 (tested on the Folletto VR7s (Italian name for the Kobold VR7 with emptying base))
Hard floors
Reviewers rate it highlytchgdns found even Eco or Auto mode picked up practically everything from hard floors, and Hardware Upgrade found it collected dust effectively, helped by a wide main brush close to the flat front.
Carpet and rugs
Not enough evidenceOnly tchgdns judged carpet: it stepped up power automatically and left nothing behind, though rugs with pile over 1.5cm were a problem. No other review we use has tested carpet yet.
Pet hair
Not enough evidenceOnly tchgdns judged hair: it lifted trodden-in hair from carpet reliably, but hair and threads wound round the brush and needed cutting free. No other review we use has tested it.
Navigation and obstacles
Mixed resultsHardware Upgrade and tchgdns both found it mapped and moved methodically, edges first then in rows. But tchgdns found the Fast Mapping mode missed rooms, and its camera, though good with cables and socks, pushed pet bowls and other small objects around.
Dock and upkeep
Not enough evidenceOnly tchgdns judged the RB7 station: it empties the robot well and is quieter than some, but still loud, less solidly made than the robot, and has a sticking filter flap.
App and software
Mixed resultstchgdns found the app clear and well translated but thin, with no live position or mid-clean power change. Hardware Upgrade found it covered room selection, suction and cleaning history, but said its features trail top rivals.
Noise
Not enough evidenceOnly tchgdns judged noise: about 68dB on low power and 80dB on maximum, with a deeper tone it found easier to live with than most rivals. No other review we use has checked it.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use has run it long-term or judged Vorwerk's support yet. tchgdns liked that the battery can be swapped with three screws, which may help it last.
Value
Reviewers found problemsBoth tchgdns and Hardware Upgrade think it offers too little for the money, since similar or lower prices buy robots that mop as well. Hardware Upgrade called the Italian list price out of step with the market.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
Hard floors are its strength
tchgdns found even the Eco or Auto mode picked up practically everything from hard floors, and Hardware Upgrade said it collects dust effectively, helped by the wide main brush. Smarthomeassistent measured 81.73 out of 100 in its laminate pickup test. If your home is mostly hard flooring and you just want it vacuumed daily, this is where the VR7 earns its keep.
Carpet and hair split the testers
tchgdns found carpet cleaning faultless, with trodden-in hair lifted reliably, though it warns deep-pile rugs over 1.5cm are a problem. The measured results from Smarthomeassistent were weaker: 63.63 out of 100 on short-pile carpet, and hair scores of 3.2 out of 10 on laminate and 5.1 on carpet, with tangling penalised. tchgdns also found hair and threads wrap round the brush. With long hair in the house, expect to cut the brush free often.
Avoids cables and socks, not bowls
tchgdns found the camera reliably stopped for cables and socks, which Vorwerk says it trained it on, and furniture was spotted early. Other small objects got pushed around or driven over, including the dog's food and water bowls, shoved across the kitchen. Smarthomeassistent scored it 29.5 out of 53 in its obstacle course while listing strong avoidance as a plus. Tidy small things off the floor first.
A basic app, a tidy map
tchgdns found the app clear and well translated but thin: no live position on the map, no changing suction mid-clean, and Fast Mapping that missed rooms until it let the robot do a full clean instead. Smarthomeassistent also lists few app functions as a drawback. Hardware Upgrade found mapping quick and liked the clean perimeter-then-rows pattern. Smarthomeassistent timed its navigation room at 37 minutes, a full score.
Well made, but short on features
tchgdns rated the build better than most rivals and liked the swappable battery, held in by three screws. It found the RB7 station less solid, with a sticking filter flap, and still loud when emptying, if quieter than some. Its verdict was that the VR7 arrived a few years too late, since similar money buys robots that mop too. Hardware Upgrade called the Italian price out of step with the market.
Tchgdns and Smarthomeassistent tested the German Kobold VR7; Hardware Upgrade tested the Italian Folletto VR7s with its emptying station. Vorwerk's own pages disagree on runtime: its FAQ says up to 120 minutes in Eco mode, its shop page up to 60 minutes.
Our take
Should you buy the Kobold VR7?
Best for: Existing Kobold owners wanting a robot for vacuuming. Skip it if: You want it to scrub floors or wash its own mop.
Buy it if you already use Vorwerk's Kobold system, want a well-built vacuum-only robot, and value a battery you can replace yourself. Skip it if you want mopping, a feature-rich app or dependable avoidance of pet bowls and small clutter. A Roborock Q8 Max+ gives you a self-emptying laser-mapping vacuum with a basic mop, and all-in-one robots at this price do far more.
The Kobold VR7 is Vorwerk's only robot vacuum, sold mainly in continental Europe and in Italy as the Folletto VR7s. It follows the old Neato-style D shape, with a flat front and a wide main brush meant to get closer into corners. It maps with a spinning laser and has a small camera in the bumper to spot things like cables and socks. You can buy it with a simple charging base, or with the RB7 station, which empties the bin into a bag.
The trade-off is value. It only vacuums, there's no mop at all, and the app covers the basics without extras such as a live map. Testers found it cleans hard floors well and feels better made than most rivals, but for similar money you can buy robots that vacuum, mop and wash their own mops. The battery is easy to swap yourself, which should help it last.
Where to buy
Where to buy the Kobold VR7 in Australia
No verified retailer listed in Australia. Switch market above, or see the alternatives below.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Can it mop?
No. The VR7 is vacuum only, per the specifications, and Hardware Upgrade and tchgdns both point out that rivals at this price also wash floors. If you want mopping from the same brand, Vorwerk sells separate cordless floor cleaners, not a robot mop.
Will it avoid cables and pet mess?
Cables and socks, mostly. tchgdns found the camera stopped for those reliably, but it shoved pet bowls around and drove over other small objects. Smarthomeassistent scored it 29.5 of 53 on obstacles. None of the reviews shows it avoiding pet mess, so don't run it unattended around accidents.
Does it fit under low furniture?
Vorwerk gives the height as 11cm, per the specifications. tchgdns notes that figure includes the laser turret and the body itself is about 8.5cm, so it can reach part way under furniture that stops the turret. Measure your gaps against both numbers.
Can it cross rugs and raised thresholds between rooms?
Vorwerk says it gets over obstacles up to 2cm and carpets up to 1.5cm pile, per the specifications. Smarthomeassistent measured it climbing 1.9cm. tchgdns found any rug with pile longer than 1.5cm a problem, as with most brush-roll robots.
How often do I have to empty anything?
With the RB7 station, Vorwerk claims up to 60 days before changing the 2.2-litre bag, per the specifications. With the basic charging base, tchgdns emptied the 480ml bin every five to seven days. Either way, cut hair off the brush regularly.
Alternatives
Other robot vacuums to compare.
Q8 Max+
Why consider it: A self-emptying laser-mapping vacuum that reviewers rate for pickup and mapping, with a basic mop added.
The compromise: Edges and small obstacles still catch it out, and long hair tangles on its rollers.
Roomba Max 705 Vac
Why consider it: A vacuum-only robot praised for pickup, obstacle sensing and quick laser mapping.
The compromise: A tester hit docking and incomplete emptying problems, and owners report missed schedules.
Q7 M5 / M5+
Why consider it: A budget mapping vacuum that testers found strong on debris and pet hair.
The compromise: It bumps into clutter and you empty the bin yourself.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the Kobold VR7?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- tchgdns: Vorwerk Kobold VR7 mit Absaugstation im Test ↗Hands-on
- Smarthomeassistent: Vorwerk Kobold VR7 test ↗4,3 (Ausreichend), partial resultLab test · Test still in progress (not counted towards our two-review minimum)
- Hardware Upgrade: Vorwerk Folletto VR7s, quando il brand non basta ↗Hands-on · Tested on the Folletto VR7s (Italian name for the Kobold VR7 with emptying base)
Sources
- Vorwerk: Kobold VR7 product FAQ ↗Manufacturer
- Vorwerk: Neuer Kobold VR7 Saugroboter (press release) ↗Manufacturer
- Vorwerk: Kobold VR7 with RB7 Servicestation (shop) ↗Manufacturer
Videos
- Search YouTube for Vorwerk Kobold VR7 ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.