ElliQ
2 independent reviewsRead the findings →A tabletop robot companion for older people living alone, chatting and keeping them in touch with family. It suits someone who'd welcome a chatty presence. It's leased by membership, though, and can be slow and hard to interrupt.
Updated
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Intuition Robotics’s range
- ElliQThis model
- ElliQ Caregiver appFamily app for calls, messages and wellness updates
- ElliQ through Area Agencies on AgingSame robot, free to eligible people in some US states
Feedback
What reviewers found
Two reviewers lived with ElliQ for a few weeks. WIRED scored it 7 out of 10. Its writer grew attached to the chat and to how it remembered personal details, but found it slow, occasionally patronising and sometimes silent. Reviewed tested it with the writer's mother, who has dementia and Parkinson's. She enjoyed the small talk, music and exercise classes, and the reviewer called it a strong social companion for people living alone. Both valued the touchscreen as a backup to voice, and both had it mishear or talk over them.
WIRED, hands-on, A few weeks, Jul 2025 · Reviewed, hands-on, A few weeks, Feb 2023 (Tested with an older user who has dementia and Parkinson's)
What it really does
Mixed resultsIt does start conversations and keep people company, as WIRED and Reviewed both found. But both had it mishear or talk over them, and WIRED found it slow, sometimes silent and unable to answer a question about a photo it had just shown.
Staying engaging
Mixed resultsWIRED grew attached over a few weeks, but found some of its prompts, such as repeated bingo invitations, annoying and patronising. Reviewed's mother enjoyed its small talk and music, though it wouldn't stop talking when asked. Neither tested it for longer than a few weeks.
Who it suits
Mixed resultsBoth see it as company for someone living alone. Reviewed found it less suited to people with dementia or very soft speech, and to busy rooms where it chats to visitors, while WIRED warns it won't suit everyone.
App, subscription and running costs
Mixed resultsIt's leased with a monthly membership the specifications, and Reviewed thought the fee reasonable for what it does. Both WIRED and Reviewed found you can't connect your own music or video subscriptions, though Reviewed found family messaging easy.
Privacy
Not enough evidenceOnly WIRED looked at privacy, noting on-device encryption and a consent-based approach to sharing health updates with contacts. No other review we use judged it.
Build quality and battery life
Not enough evidenceIt runs from the mains, so battery life doesn't come into it. Only WIRED judged its design, praising the screen and physical sleep button as practical, though it didn't reconnect by itself after a Wi-Fi outage.
Support and longevity
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use judged Intuition Robotics' support or tested ElliQ for more than a few weeks. The membership includes support and a warranty the specifications.
Value
Not enough evidenceOnly Reviewed judged value, calling it not cheap but quite reasonable for the technology and features. No other review we use weighed up the cost.
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
It starts the conversation
WIRED found ElliQ chats through the day without being asked, checking how you feel and suggesting things to do. It remembered the reviewer liked films and games and brought them up later, which made it easy company. That same eagerness grated at times. It kept inviting him to bingo until told firmly to stop, and could feel infantilising. Reviewed liked how it woke each morning to announce the day, date and any weather warnings, with ideas for staying busy indoors.
The touchscreen rescues misheard answers
Reviewed's mother speaks softly and struggles to find words, so she woke ElliQ by touching the screen and tapped her answers when it couldn't understand her. The reviewer, who speaks loudly and clearly, still found it misunderstood simple commands quite a few times. WIRED also found the screen and physical button handy backups, but said ElliQ could be very slow to respond, sometimes went silent and once couldn't answer a question about a photo it had just shown.
Hard to quieten mid-flow
Several times Reviewed asked ElliQ to stop so they could hear the reviewer's mother. It wouldn't, and kept loudly repeating that it didn't understand, until they unplugged it for the day. Its volume jumped between too loud and too soft, and crept back up after being turned down. WIRED used the physical sleep button to shut it up during meetings, and also found the volume sometimes reset to booming. Show whoever will live with it where that button is.
Best for someone living alone
Reviewed concluded ElliQ is designed for people who live alone. It's less suited to homes where people keep coming in and out of its room, because it ended up talking to visitors more than to the person it was there for. It also said it isn't an ideal companion for people with dementia or very soft speech. WIRED, working alone at home, found its company pleasant and now and then mood-lifting, while warning that it won't suit everyone.
Keeping family in touch
According to WIRED, family members get a caregiver app for text chat, video calls and photo sharing, plus updates on sleep and overall wellbeing. If you say you've felt unwell for days, ElliQ suggests telling a doctor or a contact, but won't do it without your permission. Reviewed found sending voice messages easy, with a chance to replay and re-record before sending, and contacts who don't install the app can still reply by text.
Our take
Should you buy the ElliQ?
Best for: Older people living alone who would enjoy prompts, games and family calls. Skip it if: You do not want an ongoing paid plan.
Consider ElliQ with the person who would use it, if they want proactive conversation and activities and accept a continuing membership. The reviews found delays and interruptions as well as companionship. It cannot replace an emergency alarm or human support. Joy for All's pets offer simpler interaction without an app, but do not provide conversation or family calls.
ElliQ is a small, lamp-like robot whose head swivels and lights up as it talks, sitting beside a separate touchscreen. It is built for older people who spend long stretches alone. Unlike a smart speaker it speaks first, asking how you slept, suggesting exercise or breathing sessions, telling jokes and remembering what you have told it. A caregiver app lets family send messages, make video calls and share photos. You do not buy it: it is leased through a monthly, yearly or two-year membership plus a one-off fee, and it only ships within the US.
Both reviewers lived with it for a few weeks and warmed to it. WIRED gave it seven out of ten, grew attached to the chat and its memory for personal details, but found it slow, sometimes silent, and grating when it kept pushing bingo. Reviewed tested it with the writer's mother, who enjoyed the small talk, music and exercise classes, and called it a strong companion for someone living alone. Both had it mishear them or talk over them, and Reviewed could not make it stop talking when asked, eventually unplugging it for the day. Reviewed found it less suited to very soft speech or to busy rooms, where it chatted to visitors instead. Neither could connect their own music or video services, and it is not an emergency alarm.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it need a subscription to keep working?
Yes. ElliQ is leased, not sold. You pay a one-off lease initiation fee and then a monthly, yearly or 24-month membership, which covers the device, setup help, software updates, an unlimited warranty and support the specifications. WIRED notes it's a rental agreement, so the hardware goes back if you stop paying.
What does it record, and where does that go?
It listens for its name and remembers what you tell it, including health and mood check-ins. WIRED reports that data is encrypted on the device, logs are obscured and there's two-factor sign-in, and the company says it doesn't sell data. It won't tell your contacts you're unwell without asking. Intuition Robotics says it's designed for HIPAA compliance the specifications.
Does it work offline?
No. It needs home Wi-Fi from the moment you plug it in the specifications. When WIRED's internet went down, ElliQ didn't restart and reconnect by itself once the connection was back, and had to be unplugged to reset it. If Wi-Fi is patchy where your relative lives, sort that out first.
Can it help in an emergency?
Don't rely on it. Intuition Robotics says ElliQ is neither a medical device nor an emergency alert system, and encourages members to use proper care services the specifications. Reviewed's mother kept her call buzzers alongside it. It can call contacts you've added and will suggest getting in touch with someone, but it's company, not a safety net.
Can it play my own music and apps?
No. Both WIRED and Reviewed found you can't connect subscriptions such as Pandora or Netflix. ElliQ has its own stations by genre, but Reviewed missed salsa and oldies, and when WIRED asked for The Beatles, it played a Night Ranger song "inspired by them". Instead, you get built-in exercise classes and games.
Alternatives
Other companion robots to compare.
Companion Cat / Pup
Why consider it: A soft robotic cat or pup made for older people, including those with dementia, that needs no app.
The compromise: It purrs or barks rather than talks, and it won't fool anyone into thinking it's real.
NICOBO
Why consider it: Owners love its imperfect, amusing presence and the way its speech slowly develops.
The compromise: It comes with ongoing service fees and a real setup commitment.
PARO
Why consider it: A therapy seal with more research behind it than most companion robots.
The compromise: Results depend on the care setting, and a consistent therapeutic effect hasn't been proven.
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 ElliQ?
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
- WIRED: ElliQ AI companion robot review ↗7 / 10Hands-on, A few weeks
- Reviewed: ElliQ review: Great companion robot for seniors with a high price ↗Hands-on, A few weeks · Tested with an older user who has dementia and Parkinson's
Sources
Videos
- GearBrain: GearBrain meets Intuition Robotics' ElliQ ↗
- PCMag: CES 2018: ElliQ by Intuition Robotics ↗
- Search YouTube for Intuition Robotics ElliQ ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.