Reachy Mini
Limited evidenceRead the findings →A build-it-yourself desk robot from Pollen Robotics and Hugging Face, with a nodding head, camera and microphones. It's great for learning how AI robots work. Its software is still rough, though, and setup can need troubleshooting.
Updated
Where it sits in Pollen Robotics’s range
- Reachy Mini LiteSame body, but needs a computer attached
- Reachy MiniThis model · £292.80
- Reachy 2Pollen's full-size research humanoid
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What we know
Learn With A Robot'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.
Two owners have written up proper hands-on time with the Wireless version. Jeff Geerling built and tested it in February 2026, and Learn With A Robot spent ten days with it alongside his two sons. Both liked the build and the idea, and both found the software raw, with connection problems that needed restarts. They disagree on how long the kit takes to build. Hackaday has since reported an official fully local chat setup, which should ease the privacy worry below.
Jeff Geerling, hands-on, Feb 2026 · Learn With A Robot, hands-on, 10 days at home, Aug 2026
Software is still rough
Both testers agree on this. Jeff Geerling hit network problems during setup and found it behaved differently depending on which computer and browser he used. Learn With A Robot often had to switch the robot off and on before the desktop app would connect, and switching between apps usually meant another restart. The maker itself calls it early in development Hugging Face. Expect to troubleshoot, and don't give it to someone who wants a finished gadget.
Children take to it
Learn With A Robot found his sons, aged 7 and 10, more absorbed in Reachy Mini than in any of the family's earlier robots, including Anki's. He puts it down to its cuteness and size: small enough for a desk, big enough to hug. Jeff Geerling's daughter chatted away to it too. That's a good sign for a family, but an adult will still need to keep the software running.
Build time varies
Jeff Geerling built his in under two hours and praised the sturdy parts, the good fit and the decent screwdriver in the box. Learn With A Robot took about four hours on a first attempt, and warns that a loose connection made during assembly is yours to track down later. The maker says about two hours the specifications. Set aside an afternoon and treat the build as part of the fun.
Privacy depends on your setup
When Jeff Geerling tested it, the chat app connected to OpenAI without asking, and his daughter happily told it personal details about the family. Its control page on the home network also had no password. He wanted everything to run on his own hardware instead. Hackaday reported in June 2026 that there's now an official way to run the whole conversation on your own hardware. If children will use it, set that up first.
Demos are starting points
Jeff Geerling tried the conversation, puppet-recording, hand-tracking and radio apps and said they fell well short of what was shown at a big launch keynote; replaying recorded movements wasn't accurate. Learn With A Robot found writing and sharing your own apps easy, and his favourite was a dance app. Think of it as a robot you program, not one that entertains you straight out of the box.
Both hands-on reviews tested the Wireless version. The Lite has the same movement but must stay plugged into a computer.
Our take
Should you buy the Reachy Mini?
Best for: People who enjoy assembling robots and experimenting with their software. Skip it if: You want a finished companion without assembly or troubleshooting.
buy it if you want to learn how AI robots work, enjoy building things and can put up with fixing connection problems. For a ready-made desk companion, LivingAI's EMO and Vector 2.0 need no assembly.
Reachy Mini is a desk robot from Pollen Robotics and Hugging Face that doesn't go anywhere. Its head tilts and turns, its body swivels, two antennas waggle, and it has a camera, four microphones and a speaker. You build it from a kit, then install apps for chatting, hand following, dancing and more, and everything from the parts to the code is open source. The Wireless version has its own small computer and battery, while the cheaper Lite must stay plugged into a computer.
Learn With A Robot's write-up is still in progress and may change. The rest comes from owners: one family's children adored it, and it has been praised as a way to learn AI, but the software is still rough and setup can take some troubleshooting. The chat app used OpenAI by default in testing, so what it hears goes to an outside service unless you choose a local setup. Orders opened in July 2025, and Pollen doesn't state a battery runtime or an age range.
Where to buy
Where to buy the Reachy Mini in United Kingdom
Pollen Robotics
Best priceReachy Mini Lite ($299) · Listed in stock
Official store · Delivery: £22.56 deliveryGoogle Shopping listing ·Prices checked
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Price history
Reachy Mini price history in the UK
Tracked since 28 Sept 2026
- Today
- £292.80
- Lowest seen
- £292.8031 Oct 2026
- Average
- £299since 28 Sept 2026
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
What does it record, and where does that go?
It has a camera and four microphones the specifications. When Jeff Geerling tested it, the chat app sent conversations to OpenAI by default and the robot's control page had no password. Hackaday reports a fully local option now exists. If privacy matters, choose that and keep the robot on a home network you trust.
Does it work offline?
It can. The Wireless version has its own computer and battery the specifications, and Hackaday describes an official setup that runs speech recognition, the AI model and the robot's voice on your own hardware. Jeff Geerling tested before that arrived, and the chat features he tried relied on an online service.
Is it suitable for young children?
With an adult in charge. Pollen doesn't give an age rating. Learn With A Robot's sons, aged 7 and 10, loved it, but he did the setup and restarts. Jeff Geerling's daughter shared family details with the chat app. It suits a child working alongside a techy adult, not a child on their own.
Wireless or Lite?
The Wireless has a built-in computer, Wi-Fi and a battery; the Lite must stay connected to a Mac or PC by USB, per the specifications. Movement is the same. Learn With A Robot found less difference than he expected, because he still used a desktop app to switch apps on the Wireless. Choose the Lite if it will live beside your computer anyway.
What happens if the company stops supporting it?
Less of a worry than with most robots. The hardware, software and simulator are open source, according to Hugging Face, and Learn With A Robot found it easy to share apps through Hugging Face. Even if support ended, the code would still be available for owners to maintain.
Alternatives
Other companion robots to compare.
EMO
Why consider it: A finished desk character that dances and butts in while you work, with no kit to build.
The compromise: Owners report patchy voice recognition, and some find its responses repetitive.
Doly
Why consider it: Another programmable, Raspberry Pi-based desk robot, with core features that run locally.
The compromise: There's little independent evidence yet on how well it works day to day.
Vector 2.0
Why consider it: An expressive, ready-made desk robot that needs no assembly.
The compromise: One owner reports stalls and reboots, and you can't reprogram it the way you can Reachy Mini.
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 Reachy Mini?
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
- Jeff Geerling: Testing Reachy Mini - Hugging Face's Pi powered robot ↗Hands-on
- Learn With A Robot: My first impressions of Reachy Mini ↗Hands-on, 10 days at home · Test still in progress (not counted towards our two-review minimum)
Sources
Videos
- Search YouTube for Pollen Robotics Reachy Mini ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.