A robot pet is a $150 to $500 decision usually made in an evening, and most of the regret afterwards comes from three things nobody asked about: what the robot needs to run, who it is actually for, and what happens in a year. These 15 questions are the ones we would ask before paying, each with a short answer and a link to the full one.
Free: the Mini Robot Guide, the answers to all 15 for every robot pet you can buy → Download the report
What should you ask about the robot?
1. What kind is it: desk, mobile, soft or kit? Desk companions sit (EMO, Eilik), mobile pets roam (Loona), soft pets are held (Moflin), kits are built. Kinds in What is a robot pet, and what does it actually do?.
2. Does it talk, or only react? Loona and EMO talk, mainly in English; Eilik and the soft pets react without speech.
3. Does it move through a room? Only the mobile pets. A desk robot walks a few steps; a soft pet does not move at all.
4. Is it actually for sale, from a store, today? Crowdfunded robots are not purchases until they ship; the buy list is in Which robot pets and mini robots can you actually buy in 2026?.
What should you ask about the money?
5. What is the real price, and does anything follow? $140 to $500 to buy; almost none charges a subscription, Miko's is optional, Vector's is required. Full rungs in How much does a robot pet really cost, with the subscriptions?.
6. Does it need Wi-Fi and a phone? The talking ones do; the offline ones do not. The list by connection is in Do robot pets need Wi-Fi, an app or a subscription?.
7. Can it earn its price back? At these prices, often: video, hire, workshops. Methods and examples in Can a robot pet earn money for its owner?.
What should you ask about the person?
8. Who is it for, and what does the maker rate it? Age ratings are the makers'; Miko 3 is rated 5 to 10, desk and mobile pets for older children. See Which robot pets suit kids, and from what age?.
9. Is it for an older adult? Then soft, silent and no setup: the Joy for All pets or Moflin. See Which robot pets work for older adults?.
10. Is it standing in for a real pet? It can stand in where a real one is impossible; it cannot replace one that is possible. See Can a robot pet replace a real pet?.
What should you ask about safety?
11. Does it have a camera and a microphone, and where does that go? Loona, EMO and Miko do; Eilik and Moflin do not. Policies in Are robot pets safe, and what do their cameras see?.
12. What happens when it is dropped? Desk robots fall; EMO's build and Loona's ears are the parts reviewers report failing. A tray or a rim solves most of it.
What should you ask about the year after?
13. How long does the battery last, and can it be replaced? About two hours per charge for the talking robots; built-in cells that fade in year two or three and are not user-replaceable. See How long does a robot pet battery last, and what wears out first?.
14. What happens if the maker closes? Connected robots lose voice and updates; offline ones lose nothing. Moxie is the case study in What happens to a robot pet if the company shuts down?.
15. Which two would you compare, and on what? Pick two, put them on the same lines, and read the pairs: Loona vs EMO, EMO vs Eilik, Loona vs Petoi Bittle. Any three side by side are in our compare tool.
We compared this list with the buying guides published by retailers and makers: they ask 1 to 3 and 5 well and rarely ask 6, 11 and 14, which are the three that decide whether the robot is still working, and still welcome, in a year.
Answers checked on the makers’ own stores.
Sources
- KEYi Tech, Living.AI, Energize Lab, Casio, Miko and Joy for All product pages, 2026.
- Robot Review Desk, companion-robot and model reviews, 22 June 2026.
- Popular Science and Axios, 10 December 2024 (Moxie shutdown).
- Retailer buying guides (Staples, Amazon category pages), 2026.
All 15 answers, every robot pet. The Mini Robot Guide answers each question above robot by robot, with price, what it needs and what it captures. Free, one email. → Download the report
