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Review · Researched, not tested
Loona robot review: the most pet-like robot here, with rough edges
Loona is KEYi's rolling robot pet: it has a cartoon face on a screen, ears, a camera and AI chat, and it plays fetch, follows you and recognises faces. We haven't used it ourselves; this review draws on KEYi's specs, Australian prices, a hands-on review and owner feedback. Checked 30 October 2026.
By Domestic Robot · Editor: Christian Ganaban · Updated 30 October 2026 · We may earn a commission from links on this page. Disclosure
Quick answer
Charming and the most pet-like robot you can buy in Australia, but buy it for fun, not reliability. Loona Premium was A$620 on sale on KEYi's site (shown in A$, regular A$764) and $860.91 on Amazon AU on 30 October 2026, where it rates 3.9 stars from 734 ratings. It chats using GPT-4o, recognises faces and gestures, and has a 720p camera you can drive remotely. Reviewers and owners like its personality but report hit-and-miss voice recognition, getting stuck on furniture and short battery life (about two hours of play). KEYi recommends it for ages 6 to 12, says it isn't for toddlers, and gives a one-year warranty.
Price and availability in Australia
| Retailer | Price (AUD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| KEYi (keyirobot.com, A$ prices) | Loona Premium A$620 (regular A$764); Buzzer Beater bundle A$705 | Check shipping and that the warranty covers Australia. Checked 30 Oct 2026 |
| Amazon AU | $860.91 | Only 1 left; was $807.98 on 29 Oct; Amazon AU, checked 30 Oct 2026 |
KEYi says its one-year limited warranty applies only in the country of purchase, so confirm which KEYi entity sells to Australia before you order from its site. The Loona Deskmate (A$432) is a different, desk-based product.
Who should buy it, and who should skip it
- Buy it if you have a child aged about 6 to 12, or an adult who loves gadgets, and want a robot that acts like a pet.
- Buy it if you'd like a gentle start on coding: the app includes Blockly block programming.
- Skip it if you have a toddler; KEYi says small, fragile parts make it unsuitable, despite an Amazon AU listing saying 24 months and up.
- Skip it if you want a camera robot for checking on pets or family; an Enabot is built for that.
- Skip it if long play sessions matter; about two hours per charge is the norm.
Key specs
| Spec | Loona Premium |
|---|---|
| AI | GPT-4o voice chat; face, voice and gesture recognition |
| Camera | 720p, with remote driving over Wi-Fi; 3D time-of-flight sensor |
| Play | Fetch, follow, hide-and-seek, dancing; Blockly coding in the app |
| Battery | About 2 hours of play (KEYi also quotes 2 to 4 hours); about 2 hours to charge |
| Charging | Dock (Premium) or USB-C; returns to the dock when low |
| Setup | Hello Loona app on a phone or tablet; Wi-Fi for AI and updates |
| Ages | 6 to 12 (KEYi); not for toddlers |
| Warranty | 1 year limited, country of purchase only (KEYi) |
From KEYi's own pages and the Amazon AU listing, checked 30 October 2026.
What reviewers and owners report
TechCrunch's Darrell Etherington lived with an early Loona in January 2023 and found it charming when left to wander and coo, with a durable shell and tracked wheels, but voice commands worked about half the time, vision was hit-or-miss, face setup needed an app restart, the ears were fragile, and it sometimes got stuck on furniture. His verdict: fun, especially for kids, but rough around the edges. That was before the GPT-4o chat update.
More recent feedback is similar. Robozaps' July 2026 roundup, which doesn't say it tested Loona hands-on, lists battery life and occasional connectivity problems as the recurring complaints, and notes KEYi's 4.9-star rating is self-published. One Australian buyer's review on Sugotoys' product page describes inconsistent voice recognition, bumping into furniture, short battery life and auto-docking that only works close to the dock. On Amazon AU it averages 3.9 stars from 734 ratings, the lowest of the picks in our robot pets for kids guide.
Running costs and privacy
KEYi says Loona's cloud AI is free for now; Robozaps notes that could change. Outfits and props cost extra (about A$86 to A$187 on KEYi's site), and a spare charging dock is A$114. Loona has a camera and microphones and can be driven remotely, so set it up with a parent account, read KEYi's privacy policy, and keep the app on a device you control. See our guide to robot cameras and privacy.
Strengths and weaknesses
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
|---|---|
| Expressive, pet-like personality | Voice and face recognition hit-and-miss in reviews |
| GPT-4o chat and face and gesture recognition | About 2 hours of play per charge |
| Block coding for kids | Gets stuck on furniture; fragile ears |
| Docks itself (Premium) | 1-year warranty; Amazon AU price well above KEYi's |
Alternatives worth comparing
| Robot | What it is | Price (AUD) | Our coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miko 3 | AI learning robot for ages 5 to 10 | $429 (JB Hi-Fi, 29 Oct) | Robot pets for kids |
| Furby | Offline talking toy, no Wi-Fi | From $56.38 (Amazon AU, 29 Oct) | Robot pets for kids |
| Miko Mini | Small voice-first learning robot | $199 (JB Hi-Fi, 29 Oct) | Robot pets for kids |
| Enabot EBO X | Family camera robot | $1,399 sale (Enabot AU) | Our review |
Where to buy
Amazon AU was well above KEYi's own A$ price on our check date, with only one left. If you buy from KEYi, confirm delivery to Australia and the warranty first; if you buy from Amazon AU, you get easier returns and the Australian Consumer Law against an Amazon seller.
Verdict
Loona does what few robots manage: it feels like a character. Kids and gadget fans are likely to love its personality, and the coding mode is a bonus. But the evidence points to the same rough edges since launch: patchy voice recognition, furniture snags and a short battery. At around A$620 from KEYi it's a fair price for a fun robot pet; at $860 on Amazon AU, it's harder to recommend over a Miko 3 for learning or an offline toy for younger kids. Our robot pets for kids guide compares them by age.
Weighing it against the original desk robot? See Loona vs Vector.
What Loona and other AI robots record, and how to set them up privately: companion robot privacy.
Common questions
How much is Loona in Australia?
On 30 October 2026, KEYi's site showed Loona Premium at A$620 on sale (regular A$764), and Amazon AU had it at $860.91.
What age is Loona for?
KEYi recommends ages 6 to 12 and says it isn't suitable for toddlers because of small, fragile parts.
How long does Loona's battery last?
About two hours of play, according to KEYi (it also quotes two to four hours). It returns to its dock when low, and charges in about two hours.
Does Loona need a subscription?
Not at the moment. KEYi says its cloud AI is free for now, but that could change.
Does Loona have a camera?
Yes, a 720p camera. You can drive Loona remotely and see through it in the app, so set it up with a parent account.
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