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20 questions to ask before buying a humanoid robot

Buying a humanoid robot in 2026 is a $5,000 to $20,000 decision for an individual and a six-figure one for a business, made in a market where fewer than a dozen robots can actually be ordered, most demos are partly teleoperated, and none of the machines is a certified consumer appliance. These 20 questions are the ones we would ask a maker, a dealer, and ourselves before paying a deposit. Each has a short answer here and a link to the full one.

By ROBOOSH · Published 2026-09-06 · Last updated 2026-09-06

Free: The Humanoid Robot Guide 2026, the answers to all 20 for every robot you can order → Get the free guide

What should you ask about whether the robot is real?

1. Can I order it today, with a price and a delivery window? If the answer is a pilot, a waitlist or a quote, it is not for sale to you. The orderable list is in Which humanoid robots are for sale in 2026?.

2. Who has one working, and have they published numbers? Named customers with operating hours (GXO, BMW) are evidence; launch videos are claims. See What can a humanoid robot actually do today?.

3. Which parts of the demo were autonomous? Walking and balance usually are; hand tasks often are not. Ask the maker to say it in writing. Detail in Are humanoid robots autonomous or remote controlled?.

4. Does the maker ship to my country, with a warranty and English documentation? The cheapest robots are Chinese; the Unitree G1 ships worldwide, the Noetix Bumi does not leave China.

What should you ask about the money?

5. What is the full price for the configuration that does what I need? The G1 is $13,500 base and from $43,900 with a development kit. Full ladder in How much does a humanoid robot cost?.

6. What does shipping and import add? $300 to $1,200 to a US address from Unitree's store; customs and VAT elsewhere.

7. What will year one cost with a spare battery, a case, an operator and repairs? Plan 1.5 to 2 times the sticker for a working robot.

8. Would renting cover my use for less? Below roughly 100 working days a year, usually yes. Rates in Can you rent a humanoid robot, and what does it cost?.

9. Can the robot earn, and from what? Events, venue presence, content and education are the documented methods; the sum is in Can a humanoid robot pay for itself?.

What should you ask about the machine?

10. What is the payload, per arm and carried? The G1 lifts about 2 kg per arm; the 1X NEO carries 25 kg. This decides the job. All six numbers in How do you compare humanoid robots?.

11. How long does it run on one charge, and can the battery be swapped? About two hours on the G1, half that on the Unitree R1. A working day needs a spare.

12. What can it see? LiDAR plus depth cameras on the G1; basic cameras on the R1. Less sensing means more supervision.

13. Can I program it, and what does that cost? Base G1 and R1 ship without a development kit; the R1 EDU is $10,500, the G1 EDU from $43,900. Home robots offer no public SDK.

14. How big and heavy is it, and will it fit my door, car and floor? The G1 is 1.32 m and 35 kg; industrial robots reach 90 kg. See How big and heavy is a humanoid robot?.

15. Legs or wheels? Legs for stairs, events and filming; wheels for a single-floor home, longer runtime and lower cost.

What should you ask about safety and support?

16. What safety certification does it carry? In 2026, usually none for consumers; the G1 lacks ISO 10218 and ISO/TS 15066. See Are humanoid robots safe to have at home?.

17. Who can see through its cameras, and where does its data go? 1X publishes an owner-approval policy for NEO; the G1 has a documented 2025 telemetry finding. Ask for the page.

18. What happens when it falls, and who fixes it? Ask about spare parts, lead times and whether a local dealer repairs. Parts from China take weeks.

19. What is the firmware and security record? The G1 has a disclosed Bluetooth vulnerability from September 2025 with disputed patch status; run any robot on its own network.

What should you ask yourself?

20. What is the first job, and who is the first customer or user? Owners who paid off a robot started with a use, not a robot. If the answer is "to see what it can do," rent one for a day first. Write the job down in one sentence before you look at a single spec sheet: who the robot is in front of, for how long, doing what. That sentence answers questions 10 to 15 for you, and it is the sentence a rental company will ask for anyway. If it names a customer, buy; if it names a curiosity, rent; if it names a factory, you are in the quote-only tier and the conversation is with a maker's sales team, not an order page.

We compared this list with the pre-purchase checklists published by a dealer and two rental companies in mid-2026: they cover SDK, warranty and support well, and the questions they tend to leave out are 3, 17 and 20, about autonomy disclosure, camera access and the first customer. Those are the ones that cost owners money later.

Answers checked August 2026; this page is updated as prices, policies and the orderable list change. Every question above is answered for every robot you can order in Which humanoid robots are for sale in 2026? and in the free guide below.

Sources

Unitree official store; There's A Robot For That, 14 July 2026; RoboZaps, 1 August 2026 (G1 and R1 prices, EDU tiers, specs, UniPwn, telemetry).
Humanoids Daily, 19 February 2026 (Amazon listing, shipping cost).
CNET, October 2025 (1X NEO price, payload, privacy policy).
ZMProbots, 11 May 2026 (year-one cost multiple, 100-day rule).
Technology Org, 18 July 2026, and Technerdo, 23 April 2026 (GXO and BMW deployment numbers).
There's A Robot For That, "Humanoid robots for sale: 2026 guide", 5 August 2026 (pre-purchase questions, pilots).

ROBOOSH is an independent site about humanoid robots you can actually buy, rent or watch: what they cost, what they can do, and what happens after you own one. We are not a maker, a dealer or a lab, and no maker pays for placement.

All 20 answers, every orderable robot. The Humanoid Robot Guide 2026 answers each question above robot by robot, with sources and check dates, so the maker's sales page is not your only reference. Free, one email. → Get the free guide