Humanoid robots: what you can actually buy in 2026
You can buy a humanoid today, but only a research, education or demo machine: Unitree's R1 Air, G1 and H2 are sold by UK retailers from £5,599.99. The only humanoid built for homes, the 1X NEO, is a US pre-order. Businesses can rent Agility's Digit, while Figure and Tesla Optimus aren't on sale to anyone.
Buy now, pre-order or wait: the 2026 picture
| Robot | Status | Price | UK? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unitree R1 Air | Pre-order | £5,599.99 (Scan) | Yes | Schools, hobby labs, events. Can't run your own code |
| Unitree R1 EDU | Buy now | From £11,999.99 (Scan, in stock) | Yes | Robotics teaching and development |
| Unitree G1 | Buy now | £17,599.99 (Scan, next-day, low stock) | Yes | Demos and events; EDU versions for research |
| Unitree H2 | Pre-order | £32,399.99 (Scan) | Yes | Showrooms, trade shows, museums (EDU from £51,599.99) |
| 1X NEO | US pre-order | $20,000 or $499/month; $200 deposit | No (other markets from 2027, per 1X) | US homes, early adopters |
| Agility Digit | Business only | $8,500/month + ~$25,000 deployment, or ~$200,000 to buy | No UK deployment yet | Warehouses and factories |
| Figure 03 | Not on sale | No published price | No | Enterprise partners such as BMW |
| Tesla Optimus | Not on sale | No published price | No | Tesla's own factories; outside sales targeted around end of 2027 |
UK prices include VAT, from Scan's humanoid page on 6 November 2026. US prices are makers' list prices before tax, shipping and import charges. For the full tracker, including AgiBot, UBTech, Fourier and more, see Modern Robotics' humanoid price tracker; we don't duplicate it here.
Home humanoids
1X NEO: the only one designed for your living room
NEO is a two-legged humanoid, 5ft 6in tall and 66lb, wrapped in a padded lattice-polymer body and a machine-washable knit suit. 1X quotes a 4-hour battery, 22dB noise and a 55lb carry capacity. It arrives with "basic autonomy" (opening doors, fetching things) and learns new chores through Expert Mode, where a remote 1X operator guides it at times you schedule. 1X's order page says US deliveries start in 2026; Modern Robotics found no independently confirmed paying-customer delivery as of early November.
If you're in the US and happy to be a beta tester, a $200 refundable deposit holds a place. Everyone else, and UK readers in particular, should wait for real customer reports.
Unitree R1 and G1: buyable, but not butlers
Unitree's small humanoids are the ones UK buyers can actually order. The standard R1 Air and G1 are built for movement and performance and don't support your own code; the EDU versions add AI compute and SDK access at roughly double the price. Battery life is around one hour for the R1 (Scan) and about two for the G1 (Modern Robotics).
Worth it for a university, school, lab or venue that wants a real humanoid to program or show off. Not worth it as a household helper.
Weighing the two? Read our Unitree G1 vs 1X NEO head-to-head.
Commercial humanoids
Agility Digit: the one with published business pricing
Agility's filings (reported by Ars Technica) give two routes: rent Digit for about $8,500 a month plus about $25,000 to deploy, or buy one for about $200,000 plus $20,000 to deploy and about $36,000 a year for software and maintenance. The next-generation Digit 5 reaches customers from 2027. There is no UK deployment yet. Digit moves totes in warehouses; it is not a general-purpose worker.
See our rent vs buy guide for what those numbers mean.
Figure 03 and Tesla Optimus: watch, don't wait
Figure has no public price or order page and works with enterprise partners. Tesla has no Optimus order page; Elon Musk has targeted sales to outside customers around the end of 2027, and TechRepublic reports Tesla may lease to selected businesses first. Neither has a confirmed price.
Safety and what to watch for before you buy
- Body and joints. Is the robot padded, and are pinch points covered? A hard-shelled humanoid falling in a living room is a real hazard.
- Teleoperation. Who can see through the cameras and steer the robot, and when? NEO's Expert Mode involves a remote human.
- Demo versus delivery. Treat impressive videos as possibly remote-controlled unless the maker says otherwise, and look for independent customer reports.
- Software lock-in. Base Unitree models can't run your own code; check whether you need an EDU version, and whether an owned robot still needs a subscription.
- Security. Connected robots get security flaws like any device. Check for a patch record (a G1 Bluetooth flaw has been disclosed).
- UK import costs. Buying direct from overseas adds 20% import VAT, possible customs duty and courier fees. Modern Robotics' tracker has a worked example.
- Support. Who repairs it in the UK? A UK retailer such as Scan is easier to deal with than an overseas maker.
Buying a humanoid gets you a capable body, not a robot that can do your chores. In the RoboColosseum benchmark, no AI policy completed a single task on a Unitree G1 across 625 trials.
Sources
- Scan UK: humanoid / biped robots (Unitree prices, 6 Nov 2026)
- 1X: NEO order page
- 1X: NEO launch announcement (markets from 2027)
- Ars Technica: Agility Robotics' Nasdaq debut and Digit pricing
- TechRepublic: Tesla Optimus 2027 timeline
- Modern Robotics: humanoid price tracker
Frequently asked questions
Can you buy a humanoid robot in the UK in 2026?
Yes. Scan sells Unitree humanoids in the UK: the R1 Air at £5,599.99 (pre-order), the G1 at £17,599.99 and the H2 at £32,399.99 (pre-order), checked 6 November 2026. They are research, education and demo robots, not home helpers.
Is there a humanoid robot for the home?
The 1X NEO is designed for homes, but it is a US-only pre-order at $20,000 or $499 a month. 1X says other markets follow from 2027.
Can I buy Tesla Optimus or Figure 03?
No. Neither has a public price or order page. Tesla has targeted outside sales around the end of 2027.
How much does it cost to rent a humanoid robot for a business?
Agility's filings show Digit at about $8,500 a month plus about $25,000 to deploy, or about $200,000 to buy plus deployment and about $36,000 a year for software and maintenance.