Unitree R1 Price in the USA (2026): Air vs Basic vs Edu

Updated November 2026. Every price below matches current Global Drone HQ pricing.

If you have searched for the Unitree R1 price, most results are news stories quoting $5,900. This guide gives you the US prices you can actually order at today, for every R1 tier, and explains what each step up buys you. Every R1 we sell is sourced through Unitree's authorized US distribution with US based warranty support.

Quick Answer: How Much Does the Unitree R1 Cost in the US?

The Unitree R1 starts at $6,870 for the R1 Air. The R1 Basic is $8,990. Programmable R1 Edu configurations run from $15,950 for the R1 Edu Standard to $32,900 for the top R1 Edu Pro build.

Unitree R1 Prices at a Glance

Prices verified November 2026 against our live catalog. Pricing is subject to change, so request a formal quote before budgeting.

Why Do Headlines Say the Unitree R1 Costs $5,900?

$5,900 is the launch price Unitree announced when the R1 was revealed, and it is the number most news coverage repeated. It is not a US order price. If you are buying in the US, the prices above are what you pay through authorized US distribution, and they come with US based warranty support and a US contact for service.

R1 Air vs R1 Basic: What the Extra $2,120 Buys

The R1 Air is the lightest and least expensive R1, at approx. 27 kg (60 lb) with 20 degrees of freedom and a monocular RGB camera. The R1 Basic adds a 2 DoF waist, a 2 DoF head and 5 DoF arms for 26 degrees of freedom in total, swaps in a binocular depth camera for spatial perception, and carries an 8 month warranty instead of 6. Neither supports secondary development, so both run Unitree's built in speech and vision AI and preset motions.

When to Step Up to an R1 Edu

If anyone will write their own code for the robot, you need an R1 Edu. The Edu tiers are the only R1 configurations with secondary development, and there is no way to unlock it on an Air or Basic later.

• R1 Edu Standard, $15,950: the most affordable programmable R1, with full SDK access and fully open joint and sensor interfaces. The natural pick for classrooms and teaching labs.
• R1 Edu Smart, $18,900: adds the high power NVIDIA Orin class compute module, rated by Unitree at 40 to 100 TOPS, for onboard perception and learned policies.
• R1 Edu Pro, $19,800 to $32,900: eight configurations, Pro A through Pro H, that differ by expansion compute, LiDAR and whether the robot arrives with grippers or dexterous hands.

What Every R1 Shares

• Standing size of 1230 x 357 x 190 mm (48.4 x 14.1 x 7.5 in), approx. 27 kg (Air) to 29 kg (all other tiers)
• Quick release smart battery with approx. 1 hour of runtime per charge
• Indoor, dry condition use from 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F); not waterproof or dustproof
• For operators 18 and up

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest Unitree R1?
The R1 Air, at $6,870 in the US.

Which Unitree R1 can be programmed?
Only the R1 Edu configurations: Edu Standard, Edu Smart and Edu Pro. The R1 Air and R1 Basic do not support secondary development.

How long does the R1 battery last?
About one hour per charge on every tier. The battery is quick release, so spare packs keep a class or demo running.

Do you accept school and university purchase orders?
Yes. We support formal quotes and purchase orders for R1 Edu configurations, including multi unit lab pricing.

Keep Exploring

See every humanoid robot for sale side by side, compare all Unitree models in our Unitree price list, or read our guide to the best humanoid robots for STEM programs.