Save $600 on the robot vacuum that kept my floors free of muddy paw prints this summer

What is the deal?

The Deebot X2 Omni is an Ecovacs robotic vacuum and mop at the moment on sale for $900, a $600 low cost.

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni is obtainable for the $1,500 retail worth however at the moment sells for $900.
• This square-shaped robotic vacuum and mop encompasses a charging station that does all of it: empties the robotic’s dustbin and washes and dries the robotic’s mop pads.
• Although this robotic vacuum cleans fantastically, it would not function the most effective impediment avoidance, making it liable to getting its curler brush caught on gadgets littered on the ground. 

You understand that gratifying feeling of coming dwelling to a clear home? With a household of 5, that is not a sense I typically get, if in any respect. Enter the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni.

I’ve examined a fair proportion of robotic vacuum and mop combos, so I fairly recognize the expertise of getting a robotic roaming round my dwelling that picks up crumbs, mud, and every thing in between. However the Deebot X2 Omni is likely one of the top-performing robotic vacuum and mop combos I’ve tried.

Ecovacs launched the Deebot X2 Omni as a brand new flagship robotic vacuum and mop combo with a transparent edge. After testing it out for a number of months, I’ve discovered room for enchancment in some duties — largely outweighed by its lengthy listing of strengths.

The X2 Omni checks all of the specs containers for a high-end robotic vacuum and mop. It has 8,000Pa of suction energy, greater than the 6,000Pa of the flagship Roborock S8 Professional Extremely. Utilizing synthetic intelligence (AI), the robotic can detect and keep away from objects strewn in regards to the flooring, reminiscent of socks and charging cables, and has a mopping pad that robotically lifts 15mm when carpets or rugs are detected.

The Omni station expenses the robotic vacuum and mop and works as a base the place it empties its dustbin and self-washes and dries its mop pads. This function means you solely have to fret about protecting the bottom station’s clear water tank crammed and its soiled water tank empty, which you could full each few cleansing cycles. 

Designed to be a hands-free expertise, the bottom station can be self-cleaning. Operating the self-cleaning choice within the Ecovacs app will clear the bottom plate within the station — the spot the place your mops are cleaned that sometimes sees water and grime accumulation. This function is a stage above rivals that require customers to periodically clear soiled water on the backside of the docking station. 

The mud bag holds every thing the Deebot X2 sweeps out of your flooring and solely wants changing about as soon as each six weeks, though your mileage might fluctuate.

One in every of my solely gripes is that the clear water tank feels awkward to carry when crammed — it virtually feels prefer it’s not constructed to final. Whereas I initially doubted the tank’s engineering, it is confirmed to work, because it’s lasted over months of heavy use. It is a four-liter water tank with a deal with to hold it on the lid, held shut by a plastic clip. I used to really feel carrying the total tank round would consequence within the closure failing and 4 liters of water going all over the place, however this hasn’t been the case.

In regards to the sq. form

The Deebot X2 Omni has a number of superpowers, beginning with its compact package deal. The squared edges stood out to me as a function once I unpacked the machine, together with how slender and quick it was. At solely 12.6 inches vast, it is about 0.3 inches narrower than the Eufy X9 Professional robotic vacuum mop, which had been my tremendous mop till the X2 Omni arrived.

Though 0.3 inches seems like a small distinction in measurement, it is confirmed to be appreciable when a robotic has to navigate by furnishings legs. Working example: the Eufy X9 Professional makes use of AI to keep away from objects, however every time I despatched it to wash the primary flooring, it’d get caught between the kitchen barstools legs. The stools are pretty light-weight, so the robotic would drag them round as an alternative of signaling it was caught. I would see my kitchen barstools gliding round my flooring or randomly discover one hanging out by the shoe bench.

This is not an enormous deal and is very subjective, so it is not one thing I included in my Eufy overview; it is not the robotic’s fault that it is the actual measurement because the width of the gap between my barstool’s legs. However the narrower Deebot X2 Omni can clear underneath the barstools and determine its approach again out, which suggests no extra ‘guess the place the barstools are immediately’ video games. 

The Deebot X2 can be virtually an inch shorter than my Eufy robotic vacuum, at 3.7 inches in top. The decrease dimensions and slender construct enable the Deebot X2 to wash in locations different robots sometimes cannot attain or navigate underneath. 

Some AI-powered options

The Deebot X2 leverages Ecovacs’ AIVI 3D 2.0 and combines an AI processor with 3D-structured gentle sensors with dual-laser LiDAR know-how. The result’s environment friendly maps that enable the robotic to intelligently detect objects throughout navigation and clear round them. This function set means you will not have to make sure your flooring are freed from charging cables, toys, or sneakers earlier than sending out the X2.

The AI-powered navigation and impediment avoidance, backed by Ecovacs’ proprietary AINA Mannequin, makes use of visible recognition and reinforcement studying based mostly on sensor info. 

The Deebot X2’s intelligent know-how additionally makes for a personalized cleansing course of if that is your factor. The machine’s AI-powered visible recognition, potential to detect flooring kind, and historic cleansing logs let the robotic infer which room it is cleansing, such because the kitchen, lounge, or bed room, and modify its suction energy and mopping mode. 

That is the place a draw back for the X2 Omni grew to become obvious after a number of consecutive months of use. The Deebot X2 is liable to navigation points after some time; I am unsure why. It seems to be a software program difficulty, however it generally goes out to wash and returns dwelling a couple of minutes later, asserting the job is full. It is prefer it loses its recorded map. I’ve discovered remapping fixes this drawback, however it occurs once more weeks later, so it is an issue that will not be fastened till a firmware replace corrects it. 

A brand new stage of voice management

Voice management makes every thing in my dwelling simpler. Numerous robotic vacuums allow you to use a third-party digital assistant for voice management, reminiscent of Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. Saying, “Alexa, clear the flooring” in my home dispatches the Eufy X9 Professional to wash my bed room and hallway. Nonetheless, these assistants are restricted within the features they will make the robotic carry out.

Certain, you may dispatch your robotic with Alexa or Google, however have you ever ever been in a position to inform it to “flip proper, transfer three meters ahead, flip left, and clear there”? 

Ecovacs robotic vacuums have a built-in voice assistant named YIKO that customers can speak with to regulate the robotic immediately — and it really works swimmingly. Saying “OK, YIKO” wakes up the voice assistant. In case your robotic is out cleansing, you may ask it to return and clear the eating room once more or give it a number of instructions in a single sentence with out pulling up the app.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni is the corporate’s new flagship robotic with all of the good options and a worth to match, at $1,500.

The beauty of this all-in-one, self-emptying, and self-cleaning robotic vacuum and mop is that it is not greatest suited to some circumstances — it is suited to all. Some mid-range fashions is likely to be nice at mopping however undergo from not having sturdy or efficient suction, making them greatest suited to houses with exhausting flooring. Others would possibly boast nice suction energy, okay mopping, and quick battery life, making them greatest for largely carpeted residences or small houses.

The Deebot X2 Omni is nice in any respect of these items. The largest problem in our house is downstairs as a result of it is largely hardwood and tile with some space rugs — it is the place the canine comes out and in from the yard, the place we prepare dinner, and the place the toddler drops many of the crumbs. 

The X2 Omni’s MSRP of $1,500 compares to $1,600 for the Roborock S8 Professional Extremely (discounted proper now at $200 off). Suppose I have been in search of a hands-free robotic vacuum and mop appropriate for my dwelling’s complicated wants. In that case, I would have to decide on the Deebot X2 Omni over the Roborock’s flagship as a result of the additional options, just like the self-cleaning station and stronger suction, set it aside.