The square-shaped robot vacuum that kept my floors free of muddy paw prints this summer

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni is obtainable for the $1,500 retail worth.
• This square-shaped robotic vacuum and mop includes 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 superbly, it would not function the very best impediment avoidance, making it vulnerable to getting its curler brush caught on gadgets littered on the ground. 

You realize 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 admire the expertise of getting a robotic roaming round my dwelling that picks up crumbs, mud, and all the pieces 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 packing containers for a high-end robotic vacuum and mop. It has 8,000Pa of suction energy, larger 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 concerning the ground, equivalent to socks and charging cables, and has a mopping pad that mechanically lifts 15mm when carpets or rugs are detected.

The Omni station costs 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 also be self-cleaning. Working the self-cleaning possibility 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 dust 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 all the pieces the Deebot X2 sweeps out of your flooring and solely wants changing about as soon as each six weeks, though your mileage might range.

Certainly one 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 end result within the closure failing and 4 liters of water going in all places, 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 slim and quick it was. At solely 12.6 inches large, 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 feels like a small distinction in dimension, 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 at any time when I despatched it to wash the primary ground, 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 ground or randomly discover one hanging out by the shoe bench.

This is not a giant deal and is extremely subjective, so it isn’t one thing I included in my Eufy evaluate; it isn’t the robotic’s fault that it is the precise dimension because the width of the gap between my barstool’s legs. However the narrower Deebot X2 Omni can clear below the barstools and determine its method again out, which suggests no extra ‘guess the place the barstools are in the present day’ video games. 

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

Some AI-powered options

The Deebot X2 leverages Ecovacs’ AIVI 3D 2.0 and combines an AI processor with 3D-structured mild sensors with dual-laser LiDAR expertise. 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 data. 

The Deebot X2’s intelligent expertise additionally makes for a custom-made cleansing course of if that is your factor. The machine’s AI-powered visible recognition, capacity to detect ground kind, and historic cleansing logs let the robotic infer which room it is cleansing, such because the kitchen, front room, or bed room, and alter its suction energy and mopping mode. 

That is the place a draw back for the X2 Omni turned obvious after a number of consecutive months of use. The Deebot X2 is vulnerable to navigation points after some time; I am unsure why. It seems to be a software program situation, however it generally goes out to wash and returns dwelling a couple of minutes later, saying the job is full. It is prefer it loses its recorded map. I’ve discovered remapping fixes this downside, 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 all the pieces in my dwelling simpler. Numerous robotic vacuums allow you to use a third-party digital assistant for voice management, equivalent to 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 capabilities they’ll make the robotic carry out.

Certain, you possibly can 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 discuss with to regulate the robotic straight — and it really works swimmingly. Saying “OK, YIKO” wakes up the voice assistant. In case your robotic is out cleansing, you possibly can 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 isn’t finest fitted to some circumstances — it is fitted to all. Some mid-range fashions is perhaps nice at mopping however undergo from not having sturdy or efficient suction, making them finest fitted to houses with exhausting flooring. Others may boast nice suction energy, okay mopping, and quick battery life, making them finest for largely carpeted residences or small houses.

The Deebot X2 Omni is sweet in any respect of these items. The most important 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 a lot 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 on the lookout for 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.