Abstract

• X8 Professional Omni boasts 18,000 Pa suction energy and an extendable mopping curler for efficient cleansing.
• The robotic’s LiDAR mapping, voice assistant, and auto-emptying station supply a complete cleansing expertise.
• Ecovacs app customization and smooth design improve consumer expertise, however long-term reliability issues exist.

The promise of a really autonomous cleansing machine is at all times tempting, and Ecovacs has been approaching it from quite a lot of angles through the years. The Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni is certainly one of their newest makes an attempt. It amps up the suction energy and ditches the normal mopping pads for a curler. There’s loads to love in regards to the enhancements.

Worth and Availability

The Ecovacs Deebot X8 Professional Omni is out there now and might usually be discovered within the worth vary between $1,169.99 and $1,299.99. It’s being offered by means of Amazon and instantly by means of the Ecovacs web site. The X8 Professional Omni is just out there in black.

Premium Design That Doesn’t Look Out of Place

Let’s be trustworthy: robotic vacuums aren’t probably the most engaging tech devices round. Ecovacs has some nice-looking fashions however some clunkers as nicely. Fortunately, the Deebot X8 Professional Omni is among the most engaging within the bunch.

The final time I used an Ecovacs robotic vacuum was the sq. Deebot X2 Omni.

Whereas I preferred how the sq. design allowed for higher nook reaching, it positively regarded a bit odd. The X8 Professional sports activities a extra typical spherical design, but it surely compensates for the shortage of corners with a really cool characteristic I’ll contact on later.

The spherical robotic is fairly compact. It’s not tremendous large, but it surely does appear a bit taller than different vacuums. In contrast to another Ecovacs robots, this one is just out there in black with gold accents. The match and end on the X8 Professional really feel extra premium than the X2 Omni, regardless of being $200 cheaper at launch.

The most important space of enchancment is the docking station. Lots of Ecovac’s robots which have water tanks include cumbersome, monolithic docking stations. The X8 Professional, nonetheless, strips it again a bit so you may visibly see the water tanks. Not solely does this make it simpler to control the degrees, it seems loads nicer, too.

General, I just like the design of the X8 Professional far more than my earlier Ecovac vacuum. I used to be reminded of my emotions whereas reviewing the Pixel 9. Pixel designs had been high quality, however as soon as I held the Pixel 9, I spotted how a lot room for enchancment there was.

A Robotic That Can Attain Every thing

Okay, let’s get to the great things. What can this vacuum do? Effectively, frankly, it could actually do all of it. The X8 Professional Omni has the power to hoover and mop, and there have been some good enhancements to how that works.

Mapping

Earlier than the vacuum can begin cleansing, it must map your private home. The X8 Professional Omni makes use of LiDAR for mapping, and it does it fairly rapidly and precisely. I needed to do some room name-changing and room barrier modifying, however no more than anticipated. The robotic isn’t nice at detecting flooring varieties throughout the mapping run, however that’s not tremendous necessary because the sensors will auto-adjust when cleansing. In different phrases, you do not have to fret about it attempting to mop your carpets.

Vacuuming

The X8 Professional Omni has 4 vacuum energy modes to select from with a max of 18,000 Pa. That’s close to the very high of all robotic vacuums and a whopping 10,000 greater than the X2 Omni I beforehand examined.

Clearly, operating at max suction will dramatically kill the battery faster, however there’s a “Suction Increase” characteristic that allows you to get some further energy, particularly on the carpet. I discovered this to be a pleasant strategy to reap the benefits of the utmost suction with out depleting the battery as quick.

I used the X8 Professional Omni within the third-strongest suction mode with the “Deep Cleansing” velocity, and I used to be proud of the efficiency over my month and a half of testing. The variety of little issues that didn’t get picked up was decrease than my different robotic vacuum, and regardless of copious quantities of canine hair, the comb didn’t get tangled as a lot, both.

The vacuum efficiency was constant throughout carpet and arduous flooring. There’s one spot in my home the place robotic vacuums don’t deal with nicely–a raised transition between completely different flooring varieties. The X8 Professional Omni is nice at lifting itself over the brink, but it surely struggles to select up stuff whereas sauntering over, identical to my different vacuums, sadly.

All that being stated, this is a wonderful robotic vacuum. It’s on the decrease finish of the value spectrum in the case of “premium” robotic vacuums, but it performs simply as nicely, if not higher, than dearer fashions.

Mopping

Let’s get to one of many stars of the present: the X8 Professional Omni’s mopping options. Many robotic vacuums with mopping talents characteristic twin round mopping pads that spin. Certainly, that is how my earlier Ecovacs Deebot labored. Nonetheless, the X8 Professional Omni has a single mopping curler.

There’s loads to speak about with this curler, however the coolest characteristic is the power to increase out of the physique to succeed in room edges and corners. This dramatically improves the reachability of a spherical robotic, and it even bought nearer than the sq. X2 Omni. It’s actually cool to observe the mop slide out and in throughout mopping to succeed in the nooks and crannies. However that’s not all.

The X8 Professional Omni additionally options an onboard water tank. Usually, robots with mops should go to their stations to wash the mopping pads and get new water. Nonetheless, on the X8 Professional Omni, whereas the mop spins, a squeegee removes soiled water and nozzles apply contemporary, clear water. This dramatically decreases the spreading of soiled substances across the flooring whereas “cleansing.”

That’s finally the issue with robots that may’t clear their mops whereas utilizing them. They’re basically getting the mops soiled after which utilizing these soiled mops to “clear” the flooring. The mops are solely ever actually clear for a brief time period after leaving the docking station.

I discovered that the mopping curler is sort of a bit simpler than the spinning mopping pads in my house. With 4,000 Pa of stress being utilized, the curler was capable of loosen up extra arduous and sticky stuff. It actually wasn’t excellent, however I used to be most impressed with this improve.

Docking Station

As I discussed, the docking station has obtained a pleasant facelift, however what about performance? Like different Ecovacs mop and vac combos, the X8 Professional Omni station options clear and soiled water tanks for the mopping curler. It mechanically cleans the curler, takes the soiled water away, and replenishes the on-device tank with clear water.

One new characteristic for me was the detergent compartment. My different Ecovac robotic vacuum requires you so as to add the cleaning soap manually to the clear water tank. Nonetheless, with the X8 Professional Omni, there’s a separate compartment that mechanically provides detergent to the water because it refills the tank on the vacuum. I discovered this to be a pleasant quality-of-life enchancment. I largely solely want to fret about refilling the water tank.

Subsequent to the detergent compartment is the place the mud bag is saved. Each are hidden behind a featureless cowl plate. I used to be a bit disillusioned that I needed to fully take away the quilt by pulling it off from the underside. Earlier fashions hinged open with a press.

Aside from that, there’s not a lot happening with the docking station. The button for controlling the robotic that was discovered on different docking stations has been moved to the vacuum itself. There’s solely an indicator gentle that reveals if there’s a malfunction or Wi-Fi is disconnected.

General, I believe the station does what it must do. It largely takes care of every thing for you whereas wanting good doing it.

Voice Assistant

The thought of getting one more voice assistant in my house by no means excited me, however the options of “Yiko” (pronounced “eco”) are typically helpful—extra helpful than the barebones Google Assistant integration.

Yiko can handle just about something you may provoke from the app. It’s loads simpler to say, “Okay, Yiko, clear the lounge,” than pull out your telephone and faucet the display a dozen occasions. You’ll be able to even say, “Okay, Yiko, come clear right here,” and it’ll come to you and clear your space. Yiko also can perceive customized cleansing routines.

An assistant that’s devoted to your robotic vacuum makes a number of sense. That’s all it is aware of, in order that’s all it tries to do. My major gripe is simply that it’s not nice at detecting the “Okay, Yiko” wake command. I just about at all times need to say it greater than as soon as to get the robotic’s consideration, however as soon as it’s awake, it understands me.

An App Loaded With Options, for Higher or Worse

Let’s discuss in regards to the Ecovacs app, which is the place you’ll discover a plethora of options and settings to mess around with. I’ve a little bit of a love/hate relationship with it.

Initially, the app gives complete management over the robotic vacuum. You’ll be able to outline no-go zones, personalize room names, edit your private home’s map, schedule cleansing routines, evaluate efficiency stories, monitor the robotic’s location in actual time, and entry a wide selection of customization choices.

The beauty of it’s you could have an enormous diploma of management over the cleansing expertise. There are a number of vacuuming and mopping modes to mess around with, together with a deep cleansing zig-zag vacuum sample for elevated thoroughness. You resolve the sequence of vacuuming and mopping, which rooms it ought to do first, how a lot water is used, suction power, variety of passes, and far more.

On the flipside, the app isn’t probably the most well-designed piece of software program I’ve used, to say the least. It’s clunky at occasions, there are random connection points, and I discover it arduous to recollect the place sure settings and options could be discovered. Ecovacs can also be now utilizing an AI assistant to assist with machine malfunctions and it’s not very, nicely, useful.

Considered one of my favourite options remains to be the digital camera view. It’s totally enjoyable to see the world out of your robotic’s perspective. Extra importantly, I discover it very helpful for troubleshooting. There have been numerous occasions once I’ve been capable of remotely navigate my robotic out of a jam by utilizing the digital camera to steer.

All in all, I believe Ecovacs will get a passing grade for its app. There’s solely a lot you are able to do when there are this many choices for customers to play with.

Ought to You Purchase the Deebot X8 Professional Omni?

When you’ve made it this far, you’re in all probability anticipating me to say the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni is a simple purchase. Every thing I’ve stated has been largely constructive, and I’ve been usually proud of the efficiency in my house over the past month and a half. Nonetheless, there’s one factor that provides me pause when contemplating recommending it to others.

As I discussed, I even have the Deebot X2 Omni. It’s been in my house for nicely over a 12 months at this level. After I reviewed it in October 2023, I gave it a fairly glowing 8/10. However right here’s the factor: it hasn’t aged nicely.

Over time, I’ve change into an increasing number of disillusioned with the X2 Omni. The vacuum brush will get phantom “tangles” quite a few occasions throughout cleanings, it randomly creates brand-new maps of my house, rooms are sometimes skipped, and the mud bin is at all times full as a result of it doesn’t empty itself sufficient. None of this stuff had been points within the first few months, however they slowly popped up over time.

I’m proud of the X8 Professional Omni now, however will the efficiency deteriorate over time like my different Ecovacs product? My intestine says there are sufficient enhancements right here to be ok with its future, however I gained’t actually know for some time.

All that apart, the Deebot X8 Professional Omni is a wonderful robotic vacuum and mop. It appears to be on par with different high-end hybrids, such because the Dreame X30 Extremely and Roborock Qrevo Curv. The X8 Professional Omni can also be a bit cheaper than most robots in its class. It’s one other stable entry from Ecovacs, and I hope it continues to work nicely over time.