ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI PREVIEW: ONE-MINUTE REVIEW
The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni is an autonomous vacuum cleaner designed for hands-free operation. It vacuums, mops, discharges its dustbin and filthy water automatically, and washes and dries its mopping mats with hot water and heated air. Yes, this is an appliance that significantly reduces the amount of labor required for certain household tasks.
The X2 Omni's square-like shape is a departure from the typically circular Ecovacs robots, and its purpose is to get close to the edges and corners of your home and pick up dust that was previously missed by circular robots that could not get into corners or close to room edges.
Despite the fact that I have yet to devote a significant amount of time to testing the robot vacuum, the few cleaning cycles I have been able to conduct suggest that Ecovacs has largely achieved this goal, although X2 Omni is not flawless.
This robot can and does get closer to skirting boards and furniture than I've seen previously, but it doesn't do this every time, and I believe some of the issue rests with its updated navigation abilities. It also seems to collide with objects more often than older models I've tested, but this may be due to its updated square shape, which makes it more difficult to maneuver in certain spaces.
Although it may not fit precisely into corners, the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni is a top performer when it comes to vacuuming and mopping, with high extraction power and the ability to scour your hard surfaces rather than just clean them. Additionally, the app gives you extensive control over your cleaning preferences, and Ecovacs' voice assistant has been enhanced.
ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI PREVIEW: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
- Launched in September 2023 (Australia) / October 2023 (US)
- UK release expected in November 2023
- Priced at $1,500 / AU$2,499 (UK pricing TBA)
With a price tag of $1,500 (AU$2,499), the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni is one of the costlier options available. For your money, however, you receive an autonomous vacuum cleaner that does it all: vacuums, mops, discharges its own receptacle and filthy water, and washes its mopping cloths with clean, hot water.
It does all these duties well, but there are other products out there that offer a similar feature set at a lower price. For instance, the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni has comparable performance and was released in 2022 at a comparable price point, but it is frequently on sale.
The iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus is an excellent alternative to the Ecovacs brand, which is priced slightly less at $1,099, £999, or AU$2,400. This model is frequently on sale, and TechRadar recommends it as the finest autonomous vacuum currently available.
Consider the ongoing expenses associated with a robot vacuum of this caliber as well. Replacement dust sacks cost AU$29 for three, and replacement mopping cloths cost AU$29.90 for four (US pricing was unavailable at the time of writing). Depending on how often you use your robovac, you may need to replace the dust sacks and cleaning cloths, which are not particularly costly.
ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI PREVIEW: DESIGN
- A new square-ish shape to reach into corners
- LiDAR sensor is now built into the chassis
- Mopping pads lift up when carpet is detected, but not high enough
The Deebot X2 Omni introduces a novel shape with rounded corners, a first for an Ecovacs autonomous vacuum. Robovacs have traditionally been circular because it is simpler for them to navigate around obstacles; however, this design has its drawbacks, such as leaving room corners largely undisturbed.
The updated shape is an attempt to resolve this issue, with a design that enables the X2 Omni to reach filthy crevices and margins that previous robot vacuums could not. It largely succeeds, and it gets closer to borders and furniture than any other robot vacuum I've seen; however, I have yet to test this robovac under various conditions to determine how well its design change improves cleaning.
One issue with the new shape that I've seen in my brief time with the X2 Omni is that it can occasionally get caught on skirting boards and furniture, as it's not able to revolve as easily as circular robovacs. If you're at home while the automaton cleans, I don't believe this to be a significant issue, and the advantages of moving closer to the margins transcend this concern for me. Perhaps the use of machine learning, as claimed by Ecovacs, could enhance its efficacy.
Previously, Ecovacs placed a LiDAR sensor on top of the robot to help it navigate your home. However, this sensor is now located on the right side of the robot. It has been relocated to help the X2 Omni fit under low-profile furniture, but based on my preliminary testing, I believe this modification may have affected the robot's ability to navigate. I say this because I've used the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Turbo for over a year, and the X2 Omni seems to collide with furniture more often than the X1 Turbo.
Now that the top LiDAR sensor has been relocated, the X2 Omni has a flat top cover with a brushed-silver finish and a single trigger to initiate and terminate cleaning. You have simple access to the robot's receptacle, which has a capacity of 14.2oz (420 ml), making it slightly larger than the X1 Omni's 13.5oz (400 ml) canister. A retractable fender encircles the front half of the robot and contains the camera and some of its sensors.
Under the X2 Omni is a rubber roller brush that I have not yet had to manually remove and clean. This is quite different from previous Ecovacs models, which required me to remove and clean a roller brush with soft filaments and silicone fins after each use. Due to the X2 Omni's new square design, the primary brush is also broader than in the past. There's also one side brush that rotates inwards to drive dust from room boundaries towards the bar brush (as we saw in our Dyson 360 Vis Nav review), and there are two rotating mopping pads underneath.
The mopping cloths are Velcro-attached to the bot, allowing them to be removed and washed if they become particularly soiled. Ecovacs has also altered the design of the mopping mats so that they rise automatically when carpet is detected. Although it functions well, I found that it did not lift high enough to prevent my medium-pile carpet from becoming moist, particularly where the fiber joins the concrete floor.
Some may find the charging station to be somewhat cumbersome, but I believe the size is appropriate for what you're receiving. It contains two water containers, one for pure water and one for filthy water, as well as a particulate sack for the robot's auto-empty function. The result is an autonomous vacuum that requires minimal human intervention during the cleansing process.
ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI PREVIEW: SETUP AND APP CONTROL
- Straightforward setup
- App provides high level of control
- Yiko voice assistant seems to have improved
As with previous Ecovacs autonomous vacuums, the X2 Omni is simple to set up. To use the X2 Omni, you'll need to download Ecovacs' companion app and connect the device to Wi-Fi. After this, it will map your home as its first assignment.
I've only asked the X2 Omni to map my apartment once so far, and the result was reasonably accurate. It initially mapped my kitchen and the adjacent hallway as a single room, but this was readily rectified by segregating the areas within the app. Before commenting definitively on the robot's mapping capabilities, I'd like to give it a few more opportunities, but my initial impression is that it performs the task adequately.
The Ecovacs app is remarkable because it gives you extensive control over your cleaning preferences. You can specify vacuuming or mopping only if you'd like to do them simultaneously or one after the other. You also have control over the vacuum power, the quantity of water you want to use for a mopping cycle, and whether you want it to pass once or twice over the area. Additionally, cleaning schedules and charging station parameters can be configured.
In my review of the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Turbo, I complained that the Yiko voice assistant was difficult to use. Since then, the voice assistant has been revised, and I've discovered that she responds better to an American accent than to my genuine Australian accent. The combination of the two has made it much simpler for me to communicate with Yiko this time around, even when the X2 Omni is vacuuming and there is a lot of background commotion.
ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI PREVIEW: CLEANING PERFORMANCE
- 8000Pa suction is the highest from Ecovacs yet
- Rotating mopping are good for maintenance cleaning
- Object avoidance appears to have some issues
In my trials thus far, the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni has performed admirably when vacuuming carpets and concrete flooring. My carpets are visibly fresher after each cleaning, but deeper-rooted fibers remain, based on my testing to date. I have discovered that the suction is sufficient to gather up accidents such as uncooked rice, even without using the strongest suction setting.
The X2 Omni has performed well in my mopping experiments thus far, as its rotating mopping pads enable it to scrub' the floor much more effectively than competing robot vacuums that simply moisten and clean the area. I'd like to conduct additional mopping experiments on additional dried-in stains before making a conclusive statement about its efficacy, but initial results are encouraging.
While the mopping abilities have been quite excellent, the X2 Omni isn't able to correctly elevate the mopping mats high enough to prevent saturating the carpet. In my testing thus far, the margins where carpet meets tile have remained mildly moist, but not to a degree that is concerning. Before rendering a definitive verdict, I must observe how moist carpets become when using the maximum water flow setting. I have only tested it with the medium water flow setting.
Among the initial complaints I have about the X2 Omni are its object avoidance abilities. As previously stated, I've been using one of Ecovacs' premium models from 2022 for over a year, and the X2 Omni seems to collide with objects and obstacles more frequently than the older model. This may have something to do with the fact that the LiDAR sensor was transferred from the top of the robot to the side of the robot. It could also be a result of the new delicately rectangular shape, but it's too soon to tell.
Ecovacs claims the Deebot X2 Omni has a battery life of up to 186 minutes (1 hour and 43 minutes), but this is only true if the robot vacuum is set to its lowest power setting. In my early testing, I haven't been able to completely deplete the battery, but this is primarily because I've been using it in a studio apartment, where it always finishes cleaning with power to spare. In my comprehensive review, I'll have more to say about the X2 Omni's battery life.
ECOVACS DEEBOT X2 OMNI PREVIEW: EARLY VERDICT
The circular shape of most autonomous vacuums makes them ineffective at cleaning the margins and corners of our straight-lined dwellings. Ecovacs aimed to solve this issue. It has been mostly effective in my testing thus far, and its vacuuming and mopping capabilities are remarkable; however, navigational issues may have prevented it from always cleaning every crevice. If you have the money to spend, it will be a wonderful investment for someone who desires assistance vacuuming and mopping their home.