Ecovacs Deebot X2 OMNI review

The Deebot X2 OMNI couldn’t be more deserving of the title “premium robot vacuum cleaner.” It’s brilliant.

It pushes the market forward with an innovative new square design – that works -, enhanced AI-powered navigation capabilities, a massive jump in performance with 8,000Pa suction power and, most importantly, autonomy. You’ll barely have to touch this robot vacuum cleaner.

This is the best of what Ecovacs offers, and there’s a lot here. Yes, it’s expensive at $2,999, and if you can’t afford it, there are cheaper Ecovacs models like the N8 PRO, the T9+, the N10 Plus or the X1 Plus, but if you’re looking for a robot vacuum cleaner that can do it all, the X2 OMNI is it. 

It’s easily one of the best robot vacuum cleaners in NZ.

Price

The X2 OMNI costs $2,999. This is a premium robot vacuum through and through, and while it’s expensive, it’s in line with what other premium robot vacuums cost. The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra also costs $2,999.

Design 

The shape is the first thing you’ll notice when looking at the X2 OMNI. This square robot vacuum is a marked departure from the traditionally round designs, and it has its merits. It allows the device to squeeze into corners and track edges more easily. This addresses the issue where circular models often miss dust and debris accumulating just out of reach. It works well.

The X2 OMNI doesn’t have a “cap” on top. In other robot vacuums, the “cap” usually houses “sensing” technology like LIDAR and IR sensors. Here, that is all built into the body, and it reduces the vacuum’s height to a mere 9.5cm. This enables the device to drive beneath low furniture, such as chairs and tables. It effortlessly slides underneath without issue. Not once did it get caught up under the couch or bed. 

Underneath, there’s a substantial 20cm rolling brush. This is a large brush for a robot vacuum. It ensures a wider cleaning path and requires fewer passes to clean a given area. This means faster cleaning times and less battery use, not that that’s an issue due to the continuous cleaning function (more below).

The best thing about the X2 OMNI is the simultaneous mopping and vacuuming function. The robot boasts rising mop capabilities; Ecovacs calls this the LiftUp OZMO Turbo 2.0 Rotating Mopping system. This means the mops can rise up to 15mm when detecting carpet and drop back down when back on hard flooring. It works very well and is a game-changer. It reduces the need for human input; no more having to constantly put mops on and take them off. Additionally, the wheels are larger, allowing the robot to get over edges as high as 22mm. This is easily enough to get over a rug or carpet.

The X2 OMNI also looks sleek. It’s futuristic and looks much better than other robot vacuums.

Docking Station

The X2 OMNI boasts an all-in-one docking station, which means it does almost everything without requiring human input. It automatically cleans the mops with hot water, auto-refills the water in the robot, auto-empties the bin, auto-dries the mops and conducts self-maintenance where needed. You’ll only need to empty the 3L dustbin once every couple of months, get rid of the dirty water and refill the clean water where needed – it holds 4L, so you won’t need to do this often. 

You can opt in or out of hot water cleaning in the app. If you decide to use it – which you should – the station heats the water to 55°, which removes grime, dirt and stains from the mops. In my time with the X2 OMNI, I didn’t have to change the mops once.

It’s slimmer than its predecessor, measuring 394mm x 527.5mm x 443.73mm. This makes it easier to place, and it doesn’t stand out like a sore thumb. I also appreciated if you open the lid; a handy guide instructs you how to set the robot up in case you forget.

It’s still quite loud, though. You can hear when the mops are being prepared before every clean. This is something you’ll want to take into consideration when placing the dock.

Performance

To put it plainly, the X2 OMNI is a beast. It’s the most powerful robot vacuum cleaner I’ve used. 

Boasting 8,000Pa suction power, it’s much more powerful than the 6,000Pa S8 Pro Ultra and 3,000Pa more powerful than the Deebot X1 OMNI. This means more dust and debris get picked up, a lot more.

The LiftUp OZMO Turbo 2.0 Rotating Mopping system works very well. Instead of dragging the mops along the floor, the X2 OMNI scrubs it with rotating mop pads. It isn’t strong enough to get tough stains out, but you can definitely tell when it’s done the job. 

Not once did I have issues with the robot recognising carpet and hardwood floors, either. In my house, the hardwood kitchen floor directly leads onto a carpeted area, and the X2 OMNI seamlessly raised its mops when driving onto the carpet and placed them back down when it was time to start mopping again. It’s very good and is a feature I view as a requirement in robot vacuums now.

Navigation

The X2 OMNI uses a new Artificial Intelligence Navigation (AINA) system. With AI, the robot can adapt to its surroundings. Combined with Ecovac’s artificial intelligence visual interpretation (AIVI) 3D 2.0, the X2 OMNI is brilliant at navigating areas. If a door is closed, it will seek alternative routes; if a chair has been moved, it will identify that quickly without freaking out. It utilises the RGBD sensor – located at the front of the robot, instead of on top – to avoid obstacles and navigate closer to edges. I didn’t have to pick it up and move it once, and it never got stuck.

The robot also features a dual-laser LiDAR sensor within its body. This is similar to the technology used in self-driving cars. The sensor can detect objects up to 10m away and has a 210° angle of view, which is beneficial when doing room mapping and navigation. 

It even comes with pet detection capabilities in which the vacuum will recognise and avoid pet faeces, pet bowls and spilt pet food. While I didn’t have an opportunity to test this, it’s nice to know Ecovacs is considering some of the weaknesses users have found with other robot vacuums.

The X2 OMNI supports 3D Mapping 2.0 to accommodate the navigation capabilities, an upgrade to the previous mapping software. It’s much more accurate and easier to use in the Ecovacs app. Now, you can direct the robot to clean small, specific areas by touching the desired location on the map; you can see carpeted rooms and a lot more. 

The X2 OMNI was incredibly quick at mapping out my home. It went around once, and within a few minutes, it had established the layout and was ready to get cleaning. It’s impressive.

Features/App

All the features you’d expect from a premium robot vacuum are here. You can set cleaning schedules in which the X2 OMNI will wake up at a specified time and clean the area. You can create cleaning orders in which you can tell it which rooms you want it to vacuum in which order, you can change the intensity of the cleaning and mopping, you can place 3D objects on the map, you can drive it like a remote-control car using the in-built camera and more.

It boasts a 6’400mAh battery, which allows for 160 minutes of runtime at average suction levels. I never had an issue with the battery because my house isn’t big enough to warrant that much cleaning. However, if you have a large house, that’s a decent amount of battery life. There’s always the continuous cleaning feature in which the vacuum will go back to the station to charge itself before continuing where it left off if needed.

Verdict

Ecovac’s Deebot X2 OMNI is the best of what the market can offer, and it doesn’t disappoint. This is a brilliant robot vacuum cleaner.

The new features and functions all combine to create a robot vacuum that can be left to do its job day in and day out without ever having to think about it. Not only is it almost entirely autonomous, it’s also very effective.

The new square design, removal of the “cap”, 8,000Pa suction capabilities, improved AI-powered navigation, easy-to-use app and rising mop functionality all combine to create what I consider the best robot vacuum available today.

At $2,999, yes, this is an expensive robot vacuum, but it’s worth every penny. You’ll love the X2 OMNI.