Robot vacuums are now equipped with so many new innovations that it’s hard to keep up. It seems only recently that we’ve got self-cleaning models, but fast forward to this year and now we have the ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI, which comes with a never-before-seen roller mop feature.

Truth be told, my faith in the ECOVACS brand was at an all-time low. My family invested in a DEEBOT X2 OMNI at the start of 2024, charmed by its seemingly innovative design and cleaning features. But for a device meant to be an aid, it has done the opposite—causing one headache after another.

So, I began testing the new ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI with scepticism. But after a month or so of using the robot vacuum, I’m glad to say that it has won back my confidence.

Design

ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI: Size — The robot is small and slim, though it remains similar in size to the X2 OMNI

ECOVACS has been pushing square-designed robot vacuums in its slate, but for the DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI, it returns to the traditional circular design.

Personally, the change back does not present any benefits or detriment. When compared to my DEEBOT X2 OMNI, both vacuums are similar in width and length, so it is hard to discern any real difference in how they perform in real use. Both devices are small and slim enough to squeeze through gaps without any issue, so that’s a thumbs up from me.

Along with the robot itself, the DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI comes packaged with a docking station that helps with maintenance. Two water tanks (one for clean water, the other for dirty water) sit at the top, while the middle portion of the station has a removable cover that hides the dust bag and a small tank that holds the cleaning solution (though you’ll have to separately purchase the detergent).

In terms of size, the docking station is pretty slim, measuring around 53 centimeters in height and 34 centimeters in width, allowing it to fit into most corners of my home. However, it could have been a little more sleek in aesthetic if I’m being honest. As compared to the X2 OMNI’s docking station, which visually fits in with most home decor with its enclosed design, the X8 PRO OMNI’s two water tanks that feature at the top aren’t quite as seamless against decor.

At the very least, it serves a purpose. The tanks are slightly translucent, which lets users see the water level at a glance. And since both tanks aren’t enclosed like the X2 OMNI’s docking was, you can immediately retrieve either tank in just one step, which is super convenient. So, essentially, you’re trading aesthetics for utility.

ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI: Docking Station — The docking station is more function than looks

For maintenance, the docking station does its job very well—it is very much a set it up and forget kind of deal. I’ve used the robot vacuum to vacuum and mop daily in a four-room equivalent HDB, and I have only needed to maintain the station about once a week.

That being said, taking care of the docking station is a little more troublesome than I was used to with the X2 OMNI. For one, there isn’t any button on the station to have the robot exit the dock in order for you to clean the bottom tray. Having to pull out my phone to do it is just an ever-so-slightly annoying extra step. Technically, this can be avoided by just using the voice command to tell the robot to exit, but you still need to enable it on the app; it is off by default.

Another small pain point is the front compartment. It requires quite a bit of strength to pry it open, and the bottom finger hold does little to help as it lacks grip. The X2 OMNI’s push-to-open implementation was much easier.

Considering that this is the newest edition of a robot vacuum, I am bemused as to why ECOVACS has decided not to bring over what has worked in the past to this device. Instead, it seems like the docking station has regressed in some ways.

Performance

ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI: Cleaning — ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI’s improved 18,000 Pa suction nabs even little bits of debris

Vacuuming ability has been of a high standard across the various robot vacuum brands, and the ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI is the same; it is an exceptional vacuum cleaner.

Given that it comes with 18,000 Pa of suction power, the robot vacuum has been superb at picking up dirt – whether it be something tiny like hair or bigger debris like potato chip crumbs. This has been great for carpets, with the additional power helping suck up embedded dirt. It works well at sucking up things from edges as well, with the side brush able to extend outwards to push things into its suction pathway.

Remarkably, even on the highest suction power enabled, it isn’t as loud as I expected. The robot vacuum can still be heard behind a closed door, but the noise emitted from it isn’t egregious to the point of nuisance. In fact, the older X2 OMNI sounded louder even though it has a lower suction power of 8,000 Pa.

I’ve also not had any issues with tangles with the X8 PRO OMNI. The main brush comes with ZeroTangle 2.0 Anti-Tangle Technology, with the bristles and roller brush having a V-shaped design to reduce the likelihood of entanglement. It does this quite well; so far I’ve not spotted any stray hairs being stuck even after sucking up dog hair and long thick hair from the ground.

With navigation, the robot vacuum could do a little better. In general, the embedded LiDAR sensor—found at the side so that the device keeps a slim profile—is decent at avoiding obstacles like tables and chairs around my house. However, it is less capable when it comes to smaller objects like socks. On occasion, it also just fails to detect ledges for some reason—I’ve had to pick out the robot a couple of times after it has fallen off onto my balcony. It does not happen often, but it does give me some seeds of doubt whenever I think of setting the device on a cleaning run without monitoring it.

Now, onto the mopping aspect. I’ve largely been unconvinced with the mopping features on robot vacuum cleaners. However, the ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI has the best implementation I’ve seen thus far.

Instead of single microfibre cloths or dual mopping pads, the X8 PRO OMNI uses a roller mop system. This presents a few advantages, namely that it is much cleaner as it has a real-time water renewal self-cleaning system, ensuring that any dirt picked up is cleaned up during the cleaning process and leaves almost no dirty streaks. Because of the controlled water flow as well, there’s less water residue left behind, so floors also dry quicker.

The mopping performance is excellent. The X8 PRO OMNI is very adept at cleaning both wet spills and dry stains, though it works best if you set the water flow rate higher in the settings. Like the side brush, the roller mop can also extend out to cover edges. During my testing, the robot vacuum has been pretty accurate at detecting edges and cleans these areas well. After mopping an area, the robot also does not leave the floor sticky, which is another plus point as well.

ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI: Roller Mop — The roller mop extends onward to clean edges

Notably, I’ve also found that there have been fewer occurrences of stale stench when cleaning. It was a massive problem with my previous robot vacuum, even when it had a self-cleaning function—it really put into question how clean the mopping functionality was. While I still occasionally catch a whiff of the smell, it is reassuring that it is mostly when it is doing its hot-air drying and not when it is actually doing its cleaning.

However, while the cleaning performance of the ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI has been excellent, the device itself isn’t the most suited for marble flooring. The wheels create a rather loud and piercing screech sometimes when the robot vacuum moves around the house, especially when the floor is wet. The roller mop leaving less water residue does mitigate this, but it still happens on occasion.

Lastly, let’s talk about the app. I was not the biggest fan of the ECOVACS app when I first used it, but it has improved. At a glance, the app gives a lot of options to play with—such as letting you make virtual boundaries, setting up schedules, or choosing the frequency of the mop wash—but the issues were the execution. Luckily, much of the problems have been ironed out.

ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI: App Interface — A glimpse at the varied settings for the ECOVACS app

Mapping used to be a toss-up on whether it would be correct, but now I’m glad to see it be more accurate than before, marking out the room dimensions more precisely and identifying objects like sofas better. It has also gotten better at separating two areas—previously, it used to give errors when I tried to use the divide tool on certain areas.

The smart assistant, YIKO, is also smarter than before. Now, it is more conversational, understanding even when you are speaking more casually. For instance, you can talk about a spill in the kitchen, and YIKO understands that it should clean the area. Also, it hears voices more clearly now, and I’ve now had to repeat myself fewer times, thankfully. But if voice assistance isn’t your thing, YIKO also works as a chatbot, though I don’t see why you wouldn’t just use the app as normal if you want to direct the robot to clean something.

Verdict

The ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI has turned me into a believer—not just of ECOVACS as a brand but also of robot vacuums with mops. It is the best all-in-one robot vacuum I’ve used thus far, with excellent cleaning capabilities and minimal maintenance to boot.

It’s not perfect; navigation is still finicky, and when you actually have to do the maintenance, it is more troublesome than it needs to be. But these are minor issues in the grand scheme of things.

For the very first iteration of a robot vacuum with a roller mop, this is a great start. They always say to be wary of the debut version of a device, but the ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI is plenty competent on its own and is well worth getting.

The ECOVACS DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI is available for purchase online from ECOVAC’s official Shopee and Lazada stores.

Photos by Russell Loh of the DANAMIC Team.