Is The Deebot X1 Omni Robot Vacuum A Peek Into The Future Of Home Cleaning?

I didn't get serious about robot vacuums until I moved into my current apartment. The building was built in 1940 and our place still has the original dark hardwood floors. Combined, both factors make our flooring a powerful dust magnet that requires frequent sweeping and mopping. A few weeks after moving in, I started to dream about a robot vacuum that would take care of the floors for me.

As you can imagine, when I was offered the chance to review the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni, I jumped at the chance. I've been testing out this vacuum for over three months and would love to share my thoughts with other robot vacuum dreamers.

(While I did receive the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni for free, all of the following thoughts and opinions expressed below are my own and are not influenced by Ecovacs in any way.)

Retailing for $1,549.99 (the item is currently on sale for $1,399 on Amazon and Ecovacs) in black and silver, the Deebot X1 Omni comes with the following features:

• A dual-spinning mop system called the Ozmo Turbo 2.0
• Yiko, a hands-free voice command system
• An auto-cleaning and auto-drying station that also refills the vacuum's water tank
• A sleek exterior created by Jacob Jensen Design Studio
• The ability to clean a 360-square-meter space in one go
• Dust bags that remove 99.9% of particles (which, again, are automatically cleaned by the station)
• Obstacle-avoidance technology, camera vision, and laser-depth scanning that help the vacuum avoid cables, socks, shoes, soft cloth, chairs, trash bins, and other household objects
• A home monitoring feature that provides live video
• Auto-navigation, along with 3D mapping
• An app that allows you to control the vacuum from your phone

Overall, the entire Deebot X1 Omni station measures 430 by 448 by 578 millimeters (or about 17 by 18 by 23 inches). It also comes with easy instructions, a brush for cleaning the docking station, two extra mop pads, and a tool for cutting hair out of the spin brushes.

On the Ecovacs app, you can manage any and all of the brand's robots (and update their firmware when available). On the first tab — called "Robot" — you can do the following:

• Add a new robot using a QR code
• View robot messages and service notifications
• Learn more about how to use Yiko voice assistant
• Have the robot recharge and see its battery percentage
• Manage your videos
• Enter smart cleaning, where you can manage maps, watch live video, and ask your vacuum to start cleaning.

The second tab — "Store" — takes you to the Ecovacs website, while the third —"Mine" — allows you to access your settings, ask for help, and provide feedback.

I genuinely love this robot vacuum and am so happy to have it in my life. It does everything it says, and does it on its own. All you have to do is press start on the app or station, or ask the Yiko voice assistant to start cleaning. On the station, there is also a button that prompts the vacuum to return to the station and one that starts self-cleaning. Even though it comes with a lot of fancy features, the Deebot XI Omni still beautifully performs its primary function. My floors have never looked cleaner.

Here's a before and after of a particularly dusty corner to show you the power of the robot vacuum (we keep a heavy chair there, okay?!):

Anna Gragert

And a before and after of the tile where we burn our incense sticks:

Anna Gragert

I'd also like to note that the vacuum is much quieter than a normal vacuum, though it does get louder when its wheels lift it up onto another surface or carpet. While on the latter, the vacuum also gets louder to account for the different texture, but I don't find the sound to be overwhelming.

I also love the fact that the Deebot X1 Omni maps the home (and all your furniture and pet supplies) on its own, using its Quick Mapping feature. On the app, you can view this map yourself to keep track of where your vacuum is and what areas it has cleaned. You can also merge, divide, and label certain areas, and create virtual boundaries on the map for the places you want the vacuum to avoid. Plus, you can use the device's camera to check in on your home and pets while you're away. There is even a function that lets you talk through the vacuum.

Over the past three months, the Deebot X1 Omni has only gotten caught on one item in my home: a particularly tiny cord I forgot to pick up. I'd call that a success.

Ecovacs

As for the voice function, I'll talk more about it below, but it works wonderfully and is great if that's the kind of hands-free experience you're looking for. You simply have to start out each command by saying "Okay, Yiko." In particular, I was amazed when I asked Yiko to clean my bedroom and the robot vacuum actually went to the correct room and cleaned it.

In terms of maintenance, thus far, I've only had to add clean water to the station, add and remove the mop pads, clean hair out of the spin brushes (Ecovacs provides a tool for this), and wipe dust off the machine's cameras and sensors. I let the vacuum clean my one-bedroom apartment every week or so and haven't yet had to empty the station's dust bag or provide any other sort of maintenance. After 15 minutes of mopping, the Deebot X1 Omni will even return to its station to refresh the mopping pads — no effort required.

Anna Gragert

Overall, I'm truly happy with how the vacuum functions — and looks. The design is sleek and doesn't take up a lot of visual attention. The app is also super handy and easy to navigate, and I tend to use it the most to control the vacuum and keep track of it.

The first con I'm going to talk about is very specific to me and definitely wouldn't be a con for many others. I'm not a fan of voice assistants because I'm sensitive to sounds, so I turned the Yiko feature off after testing it out. However, when the station is plugged in, Yiko still talks to remind you if the battery is low or to ask you to turn the voice feature back on. This often happens out of nowhere and it can be a bit jarring. To fix this, I tend to unplug the vacuum when I'm not planning to use it.

Unfortunately, unplugging the vacuum is also not ideal since it does take a few hours to charge. Because of this, I have to plan ahead of time, making sure that I plug in the station in the morning if I plan to use the vacuum in the afternoon or at night.

The only other con I can think of doesn't apply to me, but I could see it being an issue for those with smaller abodes. The Deebot X1 Omni's station is relatively large compared to other robot vacuums on the market, so it could be difficult to find a spot for it in a tight space. However, I didn't have an issue with this and also feel like the larger size is understandable based on how much the Deebot X1 Omni does.

With everything considered, I would say that the Deebot X1 Omni is worth it. I know it comes at a higher cost and takes up a bit more space, but it has truly made my life a lot easier.

You can purchase this amazing robot vacuum on the Ecovacs website for $1,399 (normally $1,549.99). It is also available at Best Buy for $1,549.99 and Amazon for 1,399.99. If you'd prefer a white version, you can find it at Ecovacs for $1,399.

Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni, $1,549.99 (currently $1,399)

Ecovacs