As much as I have always loved having a robot vacuum around that connects to my Google Home ecosystem, I’ve still always felt like they fall short in small ways. The X8 Pro Omni from Ecovacs finally feels like an option that doesn’t, and that’s all you need.
The X8 Pro Omni brings a few new integrations to the table, and those alone change how well the robot vacuum and mop can operate in any home. Both of those features fall under the brand’s “TrueEdge 2.0” technology. With that, there really isn’t a space in the house short of tight corners that the robot can’t reach.
Build
The overall build of the X8 Pro Omni is pretty standard. It breaks from some of the company’s square-bodied designs and returns to the original round chassis. The new/old look is sleek, and the black plastic and bronze accents do well to make the robot look good wherever its home is set up.
On the front are Ecovacs’ AIVI 3D 3.0 sensors that use LiDAR to map surroundings in the home. The company has proven over the last several years that it’s entirely capable of utilizing sensors that can recognize obstacles and surroundings in the home with high accuracy. That means everything from walls and rooms to furniture and dog toys. The X8 Pro Omni can even recognize discoloration on the floor, opting to mop again if stains aren’t fully cleaned.
The unit comes with a base station, and while it isn’t the company’s flagship model, it certainly offers everything possible in a compact docking setup. At the top are two water reservoirs for clean and dirty water. Hidden by a small set of doors is the dust bag and a spot for cleaning solution, though it isn’t necessary and adds to the cost of maintenance on the bot, which is already extremely low.
One downside I have noticed with this model over some others I’ve tried with a door that covers both water reservoirs is that when the docking station is emptying the dirty water from the bot, a small whiff of dirty water smell escapes, though it’s unclear whether it’s coming from the washing portion itself or the tank leaking air. In either case, it means nothing for the performance of the X8 Pro Omni, but it does mean you may not want to keep the docking station near areas where a 3-second whiff of dirty water might bother you.
The station itself is quiet while the drying fans run, and it sits nicely in just about any part of the house, charging away.
Performance
TrueEdge 2.0 comes into play while the X8 Pro Omni is cleaning, and it comes in two parts. First, the side brush is attached to an arm that now extends into corners wherever they’re detected. With that, the round shape of the bot doesn’t matter as much, and corners are no longer safe against dust collection.
The second part is Ecovac’s new mop design. Even though it’s a roller mop, it’s attached to a sliding motor that extends the mop to meet the very edge of the floor. As the bot moves around obstacles, the mop roller perfectly protrudes and adjusts around the object, leaving no floor dry. This addition alone makes the mop feature on a robot vacuum more useful than it ever has been.
With both of those features, the X8 Pro Omni has easily been one of the most effective vacuums I’ve used in the home. There are other features too that make it one of the better models I’ve tried, though they aren’t sole functions of the X8 Pro Omni. That includes carpet detection and suction boost with an 18,000 Pa rating.
On top of that, the brush is made to be anti-tangle, and where my dog’s hair has been an issue in the past, it isn’t anymore. It’s a hybrid brush, so you get the utility of both bristles and silicone, which makes a world of difference.
App and mapping
In reality, robot vacuums don’t just do everything themselves. They need to be controlled, programmed, and told what to do when they get stuck. That’s just the reality of using one.
The Ecovacs app has improved a lot over the years, and the X8 Pro Omni does a good job of mapping out the area with a decent understanding of what constitutes a “room.” Once mapped, the app will display room suggestions and areas that need different attention, like carpeting or other obstacles.
Before activating the bot, you have a few options. The X8 Pro Omni can clean by vacuuming and mopping at the same time, vacuuming alone, or by mopping after an initial vacuum run. The latter is my favorite, though it takes longer. It offers a better result because it’s performing the actions separately. Of course, if you set a schedule, you may only need to use the combination approach.
The bot also gives you suction power settings from quiet to max, with two in between. The water flow rate can also be adjusted, depending on your needs. The X8 Pro Omni gives the option to traverse in quick, standard, or deep cleaning paths, which is a nice touch. Specific modes also allow for the robot to do multiple passes.
One of the best features is the scheduling tool. The tool offers fine control over the types of cleaning modes and what you wish to have done, depending on the room. With that, the robo’s actions are tailored to every household.
The foundational Matter support also adds to the X8’s usability. Google Home displays more options now, instead of the barebones on/off buttons we’ve been used to. The app allows for finite control, and further, better voice control with Assistant and Gemini controls.
Final thoughts
As I’ve said before, I’ve liked having a robot vacuum around, but they’ve often fallen short. The X8 Pro Omni provides that little bit of extra clean where it matters, and the added efficiency of the roller mop does wonders for most flooring types.
That, in combination with the improved app functionality, makes for a really good experience overall. The X8 Omni Pro isn’t the most affordable offering from Ecovacs, or even close, really. Still, it comes in at $969 at the time of writing, down from $1,399. At that price, it’s a great option for most homes.
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