CES 2022

Good lord: Now, there’s a robot vacuum that cleans itself

One small step for human laziness, one giant leap towards self-sustaining sentient robots.

Robot vacuums are great. Really, why clean after yourself when you can just have an automated robot take care of it? These days, most robot vacuums even have self-emptying capabilities. And the next step after that is Ecovacs and its Deebot X1 Omni robot vacuum that can clean itself.

Like others on the market, the Deebot X1 Omni was designed to both autonomously sweep and mop your home and then return to its docking station. But Ecovacs’ docking station design allows the Deebot X1 Omni to empty itself, refill its water tanks, and clean and dry its own mops.

Ecovacs already has other models that can empty themselves and the self-emptying technology has been around for a while. But it’s the first time the company has added a self-cleaning function, making cleaning your home an even more hands-off experience. And for those with disabilities, it can make cleaning an even less daunting task.

Inside the dual-tank setup of Ecovacs' Deebot X1 Omni.Ecovacs

Dual-tank docking station — When the Deebot X1 Omni is done cleaning, it returns to the docking station, where it will automatically empty everything vacuumed into a 2.5L disposable dust bag. The docking station also draws from a four-liter clean water tank to wash and dry the mop heads, dumping the used water into another four-liter dirty water tank. And when the robot vacuum’s water levels for its mops run low, the docking station also automatically refills it. The way it’s designed, you only need to check in on the docking station occasionally, emptying the dust bags and tanks and refilling the water when necessary.

The docking station is definitely the coolest part, but the Deebot X1 Omni was also built with some serious power. The robot vacuum has 5000Pa of suction power, two spinning mop heads that can hit 180 rpm to blast away stains, and navigation tech that can map out your home layout, similar to those found in self-driving cars, according to Ecovacs. The Deebot X1 Omni also has an on-board voice assistant so you can tell it to start, stop, change settings or hit specific areas in your apartment.

Ecovacs' Deebot X1 Omni.Ecovacs

Ecovacs already has direct competition, as Roborock also showcased its self-cleaning robot vacuum, the S7 Max V Ultra, at CES 2022. But, the one advantage the Roborock has over the Deebot is its ability to detect carpets and raise its mopping pad out of the way.

Available in March — Ecovacs is also showing off its X1 Omni model at CES 2022, but the robot vacuum is already available in China. As for the U.S. market, Ecovacs will release the Deebot X1 Omni in March through its website and Amazon and in April at Best Buy locations across the U.S. But convenience doesn’t come cheap, because the Deebot X1 Omni will cost you $1,549.

The company will also release a limited edition white version of its X1 Omni on its website. The other smaller versions of the Deebot X1, the X1 Turbo and the X1 Plus, will retail for $1,349 and $1,149 respectively.