A robot vacuum is the same as the next, right? Well, Ecovacs’ Deebot X11 OmniCyclone launched to much fanfare last month promises to offer a “premium” experience over existing models.
The flagship model’s headline feature is bagless cleaning, which is not only good for the environment in terms of reducing waste but also saves you money from buying removable bags over time.
Instead, you get Ecovacs’ unique OmniCyclone method of cleaning. This forces air through the robot’s dustbin to effectively remove debris picked up while rolling around your home.
As its name suggests, this process sounds like a “cyclone”, as you’re shown in the transparent holder. This way, there is little mess to deal with when you have to open up the vacuum for maintenance. For lazy users like me, Ecovacs promises up to 48 days of operation before I have to get my hands dirty.
Perhaps more importantly, the cleaning is effective. When I check out a robot vacuum, I always seek the additional opinion of my wife, who’s much more serious about cleanliness than I am. She approves of the Ecovacs bot’s cleaning performance.
Personally, I find its 19,500Pa suction power more than adequate in picking up even small dust particles (recently, I did some drilling in the ceiling). The roller also scrups and cleans well enough too, and it is washed with hot water and dried with heat, so you don’t get a stinky mop smell.
Cleaning, of course, is a hygiene feature, pardon the pun. The “wow” features that Ecovacs wants to highlight in it robot vacuum include a smart voice assistant that is pretty intuitive most of the time, I must say.
It prompts you to check the app, for example, if there is an error with the base station’s cleaning function. And whenever the cyclone function is ready to start, it reassures you that it might be a bit loud but not to worry.
Echoing the vacuum’s smart navigation features, the voice assistant also announces a door has been left ajar and it can’t enter until it is open later. Good thing is, it doesn’t hang around and stop there but will attempt to go in next time round.
A light that automatically turns on when it heads under the sofa, for example, reminds you this is a smart vacuum that is great at navigating most homes easily.
Ecovacs’ visual intelligence enables the robot vacuum to understand what it is seeing. I don’t have a pet at home but the company says the new Deebot X11 OmniCyclone can even detect dog poo and avoid making a bigger mess!
These intelligent functions, according to the Chinese robotics manufacturer, are what buyers seek out in a premium robot vacuum. Certainly, compared to a years-old robot vacuum I’ve been using since the Covid lockdown, the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone sounds and acts more intelligently.
Referring to itself as Deebot, it even has a bit more personality than a simple robot that only speaks up when it is stuck in a corner or while climbing over a speaker stand or table leg.
Speaking of that, Ecovacs’ new vacuum does have flaws. Ironically, this has to do with its ambitious four-wheel-drive climbing system that promises to overcome low obstacles. A 3D sensing technology using its camera is also expected to help it avoid being stuck.
First, the good news is that the robot can raise its wheels to get over obstacles of up 2.4cm. Many times, I’ve seen it drive impressively over low table legs. Where my old robot was stuck, the Deebot X11 OmniCyclone often seems to overcome.
Yet, there are still places where it appears too confident – and ends up getting stuck anyway. One example is a my dining table which has elongated legs. After climbing over one leg, the robot vacuum will get right under the table and somehow be unable to climb back out.
Okay, no issue if you mark this area out on the app for the vacuum to avoid. That said, the dinner table is where a lot of dust might accumulate given the constant traffic of people. So manual cleaning is still required.
Another challenge would be carpets. Notorious for most robot vacuums to be stuck in, they are still a formidable challenge for Ecovac’s new flagship model. At home, it got stuck at least once with a rug near my house entrance.
All things considered, though, the Deebot X1 OmniCyclone is an intelligent robot vacuum that is a step up many earlier models.
Among the other new features I enjoy is the Gallium Nitride (GaN) battery it uses. This means faster charging each time it gets back to the station – 6 per cent of the power pack is juiced up in about three months – so the cleaning doesn’t get interrupted.
It contributes to a superior experience so for folks who are thinking of an upgrade, this new Deebot X11 OmniCyclone will be attractive. For those looking for a first robot vacuum and don’t mind paying a premium, it is definitely worth checking out as well.
In Singapore, the price that Ecovas is asking for is S$1,699 at launch tonight at 8pm, timed for 10/10 sales kickoff on online sites like Lazada and Shopee. That’s reasonable for a high-end vacuum, which makes it an easy recommendation.
However, prices seem to fluctuate quite a lot when the discounts are not available – it’s listed at a regular sticker price of S$2,499 at the time or writing – so make sure to check or wait for a good deal.
