Spring is the perfect time to test or purchase robotic vacuums, because someone has to eat the matzah crumbs on the floor, and it won’t be you—or the cat (maybe the dog…). But unlike a dog’s tongue, modern robotic vacuums both vacuum and mop, self-empty, and even sing. Sort of. But they definitely talk.
We received the DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI for review—ECOVACS’s current flagship model (importer: Ronlight)—and spent a few weeks with it, during which it swallowed dust, matzah crumbs, hair, and fur, and we came back with conclusions. What’s unique about this particular robot vacuum is that it doesn’t rely on round spinning brushes to clean the floor, but instead uses a long brush resembling a paint roller, which also detaches from the unit when needed to wipe corners or table legs. Does this innovation work? We tested.
Design and Appearance
The DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI belongs to the new generation of robots that includes a self-emptying docking station, which also washes the brushes, dries them with hot air, and even gives them a “massage.” The station we received with the DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI is black and elegant, with gold accents on the company logo and the opening buttons for the clean and dirty water tanks, which are, of course, removable. The station is fairly compact—about half a meter high and 35 cm wide (we measured)—so it won’t take up much space wherever you place it.
On the back is a power socket, and at the top front sit the two tanks (each 4 liters), under which is a status light, and behind the elegant front cover is the 3-liter dust bag and the cleaning solution container that adds detergent to the water in the robot’s internal tank. At the bottom, of course, is the robot’s docking bay, which can be easily dismantled and cleaned.
As for the robot itself: The DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI is a round robot, 35 cm in diameter, also black and elegant, with only the ECOVACS logo on top and a golden Y-shaped power button. Under the lid are the power button, the network connection button, and the 220 ml dustbin (there’s also an internal 110 ml water tank not accessible to the user). All the tech is underneath: Besides the brush system we’ll describe shortly, ECOVACS did something clever—these robots usually have a bump or small tower on top housing the laser navigation system (LIDAR). The company flipped the system upside down and installed it underneath the robot, reducing its height and enabling it to pass under low furniture.
In addition to the LIDAR navigation system, there’s a front camera using AI and machine vision to detect obstacles. It can also be used as a mobile security camera through the app or to monitor your pets while you’re away. Handy. It also includes standard fall-prevention sensors and the usual components. The drive system uses rubber wheels as standard, and at the rear is the suction and drainage port.
The brush system consists of three brushes—a small side brush mounted on a small arm that extends from the vacuum body, the main suction brush (a mix of bristles and rubber fins to prevent hair tangling), and the highlight: a 17 cm roller brush that rotates at 200 RPM, called OZMO by the company. It contains tiny holes that continuously stream clean water to the brush, preventing smearing of existing dirt. The technology that lets the brush extend to reach walls is called TruEdge 2.0.
Navigation and Cleaning
The DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI can be quickly set up using the accompanying app and maps the home rapidly thanks to its LIDAR and camera. Cleaning options are diverse and fully controllable via the app: Vacuuming only, vacuuming followed by wet mopping, or a combined action (default). You can also set the number of cleaning passes (one or two), choose suction power across four levels (from quiet to max), and adjust the amount of water sent to the roller brush, in 50 steps from 1 ml to 49 ml. You can even tell the DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI which type of flooring is in which room (I have two rooms with wood parquet, for example), and it will adapt the cleaning accordingly.
By default, the vacuum starts by cleaning the carpets (you can mark them on the map) with the dry roller, then moves to mopping. The cleaning and vacuuming quality is nearly perfect, thanks to one of the highest suction powers in the market—18,000 Pascal. Rarely did it miss small spots, but overall, the cleanliness level is very high. It left a house with two shedding cats looking spotless. Also, the roller brush system that extends from the body successfully “hugs” the walls and furniture legs. The robot’s low height (only 9 cm) allows it to reach under relatively low furniture, which is another cleaning advantage—but unfortunately, it doesn’t handle thick, shaggy rugs very well, which is common for many robot vacuums.
The brush almost doesn’t catch hair, as promised. Not that no hair gets caught, but most is sucked in, and only a little remains on the brush. You’ll need to clean it occasionally, but far less often than older models that would get hair tightly wound around the brushes.
Regarding mopping quality, the DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI leaves almost no marks if you set a relatively low water level—better than most round-brush robots. Naturally, using more water will leave some wiping marks, but the app warns you this might happen. Still, if you want a wetter mop—this is possible. Additionally, the detergent dilution ratio of 1:200 is very efficient. Since we filled the detergent tank for the first time, the level barely dropped after weeks of use.
The robot’s self-maintenance at the dock is also excellent. The brushes are washed in hot water (75°C) and then dried relatively quickly with hot air at 63°C for two hours—enough to kill mold, fungus, or odor-causing bacteria. The tanks are large, so you’ll rarely need to empty the dirty water tank—maybe once every two to three months (the manufacturer claims 150 days; in practice it’s slightly less, and honestly, no one wants dirty water standing that long). You only need to refill the clean water tank for mopping.
The DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI’s navigation is excellent. Although it may appear to move randomly, it doesn’t. If you observe its mapped movements, you’ll see it works thoroughly in a zigzag pattern and covers areas well. It avoided most obstacles. Its ability to cross obstacles and thresholds is 2 cm—not the best on the market (some robots climb over 4 or even 6 cm), but enough for standard thresholds or safe-room entries.
However, small wires left on the floor that are below the LIDAR’s line of sight may be sucked in and reach the brush, so it’s best to clear small objects like cat toys. Speaking of which—my cat wasn’t scared of the vacuum at all; in fact, it’s become a rather expensive cat toy because she loves chasing it and trying to catch the spinning brush. The DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI, it should be said, accepts this with grace…
Noise and Battery Life
This brings us to noise. Overall, this vacuum is not noisy—it reaches up to 65 decibels at max suction, according to the manufacturer, which is about the volume of a normal office conversation. The emptying process at the dock is slightly louder at 75 decibels, but it’s short and tolerable. All in all, this is a very quiet robotic vacuum.
The DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI has a large 6,400 mAh battery. Despite smart charging features, it provides a little over two hours of operation at high power (and over three hours in quiet mode per the manufacturer), which is impressive and definitely enough to thoroughly clean a large apartment. The docking station supports fast charging; full charging takes about 4.5 hours. For those wanting to save electricity, you can set it to charge only during off-peak hours.
App and Additional Features
The ECOVACS app is excellent and packed with options and detailed settings, including unique map configurations—not just virtual walls and no-go zones (like a pet feeding corner), but also furniture placement on the map to improve navigation, and detailed cleaning routines. You can set fixed routines like cleaning the kitchen after dinner, for example. One intriguing AI-based feature enables the robot to “learn” your habits and adapt the cleaning method for each room throughout the day. It works quite well. You can also manually select rooms and their order for cleaning, send the robot to specific spots, and more. If something solid like cereal or rice spills and doesn’t need mopping, you can just send the robot for a gentle sweep.
Additionally, Hebrew support is excellent. The robot doesn’t speak Hebrew, but the app does. During my review period, I received multiple software updates, including a promised fix from Ronlight to update remaining English words (e.g., VAC instead of “שאיבה”) to proper Hebrew—and they delivered on that.
You can also choose how often the robot returns to empty its bin (more frequent is better for homes with pets), set the water temperature for mopping from three levels, brush cleaning frequency, hot air drying time (choose between 2, 3, or 4 hours), and practically any adjustment you can think of. There’s also voice assistant integration.
The DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI speaks English and includes a built-in voice assistant called YIKO, activated with “OK YIKO.” It supports many voice commands in English covering all main vacuum functions. It also supports the Matter protocol for integration with other smart devices.
As mentioned, you can use the front camera to monitor your home while you're away or watch the cleaning in real-time. ECOVACS also considered privacy and security—camera access requires a password.
Bottom Line
The DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI is ECOVACS’s most advanced robotic vacuum to date, and it’s an impressive technological and performance product. Cleaning quality isn’t perfect but is very close—about 98%—with small misses (usually covered on a second pass) and the inability to cross thick carpets or unusually high thresholds. The docking station performs excellently, keeping the robot clean and always ready, with a clean brush—even though it performs a quick self-clean before each run. The voice assistant and feedback are useful, and the app offers precise control over every aspect of operation, including alerts about malfunctions or tangled cords.
Overall, the DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI is an almost perfect robotic vacuum, with one issue that slightly clouds its near-perfect performance and technology: The price. This vacuum will definitely leave a dent in your wallet, with a current market price of between NIS 5,000–6,000 on Zap. Not cheap at all. On the other hand, if you’re looking for an efficient cleaning system that will finally free you from the broom, dustpan, cloth, bucket, and squeegee—and leave your floors and carpets consistently clean—the DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI is worth the significant investment.
