The release of the new Ecovacs DEEBOT X11 is a watershed moment when robot vacuums went to another level in terms of design, quality and reliability.
The rate of improvement we’re seeing with this category has been remarkable and Ecovacs is leading the way.
The DEEBOT X11 is an amalgamation of impressive new features that are all designed to work together and provide a high quality cleaning experience.
And the best part is, after the initial set up, you don’t need to lift a finger.
The DEEBOT X11, which includes the OmniCyclone Station, can be left alone for weeks.
Users can set a schedule for the robot to vacuum and mop and the unit looks after itself.
The Ecovacs companion app also opens up many possibilities or those who want to take more control and send the robot out to do a clean before guests arrive, for example.
The unit is easy to set up, in fact it is even easier thanks to the smart assistant AGENT YIKO which can talk you through the set up step by step.
This would be appeal to new customers to the category who may be a little hesitant about being able to set it up on their own.
Now AGENT YIKO can guide users through the process right after the unit is plugged in for the first time.
This includes mapping your home for the first time and sending the unit out for its first clean.
One thing we did notice though was that AGENT YIKO at times was hard to hear above the noise of the robot.
But on these occasions, we were able communicate through the Ecovacs app like reading messages and we could type our command rather than talking to it.
The robot itself has the OZMO Roller 2.0 which has been improved with new brush material to offer better scrubbing.
And with 3,800Pa of mopping pressure at 200RPM it can get through the toughest stains and marks on your floors.
And on the vacuuming side it is backed by a solid level of power – a 100W high-performance fan and a 6,400mAh battery.
We’ve been using the DEEBOT X11 at our place for a couple of weeks now and the results are plain to see.
We mainly have hard floors – large Italian tiles in our livings areas and kitchen – and the DEEBOT X11 powers through the clean and provides a sparkling finish.
The carpeted areas, our formal lounge room and my office, are also thoroughly cleaned and no mess is left behind.
And I can tell where the vacuum has been because I can see the tracks where the robot has been and our chocolate coloured carpet in those areas is spick and span.
The improved performance means a 140 per cent boost in fine dust removal, 262 per cent improvement in hair removal and a 100 per cent improvement in picking up larger particles.
The TruEdge 3.0 Extreme Edge Cleaning ensures the units can right up to the wall and the skirting boards.
It’s very satisfying to watch the roller extend from the right side of the robot and get into those spaces and weave in and around our furniture.
What we normally do is clear the areas for the robot by putting chairs on tables and stools on counters to give the DEEBOT X11 its best chance to provide a great clean.
But the DEEBOT X11 could still handle the situation thanks to the AIVI3D 3.0 Omni-Approach technology which offers precision object recognition so it can steer around objects and other obstacles left in its path.
The unit will even tell you in the app the situation with every room and whether it encountered any obstacles so the user can send the robot back once it has been cleared.
The DEEBOT X11 is smart enough to create a dynamic path and plan its approach to clean your house in the most efficient manner while at the same time allowing people and pets to move around in the environment.
In fact, if the robot detects a person in the room, it will continue cleaning in another room until the other room is empty and return to resume its course.
The DEEBOT X11 has a TruePass Adaptive 4-wheel Driving Climbing system so it can navigate over thresholds as high as 4cm.
At our place it did have to climb up a small threshold to get into our laundry and our bathroom but it did it with ease and just kept on going.
The other huge improvement to the system is the new OmniCyclone Station which now incorporates PureCyclone 2.0 Auto Empty technology so it can transfer dust and debris directly into the station from the robot.
But now the station has a bagless design. You can see into the new 1.6 litre dustbin in the centre of the station and find out the level of debris at a glance.
Previously, users had to open the front of the station and feel the bag to find out whether it needed changing.
Now you can see right away and easily detach it from the unit and empty it into the bin.
It is now a cleaner and more hygienic exercise. So no more handling dusty bags and no need to purchase more.
The station is where the robot charges itself between cleans but also where it returns to upload the dust and debris and to clean the mop roller.
The DEEBOT X11 can now top up the battery while it’s being cleaned so it can run even longer and complete the clean even faster.
The station is also where the clean and dirty water tanks are located. All you need to do every few weeks is to ensure there’s enough water in the clean tank and empty out the dirty water tank when advised.
And you can really tell that the DEEBOT X11 is doing a great clean because the water we emptied out of our dirty water tank was black. Better in there than on our floors.
At our place the DEEBOT X11 does all the floor cleaning – we only pull out a standalone vacuum or a mop when there’s a spot clean required – although we have asked the DEEBOT X11 to do these sometimes as well either by talking to it or communicating through the app.
The DEEBOT X11 is not cheap – it is priced at $2,999 – but it can do everything you need and save you a lot of time.
I consider my time to be valuable and I surely would prefer to spend that time usually spent cleaning with friends and family or enjoying other things like a round of golf or a walk along the beach.
The DEEBOT X11 is available now from all leading retailers.
VERDICT
The Ecovacs DEEBOT X11 sets a new standard for robot cleaning in your home and delivers a high quality clean that will satisfy even the fussiest users. If you’ve been on the fence about buying a robot vacuum, the DEEBOT X11 will be the one to get you off it.
