Hybrid robot vacuum-and-mops have come a long way in the last few years, and the Eufy E25 Omni is the latest example of bots that are capable of tackling both tasks to a high standard. I tested one for two weeks to see how it compares to the rest of the best robot vacuums on the market, and I was generally very impressed.
The E25 Omni offered solid performance in my vacuuming tests and was especially efficient at clearing fine dust. However, despite the squared-off shape and dual side sweepers, the edge cleaning wasn't the best. The AI-based automatic adjustment failed to recognize my spillage and bump up mop settings to clear it, but with manual tweaking to Max mode, this bot delivered some of the best mopping I've seen.
Navigation was reliable, as was obstacle avoidance. However, the E25 Omni proved a little fussy when it came to the initial mapping stages – I had to clear my floors to achieve a complete map. Meanwhile, the app is intuitive to use and offers a range of ways to operate the robot, including scheduled cleans, zone cleaning and the ability to change the intensity of vacuuming or mopping.
At full price it's expensive, but regular deals take the price down and deliver better value for money. That's the short version; read on for my full Eufy E25 Omni review.
(Image credit: Future)
Eufy E25 Omni review: price & availability
List price: $1299.99 / £849 / AU$1799.95
Launched: May 2025
Availability: Worldwide
Officially, the E25 Omni is a premium robot vacuum, costing $1299.99 / £849 / AU$1799.95 at sticker price. However, you shouldn't read too much into that list price – the manufacturer offers regular, steep discounts and the Amazon price history shows it is rarely full price. With an average price of around US$750 it's still not cheap, but it does compare well with equivalent flagship hybrids like the Roborock Qrevo Curv or the Ecovacs Deebot X11 Omnicyclone.
In terms of value for money, the E25 is a very good robot vacuum and it does a lot to justify its high price point. However, it's worth considering the ongoing costs too. Replacement dust bags and floor cleaning solution are available from Eufy, with dust bags costing US$16.99 for 3 and the solution $20.99 a bottle. Third party dust bags are available for cheaper, although I can't confirm their compatibility.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Eufy E25 Omni specs
Max suction:
20,000 Pa
Robot size (L x W):
12.8 x 13.7in / 32.6 x 34.8cm
Robot height:
4.4in / 11.2cm
Dock dimensions (W x D x H):
14.6 x 19.1 x 17.3in / 37.2 x 48.4 x 43.9 cm
Mop type:
Roller
Max threshold clearance:
Not stated
Dust bin volume (onboard):
Not stated
Dust bin volume (base):
3L
Water tank volume:
2.5L (clean), 1.5L (dirty)
Base functions:
Self empty, refill water, clean and dry roller mop
Eufy E25 Omni review: design
Rounded square with two side sweepers, spit main roller and roller mop
Relatively compact dock takes care of a range of maintenance tasks
Dock has a useful transparent water tank
The Eufy E25 is a rounded square robot vacuum with a raised nodule housing the LiDAR for navigation. Flip it over and you'll find a roller that's equipped with bristles and rubbery fins, and is split in the middle to try and combat hair tangling, plus two spinning side sweepers. The main central suction are is really quite small in proportion to the size of the robot.
There's also a tube-shaped mop, which applies downward pressure to dislodge dirt. It's fed with clean water as it rolls around, while the dirty stuff is constantly siphoned off.
(Image credit: Future)
The all-black design is minimalistic – which, for a functional product is definitely preferable to trying to do something a bit more eccentric. It is able to fit under objects 4.4in / 11.18cm off the ground, and through gaps of 12.83in / 32.58cm wide.
The dock is pretty inoffensive looking, and compared with some hybrids vac-mop options, feels relatively small. It's all black, with a view to blending into its surroundings, which is definitely a plus in my view. In terms of functions, it'll take care of emptying the bot's onboard dustbin, washing its mop pads and drying them with hot air, draining the onboard dirty water tank and refilling it with clean water, and dispensing detergent.
(Image credit: Future)
The water tank is transparent, so you can visually see when it is starting to run low. This feature is surprisingly rare, but useful. There's also a white ring light, which will turn red if either water tank isn't correctly installed.
The fact that the robot sits on a ramp outside the body of the dock, rather than slotting inside, helps keep the dock size down. As with most robot vacuum docks, you're technically meant to leave a wide margin of clear space all around (1.6ft / 0.49m either side and 4.9ft / 1.49m in front), but experienced owners will know it's possible to get away with far less than this.
Design score: 4 out of 5
Eufy E25 Omni review: performance
Strong obstacle avoidance but initial mapping can be hit-and-miss
Tendency to return to dock mid-clean, extending overall task time
Solid vacuuming and excellent mopping on the highest settings
It was fairly straightforward to get the Eufy E25 Omni set up, although I found the mapping task less forgiving than some rival models. Specifically, it's worth ensuring all obstacles are out of the way before attempting mapping.
You can control the E25 through the Eufy companion app or a smart home system. Both methods are fairly straightforward, although I found starting a specific room clean could be a bit hit-and-miss when I tested it using Amazon's Alexa. It would sometimes work, even with rooms where I'd used custom names, but half the time it would just start a whole house clean – a major hazard in a household like mine when another room's floor may be littered with Lego.
(Image credit: Future)
In terms of navigation, I found coverage of the rooms was good, with E25 taking a systematic path that didn't leave any patches uncleaned. It also did a good job of detecting different floor surfaces, reliably lifting the mop when it reached carpet to ensure it didn't get it damp, and upping the suction intensity on deeper carpet.
When given a cleaning task the E25 returned to its dock periodically to empty the dust container, clean the mops and recharge the battery. This did extend cleaning times a bit, but for an area of around 700 sq ft with mixed floor material, it generally took an 1hr 30mins, or a little bit under, to complete the clean.
Vacuuming performance
I ran a series of dedicated tests to access the Eufy E25's vacuuming performance of both fine dust (a mix of flour and cookie crumbs) and chunkier particles (dry rice). On hard floors I found it vacuumed fine particles well, picking up all the material in my test in one pass.
It didn't do as well with larger debris, with the side brushes pushing a few grains of rice into areas where the robot had already cleaned. It did eventually manage to pick up almost everything, though. On mid-pile carpet the E25 performed perfectly, picking up both fine and chunky debris in a single zone clean, although on higher pile it did leave a few grains of rice.
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Like many robot vacuums, cleaning performance around the edges of rooms isn't great. (It's this that really keeps it from being a vacuum that could fully replace a manual – as well as it not being able to vacuum stairs.) In my tests, the E25 worked its way around walls and objects but didn't get close enough for a really thorough edge clean.
Even on the highest vacuuming intensity I round this robot relatively quiet, although the auto-empty function in the dock is louder as the dock sucks the dust from the small onboard bin.
Mopping performance
On first look the mopping performance wasn't great. It did well at clearing a fresh liquid spill, leaving no more water on the surface than regular mopping would, but it struggled with tougher dirt. To test this, I smeared a small amount of ketchup on a hard floor and left it to dry.
I then sent the bot out to mop, leaving it to use its own AI features to work out which mop setting to use. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to make a dent in the dried up ketchup at all. For a second pass, I toggled the settings manually to the highest mop mode, and during this run the robot did seem to identify the stain and focus on it. It took a few passes but eventually managed to remove it completely.
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While the Eufy E25 omni does lose some points for needing a manual tweak of the settings, this is still some of the best mopping performance I have seen from a robot vacuum-mop.
Object avoidance
I also ran tests to assess how accurate the Eufy E25's object avoidance was. Here it performed very well, not only spotting and avoiding the objects I'd laid out, but even identifying them on the map and correctly labelling them as a power cable, a shoe and clothing (in the case of the sock). It managed to repeat this flawlessly twice in testing. However, in everyday use it did on occasion drag a charging cable around a room, so I'd still recommend keeping these out of reach as much as possible before starting a clean.
(Image credit: Future)
Maintenance
Cleaning and maintenance of the robot itself is low-effort. Like most robot vacuums, it will auto-empty dust from the small onboard bin into a larger bag within the dock. Emptying the dirty water tank is straightforward – it's easy to lift it out of the dock and unclip the top lid.
This robot's side sweeper brushes are angled to prevent hair tangling, and even after extended use I didn't have to remove any manually. If you do need to clean the main brushroll, the cage is easily removed and both halves of the roller can be popped out slightly to help you get at anything stuck inside.
(Image credit: Future)
The only part of the setup that needed a bit of attention was the part of the dock where the mop is cleaned. I found debris could collect here, although it was cleared easily enough using a regular vacuum with a crevice tool, or a brush.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Eufy E25 Omni review: app
Simple setup and easy to use, with an editable, 3D map
Can store multiple maps for different floors
Naming inconsistency can cause confusion
The Eufy Clean app is easy to use and offers clear instructions to pair to the device and start mapping. Once you've completed mapping you are given a 3D map you can rotate, tilt and edit to divide, merge and rename rooms. From this you can then start cleaning either individual rooms or square zones that are defined on the map.
Using these zones you can isolate specific parts of a room, such as around a dining table for a quick post-dinner clean. If these are cleans you are going to be doing often you can also use the 'Common' section to define these regular tasks to make them easy to start or schedule.
(Image credit: Screenshots from Eufy app)
When choosing an area you can define different features of the clean or leave it to the AI agent to select the best option for the room type and floor material. Options include cleaning intensity, water level, suction power and whether you want the robot to make 1 or 2 passes of the area.
As well as using the app to launch a clean, you can also schedule cleans, either as a one-off or a recurring event. Scheduled cleans can be set to whole home, specific rooms or scenarios. My only tiny gripe is that these 'scenarios' are the common tasks mentioned above, and it would be clearer if Eufy used a consistent name for the function in the app.
If you want to use the robot over multiple floors, you can also save multiple maps within the app. Just bear in mind you'll have to carry the robot up and down the stairs – potentially multiple times, because this robot likes to return to its dock to empty, clean its mop and top up its battery mid-clean.
The Eufy E25 Omni integrates with smart home systems and is compatible with the Matter standard so will work with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple's Siri.
You can set 'Do not disturb' periods where the robot won't clean. If it's halfway through a clean when one of these kicks in, it will return to the dock, and resume once the designated quiet time has passed. If you are planning on having the base station in a bedroom it is worth considering that even during 'Do not disturb' hours the dock will continue to dry the mop, which is just about audible, although no more than a low-level hum.
App score: 4 out of 5
Should you buy the Eufy E25 Omni?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Premium, but regularly discounted. Decent value when on sale.
4 / 5
Design
No-nonsense robot vacuum with roller mop and two side sweepers. Relatively small dock for a hybrid cleaner.
4 / 5
Performance
Good vacuuming and excellent mopping on the highest settings. Strong obstacle avoidance, but initial mapping is unforgiving.
4 / 5
App
Easy to use, with plenty of options. Some inconsistency in names.
4 / 5
Buy it if...
Your priority is mopping
Although it did take a manual tweak of settings to get there, this robovac's mopping is some of the best I've seen.
You want a robot that doesn't need intervention
Some robots need regular saving after getting trapped on obstacles but the Eufy mostly managed to keep itself out of trouble.
Don't buy it if...
You don't need mopping
If all your floors are carpet there's no point paying the premium for mopping functionality.
You're worried about damp carpets
Although the Eufy E25 Omni reliably detected carpet and avoided mopping, other bots have the ability to leave their mop pads in the dock when they're not required – that's not an option here.
You want efficient cleaning
The Eufy E25 Omni regularly returned to its dock to empty its bin or top up its charge mid-clean, which did extend how long it took to complete tasks.
How I tested the Eufy E25 Omni
I tested the E25 over two floors of my home with mixed surfaces for a period of a few months. I performed specific tests to assess how well it picked up fine particles and larger debris on hard floors, low pile and high pile carpet. I also tested mopping performance on hard floors, testing how well it dealt with a dried ketchup stain and a fresh spill.
The robot was put through two obstacle avoidance tests and I tested the custom tasks and scheduling functions, as well as how well it worked with smart home integrations by operating it through Alexa to start whole home and zone cleans.
The Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra is a feature-packed combination robot vacuum and mop, paired with a comprehensive base station. In theory, it should deliver an almost completely hands-off cleaning experience; everything you could want from one of the best robot vacuums. However, the performance was somewhat mixed during testing.
Narwal Robotics has been around since 2016, with a primary focus on developing innovative robot vacuums. The Freo Z10 Ultra is the latest flagship model of the Z-series lineup. It's an updated version of the Freo Z Ultra, which offered impressive mopping but struggled with carpets. The Z10 Ultra delivers higher suction power (18,000Pa) and adds edge-reaching technology to the mops. For a slightly more affordable option, there's the Freo Z10.
I tested the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra over a couple of weeks, and when it comes to everyday vacuuming tasks, I was impressed. It did a solid job of clearing most particles – including dog fur, pine needles, and excessive amounts of crumbs – from both hard flooring and carpet in my home. However, edge vacuuming wasn't a strong suit (which was especially apparent under my kitchen cabinets) and it also struggled to clear larger spillages, even when using the highest suction level.
Mopping on the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra was up there with the best I've seen. There's no water tank on the robot itself; instead, the two triangular, microfiber mops are loaded with hot water and detergent at the base before being sent out to clean. Admittedly, this made the cleaning longer and required the water tank to be refilled more often, but the results were worth it.
Beyond consistently mopping up mud puddles left by my dog and small food spills, the mops successfully cleaned a large, dried ketchup spill when using the wettest mopping level. With the Freo Z10 Ultra's edge-reaching technology, the mops even extended right up against walls, getting into places other robots often miss. The dock's mop maintenance features also worked extremely well.
I was equally impressed with the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra's navigation and obstacle avoidance. Dual AI cameras and a LiDAR sensor enable it to avoid furniture, cables, shoes, and other clutter.
Unfortunately, the Freo Z10 Ultra is far from the most reliable bot to control. On many occasions, I would send the robot to complete a task, and it would either skip entire selected rooms or roll out of the base and return without doing anything at all. A "smart" AI cleaning mode, which should adjust cleaning settings based on dirt levels and floor type, only exacerbated the problems.
No matter which settings I used, I couldn't get the bot to auto-empty consistently. I suspect this issue is to do with a unique feature where both the onboard dustbin and the dust bag in the dock are dried to prevent bacterial growth. I'd argue this feature is unnecessary in the first place.
The Narwal Freo app isn't the most intuitive, either, due to the excessive number of settings and customizations. I've tested numerous robot vacuums, and still had to resort to Reddit on several occasions to figure out how to adjust certain settings, such as getting the robot to do basic things like vacuum carpets.
Clearly, not everything on the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra is perfect, but when I got it to do what I wanted, the results were very solid. If you have the patience and experience, this robot vacuum is great for larger homes with average cleaning needs. Some flaws could even be overlooked if you're able to snag it on sale, which it often is.
Availability: Widely, including US, UK, and Australia
The Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra launched in September 2025. It's available in the US, UK, and Australia, with a list price of $1,299.99, £1,299, or AU$2,499. While the initial price tag might seem eye-watering, I've never seen this robot vacuum available for full price, at least in the US. In fact, it's often $400 or more off. Unfortunately, I haven't seen these deals in the UK or Australia. Chances are good you'll find decent savings during seasonal sales like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day.
Even with a discount, the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra sits on the premium end of the robot vacuum market. However, with features including dual AI cameras and mops equipped with edge-reaching technology, plus a base station that self-empties and hot water washes the mops, its price aligns with other higher-end robot vacuums. Based on the feature list it seems like solid value for your money, but unfortunately not all those special features behave as they should in practice.
Beyond the robot vacuum, base station, and a couple of replacement parts that come in the box, Narwal also offers the option to purchase the "Advance Kit". For an additional $259.99, you'll receive all the accessories needed to use this vacuum for years, including an extra main brush roller, side brushes, mopping pads, floor detergent, dust bags, and more. It's not cheap, but buying these items separately can add up quickly, too (just two mopping pads will set you back $20, while the kit comes with six). The UK and Australia offer similar accessory packs for £119.99 or AU$399.99, respectively.
Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5
Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra specs
Max suction:
18,000 Pa
Robot size:
14 x 13.8 in / 35.5 x 35 cm
Robot height:
4.3in / 11cm
Dock dimensions (W x D x H):
17 x 18.2 x 15.2in / 43.1 x 46.2 x 38.8cm
Mop type:
Dual spinning triangular discs
Max threshold clearance:
Not stated
Dust bin volume (onboard):
0.48L
Dust bin volume (base):
2.5L
Water tank volume:
4.5L (clean) / 4.1L (dirty)
Base functions:
Charge, empty dust, wash mop pads with hot water, dry mop pads, dry dust bag
Runtime:
~2.5 hours (tested)
Recharge time:
~3 hours (tested)
Sensors:
Dual AI Cameras, LiDAR 4.0, and side sensor
Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra review: design
Stylish but bulky base station with a wide range of features
Spinning mop pads deliver up to 8N of pressure and extend to reach edges
Anti-hair wrap technology on the main brush and side brushes
Like most robot vacuums with an auto-cleaning base station, the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra arrived in a massive box that weighed over 44lbs (20kg); it's best to have an extra set of hands to help get it inside.
After lifting out all the box's contents, including the bulky base station, which had handles to make life easier, I found that there were absolutely no instructions aside from the plentiful stickers on the different components. I've set up my fair share of robot vacuums before, so it's second nature to me, but for those new to robot vacuums, it was a glaring omission. You can find instructions online, but it's still not ideal.
(Image credit: Future)
The lack of instructions aside, the setup was fairly straightforward. All I had to do was install the side brushes, add the included detergent for the mops, fill the clean water tank, and connect to Wi-Fi. Also, be sure to remove the cover on the front camera sensor of the robot vacuum. I missed this step, and as a result my floor map on the app wouldn't save. I eventually resorted to Reddit to figure out the problem. Again, physical instructions would've prevented this problem.
Robot design
Once I had everything together, I was impressed with how well this bot blended into my room. Most robovacs / docks come in white or black, but this model is a stylish gray. This was a nice change of pace and it happened to perfectly match the walls in the room.
The circular design is typical of most robot vacuums, while on top is your traditional LiDAR puck, which spins inside its casing to help with mapping. Unfortunately, that sensor makes the robot vacuum a little too tall to fit under lower furniture, something other robot vacuums have addressed – models like the Roborock Qrevo Slim and Dreame X50 Ultra have retractable pucks that tuck in when the bot enters low-height areas. Within Narwal's own range, the higher-end Narwal Flow has its LiDAR module mounted within the body of the robot rather than sitting on top.
Other sensors include dual 136-degree cameras with dual AI chips, located at the front of the robot. These cameras also take pictures of obstacles or can be used to scan your space, similar to a security camera. The bot also comes kitted out with a bright light that automatically activates for navigation and obstacle avoidance in darker spaces. There's a further sensor on the side for even more assistance in navigating spaces.
(Image credit: Future)
Flip the robovac over and you'll find the main roller, with rubber fins and short bristles suitable for both carpets and hard flooring. This also incorporates anti-hair wrap technology – given that I have a fluffy Keeshond constantly leaving clumps of hair around, this is a huge boon. The side brushes also feature detangling technology and have more movement than typical side brushes.
However, the most notable feature is the two triangular microfiber mops that velcro on. These mops spin at 180RPM, applying up to 8N of mopping pressure, and can also extend out to get into corners, edges, and hard-to-reach places.
Controls on the robot vacuum are minimal: on the top you'll find Start/stop and Return to dock buttons. Voice control can also be used to manage cleaning – Alexa, Siri, and Google Home are all supported. But like all robovacs, you'll probably be mainly controlling it using the Narwal app.
(Image credit: Future)
An easily liftable magnetic cover hides the onboard dustbin. This is an average size for robot vacuums and can easily be removed for manual emptying if required. Rather unusually, it features a special insert to separate wet and dry debris.
Also unusual is the fact that this robot vacuum doesn't have a water tank on board. Instead, the mops are loaded up with warm, soapy water at the base station, and a consistent amount of water is spread about the floor during the cleaning.
Base station design
Moving on to the base station. This is large, occupying a considerable amount of space, but I loved the space gray finish and soft, rounded edges. A special ionized water feature bubbles and illuminates a little bar when cleaning the mops, adding a nice space-age touch.
The Freo Z10 Ultra base station is packed with features. On top is a flip-to-open hinged lid featuring a tiny LCD that allows you to send the vacuum out without using your phone. It can turn the AI-powered "Freo Mind" mode on/off, recall, start/stop, and start mop washing/drying. However, I reviewed the Narwal Freo in 2023, and that older model's touchscreen was easier to use and allowed you to do far more. I was disappointed by the downgrade, but it's still a unique feature that I've only ever found on Narwal's robots.
(Image credit: Future)
Once you open that lid, the clean and dirty water tanks with handles are revealed and simple to take out for filling or emptying. Around front is an easy-to-remove magnetic cover that reveals the dust bag and detergent mopping solution (you can still use the mops without the detergent installed).
(Image credit: Future)
In the bottom compartment, where the robot vacuum resides and charges, is a mop washing station. AI detects the type of dirt on the mop and cleans it at different temperatures. After cleaning the mops, hot air drying helps prevent bacterial growth. Another unique feature is pre-drying, where the vacuum's dustbin content is dried before being emptied into the dust bag in the base station, preventing odors and bacterial growth. The dust bag in the dock can also be dried. It's a cool addition, but not a feature that I personally care about (or even think about) when it comes to my robot vacuums.
Design score: 4 out of 5
Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra review: performance
Sold vacuuming for everyday use, but struggles with large spills
Excellent mopping but uses a lot of water
Doesn't reliably follow instructions, and "smart" features make things worse
Similar to just about every robot vacuum I've tested, you must start by mapping your space. That means connecting to the Narwal Freo app and Wi-Fi. The app guided me through the connection process, and although it failed to connect on the first attempt, the robot was ready to proceed after the second try.
I sent it out to create a map of my space, and it took about 10 minutes. However, upon return, the map wouldn't save. It appeared to navigate my space with ease, avoiding furniture, obstacles, and even a step into the family room. I did the process over and over again. Eventually, resorting to a handful of problem-solving techniques, like restarting it, changing base station positions, and more.
Little did I know that a cover over the dual cameras with AI chips would prevent the map from saving. After finally coming to this realization (with some research help from Reddit), the robot vacuum went out for a final time; it took about 15 minutes, and the map was finally saved.
I was impressed by how accurate the map was. While it didn't divide all the rooms perfectly, almost every space in the lower floor of my home was included, noting some furniture, obstacles, and even floor types. It missed a small bathroom, but I believe that was due to a fluffy rug blocking its path. The family room was also not included, as a step down was required to access it. Luckily, you can save multiple maps, so in addition to the lower level, I created maps of the upper level of my home and the family room. To clean these spaces, I had to move the robot vacuum to a specified starting point since the base station was inaccessible.
I learned the hard way about an extremely frustrating setting regarding the maps: you must adjust settings to vacuum on carpeting and rugs. I failed to do this, and the robot would literally just go over the carpet or rugs during vacuuming tasks without vacuuming them. Even massive area rugs and the carpet that covers nearly the entirety of the upstairs would be ignored during vacuuming. I had to go through and individually change the settings on all the rugs and carpets on the app's map to actually get them vacuumed. This is not something I've experienced with any other robot vacuum.
The Narwal Freo app has a menu of different cleaning options: Mop, Vacuum, Mop & vacuum, or Mop then vacuum. With each of those cleaning options, it's possible to select a specific mode. "Freo Mind" intelligently adjusts the cleaning parameters based on the floor type and dirt levels, while "Customize" allows you to fine-tune suction levels, mopping water levels, coverage precision, and more myself. You can either select rooms or highlight zones for the robot to clean.
Navigation and obstacle avoidance
During my average, everyday cleanings, the Narwal Z10 Ultra easily navigated my space. The lower level of my house consists of hardwood, tile, and laminate flooring, along with numerous medium-pile rugs, as my dog is afraid to walk on hard flooring.
Even on rugs that were accidentally lifted, the robot managed to move around the obstacle and continue the task. Rescuing was only required a couple of times, which is impressive given the clutter in my home. The map on the app even noted the obstacles encountered during a cleaning, taking pictures of items in the way. I have shots of shoes, cables, and a few hilarious candids of my dog being a little too curious.
(Image credit: Future)
I also ran a special test for object avoidance. During these, the vacuum successfully went around a sock, but then managed to vacuum up a shoelace and a charging cable simultaneously, despite having already noted these obstacles on the map. I'm not sure what happened, and I was disappointed by the results.
This test was likely a fluke. I never had a problem during my regular cleaning tasks, during which the bot successfully avoided multiple shoes, cables, and a whole host of other items. The Freo Z10 Ultra also navigated around larger furniture and bigger obstacles like a champ.
In fact, my only real complaint about the obstacle avoidance was that it was sometimes a little too meticulous. Specifically, I had an issue with mopping around rugs. The robot consistently lifted its mops when going over a rug and never got any rugs wet, but it also left a large, unmopped margin around the perimeter of each rug. If two rugs were situated close together, it wouldn't mop the area between them at all.
Also, the robot struggled to detect when a rug had been removed. So even when I wanted it to mop an area where the rug used to be, it would still skip that spot and leave it uncleaned.
Mopping performance
Aside from being over-zealous about avoiding rugs, in general the mopping performance was surprisingly good, and especially effective when it came to tackling cleaning edges and corners. The lack of edge mopping was a notable issue on the Narwal Freo Z Ultra that TechRadar reviewed in 2024. However, the new extension feature managed to get into those harder-to-reach places, such as under kitchen cabinets.
Due to the lack of an on-robot water tank, the robot would frequently return to the base station for mop cleaning, adding to the total cleaning time. Luckily, the vacuum had an impressive battery runtime; it lasted nearly 2.5 hours before reaching 15% power and needing to return to the base station to recharge. That was plenty of time to vacuum & mop the bottom floor of my house. Recharging back to 100% only took about 3 hours, which is far faster than other robot vacuums I've tested.
The mops really had their work cut out for them, too. During my review period it was snowy where I live in western New York, and my dog was constantly traipsing mud and snowballs all around the house. The mops easily picked up the muddy spots and wet puddles left in her wake. It also had no trouble tackling everyday messes including coffee drips, dried yogurt, and other smaller food spills. When emptying the dirty water tank on the robot, I could see just how well the mops were doing their job.
(Image credit: Future)
I also put the mops through more intensive testing. I poured a big puddle of water on the tile in my corridor, and sent the robot out to 'Vacuum & mop' that exact zone using the Freo Mind mode. Unfortunately, the robot didn't detect the water and simply ran right through the puddle, failing to activate the mops and instead spreading the water all around.
Sending the robot out to just 'Mop' rather yielded much better results, as the water was spread evenly around the floor, allowing the puddle to dry faster than it would have done. However, this wouldn't be ideal if the spillage had been, say, milk rather than water.
For a second test of the mops, I spread ketchup on the kitchen laminate and allowed it to dry. Using the Freo Mind and 'Mop' settings, I sent the vacuum out to clean up. While Freo Mind mode is meant to detect messes, analyze dirty water at the base station, and adjust accordingly, it didn't seem to notice the ketchup, mopping up only a small amount before calling it quits and returning to the base station after just one pass.
I sent the robot out a second time, but this time I used 'Customize' mode rather than Freo Mind, and selected the highest mopping level – 'Wet mopping'. The result was significantly better. Almost all the ketchup was removed in the first pass-through, while the second pass got the rest of the ketchup off the floor.
Vacuuming performance
After I'd figured out how to get the bot to actually clean my rugs, the Freo Z10 Ultra's everyday vacuuming performance was generally great. It did a solid job of clearing most light debris, such as dog hair, crumbs, and pine needles, from both hard floors and medium-pile rugs. Not every speck of dirt was gone every time, but it definitely performed better than some other robot vacuums I've tested.
The main brush and side brushes feature anti-tangle technology, and it worked wonderfully. All the brushes had virtually zero hair wrap at the end of my testing period. That's a huge feat considering my dog and my own long hair.
(Image credit: Future)
It's not quite perfect, though. When traversing rugs on its way back to the base station, the Freo Z10 Ultra would occasionally spit out some of the debris it'd just cleaned.
I also found it wasn't amazing at vacuuming the edges of rooms, especially around the kitchen cabinets, where the robot was just a little too tall to fit under the overhang. Those spots were still littered with crumbs and debris even after multiple cleanings.
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Just like the mops, I performed more intensive testing of the vacuum functionality. One test used a mix of ground-up biscuits and flour to represent dust and fine particles, and another used oats to represent larger debris. I spread the messes out in a one-meter area of the hard floor and on medium-pile carpet, setting each area as a 'zone' for the vacuum to clean using the app.
The vacuum struggled to pick up the biscuit and fine particle mess from the hard floor. At the lowest setting, 'Quiet', it picked up about half, and spread the rest of the mess around, causing it to end up well beyond my outlined cleaning area. Even with three passes using the highest setting ('Vortex'), the mess wasn't completely removed. That's not great – you don't need much suction to clean hard flooring.
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Luckily, the robot vacuum's performance with oats on hard flooring was much better – even in 'Quiet' mode, it picked up almost all the oats. I noticed that the side brushes weren't moving, which helped keep the mess contained. However, the smaller, dust-like oat particles weren't as easily cleaned up. Still, after deploying the most powerful suction level, nearly everything was cleared up.
These same tests yielded similar results on carpeted floor, except here the fine biscuit and flour mixture ended up ingrained into the rug. The side brushes also kicked the oats around more than they had on hard flooring, which was a surprise.
In the end, I had to grab my upright vacuum to clean up the mess on both types of floors. While these test results might not seem ideal, a robot vacuum would rarely be required to vacuum up such a concentrated level of debris. When it came to general vacuuming performance, I still found it to be above average for robot vacuums, particularly when cleaning rugs and carpeting.
Dock performance
When it comes to maintenance, upkeep is effortless. The base station washes and hot dries the mop to prevent bacteria and odor. Even after a couple of weeks of use, the mopping pads had no odor and looked almost as good as new. Just note that this base station appeared to guzzle water, and I regularly had to empty the dirty water tank and top up clean water.
(Image credit: Future)
Like many robovacs, the Freo Z10 Ultra has the ability to auto-empty its onboard bin into a larger bag in the dock (which should hold around 120 days' worth of dust). To start with, I used the "Smart empty" mode where the robot should figure out when it needs to empty itself.
However, in practice the bot didn't always empty when it needed to. In fact, even after toggling settings in the app so it would empty after every clean, it remained hit-or-miss whether the auto-empty would kick in.
This could be due to the – in my opinion, unnecessary – dustbin/bag drying and disinfecting happening in the base station. Bacterial growth has never even been a concern when using robot vacuums, and this disinfecting process took more than five hours to complete. At least when the self-emptying did happen, it worked efficiently, with all the contents of the onboard bin being removed.
(Image credit: Future)
Smart feature performance
Overall, I've found the Freo Z10 Ultra's 'smart' features to be more of a hindrance than a help. Beyond the not-so-smart auto-emptying, the Freo Mind mode would often lead to entire rooms or zones being skipped during cleaning, even when I specifically selected to have these spaces mopped and/or vacuumed. I also found that bigger messes didn't get the extra attention required, even though this mode is designed specifically for that situation.
Even without Freo Mind mode activated, the vacuum would sometimes fail to complete tasks. On multiple occasions, I sent the vacuum to clean a room, and it would only clean a small area before returning and claiming the "task completed". Sometimes, it would just roll out of the base station and immediately return. It was extremely frustrating to deal with.
(Image credit: Future)
Not all the added features were flops. I appreciated the video mode that lets you use those dual AI cameras like a security camera. The robot vacuum can be controlled similarly to a remote control car, traversing your space, and allowing you to spy on your home. It was great for checking in on my dog when I was out of the house.
Noise levels
As someone sensitive to noise, I found the sound levels on the robot vacuum to be tolerable, averaging 60dB when vacuuming and mopping. It's significantly quieter than an upright vacuum, sounding more like a wall unit air conditioner. However, the base station's emptying is much louder and always surprised me when it happened, reaching nearly 80 dB. Luckily, when drying/cleaning the mops and dustbin/bag, the base station was extremely quiet, blending with other house noises.
Performance score: 3 out of 5
Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra review: app
Ample customization options can be overwhelming
Some basic features are hard to find, even for an experienced user
Saves multiple, easy-to-edit maps for multi-story homes
The Narwal Freo app has a lot to offer, but it isn't as intuitive as I would've liked. I found all the different functions, features, and customizations overwhelming – and I imagine even more so for robovac novices. Even after several years of testing robot vacuums, I still had to resort to Reddit to figure out how to change certain settings (like carpeting vacuuming) – some features are buried deep within the app and easy to miss.
As I noted, the combination of a LiDAR scanner and AI cameras on the vacuum created a decently accurate map of my space. Within the app, it's easy to merge rooms, split rooms, rename rooms, update floor material, set no-go zones, and more. Other furniture, rugs, and obstacles can be marked, but it's hard to get the position of these items 100% accurate – and not really necessary. A 3D map is available, but I've never found these maps useful. I also saved multiple maps for different levels of my home, a huge boon for those in multi-story houses.
(Image credit: Narwal / Future)
Adjustments to cleaning parameters, such as suction level, mopping humidity, coverage precision, and the number of passes, are all fairly straightforward. Theoretically, the Freo Mind mode should take care of making those decisions for you, but in testing, this mode didn't perform as expected, and I found manual selection was by far the best option.
It's possible to create cleaning schedules or provide shortcuts on the main homepage. I loved setting the cleaning sequence of rooms or specific zones to be cleaned – I could ask it to target the areas my dog likes to hang out in while we're out, and then focus on rooms like the study or dining room. During cleaning, the map on the app shows real-time updates of where the vacuum is in the cleaning process and notes obstacles in its path (with photos). It's even possible to receive phone notifications. Cleans are logged so you can check out the full cleaning history.
(Image credit: Future / Narwal)
If you're looking for smart home integration, Siri, Google Home, and Amazon Alexa are all supported. The app features a dedicated 'Third-Party Controls' section to set the robot vacuum to respond to voice commands. There are plenty of other settings too, including accessory management, base station adjustments, and a 'Family with pets' toggle for extra caution when navigating, and that's just scratching the surface.
App score: 3.5 out of 5
Should you buy the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Premium-tier, and packed with features to justify the higher price tag – although they don't all work as intended. Often significantly discounted.
3.5 / 5
Design
Stylish yet bulky base station packed with features. Bot has extendable mopping pads, anti-hair wrap, and dual AI cameras. Strangely, no onboard water tank.
4 / 5
Performance
Solid vacuuming, great (if water-intensive) mopping, and strong obstacle avoidance. However, often fails to do as it has been told, and the "smart" features make things worse.
2.5 / 5
App
Overwhelming app filled with all the functions, settings, and customizations one could ever need or want. Allows for easy editing of multistory mapping.
3 / 5
Buy it if...
You have mostly hard floors
The mopping here is a cut above average, with especially good edge cleaning. Beware, though, it does use a lot of water.
Your house is cluttered
This robot vacuum reliably avoided my dog, cables, furniture, shoes, and decor that were littered throughout my home during testing.
You spot a great deal
The unreliable behavior might be a deal-breaker, but if you spot a big discount you could potentially get a strong featureset for your money.
Don't buy it if...
Your home is mostly carpet
A highlight feature of the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra is its mopping abilities, and you're paying for the impressive 8N pressure, edge reach technology, and hot mop washing base station. If you don't have many hard floors that require mopping, you'll get much better value from a vacuum-only robot.
You're a first-time robovac owner
This robot vacuum has numerous settings and customizations, making it a bit overwhelming. Additionally, certain features don't always work as intended or are difficult to adjust within the app. These quirks will be extremely frustrating.
You're tight on space
If you live in a smaller apartment or house, this robot vacuum will likely be overkill for your cleaning needs. The base station is also bulky, occupying a significant amount of valuable wall space.
How I tested the Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra
I tested the Narwal Freo Z10 in my family home for just over two weeks during the holiday season. It's a two-story home with a sunken family room and almost fully carpeted upstairs. Most of the testing was conducted on the bottom floor, which consists of hardwood floors, vinyl, tile, and tons of medium-pile rugs. A fluffy Keeshond also resides here, leading to excess amounts of fur, debris, and snow in my home.
Beyond sending the robovac out to do everyday vacuuming and mopping tasks, I put it through more rigorous tests. For the vacuum, I spread oats and a flour/biscuit in a one-meter area on both hard flooring and carpet, observing the pickup at different suction levels. To test the mops, I spread a generous amount of ketchup on the floor, letting it dry before sending the robot out to clean. I also observed the mop's ability to pick up a bigger water spill. As for obstacle avoidance, I placed a small charging cable, a floor-matching sock, and a sneaker in a room to observe how well the vacuum navigated around them.
I also experimented with the Narwal Freo app, adjusting settings on both the robot and base station. A decibel meter app on my phone was used to measure noise levels.
Innovation in the world of robot vacuum cleaners is evolving by leaps and bounds – you only have to look at the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra and the Ecovacs Deebot X11 OmniCyclone to see how far we’ve come. While the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra isn’t so groundbreaking, it still boasts industry-leading vacuum suction (30,000Pa) and features I’ve not seen anywhere else – like all brushes getting raised when mopping and the mop getting covered when rolling over a carpet. In fact, this is Dreame’s first robovac to get a roller mop.
While these unique features are welcome additions, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra shines where it matters the most – cleaning floors. I’ve previously said the same thing in my Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review, but this Dreame does a better job of vacuuming carpets.
I wouldn’t put too much stock in that 30,000Pa of suction as that spec doesn’t always translate to 100% hair pickup on very dirty carpets, but I’d say it gets close – 98% to 99% – which is much better than most other robovacs I’ve tested. Edge cleaning on carpets, though, is a little disappointing in comparison, but this isn’t unique to Dreame – most side brushes don’t have stiff bristles to sweep up embedded hair, fur and fibres along room edges of wall-to-wall carpets, and suction power isn’t distributed evenly across the entire length of the central bar brush. In fact, even my Dyson V15s Detect Submarine finds it hard to get right to the edge where carpet meets wall – unless I use the crevice tool.
Hard-floor cleaning, however, is 100% pickup of all visible dirt and debris. Importantly, there's very little scattering of larger debris as the side brush is raised when it senses excessive dirt. And mopping by the roller results in perfect stain removal, no matter how old and deep-seated it is. I love that it dries the dust bag after each cleaning run, which means it can safely go over a little wet area and suck up some moisture, although I would still hesitate to send it over a large wet spill.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Mobility is fantastic, with extremely silent wheels, although the raising mechanism can be heard and the robot dropping back to its normal position after crossing a threshold sounds like something is breaking. And despite some teething issues when I first set it up, I found its navigation abilities quite efficient. I will admit, however, that it does occasionally clean one spot repeatedly even though it’s not excessively dirty, and that eats into its battery life.
Battery use is also affected slightly by the fact that its suction kicks in as soon as the robot exits its dock, so it’s using up precious power even before it gets to its starting point. In my tests, the battery would drop by 1% to 2% depending on which room I would send it to before it began its task. This isn’t a deal breaker for some homes, but it may not finish cleaning larger spaces in one go.
Another minor complaint I have is the app. As nice as it looks, it takes a little getting used to and, even for someone like me who has ample experience with robovacs, I struggled to find some necessary settings (in my case, carpet-cleaning options). Again, not a deal breaker – and I’m yet to meet a robot vacuum with the perfect app (Roborock comes close) – but a touch of streamlining would make it a lot easier to use, especially if you’re going to shell out a four-figure sum on the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Dreame Aqua10 Ultra review: Price & availability
List price: $1,599 / £1,299 / AU$2,999
Released date: November 2025
Available in most major markets, including the US, UK and Australia
With a suggested retail price of $1,599 / £1,299 / AU$2,999, there’s no denying that the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra sits firmly in the premium robovac space, although it’s not as expensive as the $1,999.99 / £1,399 / AU$3,499 mop-swapping Dreame Matrix10 Ultra. It’s still a flagship model and has features to justify its high asking price but, if clean floors is what you’re after, you can get something a little cheaper and not compromise on what’s important.
Case in point is the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni: it performs wonderfully well although, like most robovacs, its app leaves much to be desired, and you get flagship cleaning for $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,499 at full price. Given how often robot vacuums get discounted, this Deebot can be had for around the $800 / £800 / AU$1,500 mark, if not cheaper. I suspect the Aqua10 Ultra will also see a similar treatment during major sales, but its full price stings a little.
In comparison, the Ecovacs Deebot X11 OmniCyclone brings some cutting-edge tech to the table – fast charging and an agentic AI helper to name just a couple – and does away entirely with the replaceable dust bag. It costs $1,499 / £1,199 / AU$2,999 and potentially offers better value for larger homes.
Dreame, however, is known for pricing its robot vacuums quite high – the X50 Ultra Complete, which uses traditional mop pads instead of a roller and doesn’t have all the fancy features of the Aqua10 Ultra, has a list price of $1,699 / £1,299 / AU$2,999.
• Value score:3.5 / 5
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Dreame Aqua10 Ultra review: Specs
Max suction
30,000Pa
Robot dimensions (W x H)
35cm x 120cm (LDS raised) / 35cm x 9.75cm (LDS lowered)
Robot weight
5.8kg
Dock dimensions (H x D x L)
50.5cm x 44cm x 42cm
Dock weight
11.1kg
Robot bin volume
220ml
Dust bag capacity
up to 3.2L
Dock water-tank volume
4L clean / 3.5L dirty
Mop type
Roller
Battery capacity
6,400mAh
Robot max clearance
4.2cm single step / 8cm double step
Navigation
Retractable LiDAR
Dock type
Charge, dusty emptying, roller hot-water washing, roller drying, auto-dispensing one of two detergents
Dreame Aqua10 Ultra review: Design
First Dreame robovac to get a roller mop
Boasts step-vaulting feet and a retractable navigation turret
Boxy and classy dock design with dual-detergent dispenser drawer
The moment I took the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra out of its box, my first thought was, “It looks like a large Marshall speaker!”. If you aren’t familiar with this speaker brand, they’re quite boxy and most of the models I know about have a black finish. This is in no way a complaint; it’s my brain making connections I didn’t expect it to – and I love the look. It’s very classic, with clean lines and metallic accents that ooze ‘premium-ness’. Somehow even the green light around the main control button of the robot while it's charging makes it look fabulous rather than garish.
There are a lot of thoughtful design elements here other than the looks, like soft rubber washers that make it easy to remove the dock cover, a dual detergent dispenser drawer and a retractable navigation puck on the top of the robot. It even comes with a brush to clean the wash tray, which I’ve even used to scrub the dirty-water tank.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Robot design
Sticking with the usual round robot, the Aqua10 Ultra isn’t all that different from many of its premium competitors, with a sleek look – a black robot in my case – that’s enhanced by a retracting navigation puck. When docked, the puck stays lowered and has a ring of green light when it’s moving up or down, or when it’s charging – but is unlit when fully topped up and on standby.
The top of the puck is brass coloured and houses the main controls. It looks like a single button that’s divided in two, with one half to power the robot up or down, while the other half is to send it back to its dock (home button).
Around the puck is a fully removable lid, under which you’ll find a dust box which, strangely, is a lot smaller than I’ve seen in competing models. It’s just 220ml and while it’s not affected my cleaning routines, I suspect it will be emptying itself a lot more frequently in homes with pets.
Under the lid is also the Wi-Fi indicator light and the all-important QR code to get you set up with the companion app. Watch out for how much you handle the robot, though, because it’s highly prone to picking up fingerprint smudges that aren’t easy to wipe off (I’m fussy, what can I say?).
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The front of the robot, as with all others like it, is the camera window that houses not one, but two AI cameras with HD quality that, Dreame says, allows it to capture a 3D image of the robot's surroundings. A side sensor window is also visible towards the end of the bumper.
The undercarriage is where all the action is and here’s where the Aqua10 Ultra differs from many of its competitors. Firstly, it has a dual-brush system for better cleaning on carpets and hard floors alike without hair tangles.
Second, it’s the first Dreame robot vacuum to get a roller mop and here too there’s been some innovation. The roller is made from slightly more bristly fibres than fluff or microfibre to allow it to get into cracks or grouting to ‘scrub’ as it passes over hard floors. It also has a fluffer that spins in the opposite direction to the roller to keep the fibres, well, fluffed so it’s effective at all times.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Importantly, this is the first robovac I’ve tested that actually has a cover for the roller that engages automatically when it senses a carpet. I couldn’t even see the cover when it was doing a mop and went over my living room rug, but no part of my colorful carpet was damp, something I’ve experienced with other robot vacuum cleaners. The roller also extends to clean along edges, although it does miss corners like pretty much every other robovac I’ve tested.
Like its X50 Ultra and Matrix10 Ultra siblings, the Aqua10 also gets the ProLeap system that allows the robot to traverse shallow steps – it can climb 4cm in one step, and another 4cm in a second step if it needs to. It’s no stair climber though, this only helps it get across higher thresholds that some other robots would have trouble with. At setup, the app will even ask you if you want it to use one ‘foot’ at a time, like a human, or raise both feet and roll over.
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I’ve gotten to a point where I wish robovac makers would use stiffer bristles for the side brush because I’ve seen them all struggle to push dirt when moving over carpets, although they work very well on hard floors. It’s the same here – stiffer bristles on my fully carpeted bedroom would have been fabulous. This isn’t a complaint, more a wish for the next iteration.
Dock design
I was sent a black unit for this review, although I’ve seen pictures of a white model too. Either way, the base station for the Aqua10 Ultra looks darn good. Sharp corners and clean lines are reminiscent of mid-Century architectural aesthetics and, as I’ve said before, I get Marshall speaker vibes. And that’s a compliment – I love it!
A lot of thought has gone into the various parts of the base station too. For example, I love that the front cover that hides the dust bag and detergent dispenser is tight thanks to a rubber washer around it, but it comes off and slips on smoothly – no harsh clicks or excessive elbow grease needed as I’ve experienced with other such models that make me feel like I’m about to break something.
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I have to mention the dispenser here before moving on. It has two slots for different solutions (there’s a bottle of detergent and pet odor neutralizer in the box – color-coded so you know which goes in what slot), so you could switch up your detergent use if you wish, but the grip to pull the dispenser out of the base station is designed for right-handed people. That’s not to say left-handers can’t remove it, it will just need a little wrist twisting.
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Above this slot is the covered hatch for the two water tanks, while below is the housing for the robot itself. Inside, the wash tray can be removed for cleaning as necessary and you’ll find a brush in the box to aid with that. In fact, I found the brush to be handy in scrubbing out the dirty-water tank when I’ve forgetfully let a little ecosystem grow inside it.
Handily, the rear of the base station has a niche for your fingers when you need to move it to another location, plus cable management that is missing from some robovacs I’ve previously reviewed.
• Design score: 5 / 5
Dreame Aqua10 Ultra review: Performance
Arguably the best vacuuming and mopping I’ve experienced with a robovac
100ºC/212ºF roller mop washing
Mostly good navigation and battery life, but it could be better
Getting the Aqua10 Ultra connected to my phone and set up for mapping barely took any time. Before the map creation, though, I allowed the robot to charge fully while I tried to get familiar with the app.
Mapping took no more than seven minutes in the test space for this review, which was a one-bedroom apartment of about 40sqm/430sq ft area. It has mixed flooring, with wall-to-wall carpeting in the bedroom and two types of tile flooring everywhere else. The map was accurate for the most part, but I merged and divided a couple of rooms to delineate the open-plan space.
One thing I loved about the initial mapping process was that I didn’t hear the robot at all. Other such models I’ve tested, I’ve at least heard the wheels – here, not a sound. Wheels are well oiled and very smooth, at least on the tiles in my test space.
I then had some teething issues with the Aqua10 Ultra in that my very first task for it was a single-room clean, which it refused to do. I kept getting a ‘destination not found’ error. Even after a full reset and remapping, the issue didn’t go away. I later got it to do a full-home clean (what Dreame calls “global cleaning” in the app) and everything worked a charm after that, even custom routines or single-room cleans.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Vacuuming tests
Dreame lists the suction power at an industry-leading 30,000Pa, but don’t get taken in by that number – a few factors go into how well a robot vacuum can suck up hair, dirt and debris, including airflow through the inside of the bot. That said, the Aqua10 Ultra doesn’t disappoint.
I don’t think I’ve been better impressed by any other robovac as much as I’ve been by this Dreame. I made sure there was a lot of hair embedded into the carpet fibers of the bedroom before its first real test and it did a fantastic job on its Intense setting (there is a Max suction too). On hard floors, Standard is more than enough for regular cleaning tasks, although I would recommend switching it up to Intense if you’re trying to clean up a relatively dirty section of tile or wood.
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The Aqua10 Ultra is a rare robovac that also managed to get bits of dirt out of grout too. I tested this by sprinkling some tea from a bag into spaces between tiles in my kitchen and not a speck of black was visible on the white background after it was done on its Intense suction setting. Other premium models I’ve tested have struggled with this task.
Another vacuuming feature I love is the raising of the side brush. This happens every time the robot senses a very dirty area with larger pieces of debris (oats in testing) to prevent scattering. And that translates to 100% pickup across the entire area.
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The only time I used Max suction power was when I allowed dust and hair to collect on the bedroom carpet over three weeks and pickup was about 98%, with only the edges suffering from a not-so-good vacuuming. The reason that edge cleaning on the carpet suffers is not unique to Dreame, it’s all robovacs – the bristles of the side brush just aren’t stiff enough to push all hair and debris within carpet fibers along room edges towards the central brushes.
I tried the lowest suction setting (Quiet) only once and I wasn’t particularly impressed – it might be fine if your floors are cleaned daily and you don’t have pets or kids.
Mopping tests
Mopping is probably what the Aqua10 Ultra was truly designed to do and it does it very well. Not only is the roller continually washed with fresh water as it’s mopping, but you also get two choices of pressure the roller can apply on floors. The latter might seem like a good thing on paper but, to be honest, Light pressure is fine for daily mopping when the floors are relatively clean. I would think Normal pressure is what most users would need on a regular basis.
With water levels set to high (level 27) to suit the kind of tiles in my test space, I found the Aqua10 Ultra was capable of tackling most dried stains. Dusty footprints are very easy for it to remove, but it also managed to get rid of spilt-and-dried tea. It even got rid of an unidentified caked-in stain close to my living room rug that my previous robot vacuum wasn’t able to mop up.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
For the first time when testing a robovac I felt comfortable sending it to mop up a small wet spill – and that’s only because Dreame promised that the central and side brushes would be raised. Sure enough, a few drops of water weren’t an issue and any moisture that got sucked into the onboard dust box and, hence, into the dust bag, isn’t going to be an issue as the bag in the dock is dried after every single vacuum or mop-after-vacuum session is complete.
Admittedly this test is based on small spills, like a few drops of water on the bathroom floor or a tiny bit of milk on the kitchen tiles, but I’ve previously avoided sending any robovac over something wet, no matter how small. That being said, I’d still be very hesitant to get the Aqua10 Ultra to clean a larger wet spill as I’d worry about the filter inside the onboard dust box.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
If you’ve got mixed flooring, you can choose what action the robot takes when mopping – avoid carpets altogether, raise the roller mop or cross without cleaning. I had the Aqua10 Ultra set to mop-raise at all times and, the best part, the roller has its own cover that automatically engages as soon as it senses a carpet.
I’ve never been able to see the cover engage, but I’ve had no damp patches on my carpets, not even the edges or corners where other robovacs would be too slow to raise mops.
Mopping can be done with detergents and a small bottle ships in the box to get you started. Dreame doesn’t specify that the floor cleaner needs to be proprietary, but I’d err on the side of caution and purchase what the brand recommends to avoid damaging the internal mechanisms and voiding warranty.
Dock performance
The standout feature here is the dust-bag drying, which you will need to toggle on in the app under Dock Settings. When switched on, the dock will dry the dust bag with warm air after every cleaning session. This prevents odors building or an ecosystem growing inside if moisture gets trapped when the robot vacuums over a few drops of water or any other small spill.
That's not all, though, because the Aqua10 Ultra also looks after the roller well by washing it at 100ºC / 212ºF. That's as good as sterilization and eliminates any odors, washes out stains and gets the roller ready for its next clean. This feature is optional and, if you don't have pets, you could just have the roller cleaned with warm water, sterilizing it every once in a while. The usual hot-air drying takes place to make sure the roller is dried between uses.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
The first time I used the Aqua10 Ultra, though, I thought it was using a lot of water, but from the second mopping run onwards, water use has been quite efficient and I didn't need to constantly ensure the clean-water tank was topped up. The only thing that needs doing is ensuring the dirty-water tank is cleaned frequently or you will have nasty odors to contend with. However, not only does the tank have a tight lid, but there's another lid (not hermetically sealed, though) between you and the bad smells. You still wouldn't want to leave dirty water in there for long.
The Aqua10 Ultra dock also allows you to ensure the wash tray is cleaned thoroughly. This is done via the app to start, wherein clean water is poured over the washboard and excess moisture is removed from the roller. The robot will then exit the dock so you can use the provided brush to scrub the tray – just click on finished button on the app when you're done and the dock will take care of the drying once the bot is nestled back in.
Long story short, dock functionality is just as good as the robot's cleaning.
Obstacle avoidance & navigation
Not only does the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra clean well, but its obstacle avoidance is superb. Every robot vacuum I’ve tested until now has gotten thin charging cables entangled with the central bar brush – not so here. Even when unfurled (lying stretched out on the floor), the Aqua10 Ultra’s sensors can spot a cable and it just cleans right along the side without trying to roll over it (as pictured below).
I have one area in my living room where most robovacs get confused – a narrow section of hard floor edged by a wall on one side, a carpet on the other, plus a couch and a slim-legged chair to add to confusing textures. Not only did the Aqua10 Ultra navigate around the legs of the chair well, but it also managed to ensure the strip of hard floor was cleaned each time without the mop rolling over the rug.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
The automatic 4cm raising of the robot, however, is a little temperamental. Even with a threshold marked in the app – which should tell the robot to rise, step over and carry on – I found the Aqua10 Ultra didn’t often register the threshold and would try to navigate it as any other low-rise obstacle, trying to find the best way over it. When it did rise automatically on its wheels, it was a fun sight to see.
Overall, navigation is great, although I have to note that I had teething issues. Immediately after setup, I wanted to test the robot’s functionality in just one room and it just couldn’t “find the designated area”. A full reset and remapping didn’t fix the problem either. However, it worked just fine if I opted to do a full-house clean (what Dreame calls a “global” cleaning), after which choosing a single room or a zone was fine.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Battery life
Running on a 6,400mAh battery, which is quite standard these days, the Aqua10 Ultra should, on paper, give you upwards of 200 minutes of cleaning. In reality, that’s not going to be the case as most users won’t be running it on its lowest settings to conserve battery life.
In my testing, I found battery use inefficient during its first few runs where the drain was quite significant – dropping from full to 40% on Intense vacuuming after running for 30 minutes. That improved to falling to 62% on the same setting for the same duration as I used the bot more.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Depending on what kind of custom cleaning routine you choose, it’s possible an average one-bedroom home could be cleaned without needing additional time at the mains, but larger homes will definitely have a full-house cleaning interrupted due to battery drain. This is more so if you have mixed flooring as the robot automatically increases suction on carpets.
One small issue that Dreame could consider fixing is not getting the suction to start as soon as the bot leaves the base station. I found that a minimum of 1% battery would always drain before it reached its starting point. That might not seem like much, but that clocks up when it needs to empty its dust box regularly during a single vacuuming session. And unlike the Ecovacs Deebot X11 OmniCyclone, it doesn’t have fast charging to top up a little while its mop is being washed.
• Performance score: 4.5 / 5
Dreame Aqua10 Ultra review: App and voice control
Nicely designed app, but some setting options are unclear
Custom routines have limitations
Voice control is easy, but has limited functionality
The Dreame companion app in its current form isn’t bad at all – in fact, it’s one of the more appealing apps, with perhaps just Roborock outdoing it. However, it took me a while to wrap my head around the app as right from the get go I found no option to start the mapping process. A bit of playing around with it solved that problem, and the resulting map was accurate and I found it easy to edit.
What I love about the editing process is that I could manually add thresholds, something I’ve not seen on any other robot vacuum app – although I will admit that didn’t work as I expected it to (the bot sometimes didn’t even realize it needed to raise itself). In fact, the map adds room names intelligently as it’s being created, but it doesn’t always get it right.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Dreame gives you a heck of a lot of control over the cleaning routines, like adjusting cleaning parameters such as suction strength or mop water flow rates on a per-room basis, while scheduling, remote control and notifications help keep cleaning convenient. This is the first time I’ve seen a robovac brand offer extensive control over the ‘intelligent’ automatic mode – I could choose my own suction and water levels here, while all other brands use machine learning to set these automatically. Dreame calls this the CleanGenius mode.
It took me a while to figure out how to set up custom Shortcut routines, like Bedroom Clean, or Daily Clean. Even then, I had to ensure I'd saved and tapped on any tick icons or it didn't save anything. Roborock and Ecovacs, on the other hand, have made setting up custom routines a lot simpler.
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
I also couldn’t figure out why none of the carpets in my test space were getting vacuumed as they’re set to be ‘avoided’ by default and the app doesn’t make that clear – even when you choose to vacuum carpets first. These are little things, but small changes could make the app a lot more streamlined and easier to navigate.
I've also noticed that the Dreame app is slower to respond compared to some other brands I’ve tested – it’s just a few seconds of lag between choosing a clean and the robot exiting the dock, but I’ve seen other brands work a little quicker.
Smart home integration with Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant is available, but the Dreame voice assistant is quite quick to respond if you wake it up. The voice commands you give it are limited in nature, like telling it to start a saved Shortcut or returning to the dock, but it’s an excellent hands-free experience. There’s even Matter support on board for future smart home integration if you ever set up a central hub.
• App & voice control score: 4 / 5
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Should I buy the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra?
Attributes
Notes
Score
Value
Competition is high and there are now models with cutting-edge technology at the same price point.
3.5 / 5
Design
With clean lines and a sleek robot, the Aqua10 Ultra looks classic and modern at once.
5 / 5
Performance
Arguably the best robovac I've tested to date, but its battery use might not be best for large homes.
4.5 / 5
App control
A well-designed app with a comprehensive list of features, but the learning curve is a touch steep.
4 / 5
Buy it if...
You have rigorous cleaning requirements
Whether it's vacuuming, mopping or doing both, the Aqua10 Ultra will not disappoint. While it's excellent for homes with pets, expect it to keep emptying its small onboard bin frequently.
You live in a home with plenty of obstacles
Whether that's kids toys, a pet running across the robot's path or just a charging cable you've forgotten to pick off the floor, you can trust nothing is going to get gobbled up or collided with.
You're wary of odors building
With intense hot-water washing for the roller and regular dust-bag drying, the Aqua10 Ultra eliminates any issues with bacterial or fungal growth. Just be sure to clean out the dirty-water tank regularly.
Don't buy it if...
Money is an obstacle
There's no denying the Aqua10 Ultra is expensive, and even with discounts, there'll always be something a lot cheaper. However, at a discounted price, I'd definitely recommend it over many of its competitors.
You don't need too many bells and whistles in a robot vacuum
If you don't have pets or live in a large home, you could well not need all the features the Aqua10 Ultra offers. That could save you a lot of money too.
You live in a home with wall-to-wall carpets
If you don't have hard floors, buying a robovac that mops is a moot point. Not only that, the edges of the rooms will remain dirty as I am yet to meet a robot vacuum that can do edge cleaning on carpets well.
Dreame Aqua10 Ultra review: Also consider
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni
Despite missing out on some of the features that you'll find on the Dreame, this Deebot proved to be an excellent cleaning machine, even along room edges. Importantly, it's cheaper even at full price, but is now frequently discounted. Read my Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review to learn more
Roborock Saros 10R
Our reviewer called it the "perfect hybrid robot vacuum cleaner even for the most cluttered of homes". Improved navigation and a low profile means it can get to places other robovacs will typically avoid. It's also quiet, has excellent vacuum and mop skills, and it's pretty much a master of its trade. Read our in-depth Roborock Saros 10R review for more details
How I tested the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra
(Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
For this review, I used the Aqua10 Ultra for a period of five weeks, running it on mixed flooring an average of twice a week (there were times when I ran it about four times in a day for various tests).
I initially had issues with the robot unable to navigate to its designated area, but that issue was solved after it did a full-home clean. The test space, as mentioned earlier in this review, was a small one-bedroom apartment with carpet in the bedroom and tiles everywhere else.
I spent quite a lot of time trying to understand the app, but once things were set up as I wished them to be, running the Aqua10 Ultra was easy. I performed full-home cleans, custom routines, single-room cleans, even zone cleaning for some tests. I used the shower divider in the bathroom to test its ProLeap system to clear thresholds.
I also used the provided detergent and odor neutralizer in the dock.
I put the Aqua10 Ultra through TechRadar's usual tests for vacuuming and mopping (using oats and tea from a bag for the former, and a dollop of chutney for the latter). I also conducted our standard obstacle avoidance test, but paid special attention to how it handles cables as Dreame does advertize it to be excellent.
As you've probably already read, the Aqua10 Ultra passed all its tests with flying colors, and my complaints were mostly minor.
The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra is probably the most advanced hybrid robot floor cleaner that I've ever reviewed. At the heart of the design is a unique mop-swapping system that works like a vending machine. Instead of having a single pair of spinning mop pads like its competitors, this model's docking station stores three sets of mop pads, each tailored for different surfaces or rooms.
These mops are swapped automatically, depending on the room or surface it has been tasked to clean. Oh, and there are three cleaning fluid options, which can auto-switch, too. The aim is to ensure each floor receives an appropriate type of cleaning, and to help prevent cross-contamination. Not everyone will feel the need for that, but if you're meticulous about hygiene, or have more extreme mopping needs, this could well be the best robot vacuum for you.
Mopping performance is reinforced by dual rotating mop heads that apply consistent pressure to deliver deeper cleaning. And, like all good mopping systems, water flow is adjusted based on floor type and the mops are always lifted when the robot transitions onto carpets. The base station also handles self-cleaning of the mops (with hot-water washing and drying) and auto-emptying of detritus into a larger-than-average 3.2-liter bin bag.
Given that this robovac boasts an industry-leading 30,000 Pascals of suction power, I had high hopes for its vacuuming ability. In practice, it handled its everyday tasks exceptionally well, including collecting an awful lot of hair shed by my two Labradors, and delivering thorough hard floor vacuuming. However, it struggled to pick up large debris from a carpeted floor – it made a decent fist of it, but it wasn't quite as thorough as I'd expect given those stunning suction specs.
Navigation and mobility are extremely impressive since the bot has a retractable navigation puck to sneaking beneath low furniture, AI-assisted obstacle avoidance, and a chassis that can launch it over thresholds and floor obstacles up to a total of 3in / 8cm total height, or 1.6in / 4.2cm if it's a single step.
The enormous dock will rule it out for smaller homes, where in any case, such a complex setup may not be necessary. It's a perfect model for residents of large houses with mixed floor types, hairy pets or a desire to maintain high hygiene standards. I think it's also worth considering for use in most commercial premises like single-level offices, village halls, or small sports halls.
That's the short version; read on for my full Dreame Matrix10 Ultra review.
The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra sits firmly in the premium end of the robot-cleaning arena and its standard price – $1,999.99 in the US, £1,399 in the UK, and AU$3,499 in Australia – reflects that position. However, I've already spotted big discounts that suggest you might not need to pay that kind of price – I've seen it on sale for $1,800 in the US, just £999 from the UK, and AU$2,499 in Australia. It's available to buy direct from Dreame, as well as via various third-party retailers.
Those discounts – in the UK and Australia, at least – bring the Matrix10 Ultra within reach of buyers who want high-end automation without tipping into the ultra-luxury tier. Granted, even at this reduced price it's still a substantial investment, but given the convenience and the ace level of autonomy it offers, I think it still delivers impressive value for money. I'd perhaps hold out for a better discount if you live Stateside, though.
(Image credit: Future)
The Matrix10 Ultra's high level of sophistication does come with trade-offs. For instance, the mop-swapping dock is enormous by comparison to others on the market, and the machinery is complex. Hence, if you live in a small space, have uniform flooring or don't need frequent mopping, its advantages dramatically shrink and the upfront cost feels harder to justify. But for large homes with mixed surfaces (and even some commercial properties), this type of hybrid bot starts to make a lot of financial sense.
If the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra seems like too big a financial commitment, perhaps give one of the Chinese company's earlier models some consideration. The L40 Ultra might not have swappable mops but it's still a cracking bot that now retails at a significantly lower price than the Matrix10 Ultra. Alternatively consider the equally excellent Roborock Qrevo Series, for a similarly affordable price.
Value for money score: 3.5 out of 5
Dreame Matrix10 Ultra specs
Max suction:
30,000Pa
Robot size (L x W):
in / 35 x 35.1cm
Robot height:
3.5 in / 8.9cm
Dock dimensions (H x W x D):
23.2 x 16.4 x 17.9 in / 58.9 x 41.6 x 45.5 cm
Dust bin volume (base):
3.2L
Water tank volume (base):
5.5L (clean); 4L (dirty)
Mop type:
Auto-interchangeable dual spinning mop pages
Base type:
Charge, empty dust, wash mop pads with hot water, dry mop pads with hot air, automatically swap from three mop pad sets, auto-dispense one of three cleaning fluids
Max threshold clearance:
1.6 in / 4.2cm (one step) or 3in / 8cm (two steps)
Navigation:
Retractable LiDAR Pathfinder
Obstacle avoidance:
Double laser+AI+RGB+LED
Carpet detection:
Ultrasonic
Dreame Matrix10 Ultra review: design
Features include step-vaulting feet and a retracting LiDAR puck
Enormous dock vends different mop types and cleaning solutions
Hi-tech and advanced navigation and object avoidance systems
The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra is a cutting-edge robovacs, starting with its navigation system, which is one of the most technically impressive I've come across. There's a retractable DToF LiDAR unit (complete with attractive blue ring light), 3D sensing and an AI-enhanced RGB camera that combine to deliver fast, accurate 360-degree mapping while still allowing the robot to lower its profile and slip under furniture with a clearance of just 3.5in / 9cm.
Like the Roborock Saros 10, this ability to retract its LiDAR turret gives the Matrix10 Ultra both the precision of high-end LiDAR mapping and the physical flexibility to reach recessed areas many robots miss.
(Image credit: Future)
Its vision system, meanwhile, adds a second layer of intelligence: a structured-light 3D sensor paired with the aforementioned RGB camera. Together, these navigation tools identify and classify a wide range of objects, allowing the robot to plan collision-free routes that seem logical, at least when compared with some other models I've reviewed.
I've been astonished by how confidently and intelligently this model has mapped and navigated my home – and even a huge village hall – without any hiccups whatsoever. It just works.
Robot design
The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra's industry-leading 30,000 Pascals of suction power is a major bonus, especially when it comes to removing most trapped dust particles in carpet and rugs. Couple this suction power with Dreame's dual rollers (one with added bristles) and and an extendable side sweeping brush for great pick-up coverage along skirting boards and furniture edges, and you have one very efficient floor sweeping system. Like most Roborocks, you're offered five levels of suction with this model – Quiet, Standard, Turbo, Max and Max+.
(Image credit: Future)
However, what really sets this model apart from almost all others bar the Mova Mobius 60 (a sub-brand of Dreame) is its advanced mopping hardware. Instead of using a single pair of spinning mop pads to clean the entire floorspace, the Matrix10 Ultra supports a range of three different mop types that can be allocated to different rooms, and these mops are swapped automatically in the charging dock (more on this in the section directly below).
Like all good modern hybrid robot vacuums, the Matrix10 Ultra automatically lifts its mops when moving over carpets, or leaves them in the dock if not required. And when it's mopping, it also raises both the twin brush rollers and the side brush so they remain muck-free.
Many high-end bots are capable of scaling thresholds and low steps but this one performs better than most. It's able to quite literally climb up a pair of steps, a sliding door track up to 3in / 8cm in height, or single steps up to 1.6in / 4.2cm, by raising its chassis and launching itself forward. (You can see the system in action on a different Dreame bot in TechRadar's Dreame X50 Ultra Complete review.)
(Image credit: Future)
Because this model is equipped with a decent RGB camera up front, you can also use the Dreame app to manually steer the robot around like an RC car. I've always thought of this function as a bit of a gimmick, but I was proven wrong the other day in our village hall: the Matrix10 Ultra got stuck in a tight spot to the side of a toilet bowl and its sensitive sensors prevented it from jiggling itself out of trouble. I simply launched the app from my location, selected the camera icon and managed to steer it out manually. I then tasked it to continue cleaning and all was well again.
(Image credit: Dreame / Future)
However, there is one genuine gimmick added to the camera function that I see no use for, aside from a bit of amusement. If you select the speaker-and-dog icon you can choose from a selection of noises – a cat meowing, purring, a dog bark, some footsteps and the ticking of a clock.
Dock design
Let's first address the elephant in the room – the size of the dock. While attractive enough to look at, it is huge by comparison to the majority of other models. In fact most people might ask why you elected to put an under-counter fridge in your living room. It certainly looks a bit like one.
At 23.2in / 58.9cm in height, a whopping 16.4in / 41.6cm in width and a depth of 17.9in / 45.5cm with robot ramp attached, this dock dwarfs most others on the market and that will most certainly be an issue for anyone with a smaller home. But then again, Dreame likely never envisaged this model being used in anything other than large homes – its unique multi-mop system bears this out.
(Image credit: Future)
The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra's dock is one of the most technically sophisticated charging stations ever paired with a hybrid robot. Aside from automatically emptying the contents of the robot's tiny bin into its larger-than-average 3.2-litre dust bag, the dock can also store multiple mop types and automatically switch them using a jukebox-style system.
In a nutshell, the bot leaves the dock and waits a minute or so while a module behind the front door raises up to grab the required magnetically-affixed mops from their holding base before placing them face down on the dock's cleaning plate mechanism. The robot then returns to the dock where the mops are attached. It's a very clever system, no doubt, but the jury's out on the amount of moving parts involved and the reliability of the system in the long term.
(Image credit: Future)
You get three sets of pads included and each one is slightly different and designed for a specific purpose: the yellow pads have scrubbers fitted for deeper cleaning in greasy areas like a kitchen; the grey pads are thicker and more absorbent for bathrooms or flooring where you want less streaking; and blue are for general-purpose mopping of living areas. However, you can use the Dreame app to set which types of mops you want used for each room.
(Image credit: Future)
The million dollar question is whether you really need three sets of mops for different rooms. Dreame says it's mostly for hygiene purposes and the prevention of cross-contamination and I can see this being a valid reason for anyone with toddlers on the floor who doesn't want a toilet mop to then clean the living room floor, even if it's self-cleaned between tasks. But is avoidance of the possibility of cross-contamination really that important? If it is, then this model is unequivocally the one for you.
Given that this model is best suited to larger abodes, the dock houses two extra-large water tanks – a huge 5.5-liter tank for clean water and a 4-liter tank for the filthy stuff. Once a mopping task is completed, the bot returns to dock where the mops are thoroughly washed in hot water at 212F / 100C. This water is then purged into the dirty water reservoir ready for emptying at your leisure or whenever the app tells you to do so.
(Image credit: Future)
This hot-water cleaning cycle does a far better job of breaking down grease, grime and detergent residues than the lukewarm rinses found in many competing systems. Once cleaned, the mop pads are dried with hot air to prevent bacterial growth and eliminate damp smells.
Meanwhile, the multi-solution compartment – a first in my book – lets the dock dose different cleaning fluids automatically, adjusting formulas to match floors or cleaning modes. You get three types of solution in the package – one liter of Dreame Floor Cleaning Solution, 200ml of Pet Odor Solution and 200ml of Wood Floor Care Solution.
I'm always slightly wary of gadgets with lots of moving parts, because the more complex the engineering, the more potential points of failure there are further down the line. However, I didn't experience any issues with the dock – or the robot itself for that matter – during my review period.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Dreame Matrix10 Ultra review: performance
Expert navigation, accurate object avoidance and powerful mapping
Excellent vacuuming on hard floor, and very decent on carpet
Complex mop system works well and mopping is a cut above average
So how does the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra hold up in practice? Let's take a look at the performance. I've broken this section up into different parts to make it easier to digest.
Navigation performance
I've been extremely impressed by this bot's navigation performance and its initial mapping sequence was insanely good. In fact, it's the first robot vac to ever accurately map my open plan home with all spaces highlighted correctly and with no dividing or merging of rooms required. It even automatically named four of the five rooms it had mapped. This means it was accurately spotting the dining table in the dining room, the sofa in the living room and the kitchen by its layout. Furthermore, it did all this in a smidge under five minutes.
I then installed the whole system in our huge village hall – 121 square meters – and it mapped the hall, kitchen and toilets in 10 minutes, and even correctly named the two toilets and dividing hallway. Moreover, unlike other models I've tested in the hall, the Dreame's main map has remained stable with no shifts in the map's perspective. LiDAR is known to struggle when mapping huge areas like a commercial hall, especially if it has many windows with bright sunlight pouring in. But this model has so far bucked that trend.
During my tests the Matrix10 Ultra has planned efficient, seemingly logical cleaning paths rather than wandering around randomly. It's also adjusted dynamically when furniture was moved or when unexpected obstacles appeared, updating its routes mid-clean to maintain full coverage without wasting time or missing too many corners.
Unfortunately I wasn't in a position to test its ability to scale high thresholds and small steps because I don't have any access to them. However, I have seen demonstrations of this bot negotiating a threshold and roll-steel furniture legs and it has simply sailed over them.
Obstacle avoidance
The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra's obstacle avoidance is one of its most impressive performance features, combining advanced sensors and AI to navigate real-world environments with finesse. As mentioned in the Design section, the robot uses a combination of retractable DToF LiDAR for precise distance mapping and structured-light 3D sensing paired with an AI-enhanced RGB camera. This fusion of sensors allows it to detect a wide range of objects, from small items like cables, socks, shoes, bags and pet toys to furniture legs and other household obstacles.
(Image credit: Future)
In practice, this means the Matrix10 Ultra rarely bumps into or gets stuck on objects, though I'll admit that a loose pair of scissors caught it out on one occasion. In my first home test, it manoeuvred between a loose glove and tape measure without any touching, but rode slipshod over the scissors; and yet it avoided the scissors in a subsequent test. I put this first failure down to the robot having approached the scissors from an acute angle beyond the line of sight of its RGB camera.
I then set up another obstacle test in the village hall using a clutch of pens, a book, a plastic Dyson vacuum nozzle and the same tape measure. Remarkably, it negotiated all obstacles without any touching and you can see this in the attached demonstration video.
Would I rely on the Matrix10 Ultra to avoid a dog poop? No I wouldn't, though on evidence of my tests, I'd say that there's a much better chance of this bot avoiding it rather than smearing it all over the carpet.
Vacuum performance
The Dreame Matrix10 Ultra delivers very decent vacuum performance. It dual-brush system lifted dust, debris and pet hair with ease on my hard floors, while its automatic edge brushes did a grand job of scuttling debris from corners into the path of its suction portal.
It has spent two weeks vacuuming my home with no glaring signs of it having missed anything and it's been absolutely faultless in the village hall, too, with a perfectly cleaned swathe of wooden flooring and very little evidence of any forgotten debris along the skirting boards. The Matrix10’s cleaning ability on hard floor is as good as the best I’ve seen from any robot vacuum brand.
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
However, I was a little underwhelmed by its performance on a medium-pile rug, even when I had the suction set to Max+. For this test I selected zone cleaning in the app and sprinkled a good dollop of oats, rice and small chunks of crushed dried pasta. The robot duly headed to the rug and proceeded to ramp up the suction power when its sensor detected extra debris. It then performed a series of tight circles in these areas before continuing in an up-and-down parallel fashion to finish the job.
It definitely left more debris behind than I expected, given the ultra-powerful 30,000 Pa suction spec. Despite the supposedly higher suction, it didn't perform as well on carpet as my Roborock 10R or Roborock 10 in this particular high-debris test.
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
I am mindful that this was an extreme task and one that would normally be performed to much better effect by a human with a decent cordless stick vac. The Matrix10 Ultra's day-to-day carpet cleaning has been perfectly acceptable – the robot’s bin has always been full enough to suggest it had collected a lot of pet hair – just not quite as outstanding as I'd hoped for. At just 54.9dB from about six feet away, it's also one of the quietest bots I've ever tested.
Mopping performance
The Matrix10 Ultra's mopping is genuinely among the most advanced of any hybrid combos. Its rotating Dual Omni‑Scrub mop technology applies consistent downward pressure, scrubbing hard floors deeply rather than simply swiping across them. Moreover, the base station supports a full cycle of mop‑pad care – heated water washing, drying and automatic water refill of the robot's smaller water tank. This level of automation keeps the mop pads hygienic, fresh and ready for repeated cleaning, without any manual scrubbing or pad wringing.
(Image credit: Future)
Of course, one of this model's most clever touches is its ability to switch mop pad types automatically, depending on what the space demands. Water flow is also regulated automatically depending on floor type and expected dirt levels, which helps avoid over‑wetting.
In my daily tests, the mopping system delivered smooth, even results with no streaking. It also handled a spill of some milk with no issues to report. However, no hybrid robot is flawless when it comes to removing deeply ingrained grime, thick stains or sticky messes.
(Image credit: Future)
While this model will tackle them to some degree, programming it to head to a specific spot by creating a zone in the Dreame app is a world of pain and takes more time to set it up and the robot to perform the task accurately enough than it does to simply grab a mop, kitchen towel of a decent cordless hard floor cleaner like the excellent Roborock F25 Ultra.
Dock performance
As previously mentioned, rather than just charging the robot, the Matrix10 Ultra's dock stores three sets of mop pads and automatically selects the correct one for each room. It also washes them in 212F / 100C water before drying them with hot air. The jukebox-style pad selection system is undeniably clever, but I can't comment on the long-term reliability of this complex mop-swapping innovation. I should add that I personally haven't experienced any issues, but who knows how well it will behave in a year or two.
(Image credit: Future)
What I will wholeheartedly praise is the dock's excellent bin emptying system. I've often experienced issues with some robot vac docks that have clogged up when faced with too much pet hair in the robot's smaller bin. To date this model has performed immeasurably well and I think I know why.
A bit like the Eufy Omni S1 Pro, this model's dock goes through a pre-suction process whereby it performs a full power suck for about a second to loosen any clumped hair in the robot's bin before pausing another second. It then goes into full suction for about 8 seconds. After umpteen emptying sessions, I have no blocked suction tubes to report and that's a major bonus in my book.
(Image credit: Future)
Another point in this dock's favor is the low volume it emits while going through the emptying process. I measured it at 64.2dB from about 10 feet away and this is pretty quiet for a dock of this nature. But perhaps more importantly, the low sound frequency of the emptying process is so much easier on the ears than many other docks, specifically some of those by iRobot which emit an ear-splitting high-frequency scream whenever emptying the contents of their robots' bins.
Battery performance
I was initially concerned about this model's battery capacity when first putting it through its paces. I'd fiddle with it for no longer than 10 minutes with pauses in between and the battery would show something in the region of 91%. Hence I didn't hold out much hope of the battery lasting for an entire vacuum clean of a 121-square meter village hall without having to recharge midway through the cleaning session.
But I was wrong, because I've checked the Dreame app's Care History section and, on average, the Matrix10 Ultra has completed every task – the hall, kitchen and toilets – in one go in around 117 minutes with +/- 28% of battery life remaining. And that's a very reassuring stat for anyone thinking of purchasing this autonomous hybrid vac for their country mansion.
Performance score: 4.5 out of 5
Dreame Matrix10 Ultra review: app
Extremely comprehensive
Slowish to respond
Not that easy to navigate
The Dreame app offers a highly capable and feature-rich experience, giving users minutely detailed control over their robot vacuum and mop. From the first LiDAR scan, it builds an accurate map of your home, allowing you to name rooms, create zones, set no-go zones, create multi-floor maps and adjust cleaning parameters like suction strength or mop water flow rates on a per-room basis. Scheduling, remote control and notifications help keep cleaning convenient, while smart-home integration with Alexa, Siri and Google Assistant adds hands-free flexibility.
However, it took me a while to get a handle on this app and an especially long time to work out how to set up routines. Even then, I needed to make sure I'd saved and tapped on any tick icons or it didn't save anything. I'd have preferred to see a system like that adopted by Roborock which saves its routines (a series of pre-programmed short cuts like ‘vacuum the hall', ‘mop the kitchen' and ‘clean the dog rug') on the homepage for instant accessibility. I've also noticed that the Dreame app is a bit slower to react to commands and send them to the robot – but we're talking seconds here.
Despite these small niggles, I've been mightily impressed by the huge wealth of customisation you can achieve in this app. However, I would advise spending a good deal of time learning about all the settings because, by ignoring them, you almost certainly won't get the most out of this sterling autonomous home helper.
App score: 4 out of 5
Should you buy the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Ultra-premium at list price, but it looks like discounts won't be hard to come by – and it does boast an awful lot of tech.
3.5 / 5
Design
Ambitious and complex, with a mop-pad dispensing dock, feet for vaulting over steps and a retractable LiDAR puck.
4.5 / 5
Performance
Generally extremely impressive, with excellent mopping and hard floor vacuuming, and accurate navigation and object detection. Its carpet performance not as outstanding as I'd expect for those suction specs.
4 / 5
App
Perhaps a little too comprehensive for its own good – technophobes may have trouble getting a handle on it.
4 / 5
Buy it if...
You have advanced mopping needs
The Matrix10 Ultra really shines when it comes to its mop setup, with multiple mop types and cleaning fluids (and the ability to swap between them automatically).
You're worried about cross-contamination
The Matrix10 Ultra provides different mops for different rooms, to keep things contained.
You have a big home with lots of obstacles
This model delivers some of the most accurate and efficient mapping and navigation I've experienced – perfect for large, challenging spaces.
Don't buy it if...
Youdon't have much room for the dock
The Matrix10 Ultra's dock is about the size of a small fridge, so not ideal if you're short on space.
You don't need auto mop pad swapping
Is the specter of cross-floor contamination really an issue? If you're not fussed about reusing your bathroom mop pads in the kitchen (with a clean in-between), there are plenty of cheaper and simpler alternatives to choose from.
You don't have that much hard floor
The USP here is really the mopping – if you're not going to be making the most of the different mop pad types and cleaning fluids, I'd pick a different bot.
How I tested the Dreame Matrix10 Ultra
I've had this model running on two separate floor spaces – at home and our large village hall, where it currently resides. Aside from evaluating both the robot and unique mop-swapping dock, I let it loose at home for two weeks and left it to its own devices using a series of daily cleaning schedules. I then performed a hard-floor pick-up and mopping test in the kitchen before hauling it up to the hall (it's heavy) where I performed a carpet cleaning and obstacle avoidance test before leaving it to run five scheduled vacuum and mopping sessions per week. It's been doing this for the past two weeks with no hiccups to report.
The SwitchBot S20 is a hybrid robot vacuum with a particularly impressive mopping setup. While most robot vacuums feature flat mop pads that tend to spread spillages around, the S20 is equipped with a roller that's fed a continuous stream of fresh water, while any dirt is scraped off as it goes. The model also arrives with a comprehensive dock that not only empties the bot's onboard bin, but drains its dirty water tanks, refills the clean water tank and dries the mop pads, too.
I tested it out and was generally impressed, although a few quirks prevent me from recommending it as one of the best robot vacuums on the market right now. The mopping works as advertised, providing a more thorough clean than I've seen with most bots. Vacuuming is solid, too, while object detection and avoidance are perhaps the best I've encountered.
However, the S20 gets into a pickle if set to vacuum after it has completed a mopping run, when its roller is still a bit damp. In this situation, any debris on the floor is spread around, and no discernible vacuuming takes place. That's okay if your home's layout makes it easy to keep vacuuming and mopping completely separate (with the mopping last on the list), but I wouldn't recommend the S20 as a bot that can transition smoothly between the two tasks.
It's also rather noisy. I'd say it's louder than average in every cleaning mode, but the sound of it auto-emptying is especially alarming. For navigation the bot performed well, but did prove occasionally erratic – perhaps down to that ultra-sensitive object avoidance – and the app could be improved with a few tweaks.
At full price, this bot sits in the premium bracket, but hefty discounts are common and deliver much better value for money. If mopping is your priority and you spot a decent deal, the S20 could be a great buy.
A final note before I begin with my full SwitchBot S20 review. If you're here because you heard that SwitchBot makes mini robot vacuums, be advised that the S20 isn't one of those bots. The robot itself and the dock are full-sized, and also a little chunkier than average. Check out the SwitchBot K11+ if you're after a tiny home-helper that can tuck into tight spaces.
(Image credit: Future)
SwitchBot S20 review: price & availability
List price: $799.99 / £799.99
Launched: September 2025
Available: US / UK
The SwitchBot K20 launched in September 2025, with a list price of $799.99 in the US and £799.99 in the UK. At time of writing, there was a voucher on the SwitchBot US site to activate a 44% discount (taking it to $448) and one for 39% off on the UK sites (taking it down to £488). Given the availability of big discounts so close to launch, it seems likely that this bot will not be sold at full price very often.
There's also an "Auto-Fill & Drain System" version of this model, which you plumb into your home's water supply. It costs the same at ticket price.
At full price this is a premium robot vacuum, but those chunky discounts see it sit more middle of the pack. On paper, at the discounted price it's a decent value proposition, but just make sure you're happy to live with the various quirks before you take the plunge.
Dock empties dust, dries roller and drains/refills the onboard tanks
SwitchBot is known for making tiny little robot vacuums, such as the dinky SwitchBot K11+, so I was quite surprised when I unpacked the K20 to find that it wasn't small at all. In fact, far from being scaled-down, this bot is on the chunkier side for a modern robot vacuum.
By way of example, the Roborock Qrevo Master (a not especially swish or streamlined robovac) measures 13.9in / 35.3 cm in diameter and 4.1in / 10.3 cm tall, whereas the K20 is 14.4in / 36.5cm wide and 4.5in / 11.5cm tall.
The SwitchBot S20 (right) next to the brand's dinky K11+ (Image credit: Future)
The headline feature is the mop setup. The K20 has a roller mop that applies 1kg of pressure to scrub dirt from your hard floors. The roller is continually fed with clean water as it rolls across your floor, while a scraper siphons off the grime and dirty water and holds it in a small secondary water tank. While the roller can't kick out to the side of the machine for edge cleaning, as some premium models offer, it's still a very modern mop setup.
(Image credit: Future)
The suction stats are good, too, topping out at 10,000Pa. Until recently, that was about the maximum you'd find anywhere. Nowadays, there are premium bots that can manage twice that; but 10,000Pa should still be ample for most people's needs. There's a fixed side-sweeper brush and a single rubber roller.
Many modern robovac brands are exploring ways to help their bots scale tall room thresholds, but not so much SwitchBot. The chunky wheels should enable the S20 to make its way over steps up to 0.8in / 2cm – and perhaps a bit over that, based on my tests – but beware if your home has thresholds beyond that figure.
(Image credit: Future)
On the top side of the S20 you'll find three physical buttons. One is your on/off, another sends the bot back to its dock, and the third I'm not quite sure about. In any case, you'll generally be controlling your bot using the companion app. It's also Matter-compatible, so you can control it using Alexa, Google Assistant and so on.
(Image credit: Future)
There's also the LiDAR turret – or rather the LiDAR SLAM, as a label informs me. SLAM is an older, less-efficient method of robovac navigation (here's more on LiDAR vs SLAM in robot navigation), but there's no mention of it anywhere else in the literature. This is bolstered by an AI camera mounted at the front, for object identification and avoidance.
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
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(Image credit: Future)
The dock is designed to be able to take care of a number of maintenance tasks for you. It sucks the dust from the small onboard bin into a larger dust bag, drains the bot's dirty water tank and refills its clean one, and washes the roller and dries it with warm air (122ºF / 50ºC).
Unlike other similar models I've tested, the bot here docks only a short way into the base station, rather than driving right inside. I'm not sure exactly how it dries because the roller is hidden under the bot, away from the dock.
Design score: 4 out of 5
SwitchBot S20 review: performance
Excellent mopping and solid vacuuming, but a little noisy
Setup for the S20 was fairly standard. I performed a "quick mapping" run, where the bot ventured into all the rooms it could find, looked around a bit (without trying to clean them) and started to put together a map. No major issues here, although the bot did miss a room (I was confident it would find it later, and it did). I then edited the map and we were ready to start cleaning.
In terms of cleaning options, you can vacuum and mop together, just vacuum, or vacuum then mop. There are four suction modes (Quiet, Standard, Strong and Max) and Moist or Wet mopping modes.
Vacuum performance
To kick things off, I sent the bot off on a whole-floor vacuum, using the Strong suction mode, to get a general feel of its performance. My initial reaction was that it seemed noisier than other bots I'd used, with a vacuuming pitch that was a little irritating.
On the plus side, though, I could hear it ramping suction up and down as it moved from hard floor to carpet. When I paused and checked the onboard bin, I found plenty of dust and dog hair in there. The following auto-empty process was the loudest I've experienced in all my time reviewing robot vacuums.
(Image credit: Future)
Now on to TechRadar's standard suction tests. I sprinkled a mix of dry oats, lentils (to represent chunky debris) and dry tea leaves (to represent fine debris) on a carpeted floor, and asked the bot to clean the area twice, in Strong suction mode.
It performed fairly well, sucking up the lentil/oat mix efficiently, and clearing a good amount of the tea as well. I followed up with an area clean in Max mode, which removed even more tea, leaving only a light sprinkling. This is a solid result – it's a purposefully tricky test.
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Dry tea and oat / lentil mix on carpet before the suction test (Image credit: Future)
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After two passes in Strong mode (Image credit: Future)
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And the final result after a further pass in Max mode (Image credit: Future)
On hard floor, the test didn't go quite as smoothly. I ran my first hard floor test after I'd used the S20 for some mopping, and it was a disaster – by the time the S20 made its proud "Cleaning complete" announcement, there was tea, oats and lentils all over my kitchen floor.
Repeating the test on a different day, with the mop roller completely dry, yielded much better results. Although the bot flicked some particles about and left some in the grouting between tiles, it cleared most of the mess on the first pass.
With most robovacs, the mop pad(s) can either be removed entirely or will lift to traverse hard floors, but there's no such option here. It isn't the end of the world – you just need to make sure you save the mopping for the last task of the day.
Mop performance
I was dismayed and confused to see there isn't a "mop only" mode here, especially since it looks like this bot can do both things separately ("Vacuum then mop" is an option). The mopping here is more involved than usual – the bot isn't just feeding water onto the mop pads, it's also scraping them clean as it goes. Perhaps for that reason, the S20 emits a rather grating, droning noise when it's mopping.
It also takes quite a while for the roller to completely soak through – in my test, I found it had almost completed mopping my whole (quite large) kitchen before the striped track marks became solid. It isn't unusual for hybrid robot vacuums to take a while to get their mops properly wet – I usually like to remove the pad and wet it down myself before setting any bot out on a mopping run. That's more of a hassle here, though, due to the way it's attached to the bot.
(Image credit: Future)
While mopping tests didn't go completely smoothly, I got good results in the end. First, I drizzled soy sauce and soy milk on a tiled floor, and asked the bot to do an area clean in Wet mode.
The first area clean was scuppered by the fact the bot seemed to identify the milk as an object to avoid. It skirted carefully around the puddle, smearing the soy sauce in the process, but not really achieving any actual cleaning.
After spreading the puddle of milk around a bit to blur the edges, it was more successful on the my second run (shown in the video below). It delivered on its promise of clearing the spillage rather than spreading it about, as can happen with flat mop pads.
Buoyed by my success, I also ran a test to see if it could clear smeared ketchup from the floor. Unfortunately, it didn't manage to make much of a difference to the mess after one pass in Wet mode. That's not unusual – it's a difficult test – but I had gone in with quite high hopes for the roller mop.
xxxx does the dock dry the roller successfully?
Navigation and object avoidance
Moving on to navigation. Again, my experience was a little hit-and-miss. The SwitchBot S20 generally followed a logical up-and-down pattern, but there were plenty of occasions where it decided to – in the words of Fleetwood Mac – go its own way. It also had a little trouble clearing taller room thresholds, but managed them all in the end.
To test object avoidance, I placed a tissue box, shoe and charging cable on the carpeted floor in my lounge, and asked the bot to conduct an area clean. As you might have suspected from the its behavior in the mopping test, the S20 certainly has some object avoidance skills.
(Image credit: Future)
It successfully avoided both the cable (unheard of) and the shoe, and after deciding it wouldn't fit between them, took a long route around the coffee table to complete cleaning on the other size of the requested zone. I've never seen that before. It wasn't quite perfect – it did push the tissue box right across the room – but it is still very solid performance.
Performance score: 3.5 out of 5
SwitchBot S20 review: app
Fairly easy to navigate
Some frustrating quirks
Part of a general SwitchBot app, for all the brand's products
The app is generally fine, with all the key adjustment options presented in a logical way. However, there are a few annoying quirks that stop it from being perfect.
I had a seriously frustrating time trying to divide the hall from the toilet, with the app refusing to give me the solid line required for an acceptable room division; it repeatedly bumped my adjuster off to elsewhere on the map. I managed to create a divider eventually, but it's on the slant, and not at right angles to any wall (to be clear, this is not the situation in real life).
(Image credit: Future)
Maps and rooms have an eight-character limit so you can't, for example, create a "Top floor". Oh, and there's no "Hall" or "Corridor" option within the room defaults – you can make one (just about, in the case of "corridor", and that pesky character limit) but I'm baffled as to why it isn't there in the first place.
Finally, because it's part of a general SwitchBot app for all the brand's products, you'll have to click through a couple of screens before you reach the robovac options. It's fine if you've bought into the SwitchBot ecosystem and have multiple products to control, but a bit annoying if you're using the robot vac on its own.
App score: 3.5 out of 5
Should you buy the SwitchBot S20?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Premium at list price but regular large discounts deliver decent value.
3.5 / 5
Design
Larger than average, with an advanced roller mop setup and comprehensive clean station.
4 / 5
Performance
Above-average mopping and decent vacuuming, but don't try to vacuum with a damp roller. Excellent object detection. Rather noisy overall.
3.5 / 5
App
Includes all the key information, presented logically, but there are a few annoying quirks.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if...
Mopping is your priority
The mopping here is a cut above average, and this bot will come into its own in homes with lots of tiled or lino floors that need regular upkeep.
You have other SwitchBot products
SwitchBot has a whole bunch of smart home products – if you're already in the ecosystem, it makes sense to stick with the brand for your robovac. The app is designed for all SwitchBot gadgets.
You spot a good deal
I wouldn't pay full price for the S20, but I've seen some strong discounts that make it much better value – especially if you want the roller mop, because these are generally only found on pricier models.
Don't buy it if...
You have a mix of hard floor and carpet
This bot operates best when the mopping and vacuuming are kept completely separate. If you want something that will switch seamlessly between the two tasks, there are other bots that will suit your needs much better.
You want a tiny robovac
If you're here expecting for one of SwitchBot's tiny robovacs, you're in for a shock – this one is not only full-sized, but it's actually chunkier than average.
You're sensitive to noise
This is one of the noisier bots I've tested, with the self-empty mechanism especially loud. One to avoid if you're noise-sensitive, or live with someone who is.
How I tested the SwitchBot S20
I used the SwitchBot S20 as my regular robot vacuum for a fortnight, to get a feel for how it performs day-to-day. I also ran a series of standardized vacuuming and mopping tests, to see how it would cope with spillages of all kinds. I dug into the app and assessed the different options there, as well as gauging how easy it would be to use and if things are presented in an intuitive way. I compared my findings to other robot vacuums I've tested, and weighed everything up against the cost to ascertain if the bot delivered good value for money.
The Narwal Flow is a high-end, self-emptying hybrid robotic vacuum with an especially unusual and impressive mopping system. I've been testing one out for the past fortnight, and the performance is such a mixed bag that coming to a definitive conclusion is tricky. On one hand, its mopping is among the best of any robovac I've tested. The mop pad is mounted on a wide roller, which extends outwards to reach into corners, and uses hot water to clean both your floor and itself. The system works remarkably well.
The Flow's vacuuming abilities are also strong, and it performed very well in TechRadar's standardized tests. It's not only very powerful (up to 22,000 Pa of suction), but cleverly adjusts the speed of its rotating side brushes to prevent dry debris from being flung across hard floors. It also performed very well at in my obstacle avoidance tests. There don't seem to have been any negative results of installing the LiDAR module in the back of the bot instead of in a raised puck on top. The benefit is that the overall profile is relatively shallow, which means the bot can clean beneath low furniture.
On the other hand, the Flow occasionally let itself down. During one cleaning task, it spilled a large amount of debris from its dust bin onto the floor, despite being set to automatically empty itself into the base station. The robot then drove over the mess, lifting itself off the ground enough to trigger its cliff sensors, and requiring help. Another time, it repeatedly failed to enter a room and, despite not vacuuming a single square centimeter, returned to its charger and declared the task a success.
The app is also so packed with adjustable settings that it'll likely feel intimidating to robovac rookies – an issue compounded by numerous examples of poor translation. I have no doubt these issues can be addressed by software updates, and I was ultimately still very impressed by the Flow's cleaning performance. The fundamentals are sound, it just needs a little finesse to reach perfection.
That's the short version – read on for my full Narwal Flow review, including an in-depth look at the design, performance and value for money, plus how it compares to the rest of the best robot vacuums on the market.
(Image credit: Future)
Narwal Flow review: price & availability
List price: $1,499.99
Launched: August 2025
Available: US
The Flow launched in August 2025, and a month later its price fell from $1,499.99 to $1,299.99. That's for what Narwal calls the basic dock, which contains a dust bag and tanks for clean and dirty water. A smaller dock that plumbs into your water supply for a full hands-off experience costs $1,599.99, but was discounted by $200 during the pre-order phase.
Currently, the Narwal Flow is only available in the US. The brand hasn't announced plans to bring the Flow to the UK just yet. However, it's available in some European countries, including Germany, for €1,299 with the standard dock and €1,499 for the smaller, plumbed-in dock. Those prices were cut for a limited time at launch to €899 and €1,099 respectively. The Flow is not currently available in Australia.
Even at the new, lower list price, the Narwal Flow is firmly in the premium price bracket for robot vacuums. It sits above other high-end robovacs, like the $1,099 Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni, but below the lofty $1,599.99 recommended retail price of the Roborock Qrevo Curv. However, discounts are common in the robot vacuum market, so in many cases you'll be able to take list price with a pinch of salt.
If you're comfortable with the idea of a four-figure vacuum – something we've all had to get used to as their features and performance continue to grow – then the Flow feels like good value. This is especially true when you start digging through the spec sheet and the many, many pages of features and settings accessible in the app. Things like the use of hot water with the mopping system – to clean the floor, not just the pad itself – and an extending, track-based mop help the Flow stand apart. I'll come back to these features in more detail later.
Like other robotic vacuums, the Flow will require replacement parts over time. Examples include dust bags and detergent for the mopping water, and the spinning side brushes can also be replaced if they wear out or break. Narwal sells a kit of parts that includes two mops, two filters, a replacement roller brush, three dust bags, two bottles of detergent, two pairs of side brushes and other accessories. But it's rather expensive, at $259.99.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
Narwal Flow specs
Max suction:
22,000Pa
Robot diameter:
13.8in / 35.1cm
Robot height:
3.7in / 9.5cm
Dock dimensions (W x D x H):
16.9 x 15.6 x 18.2in / 43 x 40 x 46.1cm
Dust bin volume (base):
2.5L
Water tank volume:
Requested
Base type:
Charge, auto-empty, wash mop pads with hot water, dry mop pads with hot air, refill clean water, self-clean
Max threshold clearance:
1.6in / 4cm
Mop type:
Roller track with hot water mopping
Mop pad lifting:
0.5in / 1.2cm
Max runtime:
190 mins
Narwal Flow review: design
Hybrid robot vacuum with LiDAR integrated to give a shallower profile
Track-style roller mop that can extend, with hot water mopping
Comprehensive dock with hot water mop cleaning and self-clean cycle
The Narwal Flow is a robotic vacuum cleaner and mop with a self-emptying charge station that also cleans and drys the integrated mop. As well as emptying the robot's onboard dust bin, the charge station empties the robot's dirty water tank and refills it with clean water. For an even more hands-off approach, there's an option that has a dock that can be plumbed in (I didn't test this version).
(Image credit: Future)
The standard base station is comprehensive. It'll take care of basic things like charging the bot and emptying the dust, but also tasks like refilling the onboard water tank, washing the mop pads with hot water and drying them with hot air. It'll even clean itself, rinsing the dirty water tank and pipes with hot water. It's a shame, then, that there's no automatic detergent dispenser; instead you just add cleaning solution to the clean water tank.
I like how the robot is housed almost entirely inside the charge station, instead of protruding out the front when parked. This makes for a neater appearance, and means the system takes up less floor space than some rivals.
As with other robovacs, the Flow asks for plenty of free floor space around the base station, though. Officially, you should keep 18 in / 45cm free to each side and in front of the dock. This isn't critical though, so you can put the dock in a corner of the room (or next to a kitchen cupboard, as I have) and the robot will still drive in and out just fine.
(Image credit: Future)
The underside of the robot houses a rotating, anti-tangle brush, a pair of spinning side brushes, two wheels that promise to lift the robot over thresholds up to 1.57 in / 4cm tall, and a reusable mopping pad.
Unlike some other robotic vacuums, the Flow's spinning LiDAR unit is housed within the body instead of mounted on top, which reduces its height to 3.74 in / 9.5 cm, which is on the shallower side for a robot vacuum and means it's able to drive beneath low furniture.
When in use, the mop pushes down onto the floor with a force of 2.7 lbs / 1.22 kg to help it scrub at dirt and dried-on stains, while grime is scraped off, and the pad is fed with clean water. The mop uses water warmed to 113F / 45C while in use, then lifts by 0.47in / 1.2cm to keep clear of carpet and rugs.
(Image credit: Future)
Unlike some other robotic vacuums, the rotating side brushes of the Narwal Flow do not pivot outwards to reach further into corners. Instead, there's a clever mechanical solution: one brush on each sweeper has a hinge halfway up. When the bot approaches the edge of a room, the sweeper changes direction of rotation, causing the hinge to open up and extend the reach of the brush.
The mop does extend outwards, getting it closer to walls but not quite within touching distance.
Setup
Setting up the Narwal Flow is relatively quick and easy. The spinning brushes clip into place, then it's just a case of picking a good spot for the charging station, filling the water tank, letting the robot charge its battery, and using the Narwal app to connect the robot to your Wi-Fi network. After that, you're prompted to send the Flow out on a mapping mission, where it quickly drives around, without cleaning, and uses its vision system to map your property.
The Flow performed this quickly and did a decent job of splitting the floor plan into rooms. It even correctly labeled the kitchen and living room, spotted how the latter is carpeted, and placed icons to represent a dining table, chairs and sofa. I had to adjust some of the wall locations, then split the hallway and downstairs toilet into two rooms, but this process is all quite intuitive.
(Image credit: Future)
The Flow also spotted a couple of obstacles – a cable and some shoes – and marked them with relevant icons on the floor map. Narwal says the Flow can recognize 200 different types of objects this way – and yes, that includes pet mess. This system was inconsistent, as it later mistook a stainless steel kitchen bin for a mirror and labelled a single table leg as 'other' despite previously adding the same table and chairs to its map of the kitchen. Up to four maps can be saved, which is handy if you live in a multi-storey house instead of an apartment.
Lastly, the Flow offers smart home integration and support for voice commands via Siri, Alexa and Google Home. However, there's a bit of clunky Chinese-to-English translation going on here, which can make some settings nonsensical. That aside, I like being able to ask Alexa to 'clean the kitchen', for example, or set up a Siri Shortcut to control the Flow.
Design score: 4.5 out of 5
Narwal Flow review: performance
Strong vacuuming and excellent mopping when you get the settings right
Occasional navigation failures
Impressively thorough self-cleaning from the dock
Narwal suggests the Flow is best left to think for itself. This is because, while there's lots of granular customization of cleaning schedules and mopping strategies to sink your teeth into, Narwal's artificial intelligence, called Freo Mind, can be summoned to do the thinking for you.
The AI adjusts the cleaning strategy based on the room and how much dirt there is. It'll adjust the suction power, mopping water usage, cleaning frequency and other variables on the fly, and work especially hard on tougher stains.
(Image credit: Future)
This is most obvious when tasked with mopping dried-on stains, which the robot will scrub at repeatedly, sometimes with multiple trips back to the docking station to clean the mop and grab more warm water, before the job is done.
The Flow's intelligence and navigation skills are mostly good, driving very close to walls but rarely crashing into them, and cleaning in neat, straight lines.
But it isn't perfect. On one occasion the Flow pushed a chair about 12in / 30.5cm across the kitchen floor, then seemingly got stuck, unsure of where to go or how to get back to its charger. I was also disappointed to see how the Flow once dropped a large amount of debris onto the carpet after cleaning, and another onto its own dock when returning to base. The robot can be set to empty its bin either after every clean, or intelligently based on how full it is, but in neither scenario should the bin be overflowing. Those minor hiccups aside, during general use I found the Flow to clean very well indeed.
Vacuuming tests
Now for the specific cleaning tests. I started by challenging the Narwal with a mixture of crushed digestive biscuit and flour on a wooden floor. I set the robot to its lowest suction setting and asked it to vacuum the area just once, and with what the app refers to as 'standard coverage precision', instead of the more meticulous option.
I started on the lowest of four suction settings (this is called 'Quiet, and lives up to its name, reaching just 58 dB.) Most of the debris was collected after a single pass. But, while the Flow managed not to flick dirt around the room, as some other robovacs are guilty of, larger pieces of food were missed, and there's no doubt I could have done a better job with a handheld vacuum or a dustpan and brush. The bot then returned to its dock and disinfected the internal bin. I measured this process at 42 dB; noticeable in a quiet room, but only slightly louder than a refrigerator.
I repeated the test at the next suction level, called Normal. This picked up more debris, but still left some behind – and I also noticed how the robot left two sizable trails of crumbs at the entrance to its charging dock. I then selected the highest setting, called Super Powerful, but before starting the app suggested I try 'Vortex suction power', which was previously hidden but, the app said, was suitable for the current area I was cleaning. Vortex suction is much louder, at 76 dB, but did an excellent job, picking up almost all of the crumb mix and leaving behind only a few faint trails.
As a final test, I scattered some more of the crumb mix and this time selected the Narwal Flow's Freo Mind setting, which promises to intelligently adjust depending on the environment and dirt level.
The robot drove in a more meticulous way, but left quite a few patches of crumb in its wake, plus some trails of debris spread around by its tank tracks. Honestly, I was expecting a little better here. As is almost always the case with robovacs, the best approach is to have it vacuum the entire room twice, rather than focus on a single area from which it is likely to flick dirt. This approach produced the best results.
(Image credit: Future)
Next, I repeated this test in a carpeted lounge. Strangely, the robot repeatedly failed to even leave the kitchen, yet twice proudly told me it had completed the task (and stated how it had cleaned 0.0 square meters in the app).
After the third failure, I asked it to vacuum the entire lounge instead of a custom zone. This also failed, and – after deleting the map and creating a new one – I discovered the Flow had designated the lounge carpet as an area to 'Cross' instead of 'Clean'. This is intended for rugs, creating the option to avoid them, but in this case it meant the robot refused to enter the room. A notification explaining this would have been helpful.
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Crumb mix on a carpeted floor before the suction test (Image credit: Future)
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... and the results of the crumb test (Image credit: Future)
Issue resolved, and even the lowest suction mode did a fantastic job of vacuuming the carpet, with only very small patches of the crumb mix left behind. It was an impressive performance, and I liked how, even in 'standard' coverage precision, the Flow methodically drove twice across the selected zone. I repeated the task using Normal suction with two vacuuming cycles, and the carpet was cleaned perfectly.
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Oats on a carpet ahead of suction test (Image credit: Future)
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All the oats cleared away after the suction test (Image credit: Future)
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Oats on a wooden floor before the suction test (Image credit: Future)
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... and the results (Image credit: Future)
For my next test, I used oats to see how the Flow performed with larger debris. On a hard floor it passed with flying colors, even with the lowest suction level. Crucial here is how the Flow's rotating side brushes vary their speed depending on the task, so instead of flicking the oats around – as many other robovacs do – the Flow slowed down and picked up almost everything.
On carpet I saw similarly impressive results, with just a single pass on the lowest suction enough to leave the floor totally spotless.
Mopping tests
Next, the mop test. For this I tested the Flow with some spilt water, then a few drops of ketchup smeared across a wooden floor and left to dry. For every mopping task, the bot first cleans its mop with hot water inside the base station, then sets off. The Flow did a great job of wiping away the spilt water, without pushing it around and creating more mess, but the rotating side brushes are dragged through the liquid (and, later, the ketchup too), so could start to smell over time.
The Flow's Freo AI function didn't scrub at the ketchup as much as I'd hoped, and instead returned to base after one pass without properly cleaning the area.
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Water and ketchup on a hard floor, ready for the mopping test (Image credit: Future)
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.. after one pass (Image credit: Future)
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... and after two passes (Image credit: Future)
I tried again – this time with the mopping set to 'meticulous' and with increased water usage to help loosen and remove the ketchup stain – and the floor was left spotless. Worth noting is how the Flow comes with a bottle of detergent, but this is added manually to the base station water tank, instead of being administered automatically, via a separate tank, as is the case with some premium robovacs.
Especially impressive is how the mop uses hot water to clean the floor, then is itself washed with more hot water and dried inside the base station after every task. Remarkably, even after a few weeks' use and the ketchup test, the mopping pad still looked like new.
Obstacle avoidance tests
Finally, obstacle avoidance. I tasked the Flow with vacuuming my lounge and placed a shoe, a sock and a USB charge cable in its way. The robot did an excellent job of avoiding every object, while still vacuuming very closely to each of them.
(Image credit: Future)
I was particularly impressed by how it dodged the charge cable, since most robovacs fail at this test. The app showed an icon of a cable on the map, but strangely didn't identify the sock and shoe.
Performance score: 4 out of 5
Narwal Flow review: app
Some poor Chinese-to-English translations
A ton of settings to explore – in fact, an overwhelming number
Drains phone battery quickly when left open
The Narwal app is a complex beast, packed with adjustable features and settings. It's designed nicely though, and most of the menu system is logical enough, although some questionable translation into English will have you scratching your head.
Ideally, you'd leave the Freo Mind AI to work everything out for you. But I found the Flow vacuumed best when configured to perform two cycles with strong suction and the coverage precision set to meticulous. Mopping worked best when set to two cycles, with normal water usage and, again, the meticulous coverage mode.
Beyond that, there are pages and pages of settings to read through and tinker with. There's even a setting to increase suction power to compensate for living at high altitude, a graph to show the 'health index' of the dust bag over time, and three options for how intensely the mop is dried. A 'simple mode' that strips out most features would be welcome.
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(Image credit: Narwal / Future)
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(Image credit: Narwal / Future)
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(Image credit: Narwal / Future)
More helpfully, you can create and save up to four maps, so using the Flow across multiple floors is possible, and there's a page showing you when each consumable accessory will need replacing.
One of the app's best features is how shortcuts can be created for common cleaning tasks. I made one called After Meal, which is configured to vacuum the entire kitchen with normal suction and two passes. These shortcuts live on the home page of the app, and begin with a single tap.
It's a good app, but there's too much going on for the average user. I'd urge most buyers to take manual control of the various cleaning functions, see what works best in your home, then set up a handful of shortcuts to fit your use case. I prefer this approach to relying on the Freo AI and trusting the robot to always do the right thing. Lastly, I noticed the Narwal app runs quite hot and quickly depleted my iPhone battery when left open.
App score: 3.5 out of 5
Should you buy the Narwal Flow?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Expensive, but justified at least in part by an extensive feature list and generally very strong performance.
4/5
Design
Hybrid robot vacuum and mop with integrated LiDAR and extending, track-style roller mop. Comprehensive dock.
4.5/5
Performance
Vacuuming is strong, mopping excellent, and the dock's cleaning functions are impressively thorough. Let down by occasional bugs and navigation issues.
3.5/5
App
Nicely designed, but overflowing with far too many features and settings and some poor translation into English. A resource hog that makes your phone run hot.
3.5/5
Buy it if...
You need a great mop
For homes with predominantly hard floors, the Flow is a great robot – the mopping is amongst the best I've tried, and it's remarkably good at keeping itself clean, dry and odor-free. Get the plumbed-in dock for a fully hands-off experience.
You rely on obstacle avoidance
The Flow is very good at avoiding obstacles, then plots their location on the floorplan and even takes photos of whatever it encounters. It didn't once ingest a stray sock or charge cable during my testing.
You want minimal maintenance
The Flow empties its dust bin, but also disinfects itself after vacuuming, then washes its mop with hot water and dries it too. After several weeks of use, and producing two tanks' worth of filthy used water, the mop still looked like new.
Don't buy it if...
Your priority isn't mopping
Much of the cost here is related to the advanced mopping and mop maintenance features. If you don't have a ton of hard floor or intensive mopping needs, this probably isn't the robot vacuum for you.
You want simplicity
With pages of settings to adjust, function names that don't always make sense, and some poor translation, the Narwal app can be overwhelming. One-tap shortcuts can be created, and work well once you've spent some time configuring them, but the app could be more user-friendly.
You're on a budget
Naturally, a four-figure robovac won't appeal to consumers who want to spend less. Thankfully, there are plenty of more affordable options from brands like SwitchBot, Roborock, Tapo and Eufy, although not all can mop as well as the Narwal Flow (or at all).
How I tested the Narwal Flow
I set up the Narwal Flow and used it as my own vacuum cleaner and mop for a couple of weeks, before conducting a series of specific tests. During the initial period, the Flow was tasked with vacuuming and mopping the entire ground floor of my home. I experimented with the Flow's ability to create additional maps, and used it to clean my first floor bedrooms and bathrooms too. The specific vacuuming, mopping, navigation and obstacle avoidance tests are outlined in the Performance section above.
The SwitchBot K11+ is a scaled-down robot vacuum that's perfect for cramped homes. It delivers solid vacuuming and navigates with surprising speed and confidence, even if it doesn't always avoid all the obstacles it should. If you have a home with lots of nooks and crannies, it will be compact enough to squeeze into them, although note that while it's small in width, it's about standard height.
The dock is perhaps the smallest auto-empty option I've seen – sitting happily out of the way beneath my bed – and packs a surprisingly generous 4L dust bag. For that reason alone, it's a contender for the best robot vacuum for small homes.
The only major disappointment here is the "mop", which takes the form of a disposable wet-wipe that the bot drags across the floor. For the level of cleaning it delivers, it isn't worth the effort of attaching it. In fact, if you ignore the mopping capabilities altogether and just treat the K11+ as a vacuum-only bot, it becomes a far stronger proposition overall.
It isn't perfect, however. Aside from the dodgy mop, the app has a few weird quirks – and the auto-empty function is rather noisy. Overall, though, there's something very charming and appealing about this little bot. At full price it's clear you're paying a bit of a premium for the small size, but discounts are easy to come by, and if you snag one of these it can be very strong value for money.
That's the short version; read on for my full SwitchBot K11+ review.
(Image credit: Future)
SwitchBot K11+ review: price & availability
List price: $399.99 / £399.99
Available: US, UK
Launched: September 2025
The SwitchBot K11+ launched in September 2025, and is available to buy direct from SwitchBot, but also via Amazon. At list price it costs $399.99 in the US and £399.99 in the UK. However, at time of writing, there were significant discounts available one both sides of the shore. You're paying a bit of a premium for the dinky size here, although even at full price I think it's decent value for money.
Two of the best cheap robot vacuums on the market, the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 and the Roborock Q7 M5 are both cheaper and offer far more capable mopping than the K11+, but neither come with an auto-empty dock. You'll be able to pick up better-value auto-empty hybrid robot vacuums if you're happy to go for an older model – a good example is the Roborock Q5 Pro+. Note, though, that the dock is much bigger, and is unlikely to fit under your bed.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
SwitchBot K11+ specs
Max suction:
6,000Pa
Robot diameter:
9.8in / 24.8cm
Robot height:
3.6in / 9.2cm
Dock dimensions (W x D x H):
9.4 x 7.1 x 9.8in / 24 x 18 x 25cm
Dust bin volume (base):
4L
Water tank volume:
None
Base type:
Charge, auto-empty
Max threshold clearance:
0.7in / 1.7cm
Smart home compatibility:
Matter (Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home)
SwitchBot K11+ review: design
Small (but not short) robot with rubber roller and side brush
Mop is a wet-wipe dragged across the floor, then disposed of
Compact dock with auto-empty and storage for mop plate
The SwitchBot K11+ is a dinky robot vacuum with an equally compact base. The bot itself measures 9.8in / 24.8cm in diameter, whereas most bots these days are about 13in / 33cm. This means it can clean in narrow spots – although note that at 3.6in / 9.2cm, height-wise it's pretty average, so it won't be sneaking under a low sofa – for example – to clean.
Below you can see it next to the Roborock Saros 10 – while the K11+ is significantly smaller in diameter, its puck makes it taller; the Roborock's puck is retractible.
The pint-sized K11+ next to the more normally proportioned Roborock Saros 10 (Image credit: Future)
On the top of the K11+ you'll find buttons for On and Return to dock. Lift off the cover (which appears to just sit in place – I'd prefer some magnets to hold it a little more securely – and you'll find the dust cup clipped to the side.
There's a raised LiDAR puck, bumpers around the edge, and a camera at the front. Flip the K11+ over and you'll find a rubber roller. Sensibly, SwitchBot has made this almost the full width of the robot, which means the suction area is actually relatively large. There's also an angled side brush, to avoid hair from becoming tangled around it.
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There are a couple of manual buttons, and a raised LiDAR puck (Image credit: Future)
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The rubber roller takes up most of the width of the robot (Image credit: Future)
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The dust cup clips on the side of the bot (Image credit: Future)
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The mopping setup is just a wet wipe (Image credit: Future)
The K11+'s mopping capabilities appear to have very much been an afterthought. To launch the function, you attach a wet-wipe to a base plate, and clip this to the underside of the bot, on top of the suction area. The wipe is then dragged across the floor, and disposed of afterwards. Note that the wet-wipe isn't biodegradable.
Although you need to attach the mop plate to activate "mopping", it is possible to specify carpet and no-mop zones on the map, to avoid the mop wiping down any areas that should not be wiped. However, you can't set a no-mop zone where the dock sits.
(Image credit: Future)
Speaking of the dock, the K11+'s station is far smaller than those you find accompanying the vast majority of bots nowadays. In fact, it's significantly more compact than the already-small dock that came with this model's predecessor, the SwitchBot K10+ (specifically, 2.9in / 7.3cm shorter and 0.8in / 2.1cm narrower).
(Image credit: Future)
This dock has TARDIS-like properties, though: lift the lid and you'll find a far larger than usual 4L dust bag. SwitchBot has also added storage for the mop plate beneath the lid – just one of a number of thoughtful design touches (my other favorite is that the handle on the onboard bin doubles up as a clip to secure it in place).
It's far from the most fully featured dock in town, though. There's no mop pad cleaning or refilling of water tanks (because there is no mop pad, nor is there a tank to fill). However, I'd wager that there are plenty of people who'd prefer a smaller dock with a large dust bag to a gigantic one with tanks included.
Design score: 4 out of 5
SwitchBot K11+ review: performance
Navigates quickly and confidently, decent obstacle avoidance
Good suction performance but bin emptying rather loud
Mopping not worth the effort, and dock can't be in a no-mop zone
When I set the SwitchBot K11+ off on its first cleaning run, the first thing that struck me was its speed. This bot powers up and down floors like there's no time to waste.
Despite that, it seems to do a good job at picking up dust and debris – I paused it before it could auto-empty, and the onboard bin had plenty in it, even though the room had been vacuumed the previous day, and I was using the second-weakest suction mode. (You can choose to clean a room once or twice, and there are four suction options: Quiet, Standard, Strong and Max.)
This dinky bot navigates with speed and confidence (Image credit: Future)
As usual, you can request the bot clean a room or a zone. However, the "Spot clean" function – where a robot will clean an area that's about a square meter or so around a chosen position – was still in beta testing at the time of writing, which is a little annoying if you want to clear a spillage.
Although fairly quiet in operation, the auto-empty process is really rather noisy. However, you can set different auto-empty durations via the app, to save at least some unnecessary disruption.
The auto-empty process is a little noisy (Image credit: Future)
Mopping is a different story. Attaching the wet wipe is fiddly, and ends up with a lot of the wipe on the underside of the base plate. It barely left my bathroom floor damp – imagine trying to clean the entire floor of a room with half a single wet-wipe. It also deposited bits of grime next to every grouting line.
I'll get into the results of the mopping tests in a second, but the short version is that if I owned this bot, I just wouldn't bother with the mopping functionality – in my opinion, it just isn't worth the effort.
The wet-wipe mop setup deposited grime whenever it hit an uneven bit of floor (Image credit: Future)
Navigation and obstacle avoidance
As a result of its speed, you might assume the K11+ experiences a fair few collisions, but this isn't the case. On test, it skirted its way around furniture and avoided permanent obstacles with impressive accuracy and reliability.
Ad hoc obstacle avoidance was less consistent. During one cleaning run, the K11+ drove into the dog (who, thankfully, remained unbothered) and then went on to push his water bowl across to the other side of the room.
During my set obstacle avoidance tests it hit my shoe, but on encountering the same shoe a second time, the bot carefully skirted around it before continuing. The K11+ also sucked up a red ribbon I'd used in place of a charge cable, but I wound't say that was surprising – I've yet to find a robovac that can successfully avoid cables, whatever the manufacturers may claim.
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The K11+ didn't always avoid obstacles (Image credit: Future)
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Definitely tidy away cables before sending it out (Image credit: Future)
Cleaning tests
Next I moved on to TechRadar's official suction tests. For this, I sprinkled dry tea (from a tea bag) and a handful of oats onto the carpet, and monitored how effectively the bot sucked them up.
A single pass in Standard mode took care of most of the oats but only the top layer of tea, and a second in Max sucked up the rest of the oat crumbs and a decent amount of tea. That's a good result – the tea test is purposefully tricky (I used a Dyson V15 Detect to clear it completely).
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Tea and oats on carpet, ready for suction tests (Image credit: Future)
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This was what remained after a single pass with the K11+... (Image credit: Future)
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... and after two passes (Image credit: Future)
Moving onto the mopping tests. This one felt unfair because it isn't so much a mop as a wet-wipe. Nevertheless, I persevered. I smeared a tiny amount of ketchup on a tiled floor and left it to dry, and also spilled a little soy sauce, to see how the K11+ could clear it.
Predictably, it could not. The soy sauce ended up smeared all over the floor and the ketchup was completely unaffected. I sent my Roborock Saros 10 in to clean up after it.
The K11+'s wet-wipe "mop" did not impress in the mopping tests (Image credit: Future)
If I owned this bot, I wouldn't bother with the mopping function at all. For the level of cleaning it delivers, it isn't worth the effort of attaching the wet-wipe. It also limits where you can position the dock, because it can't live in a no-mop zone.
Performance score: 3.5 out of 5
SwitchBot K11+ review: app
Pretty well designed and easy enough to use
Fine-tuning options are limited
Some minor illogical quirks
Since SwitchBot is a brand that makes a number of smart home products, its app is a hub for any SwitchBot gadgets you might own, rather than being dedicated to robovacs only. That means you'll have to click through twice from the homescreen to reach the K11+'s control options.
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(Image credit: SwitchBot / Future)
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(Image credit: SwitchBot / Future)
Once you reach the right section, it's much like most other robovac apps I've used. Editing a map is straightforward, and you can easily add no-go zones and merge or split spaces. The control options are more limited than you'll find in other, pricier robot vacuums, but all the main bases are covered.
There are a few niggles, though. I was pleased to find a Boost mode for carpets. However, specifying an area of carpet adds a pattern on top of the map that's so dark you then can't see the robot's cleaning path. Slightly annoyingly, there's an 8-character limit on room names that prevents you from, for example, labelling "Top floor", and bafflingly, there's no "Hall" or "Corridor" type option within the room defaults.
App score: 3.5 out of 5
Should you buy the SwitchBot K11+?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Budget / mid-range at full price, but big discounts are common. Paying a bit of a premium for the small size, but still decent value.
4 / 5
Design
Tiny robovac with an equally compact dock. Not exactly feature-packed, and mopping is very basic, but it looks great with some useful design features.
4 / 5
Performance
Vacuuming is solid and navigation is good, but emptying is noisy and mopping isn't worth bothering with.
3.5 / 5
App
Decent app with a few illogical quirks.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if...
You don't have much space for a dock If you want auto-empty capabilities but don't have room for a massive dock, this bot is perfect – it has perhaps the smallest auto-empty dock I've seen.
You're dealing with lots of dust or hair Although the dock is small, its internal dust bag is far bigger than you'll find in most auto-empty docs, with space for plenty of dust or pet hair before it needs replacing.
You want a speedy cleaner The K11+ rattles along at quite a pace, which means despite its small size, it will get your rooms clean quickly.
Don't buy it if...
Your priority is mopping The mopping here is really very basic, and for most people, not worth the effort.
You don't have lots of dust or hair If you're dealing with low levels of dust, you could consider not bothering with auto-emptying at all. There are plenty of excellent full-sized bots with very compact, charge-only docks, for less money than you'll shell out for the K11+.
How I tested the SwitchBot K11+
I used the SwitchBot K11+ as my main vacuum for a fortnight, to get a feel for its general cleaning performance and ease of use. I also ran a series of set suction tests to assess this bot's cleaning powers, seeing how effectively it cleared fine (tea leaves) and chunky (oats) spillages. To assess the mopping, I spilled soy sauce and smeared ketchup on a tiled floor. To test obstacle avoidance, I scattered common items you'd usually find around a home across my living room floor to see if it could correctly identify and avoid them.
During my review period, I assessed how easy it was to set up the SwitchBot K11+, how accurately it made its way around my home, and if there were any annoyances with its performance. I compared my experience with other robot vacuums I've tested, both budget and premium models.
The SwitchBot K11+ is a scaled-down robot vacuum that's perfect for cramped homes. It delivers solid vacuuming and navigates with surprising speed and confidence, even if it doesn't always avoid all the obstacles it should. If you have a home with lots of nooks and crannies, it will be compact enough to squeeze into them, although note that while it's small in width, it's about standard height.
The dock is perhaps the smallest auto-empty option I've seen – sitting happily out of the way beneath my bed – and packs a surprisingly generous 4L dust bag. For that reason alone, it's a contender for the best robot vacuum for small homes.
The only major disappointment here is the "mop", which takes the form of a disposable wet-wipe that the bot drags across the floor. For the level of cleaning it delivers, it isn't worth the effort of attaching it. In fact, if you ignore the mopping capabilities altogether and just treat the K11+ as a vacuum-only bot, it becomes a far stronger proposition overall.
It isn't perfect, however. Aside from the dodgy mop, the app has a few weird quirks – and the auto-empty function is rather noisy. Overall, though, there's something very charming and appealing about this little bot. At full price it's clear you're paying a bit of a premium for the small size, but discounts are easy to come by, and if you snag one of these it can be very strong value for money.
That's the short version; read on for my full SwitchBot K11+ review.
(Image credit: Future)
SwitchBot K11+ review: price & availability
List price: $399.99 / £399.99
Available: US, UK
Launched: September 2025
The SwitchBot K11+ launched in September 2025, and is available to buy direct from SwitchBot, but also via Amazon. At list price it costs $399.99 in the US and £399.99 in the UK. However, at time of writing, there were significant discounts available one both sides of the shore. You're paying a bit of a premium for the dinky size here, although even at full price I think it's decent value for money.
Two of the best cheap robot vacuums on the market, the Dreame D9 Max Gen 2 and the Roborock Q7 M5 are both cheaper and offer far more capable mopping than the K11+, but neither come with an auto-empty dock. You'll be able to pick up better-value auto-empty hybrid robot vacuums if you're happy to go for an older model – a good example is the Roborock Q5 Pro+. Note, though, that the dock is much bigger, and is unlikely to fit under your bed.
Value for money score: 4 out of 5
SwitchBot K11+ specs
Max suction:
6,000Pa
Robot diameter:
9.8in / 24.8cm
Robot height:
3.6in / 9.2cm
Dock dimensions (W x D x H):
9.4 x 7.1 x 9.8in / 24 x 18 x 25cm
Dust bin volume (base):
4L
Water tank volume:
None
Base type:
Charge, auto-empty
Max threshold clearance:
0.7in / 1.7cm
Smart home compatibility:
Matter (Apple Home, Alexa, Google Home)
SwitchBot K11+ review: design
Small (but not short) robot with rubber roller and side brush
Mop is a wet-wipe dragged across the floor, then disposed of
Compact dock with auto-empty and storage for mop plate
The SwitchBot K11+ is a dinky robot vacuum with an equally compact base. The bot itself measures 9.8in / 24.8cm in diameter, whereas most bots these days are about 13in / 33cm. This means it can clean in narrow spots – although note that at 3.6in / 9.2cm, height-wise it's pretty average, so it won't be sneaking under a low sofa – for example – to clean.
Below you can see it next to the Roborock Saros 10 – while the K11+ is significantly smaller in diameter, its puck makes it taller; the Roborock's puck is retractible.
The pint-sized K11+ next to the more normally proportioned Roborock Saros 10 (Image credit: Future)
On the top of the K11+ you'll find buttons for On and Return to dock. Lift off the cover (which appears to just sit in place – I'd prefer some magnets to hold it a little more securely – and you'll find the dust cup clipped to the side.
There's a raised LiDAR puck, bumpers around the edge, and a camera at the front. Flip the K11+ over and you'll find a rubber roller. Sensibly, SwitchBot has made this almost the full width of the robot, which means the suction area is actually relatively large. There's also an angled side brush, to avoid hair from becoming tangled around it.
Image 1 of 4
There are a couple of manual buttons, and a raised LiDAR puck (Image credit: Future)
Image 2 of 4
The rubber roller takes up most of the width of the robot (Image credit: Future)
Image 3 of 4
The dust cup clips on the side of the bot (Image credit: Future)
Image 4 of 4
The mopping setup is just a wet wipe (Image credit: Future)
The K11+'s mopping capabilities appear to have very much been an afterthought. To launch the function, you attach a wet-wipe to a base plate, and clip this to the underside of the bot, on top of the suction area. The wipe is then dragged across the floor, and disposed of afterwards. Note that the wet-wipe isn't biodegradable.
Although you need to attach the mop plate to activate "mopping", it is possible to specify carpet and no-mop zones on the map, to avoid the mop wiping down any areas that should not be wiped. However, you can't set a no-mop zone where the dock sits.
(Image credit: Future)
Speaking of the dock, the K11+'s station is far smaller than those you find accompanying the vast majority of bots nowadays. In fact, it's significantly more compact than the already-small dock that came with this model's predecessor, the SwitchBot K10+ (specifically, 2.9in / 7.3cm shorter and 0.8in / 2.1cm narrower).
(Image credit: Future)
This dock has TARDIS-like properties, though: lift the lid and you'll find a far larger than usual 4L dust bag. SwitchBot has also added storage for the mop plate beneath the lid – just one of a number of thoughtful design touches (my other favorite is that the handle on the onboard bin doubles up as a clip to secure it in place).
It's far from the most fully featured dock in town, though. There's no mop pad cleaning or refilling of water tanks (because there is no mop pad, nor is there a tank to fill). However, I'd wager that there are plenty of people who'd prefer a smaller dock with a large dust bag to a gigantic one with tanks included.
Design score: 4 out of 5
SwitchBot K11+ review: performance
Navigates quickly and confidently, decent obstacle avoidance
Good suction performance but bin emptying rather loud
Mopping not worth the effort, and dock can't be in a no-mop zone
When I set the SwitchBot K11+ off on its first cleaning run, the first thing that struck me was its speed. This bot powers up and down floors like there's no time to waste.
Despite that, it seems to do a good job at picking up dust and debris – I paused it before it could auto-empty, and the onboard bin had plenty in it, even though the room had been vacuumed the previous day, and I was using the second-weakest suction mode. (You can choose to clean a room once or twice, and there are four suction options: Quiet, Standard, Strong and Max.)
This dinky bot navigates with speed and confidence (Image credit: Future)
As usual, you can request the bot clean a room or a zone. However, the "Spot clean" function – where a robot will clean an area that's about a square meter or so around a chosen position – was still in beta testing at the time of writing, which is a little annoying if you want to clear a spillage.
Although fairly quiet in operation, the auto-empty process is really rather noisy. However, you can set different auto-empty durations via the app, to save at least some unnecessary disruption.
The auto-empty process is a little noisy (Image credit: Future)
Mopping is a different story. Attaching the wet wipe is fiddly, and ends up with a lot of the wipe on the underside of the base plate. It barely left my bathroom floor damp – imagine trying to clean the entire floor of a room with half a single wet-wipe. It also deposited bits of grime next to every grouting line.
I'll get into the results of the mopping tests in a second, but the short version is that if I owned this bot, I just wouldn't bother with the mopping functionality – in my opinion, it just isn't worth the effort.
The wet-wipe mop setup deposited grime whenever it hit an uneven bit of floor (Image credit: Future)
Navigation and obstacle avoidance
As a result of its speed, you might assume the K11+ experiences a fair few collisions, but this isn't the case. On test, it skirted its way around furniture and avoided permanent obstacles with impressive accuracy and reliability.
Ad hoc obstacle avoidance was less consistent. During one cleaning run, the K11+ drove into the dog (who, thankfully, remained unbothered) and then went on to push his water bowl across to the other side of the room.
During my set obstacle avoidance tests it hit my shoe, but on encountering the same shoe a second time, the bot carefully skirted around it before continuing. The K11+ also sucked up a red ribbon I'd used in place of a charge cable, but I wound't say that was surprising – I've yet to find a robovac that can successfully avoid cables, whatever the manufacturers may claim.
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The K11+ didn't always avoid obstacles (Image credit: Future)
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Definitely tidy away cables before sending it out (Image credit: Future)
Cleaning tests
Next I moved on to TechRadar's official suction tests. For this, I sprinkled dry tea (from a tea bag) and a handful of oats onto the carpet, and monitored how effectively the bot sucked them up.
A single pass in Standard mode took care of most of the oats but only the top layer of tea, and a second in Max sucked up the rest of the oat crumbs and a decent amount of tea. That's a good result – the tea test is purposefully tricky (I used a Dyson V15 Detect to clear it completely).
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Tea and oats on carpet, ready for suction tests (Image credit: Future)
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This was what remained after a single pass with the K11+... (Image credit: Future)
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... and after two passes (Image credit: Future)
Moving onto the mopping tests. This one felt unfair because it isn't so much a mop as a wet-wipe. Nevertheless, I persevered. I smeared a tiny amount of ketchup on a tiled floor and left it to dry, and also spilled a little soy sauce, to see how the K11+ could clear it.
Predictably, it could not. The soy sauce ended up smeared all over the floor and the ketchup was completely unaffected. I sent my Roborock Saros 10 in to clean up after it.
The K11+'s wet-wipe "mop" did not impress in the mopping tests (Image credit: Future)
If I owned this bot, I wouldn't bother with the mopping function at all. For the level of cleaning it delivers, it isn't worth the effort of attaching the wet-wipe. It also limits where you can position the dock, because it can't live in a no-mop zone.
Performance score: 3.5 out of 5
SwitchBot K11+ review: app
Pretty well designed and easy enough to use
Fine-tuning options are limited
Some minor illogical quirks
Since SwitchBot is a brand that makes a number of smart home products, its app is a hub for any SwitchBot gadgets you might own, rather than being dedicated to robovacs only. That means you'll have to click through twice from the homescreen to reach the K11+'s control options.
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(Image credit: SwitchBot / Future)
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(Image credit: SwitchBot / Future)
Once you reach the right section, it's much like most other robovac apps I've used. Editing a map is straightforward, and you can easily add no-go zones and merge or split spaces. The control options are more limited than you'll find in other, pricier robot vacuums, but all the main bases are covered.
There are a few niggles, though. I was pleased to find a Boost mode for carpets. However, specifying an area of carpet adds a pattern on top of the map that's so dark you then can't see the robot's cleaning path. Slightly annoyingly, there's an 8-character limit on room names that prevents you from, for example, labelling "Top floor", and bafflingly, there's no "Hall" or "Corridor" type option within the room defaults.
App score: 3.5 out of 5
Should you buy the SwitchBot K11+?
Attribute
Notes
Rating
Value
Budget / mid-range at full price, but big discounts are common. Paying a bit of a premium for the small size, but still decent value.
4 / 5
Design
Tiny robovac with an equally compact dock. Not exactly feature-packed, and mopping is very basic, but it looks great with some useful design features.
4 / 5
Performance
Vacuuming is solid and navigation is good, but emptying is noisy and mopping isn't worth bothering with.
3.5 / 5
App
Decent app with a few illogical quirks.
3.5 / 5
Buy it if...
You don't have much space for a dock If you want auto-empty capabilities but don't have room for a massive dock, this bot is perfect – it has perhaps the smallest auto-empty dock I've seen.
You're dealing with lots of dust or hair Although the dock is small, its internal dust bag is far bigger than you'll find in most auto-empty docs, with space for plenty of dust or pet hair before it needs replacing.
You want a speedy cleaner The K11+ rattles along at quite a pace, which means despite its small size, it will get your rooms clean quickly.
Don't buy it if...
Your priority is mopping The mopping here is really very basic, and for most people, not worth the effort.
You don't have lots of dust or hair If you're dealing with low levels of dust, you could consider not bothering with auto-emptying at all. There are plenty of excellent full-sized bots with very compact, charge-only docks, for less money than you'll shell out for the K11+.
How I tested the SwitchBot K11+
I used the SwitchBot K11+ as my main vacuum for a fortnight, to get a feel for its general cleaning performance and ease of use. I also ran a series of set suction tests to assess this bot's cleaning powers, seeing how effectively it cleared fine (tea leaves) and chunky (oats) spillages. To assess the mopping, I spilled soy sauce and smeared ketchup on a tiled floor. To test obstacle avoidance, I scattered common items you'd usually find around a home across my living room floor to see if it could correctly identify and avoid them.
During my review period, I assessed how easy it was to set up the SwitchBot K11+, how accurately it made its way around my home, and if there were any annoyances with its performance. I compared my experience with other robot vacuums I've tested, both budget and premium models.
I'll say one thing about Ecovacs Robotics: the brand might make too many robot vacuums that I, as a reviewer, can’t keep up with, but they all seem well thought out and catering to different needs and budgets. In 2024, it released a good-value robovac that I really liked in my Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni review, and it’s impressed again with a higher-end model in the Deebot X8 Pro Omni reviewed here.
The X8 has plenty of smarts on board, with Ecovacs’ voice assistant Yiko now better at understanding commands and having a more conversational interaction than its previous iterations on older Deebots. Even if you don't interact with Yiko, the X8 has plenty of automated voice prompts that I very quickly found to be annoying – there's only so many times you can hear it say "don't worry" when its auto-emptying. While you can't switch these off, you can mute the volume entirely and depend on the app notifications to find out if the robot needs help at any time (like if it's stuck somewhere).
There's Google Assistant and Alexa support as well, but Yiko can handle a few extra commands that I found the other two voice assistants couldn't handle. To futureproof your smart home, the X8 Pro Omni also has Matter support, so you can control several smart devices via a single hub.
There's a camera on board that the bot uses to ‘see’ its surroundings for better navigation and obstacle avoidance, but it also provides a live feed that requires a passcode to be set up for access. There’s a Patrol mode here that turns the X8 Pro Omni bot into a security unit and it saves a bunch of photos for you to view whenever you like. You can also speak to your pets or kids if you need to check in on them (spy?) while you're at work. I’ve asked Ecovacs for clarification on how secure the camera is from hackers and will update this review as soon as I hear back.
These smart bells and whistles are all great, but this robot vacuum shines at its most important function: cleaning. It’s arguably one of the best automated cleaners I’ve tested in 2025, with edge cleaning its biggest asset thanks to an extending side brush and wet roller while vacuuming and mopping respectively. In fact, I’ve seen the X8 Pro Omni travel far closer to walls and furniture than many of its competitors, thus allowing its extendable parts to do their job effectively.
The Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni can get very close to walls and furniture to clean, much closer than other bots I've tested previously (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
It puts its 18,000Pa of suction power to good use, with my carpets looking fresh and clean after a single run on its highest suction setting. It did a better job than what I saw in my Roborock Qrevo Edge review despite 18,500Pa of suction. And its roller mop was quite impressive compared to the mops pads I’d gotten used to previously, and that’s despite Ecovacs saying there’s no pressure applied by the roller on the floor.
There’s also a detergent dispenser on board and use of the soap is automatic provided you toggle it on in the app – Ecovacs says there’s always a ratio of 200:1 detergent and water mix in the pipeline to ensure the correct usage. Even without detergent I found my floors were left stain-free after every mop – in fact, it was better than I experienced in my Narwal Freo Z10 review that, at the time, I said had excellent mopping skills.
In four weeks of testing, the X8 Pro Omni got entangled in a cable just once because the side brush pulled a low-hanging wire towards the bumper, but otherwise its obstacle avoidance is very good. Even more impressive is its overall navigation – it invariably took the path of least resistance in my apartment, which meant it got its tasks done relatively quickly and, importantly, without consuming too much battery life.
Even the base station performance is top notch, with the onboard bin getting cleaned quite well each time it empties, and the wet-roller cleaning is impeccable. Water consumption is also lower than any other robovac I’ve tested before – I’ve previously had to refill the clean water after every full cleaning cycle in my small inner-city apartment, but this time I’ve had to do so once every four or five sessions (depending on its routine).
All in all, this was excellent performance from not just the robot vacuum, but I commend Ecovacs for streamlining its app experience as well. It’s much nicer to use, with plenty of customization options to suit your personal cleaning needs. Importantly, these custom routines are now very easy to access.
It's relatively noisier than some of its newer competitors, and it can't perform the climbing feats of the more expensive Dreame X50 Ultra, but if you value excellent cleaning performance above all else, I'd find it very easy to recommend the Deebot X8 Pro Omni – and it's often discounted.
It doesn't necessarily stand out visually, but the gold accents lend the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni some class (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: price & availability
Available since March 2025
List price: $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,499
Incurs ongoing costs for dust bags and detergent
There are quite a few all-in-one robot vacuum cleaners at the same price point that Ecovacs Robotics is selling the X8 Pro Omni, but I think the Deebot can justify its premium cost on its feature set and performance.
It’s listed for $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,499 at full price but, at the time of writing, US and UK customers could pick it up for $899.99 / £999 respectively directly from the Ecovacs website. In Australia, it has dropped to AU$2,199 previously, but I suspect there’ll be better discounts around the world during major shopping events like Black Friday sales. It’s also available from select third-party retailers, including Amazon.
This price gets you not just excellent performance (explained below in detail), but you also get an impressive set of features, including voice assistant and Matter integration for a smarter home setup. With that in mind, I think the X8 Pro Omni is well priced compared to some of the other robovacs on the market, although Ecovacs has cheaper models that clean really well, as proved by the Deebot T30 Omni.
As an example of competitor pricing, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra cost $1,499/ AU$2,499 (unavailable in the UK) and is a good machine, but has 12,000Pa of suction compared to the Deebot’s 18,000Pa. Matching the suction power at 18,500Pa is the Roborock Qrevo Edge, but I found it hard to recommend at its list price of $1,599.99 / AU$2,799 (unavailable in the UK) based on its performance alone. On the other hand, Ecovacs' own Deebot T50 Max Pro Omni has 18,500Pa suction, the Yiko voice assistant and promises good cleaning at a lower price point of $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,799.
If you want more suction power, you’ll have to pay a lot more. For example, the Roborock Saros 10 with its whopping 22,000Pa of power will set you back $1,599.99 / £1,499.99 / AU$2,999 at full price, but is often discounted to match the X8's retail cost. The Dreame X50 Ultra Complete with 20,000Pa of suction is also expensive compared to the X8 Pro Omni, coming in at a list price of $1,699.99 / £1,299 / AU$2,999, but it can climb low steps that many of the newer machines can't.
As with any other hybrid robot vacuum, there is the ongoing cost of purchasing dust bags and detergent to take into consideration, although the latter is an optional add-on but I can see the need for it in homes with toddlers and pets. Unlike other brands, though, Ecovacs doesn’t supply a bottle of detergent in the box – at least not in Australia, where the testing for this review was conducted, due to “customs issues with international shipments” – so that’s $49.98 / £44 right off the bat for two 1L bottles in the US and UK (frequently discounted), but the same two-pack isn't available in Australia where a 1L bottle retails for AU$37.50.
The antibacterial dust bags come in packs of three and are available directly from Ecovacs Robotics for $24.99 / £17.99 / AU$29.90 at the time of writing.
Despite the ongoing cost, I think the Deebot X8 Pro Omni balances its feature set, performance and price well, but I’d recommend picking it up during a sale as it’s frequently discounted.
• Value score: 4 / 5
The three-prong button on the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni doesn't look functional, but it has three tasks it can perform when needed (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: specs
Suction power:
18,000Pa
Onboard bin capacity:
220ml
Dust bag capacity:
3L
Clean water tank capacity:
4L
Dirty water tank capacity:
4L
Reservoir capacity:
110ml clean; 95ml dirty
Mop lift:
10mm
Noise level:
up to 75dB
Battery capacity:
6,400mAh
Runtime:
up to 228 minutes / up to 240sqm (2,580 sq ft)
Charging time:
4.6 hours
Dimensions:
Robot = 353 x 351.5 x 98 mm; base station = 350 x 477 x 533 mm
Weight:
Robot = 5.3kg; base station = 7.6kg
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: Design
Gold accents give it a classy look
Extending side brush and wet roller mop
Taller than the average robot but lacks a turret; tall but slim base station
I only had to take the robot out to see that Deebot X8 Pro Omni exudes class, thanks to some gold-colored accents on the otherwise black machine. Unlike the Narwal Freo Z10 that I reviewed prior to the X8 (which was a 11kg weight straight out of the box), the Deebot comes packed in layers, which makes it very easy to set up.
Robot design
Once you remove the wash tray from the top of the box, the next item to emerge is the X8 robot. The first thing that distinguishes it from many other robovacs is the lack of a top turret that typically houses the navigation tech. In the X8 Pro Omni, though, all the necessary sensors are on the front and the sides.
The lack of a turret means the X8 can roll under many low-lying pieces of furniture, although it's doesn't have the slimline form factor of the Roborock Saros 10R – it's a little taller, standing at 9.8cm/3.8in compared to the Saros at 8cm/3in, so there needs to be a minimum clearance of 10cm/4in for the Deebot to clean where many other robovacs can't.
A black plastic disc with the Ecovacs logo in gold covers the top of the robot, with a cutout to show off a gold three-pronged button. There's a tiny power icon in the center of the button to indicate that it's functional, but it's easy to miss and can appear purely decorative, although it lights up when in use and charging. Its functionality is listed on a large piece of cardboard inside the packaging: a short press to start or pause, a double press to extend or retract the wet roller, and a three-second long press to send the bot back to its dock. In the four weeks I spent with the machine, I never found the need to use the button – the robot does everything seamlessly.
Also under the top cover is a removable 220ml/7.4oz dustbin whose filter can be taken out for regular cleaning, plus a toggle switch for power, a Wi-Fi indicator light and a QR code to begin your app setup.
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After four weeks of use, there was barely any hair tangled anywhere (just one strand around a large wheel) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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The V-shaped bristles of the central brush are very effective at avoiding entanglements (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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The wet roller was a lot more effective at streak-free mopping than circular mop pads (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
On the front of the robot are LiDAR sensors that it uses for mapping your home, while a camera also peeping through the same front window adds visual information that’s paired with artificial intelligence (AIVI) to navigate around obstacles. Along the sides are edge sensors that prevent it from banging into a wall or furniture, yet allowing the bot to get really close for effective cleaning. A mic and speaker are also housed within the front window.
The back of the robot has two charging points, but there’s also a water compartment inside with a clean capacity of 110ml and 95ml for dirty mop water. While you never have to worry about the water reservoir after setup, it can be released using an inset lever.
The side brush extends, but given the Deebot X8 Pro Omni travels very close to obstacles, it even managed to clean corners (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
As with nearly every other Deebot I’ve tested (and many other brands besides), the underside of the robot houses the central bar brush that sports bristles arranged in a V shape to help it gather hair and fur without itself getting entangled. A single side brush towards the front of the bot rotates at varying speeds automatically depending on the size of the debris it senses – it slows down for larger pieces, similar to some of the high-end Roborocks. It can also extend out to reach into corners and clean along edges – both of which it manages to do better than many of its competitors because the robot itself gets really close to walls.
The rear of the undercarriage is dominated by a wet roller rather than circular mop pads which, according to Ecovacs, spins at a speed of 200rpm and has a scraper in its holder that constantly cleans out the dirty water as it rotates. 16 nozzles keep it supplied with clean water (and detergent if you’re using any).
The main wheels are quite large and, for the first time in any robot vacuum I’ve tested, I found them to be quite noisy when traveling over the tiles in my home. The sound was akin to very hard or brittle plastic moving over a rough surface, but in my time testing the X8 Pro Omni, I didn’t notice too much wear and tear on the wheels to account for the sound. A small omnidirectional caster wheel completes the robot’s physical setup.
It's easy to remove the onboard bin in the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni to clean out the filter regularly (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Base station design
The base station itself isn’t much to write home about and is quite similar to several other models on the market. However, the gold accents on the lids of the two water tanks and branding on the front of the dock makes it look quite smart. The tanks have a 4L capacity each and are very easy to lift up, refill or clean out, then replace back on the dock.
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Water tanks are easy to access and fill or clean (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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There are plenty of parts you can wash out if you want to, including the soap dispenser (on top of the tanks) and the wash trays (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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Even the robot's onboard water compartment comes off easily of you want to give it a quick rinse (the inside filter can get grimy) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Below the tanks is a covered nook that houses the detergent dispenser and a 3L dust bag. The dispenser is very easy to slide out and refill, while changing the dust bag is also very intuitive. It’s the cover for this nook that takes a little effort to remove each time you need access to either of its two inmates – it clips in very tightly indeed and you'll need to pull it with some force from the bottom of the panel.
Under the covered nook is the cavity for the robot, which sits on a washing tray. Inside the cavity, on the rear wall of the base station, you'll notice nozzles and charging points that keep the robot doing what it needs to do.
The base station is about as tall as many other brands offer, but it’s a little slimmer than, say, a Narwal dock. It will still need a decent amount of space to house, with enough clearance on the top to allow you to remove and replace the tanks.
• Design score: 4.5 / 5
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: Performance
Excellent vacuuming on high suction; top-notch mopping at most waterflow levels
Arguably one of the best edge cleaners in the business
Very good navigation and obstacle avoidance
The X8 Pro Omni for this review was tested in a 40sqm/430sqft inner-city apartment in Sydney, Australia, with the single bedroom fully carpeted, but the rest of the rooms featuring matte-finish tiles. The bathroom, however, has smoother tiles than the rest of the hard floors and it was part of the full map that the X8 had to clean. There are no stairs in the apartment to test cliff sensors, but there are a couple of low thresholds that were useful to test the X8 Pro Omni’s ability to clear some obstacles.
It’s also important for me to mention that I have no pets, but I’ve always found my bedroom carpet covered in my own (long) hair within 3-4 days of cleaning it, and is usually a very good test for any vacuum cleaner that I review.
Before starting the first cleaning session, I not only set up some custom routines (called Scenario Cleans in the Ecovacs Home app), but I also went through the advanced settings to toggle on some key features, including the carpet-first option as I have mixed flooring. This ensured that no matter what custom cleaning routine I might use, carpets were always vacuumed first to minimize the risk of them getting wet (more on the app experience later).
Overall performance of the X8 Pro Omni was excellent, but it’s important to note that it’s best used for the regular maintenance cleaning sessions that you might need on a daily or a weekly basis. It can’t replace the best cordless vacuum cleaners, but it definitely reduces the human effort and time spent on keeping your floors spick and span.
Water usage in the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni is not a lot compared to other models I've tested (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Vacuuming
Let’s start the performance section with the most basic function: vacuuming. I’ve already mentioned earlier in this review that the X8 Pro Omni was one of the best cleaning machines I’ve tested recently, exceeding the vacuuming performance I got from a Roborock and a Narwal that I tested prior to the Deebot. It really does put the 18,000Pa – which is in no way class-leading now – to very good use, particularly at its higher suction settings.
I usually have to set most robovacs to their maximum suction setting to get a decent clean on the bedroom carpet which, as I’ve described above, can get covered in my own hair within days. It’s been rare for me to see that carpet completely hair free after a single session even using the highest power level on other robovacs, but the X8 Pro Omni was been able to do just that each and every time it’s done a bedroom clean on its Max setting.
The Deebot’s got four suction settings and while I wasn’t particularly keen on the Quiet option which reduces the power significantly, I found the Standard and Strong settings to be perfect for hard floors, not once needing to step it up to Max on tiles.
The Deebot X8 Pro Omni repeatedly does 360º rotations around furniture legs to ensure good cleaning (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
The X8 Pro Omni has a suction-boost option which, as the name suggests, automatically increases power when it detects carpets, but I wasn’t able to notice the dynamic suction from sound alone when it went from hard floor to the mid-pile rug in my living room, although it seemed to do a very good job anyway. The audible change in suction was heard when it was vacuuming tiles in my kitchen, just under a cabinet – go figure.
To check its vacuuming abilities further, I conducted TechRadar’s standard tests of sprinkling tea dust and oats (representing two different-sized debris) on both hard floors and carpets. Doing a Zone clean and set at Strong suction, you can see from the video clip below that the X8 Pro Omni did a fantastic job on the tiles, even sucking up the tea dust from along the edge of the room.
If you look closely, you’ll also notice that the side brush slows down when it detects larger debris (oats) to make sure they all get pulled towards the bar brush.
On the carpet, which was also just a Zone clean done as a separate test, I set the robot to Max suction and found it cleared up the oats very well indeed, although tea dust that went deep into the fibers remained, and is visible in the video clip as a dark patch. I used my finger to loosen the carpet fibers and let the X8 run over it again, and voila, it was all cleaned up.
For both tests, I had the X8 Pro Omni set at moving in the Deep Clean pattern, which covers maximum floor space but time consuming, and I didn’t find the need to go over either of the spots with my Dyson V15s Detect Submarine.
Mopping
This is the first robot vacuum I’ve tested that features a wet roller rather than a pair of rotating mop pads and I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Needless to say, the X8 Pro Omni exceeded my expectations and then some with the way it tackled my hard floors. I will go so far as to say this was arguably the best mopping I’ve seen in a while by a robot vacuum.
From shaved Toblerone on the kitchen floor (I was making Toblerone cheesecake at the time) to a partially dried dollop of coriander-mint chutney, I was very impressed with how well it mopped up different (dry) spills.
I specify dry because you really don’t want a robot vacuum to clean a wet spill like cereal milk or curry sauce as everything in the undercarriage will get wet with the sticky liquid or the sauce, including the wheels and side brush. Cleaning the bot after that will be a chore in itself.
It's fun to watch the wet roller slide in and out from under the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni bot (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
As with many other robot vacuums like itself, the X8 Pro Omni has three waterflow settings (Low, Medium and High) with a total of 50 levels. The lowest settings would be good for sensitive wood floors but, for me, I’ve always found higher waterflow rates better for my tiles, so I had the Deebot set at level 40 most of the time as I found 45 and 50 made my tiles very wet indeed, while 30 and lower barely left a damp streak.
My kitchen floors, in particular, need regular mopping and, given it’s right beside the dining room, this area of my apartment was a good test for the X8 Pro Omni. I found that in its Deep Cleaning speed and water level set to 45 but no detergent, there was a visible difference on my floor after its first run compared to what the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine had done prior to switching to the Deebot.
In fact, I’m not sure how much difference adding the detergent has done to my floors because it mopped up dusty footprints and dried, dusty water stains very well without any soap, and it did just as good a job with.
The stress test I put the X8 under was mopping up a partially dried dollop of coriander and mint chutney – it took a couple of passes at water level 40 with detergent in the dispenser to mop it up entirely, no stain left on the floor. The issue here was that the rotating side brush scattered a tiny bit of dry chutney away, but given it was set to Deep Clean, the bot moved over the entire zone twice (more on this below in the navigation section), running perpendicular to its initial path, which meant that scattered bit got mopped up later.
I enjoyed watching the extendable roller sneak in and out of the robot as soon as it sensed something on its side. This could be a wall or a furniture leg, but I found that it hardly left a dry spot.
On the product listing page on the Ecovacs website, the brand says there's no pressure applied by the wet roller on the floor, but given how well I saw it mop, I'd be surprised if this spec listing is correct. There's surely some pressure being applied for such effective mopping.
Another thing I love about the roller is that it's streak-free, particularly on the lower or mid waterflow rates. The only time I saw streaks (and not dirty ones, mind, just marks to show a mop has passed) was when the roller was saturated with clean water.
Navigation & obstacle avoidance
With the sole exception of one Zone cleaning session when it took the wrong path out of its dock to get to where it needed to in a different room, the Deebot X8 Pro Omni never once strayed from the path of least resistance.
It’s impressive navigation extends to doing full 360º rotations around furniture legs, and while the side brush didn’t always extend when I expected it to, the robot itself got so close to walls and furniture that I never had cause for complaint when it came to its navigation just millimeters from what is essentially an obstacle.
It’s three different “cleaning speeds” (or its movement pattern in a given space) are a little hit and miss if you really want a thorough job done. The best movement pattern I found was the Deep Cleaning, which means the robot cleans a space twice, first running in parallel lines just centimeters apart, then traveling perpendicular to ensure no spot is missed.
The other two cleaning speeds – Standard and Quick – aren’t bad, but because the parallel pathways are slightly more spread out compared to Deep Cleaning, I found that the occasional hair strand or speck of debris got missed. That said, “cleaning speed” as Ecovacs calls it is apt as these determine how quickly the X8 Pro Omni finishes its cleaning task.
Obstacle avoidance is also fantastic, as you can see from the video above when I conducted TechRadar’s standard test – creating an obstacle course of a slipper, shoe, a cable, socks and a tissue box. It avoided every single one of them without a hiccup, a feat I’ve not yet seen from any robot vacuum I’ve tested to date.
The only time the Deebot X8 Pro Omni got entangled with a cable, it was the side brush that pulled it into the bumper (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
However, during one vacuum-only session in my bedroom, it got entangled in a USB-C cable that had one end dangling close to the floor and the side brush pulled it lower (see above image). I could hear Yiko complaining and a notification popped up on my phone that the X8 Pro Omni needed help. I disentangled it and it carried on with its work after I used a voice command to “restart cleaning”.
During a full-house clean, I shut a door to one room to see how it would react to its map not quite being accurate and it had no issues. It got close to the door, pivoted a little on an axis to see if it could spot an opening, but carried on doing what it needed to in the rest of the apartment without any complaints.
Base station performance
Whether it’s sucking out all the dirt and debris from the onboard dustbin or cleaning the wet roller, the X8 Pro Omni base station performance is so good that it justifies the high price tag this machine demands.
Only the tiniest amount of dirt remains inside the onboard dustbin after each vacuuming run that you, honestly, never have to worry about. The only time you’ll need to remove the small onboard bin is when the filter needs cleaning or replacing, or if something gets stuck inside that requires manual removal (never once happened during my testing).
The dustbag inside the base station has a 3L capacity, so it will last you a long while, albeit that will depend on how often you clean, how large your home is and whether you have pets.
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Using the detergent dispenser is optional, and the 3L dust bag could last a while (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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With use, the inside of the base station can begin to look a little worse for wear, but it doesn't hamper performace (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Dispensing detergent happened as required, as did filling up the robot’s onboard 110ml clean water compartment. Even pumping out dirty water from the 90ml partition worked well during my testing – you can remove this compartment to clean out the filter inside.
The washing of the roller was impeccable. It looked nearly new after my running it a few times a week for four weeks and the shortest two-hour hot-air drying is more than enough to ensure there’s no trace of dampness that could encourage bacterial or fungal growth. In fact, at the end of my four-week trial period, I found the roller soft to the touch as it was on day one.
The wash tray can also be cleaned out automatically by the machine from time to time, so the only hands-on task you’ll have to do regularly is clean out the dirty water and refill the fresh water. Every couple of months or so, you’ll also need to swap out the dust bag or refill the detergent dispenser if you’ve been using soap for mopping. The ‘health’ of all the accessories and parts is listed in the app, so you’ll know when to do what anyway.
Battery life
Ecovacs says there’s a 6,400mAh battery pack powering the X8 Pro Omni robot, which is rated for up to 228 minutes or a maximum area coverage of 240sqm / 2,580sq ft. In my testing – which admittedly was done in a much smaller space – I found that a number like that is nigh impossible to achieve unless you run the robot at the lowest settings possible, which I doubt anyone will want to do.
In Standard suction and medium waterflow levels during a full 40sqm clean doing a single vacuum-and-mop pass, the X8’s battery dropped to 20%. Bumping it up to Max suction and high waterflow rates, I found the robot needed to go back for a top up at the mains after completing five out of the six rooms in its map – about 78 minutes. Both these tests were conducted at the Deep Clean speed, so more time consuming.
Extrapolating that for Standard or Quiet cleans, you will be able to run the X8 Pro Omni for around 150 minutes, but keep in mind that it boasts dynamic suction as well, so total battery life will depend on how many carpets it encounters or how tough the cleaning job is.
That’s not bad battery life, but it’s not class-leading as models like the Narwal Freo Z10 and Dreame X40 Ultra can outdo the X8. Larger homes will find that a full cleaning task may well require recharging to complete. That said, the X8 is smart enough to learn how much battery it needs to finish a job, so a full-home clean may not necessarily take all day.
• Performance score: 4.5 / 5
No matter the cleaning task, the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni performs it well (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: app control
Improved Ecovacs Home app
More streamlined setup for robot and base station settings
Map might need extensive editing, but is easy to do
I’ve previously not been very impressed with the Ecovacs Home app as it wasn’t as streamlined as I would have liked, but that’s changed now – the updated version of the app that I used with the X8 Pro Omni is a significant improvement.
It’s now easier to access the custom cleaning routines – renamed Scenario Cleans from just plain ol’ Scenarios – as they're listed on the homepage of the device, and each of these are also very easy to customize and set up.
To access more settings options, the Ecovacs Home app has always allowed you to ‘Enter’ a more detailed page with your home’s map laid out, but now the robot and base station advanced settings are right there on that same screen – the robot stuff is right at the bottom while switching tabs gives you the base station setup. This is a much better app experience than I encountered only a few months ago from the time of publication of this review.
Mapping with the Deebot X8 Pro Omni is quick and it's remarkably easy to edit the final map (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
As I’ve already mentioned, there’s the Yiko voice assistant on board and, in all honesty, I really don’t see the need for verbal communication with the device, but my inner lazy self took a shine to it for a very short time. All routines and settings work so well, that Yiko doesn’t need to be there, but it was nice to see that it can understand commands better than before.
During my testing, it didn’t comprehend its own name (see the screenshot below where it hears its name as "you go"), but that didn’t stop it from performing the task I asked it to do (pause cleaning). I immediately asked it to restart again – no problem whatsoever.
You can give Yiko back-to-back commands and you'll hear its voice prompts very often, so much so that it can get annoying (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
You’ll also hear a lot of oral prompts every time the robot has to perform a task. This can quickly get very annoying, particularly when the self-empty of the bin takes place because it’s a long, drawn-out message telling you “don’t worry” about the loud noises. There’s sadly no way to turn these off, but you can drop the volume right down to ‘mute’, but this also means you won’t hear when the bot needs help. Thankfully there are app notifications to help with that. The volume is also associated with a ‘ding’ sound the robot makes every time you adjust a setting – these too will be muted if you turn the volume slider right down.
There's plenty of control via the Ecovacs Home app, which has evolved to become more streamlined than before (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Every setting on the app is well explained and easy to understand in case you want to use it, but I would advise that you take some time to go through all options before you begin using the X8 Pro Omni so that you get the best results possible.
For example, you can set and forget the cleaning sequence for the whole house and, no matter which rooms you choose for whatever custom routine you might have, the X8 Pro Omni will follow that. This can be edited at any time too. As I’ve mentioned before, you can also toggle on carpet-first cleaning in the robot settings, set how you want the auto-empty to take place or how often you want the wet roller washed. You even get control over how long you want the base station to spend drying it with hot air. You’ll also need to toggle on auto detergent use, otherwise the base station won’t use soap even if you’ve filled the dispenser.
There is a lot of control here, although it would be nice to see Ecovacs allow the user to choose how many passes the X8 will do when on an automatic AI-powered cleaning run (it’s always just one in this mode).
• App score: 4 / 5
Should I buy the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni?
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
Compared to other similarly specced models, the X8 Pro Omni is very competitively priced, balancing feature set, power, performance and cost quite well – plus it's often discounted.
4 / 5
Design
It’s a very low-maintenance design with several parts that can be taken out to wash if necessary. And it exudes class. The lack of a turret means it can even roll under some low-lying furniture.
4.5 / 5
Performance
As long as you avoid using the X8 to clean wet spills, it will handle your regular cleaning with aplomb. It will even maintain itself well without too much intervention from you.
4.5 / 5
App control
The updated Ecovacs Home app is a lot more streamlined now and easier to use.
4 / 5
You prioritize good cleaning above all else
Considering the X8 Pro Omni passed all my tests with flying colors, it's arguably the best robot vacuum I've tested to date.
You want as much of a hands-off cleaning experience as possible
While you don't really need the voice assistant, Yiko gives you even more opportunity to not have to lift a finger – literally! Just open the app and ask it to start a cleaning routine (even a custom one) and it will do so.
You have wood floors
There are plenty of waterflow levels here to choose from and I think the lower settings will look after wood floors well. Moreover, the roller minimizes streaks on floors that I've previously seen mop pads leave behind in their wake.
You have low-lying furniture
It's a little taller than the Roborock Saros 10, but even then, the lack of a turret allows it to roll under furniture that has a clearing of at least 10cm.
Don't buy it if...
You don't want to spend too much money
The X8 Pro Omni might be a fantastic robovac but it's a premium one. If you can forgo some of the smart home features like Matter integration and voice assistant, and aren't too fussed about mop pads doing the wet cleaning, you can get similar performance from a cheaper model – in fact, the Ecovacs Deebot T50 Max Pro Omni has slightly higher suction and the same Yiko support, but a lower price point.
You want a quiet robot vacuum
On its higher suction settings, the X8 Pro Omni is louder than similar models from Narwal and Roborock. Moreover, the wheels, when moving over the tiles in my test space, were quite rattly too.
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: Also consider
Roborock Saros 10R
Our reviewer called it the "perfect hybrid robot vacuum cleaner even for the most cluttered of homes". Improved navigation and a low profile means it can get to places other robovacs will typically avoid. It's also quiet, has excellent vacuum and mop skills, and it's pretty much a master of its trade. It costs more than the X8 Pro Omni, but it might be a worthwhile investment for some homes. Read our in-depth Roborock Saros 10R review for more details.
Dreame X50 Ultra
Going by the additional moniker of "Complete" in some markets, the Dreame X50 Ultra is a premium model that not only gives you way more suction than the X8 Pro Omni (a max of 20,000Pa), but it can also tackle some short steps in your home and roll under furniture by retracting its turret. Find out more in our detailed Dreame X50 Ultra Complete review.
How I tested the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni
Used three to four times a week for four weeks
Tried various suction and waterflow levels in a 40sqm test space with mixed flooring
Experimented with the Yiko voice assistant and tweaked various advanced settings
It's very easy to recommend the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni, despite its higher price tag (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
I received my review unit of the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni in the third of week of July 2025 and spent the next four weeks running it on various settings and custom routines mostly three times a week, but it has done more sessions during the last week when I conducted my obstacle course test.
I found that once all the settings were as I'd want them, the X8 Pro Omni just did what it needed to do without any fuss. During that time, I found it didn't use as much clean water as other robot vacuums (especially compared to the Narwal Freo Z10 I tested prior to it) and, hence, found I didn't need to keep refilling the clean-water tank as much. Of course, that's also because the test space is small (just 40sqm/430sqft) and has mixed flooring with carpet in the bedroom and a large rug in the living room.
I set up four different custom routines, or Shortcut Cleans as the app labels them, and tested each one 2-3 times over the course of the four-week testing period. I also ran single-room and zone cleaning sessions to see how the X8 Pro Omni performs in its auto-cleaning mode.
While I began testing the X8 without any detergent for the first week, I added a small quantity to the dispenser on week 2 of testing.
I put it through TechRadar's usual tests for vacuuming and mopping (using oats and tea from a bag for the former, and a dollop of chutney for the latter). I also conducted our standard obstacle avoidance test, but threw in two types of socks and a tissue box for good measure.
As you've probably already read, the X8 Pro Omni passed all its tests with flying colors, with only the one hiccup when it got entangled in a low-hanging cable during a vacuum-only session.
I'll say one thing about Ecovacs Robotics: the brand might make too many robot vacuums that I, as a reviewer, can’t keep up with, but they all seem well thought out and catering to different needs and budgets. In 2024, it released a good-value robovac that I really liked in my Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni review, and it’s impressed again with a higher-end model in the Deebot X8 Pro Omni reviewed here.
The X8 has plenty of smarts on board, with Ecovacs’ voice assistant Yiko now better at understanding commands and having a more conversational interaction than its previous iterations on older Deebots. Even if you don't interact with Yiko, the X8 has plenty of automated voice prompts that I very quickly found to be annoying – there's only so many times you can hear it say "don't worry" when its auto-emptying. While you can't switch these off, you can mute the volume entirely and depend on the app notifications to find out if the robot needs help at any time (like if it's stuck somewhere).
There's Google Assistant and Alexa support as well, but Yiko can handle a few extra commands that I found the other two voice assistants couldn't handle. To futureproof your smart home, the X8 Pro Omni also has Matter support, so you can control several smart devices via a single hub.
There's a camera on board that the bot uses to ‘see’ its surroundings for better navigation and obstacle avoidance, but it also provides a live feed that requires a passcode to be set up for access. There’s a Patrol mode here that turns the X8 Pro Omni bot into a security unit and it saves a bunch of photos for you to view whenever you like. You can also speak to your pets or kids if you need to check in on them (spy?) while you're at work. I’ve asked Ecovacs for clarification on how secure the camera is from hackers and will update this review as soon as I hear back.
These smart bells and whistles are all great, but this robot vacuum shines at its most important function: cleaning. It’s arguably one of the best automated cleaners I’ve tested in 2025, with edge cleaning its biggest asset thanks to an extending side brush and wet roller while vacuuming and mopping respectively. In fact, I’ve seen the X8 Pro Omni travel far closer to walls and furniture than many of its competitors, thus allowing its extendable parts to do their job effectively.
The Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni can get very close to walls and furniture to clean, much closer than other bots I've tested previously (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
It puts its 18,000Pa of suction power to good use, with my carpets looking fresh and clean after a single run on its highest suction setting. It did a better job than what I saw in my Roborock Qrevo Edge review despite 18,500Pa of suction. And its roller mop was quite impressive compared to the mops pads I’d gotten used to previously, and that’s despite Ecovacs saying there’s no pressure applied by the roller on the floor.
There’s also a detergent dispenser on board and use of the soap is automatic provided you toggle it on in the app – Ecovacs says there’s always a ratio of 200:1 detergent and water mix in the pipeline to ensure the correct usage. Even without detergent I found my floors were left stain-free after every mop – in fact, it was better than I experienced in my Narwal Freo Z10 review that, at the time, I said had excellent mopping skills.
In four weeks of testing, the X8 Pro Omni got entangled in a cable just once because the side brush pulled a low-hanging wire towards the bumper, but otherwise its obstacle avoidance is very good. Even more impressive is its overall navigation – it invariably took the path of least resistance in my apartment, which meant it got its tasks done relatively quickly and, importantly, without consuming too much battery life.
Even the base station performance is top notch, with the onboard bin getting cleaned quite well each time it empties, and the wet-roller cleaning is impeccable. Water consumption is also lower than any other robovac I’ve tested before – I’ve previously had to refill the clean water after every full cleaning cycle in my small inner-city apartment, but this time I’ve had to do so once every four or five sessions (depending on its routine).
All in all, this was excellent performance from not just the robot vacuum, but I commend Ecovacs for streamlining its app experience as well. It’s much nicer to use, with plenty of customization options to suit your personal cleaning needs. Importantly, these custom routines are now very easy to access.
It's relatively noisier than some of its newer competitors, and it can't perform the climbing feats of the more expensive Dreame X50 Ultra, but if you value excellent cleaning performance above all else, I'd find it very easy to recommend the Deebot X8 Pro Omni – and it's often discounted.
It doesn't necessarily stand out visually, but the gold accents lend the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni some class (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: price & availability
Available since March 2025
List price: $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,499
Incurs ongoing costs for dust bags and detergent
There are quite a few all-in-one robot vacuum cleaners at the same price point that Ecovacs Robotics is selling the X8 Pro Omni, but I think the Deebot can justify its premium cost on its feature set and performance.
It’s listed for $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,499 at full price but, at the time of writing, US and UK customers could pick it up for $899.99 / £999 respectively directly from the Ecovacs website. In Australia, it has dropped to AU$2,199 previously, but I suspect there’ll be better discounts around the world during major shopping events like Black Friday sales. It’s also available from select third-party retailers, including Amazon.
This price gets you not just excellent performance (explained below in detail), but you also get an impressive set of features, including voice assistant and Matter integration for a smarter home setup. With that in mind, I think the X8 Pro Omni is well priced compared to some of the other robovacs on the market, although Ecovacs has cheaper models that clean really well, as proved by the Deebot T30 Omni.
As an example of competitor pricing, the Narwal Freo Z Ultra cost $1,499/ AU$2,499 (unavailable in the UK) and is a good machine, but has 12,000Pa of suction compared to the Deebot’s 18,000Pa. Matching the suction power at 18,500Pa is the Roborock Qrevo Edge, but I found it hard to recommend at its list price of $1,599.99 / AU$2,799 (unavailable in the UK) based on its performance alone. On the other hand, Ecovacs' own Deebot T50 Max Pro Omni has 18,500Pa suction, the Yiko voice assistant and promises good cleaning at a lower price point of $799.99 / £799 / AU$1,799.
If you want more suction power, you’ll have to pay a lot more. For example, the Roborock Saros 10 with its whopping 22,000Pa of power will set you back $1,599.99 / £1,499.99 / AU$2,999 at full price, but is often discounted to match the X8's retail cost. The Dreame X50 Ultra Complete with 20,000Pa of suction is also expensive compared to the X8 Pro Omni, coming in at a list price of $1,699.99 / £1,299 / AU$2,999, but it can climb low steps that many of the newer machines can't.
As with any other hybrid robot vacuum, there is the ongoing cost of purchasing dust bags and detergent to take into consideration, although the latter is an optional add-on but I can see the need for it in homes with toddlers and pets. Unlike other brands, though, Ecovacs doesn’t supply a bottle of detergent in the box – at least not in Australia, where the testing for this review was conducted, due to “customs issues with international shipments” – so that’s $49.98 / £44 right off the bat for two 1L bottles in the US and UK (frequently discounted), but the same two-pack isn't available in Australia where a 1L bottle retails for AU$37.50.
The antibacterial dust bags come in packs of three and are available directly from Ecovacs Robotics for $24.99 / £17.99 / AU$29.90 at the time of writing.
Despite the ongoing cost, I think the Deebot X8 Pro Omni balances its feature set, performance and price well, but I’d recommend picking it up during a sale as it’s frequently discounted.
• Value score: 4 / 5
The three-prong button on the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni doesn't look functional, but it has three tasks it can perform when needed (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: specs
Suction power:
18,000Pa
Onboard bin capacity:
220ml
Dust bag capacity:
3L
Clean water tank capacity:
4L
Dirty water tank capacity:
4L
Reservoir capacity:
110ml clean; 95ml dirty
Mop lift:
10mm
Noise level:
up to 75dB
Battery capacity:
6,400mAh
Runtime:
up to 228 minutes / up to 240sqm (2,580 sq ft)
Charging time:
4.6 hours
Dimensions:
Robot = 353 x 351.5 x 98 mm; base station = 350 x 477 x 533 mm
Weight:
Robot = 5.3kg; base station = 7.6kg
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: Design
Gold accents give it a classy look
Extending side brush and wet roller mop
Taller than the average robot but lacks a turret; tall but slim base station
I only had to take the robot out to see that Deebot X8 Pro Omni exudes class, thanks to some gold-colored accents on the otherwise black machine. Unlike the Narwal Freo Z10 that I reviewed prior to the X8 (which was a 11kg weight straight out of the box), the Deebot comes packed in layers, which makes it very easy to set up.
Robot design
Once you remove the wash tray from the top of the box, the next item to emerge is the X8 robot. The first thing that distinguishes it from many other robovacs is the lack of a top turret that typically houses the navigation tech. In the X8 Pro Omni, though, all the necessary sensors are on the front and the sides.
The lack of a turret means the X8 can roll under many low-lying pieces of furniture, although it's doesn't have the slimline form factor of the Roborock Saros 10R – it's a little taller, standing at 9.8cm/3.8in compared to the Saros at 8cm/3in, so there needs to be a minimum clearance of 10cm/4in for the Deebot to clean where many other robovacs can't.
A black plastic disc with the Ecovacs logo in gold covers the top of the robot, with a cutout to show off a gold three-pronged button. There's a tiny power icon in the center of the button to indicate that it's functional, but it's easy to miss and can appear purely decorative, although it lights up when in use and charging. Its functionality is listed on a large piece of cardboard inside the packaging: a short press to start or pause, a double press to extend or retract the wet roller, and a three-second long press to send the bot back to its dock. In the four weeks I spent with the machine, I never found the need to use the button – the robot does everything seamlessly.
Also under the top cover is a removable 220ml/7.4oz dustbin whose filter can be taken out for regular cleaning, plus a toggle switch for power, a Wi-Fi indicator light and a QR code to begin your app setup.
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After four weeks of use, there was barely any hair tangled anywhere (just one strand around a large wheel) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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The V-shaped bristles of the central brush are very effective at avoiding entanglements (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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The wet roller was a lot more effective at streak-free mopping than circular mop pads (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
On the front of the robot are LiDAR sensors that it uses for mapping your home, while a camera also peeping through the same front window adds visual information that’s paired with artificial intelligence (AIVI) to navigate around obstacles. Along the sides are edge sensors that prevent it from banging into a wall or furniture, yet allowing the bot to get really close for effective cleaning. A mic and speaker are also housed within the front window.
The back of the robot has two charging points, but there’s also a water compartment inside with a clean capacity of 110ml and 95ml for dirty mop water. While you never have to worry about the water reservoir after setup, it can be released using an inset lever.
The side brush extends, but given the Deebot X8 Pro Omni travels very close to obstacles, it even managed to clean corners (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
As with nearly every other Deebot I’ve tested (and many other brands besides), the underside of the robot houses the central bar brush that sports bristles arranged in a V shape to help it gather hair and fur without itself getting entangled. A single side brush towards the front of the bot rotates at varying speeds automatically depending on the size of the debris it senses – it slows down for larger pieces, similar to some of the high-end Roborocks. It can also extend out to reach into corners and clean along edges – both of which it manages to do better than many of its competitors because the robot itself gets really close to walls.
The rear of the undercarriage is dominated by a wet roller rather than circular mop pads which, according to Ecovacs, spins at a speed of 200rpm and has a scraper in its holder that constantly cleans out the dirty water as it rotates. 16 nozzles keep it supplied with clean water (and detergent if you’re using any).
The main wheels are quite large and, for the first time in any robot vacuum I’ve tested, I found them to be quite noisy when traveling over the tiles in my home. The sound was akin to very hard or brittle plastic moving over a rough surface, but in my time testing the X8 Pro Omni, I didn’t notice too much wear and tear on the wheels to account for the sound. A small omnidirectional caster wheel completes the robot’s physical setup.
It's easy to remove the onboard bin in the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni to clean out the filter regularly (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Base station design
The base station itself isn’t much to write home about and is quite similar to several other models on the market. However, the gold accents on the lids of the two water tanks and branding on the front of the dock makes it look quite smart. The tanks have a 4L capacity each and are very easy to lift up, refill or clean out, then replace back on the dock.
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Water tanks are easy to access and fill or clean (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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There are plenty of parts you can wash out if you want to, including the soap dispenser (on top of the tanks) and the wash trays (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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Even the robot's onboard water compartment comes off easily of you want to give it a quick rinse (the inside filter can get grimy) (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Below the tanks is a covered nook that houses the detergent dispenser and a 3L dust bag. The dispenser is very easy to slide out and refill, while changing the dust bag is also very intuitive. It’s the cover for this nook that takes a little effort to remove each time you need access to either of its two inmates – it clips in very tightly indeed and you'll need to pull it with some force from the bottom of the panel.
Under the covered nook is the cavity for the robot, which sits on a washing tray. Inside the cavity, on the rear wall of the base station, you'll notice nozzles and charging points that keep the robot doing what it needs to do.
The base station is about as tall as many other brands offer, but it’s a little slimmer than, say, a Narwal dock. It will still need a decent amount of space to house, with enough clearance on the top to allow you to remove and replace the tanks.
• Design score: 4.5 / 5
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: Performance
Excellent vacuuming on high suction; top-notch mopping at most waterflow levels
Arguably one of the best edge cleaners in the business
Very good navigation and obstacle avoidance
The X8 Pro Omni for this review was tested in a 40sqm/430sqft inner-city apartment in Sydney, Australia, with the single bedroom fully carpeted, but the rest of the rooms featuring matte-finish tiles. The bathroom, however, has smoother tiles than the rest of the hard floors and it was part of the full map that the X8 had to clean. There are no stairs in the apartment to test cliff sensors, but there are a couple of low thresholds that were useful to test the X8 Pro Omni’s ability to clear some obstacles.
It’s also important for me to mention that I have no pets, but I’ve always found my bedroom carpet covered in my own (long) hair within 3-4 days of cleaning it, and is usually a very good test for any vacuum cleaner that I review.
Before starting the first cleaning session, I not only set up some custom routines (called Scenario Cleans in the Ecovacs Home app), but I also went through the advanced settings to toggle on some key features, including the carpet-first option as I have mixed flooring. This ensured that no matter what custom cleaning routine I might use, carpets were always vacuumed first to minimize the risk of them getting wet (more on the app experience later).
Overall performance of the X8 Pro Omni was excellent, but it’s important to note that it’s best used for the regular maintenance cleaning sessions that you might need on a daily or a weekly basis. It can’t replace the best cordless vacuum cleaners, but it definitely reduces the human effort and time spent on keeping your floors spick and span.
Water usage in the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni is not a lot compared to other models I've tested (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Vacuuming
Let’s start the performance section with the most basic function: vacuuming. I’ve already mentioned earlier in this review that the X8 Pro Omni was one of the best cleaning machines I’ve tested recently, exceeding the vacuuming performance I got from a Roborock and a Narwal that I tested prior to the Deebot. It really does put the 18,000Pa – which is in no way class-leading now – to very good use, particularly at its higher suction settings.
I usually have to set most robovacs to their maximum suction setting to get a decent clean on the bedroom carpet which, as I’ve described above, can get covered in my own hair within days. It’s been rare for me to see that carpet completely hair free after a single session even using the highest power level on other robovacs, but the X8 Pro Omni was been able to do just that each and every time it’s done a bedroom clean on its Max setting.
The Deebot’s got four suction settings and while I wasn’t particularly keen on the Quiet option which reduces the power significantly, I found the Standard and Strong settings to be perfect for hard floors, not once needing to step it up to Max on tiles.
The Deebot X8 Pro Omni repeatedly does 360º rotations around furniture legs to ensure good cleaning (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
The X8 Pro Omni has a suction-boost option which, as the name suggests, automatically increases power when it detects carpets, but I wasn’t able to notice the dynamic suction from sound alone when it went from hard floor to the mid-pile rug in my living room, although it seemed to do a very good job anyway. The audible change in suction was heard when it was vacuuming tiles in my kitchen, just under a cabinet – go figure.
To check its vacuuming abilities further, I conducted TechRadar’s standard tests of sprinkling tea dust and oats (representing two different-sized debris) on both hard floors and carpets. Doing a Zone clean and set at Strong suction, you can see from the video clip below that the X8 Pro Omni did a fantastic job on the tiles, even sucking up the tea dust from along the edge of the room.
If you look closely, you’ll also notice that the side brush slows down when it detects larger debris (oats) to make sure they all get pulled towards the bar brush.
On the carpet, which was also just a Zone clean done as a separate test, I set the robot to Max suction and found it cleared up the oats very well indeed, although tea dust that went deep into the fibers remained, and is visible in the video clip as a dark patch. I used my finger to loosen the carpet fibers and let the X8 run over it again, and voila, it was all cleaned up.
For both tests, I had the X8 Pro Omni set at moving in the Deep Clean pattern, which covers maximum floor space but time consuming, and I didn’t find the need to go over either of the spots with my Dyson V15s Detect Submarine.
Mopping
This is the first robot vacuum I’ve tested that features a wet roller rather than a pair of rotating mop pads and I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Needless to say, the X8 Pro Omni exceeded my expectations and then some with the way it tackled my hard floors. I will go so far as to say this was arguably the best mopping I’ve seen in a while by a robot vacuum.
From shaved Toblerone on the kitchen floor (I was making Toblerone cheesecake at the time) to a partially dried dollop of coriander-mint chutney, I was very impressed with how well it mopped up different (dry) spills.
I specify dry because you really don’t want a robot vacuum to clean a wet spill like cereal milk or curry sauce as everything in the undercarriage will get wet with the sticky liquid or the sauce, including the wheels and side brush. Cleaning the bot after that will be a chore in itself.
It's fun to watch the wet roller slide in and out from under the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni bot (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
As with many other robot vacuums like itself, the X8 Pro Omni has three waterflow settings (Low, Medium and High) with a total of 50 levels. The lowest settings would be good for sensitive wood floors but, for me, I’ve always found higher waterflow rates better for my tiles, so I had the Deebot set at level 40 most of the time as I found 45 and 50 made my tiles very wet indeed, while 30 and lower barely left a damp streak.
My kitchen floors, in particular, need regular mopping and, given it’s right beside the dining room, this area of my apartment was a good test for the X8 Pro Omni. I found that in its Deep Cleaning speed and water level set to 45 but no detergent, there was a visible difference on my floor after its first run compared to what the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine had done prior to switching to the Deebot.
In fact, I’m not sure how much difference adding the detergent has done to my floors because it mopped up dusty footprints and dried, dusty water stains very well without any soap, and it did just as good a job with.
The stress test I put the X8 under was mopping up a partially dried dollop of coriander and mint chutney – it took a couple of passes at water level 40 with detergent in the dispenser to mop it up entirely, no stain left on the floor. The issue here was that the rotating side brush scattered a tiny bit of dry chutney away, but given it was set to Deep Clean, the bot moved over the entire zone twice (more on this below in the navigation section), running perpendicular to its initial path, which meant that scattered bit got mopped up later.
I enjoyed watching the extendable roller sneak in and out of the robot as soon as it sensed something on its side. This could be a wall or a furniture leg, but I found that it hardly left a dry spot.
On the product listing page on the Ecovacs website, the brand says there's no pressure applied by the wet roller on the floor, but given how well I saw it mop, I'd be surprised if this spec listing is correct. There's surely some pressure being applied for such effective mopping.
Another thing I love about the roller is that it's streak-free, particularly on the lower or mid waterflow rates. The only time I saw streaks (and not dirty ones, mind, just marks to show a mop has passed) was when the roller was saturated with clean water.
Navigation & obstacle avoidance
With the sole exception of one Zone cleaning session when it took the wrong path out of its dock to get to where it needed to in a different room, the Deebot X8 Pro Omni never once strayed from the path of least resistance.
It’s impressive navigation extends to doing full 360º rotations around furniture legs, and while the side brush didn’t always extend when I expected it to, the robot itself got so close to walls and furniture that I never had cause for complaint when it came to its navigation just millimeters from what is essentially an obstacle.
It’s three different “cleaning speeds” (or its movement pattern in a given space) are a little hit and miss if you really want a thorough job done. The best movement pattern I found was the Deep Cleaning, which means the robot cleans a space twice, first running in parallel lines just centimeters apart, then traveling perpendicular to ensure no spot is missed.
The other two cleaning speeds – Standard and Quick – aren’t bad, but because the parallel pathways are slightly more spread out compared to Deep Cleaning, I found that the occasional hair strand or speck of debris got missed. That said, “cleaning speed” as Ecovacs calls it is apt as these determine how quickly the X8 Pro Omni finishes its cleaning task.
Obstacle avoidance is also fantastic, as you can see from the video above when I conducted TechRadar’s standard test – creating an obstacle course of a slipper, shoe, a cable, socks and a tissue box. It avoided every single one of them without a hiccup, a feat I’ve not yet seen from any robot vacuum I’ve tested to date.
The only time the Deebot X8 Pro Omni got entangled with a cable, it was the side brush that pulled it into the bumper (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
However, during one vacuum-only session in my bedroom, it got entangled in a USB-C cable that had one end dangling close to the floor and the side brush pulled it lower (see above image). I could hear Yiko complaining and a notification popped up on my phone that the X8 Pro Omni needed help. I disentangled it and it carried on with its work after I used a voice command to “restart cleaning”.
During a full-house clean, I shut a door to one room to see how it would react to its map not quite being accurate and it had no issues. It got close to the door, pivoted a little on an axis to see if it could spot an opening, but carried on doing what it needed to in the rest of the apartment without any complaints.
Base station performance
Whether it’s sucking out all the dirt and debris from the onboard dustbin or cleaning the wet roller, the X8 Pro Omni base station performance is so good that it justifies the high price tag this machine demands.
Only the tiniest amount of dirt remains inside the onboard dustbin after each vacuuming run that you, honestly, never have to worry about. The only time you’ll need to remove the small onboard bin is when the filter needs cleaning or replacing, or if something gets stuck inside that requires manual removal (never once happened during my testing).
The dustbag inside the base station has a 3L capacity, so it will last you a long while, albeit that will depend on how often you clean, how large your home is and whether you have pets.
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Using the detergent dispenser is optional, and the 3L dust bag could last a while (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
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With use, the inside of the base station can begin to look a little worse for wear, but it doesn't hamper performace (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Dispensing detergent happened as required, as did filling up the robot’s onboard 110ml clean water compartment. Even pumping out dirty water from the 90ml partition worked well during my testing – you can remove this compartment to clean out the filter inside.
The washing of the roller was impeccable. It looked nearly new after my running it a few times a week for four weeks and the shortest two-hour hot-air drying is more than enough to ensure there’s no trace of dampness that could encourage bacterial or fungal growth. In fact, at the end of my four-week trial period, I found the roller soft to the touch as it was on day one.
The wash tray can also be cleaned out automatically by the machine from time to time, so the only hands-on task you’ll have to do regularly is clean out the dirty water and refill the fresh water. Every couple of months or so, you’ll also need to swap out the dust bag or refill the detergent dispenser if you’ve been using soap for mopping. The ‘health’ of all the accessories and parts is listed in the app, so you’ll know when to do what anyway.
Battery life
Ecovacs says there’s a 6,400mAh battery pack powering the X8 Pro Omni robot, which is rated for up to 228 minutes or a maximum area coverage of 240sqm / 2,580sq ft. In my testing – which admittedly was done in a much smaller space – I found that a number like that is nigh impossible to achieve unless you run the robot at the lowest settings possible, which I doubt anyone will want to do.
In Standard suction and medium waterflow levels during a full 40sqm clean doing a single vacuum-and-mop pass, the X8’s battery dropped to 20%. Bumping it up to Max suction and high waterflow rates, I found the robot needed to go back for a top up at the mains after completing five out of the six rooms in its map – about 78 minutes. Both these tests were conducted at the Deep Clean speed, so more time consuming.
Extrapolating that for Standard or Quiet cleans, you will be able to run the X8 Pro Omni for around 150 minutes, but keep in mind that it boasts dynamic suction as well, so total battery life will depend on how many carpets it encounters or how tough the cleaning job is.
That’s not bad battery life, but it’s not class-leading as models like the Narwal Freo Z10 and Dreame X40 Ultra can outdo the X8. Larger homes will find that a full cleaning task may well require recharging to complete. That said, the X8 is smart enough to learn how much battery it needs to finish a job, so a full-home clean may not necessarily take all day.
• Performance score: 4.5 / 5
No matter the cleaning task, the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni performs it well (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: app control
Improved Ecovacs Home app
More streamlined setup for robot and base station settings
Map might need extensive editing, but is easy to do
I’ve previously not been very impressed with the Ecovacs Home app as it wasn’t as streamlined as I would have liked, but that’s changed now – the updated version of the app that I used with the X8 Pro Omni is a significant improvement.
It’s now easier to access the custom cleaning routines – renamed Scenario Cleans from just plain ol’ Scenarios – as they're listed on the homepage of the device, and each of these are also very easy to customize and set up.
To access more settings options, the Ecovacs Home app has always allowed you to ‘Enter’ a more detailed page with your home’s map laid out, but now the robot and base station advanced settings are right there on that same screen – the robot stuff is right at the bottom while switching tabs gives you the base station setup. This is a much better app experience than I encountered only a few months ago from the time of publication of this review.
Mapping with the Deebot X8 Pro Omni is quick and it's remarkably easy to edit the final map (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
As I’ve already mentioned, there’s the Yiko voice assistant on board and, in all honesty, I really don’t see the need for verbal communication with the device, but my inner lazy self took a shine to it for a very short time. All routines and settings work so well, that Yiko doesn’t need to be there, but it was nice to see that it can understand commands better than before.
During my testing, it didn’t comprehend its own name (see the screenshot below where it hears its name as "you go"), but that didn’t stop it from performing the task I asked it to do (pause cleaning). I immediately asked it to restart again – no problem whatsoever.
You can give Yiko back-to-back commands and you'll hear its voice prompts very often, so much so that it can get annoying (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
You’ll also hear a lot of oral prompts every time the robot has to perform a task. This can quickly get very annoying, particularly when the self-empty of the bin takes place because it’s a long, drawn-out message telling you “don’t worry” about the loud noises. There’s sadly no way to turn these off, but you can drop the volume right down to ‘mute’, but this also means you won’t hear when the bot needs help. Thankfully there are app notifications to help with that. The volume is also associated with a ‘ding’ sound the robot makes every time you adjust a setting – these too will be muted if you turn the volume slider right down.
There's plenty of control via the Ecovacs Home app, which has evolved to become more streamlined than before (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
Every setting on the app is well explained and easy to understand in case you want to use it, but I would advise that you take some time to go through all options before you begin using the X8 Pro Omni so that you get the best results possible.
For example, you can set and forget the cleaning sequence for the whole house and, no matter which rooms you choose for whatever custom routine you might have, the X8 Pro Omni will follow that. This can be edited at any time too. As I’ve mentioned before, you can also toggle on carpet-first cleaning in the robot settings, set how you want the auto-empty to take place or how often you want the wet roller washed. You even get control over how long you want the base station to spend drying it with hot air. You’ll also need to toggle on auto detergent use, otherwise the base station won’t use soap even if you’ve filled the dispenser.
There is a lot of control here, although it would be nice to see Ecovacs allow the user to choose how many passes the X8 will do when on an automatic AI-powered cleaning run (it’s always just one in this mode).
• App score: 4 / 5
Should I buy the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni?
Attribute
Notes
Score
Value
Compared to other similarly specced models, the X8 Pro Omni is very competitively priced, balancing feature set, power, performance and cost quite well – plus it's often discounted.
4 / 5
Design
It’s a very low-maintenance design with several parts that can be taken out to wash if necessary. And it exudes class. The lack of a turret means it can even roll under some low-lying furniture.
4.5 / 5
Performance
As long as you avoid using the X8 to clean wet spills, it will handle your regular cleaning with aplomb. It will even maintain itself well without too much intervention from you.
4.5 / 5
App control
The updated Ecovacs Home app is a lot more streamlined now and easier to use.
4 / 5
You prioritize good cleaning above all else
Considering the X8 Pro Omni passed all my tests with flying colors, it's arguably the best robot vacuum I've tested to date.
You want as much of a hands-off cleaning experience as possible
While you don't really need the voice assistant, Yiko gives you even more opportunity to not have to lift a finger – literally! Just open the app and ask it to start a cleaning routine (even a custom one) and it will do so.
You have wood floors
There are plenty of waterflow levels here to choose from and I think the lower settings will look after wood floors well. Moreover, the roller minimizes streaks on floors that I've previously seen mop pads leave behind in their wake.
You have low-lying furniture
It's a little taller than the Roborock Saros 10, but even then, the lack of a turret allows it to roll under furniture that has a clearing of at least 10cm.
Don't buy it if...
You don't want to spend too much money
The X8 Pro Omni might be a fantastic robovac but it's a premium one. If you can forgo some of the smart home features like Matter integration and voice assistant, and aren't too fussed about mop pads doing the wet cleaning, you can get similar performance from a cheaper model – in fact, the Ecovacs Deebot T50 Max Pro Omni has slightly higher suction and the same Yiko support, but a lower price point.
You want a quiet robot vacuum
On its higher suction settings, the X8 Pro Omni is louder than similar models from Narwal and Roborock. Moreover, the wheels, when moving over the tiles in my test space, were quite rattly too.
Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni review: Also consider
Roborock Saros 10R
Our reviewer called it the "perfect hybrid robot vacuum cleaner even for the most cluttered of homes". Improved navigation and a low profile means it can get to places other robovacs will typically avoid. It's also quiet, has excellent vacuum and mop skills, and it's pretty much a master of its trade. It costs more than the X8 Pro Omni, but it might be a worthwhile investment for some homes. Read our in-depth Roborock Saros 10R review for more details.
Dreame X50 Ultra
Going by the additional moniker of "Complete" in some markets, the Dreame X50 Ultra is a premium model that not only gives you way more suction than the X8 Pro Omni (a max of 20,000Pa), but it can also tackle some short steps in your home and roll under furniture by retracting its turret. Find out more in our detailed Dreame X50 Ultra Complete review.
How I tested the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni
Used three to four times a week for four weeks
Tried various suction and waterflow levels in a 40sqm test space with mixed flooring
Experimented with the Yiko voice assistant and tweaked various advanced settings
It's very easy to recommend the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni, despite its higher price tag (Image credit: Sharmishta Sarkar / TechRadar)
I received my review unit of the Ecovacs Deebot X8 Pro Omni in the third of week of July 2025 and spent the next four weeks running it on various settings and custom routines mostly three times a week, but it has done more sessions during the last week when I conducted my obstacle course test.
I found that once all the settings were as I'd want them, the X8 Pro Omni just did what it needed to do without any fuss. During that time, I found it didn't use as much clean water as other robot vacuums (especially compared to the Narwal Freo Z10 I tested prior to it) and, hence, found I didn't need to keep refilling the clean-water tank as much. Of course, that's also because the test space is small (just 40sqm/430sqft) and has mixed flooring with carpet in the bedroom and a large rug in the living room.
I set up four different custom routines, or Shortcut Cleans as the app labels them, and tested each one 2-3 times over the course of the four-week testing period. I also ran single-room and zone cleaning sessions to see how the X8 Pro Omni performs in its auto-cleaning mode.
While I began testing the X8 without any detergent for the first week, I added a small quantity to the dispenser on week 2 of testing.
I put it through TechRadar's usual tests for vacuuming and mopping (using oats and tea from a bag for the former, and a dollop of chutney for the latter). I also conducted our standard obstacle avoidance test, but threw in two types of socks and a tissue box for good measure.
As you've probably already read, the X8 Pro Omni passed all its tests with flying colors, with only the one hiccup when it got entangled in a low-hanging cable during a vacuum-only session.