Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo review | Tech Reader

As is always the case with Ecovacs products, getting the X2 Combo up and running is a breeze. After plugging in the dock and filling up its fresh water reservoir, you just need to sync the robot with its mobile companion app. It’ll then ask you to start a mapping run, which will send the robot scurrying around your home as it takes note of every piece of furniture, every obstacle, and every crevice throughout your property.

Once the mapping is complete, you can dive into the app to set restricted zones or tweak any areas of the floor plan that may have been improperly registered. I found the mapping process remarkably accurate, with the X2 picking up all the proper obstacles and accurately registering the different types of floors throughout each room. The Ecovacs app also makes it easy to schedule cleaning routines and change the performance of the robot vacuum.

However, there’s really no need to meddle with most of these settings, as the onboard AI Intelligent Hosting feature is what you’ll end up using for most cleaning tasks. This allows the X2 Combo to automatically determine what parameters to use based on what its sensors detect as it roams around your home. That means it’ll ramp up its suction levels or give areas with tough stains extra attention, ensuring all your floors are as clean as possible after each run.

That makes the X2 Combo a hands-off robot. All you have to do is periodically clean its brushes, empty its dustbin, and monitor its water tanks. Depending on your home, the X2 Combo can go weeks without any manual input.

While the X2 robot vacuum is great, it’s only half of the X2 Combo. The other part is the cordless vacuum and its multiple attachments. This is a pretty standard cordless vacuum, offering a lightweight design and attachments such as a multi-surface brush, crevice tool, and upholstery brush. One minor quirk to be aware of is that the standard floor brush is only available on the X2 Combo Complete (which is slightly more expensive than the X2 Combo). So, if you want a traditional vacuum, you’ll need to throw down more cash for the Complete.

There’s no denying that having both a cordless vacuum and a robot vacuum gives your home a better clean. For example, I often found myself vacuuming furniture or tackling the areas under my dining room table while the robot vacuum handled the rest of my spaces. And since robot vacuums still can’t navigate stairs, I’d use the cordless vacuum to clean all the steps in my home while the robot vacuum was mopping the kitchen.

It’s nice to think that all you need to keep your home clean is a robot vacuum, but that’s simply not the case. There are still plenty of areas even the most robust robot vacuum can’t reach, making a traditional vacuum a necessity for all homes. And with the X2 Combo, you get all that in one nice package.

The cordless vacuum isn’t the most premium on the market, but it works well enough. The best part is that its dustbin is automatically emptied when placed back in the docking station, ensuring your hands stay clean. It also did a decent job of pulling out pet fur and debris from my carpets, though it wasn’t quite as powerful as a standalone cordless vacuum like the Tineco Pure One Station.

There are also only two power settings (Low or High) for the cordless vacuum, and it can’t automatically change its settings based on what its sensors are detecting on your floors. In other words, it’s not nearly as smart as the X2 Omni robot vacuum — but it works well enough that it’s a welcome inclusion in the X2 Combo.

Aside from a robot vacuum and cordless vacuum, Ecovacs packed the X2 Combo with premium features. This includes a built-in voice assistant (Yiko) to carry out tasks without the need for your smartphone, dustbins that’ll hold months of debris before needing a refill, a docking station that cleans the mopping pads with hot water and dries them with warm air, mopping pads that retract when traveling on carpet, and an elongated side brush for enhanced baseboard and crevice cleanings.

The robot vacuum also maxes out at 8,700 Pa of suction — which is a bit less than class leaders but still more than most robot vacuums on the market.

The dock itself is incredibly well designed, with the water reservoirs easily accessible via a door on the top of the unit and a separate docking area for the cordless vacuum. There’s also a compartment for all your vacuum attachments, so you won’t have to store them in a closet or random drawer in your kitchen. If you get the X2 Complete, there’s a clip on the side of the unit to store the floor brush.

Though it’s not the most powerful robot vacuum or cordless vacuum, the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo is a wonderful combination of performance and versatility. The X2 Omni was already a great product, and including a cordless vacuum makes it an all-in-one bundle for all your cleaning needs. The X2 Complete is even more enticing, thanks to the inclusion of the floor brush. Toss in powerful mapping software, impressive obstacle avoidance, and an intuitive mobile app, and you’ve got a cleaning companion that’s ideal for nearly every household.

The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo costs $1,599, while the X2 Complete is $1,699.

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