If you’ve been holding out on a robovac because of your mixed flooring and lacklustre mop performance from other models, the Ecovacs Deebot X12S OmniCyclone is the solution to your problems. It’s Ecovacs’ latest flagship model, and it’s designed to tackle both hard flooring and carpet with equally outstanding performance.
After a couple of weeks of living with it, it’s safe to say that this is one of the best-performing and most polished robovacs we’ve reviewed this year.
The X12S OmniCyclone features a longer Ozmo Roller mop, powerful suction, and careful navigation that ensures it doesn’t bump too hard into furniture and obstacles. The dock is a bagless system that cuts down on consumables and provides easy emptying.
Overall Rating: 5 / 5
Pros
- Exceptional mopping performance; picks up stains other robots miss
- Deliberate navigation and obstacle avoidance
- Quiet operation even with strong suction
Cons
- Premium performance comes with a premium price
- Initial mapping may need manual correction
- Vacuum-only runs needed before it identifies flooring
Price: $2999 RRP | For households with mixed surfaces wanting excellent hands-off cleaning
Setup & First Impressions
Ecovacs’ setup process is about as effortless as it gets. It’s a matter of scanning the QR code with the ECOVACSHOME app, following the prompts, and allowing the robot to map your home.
During the mapping process and initial runs, it’s best to leave the robot in vacuum-only mode while it figures out your flooring materials.
In the box, there’s a generous set of spare parts: five side brushes, three main brushes, four filter sets, a spare mop roller, and detergent to keep the robot running for quite a while before you need an accessories refill.
My immediate impression is that the build quality is great. It’s a weighty unit made of attractive and premium materials, making it feel like it earns its high-end positioning.
Design & Aesthetics
The Deebot X12S OmniCyclone and its dock are made of a premium textured plastic with a gunmetal silver finish and black accents.
The dock footprint is not too large, though it’s slightly bigger than other models we’ve had on the site. It’s noticeably thicker from the wall to the front of the unit, allowing it to house generous water receptacles and the bagless debris canister.
The robot itself houses its navigation sensors in the front rather than in a turret on the top, allowing it to more easily fit under furniture without getting stuck.
Life With the Ecovacs Deebot X12S OmniCyclone
While it’s running, the Deebot X12S OmniCyclone doesn’t need any intervention from you. As long as you’ve done the typical robot-proofing, like moving loose obstacles out of the way, it shouldn’t get stuck.
Throughout my testing, I have felt confident setting it off remotely and not worrying about it. It’s nice to come back to a clean home without any effort on your part.
Positives
Mopping performance has been one of the biggest highlights throughout testing. The X12S OmniCyclone has been able to pick up stains that would be left behind by other robots. The large Ozmo Roller system on this model provides strong downward pressure and scrubbing that lifts stains easily.
The X12S OmniCyclone can spray detergent ahead of itself to help dissolve and lift stuck-on stains like coffee and sauce.
Another impressive point is how the X12S negotiates obstacles as it drives around the home. It carefully approaches walls and furniture, slowing down as it nears them so as not to bump them. I’ve tested its avoidance with cables, loose clothes, and other objects, and it has avoided them well.
Negatives
The only issues I’ve had with the X12S OmniCyclone were during the first few runs as it was figuring out the house layout. Like many other models I’ve tested, it’s easily tricked by floor-length mirrors. The robot sees these as an extension of the room and occasionally tries to drive through them.
After a few runs, these were accurately marked as obstacles, but a quicker method to deal with the issue is by manually editing the home map. For my apartment, this took about five minutes of setting up no-go zones.
During these initial runs, the robot avoided my area rug as well, but eventually it decided to start cleaning it and has continued to do so since.
Performance & Reliability
With a premium robovac comes premium performance, and the X12S OmniCyclone is no slouch. Its pickup is strong on hard floors and carpet alike with minimal dust left behind, and its mopping performance is among the best we’ve seen this year.
Ecovacs’ Ozmo Roller 3.0 system on this model reaches 27 centimetres, making it 50 percent longer than the prior generation. It washes itself continuously throughout the clean to prevent dragging stains around.
Coverage has long been Ecovacs’ strong point, and the X12S OmniCyclone follows room boundaries closely to deliver close cleaning along skirting boards.
Practical Considerations
During a cleaning run when the robot is set to ‘strong’ suction power (the third-strongest out of four settings), noise levels remain fairly low. I was able to continue watching TV without missing anything or needing subtitles.
The X12S uses a bagless canister that’s reminiscent of Dyson stick vac designs. You can pull the canister off the dock, carry it to a bin, and use the ejection lever to shove waste out of the canister. Unfortunately, it’s also prone to the same issue as Dyson designs: dust can escape back into the air whilst you’re emptying the can. For the most hygienic emptying, it’s cleanest to dispose of debris outside the home.
The ECOVACSHOME app is responsive and easy to use. It’s simple to customise your cleaning modes, edit the map, and check on the robot’s status. Among the cleaning modes, Agent Hosting Mode uses onboard AI to automatically adjust cleaning settings based on your home conditions. It takes into account how long it has been since the last clean, rooms that might need more attention, and surface materials.
Value & Alternatives
At its RRP of $2999, the Deebot X12S OmniCyclone sits well into the premium end of the Australian robovac market.
Roborock’s new flagship Saros 20 comes in at the same RRP and edges it out on suction power on paper, but its spinning mop pad design consistently performs worse than self-washing roller models in my experience.
The Roborock Qrevo Edge 2 comes in at a lower price point at $2199 RRP, but can be found cheaper. It carries a dual-mop pad like the Saros 20 and its results don’t quite hold up to the standard set by the X12S, but it’s still decent for vacuum performance.
Would I Buy It With My Own Money?
Yes, without hesitation. It’s been one of the best robovac models we’ve had in for review this year, with a great balance of mopping and vacuum performance. It’s a bit expensive, but it seems to justify its price point with excellent design, ease of use, and great results.
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