- Smart Home
CES 2022, an annual expo of all things innovative, brought breakthroughs in many sectors of residential living, from developments in monitoring devices from pets to monolithic multipoint routers. Of course, robotic vacuum cleaners could not be missing. Those much-loved sensitive dust busters that keep our abodes nearly spotless. We compared two models that caught our eye: Roborock S7 Max vs. Ecovacs Deebot X1.
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If you're thinking about nabbing one of these robots when they hit stores, you might be wondering which one is better for you and your home. Well, that's where we come in. In this comparison we take into account criteria such as suction power, battery life and price, to help you decide which one to take home.
ContentsCleanliness and Performance
The S7 MaxV Ultra brings some incredible advancements to Roborock's already solid object avoidance system. The latest technology developed by the company is called Reactive AI 2.0, a combination of 3D mapping and neural processes, and it helps the robot to perform various activities.
For starters, you'll be better able to recognize what to inhale and what not. It's never fun when you have to physically pick up your vacuum while it's trying to suck your laptop charger into your trash can. Reactivate AI 2.0 will make incidents much less likely.
In addition, the Roborock app will now allow homeowners to tell the S7 MaxV which furniture is okay for the robot to vacuum and perform activities like creating no-go zones in each room of the house.
In addition to the incredible suction power of 5,100 Pa (Pascals, Pressure unit), the S7MaxV also has enhancements to floor type recognition, which will allow the vacuum to automatically adjust its power based on the type of surface it is detect. Oh, and let's not forget how much dirt it can accumulate, about seven weeks.
Across the court is the Deebot X1 Omni. With 5,000 Pa suction, the new vacuum combines an AIVI 3.0 camera with TrueDetect 2.0 laser scanning with a super-smart object avoidance and home mapping system (more on that below).
The vacuum is also equipped with TrueMapping 2.0, a type of navigation technology found in some of today's driverless cars.
Equipped with two mop heads that rotate at 180 revolutions per minute and a three-stage filtration system, the Deebot X1 Omni will be smart enough to return to its base when you need an extra load or if you need to deposit dirt and other debris.
Don't forget about the dedicated onboard voice assistant, Yiko. Yes, we're assuming you'll still be able to teach Alexa, the Google Assistant, and Siri to pilot the X1, but it's nice to have built-in AI as a companion for those of us without Alexa in our lives.
With a number of features advertised for both vacuums, it's hard for us to say exactly which unit will clean better right now. For now, we'll call this a tie, but we'll be sure to update once we see both robot vacuums in action.
Winner: Draw
Home Mapping and Navigation
The Roborock S7 MaxV uses 3D scanning and a lidar navigation profile called PreciSense to create customizable maps of your home. This is also what the vacuum will use to pilot the robot around the blueprints it makes. Plus, the onboard camera and live microphone let you see and communicate with pets and family members while you're away from home.
In the Roborock app, users will now be able to view rooms in 3D, 2D and matrix layouts, giving you a better understanding of which areas the vacuum can clean and which places you want it to stay away from.
The Ecovacs Deebot X1 combines mapping and navigation technology for a single hardware/software package called AIVI 3D Tech (a combination of AIVI 3.0 camera and TrueDetect 2.0 laser scanning).
Out of the box, the vacuum will perform a detailed scan of your home, storing these drawn maps in the Ecovacs app, where you can create a custom cleaning schedule, set no-go zones and locate the vacuum along its path cleaning.
At this time, we're giving this category to the Roborock S7 MaxV, primarily because of the mapping and design changes you'll see in the companion app.
Winner: Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra
Cleaning Capabilities
One area where robot vacuums tend to struggle is autonomous mopping. There are a number of vacuums that are equipped with water tanks and disposable mop heads, but when it comes time to mop, the results are often mixed.
Both Roborock and Ecovacs are aware of these shortcomings, including the S7 MaxV and Deebot X1 Omni with some amazing cleaning features. On the S7 side, the new vacuum comes equipped with Roborock's optional vacuum wash fill dock.
This cleaning device is especially good for mopping, as the self-cleaning function automatically scrubs the robotic mop during cleaning after it fixes a mess.
The vacuum is also capable of refilling its own water tank and will be able to clean up to 300 square meters before you need to step in for a manual water fill.
Then there's Ecovacs' take on high-end mops. The Deebot X1 Omni charging base will be equipped with two water tanks: one to deposit dirty water and another to replenish the vacuum cleaner with clean water. The base will also be able to wash and dry vacuum cloth mops.
With great strides in scrubbing for both brands, we're calling this category a tie.
Winner: Draw
Price and Availability
Considering that today's leading robotic vacuums can be quite expensive, it's important to know how much you'll have to pay for an amazing flagship vacuum.
Fair warning: neither Roborock nor Ecovacs are touting modest numbers for their premium robots, although this should be expected in the world of robotic vacuums, with industry-leading iRobot products costing well over a thousand dollars for many years.
Arriving at Amazon in Q2 2022, the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra will retail for $1,399. The Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni will be priced at $1,549 and will hit stores in March 2022.
Winner: Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra
The Verdict
The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra and Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni seem to be changing the game for what we expect from premium robotic vacuums in the future.
Based solely on the specs, it looks like the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra will have a better chance of earning the title of "best vacuum", thanks to its price and some of its additional cleaning and mapping perks. That being said, the Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni may just blow us away once we get down to business.
As soon as we test both vacuums, we'll be sure to report back with our hands-on impressions. Until then, we can only dream of what these cleaning titans will do once they're on, sweeping and mopping.