I just went hands-on with the Ecovacs Deebot X12S
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Credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide
As the joyful caregiver for an 18-pound Long-haired Chihuahua-Dachshund-Miniature Pinscher mix, I know a thing or two about dirty floors. Belvedere, mensch that he is, sheds like a madman. He's also known to be a bit messy when it comes to wolfing down delicacies like raspberries, his favorite treat.
As a result, my partner and I spend countless hours a week vacuuming and swiffering to keep the dog-hair tumbleweeds and sticky floors to a minimum. If only there were a robot that could actually handle cleaning up after my all-time best pal.
Enter: The Ecovacs Deebot X12S OmniCycle.
1. It's a high-power vacuum and wet mop in one
Credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide
I just got my hands on the new Ecovacs Deebot X12S OmniCycle robot vacuum at the IFA show in Berlin , and dear readers, I am floored (some pun intended) by all its features and specs.
It's been nearly a decade since I seriously considered purchasing a robot vacuum to assist around the house, and now I'm questioning why; they've really come a long way!
Make no mistake: the Deebot X12S OmniCycle is Ecovacs' creme de la creme of consumer robot vacuums, but it's honestly so much more than that. Sure, it's got enough power to suck a bad joke right out of the air (or 27,000 Pa of suction), but it's also a full-blown, automated wet mop with automatic spray action.
Translation: the grime on your hardwood floors and carpets stands no chance against this bad boy. For sticky messes, built-in sprayers soak down the gunk, while a plush, wet/dry roller underneath soaks up all the nastiness, leaving a floor so shiny, you'll be seeing your own reflection.
2. Auto-cleaning eliminates the 'yuck' factor
Credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide
But wait, a robot vacuum that doubles as a robot mop must require all sorts of regular maintenance? No, sir. Ecovacs sells a couple of different docks for the X12S, but all of them feature a thorough auto-clean function that uses pressure washing to thoroughly sanitize the robot's roller and other mopping components.
3. Rapid-charging limits cleaning downtime
Credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide
Need a lot of rooms cleaned? No problem. The Ecovacs Deebot X12S OmniCycle supports rapid charging while docked. So, in the five or so minutes it takes to run the mop auto-clean function, your robot vac is also topping up the battery to power ahead cleaning the next room.
Moreover, thanks to rapid charging, the Ecovacs Deebot X12S OmniCycle sports a less bulky battery than the robot vacuums of yore, while also being able to clean more rooms back-to-back.
4. Extra attention for edges and baseboards
Credit: Dan Bracaglia/Tom's Guide
I'm a bit of a neat freak, and scuzzy baseboards are my Achilles' heel. Fortunately, the Ecovacs Deebot X12S OmniCycle is designed to pay particular attention to baseboards and floor/carpet edges. But how? An admittedly cute yet highly effective little sweeper arm uses onboard sensors to determine where the floor ends and then scoops any/all debris into the robot's suction mouth as it makes its rounds.
Will the Ecovacs Deebot X12S be Belvedere-approved?
Credit: Dan Bracaglia
Ultimately, there's only one way to know for sure whether or not Ecovacs' latest 2-in-1 robot vacuum will actually be up to the task of tidying up after my rambunctious lil furry monster.
With that in mind, stay tuned for my full Ecovacs Deebot X12S review, coming soon.
