Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo review: All-in-one cleaning powerhouse

In October 2023, we reviewed the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni, one of the most advanced robot vacuums on the market. Despite a high price tag, it offers comprehensive cleaning, especially thanks to hot water mop washing. However, given the Deebot X2 is a robot vacuum, it naturally can’t clean over baseboards, counter tops, and upholstery. To care for these surfaces, you still require a regular vacuum, ideally a handheld stick vacuum.

To address this paradigm, Ecovacs developed a two-in-one solution: the Deebot X2 Combo. This combination of the regular Deebot X2 Omni and a handheld vacuum that empties itself using a single base station features a retractable drawer to store the accessories, making the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo a cleaning powerhouse. Let’s see how it performs daily and whether a single appliance can actually replace two separate ones.

Price and availability

Expensive, but it’s two devices in one

The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo costs a whopping $1,600, making it a particularly expensive product. However, considering it’s a two-in-one device, it’s worth considering, especially since it empties itself using the same station, saving space and bags. It’s available on Amazon and directly from Ecovacs.

What’s good about the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo?

All-in-one convenience that makes cleaning a breeze

One of the main advantages of the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo is the convenience it offers, combining two appliances into one. The robot itself offers excellent cleaning results, both when vacuuming and mopping, especially thanks to hot water mop washing. It can rid floors of dirt and debris, as well as tough and dried stains.

The Deebot X2 also features a relatively unique design. Its square shape and lack of a LiDAR dome allow it to slide more easily under low furniture and supposedly clean corners effectively — but we’ll address this later.

In addition, the handheld unit is particularly convenient for vacuuming everywhere the robot can’t go, thanks to the three accessories that come in the box. These include a two-in-one flat brush, a crevice tool, as well as a mini brush. They make cleaning most surfaces a breeze, including baseboards, corners, couches, car seats, and more. The hand vacuum is light and easy to handle, making it easy to grab and vacuum small areas. Ecovacs plans to sell an additional accessory with a floor tool, allowing the X2 Combo to fully replace a stick vacuum.

The robot and hand vacuum are automatically emptied into the station’s dust bag, making maintenance easy. After using the hand vacuum for more than 30 seconds, you only need to place it back for it to be automatically emptied without having to care for it manually. The same goes for the robot, as the dock automatically washes and dries the mop. The only maintenance you have to do is refill and empty the water tanks and clean the baseplate once in a while.

Another feature I liked about the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo is its built-in Yiko assistant, which allows you to control it without using the app or going through smart speakers at home. Sadly, it often had trouble understanding my commands, making it a bit less useful.

What’s bad about the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo?

Besides offering added convenience, the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo has shortcomings. The main one is that the robot is slightly behind in terms of technology compared to the latest models from the competition. Indeed, despite its innovative square design, it lacks the capability to extend its mop pads or side brush, making it harder to clean alongside baseboards and reach corners.

Similarly, the dock doesn’t come with a built-in detergent tank, forcing you to manually add detergent to the water tank each time you refill it. Also, I’ve found it struggles with obstacle detection and navigation. It’s been stuck several times during my tests, either getting trapped in wires and cables it didn’t detect or roaming around aimlessly, looking for the base station. I’ve noticed entire areas it missed, with no obvious obstacles blocking its path.

Similarly, while functional, the app falls short of competitors, offering fewer options and a less intuitive interface. Also, although it’s possible to access the live camera feed, the robot doesn’t plot obstacles on the camera, making the feature less useful.

And despite its particularly high price, Ecovacs doesn’t include a regular floor tool, which is sold separately. This is a pity, as shipping it as standard would have fully made it a candidate to replace both a robot vacuum and a stick one.

Lastly, and this comes down to personal preference, the dock is massive and very noticeable, albeit elegant. It’s definitely not something you want to feature in the middle of your living room, but given its impressive dimensions, it also has to fit somewhere.

Should you buy it?

In the few weeks I’ve used the X2 Combo, I’ve found myself using the handheld vacuum a lot more often than my Roborock Dyad Pro Combo, mostly because it’s very easy to use and convenient for a quick clean. The robot itself also provides great cleaning results, both when vacuuming and mopping. However, it’s a bit behind when it comes to cleaning corners compared to the competition, and its navigation and obstacle avoidance are truly disappointing.

If you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, and don’t have cables or obstacles lying on the floor, it’s definitely a great solution, despite its expensive price. The added convenience the hand vacuum brings is a plus, especially considering you don’t have to empty the dust bin since the dock takes care of that for you.

However, given some of the drawbacks, you have to gauge whether it’s best to buy a stick vacuum and robovac separately or an all-in-one device that’s not perfect, but provides the added convenience of a single dock and minimizes maintenance. Alternatively, you can also buy a robot vacuum and a two-in-one device like the Roborock Dyad Pro Combo to vacuum and clean your floors using a single appliance.