A robot vacuum that mops, too? This CES 2022 gadget sounds promising

This story is part of CES, where CNET covers the latest news on the most incredible tech coming soon.

A robot vacuum that can also mop floors on demand? Many products have tried to combine these two activities over the years. However, none have successfully merged both features into a truly convenient all-in-one solution. At CES 2022, Ecovacs plans to change that with its new $1,549 Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni.

As a modern robot vacuum, the Omni is designed to run completely hands-free. This sophisticated robotic cleaner removes solid dirt and debris from the floor, and then when finished, it returns to its dock for servicing, where its dustbin is automatically emptied. The Omni is equipped with dual spinning mop heads that the company says rotate at 180 revolutions per minute. 

What’s more, the Omni’s docking station washes and dries the fabric mop heads. Along with a dust bag to capture solid dirt, the dock has two tanks, one for clean water and another for dirty water. If running low on water, the Omni’s dock will replenish it with its on-board water reservoir.

Sounds promising. This might just make the Deebot X1 Omni the first genuine set-and-forget vacuum-mop combo. Other machines have come close, such as the innovative Narwal T10. But while that one can clean its own mop pads, you have to manually remove its mopping attachment in order to vacuum. If that human intervention isn’t required with the Deebot X1 Omni, then it’ll be a big leap forward in automatic floor cleaning.

The Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni at a glance

• $1,549
• Available March 2022
• Automatic emptying dustbin
• Automatic washing and drying of mop heads
• Automatic floor mapping
• App connection and control