Ecovac’s latest top-of-the-line model, the Deebot T20 Omni, arrives with three main new features: It sucks more powerfully than previous Deebot vacuums, it can lift its mops when running over carpets, and it washes the mop heads with hot water for better cleaning results.

Another improvement is that the T20 Omni can vacuum and mop during the same cleaning round, which you couldn’t do with its predecessor, the Deebot T10. The T20 does seem to waste a lot of water, so it takes almost daily effort to refill one of the containers in the docking station with fresh clean water, and of course you have to empty dirty water from the other container. However, the dust bag in the station lasts a long time, and the auto-emptying container works well, although you will need to clean the filter now and then.

I noticed some differences between the T20 Omni and the older T10 as soon as I unpacked the newer robot. The design is largely the same, but the video camera on the front of the T10 is gone. Instead, the T20 robot navigates with LIDAR and laser, among other things. The docking station is quite large but stylish, and does not attract undue attention.

Easy setup

Getting started with the Deebot T20 is no problem. It does take a few minutes to attach the brushes and mops to the vacuum, but then it will happily drive off and start working on the map of your home. If the map isn’t quite right after the first quick mapping, just let it clean a few times and check again.

Once the map is in place, you can name the rooms, merge or divide areas, and add virtual boundaries. You can also set different floor types and the robot should be able to adjust the cleaning accordingly.

This review is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best robot vacuums.

A 3D view lets you add furniture, but it was all a bit cumbersome and the only benefit is that you can ultimately use the built-in voice assistant to tell the robot to “clean under the table in the kitchen”.

App hiccups

When I tested Ecovacs Home, I had some problems adjusting the map of my home in the app. It didn’t initially want to divide areas the way I wanted and the T20 Omni seemed to have some trouble finding all the interior walls.

For example, the mirrored doors in the hallway seemed to trip up the vacuum. It also refused to sense the wall into the bathroom, so I couldn’t set the floor type to be tile in just that room; instead, the app set the whole hallway and kitchen as “tile,” too. But fortunately, the T20 Omni actually got better with every cleaning round it went on.

What did work well (once I have found the right settings) was scheduling a daily cleaning, where I could decide that the T20 should run two laps in the kitchen and only one in other parts of the floor that are usually less dirty. The robot then smoothly took care of itself with little intervention on my part. However, I had to top up the water almost daily.

Smooth navigation

The T20 Omni navigated around several obstacles in my home, including cords on the floor, small toys, and piles of clothes, without any problems. The robot notices when it drives onto carpets and stops mopping, lifting the mop heads up 9 mm to prevent the carpets from getting damp. The T20 Omni can also vacuum and mop in the same cleaning, something its predecessor, the T10, could not do.

The vacuum can be set to provide more powerful suction when on carpets. The suction power is up to 6,000 Pa, which is plenty. Two side brushes effectively whisk dirt to the rubber brush in the center. Inward-facing corners are always a challenge, but the robot has a function where once a week it gives these corners an extra-thorough cleaning, although it’s not as good as if you manually went with your own vacuum cleaner.

What didn’t go well is cleaning my two floors. The robot maps and saves up to three maps, but for the downstairs to be properly cleaned I would have had to carry down the entire docking station with water tanks and all, and I just didn’t want do that. I tried carrying only the robot vacuum cleaner downstairs, but when it wanted to go and wash the mops, I carried it upstairs, and then it finished cleaning and started from scratch when I put it down again.

Ida Blix / Foundry

Self-cleaning mop heads

The great thing about the T20 Omni is that periodically during its cleaning round, it goes back to the station and washes the two round mops with hot water. You can also pour a detergent into the water tank in the docking station, but we haven’t tested that because it’s not included in the box.

The mops get wet and fresh and when the robot has finished cleaning for the day, it goes and dries the mops so they don’t smell. That’s a clear upgrade from other robot vacuum cleaners that have a cloth mounted at the back that you have to handle yourself.

This translated review originally appeared on M3.

Specifications

Model: Deebot T20 Omni
Tested: August 2023
Manufacturer : Ecovacs
Run time: Up to 170 minutes on one charge
Suction power : 6,000 Pa
Battery capacity: 5,200 mAh
Dust container: 300 ml + bag in emptying station (should last up to 2 months)
Hepa filter: Yes
Mapping: Laser
Communication: Wi-Fi
Accompanying app: Yes
Map function: Yes
With room divisions: Yes
Other: Vibrating mop system, detects carpets

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