The Ecovacs X2 Combo is one part robot vacuum, one part stick

The Deebot X2 Combo from Ecovacs takes all the power and performance of the X2 Omni robot vacuum and adds a versatile stick vacuum with some of the same quality of life features we find in robots.

Build & Design

The X2 Combo is a new step for the robotic vacuum cleaner. We’ve seen other companies make stick-powered vacuums close to freestanding ones, but usually nothing like this.

At first glance, the X2 Combo setup looks like a standard robot vacuum base station. The X2 Omni – which is a robot vacuum in itself – sits inside the station, complete with automatic emptying features for both water and dust.

However, the base right brings more value than the previous models. Inside the docking station, the handheld unit is secured. Underneath, attachments are kept away, and on the side sits an extender attached to a standard roller brush. Essentially, the base station of the X2 Combo is a do-it-all unit with a full stick vacuum attached next to the X2 Omni itself.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

What’s different about this is the ease of setup and functionality it offers. Where the handheld unit sits is actually a separate docking port that will automatically charge the unit and empty its dust bin when it’s reconnected. The dust collection system uses the same bag as the X2 Omni, which reduces the load when maintaining the station, although it increases the frequency depending on how much you manually clean.

The overall build quality is very similar to that offered by the X2 Omni. We have a full review of that space, which is worth reading for more details on the Ecovacs X2 Combo. Actually, Ecovacs just attached a second dock to the base station of the X2 Omni and added automatic shut-off features for the second station, which I can’t complain about.

Working

The X2 Combo is a great idea, and it’s honestly pretty well done. By its very nature, the X2 Omni has limitations in various situations. It’s self-contained, so it won’t get everywhere on the first or second run. Anything that blocks its way in the frame run will inevitably be missed in the second run, and so on.

Where the stick vacuum comes in is where the X2 Omni falls. It’s very easy to pull the handheld stick vacuum unit out of the dock and attach any tool you need, whether it’s a floor brush or an upholstery brush.

With the trigger tap, the vacuum moves – slowly at first and then at a faster speed. There are two modes for different situations, or I left the handheld vacuum on the strongest setting while I was using it. There’s a lot to like about the Ecovacs X2 Combo handheld vacuum unit. It is easy to use, picks up dust and debris easily, and is very easy to remove.

My only complaint is that I wish the vacuum was stronger. The other stick vacuums I own don’t really blow the market in terms of power, but they can kick up dust from the floor with more violence than the handheld X2 Combo. I think the X2 Combo shines on hard flooring, and there’s no doubt it won’t leave a mark on laminate or hardwood floors. But for carpet, I don’t think it provides the power needed to clean properly.

That helps keep the battery going for a while, though. While testing, I never once stopped cleaning to charge the handheld unit. It just runs out of power until I’m ready to put it back on the charger. That process doesn’t involve battery swapping or any hardware manipulation, which I’m always grateful for.

Related: Ecovacs X2 Omni is a new heavy duty cleaning robot

Now, the X2 Omni is the one pulling most of the load. We’ve covered this space before, and we’ll hit the highlights again. The X2 Omni vacuum has an efficient and powerful AIVI 3D 2.0 scanning system and dual-LiDAR that identifies boundaries and objects with incredible accuracy. With that, it moves around your home and furniture rather effortlessly and takes care of most of the cleaning.

Inside, it can hit a suction rating of 8,700Pa, which is enough to keep even medium and high carpets clean. If you have mixed flooring in your home, the X2 Omni also features self-lifting mops that can cut through thick carpeted areas. If it finds hard flooring, it will lower the pads and start scrubbing.

The app that controls the X2 Omni is amazing and has gotten better since we last updated it. New presets allow you to set certain conditions in your home and trigger them with a single tap. Those preset functions also allow you to have the X2 Omni vacuum first and then run back around and ride, which removes one of the biggest issues I had with previous models where the only option for both mopping and cleaning was to have the bot do both at once, which I never found useful.

As for the mopping performance, I think Ecovacs uses the best method with two rotating pads and a small water reservoir. It doesn’t need to be refilled, and it does a great job of covering the whole area. It’s also important to note that it doesn’t seem to drag like some vacuums do when mopping. The X2 Omni is literally built like a tank.

The X2 Combo also integrates with Google Home in the same way that the X2 Omni does. You can control whether the vacuum is working or not and dock it to the Google Home app. A handheld vacuum doesn’t offer any smart controls because it’s pretty much manual in nature.

But as good as the X2 Omni is, it tends to miss some spots here and there for various reasons. This is where the flexibility of the Ecovacs X2 Combo comes in because I was able to quickly release the vacuum from its channel and quickly hit any spots I missed. Or, if I feel like really cleaning, I let the X2 Omni do its thing while I lightly hit hard-to-reach areas, like sofas and chairs, and even curtains.

The handheld vacuum comes with one of the best upholstery attachments I’ve ever used. It actually creates suction rather than relying solely on the brush to do the job. As another nice touch, the portable vacuum uses filters that are held in place magnetically, making maintenance very easy. The other two nozzles work as expected, and one has a retractable brush attachment for more flexibility.

Final thoughts

Essentially, the X2 Combo is simply a modified X2 Omni with an additional stick vacuum placed next to the primary channel. In fact, that is not at all a negative. Ecovacs retails the X2 Combo for $1,599 without the stick attachment, which may be a better match if you just need to reach hard-to-reach areas. The added function of the stick vacuum is nice, but it still comes with a nice pen for a total of $1,699.

In my opinion, the X2 Omni is still one of the top robotic enclosures on the market. Adding a handheld vacuum to the unit and creating a combination addresses many of the problems I’ve had with robot vacuums, which I think are a product of their limited capabilities. A handheld vacuum addresses that concern and adds very little effort on the part of the user, which is a win in my book.