Ecovacs Deebot X11 Omnicyclone review: A good robot vacuum that’s not without its quirks

Ecovacs’ latest robot vacuum, the Deebot X11 Omnicyclone, is arguably its most daring model yet.

Out of the box, the Deebot X11 immediately exudes a premium vibe, thanks to its minimalist charcoal finish and subtle metallic accents that keep things classy rather than loud. The robot feels solid and well put together, with no squeaky panels or flimsy parts that betray the asking price (more on this later). At roughly 35cm wide and just under 10cm tall, it can comfortably glide under most sofas and TV consoles too. But it’s the docking station that will grab your attention the most: a tall and sturdy base featuring a slick flat-front facade, with a see-through bagless cyclone system.

The omnicyclone system is where the Deebot X11 gets its name, because unlike other contemporary docking stations, it doesn’t rely on disposable dust bags that you have to replace when full. Instead, you simply remove and empty the internal chamber – the same style you’d find on most modern stick vacuums. It’s straightforward, and you could argue it’s more eco-friendly than routinely buying and throwing away dust bags. The trade-off is that you’ll be emptying the dust chamber a little more often, and if you forget, the sight of dust and hair piling up behind that semi-transparent panel isn’t exactly a mood-booster. But that said, in a sea of lookalike robot units and docking stations, the Deebot X11 is a refreshing breath of air.

Beyond dust handling, the base station also takes charge of mop maintenance – as you would expect of a flagship model. Like those that we have seen from competing brands Dreame and Mova, the Deebot X11 also automatically washes the roller mop with hot water after each job and then dries it with heated air. In short, this Ecovacs docking station does everything you would expect from a top-of-the-line robot vacuum in 2025 and there’s very little to complain about – although I think I’d agree with a couple of my fellow editors that the look can be a little divisive.

What about the robot unit? Let’s read on.

Vacuuming and mopping

Once the Deebot X11 started its first cleaning run, it didn’t waste time trying to figure things out. It mapped my entire five-room layout quickly, then got straight to work – hugging walls neatly and avoiding my purposely laid shoes and small parcels on the floor. Dust streaks that usually reappear within hours? Gone. Potato chip crumbs (yes, guilty) from a late-night snack? Quietly erased. Ecovacs has been bragging about its new Blast motor system that supposedly keeps noise down while pushing suction up to 19,500Pa. And to be fair, the Deebot X11 does sound quieter than most of the robots I’ve lived with.

Mopping has also been impressive. The roller mop system leaves a noticeably smoother finish on my marble tiles, and in my experience, is more consistent than the recently-reviewed Dreame Aqua 10 Pro Track – that one sometimes leaves dried streaks behind. Corners and skirting edges, however, remain the Achilles’ heel of robot cleaners. Despite its TrueEdge 3.0 system nudging the roller toward walls and below some furniture, those tight spots still need a bit of manual attention. But overall, the coverage feels satisfying – my floors genuinely look and feel clean after each run.

Still, not everything is routine and polished. The X11 struggled with the short step between my living room and kitchen floor, repeatedly tipping forward and getting stuck – something I haven’t encountered with earlier robots that I’ve reviewed. To be fair, my unit was an early sample, so a firmware update may smooth that behaviour out later. But for now, this is something worth noting if your home has height differences or older apartment thresholds.

But if I have to be utterly nit-picky, then I find Ecovacs app to have a lot of room for improvements. While its interface is intuitive and straightforward, the Deebot X11 and the app do require your attention after the first mapping. In my case, it didn’t do a great job in figuring out where my rooms, doors and walls were – I had to edit the map to fix those errors, add labels, and so on. Of course, this isn’t uncommon but I’ve found Dreame (and even Mova) to do a better job at this.

Final thoughts

When I look back on my time with the Deebot X11 Omnicyclone, I’m mostly convinced Ecovacs has built a robot vacuum that genuinely lightens the mental load of cleaning. It handled the bulk of the daily upkeep so well that I barely needed to think about the state of my floors – and that’s arguably the best compliment you can give a robot vacuum.

That said, every machine has its trade-offs and the Deebot X11 is no different. For one, its S$1,699 price tag puts it firmly in premium territory. And unlike its closest competitor today, the Dreame Aqua 10 Pro Track that I reviewed recently, Ecovacs doesn’t bundle many spare parts in the box: just one side brush and no replacement mops. You don’t even get a bottle of cleaning solution to test its full mop-washing potential straight away. These are small but real additions you’ll eventually have to pay for.

Speaking of the side brush, Ecovacs’ odd two-arm design is still a bit of a head-scratcher. It worked fine in day-to-day cleaning, but I can’t shake the feeling that a more traditional spread would reach edges better. Maybe there’s engineering logic here – but visually, it does feel like the robot is missing a limb.

I’m also obligated to mention that the X11 struggled with the very short step between my living room and kitchen floor. It repeatedly tipped forward and needed rescuing, something I haven’t encountered with other robot vacuum models I’ve tested. If your home has uneven flooring, raised balcony tracks or older HDB thresholds, this is a caveat worth noting.

But once I weigh those frustrations against what the X11 does well – consistent cleaning, a quieter vacuum motor, that bagless Omnicyclone base that reduces maintenance, and mopping that keeps tiles feeling clean – the overall experience is still a positive one. Sure, it didn’t transform my home but it did keep it clean quietly, predictably, and without turning my weekend into “chore catch-up day”. And that’s exactly the kind of improvement should be looking out for with a robot vacuum.

So is it worth the money? Well, if you live in a typical Singapore apartment with mixed flooring and constant foot traffic – pets, kids, balcony dust, spills – and you value convenience above all else, the Deebot X11 Omnicyclone earns its place. But if your home has tricky thresholds or you want maximum cleaning headroom for a slightly lower price, the Aqua 10 Pro Track (now going for S$1,599) remains a strong alternative.

The Ecovacs Deebot X11 Omnicyclone is now available for $1,699. Click here to buy.