Robot vacuum leaves my hard floors gleaming and streak free every time
Robot vacuum technology is coming on leaps and bounds at the moment. New features are being added with every launch, but it's hard to find a vacuum that bundles it all into one.
Although the new Eufy X9 Pro does come rather close.
It's a two-in-one "combo" vacuum, which features not only a vacuuming function, but also a built-in mopping function, thanks to two spinning cloth mop heads. That's nothing new, there's a proliferation of combo machines out there now, but the Eufy X9 Pro does take it a stage further. For starters, it builds in a Lidar sensor, a clever bit of technology used in self-driving cars and even Mars robots to scan a surface and create a 3D map of your home.
So if you've ever used or seen a robot vacuum which blindly finds its way around by bumping into things, these new sensors are a game changer. They make mapping your rooms so much easier, and the X9 Pro had created a map, in real time, of my entire downstairs in less than 10 minutes.
Another must-have feature these days is a self-cleaning base station. Some vacuums return to this to empty their waste tank, but the X9 Pro comes back to base is designed to manicure its two mop heads.
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A built-in clean water tank washes the mop heads after use, and then dries them at a temperature of 40C, gathering up any grot in a separate waste water tank.
This base station isn't able to empty the dust container, which is a shame, but it does charge the vacuum after it neatly tucks itself in after a shift.
There's other clever features too. The X9 Pro has a way of lifting its mop heads out of the way if it encounters a tricky surface. So if it encounters a rug, its sensors can see it coming and the two circular pads gently rise out of harm's way.
This means the X9 Pro rarely gets stuck. In my house there are thresholds between some of my rooms that even the poshest of robot vacuums struggle with, but the Eufy charges over them as if they weren't there.
In fact, it's almost problematic. There's a small step up into my conservatory which some robot vacuums will attempt, but get stuck on. The Eufy sees it coming, appears to take a run-up, and just charges over it. Then it gets stuck on the dog bed on the other side and I have to rescue it.
Thankfully, in the smart map you'll find in the excellent Eufy Clean app, you can tell it to ignore parts of your house. Problem solved.
The mopping system is its stand-out feature, especially with that trick cleaning system, and it does a superb job of my mix of hard floors. Because the mop heads are always clean, there's no danger of leaving streaks - you just get a shiny floor every time.
The vacuum function is also strong. It has a 5,500pa suction, which is pretty much as good as it gets, and the smart sensors mean it can target challenging areas, or just do a general sweep.
It's also pretty quiet compared to some of its rivals, and I love the fact it has a non-circular shape, because it's better at getting into corners than the round robots.
Another thing I love about adding the AI to the vacuuming process is the way the robot can recognise obstacles and hazards. Cables, for example, can be the bane of every tech-loving robot-vacuum owner's life, but the Eufy X9 Pro can see them coming, and it'll mark them on the map. Shoes, cushions, pets, you name it. It can identify 28 different objects. Remarkable stuff.
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As you'd expect, the X9 Pro will play nicely with Google and Alexa, and there's lots of in-app controls to help you set up schedules, no-go areas, spot cleans, and even the strength of suction.
I know what you're thinking, all this smart tech will come at a price. And, you'd be right. It's £899.99.
That is certainly a lot of money, but it does compare favourably with the iRobot Combo J7+ which can't clean its own mop head, and doesn't come with Lidar. The J7+ does have a fully retractable mop, that said, and it can empty its own waste container in its charging base.
But I've now tested both side by side and I keep going back to the Eufy for the daily grind, because it just feels more intelligent, having mop heads cleaned for me is a great luxury, and the AI integration means it's far less likely to get stuck on a room divide.
I'm not keen on the tinny, robotic voices you get with the Eufy, and I think iRobot has a better app, but in just about every other way, the Eufy takes the win.
It's a dazzling showcase of how far robot vacuum cleaning tech has come, and quite probably the best one I've ever tested.
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