As someone who loves reviewing and testing robot vacuums, the latest announcements from Dyson and Ecovacs have left me going “woah”.
I can’t help but notice the similarities between the new Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai and the Ecovacs Deebot X11 OmniCyclone. Both docks feature a clear cylinder with a “cyclone” bin where dirt gets spun and stored. A clear bin is an improvement that’s been a long time coming, so it’s no surprise to see this happening.
But using centrifugal force to separate and filter dust? That’s long been Dyson’s modus operandi, so it’s a surprise to see Ecovacs also using it. Mind you, I’m not implying anything. Dyson’s cyclone cleaners have been in the market for a while now, and other vacuum cleaners also use this technology. Patents could have likely expired, too, especially in China.
Both docks also feature mopping and hot air drying, but that’s been a pretty standard feature for higher-end robot vacuums for a while now. It’s actually the robot vacuums themselves that have my eyebrows raised — both sport a similar extendable mopping bar that pops out to clean edges.
Of course, that’s also not a new design, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav already has an extendable brush, while mops that extend out from under the vacuum aren’t exactly new. And there’s also that silly mechanical arm of the Roborock Saros Z70. But it’s a matter of design refinement and iteration, so it’s interesting to see that both brands have launched something very similar to each other at the same time.
I’m not implying anything. Both brands have been in the game for a while now, so it’s likely that the solutions were in the works for some time — these are pretty obvious and logical upgrades. Since this is Dyson’s first wet-and-dry robot vacuum, it’s no surprise that it’s pulling out all the stops. It’s just a shame that Ecovacs is already going to market with similar features, while Dyson is still in the “sign up for updates” phase.
At the end of the day, it will boil down to execution: Which robot vacuum has less issues with cleaning, does a better job of self-cleaning, or even navigating the home and avoiding obstacles (or animal poo).
I look forward to putting both to the test if and when we get our hands on them.