INTRODUCTION

   Unlike most people i don't really enjoy going through the summer season, not only because i hate sweating all the time (temperatures here surpass 40 degrees Celsius quite often) but also due to excessive pet hair and when you have 4 pets at home like i do well this is a very serious issue. Luckily thanks to devices like cordless and robot vacuums things have improved considerably lately to a point where i spend less than half the time i used to in the past cleaning. Still if there's one constant in this industry it's that technology keeps moving forward and so I’m always interested in using and testing such advanced devices out, devices like the latest RoboVac X8 Hybrid Robotic Vacuum Cleaner by eufy which arrived in the lab a few weeks back.

   eufy’s motto of “Smart Home Simplified” is what drives us to build easy-to-use smart home devices and appliances that are designed to enhance your life. From laser-guided robotic vacuum cleaners to wireless security systems, every eufy product is developed using cutting-edge technologies and is designed for your convenience. eufy is developing a new generation of connected devices and appliances that work seamlessly together to simplify the complete smart home experience. eufy is part of Anker Innovations, one of the leading and most trusted consumer electronics brands in America.

   As expected, the RoboVac X800 Hybrid by eufy is based on LDS (laser distance sensor) navigation paired with SLAM algorithms for optimal 360 degree scanning, real time mapping and object collision avoidance (iPath laser navigation). Needless to say, eufy has equipped the RoboVac X8 Hybrid with the typical pressure, anti-fall, anti-collision and edge-cleaning sensors but unlike their competition they've used not one but two motors/turbines (one on each side) each of which can produce suction power of up to 2000Pa thus providing up to 80% higher airflow and 57% better cleaning results (especially in regards to pet hair, according always to eufy). Under the hood of the X8 Hybrid we also find an 5200mAh lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack (which can power the RoboVac X800 Hybrid for up to 180 minutes) and as for extras well here we get an 400ml dust bin (according to eufy this is the equivalent of an 830ml dust bin due to compression technology), 250ml water tank, HEPA filter and WiFi 2.4GHz connectivity for remote control and compatibility with Google Assistant and Alexa. Of course, via the eufy clan Android/iOS app you can control all aspects of the RoboVac X8 Hybrid (including auto-clean, spot-clean, manual control, zone cleaning, virtual wall, scheduling, restricted area and more). As for warranty eufy covers their entire RoboVac line with a 1-year limited warranty.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

Eufy uses a black box to ship the X8 Hybrid inside which as expected has their logo at the front right over a product picture and the main product features.

3 pictures at the rear of the box are used to showcase the main features in 8 languages (the bundle contents are also listed here along with contact information for eufy).

Once you open the box, you'll find another piece of cardboard over the vacuum and the clear plastic waterproof pad on the other side.

So aside the waterproof pad (which eufy recommends attaching to the charging base) and the RoboVac X8 Hybrid inside the box you'll also find the charging base, water tank with washable mopping cloth mounted, several disposable mopping cloths, HEPA filter, side brush, 5 cable ties, warranty information paper, quick start guide and the user manual.

THE ROBOVAC X8 HYBRID

The RoboVac X8 Hybrid measures 345mm in diameter and 97.2mm in height.

Typically, at the top we find the LDS sensor, navigation buttons (return to base, on/off start cleaning and spot cleaning) and a Wi-Fi activity LED.

Around the RoboVac X8 Hybrid we find a laser sensor, two air exhausts for the dual turbines and the 400ml dust bin.

This dust bin is considerably smaller compared to what we've seen from other robot vacuum models but thanks to a compression method eufy claims it's interior is 127% larger.

Turning the RoboVac X8 Hybrid over we find two rubber wheels, main brush, 4 cliff sensors, side brush, charging contacts and the omni-directional wheel.

In terms of quality the main brush is good, not quite the best I’ve seen to date but very good.

The 250ml water tank of the X8 Hybrid is somewhat small but it did a relatively good job during my tests.

The black matte and glossy charging base is more or less what most robot vacuums get shipped with.

EUFY CLEAN APP

As with most smartphone apps you will first need to select the robot vacuum model from a list.

The main app tab shows all your registered eufy devices (just the RoboVac X8 Hybrid in this case) and their current status.

As usual the app also searches for available firmware updates once you start using it.

Aside the 4 different suction levels the X8 Hybrid also has an automatic mode called BoostIQ.

It will take a couple of runs for the X8 Hybrid to create a 3D map of your home but the end result is well worth it.

Of course, from the main tab you can select specific rooms, zones and specific spots for the X8 Hybrid to clean.

The same goes for no go zones, virtual boundaries/walls and no mop zones.

Another feature that older models don't have is the ability for the robot vacuum to store more than just one 3D map.

From within the settings tab, you can manage the maps, schedule cleaning times, send the vacuum to clean a specific area/spot, use manual mode, check the cleaning history, share control of the vacuum with other people, use the continue cleaning and do not disturb modes, change the voice language and adjust the volume and finally you can also check the state/wear of the accessories.

TEST RESULTS

Robot Vacuums may be home appliances but they are very advanced ones so I thought about running some tests like I do with most electronic devices. So here you can see the maximum cleaned area during all tests (single pass, start to finish), total battery life (in quiet - standard/balanced - strong/max modes) and noise levels again in quiet - standard/balanced - strong/max suction modes.

CONCLUSION

   The RoboVac X8 Hybrid is the very first product by eufy to arrive in the lab and if it’s representative of their products I’m very curious to see what else finds its way here. Performance is solid across the board so I really have no complaints from the X8 Hybrid, not serious ones anyways. The dual turbines work great (still each turbine delivers 2000Pa suction so vacuums with higher suction could in some scenarios perform better) without adding extra noise and in terms of battery life the 174 minutes maximum recorded comes very close to the advertised number (180 minutes). The single side brush works well too although I have to admit that I’ve always favoured dual side brush models more (seem to clean better). The somewhat small dust bin had me worried initially but eufy seems to be more or less correct. Now I don’t know if this 400ml dust bin can fit the exact amount they claim but it did compete with other models that feature 600ml dust bins.

   So how much for the eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid? Well, currently the RoboVac X8 Hybrid retails for USD549.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 498Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which is clearly set slightly higher than what I was expecting. Yes, the addition of a second turbine helps quite a bit but isn’t really a game changer (if these were 4000Pa turbines it would be a different story) while the small water tank may not be enough to cover large areas (still the same applies for many other robot vacuum models so it’s not just eufy). Price aside however I’m very satisfied with the performance of the RoboVac X8 Hybrid and for that it gets the Golden Award.

PROS

- Very Good Build Quality
- Size / Height
- Dual Turbines (2000Pa / 2000Pa)
- Good Battery Life
- Object Avoidance Performance
- eufy Clean App

CONS

- Single Side Brush
- Water Tank Capacity (250ml)
- Charging Base Size (Vacuum Is Exposed)