ECOVACS Robotics - DEEBOT T8 AIVI Vacuum & Mop Robot with Advanced Laser Mapping and AI Object Recognition & Avoidance - Black

Right off the bat, I’ll say that I’m very impressed with the Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI vacuum and mopping robot. It does a superb job of cleaning my entire one-story house. I’ll get back to its performance in a moment. SETUP First, though, is setup. It’s fairly simple. Remove it from the box, remove packing materials, install brushes, which snap into place (the dirt trap and filters are already installed), connect power to the charging station, and place it on the charger to charge. While it's charging, connecting to the robot via the Ecovacs app can be set up. I ran into some minor issues here, but all were easily resolved. First, your phone must be connected to a 2.4 GHz wireless network to use the robot as it can only connect to this type of network. The router in my house puts out a wireless network in both the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands, and the router’s instructions actually tell you to give them both the same name (“network,” say, instead of “network 2.4G" and “network 5G” as you might be inclined to do). My router manual says that this is better than giving them separate names because devices looking to connect will see only one network and will be connected to whichever of the two GHz bands is best suited for that device. But that doesn’t work so well for the robot. My phone sees the network and automatically connects to the 5G version. I cannot tell it to connect to the 2.4G version. The only way I could get this to work was to go into my router settings and give each network a different name. Then I could choose the 2.4 G network directly when connecting my phone. Overall this is not that big a deal as I always connect whatever device I want to connect to my home network to the best network available for it. Anyway, once the network thing was set up, you download the app and go through the setup process. At one point, you connect to the robot by choosing the network you want it to connect to (it sees only 2.4 G networks) and inputting the password. Then it finishes the setup process, and this is where I ran into my second problem. The setup process would not finish and would always end with a message from the robot (it has a voice) saying that “the wireless password is incorrect.” The password was correct, of course, and I could not get past this problem. But while I was fiddling around with the app, a message suddenly popped up saying that a firmware update was available. I installed that without a problem (apparently the phone was able to connect with the robot despite the robot’s voice message), and then everything started to work. The robot was already connected to my phone, and I did not need to go through the setup process again. CONTROL Control of the robot can be done from either the robot itself by pressing the power button or through the phone. Using the button on the robot gives only the most basic of features—a cleaning of your house. With the app, though, you can do much more, such as pre-set a time when cleaning should be done and clean only a section of the house. The app also maintains a record of the cleaning job just completed showing a pretty good map of your house and the paths it took to do the cleaning. If you activate this map while the robot is cleaning, you can follow its progress around the house. Another feature the app gives you is called “video butler.” The robot has a camera on its front, and this can be activated and the robot sent around the house taking video as it goes. You can also take still photos at any time. This feature can be useful as a home security feature as you can drive the robot around while you’re away from home and see what’s going on anywhere in the house (that the robot can go) through the camera. The feature also allows you to see where obstacles you weren’t aware of are impairing the robot’s ability to clean. VACUUMING Getting back to the quality of cleaning itself, which I think is the most important feature of any robotic vacuum, I was impressed with how this cleans compared to an less-expensive robot vacuum we already owned. That unit, which cost about one-fourth of what this Deebot costs, works very well. I don’t want to belittle it. But the differences in how the two operate are interesting. The Deebot takes a much more systematic approach to vacuuming the house, going back and forth in a particular room, as you might actually do yourself with a traditional hand-held floor vacuum, rather than the more random path the cheaper unit uses. The Deebot does a much better job of hugging the walls and going around obstacles. The cheaper unit would encounter an obstacle and then turn to a different, seemingly random direction and take off that way. It would eventually find its way back to finish the job it had started, but the less expensive unit did much more wandering around the house than the Deebot does. The Deebot has a larger dust receptacle, which is very nice for us because it means that I don’t have to stop the unit half-way through the house-cleaning to empty the dust bin and clean brushes and filters as I do with the smaller, less expensive unit. The Deebot cleaned my entire house in one session, covering 969 square feet in 84 minutes. (See the attached screenshot, which also shows a sort-of map of my house and the locations of the charging station—green lightning bolt—and where the unit was at the moment I took the screen shot. At the time of the screenshot, the unit was nearing completion of the job). I cleaned the unit when it was finished so it is ready to go the next time. MOPPING The other big feature of the Deebot is that, in addition to being a vacuum cleaner, it is also a mop. It has a water reservoir and both washable cloth and disposable paper mop heads. The washable head can be removed and run through your washer, and the box includes several one-use-only paper mop heads. You can, of course, buy more. I’ve used the washable cloth head. The mop head attaches to the bottom of the water reservoir at the rear of the unit. You put water in the reservoir (the manual recommends purified or softened water—the water in my house is softened, so I used it straight out of the tap), making sure to tilt the reservoir back and forth as you fill to get water into all of the compartments, put the reservoir back in the unit, and start ‘er up. The unit knows that there is water in the reservoir, and the app displays “mopping” as the status of the unit. It then proceeds around the house the way it would if it were vacuuming. So how well does it actually mop? It’s certainly not the kind of true, swish-swish back-and-forth with a real mop. Rather, it’s more like dragging a wet rag around the floor. So it’s good for a light wiping with a damp rag, but if you have some serious dried spills or whatever, you’ll want to go at them first with real mop or wet rag or whatever you normally use to clean spills. The mop on the Deebot is more, as I said, a light wiping with a damp rag. But this kind of cleaning does have its place as the floor (our house is all tile floors) does look and feel cleaner overall when the unit finishes, and I certainly don' t mind not having to push a mop around. Another thing about having a robot to do the mopping for you is that you are more likely to mop (or have the floor mopped) more often, so a light mopping more often can be about as effective as a more serious, manual mopping done less often. One thing to note. As I mentioned, my house has all-tile floors. The Deebot can be used in vacuuming mode in houses with carpeted floors, but I was not able to test this. If in mopping mode, the unit will stay off of any carpeted surfaces. IMPRESSION You can certainly clean your house with a less expensive robot if you don’t mind giving it a little more care and feeding as it goes and if you can accept a little less efficiency in cleaning in tight spaces. The Deebot Ozmo T8, on the other hand, definitely does give you more than a less-expensive robot vacuum. These include a larger dust collection bin, a better ability to hug the walls, go around furniture, and so forth, a camera with home security features, mopping capability, and an app for your phone that gives access to a variety of interesting and useful features. I recommend it.

Our family has had two other brands of robot vacuums, but none with all of the features offered by the Deebot OZMO T8 AIVI. One’s first impression upon opening the box is that this robot vacuum is the nicest looking of any we have had. The matte black color and smooth, metallic finish make this vacuum blend with other finishes in one’s home as opposed to those that offer less appealing materials or colors. Ecovacs includes an easy to follow “cheat sheet” for setting up the T8. One basically has to remove the protectors, install the side brushes, set up the docking station and place the Deebot on the docking station and power on. A QR code is provided to download the Ecovacs Home app to complete set up. Simply use the in-app scanner to scan the QR code on the vacuum itself or the one provided on the instructions. Be sure to enable one’s location to complete the instructions within the app to complete set up. The Deebot vacuum will provide voice instructions when it is connected or when one needs to proceed to the app to complete further steps. The T8 can be set up with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. In the Alexa app enable the Ecovacs Deebot skill, then sign in to your Ecovacs account and finally select the robot vacuum to use voice control. This is a nice feature for those that like the quick voice command ability to ask the Deebot to start and stop cleaning and to ask the Deebot to go back to its charging dock. The Ecovacs app has some great features beyond the obvious capabilities to start, stop and pause cleaning. Once the T8 has mapped out one’s home it will show a diagram of the mapping within the Start Cleaning option. Details can be seen of the square footage, time to clean and other data such as a cleaning log of all vacuum sessions. The T8 will send messages when cleaning is complete (with the option to move obstacles and re-clean those areas), tips on improving cleaning efficiency and if it gets stuck a request to free it. In our use thus far it has rarely gotten stuck. The performance of the T8 is improved by its use of AIVI or artificial intelligence and visual interpretation technology. It does an excellent job of identifying obstacles such as shoes, cables and other household obstacles. We have one room with a step down and the robot vacuum easily senses the drop off and adjusts its direction accordingly. In vacuum only mode the T8 will increase the suction power automatically when it is operating on carpeted floors. We had excellent performance by the T8 on bare floors, carpeting and area rugs. The T8 operates with a fairly low noise level compared to other vacuums we have had, but one will notice the increase in sound when in use in carpeted areas. There is also an interesting Video Butler feature that utilizes the front camera to allow one via the app to see live video, use remote photo capture, use voice message or remote control. A password is set up to control access to this feature and no data is uploaded to the cloud. An optional lens cover comes with the OZMO T8 should you not want to use this feature. Some of the customization features available in the Ecovacs Home app that really make the T8 an exceptional vacuum to use are the ability to utilize the mapping of your home to define “no go” areas for the T8. No more worrying about which doors are closed to limit a vacuums access. Also, set virtual boundaries to define specific areas and rooms for the T8 to clean. Some other additional settings available within the app are to adjust the vacuum power, water flow level and to set up cleaning schedules. To utilize the mopping feature simply remove the water reservoir and fill with purified water or softened water. Click the microfiber cleaning cloth into place on the underside of the reservoir and the T8 will now know it is ready for simultaneous vacuum and mopping mode. The mopping function is a great option for convenient cleaning for spills, dust control and everyday dirt. This doesn’t replace the need for a more thorough mopping on a less infrequent basis, but it does an excellent job of keeping floors spiffy in a quick and convenient fashion. Note that Ecovacs advises not to use any cleaners in the reservoir. Recognition of carpeted floors by the T8 enable it to avoid these areas while in mopping mode. With the modular design of the OZMO T8 it will be interesting to see some of the accessory items that are available to use with the T8. One is an Auto-Empty Station (automatically empties the Deebot’s dustbin) and the other is the OZMO Pro Electric Oscillating Mopping (up to 480 times per minute). The one feature I did not see on the Deebot was any notification via the app that the dustbin is full. It will give an alarm sound when the filters in the dustbin are dirty. There are less expensive options for robot vacuums, but the Deebot OZMO T8 AIVI stands out with the excellent performance it will provide in both vacuuming and mopping as it utilizes more accurate mapping and AIVI technology. The app is very user friendly and offers great features for customizing cleaning schedules, areas and vacuum settings.

The DEEBOT OZMO T8 AIVI robot vacuum is a mixed bag. I've been using the vacuum for a week, and on the one hand, it's my favorite robot vacuum. The sensors work great. I think the mapping software did a good job tracing my two bedroom apartment and setting up zones. The Google Assistant and Alexa voice controls worked great and were easy to set up. But the mopping feature on my model is currently broken. I tried tech support, but didn't get much help. The online tech told me the problem I had should not be occurring, and I couldn't understand the phone tech, but she didn't seem to have much to offer. Until the firmware is updated or software is fixed, I can't recommend this robot as a mopping solution, but as a vacuum, I really like it. The vacuum does a good job protecting furniture and picking up household debris, but in its current state, I can't say the product works as advertised and I find that very disappointing. The good: The robot looks polished. It adjusts vacuuming modes based on surface. It did a great job picking stuff up off of my living room and kitchen floor. The tray was full upon the vacuum's return to dock. The included tools helped me get any stray hairs wrapped around the rollers. Cleaning and maintenance of the vacuum is pretty easy. The bad: Set up was more confusing than it needed to be. I am using an Android Samsung Galaxy phone with the EcoVacs Home app version 1.4.3. The software got WiFi information from my phone in order to connect the robot to the router. (Maybe I misinterpreted the steps, but that seemed to be what it was doing.) The robot will only communicate over the 2.4 ghz WiFi frequency. So, to set up the WiFi on my robot, I had to first connect my phone to the 2.4ghz frequency. Then I had to connect to the WiFi on the robot. The entire process involved going in and out of my phone's settings and the app. The process created confusion. Instead of having login information and drop down boxes in the app, I was left tabbing in and out and then hitting back tabs to go back to previous screens. First time I tried connecting to WiFi, it didn't work . Second time it stuck, but I just kept thinking my parents or friends who are tech adverse wouldn't have made it that far. Once that's done and the vacuum is charged, you are ready to run an initial session so the vacuum can map its space. So, I did that. The map came back and was very impressive. However, when I went in to draw virtual barriers, I learned that I should have run an advanced scan and not a basic one. I don't understand what the difference in advanced and basic was except that the basic scan didn't let me use the features of the app while the advanced mode did. The vacuum sessions for both mode was near identical on time. So, if you get this vacuum and plan on using the advanced barriers and locations, make sure you run a scan in advanced mode instead of basic. I'm not sure if this is a good / bad / or tbd, but the vacuum has a camera and software that allows you to remotely control the vacuum and, using the included software, spy on your friends and family. Ecovacs includes a camera cover and you do have to first give the app permission, but because the device can be shared and it is constantly connected to my WiFi, I had some black mirror / big brother concerns. Do I have to suffer functionality from the vacuum to protect my privacy? Finally, the mopping. To engage your Deebot in mopping mode, you must add water (I chose distilled to keep hard water sediments out of the device) and attach the mopping plate. Ecovacs provides one washable mopping pad and several disposable mopping pads. Adding water and the mopping plate is easy, but this is when I started having all sorts of problems with my device. Once the Deebot detects that the plate is installed, it will not cross carpet. When I put the plate on, placed the Deebot back on the charging station, and told Deebot to conduct an automatic cleaning, the robot just went in reverse until it crashed into the wall and it kept trying to reverse even though it could go no further. If I picked the robot up and placed it on a hard surface, it would mop as expected, but when it finished that room and wanted to return to the charging station, it would detect the carpet again and refuse to cross. That error goes against the materials provided and the functionality promised for the vacuum. If I have to pick up the robot and physically take it to each room I want mopped, I would be better off with a swifter. If that's a bug that will be patched out, I would like to know. If there is a toggle in app that would fix this problem, I couldn't find it. I tried different types of carpets and rugs. I tried everything I could think of, but once that mopping plate is installed, the robot will malfunction unless it's placed on a hard surface. The phone tech seemed to suggest that the shag carpeting was causing the problem. So, I put the robot with a plate on a large rug, I had the same problem regardless. Conclusion: I really liked this vacuum. Once I got the software set up and ran an advanced scan (as opposed to the basic one), I really liked it. But the mopping feature is currently broken and doesn't perform as promised. I really hope that Ecovacs fixes this problem soon. I intend to keep using this robot as a vacuum and if a software update fixes the mopping problem, I will gladly add a comment to this review and let others know.

Just what I need for my hard wood floor and my carpeted areas. This bot works perfect on both. The bot connects to your wifi via ecovac app, setup takes roughly 5 minutes. Then allow 5 to 6 hours for a full charge. To vacuum I setup my vac and mop bot to be controlled via my google assistant or newly name best display. Simply state start cleaning the floors and away to work this little machine goes. The bot avoided my furniture and base trim without any whacks or dings, never even touched it at all. Cleanup is easy, just lift its hood and empty the canister. Included with the vac is 6 throw away mop pads, two replace ment dust bristles, a new filter cartridge, as well as a washable mop pad. To mop with the vac fill the tank with purified water, the attach the mop pad and this mops my hardwood floors while avoiding my carpeted areas altogether. Pretty neat to watch in action. This only connect to 2.4ghz wifi, which makes sense. As 2.4 band has a longer range of coverage. The only area I found disappointing was when the bot needed charging toward the end of cleaning. It took a long time and had trouble routing itself back to its charging base, that I positioned between my dining room hutch and a decorative butler figure. The base is centrally located in the center of my home, which is 1500 sq ft. Imo compared to another vac bot I own this works just as good, but is half as loud, which I did find nice to the ears. I highly recommend this bot to anyone looking for agreat quality robot vac and mop combo.

Wow! I never thought I would own any kind of inanimate object that could do all this without my help! DeeDee Deebot came to live with us on Tuesday the 21st of April, exactly ten days ago. The friendship and assistance that she has given to me, especially after seven weeks of quarantine, has been welcomed with amusement and a degree of excitement. I have owned ‘high end’ robotic vacuums before so I expected her to be loaded with technological advancements, but I had no idea that the Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi Robot Vacuum and Mop would become such a helpful friend that was capable of truly relieving me of the onerous cleaning chores of vacuuming and mopping, and be able to do so in such an independent manner while giving me stress-free relief from having to do it myself. The extend of this robotic vacuum and mop are major. Its capabilities seem to be tremendous and more extensive than this review will cover. To start with, the Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi Robot Vacuum and Mop is designed to be durable, functional, and aesthetic. Only quality materials appear to be used. The product more than adequately covers the basic needs of both - a vacuum and hard surface floor cleaner and it does a very thorough to exceptional job with cleaning all floor surfaces. She comes off her charging base with a mission to clean and deep cleans she does. She can even vacuum and mop at the same time. Her capabilities let her know when to quit mopping when she reaches a carpeted service and she continues with vacuuming only. Unlike other robotic vacuums that I have owned, she has a tremendous capability to maneuver around numerous obstacles, almost as if she is dancing around them. This is due in large part to her high-powered camera that enables her to see objects exactly as they exist in the space. (Not that I particularly like her having to do so, but I am living and working in the same space.) She will even go back and cover the area where something was in her way if it has been moved while she is still working and off her charging station. The camera is significant in helping her visually see objects and comfortably create her mapping pattern as she moves throughout the space. With the use of D to F Laser Detection DeeDee maps out her work pattern to aerospace-standards at 2 mm precision. The precise nature of this perfectionism contrasts with my former robotic vacuums that had to slightly bump furniture and objects in order to establish a mapping pattern for cleaning. Ofcourse, with each new model that bumping of furniture became less, but it still had to happen for the robot to establish its parameters and workspace to clean. As if this precise mapping of the cleaning area by DeeDee is not great enough, her ability to designate specific areas for cleaning is not limited to just one cleaning routine. Instead, she can create dozens of work patterns that include virtual boundaries that inhibit her from venturing into certain areas, i.e. pet and child spaces. She can even take her command for cleaning each of these planned routines through both Google Assist and Amazon Alexa. The vacuum collects dirt and dust into a dust bin that is easily emptied. There is also a replaceable filter. The mopping is designed to be simple by using distilled water and easy snap on removable mopping pads that can be cleaned and/or replaced. DeeDee is extremely quiet. I must stop working and listen to be sure that she is working. If she does run into a problem, the app on my phone immediately tells me of the attention that she might need. Her run time is around 3 hours although the manufacturer’s specifications indicate that it could be up to 3 hours and over. When her dust bin is full, she returns to the charging station. If you need to have her return before she is ready, just push on her top button for 3 seconds and she will take off toward the charging station. Remarkably she can find her way through rooms, a maze of things out of place across the house and just as smoothly as the Starship Enterprise docks, she docks herself back at the charging station With the high-powered camera, DeeDee offers an additional capability of a video on board. She can stream live video and allow you, the human, to talk through the phone app to pets, etc. at home. I haven’t done this yet; I have just been very intrigues with her exceptional housekeeping skills. I recommend this product and promise that you won’t be sorry for the purchase.

If you’re tight on time, a couch potato, limited mobility or just hate vacuuming the T8 can make your life easier! It’s been years since I’ve had any experience with a robot vacuum and they have definitely come along way. Compared to my previous experience, the T8 has truly impressive performance that for a some people could be their main and only vacuum, especially if you keep a tidy place. After downloading the app, it took all of 5/10 minutes to set it up. The first cleaning after fully charging it was 2 hours and 30 minutes, this was a combination of hardwood and carpet. After mapping the first time, you can set certain zones you want to clean. So if you just want it to clean the kitchen and living room you can do just that, instead of the whole area it mapped. The app also gives you the ability to set virtual boundaries for areas you don’t want to clean. If you have a multi level house, you can store different levels. If the machine gets stuck or one of the brushes get clogged, the machine will announce the issue and the app will alert you also. The app also gives you an estimate of the remaining life of the filter and brushes. The performance of the T8 was much better than I expected. You find out how much dust and debris you have under furniture when you let this thing loose! The advance technology of the T8 ensures it gets all the areas cleaned and avoids things you don’t want cleaned or destroyed.I had an area that it didn’t clean initially and thought it had missed, but before it was done it came back and cleaned it. The mop feature is a nice added feature that won’t get the stains that need some good elbow grease, but will get the layer of dust or dirt the vacuum doesn’t suck up. The machine also avoids carpets once it goes in mopping mode also.

I like the job this robot vacuum does. I have it scheduled to clean every day and it has helped keep my place clean as I want to make sure the area is open for cleaning. It does a decent job of switching between the carpet and non carpet areas. Also, it has a mopping plate that sucks up dirt on one end and mops the floor on the other end. Also, it automatically avoids any carpet if the mopping plate is installed. I did purchase an upgraded mopping plate pro and that does a super job of mopping up and removing stubborn stains. Not sure why they don't make that standard because the mopping plate that comes with the unit works best on a floor with very light stains. Overall I am glad I got this unit as I have mostly hardwood floors and a few area rugs. I am really enjoying having a cleaning servant available at all times!

Positives: -Better cleaning than my other robots (picked up a significant amount of dirt left by 2 other robots earlier that day) -Requires very little "Babysitting": Avoids obstacles and people very well, doesn't get stuck often -Mapping shows you where it is and gives you an idea how much is left -Great battery life, Easily vacuumed a whole floor with >50% battery left. -Clear speaker which has voice announcements, App also has notifications of messages -Can function either as vacuum alone or vacuum with mopping depending on need Negatives: -Could not get the Video Feature to work at all (Specific to Android?) -It stopped dead in center of a dark-blue bathroom rug, with a voice error about an 'anti-drop sensor', I can simply lift this away before cleaning though -No support for cleaning chemicals, only water This Deebot OZMO T8 AIVI seems significantly smarter than our other five cleaning robots (i.e. cleaning paths are logical for the most part, it avoids hard hits on furniture but does get up close). It seems to make a border around each cleaning area and focus on covering that area entirely before moving to next. It adjusts suction power and speed as needed and seemed to pick up a good amount of dirt on its first run (around 3/4" pile of dirt in the dust bin). A second and third run of same area 2+3 days later showed that it picked up less dirt but still a decent amount (about a 1/4" layer in the dust bin). With the default water settings (which we adjusted), the floor didn’t seem to get wet at all while mopping. Mopping does do a good job of cleaning the floor, though, and the mopping pad was discolored indicating what it picked up. After washing the mopping pad, it was a tight fit to get it back on but it was like new. It may not be safe to use the mop feature on laminate floors, for example, but that is an optional feature (you can empty the water, and remove the mopping pad, it will still vacuum). Overall, I feel this Ecovacs Deebot OZMO T8 AIVI cleaned very well, and required minimal intervention. It is a lot easier to use than our other robots which reliably got jammed under certain pieces of furniture, for example.