The X8 Hybrid is a classic cylindrical shape we now associated with robot vacuums. The unit has a physical spring-loaded bumper on the front that works in conjunction with the laser sensors to detect objects and obstacles. It comes with a charging dock and an additional plastic base that sits under the X8 Hybrid and dock. The latter protects the floor from getting wet when you use the mop attachment. While this works well to prevent the dock and floor beneath from getting wet, I found it was best practice to remove the mopping attachment mopping session finishes.
On top of the X8 Hybrid are three buttons that allow you to use the RoboVac manually. One of these is for on-the-spot cleaning, the second is to start/pause cleaning, and the third is to send the vacuum back to the charging dock.
The 400ml bin pulls out from the back and is easy to open and empty. Inside is a large, removable filter that can be washed and replaced when necessary. On the top of the bin is a slot to hold a useful multi-tool used to cut hairs and brush the filter.
A speaker built into the X8 Hybrid will tell you when you’ve removed the dustbin or if you've forgotten to put the bin back into the unit. It will also tell you to replace the bin and stop until you do. It will also speak to tell you ‘cleaning started,’ or ‘cleaning paused.’
Mopping feature
I set schedules for the X8 Hybrid to clean at least once a day and mop every few days. In advance of cleaning, you should ensure there’s nothing on the floor to get caught in the roller or wheels. This includes cables that might stick our or small items like socks or plastic bags.
The mopping attachment contains a reusable cloth that velcros to the bottom. At 250ml, the tank holds enough water to mop for up to 140 minutes while vacuuming simultaneously. You don’t use any cleaning chemicals, just water and it comes with a reusable cloth mop and five disposable cloths. I found that I was able to get a lot of uses out of the disposable cloths, but the reusable ones are thicker and more effective. This worked really well on tile floors and even wood floors, but harder spots of dirt will require manual mopping.
Cleaning to the power of two
The X8 Hybrid has an impressive suction power of up to 2000 pascal times two as it uses twin-turbine technology. This means more effective cleaning than you’re typical single motor vacuum. However, while the X8 is reasonably quiet when it’s on its lowest suction power setting, it does get much louder when both motors are at maximum. I found the auto mode works great, but you can manually set the suction power in the app. There are four modes; Pure, Power, Turbo and Max. BoostIQ is an auto mode that can boost suction power depending on floor type.
Battery
The X8 Hybrid RoboVac cleans 1 m² (10.76 ft²) every minute for up to 180 minutes per charge. Unlike bounce style robot vacuums, the AI-powered X8 Hybrid takes less time to vacuum a room, so I never had an issue with the battery running low. As soon as it finishes a cleaning session it will return to the charging station.
Software
It’s incredibly impressive watching the X8 Hybrid navigate its way around objects. It looks like it can actually see where it’s going. It has the ability to detect drops and can climb over objects like saddle boards or high pile rugs up to two centimetres.
You also get a real-time visual map of the area it has scanned in the EufyHome app and it will show you where the RoboVac is on the map in real-time. The software also shows you a history of each cleaning session that includes the time it took and the area the robot covered.
The app also shows you a percentage and hours before you need to replace a filter, side brush, rolling brush and when to clean the sensors. And, when you do replace something like a filter, you can reset the time to start from scratch again.
Verdict
Overall, the Anker RoboVac X8 Hybrid is a dream to use and takes the pain out of regular chores. I love the simplicity of its ease of use, the easy maintenance but most especially, the final results.
Priced €550 from Eufy
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