New Ecovacs Robot Vac Lifts Mop Higher Than Roborock, Lower Than iRobot

Watch out, Roborock and iRobot. Ecovacs just introduced a new 2-in-1 floor-cleaning robot capable of lifting its mop when it detects carpet.

The $1,099 Deebot T20 Omni, slated to go on sale June 13, is Ecovacs' first robotic floor cleaner with mop-lifting technology, meant to enable more efficient cleaning runs and prevent carpet-wetting. When the T20 Omni detects carpet, the robot will automatically lift its mop 9mm off the floor and continue vacuuming.

Many high-end robot vacuum and mop hybrids, including the PCMag Editors' Choice-winning Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni, automatically avoid carpet when mopping, so you must vacuum your carpets in a separate cleaning run. The T20 Omni's new mop-lifting feature is designed to allow the robot to simultaneously vacuum everywhere and mop your hard flooring in a single run, without dragging a wet, dirty cloth all over your carpeting.

Competitors Roborock and iRobot already offer similar mop-lifting technology. Roborock first brought this innovation to market in 2021 with the VibraRise mopping system on its S7 series hybrid, which automatically lifts its mopping plate 5mm when it detects carpeting. Check out Roborock's mop-lifting feature on the newer S8 Pro Ultra in the video below.

@angela_pcmag Blink and you’ll miss it. This is the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra and its VibraRise 2.0 intelligent mopping system. When the robot detects carpet, it lifts the mop 5mm and goes on vacuuming. When it detects hard flooring, it lowers the mop and uses sonic vibration technology to scrub. Read all about the pros and cons of the new VibraRise 2.0 technology in my Roborock S8 Pro Ultra review on PCMag.com. https://www.pcmag.com/reviews/roborock-s8-pro-ultra Follow my TikTok for more robot vacuum content! #CapCut #roborock #roborocks8 #robotmop #robotvaccuum #cleantok #techtok ? Funny Song - Mas Gombal

A common critique about Roborock's VibraRise system is that it only really works on low-pile carpet and may still wet your medium- and high-pile rugs. iRobot's Roomba Combo j7+, introduced in the fall of 2022, solves this problem with a fully retractable mop. When the Combo j7+ detects carpet during double-duty cleaning runs, it automatically lifts the mopping plate to the top of the robot, where it has no risk of coming into contact with your carpets. Check out iRobot's retractable mop on the Roomba Combo j7+ in the video below.

@angela_pcmag The iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ is the first 2-in-1 robot vacuum with a fully retractable mop. When it detects hard flooring, it lowers the mop. When it detects carpets, it raises the mop to the top of the robot and goes on vacuuming. Excited to share my review on PCMag.com. #CapCut #robotvaccuum #robotmop #irobot #roomba #comboj7 #cleaninghacks #smarthome #techtok #cleantok #fyp ? Originalton - CENKGO

In summary: Ecovacs' version lifts the mop almost twice as high as Roborock's VibraRise, but not as high as iRobot's fully retractable mop. iRobot advertises the Combo j7+ with the (admittedly catchy) tagline "lifts high to keep carpets dry," a dig aimed at Roborock that also now applies to Ecovacs.

The new T20 Omni is part of Ecovacs' midlevel T-series lineup of robot vacuums, which sits between the top-of-the-line X-series and the more budget-friendly N-series.

In terms of scrubbing power, the new T20 Omni mops with two circular pads that rotate 180 times per minute while applying pressure against the floor, similar to the flagship X1 Omni. It looks to offer more elbow grease than the Roomba Combo j7+, which mostly just drags its mopping cloth around your floors, and sometimes moves back and forth to scrub dirty areas.

The Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra, in comparison, uses pressure and sonic vibration technology to scrub, and lifted a bit more grime than the Ecovacs X1 Omni in our tests. Roborock introduced a more powerful version of its mopping system on the S8 Pro Ultra called VibraRise 2.0 that we found may cause floor scratching on its highest setting.

In terms of other notable features, the T20 Omni boasts 6,000Pa of suction power, matching the S8 Pro Ultra, along with a new hot-water mop washer. Like the X1 Omni, it also offers hot-air mop drying, LiDAR-powered mapping, and a built-in voice assistant dubbed Yiko for easy control.

We're excited to test the T20 Omni to see how it stacks up against Roborock and iRobot models in the real world. Stay tuned for our review.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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