Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi: like an iRobot Roomba for a lot less moolah

The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi with Auto-Empty Station is a robot vacuum cleaner that handles just about everything short of walking your dog. In 2021 robot vacuums are a hot commodity. There are loads of them on the market, with iRobot's Roomba's being probably the best known. Well, the Deebot is a premium offering that matches everything the best Roombas can do – smart cleaning, a self-emptying bin, quiet operation – but is priced a very helpful chunk lower than the best that iRobot has to offer.

Why should you buy a robot vac? Simople. Your home would be cleaner if you vacuumed every day. You know this and I know this but neither of us vacuums every day. It's the perfect place for a robot servant to step in and take over. With so many on the market though it's hard to know which ones will do a good job. Get the wrong one and it can be more of a hassle than a convenience. You also run the risk of having an expensive purchase that sits in the corner and never gets used.

We might not have a full-service cleaning bot yet but the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi with Auto-Empty Station at least handles your floors. It's a solid performer that moves through the house without needing any help. You might want to occasionally follow up with another vacuum but it won't be an everyday thing. You can rely on the Deebot to handle mopping duty from time to time and with the Auto-Empty Station you don't even need to empty the bin.

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi: what is it?

It's obviously a robot vacuum but let's get a little more specific. The  Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi with Auto-Empty Station is a vacuum, a mop, and a remote home monitor. The Ecovacs range of options is 16 models deep but the Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi is the most advanced on offer. Grab it along with the Auto-empty station and you don't even need to worry about emptying the dirt canister. The large 2.5L replaceable bag system in the station can hold the dust and dirt from about 30 days of operation before needing attention. No, it can't empty itself. Sorry. 

The Ozmo T8 Aivi sports a system called TrueMapping. It's a laser mapping and navigation technology, based on an advanced DToF (direct time of flight) sensor. The sensor is then paired with AIVI (Artificial Intelligence and Visual Interpretation) technology. It's all powered by a high-performance AI chipset and camera module. It's a collection of the most advanced technologies available for mapping an environment.

What does all that mean? It means, the T8 AIVI can map your home faster and more precisely than a design with older technologies. After the initial construction of your homes map the T8 AIVI has an enhanced ability to detect shoes, socks, chairs, and even cables. Compared to earlier models, the risk of getting stuck drops a full 60%.

Outside of the enhanced mapping functionality, the system is a serious cleaning powerhouse. There is simultaneous vacuum-plus-mop functionality and it's very thorough. According to an independent study by the Hygiene and Microbiology Research Center (Japan, 2019), it removes up to 99.26% of bacteria. If you choose to use this mode, no need to worry about carpets. The T8 Aivi automatically avoids carpets when mopping.

To make sure it can cover the whole house the Deebot Ozmo T8 AIVI has a large battery and generous water tank. The 5200mAh Lithium-Ion battery means 3+ hours of runtime, enabling over 3,000 square feet of coverage in standard suction mode. Then for mopping, the 240ml water tank enables over 100 minutes of mop time, covering more than 2,000 square feet of flooring.

The last headline feature is an onboard camera. There is a live video stream available on demand through the ECOVACS Home app, so you can check in on your pets or, uh, scare off intruders? This feature can be turned off, if you have hacking -related privacy concerns.

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi: design and build

Opening the box brings you face to face with a large, black, round robot vacuum. Checking the Ecovacs specs gets you a rather esoteric spec for the size but a tape measure reveals it's about 13 and a half inches across and round. The top cover could be mistaken for aluminum but it is actually a black plastic. Looking straight down the most notable features are a raised rounded square and the power button. The rounded square houses navigation hardware while the power button lights up when turned on.

About three quarters of the top opens up to reveal an internal cavity. In this internal cavity is where you will find the dirt container, a power switch, a wifi button, and a rather genius brush with a cutting blade. That cutting blade comes into use to clear the roller from anything that may have wrapped around it. If you have grabbed the auto-empty station it comes with a new dust container and will require removal of two small hatches below the container. This internal capacity looks rather plain but it's hidden anyway. Everything visible from the outside looks and feels premium.

Close the top back up and move to the edges and you will see two main features. At the front of the unit is the camera. If you find yourself in a situation where you want to make sure that camera isn't in use there is an included cover for it. The surrounding plastic for the camera is actually an impact sensor. If the Deebot hits something the front will depress. At the rear of the T8 AIVI there is a latch and a clear plastic water container for mopping.

Flip the Deebot T8 AIVI over and you will find an industrial design filled with thoughtful touches. The front has an unpowered wheel in a 360-degree ball socket. Flanking that wheel are the charging contacts and flanking the charging points are two replaceable brushes. These brushes require assembly and help funnel dirt towards the main brush.

In the center of the bottom is where you will find the most thoughtful design pieces. On the outside are the main wheels. The main wheels have a rubber tread and a significant vertical movement range. All this vertical movement allows the T8 AIVI to power over any threshold or on and off carpet. Between the two wheels is the main brush and suction. Vacuum brushes seem to always end up with unknown material wrapped around them and Ecovacs has considered this. It's easy to disassemble everything and the brush inside will help you cut things off.

The design is simple, and black, but it's well thought out and looks good. A quick glance would leave you thinking it's aluminum even though it's not. It isn't small but it is short enough to fit under open kitchen drawers and couches while still being able to make its way across a threshold.

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi: what’s in the box? 

The pieces included with the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi with Auto-Empty Station are primarily what's required to make it work. There are quite a few extras though. You won't feel like you are getting nickel and dimed right away and you can start with only what's in the boxes before ordering extra supplies.

Using the mopping function requires the addition of an extra cleaning cloth. In the box you will find a few disposable pieces but there is also a reusable option. Leave the disposable ones in the box and the reusable piece lets you detach it from the plastic base and wash it when you need. Along with the extra cleaning clothes you will find extra side brushes, an extra filter for the dust bin, and the charging station.

If you have the auto-empty station that will mean a separate box. Leave the original charging station in the main box and pull out the auto empty station. You will find everything you need to convert the T8 AIVI for use with the auto-empty station. Vacuum bags are necessary and you will find one to start as well as an extra. There is also an extra plastic ramp in case you are using the auto-empty station on plush carpet.

Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi: performance

A lot of people have the idea that robot vacuums in general have very little power. It's not entirely unfounded as they do tend to be at the lower end of suction power. The challenge has to do with balancing battery life vs performance. In the case of the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi the specs list a 40-watt motor but there are three modes available.  

In the App interface, there are Quiet (200 PA), Standard (600 Pa), Max (1200 Pa), Max+ (1500 Pa) modes to choose from. Leave things alone and the unit will spend most of its time in the standard mode at 600 Pa. One of the nice things about the Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi is its ability to seamlessly transition onto a rug, or carpet, and know when it's done so. Without making adjustments the Ozmo T8 AIVI will switch to the max power with 1200 Pa anytime it encounters carpeting. If you would prefer a higher level of suction, it's easy to switch in the app.

You can spend a lot of time attempting to compare the specs available between vacuums of all kinds. What's most important though is real world performance. In a home with a mix of hardwood floors, low rugs, thick rugs, and a couple of cats there is more than enough power available. You may want to also use another vacuum from time to time but it's not because of a lack of suction. Kitty litter and errant cat food is no problem and even the thick rug will stay clean. The only reason you may need a second vacuum is to handle hard to reach areas at the edges of the room.

When it comes time to do some mopping you will probably want to visit the app. The same as the suction levels there are also four water flow level options. Anything less than ultra-high seemed somewhat underwhelming. Switch things to ultra-high though and the result is a nice clean floor. Vacuuming at the same time as mopping makes for a cleaner floor than anything short of getting down on your hands and knees with a rag.

So, is the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi with Auto-Empty Station any good?

Most people want a robot vacuum that keeps the floors clean without any input. The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi with Auto-Empty Station is exactly that. Take a bit of time with the initial map and you won't need to oversee anything going forward.

If you have areas where cords, or shoes, or clutter tend to live then section them off. Make use of the virtual boundaries during the first mapping and you can forget about the Ozmo T8 most days going forward. Every so often you will need to empty the auto-empty station dust bag and if you want to mop you will need to add the cleaning cloth to the bottom. Most of the time set a schedule and don't think about it. Your floors will be clean.

There are also smart home integrations. Connect the Deebot to your Google Home and you can have a lot of fun asking google to run the vacuum. Edit the room names in the Ecovacs app and you can even request your robot clean a specific room. Make a mess in the kitchen and you can summon your robot servant with your voice.

The Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi with Auto-Empty Station isn't the cheapest option available. What it offers is a price that is lower than other top of the line models and more features. It is quieter when it runs, it handles both mopping and vacuuming, and it even lets you check on your house from afar. If you are looking for the best make sure the Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo T8 Aivi with Auto-Empty Station is on your list.