Eufy X8 Pro Robot Vacuum Review: quick, slick, and effective

Pressing one button and then never having to lift a finger again is every robot vacuum owner's dream. I think the Eufy X8 Pro is getting pretty close. With twin turbine technology, a detangling brush roll, excellent mapping capacity, and a useful mop, it can cover a lot of dull household chores.

You've probably already heard of Eufy by Anker, especially if you're interested in home security. They're a well-established, widely trusted brand known for reasonable prices and exceptional quality. I've read a lot about Eufy; people say they make some of the best robot vacuums on the market. It's well deserved praise, because the latest innovations integrated into the Eufy X8 Pro are exciting (yes, vacuums can actually be thrilling).

The newer X8 Pro model comes with a range of developed features. Importantly, it can run for around 45 days without needing to be emptied. It also has special technology to handle pet hair and a useful mop for hard floors, so is well suited to a range of homes.

If you've got a house that's too tough for most robot vacuums to clean, you can get excited about the Eufy. It's extremely capable and actually quite beautiful too. I've been using it in my home and it's the best house guest I've ever hosted.

Should you buy it?

If you live in a home with pets or carpets, this is an excellent investment. It's also really useful when it comes to mopping, so I would recommend this to most people interested in robot vacuums. 

The Eufy can do an excellent vacuuming job without needing help, it's quiet, and it's stylish. It's so good that I could easily not have to touch another vacuum or mop again.

Specifications

Unboxing

Unboxing the Eufy X8 Pro was effortless, a good indication of what was to come. The box itself is big, but not particularly heavy. It comes in a few parts, so there's very little assembling and cleaning necessary before you can get started. Each part is wrapped in a plastic bag, some have scratch-resistant plastic covers too, which isn't great for the environment, but most of the box and cushioning was recyclable cardboard, rather than polystyrene, so I can't complain.

Once I had taken out the base station, vacuum, mop, and cover, I was struck by how slick and smart this looks. It's like a matte black pebble, poised and ready to glide across any floor. The station is equally stylish and subtle, so as long as the Eufy has the space to physically reach the base station, it can go anywhere.

The Eufy comes with some very basic instructions for getting set up, most of which are pictures. I needed to remove some tapes and pads and check the vacuum bag was pre-inserted into the base station (it was) before the Eufy could get started. It wasn't puzzling and took only minutes. If you need to troubleshoot or find out more detailed information, you'll find the instructions lacking. However, there's plenty of information on Eufy's website.

What was it like to use?

The Eufy came with plenty of charge, so when I had set up the Eufy (even though I hadn't connected the app), the vacuum made a start on clearing my floors. First, I let it roam around the floor. I didn't put any debris or obstacles in the way and it happily, and efficiently, navigated its way around my home. It has a deft, methodical way of cleaning a room. However, even though it has sensors, I found that it occasionally collides with the walls. Luckily the bumper is sensitive, so it wasn't chipping or marking my baseboards.

Test 1: Flour, sugar, oats

I had to challenge the Eufy, so I scattered flour, sugar, and oats around my house, on carpets and hardwood floor. The Eufy didn't find these patches of dirt and debris particularly quickly, but as it does the rounds of every room it thoroughly sucked up almost the flour, sugar, and oats.

The Eufy cleared sugar and oats from my carpet really quickly, but needed a few passes over the flour before I was satisfied. After it had been over one patch three times I had to bring out my Dyson V15 Detect stick vacuum to finish the job, but that's because my carpet is quite deep. In all fairness, the Eufy had picked up most of the flour particles, I was just being precious.

When it came into the kitchen, where I have a hardwood floor, I noticed a few things. The first was that the Eufy struggled a little to transition between carpet and hardwood. I have a small ridge between my living room and kitchen which the Eufy needed a few minutes to vault. Once it was in the kitchen, it cleared up the flour and sugar well. At first, the Eufy dragged a small trail of flour behind it when it first went over my dirt. However, it quickly turned back on itself and cleared this away.

When it tried to lift oats and cereals from my floor, the spinning brush at the side tended to shoot these pieces of debris across the floor before it eventually picked them up, but got them in the end. 

Across its vacuuming journey, the loudest the Eufy got to was 74 dBA, which is quieter than most vacuums. I could still play music and watch TV; my washing machine is much louder.

Test 2: Hair

Over the course of testing vacuums, not just robots, I see lots of hair pick-up, so I'm always sceptical. This is one of the first truly effective technologies that I've tested. It reverse spins to remove and lift hair from the floor, which perfect if you have pets or long hair or pets.

I scattered some hair extensions around my home, on carpets and hard floors and the Eufy was not only effective at picking them up, but it detangled most of the hair by itself. You can see in the image that a few strands wrapped around the brushroll, but for such a small vacuum, I was impressed.

Test 3: Mop

A USP for this Eufy model is the mop. This attachment clips onto the bottom of the vacuum and it can clean hard floors at the same time that it vacuums. Eufy provides a mat, so that if your vacuum returns to the charging station with the mop attachment on, your floor won't get wet underneath it.

When I wanted to test the mop, I clipped the pad onto the back of the Eufy. Even though there is an integrated water tank at the back, I needed to wet and wring the mat until it wasn't dripping before clipping it into place.  On the app, I could select how wet the mop should be and how much it should be vacuuming, too. I used this on the marble in my bathroom and hardwood floor in my kitchen and was pleasantly surprised (and horrified) with the results. It picked up lots of dirt and was really effective, leaving my floors consistently sparkling clean.

The cloth easily comes off, so when finished you can place it in the washing machine. Don't use the mop on carpets, it won't do much except pull up fluff, but if you want to mop your kitchen, this is perfect.

Test 4: The app

As a home security conscious person, I felt a little hesitant with the app. Of course, I trust Eufy, but you have to give it access not only to your WiFi, but to the location of your phone, all the time (not just when you're on the app). 

Putting these concerns behind me, I connected my app to the vacuum and my home. It has tons of functions: I could schedule cleans, choose 'No Go Zones', create a map of an upstairs and downstairs floors, choose different vacuuming intensities, and so much more. I was really impressed with how easy the app was to use. It's intuitive and strangely addictive.

Cleaning, Storage, and Maintenance

The Eufy is independent, so I left it to its own devices for an evening. As it cleaned the house, I forgot it was there. Even as it got darker, the Eufy's sensors were experts at avoiding obstacles. Eventually, the Eufy returned to its charging station where it got some rest and relaxation. Not having to worry about charge levels is brilliant: you'll never be caught out with no charge, as long as the base station is on. Which brings me on to my first night with the Eufy.

Every night, I turn off all the unnecessary plugs in my house to try and save electricity. The Eufy's station was one of those. Even though the Eufy wasn't in action and I'm pretty sure it was off, without being connected to the base station, the battery began to drain. A few hours later, at 3am, the Eufy announced to me (asleep in the other room) that it needed to be charged. Awake and very grumpy, I switched it off and hoped that it wouldn't call me again. It didn't, but it's worth noting that the Eufy can be vocal and very unaware of when it's acceptable to start a conversation. 

Aside from this, I haven't been woken up by the Eufy again. I like how it looks in my living room: it's subtle, stylish, and incredibly low maintenance. Despite depositing handfuls of flour, sugar, and cereals around my house for the Eufy to clean, I haven't had to empty the vacuum bag. Online it claims to last 45 days before needing emptying and I'll update you on whether this is a fair claim. 

The mop is probably the most high-maintenance aspect of the Eufy, because it needs cleaning after every mopping job. It's easy to put in the washing machine and saves me a mopping job, but it's still worth noting.

How does it rate online?

There are plenty of reviews for the X8 Pro's predecessor. However, since the X8 Pro is relatively new, less people have given long-term reviews of the product. From what I read, the X8 is an immensely popular investment. 

Older iterations of the Eufy didn't have the advanced automatic emptying functions, power, and mop additions. People found the new side brush really useful and lots of reviewers were impressed with the auto-detangling spinning brush head.

As always, some people struggled with the app. They found the mapping to be complex, especially setting 'No Go Zones'. The positive is that the Eufy can still work, even if the app isn't connected up. 

Some people wished that the instructions were more detailed, especially for navigating all the Eufy's features and functions. In a way, it's good that the Eufy has so much to offer.

How does it compare?

Whenever people talk about robot vacuums, it's not long before the iRobot Roomba is mentioned. The Roomba j7+ is at the top of our best robot vacuums buying guide. The Eufy shares and rivals the Roomba j7+ in many ways. It's self-emptying, excellent and detecting objects, and mapping out rooms. The Roomba j7+ can't set 'No Go Zones' once a map has been completed, but the Eufy can. The Eufy can also mop floors and has excellent anti-tangle mechanisms, neither of which the Roomba j7+ can boast. It also looks beautiful too, so I think the Eufy puts up a good fight against the Roomba j7+. 

Where it falls down is in the performance, the mapping, and transitioning between rooms. The Eufy simply doesn't do as good a job at cleaning as the Roomba j7+. It struggled a little transitioning between floor types and wasn't as thorough on the Roomba on hard floors. The Eufy, unlike a Roomba j7+, isn't Siri/Apple compatible either. It's a close call and the fact that the Eufy rivals the Roomba is a credit in itself, but I'm not sure that I'm ready to give it top spot, yet. However, if you're a pet owner, I would give the Eufy serious consideration.

How we test

At Homes & Gardens  we like to test all of our products before we recommend them. That's why one of our expert testers, Laura, used this in her home for weeks. This gave her enough time to put the Eufy through a series of our standard tests, whilst it also helped her to establish any day-to-day strengths or issues that you might face. 

Part of our standard vacuum tests are how well it can handle flour, sugar, cereals, and hair. These cover most daily debris, dust, and dander that you're likely to experience in your daily life. These obstacles are placed on carpets, hardwood, and linoleum floors, so, whatever is in your house, you'll know what to expect. We use this to establish how the vacuums would cope, even will dramatic spills and the Eufy did really well in Laura's home.

If you're interested in finding out more about how we test vacuums, you can read all the details on our dedicated page.