We recently reviewed the new Ecovacs T30 Omni, the brand’s new mid-range cleaner, which offers a good balance between price and affordability but is exclusively available in Europe and Asia. Thankfully, its American counterpart just hit the market: the Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo. You can buy the Omni version, which is a standard self-cleaning robot vacuum, as well as a Combo version. The Combo version includes a handheld vacuum to clean places the robot can’t reach. In addition, there’s also a Complete version which adds a floor cleaning stick and tool, turning it into a full vacuum replacement.

This makes the Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo a handy two-in-one device. Indeed, it uses a single dust bag to empty both vacuums, helping save space and money. The robot itself also comes with the latest cleaning features. These include hot water mop washing, hot air drying, and extending mop pads to clean alongside baseboards.

In this review, we look at the Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo’s performance and convenience on a daily basis. More importantly, we’ll see whether it can truly replace two vacuums with a single product.

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Bulky design

The dock of the Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo is bulky yet functional. It’s designed to handle multiple tasks with ease, caring for both the robot and the hand unit.

The left part of the dock is quite standard, featuring two water tanks on the top, concealed by a flap, together with a dust bag accessible from the front. However, the right is unlike other robovacs, featuring a hand vacuum, placed on the top for easier access. The drawer at the bottom of the dock stores various attachments, including a crevice tool, a dusting brush, and a motorized mini brush. Another standout feature is the removable baseplate, which can be taken out for easier cleaning.

The robot features a circular and bespoke design. It has a LiDAR dome on top, along with three buttons that blend seamlessly with the removable panel hiding the HEPA filter. For obstacle detection, the Deebot T30s Combo uses an infrared TrueDetect 3D sensor at the front. Underneath, it has two rotating mops, one of which features TruEdge mopping, allowing it to extend and clean edges and baseboards. Additionally, the robovac uses a bristled roller brush, known for superior cleaning but also for hair entanglements. To minimize these, the T30s Combo comes with a built-in ZeroTangle comb, designed to prevent tangles.

The hand vacuum is small and fits easily in the hand. Its lightweight design makes it easy to carry and vacuum virtually anywhere you need to.

Minimalist app with feature gaps

Ecovacs’ app falls short compared to its competitors. The map design is somewhat outdated and fails to display obstacles. However, it is quite accurate and can be edited according to your preferences. You can add furniture, merge or separate rooms, and adjust the floor type, albeit with some effort. Similarly, the app lets you define scenarios with specific cleaning settings for each room, such as stronger vacuuming in the kitchen.

In addition, you can refine the cleaning parameters according to your preferences, including suction power, water flow, and cleaning speed. Slower speeds allow the robot to focus more on stains and dirt. The robot offers different modes: vacuuming, mopping, both simultaneously, or one after the other. To simplify use, it includes an Intelligent Hosting mode that automatically adjusts settings based on dirt levels.

Additional settings include mop wash and auto-empty frequency, obstacle detection sensitivity, and mop extension modes. By default, the robot extends the right mop to clean crevices and corners. It can detect carpets and adjust its behavior accordingly. Depending on your settings, it can lift its mops, ignore the carpet, or mop it. Finally, you can choose between standard and deep mop washing and whether to use hot water.

Naturally, the robovac is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant. It also includes a built-in Yiko voice assistant for direct control without smart speakers. Unfortunately, Yiko is unreliable, often failing to respond to prompts or understand commands.

Strong performance, even at low suction

The Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo boasts an impressive 11,000Pa suction power. This is even more powerful than the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, making the robot very effective on all surfaces. Indeed, it can effectively remove dirt from carpets and hard floors, reaching into fibers and grouts. Additionally, the bristled roller brush lifts and sweeps debris for better results.

I tested the robot under harsh conditions, with dirt, sand, mud, leaves, and pet hair covering the floors. Given its specs, the Deebot T30 Combo performed admirably, vacuuming and removing all visible dust, dirt, and debris. However, it’s best to use it on low settings on hard floors or let it intelligently adjust the suction power. Indeed, high settings often cause dirt to be blown away by the side ventilation. In this case, there may still be dirt on the floor after a cleaning cycle, requiring a second pass.

The strong suction power is especially effective on rugs, reaching deep into thick carpet fibers. However, the bristled brush may not be the best option for carpets. A model with two roller brushes, like the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, might be more suitable for thick rugs.

The hand unit is particularly convenient for cleaning almost any surface. It’s quick and easy to use, allowing you to vacuum where the robot can’t reach. It automatically adjusts its suction power based on the dirt level, but also has a manual adjustment button. It comes with three accessories: a crevice Tool, a dusting Brush, and motorized mini brush. This ensures you can clean virtually any surface using the hand tool. The Deebot T30s Combo Complete model also comes with a longer stick and a floor brush. This allows you to vacuum floors and the ceiling, fully replacing a regular stick vacuum.

Deep mopping for stainless results

The Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo features two rotating and liftable mop pads. The dock washes them with 70ºC hot water before, during, and after each cleaning session. The station also refills the robot’s built-in water tank, ensuring the mops remain damp while cleaning. Sadly, the T30s Combo lacks a built-in cleaning solution tank. This means you have to manually add some when refilling the tank with water. It’s neither required nor complicated, but the station’s bulk could have accommodated the extra tank.

I tested the T30s Combo on floors stained with dried coffee, sauce, juice, and mud. It managed to remove all stains, albeit requiring a second pass on the toughest ones. It’s best to use the slower cleaning mode with the highest water flow for best results, especially on dried stains. In any case, robot vacuums are not designed to clean up spills like a bowl of cereal and milk. I therefore didn’t test it on these kinds of messes.

The TruEdge system is very effective, as the robot cleans with the mop constantly extended and retracts it as needed. It also adjusts its cleaning strategy to avoid leaving an uncleaned band, unlike some other products.

Overall, the Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo delivers impressive mopping results, removing stains effectively. It’s nearly as good as the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra’s vibrating mop, without costing as much.

Erratic navigation and obstacle recognition

The Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo uses LiDAR technology for mapping and navigation, along with IR and 3D structured light to identify and avoid obstacles. Unfortunately, it’s not as effective as Dreame and Roborock equivalents, often behaving strangely. For instance, while it is relatively good at navigating to specific rooms, it frequently follows unusual paths, missing some spots and passing over others twice. It also struggles with closed doors, bumping into them for several minutes before giving up and moving to other rooms.

Moreover, its obstacle detection technology is very inconsistent, missing some objects entirely while avoiding others. It does a decent job sensing shoes, large toys, and boxes but often misses cables, rags, and even some table legs. I’ve come home to find the robot stuck on phone chargers and tea towels. The T30s Combo also frequently bumps into my dog’s bed, unlike competing robots that proficiently avoid it.

Manageable noise and satisfactory battery life

The Ecovacs T30s Combo isn’t too loud, especially on its lowest settings. Its wheels are a bit noisy, so you can still hear it while it’s working, without it being annoying. The highest settings are more noticeable, but they don’t interfere with having a conversation.

The dock makes some noise when emptying the dustbin, but the Do Not Disturb mode de-activates this feature at night to avoid waking you up. The drying function is not too noisy, making it feasible to place the dock in the living room.

The hand unit isn’t very noisy, and can clean all types of surfaces without necessarily bothering you or others.

The robot comes with a decent battery life, with up to 200 minutes of runtime on the lowest settings. On average cleaning settings, it cleans about 100 square meters on a single charge, and returns to the dock to recharge when the battery runs low.

Simple upkeep, but watch for hair

The Ecovacs Deebot T30 Omni is designed to minimize maintenance. While the baseplate tends to get dirty after a few cleaning cycles, it’s easy to clean. To do so, you can trigger a cleaning mode that fills it with water to scrub it. Then, the robot drains it into the dirty water tank. Alternatively, you can entirely remove the baseplate and clean it in the sink or even under the hose, which makes cleaning it a breeze.

However, while Ecovacs prides itself on the robot’s anti-tangle design, it’s not necessarily accurate. Indeed, some hair and debris still end up being trapped in the bristled roller brush and need to be cleared frequently. Although the comb minimizes tangles, it doesn’t entirely prevent them, and failing to manually remove hair ends up in tangles. Unlike a silicone one that minimizes maintenance, a bristled one means you have to cut the hair, making it particularly more annoying.

As for the water tanks, they’re particularly large, allowing for hands-free cleaning for about 170 square meters. The dust bag is also big enough, and should last for several weeks or months without needing to be replaced.

The hand vacuum automatically empties itself when it’s placed back on the dock, provided you’ve used it for more than 30 seconds. This ensures the hand unit is ready for use without having to manually empty it after each use, adding to the overall convenience and efficiency of the Deebot T30s Combo.

Is the Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo the right robovac for you?

The Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a versatile, two-in-one cleaning device. It combines a self-cleaning robot vacuum with a handheld unit, making it convenient for reaching areas the robot can’t. With advanced features like hot water mop washing, hot air drying, and a robust suction power of 11,000Pa, it performs well on various surfaces.

The T30s Combo is also relatively quiet, has a decent battery life, and offers easy maintenance despite occasional tangles in the bristled brush. The hand vacuum’s ability to automatically empty itself into the dock adds to its convenience, together with the accessories provided in the box.

However, the navigation and obstacle detection could use some improvement, and the app lacks some key features compared to competitors. Also, the station’s bulk makes it hard to fit in most places, in addition to its massive appearance.

Overall, if you value strong cleaning performance and versatility in a single package, the Ecovacs Deebot T30s Combo is worth considering. However, if you have loose cables or potential obstacles lying around, it may not be the best choice.

Pros	Cons
Cleaning performance	Bulky dock
Hand vacuum is very practical.	Navigation and obstacle detection
Easy maintenance, with detachable baseplate	Improvable anti-tangle system

Q&A