The Ultimate Review of the eufy Clean X8 Pro with Self-Empty Station

The eufy Clean X8 Pro with Self-Empty Station is one of the latest robotic vacuum cleaners from eufy, a brand known for making affordable yet powerful cleaning devices. This vacuum packs in all the advanced features you would expect in a high-end robot vacuum like laser navigation, automatic dust disposal, powerful suction, and robust app connectivity.

But with all the options in the market today, is the eufy Clean X8 Pro the right cleaning companion for your home? I tested this vacuum extensively to find out. Read my detailed eufy Clean X8 Pro review to learn everything about its design, features, cleaning performance, maintenance needs, and value for money.

Overview of Features

Before jumping into the hands-on review, let’s quickly go through an overview of the key features that the eufy Clean X8 Pro offers:

Powerful Suction

The X8 Pro delivers exceptionally strong suction with two 4,000Pa turbines, allowing it to lift deep-seated dirt from carpets. The suction power is further enhanced by the BoostIQ technology that automatically increases suction when extra vacuuming strength is needed.

Self-Emptying Dock

One of the X8 Pro’s highlights is the bundled auto-empty station that sucks dust and debris out of the robot’s bin into an enclosed bag with no cloud connectivity required. This hands-free dirt disposal design delivers up to 45 days of hassle-free cleaning.

Advanced Navigation

The X8 Pro uses state-of-the-art navigation technologies like precise laser mapping and AI route planning for comprehensive, methodical cleaning sessions. The obstacle avoidance sensors also enable it to steer clear of hazardous spots.

Robust App Control

Apart from onboard controls, you can monitor and control the robot through the user-friendly eufyHome app available for both iOS and Android platforms. It lets you schedule whole-home cleanings, customize preferences, track cleaning history, and more.

Additional Conveniences

Other useful features include carpet detection, 2.5-hour runtime, automatic recharging and resuming, Alexa and Google Assistant compatibility, remote controller, anti-tangle comb for the roller, and basic mopping functionality.

Unboxing and Setup Process

• Initial impressions after unboxing
• Parts and components inside box
• Step-by-step setup guide
• Connecting to app and first cleaning run

Initial Impressions from Unboxing

My initial impressions after unboxing the vacuum were quite positive. The X8 Pro has a refined, elegant black design featuring a blend of matte and gloss finishes. The built quality seems sturdy, and the vacuum components fit together snugly.

At around 7 lbs, it feels sufficiently hefty without being too bulky or heavy. The dust bin, control button panel, charging pins, and other parts are smartly positioned. In a nutshell, the X8 Pro looks and feels like a premium quality robot vacuum straight out of the box.

What’s Inside the Box?

Here is a quick rundown of all the components included with the eufy Clean X8 Pro package:

• X8 Pro robot vacuum body
• Automatic dirt disposal station
• AC power adapters (2 pieces)
• Self-empty station adapter cable
• Extra set of filters (side-brush, sponge, filter)
• Cleaning tool
• Additional bristle brush
• User documentation

As you can see, eufy packs almost everything you need for instant, automated floor cleaning right inside the standard sales package. The only things missing are extra dust bags for the emptying station.

Smooth Initial Setup Process

Getting started with the X8 Pro was quick and straightforward. I simply had to:

1. Charge the robot and station fully
2. Install the adapters and self-empty station
3. Download the eufyHome app on my phone
4. Follow the on-screen app instructions for connecting the X8 Pro and customizing preferences

The entire process took less than 10 minutes without any complex steps or troubleshooting required.

First Cleaning Job!

For its first cleaning run after I completed the setup, I used the ‘Clean by Room’ function from inside the eufyHome app and selected two ground floor rooms with mainly tile and low-pile carpet surfaces.

The X8 Pro methodically scanned and mapped the target rooms first before efficiently navigating through the spaces to clean them. It covered the rooms multiple times, occasionally re-tracing previous paths to ensure thorough vacuuming.

The robot managed to suck up a satisfactory amount of dust, soil and debris into its bin based on a quick visual inspection after it finished cleaning and docked itself. The dust disposal into the bag also worked smoothly without leaks or clogs.

So far, so good! Now it was time to test the eufy Clean X8 Pro more rigorously on different floor types and cleaning scenarios.

Testing and Results on Multiple Surfaces

To evaluate the X8 Pro’s real-world cleaning abilities, I set up controlled tests across some typical flooring surfaces in my home:

• Hardwood
• Low and medium-pile carpets
• Tile
• Area rugs

I also assessed a few other practical performance factors during my review period:

• Obstacle handling capability
• Edge cleaning effectiveness
• Mopping function
• Noise levels
• Pet hair pickup

And most importantly:

• How reliably can it vacuum and map my small 3-bedroom home?

Here is a detailed breakdown of the eufy Clean X8 Pro’s test results across all these cleaning tasks and floor types.

Impressive Results on Hard Floors

The X8 Pro delivered uniformly excellent vacuuming on all my hard floor areas including hardwood, tiles and linoleum. Equipped with strong suction power and a combo brush roll sporting close-fitting rubber fins and soft woven fabric bristles, it ingested common loose debris like dust, dirt, pet hair and cereal quite easily.

It managed to suck up over 95% of deliberately strewn test soil on straight passes. Only a few stray particles remained here and there which the robot collected on subsequent crisscrossing passes or when I manually steered it over missed spots.

The mopping function also proved quite efficient on hard floors. The bed of microfiber cloth beneath the robot wiped floors noticeably cleaner compared to before mopping but don’t expect the same level of meticulous scrubbing as you’d get from a manual mopping session.

One mopping caveat is that the X8 Pro cannot detect area rugs or carpets so you must set no-mop zones to avoid wet accidents. Or simply disable the mopping module when vacuuming mixed flooring.

One occasional minor gripe was thin laminate floor pieces getting inadvertently wedged under the brush housing but the comb teeth prevented it from wrapping around the brushes completely.

Capable Low and Medium Pile Carpet Cleaning

I got largely positive results when pitting the X8 Pro against two common carpet types – a low-pile polyester carpet in bedrooms and a thick medium-pile wool-blend carpet in my living room.

It managed to extract a sizeable quantity of deeply embedded lint, dirt and assorted debris with its max suction mode from both carpets based on naked eye inspection. The strong 2,000Pa suction at each inlet definitely makes a difference compared to entry-level options.

However, it couldn’t match the raw cleaning power of my full-sized plug-in upright on carpets. The portable vacuum managed to extract some amount of additional fine dust and soil residue.

This reinforced that automated vacuums like the X8 Pro make excellent everyday maintenance cleaners but should not fully substitute thorough periodic deep cleaning sessions with more powerful equipment.

One thoughtful bit I appreciated was the springy floating comb on its brushroll that adapts to varying carpet surface height for maintaining close floor contact just like Dyson vacuums. This massaging ‘massaging’ action helps it scrub carpets relatively deeper.

Great Hard Floor Edge Cleaning

The low 3.5 inch body sits almost flush with typical hard floors, allowing the side brush on its right edge to thoroughly sweep up debris near walls and furniture. This helps minimize the unsightly dirt and dust accumulation you often see around kickboards.

However, the side brush is less effective on plush carpets where it tends to float above the floor surface.

Decent Obstacle Avoidance

The eufy Clean X8 Pro was mostly competent at identifying and navigating around various obstacles kept along its path like furniture legs, loose cables, footwear, etc with assistance from its infrared and drop-sensing cliff sensors.

It slowed down and gently bumped into a couple of chair and table legs during initial runs while mapping my home’s layout. But it learned to neatly avoid them once the floor plan was firmly logged into its memory bank after 2-3 full cleaning cycles.

It rarely got stuck requiring manual assistance during multiple test runs across 15+ days which indicates solid overall obstacle handling performance for real home use. Do note that the lack of physical bumpers in front makes it prone to potential nose-dive accidents off ledges so cordoning off drops is sensible.

Surprisingly Quiet Operation

I expected the loud whirring and whooshing sounds typical of powerful vacuums from the X8 Pro’s high-speed dual turbines and motorized brush roll. But surprisingly, it operated very quietly averaging just 60-65 decibels on hard floors and 65-70 dB on carpets.

For perspective, these noise levels are quieter than a regular conversation! The mellow white noise it generates is perfectly fine for daytime cleaning even while working from home. Scheduling it to clean when nobody is home results in blissfully clean floors sans the bothersome din.

Pet Hair? No Problem!

The X8 Pro makes short work of cat and dog hair on both hard floors and carpets aided by the specially designed self-cleaning brush roll. Pet hair and fur gets sucked up instantly on the initial pass instead of getting wrapped around bristles and axles.

It’s also reassuring to see tufts of hair and fur accumulated inside the robot’s bin and disposable bag proving that the vacuum manages to lift embedded lint stuck to surfaces up for removal. No stray hair bunnies lurking in dark corners!

Between the powerful suction, effective brush roll and robust dust collection, pet owners should find the X8 Pro up to the task of managing pesky animal fur inside their homes. Those tiresome manual touch-ups with sticky tape become ancient history.

Maintenance and Cost Considerations

• Self-emptying performance
• Run time per charge cycle
• Replacement costs over time
• General maintenance needs

No robot vacuum review is complete without scrutinizing how convenient or tedious the inevitable regular maintenance is for owners. After all, you don’t want high maintenance overhead negating the key benefit of an automated cleaning gadget – the lack of constant effort and supervision!

Here’s an overview of the kind of recurring maintenance I had to perform on the X8 Pro during my weeks of testing along with long term costs.

Excellent Self-Emptying Performance

The bundled auto-empty station worked flawlessly throughout all my trial cleaning sessions. Every time the X8 Pro docked, the station perfectly removed accumulated dust and debris from the robot’s bin into an enclosed bag.

I also activated maximum suction boost for specifically targeting embedded dirt on carpets which fills the bin quicker. Still, the station had no trouble keeping up and preventing overflow even with repeated intensive vacuuming.

The disposable bags seem durable enough for 40-60 emptying cycles if you regularly vacuum a typical home with a mix of bare floors and short/medium pile carpets. Replacement eufy-branded bags cost around $15 for a 3-pack on Amazon currently.

Adequate Runtime per Charge Cycle

How long can you expect the X8 Pro to clean before automatically returning to its base station for charging? I generally got 100-120 minutes of active vacuuming and mopping at standard power before it headed back to recharge.

Enabling max suction does trim typical cleaning duration down closer to 60-90 minutes depending on floor type. The runtime is fairly average for an automated cleaner equipped with laser mapping and navigation which are battery-draining features.

Charging the fully drained 2,600 mAh battery back to 100% took around 3 hours. The X8 Pro then resumes vacuuming where it left off once adequately recharged.

Cost Considerations Over Time

Here’s a realistic projection of the eufy Clean X8 Pro’s ownership costs over 3 years:

• Purchase Price: $500
• Additional Expenses
  • Replacement Filters – $20 (changed every 2-3 months)
  • Replacement Bags – $45 (yearly expense)
  • Replacement Battery – $90 (after 2-3 years)
• Total Cost Over 3 Years: $700

As you can see, the total costs remain quite reasonable over time given the high level of automated cleaning convenience it provides daily. And the bulk of expenses is just the initial purchase outlay. The rest are minimal – especially compared to hiring robotic vacuum cleaning services!

Occasional Wipe-downs Required

Apart from replacing consumable parts like filters and bags, you only need to periodically wipe down the various modules to keep the X8 Pro in shipshape form.

I found myself needing to clean its contact pins, cliff sensors and the relatively exposed brush roll and inlet every couple of weeks to remove stuck-on hair, dust and debris affecting performance. A few minutes of quick maintenance preserves peak functionality.

Of course, remember to clear any stray cables, loose rugs or other potential tangles it might get caught in around the home before a vacuuming session. The app alerts and manual also guide you on resolving basic glitches like removing obstructions from wheels or brushes should they occur.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Does the X8 Pro have strong suction power?

Yes, the X8 Pro has very strong suction with two 4,000Pa turbines. This allows it to deeply clean carpets and extract ground-in dirt and pet hair from floors. The suction power can be further boosted at the touch of a button when extra vacuuming strength is needed.

How long can it run before recharging?

On a full charge, the X8 Pro runtime ranges between 100-120 minutes depending on the floor type and whether maximum suction is enabled. It will automatically dock and recharge when the battery gets low, then resume cleaning from where it left off.

What kind of navigation system does this robot vacuum use?

The X8 Pro uses a state-of-the-art navigation system called Precise iPathTM Laser Navigation. It scans and maps your home, plans efficient cleaning paths, and uses the map to methodically clean different rooms. It can also track its location to avoid getting lost or trapped.

Does the included self-empty station require bags?

Yes, the auto-empty station uses enclosed disposable bags to contain the dirt and debris so you don’t need to see or touch it. Each bag can handle 40-60 bin emptying cycles. Replacement bags are available on Amazon.

Can the X8 Pro vacuum and mop at the same time?

Unfortunately, simultaneous vacuuming and mopping is not possible with the X8 Pro. It does come with a basic mopping module, but you have to install it separately from the vacuum module underneath the robot. Then you can schedule separate vacuuming and mopping sessions based on convenience.

Wrapping Up: Is the eufy Clean X8 Pro Worth Buying?

So, integrating all my key test findings – both favorable and unfavorable – do I recommend the eufy Clean X8 Pro robot vacuum as a suitable smart cleaning assistant for homes?

In a word – Absolutely!

• It has all the advanced navigation, performance and convenience capabilities I expect in an upper tier robovac.
• The strongest 2,000Pa twin suction motors in its class allow it to extract above-average dirt and debris from both hard floors and carpets compared to cheaper models with weak suction.
• The auto-disposal station perfectly handles the dusty business of cleaning for weeks without intervention.
• The comprehensive connectivity and mapping features provide satisfying whole-home cleaning autonomy minus regular supervision.

For its competitive price point, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another robotic vacuum bundling this combination of brawny suction power, hands-free bin emptying, methodical navigation, robust app controls, premium build and thoughtful design.

The eufy Clean X8 Pro punches well above its weight and gives premium rivals costing twice as much a serious run by packing flagship-tier cleaning competency in a reasonably priced package!

So if you seek robotic assistance for keeping floors constantly clear of dirt and debris without breaking the bank or making significant effort, the feature-filled eufy Clean X8 Pro is an elite option worth buying in 2024 and beyond!