Mopping up dried-on coffee spills and muddy footprints takes a little elbow grease. Ecovacs’ new Deebot X12 OmniCyclone robot vacuum doesn’t have elbows, so it substitutes firepower, blasting stubborn dried-on floor stains away with pressurized water jets before making its mopping pass.

The Deebot X12 OmniCyclone is, naturally, the successor to Ecovacs’ Deebot X11 OmniCyclone flagship robot vacuum and mop. The new model features boosted suction that’s now 22,000 Pa versus the X11’s 19,500 — suction power is measured in Pascals — and a 50% longer mopping roller that lets it cover more floor with each pass. Ecovacs also says that it’s updated the X12’s hardware and software to allow the robot to clean closer to walls and baseboards, reach deeper into corners and better pick up hair without tangling. However, the coolest new party trick is the addition of high-pressure water jets.

Ecovacs calls the new feature its FocusJet Stain Pre-Dissolving Technology. When mopping hard surfaces, the robot uses cameras and infrared sensors to detect dried-on messes — such as coffee stains, dried juice, mud and footprints. Upon approaching, dual 46,000 Pa water jets blast the stain, soaking and pretreating the mess. The vac then scrubs the softened mess with its updated Ozmo Roller Mop 3.0, lifting the dirt away. 

The X12 also uses an array of 16 pressurized nozzles to rinse the mop roller, preventing dirt from spreading. When it’s time to transition to carpet cleaning, the X12 can lift its mop 15mm and deploy a new Mop Roller Smart Cover to prevent dripping.

Backing up the water-blasting brawn are upgraded brains. The X12 should boast smarter AI-powered navigation that Ecovacs says will allow the cleaner to get closer to fixed obstacles, like furniture or walls, while steering clearer of pets, toys and loose wires. The robot vacuum will also feature version 2.0 of Ecovacs’ Agent Yiko AI voice assistant, which can guide you through setup and intelligent scheduling, as well as suggesting adaptive cleaning plans that adjust based on a home’s floor plan and the vac’s detection of high-use, extra-dirty areas.

The X12 OmniCyclone will ship with the latest version of Ecovacs’ Omni Station, where the robot vacuum can automatically empty its dust bins, wash its mop roller and refill its water reserves. The new flagship base station adds a new fast-charging feature (PowerBoost Charging Plus), which can quickly add around 13% charge to the battery in just 3 minutes, allowing the bot to finish up longer cleaning missions with just a quick top-up. 

Despite its hardware and software upgrades and the addition of water-powered blasters, the Ecovacs Deebot X12 OmniCyclone’s price hasn’t gone up. The robot vacuum retails for $1,499 at Ecovacs.com and on Amazon.