The Ultimate Cleaning Companion: Ecovacs’ Ozmo Roller Mop Bet Pays Off

Revolutionizing Cleaning with the Ozmo Roller: Ecovacs’ Bold Move Pays Off

While many brands focus on software improvements or suction power upgrades, Ecovacs has taken a different approach by revolutionizing the often-overlooked floor mopping technology.

From Spinning Pads to Rolling Brushes

For years, the floor mopping technology in vacuum robots remained relatively unchanged. The most popular solution, dual-spin pads, can be found in high-end models from brands like Roborock, Dreame, Xiaomi, and previous generations of Ecovacs. While this system creates friction by spinning two pads in opposite directions, independent tests by TechRadar (2024) and The Verge revealed that it only removes 60-70% of dry dirt and struggles with oil or stubborn stains without multiple passes.

The Ozmo Roller, on the other hand, achieves an impressive 92% cleaning efficiency in a single pass, according to Ecovacs’ internal testing and real-world trials in the Japanese market in early 2024. This significant improvement is attributed to three key technical factors:

1. A 17cm microfiber roller brush spinning at 200 rpm, ensuring consistent friction across the robot’s width.

2. A staggering 4,000Pa of downward force, twice the pressure of conventional spinning pads.

3. Eight water jets and a scraper bar keep the roller surface clean and moist.

The Ozmo Roller’s mechanism is designed to mimic industrial floor cleaners: the robot continuously sprays clean water through eight jets while a fixed-pressure scraper bar removes dirty water, dust, and grime from the roller, maintaining a constant cleaning cycle of clean water, mopping, scraping, and drying. Unlike other robots that use the same pad for the entire house, Ecovacs establishes a circular cleaning process.

One of the standout features is the roller’s automatic retraction, allowing the robot to get closer to walls—a common weakness in robots using round pads or vibrating pads. Additionally, the Ozmo Roller’s impressive 4,000Pa of downward force is comparable to the pressure exerted when manually cleaning with an industrial mop, ensuring that stubborn stains like dried soy sauce, oil, or coffee can be effectively removed in a single pass.

While the roller system demands more maintenance and has a more complex structure, it is a worthwhile trade-off for users who prioritize cleaning efficiency, especially in households with children, pets, or tile floors prone to grime buildup.

A Strategic Gamble Pays Off

There’s no denying that developing the Ozmo Roller came at a cost. Its complex mechanical design, wear-resistant materials, and software adjustments for spin control all contributed to higher production costs. Robots featuring this technology, such as the Deebot X8 Pro Omni, were priced above 20 million VND. It wasn’t until recently that Ecovacs introduced the T80 Omni, bringing this innovative technology to a more accessible price point of around 17 million VND.

However, the market’s response has been overwhelmingly positive, with both international and domestic reviewers praising the improved cleaning efficiency and reduced cleaning times. More importantly, users can distinctly feel the difference between a superficial clean and a truly deep clean.

In Vietnam, where homes typically have tile or wooden floors and a hot, humid climate with year-round dust and grime, a robot that can thoroughly clean in a single pass, leave no water streaks, and minimize manual intervention is a game-changer.

Strategically, this move couldn’t have come at a better time. According to a GfK report (Q1/2025), consumers in developing markets like Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia are increasingly prioritizing “actual cleaning efficiency” over suction power metrics. Specifically, 58% of surveyed users expressed their desire for a robot that can “clean as well as a human.”

This shift in consumer preferences creates a perfect opportunity for technologies like the Ozmo Roller. It’s no surprise that the Deebot X8 Pro Omni, the first model to feature the Ozmo Roller, was a top-seller in China’s highly competitive market in Q4 2024.

Are Roller Brushes the Future of Mopping?

Ecovacs’ bold move to revolutionize floor mopping technology is a testament to their quiet innovation over their 30-year history. They were the first to introduce AI camera-based obstacle avoidance (AIVI), followed by TrueDetect 3D sensors and TrueMapping laser mapping technology, which was previously only found in autonomous vehicles.

With the Ozmo Roller, Ecovacs has not only enhanced the mopping experience but also solidified their position as a technology leader. While other brands rely on “spin pads and warm water stations,” Ecovacs has introduced an entirely new hardware design—more expensive but also far more effective. They are charting their own course, and the market is embracing it.

The introduction of the Ozmo Roller has forced competitors to reevaluate their product strategies. Dreame, for instance, has recently unveiled a prototype robot featuring a roller brush-pad hybrid, and Roborock, known for their loyalty to spin pads, is experimenting with roller modules in their domestic product line in China.

While no other brand has commercialized this technology on a large scale like Ecovacs, the trend is clear: spin pads are no longer the be-all and end-all of floor mopping.