Review: Eufy Omni C28

Robot vacuums aren't inexpensive these days. Between upgraded features and inflation, new models often run into the four figures. It's not to say that those vacuums aren't worth it; they're often capable of impressive tasks, such as spotting stains, lifting themselves over obstacles, and even climbing stairs. But if you're just looking for a basic, high-quality robot vacuum and mop that won't cost you a month's rent, Eufy's latest model is here to help.

Here at WIRED, we've been fans of Eufy's older 2024 robot vacuum, the X10 Pro Omni, for its solid range of features at an affordable price. But you don't need to buy the older model anymore. Eufy launched the Omni C28 at the end of February, and it'll only cost you a little bit more to get better suction and a new mop style. It's a great, fresh update to the affordable robot vacuum-and-mop combo, and it does a good job on all kinds of flooring and across multiple floors in your home.

Upgrade Game

Photograph: Nena Farrell

If you, like us, appreciated how well-priced the Eufy X10 Pro Omni was for all it offered, the Eufy Omni C28 promises similar affordability with updated features. It packs a self-cleaning roller mop, retractable detangling brushes, and nearly double the suction power (15,000 Pa vs. 8,000 Pa), while costing just $100 more than the older X10 Pro Omni.

Where the X10 Pro Omni had rotating mop pads, the rolling mop pad on the Omni C28 continuously self-cleans to prevent spreading dirt or grime to other parts of the house. Both apply downward pressure, but neither can spot dirtier places on their own as pricier, AI-powered robot vacuums will. Still, I was happy to see that it was able to scrub away some of the large dirt smudges in my entryway, though it didn't get all of them. It also didn't manage to scrub away all of the cherry juice I intentionally spilled in my routine mess setup for robot vacuum testing, even after sending the vacuum to do a second mopping job on one of the spots.

Photograph: Nena Farrell

Still, the Omni C28 was able to raise its roller mop high enough when it switched from mopping my floors to vacuuming my living room rug that there was no hint of dampness anywhere. The older X10 did get my colleague Adrienne So's carpet wet, but it didn't get mine wet, though my carpet is a fairly low pile. It did a fine job vacuuming the carpet, though I could tell the difference in suction between this and more powerful vacuums I've tested.

The base station is nice and compact, and includes drying fans to dry off the roller mop. That does mean there's a gentle fan noise in the background for a couple of hours after you use this robot vacuum, which was more annoying than I expected, but you could easily place this vacuum's base station in a less central spot in your home so you don't hear it. You could also set up a schedule for the vacuum to run in the morning and finish its drying job before you get home.

Multi-Floor Madness

Photograph: Nena Farrell

My favorite feature on the Omni C28 is that, even at this price point, it can still learn multiple maps. While it can't climb up stairs, you can move it around your home and switch the maps in the app to the floor you've relocated to. This isn't new for Eufy, as the older affordable model can do that too, but it's nice to see the feature maintained when I've tried more expensive robot vacuums that don't include it. It's pretty simple to use; you'll go to the maps, select “make a new map,” and then activate the robot to map. Once the map is made, you'll switch to that map from the little map icon on the right side, which will label them with numbers in the order you created them.

In testing, I usually waited for the Omni C28 to start moving out of the base station, hit the power button on the top of the vacuum to pause it, then moved it to the floor I wanted it to clean. Sometimes the vacuum paused and gave a voice prompt to move to a floor without the base station, but that didn't happen every time for me. You'll want to wait to move it until after you activate it, so that the vacuum can clean its mop pads and prep itself to clean before rolling out.

ScreenshotEufy app via Nena Farrell

ScreenshotEufy app via Nena Farrell

The mapping tool worked pretty well on most of my floors and usually only took a couple of minutes. The Omni C28 seemed to dislike my upper floor, though. It left three rooms out of the initial mapping run it did, and then, while it fixed those on the cleaning run, it marked my bed frame as a separate room and weirdly kept coming back to clean the area around my bed. I finally ended the run after it returned to eat another cord underneath my bedside table for the second time.

You will want to move cords out of the way, as this vacuum tried to suck up two different power cords while cleaning my bedroom. Both times I was able to yank the cord free, but I also happened to be nearby. Yanking it free also tended to dislodge a chunk of hair from the vacuum. I'd say this is a pretty normal issue for robot vacuums, but I did run the Shark PowerDetect UV Reveal with the same cords underneath my bedside table just a week ago and didn't have this problem. Still, I think it's a normal roadblock for cheaper vacuums.

Overall, for the price, I still think you're getting a pretty great vacuum. It can do everything I want a robot vacuum and mop to do, but it really only excelled on hard floors and my low-pile rug more than it did my carpeted upper floor. Still, if you want a vacuum that can do it all—mop! vacuum! learn multiple floors!—the Eufy Omni C28 delivers for a good price.