Eufy's Omni S2 Pro Robot Vacuum Shines UV-C Light on the Floor as It Cleans, for $1,699

Anker's new flagship robot vacuum and mop pairs six UV-C LEDs with electrolyzed water and hot-water mopping, raises suction to 40,000 Pa and is due to start shipping in the United States around Nov. 5.

CHANGSHA, China - Anker’s Eufy brand has a new top robot vacuum, and its headline feature is a light most owners will never see. The Eufy Omni S2 Pro, now on sale in the United States for $1,699.99, carries six UV-C LEDs on its underside that shine on the floor while it vacuums and mops. Eufy’s online store says new orders are expected to ship around Thursday, Nov. 5.

The S2 Pro is an upgrade to the Omni S2, which made its debut at CES in January. The Verge reported on Sunday that the new model raises peak suction from 30,000 Pa to 40,000 Pa and adds the UV-C light to help disinfect floors as the robot cleans.

Eufy’s illustration of the six UV-C LEDs under the S2 Pro. Image: Anker Eufy

According to Eufy’s product page, the LEDs emit light at 270 to 280 nanometers, each with a 120-degree beam, and switch off automatically if the robot is lifted or turned over. Because UV-C sits outside the visible spectrum, the only sign that it is working is a cycling purple pattern on the light ring on top of the robot, and the feature has to be switched on in the app. Eufy says the UV-C light, combined with the electrolyzed water its robots already use, kills 99.99 percent of bacteria on floors, citing tests by TÜV and SGS.

The mop has been reworked too. Eufy’s HydroJet 3.0 system uses an 11.4-inch roller fed by 32 water jets that spins at 240 rpm and washes itself as it goes. It now mops with 55-degree Celsius (131-degree Fahrenheit) hot water, which the company says breaks down kitchen grease, and presses down slightly harder, at 16 newtons instead of 15. Back at the dock, mop-washing water now reaches 100 degrees Celsius, up from 60, before the roller is dried with heat.

The S2 Pro’s HydroJet 3.0 roller mop runs on hot water and cleans itself as it turns. Image: Anker Eufy

The rest of the list is incremental. The robot now uses two line-laser modules for edge detection instead of one, and its object recognition covers more than 360 common obstacle types, up from more than 200; Eufy says that recognition is processed on the device and not uploaded to the cloud. It can climb two-tier thresholds up to 2.76 inches high, compared with 1.65 inches before. Eufy also says suction holds up without loss for 365 days instead of 90, and it has added a PHMB antibacterial filter and dust bag.

Eufy is pitching the S2 Pro at homes with young children, pets and allergy sufferers. Image: Anker Eufy

Not every number goes up. In its own comparison, Eufy says the original Omni S2 can still climb onto thicker carpets, up to 1.97 inches against 1.38 inches for the Pro, and that the older model’s station can detect dirty water and rewash the mop, which the S2 Pro’s station does not do. Eufy’s store currently lists the Omni S2 at $1,299.99, $400 less than the new model.

The Omni S2 Pro robot and its Omni Station. Image: Anker Eufy

To sweeten early orders, Eufy is including a free replacement accessory kit, a one-year extended warranty and 45-day returns.