The Dreame L40s Ultra robot vacuum has two fey features

After a really successful review of the newest EcoVacs robot vacuums, I was excited to try Dreame’s (pronounced “dreamy”) new option. However, it’s not a clear-cut improvement over the EcoVacs models in every regard.

It has really exceptional suction power and a neat wheel design that lets it climb up small differences in floor levels. It also does a great job at being a vacuum, and it’s especially quiet, which is a nice touch, especially if you want to run it while you’re sleeping. Like other high-end robot vacuums, it also has some mopping functionality.

Unlike the EcoVacs modes, this one has two spinning mop discs that can move in and out of the unit to help it get all the dirt in the corners of a room. In my test, like most robots, it’s hard-pressed to get into all the small corners of your house, but does a great job at cleaning 98 per cent of a floor.

My issues with the robot started when it began mapping my house. Its first pass was pretty poor so I needed to send it out again to get a complete view of my first floor. Over time it did create a better map, but compared to the first time the EcoVacs models mapped my house, it was a tad disappointing. It didn’t even detect my large carpets so I needed to manually add them to the map.

Perhaps the most annoying thing about the vacuum was how it would often drag its wet mops over my carpet. Frequently, it would be cleaning my kitchen, announce it needed to clean the mops and then return to the dock, and then on its way home it would just drag the mops over the carpet. This is especially annoying because there is a “Clean Genius” mode that detects carpets but doesn’t work. It’s also a bit annoying that you can’t have this mode turned on simultaneously with the other custom modes.

Since you have to choose between a custom mode or the AI-enhanced mode, I think users should spend the extra time using the custom modes since my experience with Clean Genius has been very lacklustre. When you get into the custom modes, there are a lot more options, and you can even get the robot to detach its mopping pads and leave them at the base station to avoid wet mops on your carpet. The base station also does a good job of cleaning and drying the mop pads between uses, so they don’t smell.

What annoys me the most about the vacuum is that it’s marking up my TV stand. My unit sits directly on the floor, and as the Dreame L40s Ultra runs alongside it, it’s been leaving a bunch of white scuffs along it. My other furniture has been fine, but I didn’t notice the TV stand issue until a week after testing, and it took a bit of cleanup to fix.

Dreame sets itself apart with its pack-in materials and base station. The robot comes with a cleaning brush, some mop detergent, and an extra dust bag. None of those things were included with the EcoVacs models I tested, and together, they add up to roughly $50 in added value and a longer time until you need to worry about buying replacement parts. It’s also nice to have some detergent right out of the box to use for your first cleanings. Another small pro-tip I learned from a friend is that utilizing a detergent helps cut down on the stench of the old water whenever you need to empty it.

The base station is white which will fit into some decors better than others. However, what I like about it is how large its water basins are. They hold four litres of water each which decreases the time between refills and emptying which is nice. The dust bags are rated to last for 100 days, which is great, but the water will need to be changed every 30 days depending on how big your house is.

The main feature that sets this robot apart from its competition is its ability to drive up short steps that are around an inch and a half tall. This will be super useful to people who have multiple flooring types. A wheel on the side has ridges like a gear on it, allowing it to scramble up small steps. However, it can only go up single steps about an inch and a half tall, so it can’t do it all.

In terms of obstacle avoidance, it did fine with large objects, but smaller things like socks, wires, and cat toys still caused it trouble. There were a few mornings when I came down to find it tangled in a cat toy. This is a problem most robot vacuums have, so I don’t hold anything against the L40S Ultra, but with the camera and radar sensors on it, I was hoping for more.

If you have multiple flooring types separated by a small step, this robot will be a great option. Once you dial in the settings, you can overcome a lot of the issues I had with it. It would have been nice for the automatic modes to work better, but once you take human control, this unit lives up to expectations. You can buy your own model for $2,000, but the Dreame website currently has it down to $999.