The Only Robot Vacuum You'll Ever Need

October 12, 2024

Key Takeaways

The Dreame L20 Ultra is a highly advanced robot vacuum that offers effective floor mopping with scrubbing pads and a superior app with many features.
The Dreame L20 Ultra is easy to set up and avoids objects as expected, with a very long battery life for extended cleaning sessions.
However, the Dreame L20 Ultra is extremely pricey and has a large base, and the dust bin collector on the base can be clumsy to use.

Robotic vacuums that also mop are becoming increasingly popular and the DreameBot L20 Ultra is probably the most advanced model to date. Though it may require a significant investment, it could be the last vacuum robot you'll ever need to purchase.

Introduced earlier this year, the DreameBot L20 is an autonomous vacuum that takes everything to the next level. With advanced navigation tools, a built-in soap dispenser, and the ability to scrub flat surfaces, this model has many impressive features that stand out.

DreameBot L20 Ultra

9/ 10

The Dreame L20 Ultra is equipped with a fully automatic base station and an advanced suction system, making it an ideal choice for keeping your home’s floors clean. However, its high price tag may deter potential buyers from investing in this robot vacuum that’s probably like something you’ve never seen.

Dimensions 13 x 13 x 4 in Dustbin Capacity 3.2L Brand Dreametech Weight 9.5 lbs Suction 7,000Pa Dust Bag Capacity（L） 350mL Battery 6,400mAh Water tank volume 80mL BASE DIMENSIONS 23.8 x 16.7 x 19.6 in BASE STATION WEIGHT 29.3 lbs CLEAN WATER TANK VOLUME 4.5L Pros

Effective floor mopping with pads that scrub
Superior app with many features
Easy set up
Avoids objects as expected
Very long battery life

Cons

More expensive than the competition
The charging base is large
Clumsy dust bin collector on base station

Expand $1400 at Amazon

Features of the Robot and Base

When reviewing an all-in-one cleaning system like the Dreame L20, it’s essential to consider both the base station and the robot vacuum separately. The base station is easily noticeable with its black and gold design and measures 23.8 x 16.7 x 19.6 inches. It includes some standard features as well as unique ones that are specific to this product type. Meanwhile, the robot vacuum appears similar to other models on the market, but upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that it has some distinguishing characteristics.

The Base

One of the standard functions of the base is charging. A plastic ramp extension makes it easier for the robot to reach the correct position. Above the charging dock is a removable Dust Tank panel. Inside, you'll find a connected dust bag and an extra bag fitting snuggly in a compartment. The Dust Tank panel has a cover lock to keep it from accidentally opening while moving the base around. It's a nice touch, although a shaky one at that. I noticed the safety lock didn’t always work. As such, the panel sometimes fell on the floor and needed reinstalling.

To access the mop components, open a door at the top of the base. Inside, you'll find two large water tanks that are removable by pulling up on their handles. On the right side is a transparent container that can hold up to 4.5 liters of fresh water, while on the left is a similar-sized black tank for dirty water collection. You can connect a container that includes a proprietary multi-surface cleaning solution in between. There’s one of these shipped with the robot. There's also room for the included scrubbing cleaning tool.

At the top of the base are three black buttons that light up when in use. You can use these buttons to initiate a cleaning cycle or command the robot to return to its charging station. The third button starts the cleaning process on the robot's mopping pads. You'll need to use these buttons if you don't have the official DreameTech app installed on your iPhone or Android device. Still, the app is essential to perform most operations.

The Robot

The DreameBot L20 Ultra robot looks similar to other robot vacuums. Its dimensions measure 13 x 13 x 4 inches, which aligns with the last two robot vacuums I reviewed, the Yeedi Cube (13.3 x 13.3 x 3.7in) and Roborock S8 (13.9 x 13.8 x 3.8in). It comes in black with gold accents that complement the base. The robot has a removable dust box at the top that can hold up to 350mL of dirt. The top houses the LiDAR navigation camera and three buttons that match the ones on the base. The robot also has a built-in water tank holding up to 80mL of liquid and a front light that automatically turns on in low-light conditions.

Like other robot vacuums, the DreameBot L20 Ultra has a primary and side brush. However, what sets it apart is the inclusion of those two mop pads, mentioned above, designed to clean non-carpeted floors.

Most homes have a combination of carpet and hard surfaces. The DreameBot L20 Ultra is designed to clean both surfaces efficiently by switching between them as needed. The robot uses artificial intelligence to continuously improve the cleaning path as it moves from one job to another.

The robot will automatically return to the base station at different times in the cleaning process. The first is to clean the mopping pads. How often this happens is tied to how much mess it picks up. The base will suck away dirty water and wet the pads with clean water each time. The robot will also come back to the base when it needs to be recharged.

Once the robot completes a job, it returns to its base. Upon arrival, it automatically empties the dust and dirt it collected and cleans the mops. Next, it initiates a quiet drying process for the mop pads, which minimizes the chance of mold growth and then recharges itself. Additionally, the robot refills its water and cleaning solution as needed.

Impressive Cleaning Performance

The effectiveness of a robot vacuum depends on how well it cleans. The Dreame L20 Ultra is exceptional at both vacuuming and mopping. With 7,000Pa of suction power, it is designed to pick up anything in its path. Additionally, it can detect obstacles and avoid them. During my tests, I placed crayons, a pen, and a sheet of paper in its way to see how it would perform. The DreameBot L20 Ultra successfully avoided all three objects. The robot is so good at avoiding obstacles because it creates a map of the room(s) before starting a cleaning job. Using the robot’s camera and AI capabilities, this map is constantly updated before and during new cleaning jobs.

Mopping

When it comes to robot vacuums that also have a mopping feature, most use a minimal amount of water, making it hard to tell if anything was cleaned. However, the DreameBot L20 Ultra utilizes mop heads that are kept wet and include MopExtend technology. It automatically extends the mops on either side when necessary, allowing it to clean baseboards and edges.

One of the advantages of this vacuum is that it has the rare feature of using soap, which is not usually found in similar products. Moreover, it is equipped with automatic mop removal technology, which allows the base station to remove the mop pads when they are no longer needed, such as after the robot has finished cleaning the areas that require mopping or when mopping is not necessary for the next task. Most robot vacuums that mop do not have mopping pads, let alone ones that are removed automatically. In this case, the process is quick and silent, and removing the pads takes only a few seconds.

During the initial stages of using the robot vacuum, I noticed it spent a lot of time going back and forth to the base. I was worried that it might not be functioning correctly. Upon researching, I discovered that the AI-powered robot was learning more about my home, and the frequent trips to the base were necessary to improve its cleaning efficiency.

As I continued to use it, the robot quickly learned and adjusted its cleaning pattern, and the number of times it needed to go back to the base for cleaning decreased significantly.

Maintenance: Easy Does It

Autonomous robot vacuums are incredibly convenient but occasionally require hands-on maintenance to function correctly. Over time, certain parts need to be replaced, while others need manual cleaning. Fortunately, the DreameBot L20 Ultra makes maintenance a breeze. The vacuum comes equipped with a feature that tracks the usage of every part and reminds you when it's time to replace or clean them. This way, you'll always know exactly when to take action to keep your DreameBot L20 Ultra in top-notch condition.

While I haven’t had to replace parts on my DreameBot L20 Ultra review unit, I was curious whether I could find replacement parts online. To my delight, I found out that the official Dreame store offers a wide variety of replacement parts for this model that can be purchased.

You can buy individual parts or opt for the accessory kit, which includes six mop pads, two side brushes, two dust bags, a pair of filters, and a replacement roller brush, for $90.

From a cleaning perspective, there’s not a lot you have to do regularly. As an autonomous device, the DreameBot L20 Ultra cleans itself pretty nicely. Occasionally, however, you’ll need to look at the vacuum’s undercarriage and remove objects like lint and hair that sometimes get stuck. It’s also a good idea to clean out the dirty water container often to avoid odor.

Of all the accessories that need to be replaced, it's the mop pads that need replacing most often—after 80 hours of work.

The App: Give It the Power

Before using your robot, pairing it with the Dreamehome app on your iPhone or Android-based device is essential. The app comes with detailed instructions, and it takes about five minutes to complete the process, which requires a Wi-Fi connection.

Once you have paired the robot, you can utilize its features. The CleanGenius solution is the preferred method for most users, as it allows the robot to adapt its suction and mopping settings according to the type of flooring and the amount of dirt present. This feature ensures optimal cleaning performance and saves you the hassle of manually adjusting the settings.

The app offers numerous manual features that are easy to use. You can adjust the vacuum’s suction speeds with a single touch, create no-go zones for the robot to avoid specific areas in your home, exclude mopping altogether, and more. You can even tell the robot to maximize vacuuming in one or more rooms versus others. Additionally, the app tracks your previous cleaning jobs, notifies you when parts need cleaning or replacing, and updates the firmware.

Battery Life: No Need to Worry

Gone are the days when robot vacuums needed to be charged multiple times before completing a cleaning job. The DreameBot L20 Ultra has changed the game with its impressive battery life. The 6,400mAh battery can power the machine for up to 210 minutes on a single charge when vacuuming only and up to 180 minutes when vacuuming and mopping. During my tests, there was no need for the robot to recharge in the middle of a job at any point, guaranteeing they were completed very quickly.

Should You Buy the DreameBot L20 Ultra?

Looking around, the $1,500 Dreame L20 Ultra isn't the most expensive robot cleaning system, but it's close. Hopefully it gets a price drop at some point. If you want to save a little money, one of our favorites, the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra, comes in around $1,200.

From a performance perspective, I was very impressed with this machine. While some reviewers have complained that the robot isn’t good with navigation, I didn’t experience this beyond the initial setup when there’s a learning process that the robot must get past using some digital room mappings.

As both a vacuum cleaner and mop, the Dreame L20 Ultra is among the best autonomous machines I’ve tried. I was incredibly impressed with the mop pads, which automatically adjust when needed—and come off when they are not.

The Dreame L20 Ultra may face a challenge beyond its price—the size of its base station. The base station is quite large, but its size is justified by its various purposes. Plus, the base station has a visually appealing color scheme that doesn’t look too bad either.

DreameBot L20 Ultra

9/ 10

$1400 at Amazon

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