Vacuuming and mopping, especially in immediate succession, are chores surely no one enjoys putting aside time for.
And then there are the frustrations that follow a floor cleaning session when you realise you’ve missed a bit, or the dog runs through the house with dirty paws when you’ve already packed the vacuum away.
Now, imagine if there was an adorable, stylish robot that could map your house, powerfully vacuum it (including the carpet), then mop after leaving sparkling floors and it was entirely self-cleaning.
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Then also imagine if all of this could be done while you aren’t even home.
I tested the brand new Dreame X40 Ultra robotic cleaner (rrp $2799), for a month and I can happily confirm all of these things and more are possible.
As it was my first time ever trying a robotic cleaner, I had an assumption they could only vacuum on a hard surface, constantly got themselves stuck and were low in power.
Well, I was proven very wrong on all of those fronts and found myself watching the Dreame X40 Ultra in awe for its entire first 60-minute clean of our house as it zoomed around vacuuming and mopping nearly every inch.
It’s safe to say I can’t see myself ever going back.
What’s in the box
- Dreame X40 Ultra robotic cleaner
- Dreame X40 base station for cleaner
- User manual and quick start-up guide
- Two mop pads
- An extra vacuum bag (one is already in the machine)
- 200 ml Dreame multi-surface floor cleaner
- Handheld brush
Getting started
Setting up the vacuum was far easier than expected and we managed to start the first vacuum and mop done within 20 minutes of taking the X40 out of the box.
There is barely any assembly and once you remove the plastic, clip the magnetised mop pads onto the vacuum’s base and plug the base station into a power point, you’re almost good to go.
The quick start set up card will then tell you to download the Dreame Home app and follow the prompts to sync the device with your phone or tablet and WiFi.
The app makes you feel like you have a Tesla (almost) as it tells you how much the device is charged and you can activate the camera setting to watch your house as it cleans.
You will have to map out your house or areas you want to clean for the X40 to start learning where obstacles are in your home.
This only needs to be done once and sends the robot on a little tour through the house to get to know its surroundings.
As it does this, a map is created in the app and you can use this to tailor where you want to clean each time, where is off limits and where needs some extra love.
Once the map is done, you’re all set for your first clean.
I wanted to try both the vacuum and mop function straight away and it is incredibly impressive to watch.
The X40 has a side brush that extends and lifts up to 10mm to sweep dirt and dust from tight corners and around furniture legs, meaning it really isn’t compromised by its circular shape and reaches surprisingly tough spots.
What I loved
I had two main questions ahead of testing out the Dreame X40 Ultra.
Will it be an eyesore in my living room? And how on earth does it tackle pesky dog hair struck in carpet?
Well, as soon as I took it out of the box and plugged it in, I knew it could never be an eyesore. The design of the X40 is so sleek, stylish and compact.
On the issue of dog hair, you can purchase an anti-tangle TriCut brush separately for $199, which has cutting heads to slice through tangled hair.
This brush is amazing, but I didn’t use it for the first clean and was surprised by how much dog hair the X40 still picked up without it. It cleaned far more hair than I have ever been able to with a hand-held vacuum.
I also had concerns that my sensitive spaniel would be terrified of the X40 as he is with every vacuum.
It’s early days and he still chooses to hang out upstairs when it’s cleaning, but he has had a much more mild reaction that I expected and I think a lot of that is due to how quiet it is.
To put it in perspective, I took phone calls during its first clean and didn’t struggle to hear over it at all.
The X40 is self cleaning, which is another game changer as only the water needs to be emptied if the floor was mopped. After they are cleaned in the machine, the mop pads are blow-dried with warm air to prevent mildew and bad odours.
The vacuum dust bags are also 3.2-litres and require emptying only once every 75 days of use.
I also loved its ability to identify different obstacles and pop them on the map, especially ones that aren’t a permanent fixture in the house.
This means if you’re out when you do a clean and leave a pair of shoes in its way, a shoe icon will appear on the map.
Once you move them, you can tell the X40 to go back over that spot again without the obstacle.
What could be better
The Dreame X40 Ultra launched last week and is priced at $2799 on Amazon and Dreame’s official website, so it is an expensive device.
I do feel that if you are going to invest in a robot vacuum, you should get the best (and it really is). But it’s worth deciding exactly what you need it for before taking the plunge.
The X40 is fantastic for its mop function and self-cleaning, but if the top-of-the-range mop isn’t for you there are more affordable Dreame robot vacuums.
The Verdict
I was sceptical as I assumed it would constantly be getting stuck in tight spots and have no power.
But during the first clean, I was completely blown away and watched as it manoeuvred itself out of tight spots and around obstacles, while leaving the floors spotless and sparkling.
I have great fun watching it clean, however the function that I now will not be able to live without is that it can do it all while you aren’t home.
It really will free up so much of your time and there is no going back for me now.
Dreame provided this publisher with devices for testing purposes. This did not affect our views on the device, and our review remains independent of the manufacturer.