Dreame Technology has launched a new flagship robotic vacuum with mop system. This is my hands-on review of the DreameBot L20 Ultra, distributed in Singapore by Dasher SG. It will be available from 31 Aug 2023 at a launch price of S$1499 at COMEX 2023 and comes with 2-year warranty.
My Past Experiences with Robot Vacuum Cleaners
I’ve used robot vacuums for years and most of the standalone models have limitations that I have learned to compromise. Here’s some of my pain points:
- Cables get entangled by stray objects which disrupted automated cleaning
- Robot cleaner keeps bumping on furniture to detect obstacles and walls
- Hassle to clear the dust tray regularly
- Hassle to remove trapped hair and dirt in the rollers
As for the mop function, it’s something that I rarely use, because:
- Tank size is insufficient for whole house mopping
- Hassle to top up water manually on the robot cleaner itself
- Needs to clean mop pad manually after each cleaning task
- Cannot use detergent
I quite like the DreameBot L10 Ultra that I reviewed as it comes with a base station to hold water tank and can empty the dust box, but it lacks some premium features found on the L10S Ultra which are as follows:
- Able to dispense detergent for mopping
- Built-in AI camera that is better at detecting obstacles and supports surveillance features
In that respect, I would have loved the L10S Ultra if I have that as my robot vacuum. But now that I have reviewed this DreameBot L20 Ultra, this latest model clearly takes the cake as the ultimate hands-free robot vacuum and mop system.
My New Experience with DreameBot L20 Ultra
The DreameBot L20 Ultra is a self-sustaining home cleaning system that can vacuum and mop your house maintenance-free for months. The base stations stands at 60.7cm tall, 50cm wide. Using LDS technology, it creates a floor map of your house and with that you can define a cleaning pattern for each area, or leave it to the new L20 Ultra with its CleanGenius(TM) mode that will clean high-dirt area repeatedly. You do not even need to change water! How is it possible?
Auto Empty Dust Box
The dust box inside the robot vacuum gets auto-emptied into the 3.2L dust bag in the base station. The bag can last for months depending on your usage. The retail package comes with an additional dust bag.
Auto Refill and Discharge Water Tank (with Optional Water Hookup Kit)
The L20 Ultra (as well as the new L10S Ultra SE) supports the water hookup kit, which connects the base station directly to your tap (inlet) and drain (outlet) so that it can auto refill the water tank and discharge soiled water – just like a washing machine! The most troublesome thing about mopping is rinsing with fresh water, so with the water hookup kit, you can mop the house without ever touching the water tank!
Even without the optional kit, the L20 Ultra comes with a much bigger water tank of 4.5L compared to 2.5L on the previous generation. This means you can replace water less frequently than the L10 series.
You can see the photo comparison below between the L20 Ultra and the L10 series:
The overall mopping system is also improved deliver a better outcome. Here’s how:
Extendable Mop Pad (World-first)
Dreame Technology is the first to design extendable mop pads on the robot vacuum that can now reach the floor corners and edges. When mopping the corners, the right mop pad extends outwards so that even the corners can get cleaned by the robot vacuum.
Auto-Detachable Mop Pads
If you are doing vacuum-only tasks, the mop pads will be detached and left at the base station. This is one of my favourite features because I do not have to manually remove the pads when doing vacuum to minimise getting the pads dirty during the course of vacuuming.
Auto-Wash and Air Dry Mop Pads
The DreameBot L20 Ultra system will also wash the mop pads and dried by hot air to get rid of bacteria and odour. In short, you do not need to remove the pads and wash separately – the L20 Ultra is self-sustaining.
Camera Monitoring with Auto Light
This is another favourite feature that I feel makes it worth paying. The built-in camera definitely improves the robot vacuum obstacle detection so that it can intelligently avoid them. But it also functions as a home surveillance camera on wheels which you can remotely navigate from the app.
During cleaning tasks, when the robot encounters obstacles, it will take a snapshot and mark the obstacle on the map. After the task is complete, you can review and check the images.
Once you load the camera page, you can see a live view of the camera with many on-screen buttons. You can manually move the robot, or tap a location on the map and the robot will head over to the spot. You can also make two-way communications from the app. There is also a “human follow” mode where the robot will detect and follow human.
There is also a function to schedule the robot to go cruising and captures images at random angles. The robot can store up to 200MB of video and images which can be downloaded to your smartphone. The L20 Ultra now comes with LED to light up the path so that the camera can detect objects better in low light situations.
Given my home floor cleaning area of about 45 square metres which completes cleaning and mopping in about an hour, the battery barely falls below 85%, so having this camera function puts the robot into good use during the rest of the times when there are no cleaning tasks. On paper, the robot can handle 3 hours of vacuum and mop tasks, but it is unlikely that you need 3 hours to clean the house – unless you have a really big property.
AI Cleaning Features
The DreameBot L20 Ultra also adds some smart features that further differentiates from the competitors. For instance, it can detect the level of dirt and will attempt to perform a second round of cleaning. Similarly, it will also wash the mod pad again if it detects the pad is still dirty.
Other smart features include: lifting the vacuum roller during mopping tasks to prevent getting contamination into the dry vacuum area. The suction force is also upgraded from 5300 Pa to 7000 Pa, and the robot will automatically adjust the power depending on the detection of carpet or dirt size.
The roller with silicon flaps is the same as the L10 series which based on my previous experience, is so easy to clean. Thanks to the removable sides, I can easily pop them out to remove the accumulated hair,
Verdict
After trying several types of robot vacuum products, I have concluded that if you want a hands-free robot, you have to get the full-featured model that can clean your house, wash the pads and replenish the water automatically. A basic robot vacuum could make your cleaning tasks less thorough.
The DreameBot L20 Ultra is a complete automated solution that I can rely on to clean my house floor effectively. Its new technology ensures better cleaning performance, including along the corners. All I need to do is to replace the dust bag every few months. If the water kit is installed, the mopping function can be completely automated down from the water refill to the mop pad washing. The AI camera helps identify objects with higher accuracy and captures images of obstacles for post-cleaning review. The robot also doubles as a surveillance camera that you can move anywhere around the house.
The DreameBot L20 Ultra is a fantastic product to get for the homeowners who have physical difficulties to clean the floor manually, while the integrated camera system will be a great feature to monitor the house. The retail price is certainly a premium over the other robot vacuums but it is loaded with massive functions, and if you remove any of them, it would be a compromise with some manual work.
With the COMEX launch offer of S$1499 (or S$1978 with water kit and free installation), this is a good time to buy. You can also consider the L10S Ultra SE which is basically the L10S Ultra that supports the water refill and draining kit, at the price of S$1649 (with kit). If you miss the launch price, you can still buy it from Shopee at S$1799 or lower depending on in-store promotions.
