Dreame L40 Ultra Robot Vacuum review: top notch suction with a high price tag

Let’s face it - no one actually enjoys scrubbing floors or hoovering up after pets. And that’s probably why robot vacuum cleaners – or “robovacs” – are becoming so popular. Like little house elves for your floors, these clever dirt suckers are getting smarter with every release we see.

The L40 Ultra by Chinese manufacturer Dreame is no exception. As the company’s latest hybrid robot vacuum and mop, this smart appliance promises good things. You might not have heard of Dreame before, but the brand is slowly gaining traction in the smart home market – and for good reason. Its L40 Ultra robovac is pretty standout, promising to take all the hassle out of cleaning. And by “hassle-free”, I mean it vacuums, mops, empties its own bin, washes and dries its mop pads, and even refills its water tank – all on its own. Sounds Dreame-y, right?

But here’s the thing: it’ll set you back £999. That’s premium pricing, so it seriously needs to impress to justify that cost. I’ve put it to the test in a home that’s seen it all – messy carpets, sticky spills and dusty corners. But was it able to tackle all that without breaking a sweat? Here’s my full review.

DREAME L40 ULTRA REVIEW: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The Dreame L40 Ultra launched in October 2024 and is available to buy in white. In the UK, it’ll set you back £999, while in the US it’s priced at $1,499.99, and in Australia, you’re looking at around AU$2,299. It’s not exactly pocket change, but for a premium cleaner with this level of tech, it’s competitively priced.

You can pick one up from major retailers like Amazon, or go straight to Dreame’s official site. If you’re patient, seasonal sales might bring the price down a notch.

As for what’s in the box, you’ll get the robot, its self-cleaning dock, a starter bottle of detergent and all the essentials to get going. It’s worth noting that replacement dust bags and detergent are reasonably priced, which helps with the long-term costs.

DREAME L40 ULTRA REVIEW: DESIGN

The Dreame L40 Ultra has clearly been built with function in mind, not for admiring. The robot itself looks sleek and stylish, with a LiDAR module on top and an RGB camera at the front for spotting dirt and dodging obstacles. But then there’s the dock – a towering 59cm block that’ll dominate whatever space you place it in. While it’s not exactly a design statement, it’s packed with tech that takes all the hassle out of cleaning, but more on how that works later.

Let’s start with what the dock does. It empties the robot’s tiny 300ml bin into a large 3.2-litre bag, washes and dries the mop pads using hot air, and even refills the water tank. Sure, it’s not the prettiest thing to park in your home, but when it helps chop down your to-do list, you can kind of forgive it.

What makes the L40 Ultra unique is the device’s smart mop pad feature. These dual spinning microfiber discs lift off the ground when the robot crosses carpets, or they can be removed entirely (manually or automatically) for dedicated vacuuming. Other stand out features are the L40 Ultra’s MopExtend and SideReach tech, which mean that the robot can clean along edges and into corners better than most of its rivals.

With the MopExtend feature, the device’s mop pads extend slightly beyond the robot’s body to clean closer to skirting boards and furniture legs. As for the SideReach tech, this sees the L40 Ultra automatically extend its side brush out to sweep dirt and debris from corners and edges into the vacuum’s path. Both these features kick in automatically when the bot’s sensors feel it's needed and help make edge cleaning more effective - though it’s not perfect but more on that later.

Pet owners will also appreciate the L40 Ultra’s TriCut roller brush feature, which is designed to handle hair without getting tangled. If you’ve ever spent time unwrapping a clump of fur from a vacuum roller, you’ll know this is a big win.

And if you regularly have stubborn stains to deal with, the dock’s detergent tank is there to integrate a cleaning solution into the water supply for a deeper clean. The included starter bottle is a nice touch, and replacements are reasonably priced at £12.99.

While the design may not suit everyone’s style, the L40 Ultra’s long list of clever cleaning features should more than make up for it.

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DREAME L40 ULTRA REVIEW: PERFORMANCE

Performance is where Dream’s L40 Ultra robovac really earns its stripes. With a whopping 11,000Pa suction power, it tackles everything from fine dust to chunky crumbs without a grumble - something you don’t always find with robot vacuums. Whether it’s pet hair on the carpet or scattered cereal on hard floors, this bot doesn’t flinch. Its mopping game is equally strong, thanks to its dual spinning pads that take on sticky spills, dried coffee stains and even light mud rather easily. And it’s great that the bot can automatically detach these if it’s not focused on mopping. The addition of hot water and detergent gives it a leg up over many competitors, too, serving a top-notch cleaning game that many other robot vacuums just cannot deliver.

The L40 Ultra’s navigation is seriously smart, too. Using a combo of LiDAR and an RGB camera, it makes its way through tight spaces and avoids furniture for the most part, without constantly dumping into the same thing over and over like I’ve seen many robovacs do over the years. It’s able to dodge obstacles like shoes and cables well, although it occasionally nudges lightweight items like empty boxes, for example, but that’s nothing to get too upset about.

With features like the aforementioned MopExtend and SideReach, the L40 Ultra does a great job along edges and around furniture legs, but it’s not able to reach into sharp corners. Then again, no robot can truly get into every nook - but the L40 Ultra impressively close. You will still need to whip out the traditional vacuum for these tricky, hard-to-reach spots (annoyingly). This is just part and parcel of owning a robot vac.

After each cleaning session, the robot heads home to empty its 300ml dustbin into its 3.2-litre bag, then washes and dries its mop pads. This level of automation means you can go a good week without having to intervene and empty bags or replace water. Carpets are handled well, but the default setting - where the mop lifts slightly rather than detaching - can sometimes leave a bit to be desired. The idea is that - by lifting the mop pads - the robot will keep carpets from getting damp while still allowing the vacuum to clean. However, in practice, the slightly raised pads can still skim the carpet surface, which can result in some areas not being vacuumed as thoroughly as they could be. For homes with a lot of carpet, switching to the mop-detach mode via the app will ensure better suction coverage and avoid any chance of stray moisture. A quick tweak in the robot’s companion app, DreameHome, should solve this.

Speaking of the app, this is another standout feature when using the L40 Ultra. Here you can adjust suction strength, set how wet you want the mop, or mark off zones where the robot shouldn’t go - all with a few taps. There’s even a live camera feed to check in on things when you’re out.

The app is intuitive for the most part, but far from perfect. The default carpet detection feature tends to over-label areas, which means you might have to step in and tweak it. And while you can zone clean easily, saving those specific setups for later isn’t as straightforward as it could be. That said, once you’ve dialled in the settings for your home, the robot works like a charm.

So what about battery life? The L40 Ultra runs for up to 194 minutes on a single charge, which is more than enough for most homes. Even on turbo mode, it powered through large areas without needing a mid-session recharge. It’s great that the robot automatically marches back to this dock to recharge when it’s running out of juice, too. And it might not be whisper-quiet at 71.3dB, but given the cleaning power on offer, it’s a small price to pay.

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DREAME L40 ULTRA REVIEW: VERDICT

If you’re in the market for a robot cleaner that practically does it all, the Dreame L40 Ultra is definitely worth considering. It vacuums, mops and even cleans up after itself, making it a solid choice for anyone tired of constantly chasing dust and spills. The suction is powerful, the mopping is impressively thorough, and the dock handles the messy parts, which is a nice touch - especially for those with busy lives.

The L40 Ultra is not perfect, though. The dock is a bit of an eyesore and takes up quite a lot of space, while the robot’s default carpet settings can take a bit of tweaking to get right. But when you weigh that against the convenience and performance on offer, those gripes feel pretty minor.

At £999, this robot’s biggest downfall is its price tag. It’s definitely an investment. But, in my opinion, it’s worth every penny for those with busy households. If you want a hands-free cleaning companion that genuinely makes life easier, this is the one.