Dreame X40 Ultra review: A triple threat

Dreame's latest robot vacuum cleaner is exactly as much work as you want it to be. Want to set and forget? No problem, the X40 Ultra can handle itself. Want to step up your map? It will give you the right prompts to get that sorted. Want to use it to look at gifs of your pet? It can even do that. 

No matter where you fall on that spectrum, the Dreame X40 Ultra is an impressive piece of tech. Not just for its performance - which is excellent - but for the smart user experience. Dreame has found a great balance which encourages you to coach the device without asking too much of you. A quick mapping prompt here, some AI feedback there - just 30 seconds each clean for a better one the next time around.

Like many other high-end robot vacuums this season, the X40 Ultra focuses on the hard-to-reach spaces. Equipped with Roboswing mop extension, and an extendable side brush the device is made to deal with edges just as well as it does the middle of the floor.

It manages this goal with mixed results. In straight forward areas like under cabinets the SideReach brush does a great job sweeping out debris, but when you're working on mixed surfaces it gets confused. I have a hardwood hallway with a relatively thick runner rug and the edge performance in this particular area is iffy. The X40 Ultra detects carpet, so it doesn't mop, but it also doesn't use the extendable vacuum brush so that debris stays put.

Apart from this edge case (see what I did there?), both vacuuming and mopping performance are excellent. The bot reliably picks up small and medium debris, and actually leaves the floor shiny after mopping. Part of this sheen can come down to the device allowing the use of cleaning solution. Many robovacs like the ECOVACS T30 Pro Omni recommend not using cleaning solutions as it can contribute to corrosion of the device. It's a fair ommission, but does mean that robot vacuum mopping is a mixed bag. With the approved solution, and the X40 Ultra's rugged mopping pads, the device accomplishes a solid clean.

Vacuuming small and medium debris works a treat, but the device avoids larger dander. This is both a pro and a con. Thanks to its excellent object detection the X40 Ultra can see little piles that have built up and by default leaves them alone. In the app they're labelled as an 'Obstacle' or sometimes as 'Pet Feces', which are both things you'd prefer your robot vacuum cleaner avoid. Although sometimes these 'Obstacles' are just little bundles of dog fur that have accumulated, or a leaf, or some fluff from a tennis ball your pup has destroyed. All things that its suction could easily handle. The better-safe-than-sorry approach isn't a bad thing, picking these up by hand is preferable to cleaning up the aftermath of an ignored Pet Feces obstacle, but it is something to be aware of.

In order to accomplish these detail orientated cleans, the X40 Ultra is a little bit slower than other vacuums in this category. Deep cleaning 37m2 takes around 80 minutes, which is around 15 minutes more than Roborock's similar device the S8 MaxV Ultra. It is also a little bit louder than other robovacs we've reviewed, and the main brush sometimes holds on to small hard objects like a screw or sewing pin. When these get stuck it creates a whipping, grating sound that is impossible to ignore. Cleaning them out is easy enough, or you can opt to upgrade to the TriCut Brush which handles these bits and bobs better.

A robot vacuum cleaner's intelligence is what allows it to be automous. The dumber it is the more often you'll need to save it from cables, ledges, and stray socks. Out of the box the X40 Ultra is already a smart machine, but if you're willing to put a little bit extra effort in it only gets smarter.

From the get-go, the Dreame's obstacle recognition and avoidance is second to none. I have had the device for around a month now, and I have only had to save it once when it got stuck underneath a chair. Apart from that the X40 Ultra has expertly navigated around pet toys, shoes, cables, plates, laundry piles, and tufts of dog fur without hesitation. 

In the app you can see everywhere the device has come up against an obstacle. Each one is labelled, has an estimated accuracy rating, and a quick snapshot from the front camera. Labels are quite basic for now, but range from the simple 'Obstacle', to 'Cleaning Supplies', to 'Cables', and 'Pet'. When the X40 Ultra sees your pet is snaps a quick live picture and marks it in pink on your map. Its hard to complain about getting gifs of your pet straight to your phone.

As I touched on before, the labelling accuracy isn't great but if you're happy to take a minute or so after each clean you can help improve it. With a few taps you can update an obstacle to better prompt the robot vacuum the next time around, or to make sure it doesn't think your chair is a dog.

On top of the AI improvements, after each clean the app prompts you to make changes to your map. These changes are small, like identifying carpetted areas, or adding digital walls so that your vacuum doesn't leave out the front door, and they don't take long to do. Each update takes less than a minute and means you can be even more hands-off with the vacuum as time goes on.

As an all-in-one device the X40 Ultra's base station accomplishes a lot, but it also uses a lot of space. The station auto-empties the dustbin to a vacuum bag, it pulls out dirty water and cleans the mop pads with 70C hot water, and dries them again with hot air. You really don't have to do much more than empty and refill the water tanks every now and again.

All up it is a convenient cleaning station, but it is also a tall lad. Measuring in at 60cm tall, it is a hard piece of tech to hide. Most of the space is taken up by the water tanks. These big cannisters mean you'll need to service the robovac less often, but you pay for the benefit with your space.

Placed squarely in the premium end of the market, the Dreame X40 Ultra retails for $2,799. While we will likely see sales as time goes on, it is unlikely this price will budge for a while. The robot vacuum is available from a range of key retailers across Australia.

Whether you're a tech-head looking to get the most out of your robot vacuum, or you're just sick of doing the household maintenance yourself, the Dreame X40 Ultra won't dissapoint. For the set-and-forgetters, its out-of-the-box intelligence means you can trust the device to do its own thing without intervention. For those wanting to dive deeper the advanced mapping and object detection let you hone in on creating the most efficient cleaning routine possible. Just make sure you have enough space for the base station.