Dreame X40 Pro Ultra: Retractable Lidar, Two Turbo Brushes, 13,000 Pa, and an Updated Station

The Dreame X40 Pro Ultra robot vacuum cleaner is one of the latest additions to the company's lineup. Its key feature is its built-in lidar, which gives the robot a height of 88 mm. This allows it to clean under furniture up to 9 cm high. In addition to the lidar, the robot vacuum cleaner boasts a cleaning module with two silicone turbo brushes, a retractable side brush, and two cleaning cloths, one of which extends to the edge of the unit. It also features an object recognition system, increased suction power to 13,000 Pa, a built-in voice assistant with proprietary neural network support, and a new feature for cleaning behind curtains. Overall, in terms of features, this is the most advanced robot vacuum cleaner I've tested, and of those currently on sale. Below, I'll thoroughly test the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra, highlight its pros and cons, and then express my opinion on whether it's worth buying. At the time of writing, the price is in the range of $900-1400. So, let's get started!

Regionalism

Let's start with the most annoying part. The Dreame X40 Pro Ultra is a version intended for the Chinese market. And since September 2024, Dreame has made it significantly more difficult to bypass regional blocking. All the methods offered at the time of writing, although effective, are temporary. For example, in my case, the robot was blocked the next day after connecting. Fortunately, I managed to set everything up and run the basic tests for the review. Now it only works via the button on the body and the Chinese voice assistant. This is sufficient for automatic cleaning, and I configured everything to use almost all of its functionality.

A detailed review covering blocking and proper robot setup before blocking: https://robovac.washerhouse.com/en/o-robotah/robovac-blokirovka-robotov-pylesosov-dreame.html.

So, if you're interested in this model or have already ordered it, I strongly recommend reading the instructions. However, given the severity of the blockage, it's best to refrain from purchasing Chinese Dreame robot vacuum cleaners at this time unless you're prepared to try these workarounds.

Equipment

Now on to the review itself. Let's start with the package contents. The Dreame X40 Pro Ultra arrived in this branded box:

The standard package includes the robot itself with a station, a power adapter with a Chinese plug, two holders with a cloth, a cleaning tool for the robot and station, an operating manual in Chinese, and a module for disinfecting dirty water in the tank.

In my case, the kit is extended. It includes 6 more cloths, 2 station bags, 2 HEPA filters, 2 side brushes, and an extra set of turbo brushes.

Appearance

Now let's take a look at the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra's design. Let's start with the robot vacuum itself. It's round and comes in black.

The height of the case with hidden lidar is 88 mm.

A wall sensor is mounted on the right bumper, and a system of sensors and cameras is located in the center to detect and accurately avoid objects on the floor. The camera is equipped with a backlight, preventing the system from becoming blind in the dark. Remote home monitoring is also possible via the robot's camera.

The robot's primary navigation system is the lidar. As mentioned earlier, it automatically retracts into the body if the robot determines it can navigate through the gap without the lidar. Here's how it works:

There are two control buttons located next to the lidar:

The dust collector is located under the top cover. The filtration system is HEPA-based only.

Interestingly, the filter itself, with its layer of activated carbon, apparently acts as an antibacterial protection and absorbent. The robot does have a water tank, but it's hidden within the body. It holds 80 ml. Water is automatically pumped into the tank through the station.

The robot has four fall protection sensors mounted on the bottom. There's also a carpet detection sensor. It has a single, three-beam side brush secured with a screw.

Just like the global flagship Dreame X40 UltraIt moves out to sweep debris in corners and along narrow spaces, such as under doors and furniture. A very effective solution.

The main cleaning module now features two silicone rollers, inspired by iRobots and the Roborock S8 series. The brush unit is movable, which is a plus. The brushes on both sides can be removed to remove tangled hair and pet hair. The brush unit also lifts up when cleaning the floor and returning to the station.

Two cleaning cloth holders are located behind the turbo brush. This is a familiar design for Dreame robotic vacuum cleaners. Behind the left cleaning cloth, we see a mechanism that extends the cleaning cloth to the edge of the body, allowing it to clean floors right up to baseboards and furniture. This technology is called MopExtend.

As with previously released senior models, the robot's rear end now rotates when it detects a small gap between the floor and an object, such as under a door or furniture. Furthermore, the cleaning cloth not only presses against the baseboard when cleaning but also rolls into corners, improving corner cleaning performance.

Naturally, the wipers automatically lift when entering carpets, during dry cleaning, and when returning to the station. The wipers lift to a height of 10.5 mm. Incidentally, the brushes also lift to the same height.

I'd like to point out that, depending on the mode, the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra can automatically lift not only the cleaning cloths and turbo brushes, but also the side brush. While this is very cool, there are some nuances that I'll discuss during testing.

As for the station, the robot vacuum cleaner self-cleans, washes the cloths with hot water, automatically mixing in detergent, and dries them with warm air.

The drain and the module for washing napkins are removable.

The module is equipped with scrapers for self-cleaning the bottom of the station when washing napkins.

There, in the napkin washing area, a UV lamp is placed for disinfecting napkins and the bottom of the station.

An important point: the robot's entry platform itself is equipped with magnetized pins. These allow the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra to release the cleaning pad holders when needed. This allows the robot to exit the dock for dry cleaning only, without the pads, completely eliminating any contact between wet cleaning pads and the carpet. A unique and highly effective solution.

A dust bag is located in the center behind the lid, also lined with activated carbon for antibacterial protection. To my surprise, the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra doesn't come with a detergent reservoir. It has to be purchased separately, which is a very odd decision for the brand's flagship robot models. Fortunately, I had the module from the X40 Ultra on hand, so I used that for my tests.

Under the top cover are the dirty and clean water tanks. The clean water tank contains a disinfection module. This is a plus. The dirty water tank can also be equipped with the included disinfection module.

I would also like to add that the station can be connected to the sewer and water supply systems if necessary by purchasing the appropriate module.

Overall, we see that a number of improvements have been made that should increase the robot's efficiency, autonomy, and even minimize bacterial growth. Overall, we appreciate the multiple disinfection stages. All the pros and cons of the design will be discussed in detail in the final review. Let's move on!

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra, as stated by the manufacturer:

Robot vacuum cleaner:

• Li-Ion battery 6400 mAh.
• Suction power up to 13000 Pa.
• Operating time up to 180 min.
• Dust collector 300 ml.
• Water tank 80 ml.
• Obstacle clearance up to 22 mm.
• Dimensions: 350*88 mm.

Station:

• Clean water tank: 4.5 l.
• Dirty water tank: 4 l.
• Bag in station: 3.2 l.
• Washing temperature for napkins: 75 °C.
• Drying temperature for napkins: 45 °C.
• Dimensions: 590*340*456 mm.

Of the specifications, it's important to highlight the claimed high suction power, which will be verified in tests, and the fact that the washing temperature for napkins has been increased even higher. Let's move on!

Functional capabilities

Speaking of features, the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra is controlled via the proprietary Dreamehome app. To connect, you need an account registered with a Chinese SIM card. You also need to configure your router so that the security detects that you're in China. The app itself is in Russian, but the robot speaks Chinese. If desired, you can install a creative voice pack before the app is installed.

The robot's main functions are displayed on the screen, with new capabilities highlighted in color, compared to its predecessors:

• Self-cleaning dust collector.
• Washing napkins with hot water.
• Drying napkins with warm air.
• Automatic addition of detergent.
• Raising the wipers, side and central brush.
• Side brush extension in corners.
• Recognizing objects on the floor.
• Camera illumination in low light conditions.
• Remote home monitoring via smartphone.
• Saving multiple cleaning maps in memory.
• 3D map of the room.
• Automatic zoning of premises into rooms.
• Selecting areas and rooms for cleaning.
• Virtual walls and no-go zones (and for wet cleaning mode).
• Suction power adjustment.
• Setting the frequency of rinsing wipes (by area, by zones).
• User mode.
• Ultimate mode.
• Spot recognition.
• Cleaning log.
• Setting up cleaning according to a schedule.
• Automatic power increase on carpet.
• Carpet cleaning in wet cleaning mode.
• Automatic removal of napkin holders at the station.
• Support for the branded assistant "Ok, Dreame".
• Cleaning behind the curtains.
• DreameGPT support.
• Automatic entry of the lidar into the body.

As you can see, there are a wide range of options for flexible cleaning settings, and even remote home monitoring via smartphone is available.

I'll go into more detail about the new features. We've finally improved the feature for cleaning behind curtains in specified zones. You set zones on the map where the curtains are located, and the robot will drive right through the curtains in these areas, effectively cleaning behind them. This is a very important update! The previously released Dreame X40 Pro This feature was not working properly at the time of review.

The next addition was support for DreameGPT's proprietary neural networks in the "Ok Dreame" voice assistant. Now the robot vacuum cleaner can recognize not only basic commands, such as "return to the station," "increase power," and so on, but also imprecise, vague, and incomplete commands. Simply tell the robot that the kitchen needs cleaning and that it's dirty, and it will automatically select the appropriate cleaning settings based on this request. This is a truly impressive feature, and voice control is a lifesaver for those who ordered this robot vacuum cleaner. The assistant allows for effortless control, including directing it to specific rooms.

Well, the lidar feature has already been mentioned; with this feature, the robot vacuum cleaner will be able to pass under low furniture to clean gaps as small as 9 cm.

Testing

A detailed video review with all tests has already been prepared and published on the channel:

Navigation

And finally, let's move on to the tests! First, we'll test the Dreame Bot X40 Pro Ultra's navigation in a room with obstacles. I made the test slightly more challenging by adding chrome legs and a mirror, as some robotic vacuums may behave erratically near such objects. The robotic vacuum first moves around the perimeter of the room, then cleans the entire accessible area in a serpentine pattern. It detected the dryer's legs and carefully navigated around them. It also swept around the box and the chrome legs separately, then returned to the station. No unusual maneuvers were detected, so the test was passed successfully.

Speaking of navigation within the home, the robot vacuum cleans room by room, following the perimeter, then in a serpentine pattern. Periodically, it returns to the station and washes the cleaning pads, then resumes cleaning where it left off. There are no uncleaned areas; this model has excellent navigation!

Passing under low furniture

I also tested the minimum height the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra can travel with its lidar hidden. I set the lidar settings to Extreme Coverage mode to maximize its reach. The robot easily navigates under furniture as thin as 9 cm. The feature works perfectly!

Object recognition

Speaking of the floor object recognition system, it's very accurate in good lighting. The robot vacuum cleaner successfully recognized 6 out of 6 objects, displaying them with corresponding icons on the map, and carefully navigated around them. Excellent results!

The robot vacuum also performed well in recognizing objects in complete darkness, recognizing and avoiding six out of six objects. Test passed successfully!

Suction power

As for suction power, in Quiet mode, the robot can only partially remove debris from a 2 mm gap. In Standard mode, the robot is more confident in removing debris from a 2 mm gap. In Turbo and Maximum modes, the power is the same as in Standard mode, which is surprising. Maximum+ is the most powerful mode, in which the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra can still partially remove debris from a 10 mm gap. It also partially removed debris from a 6 mm gap. I even decided to go further and test the power in deeper crevices.

And in Maximum+ mode, the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra was able to clean debris even from a 12 mm gap. So, concerns about two rollers and a loss of power, like with similar devices, were unfounded. Dreame engineers managed to maintain high power with two rollers. That's a plus!

Dry cleaning

The quality of debris collection on laminate floors is good, regardless of the structure. The robot vacuum completely cleaned the entire bench, including sweeping the corners. However, it seemed to be less effective at sweeping the corners than the Dreame X40 Pro and X40 Ultra, as it only fully completed this task on the second try. I tested it several times. But the main thing is that it's capable! The central and side brushes are clean, and all debris is in the dust bin. Test passed!

By the way, I'll add here that I also checked the condition of the brushes after a week of cleaning the apartment, and even in that case, not so much hair gets wrapped around the brushes, but they do get wrapped nonetheless.

They're easy to clean, but the overall design is strange. Why did they abandon the cool idea of ​​blades in a single turbo brush, which doesn't actually tangle up hair and fur and effectively picks up debris on various surfaces? They probably just wanted to show the world that we can make similar cleaning modules.

Carpet cleaning

When it comes to carpet cleaning, the Dreame X40 Pro Ultra is capable of thoroughly cleaning both low- and medium-pile carpets. However, there's a major caveat. When detecting carpets, the robot vacuum lifts not only the cleaning pads but also the side brush. This is a very unfortunate design decision. You'll notice that if the carpet is close to the baseboard, a small amount of debris remains because neither the side brush nor the center brush captured it.

Important: With the firmware update, the option to disable the side brush lift function has become available in the settings..

It did a good job of cleaning medium pile carpets.

Self-cleaning

Immediately after the "dirty tests," I checked how well the robot vacuum cleaner self-cleans. Before returning to the station, the dust container was almost full. After the self-cleaning test, the dust container was completely empty, so this robot has a good self-cleaning feature! The results are excellent.

Wet cleaning

The cleaning performance is also excellent. The cloth adheres well to the floor and absorbs dirt.

When it came to removing tough stains, the robot was able to remove even dried-on coffee and sauce stains. Granted, it didn't do so on the first try. To be precise, most of the stains were removed on the eighth try, and only one stain was removed on the tenth try. Nevertheless, it was up to the task. Many similar and predecessors in the line failed to achieve even this level of success.

Wet cleaning and carpets

When it comes to wet cleaning on carpeted floors, there are several robot behavior options. I'll highlight two of the most interesting. The first is the automatic lifting of the cleaning pads when entering carpets, allowing the robot vacuum cleaner to simultaneously vacuum and mop the floor, leaving the carpets dry and clean.

The second option is unique. The robot vacuum first performs dry and wet cleaning of hard floors, then returns to its base, automatically detaches the cleaning pads, and resumes cleaning, having vacuumed carpets without the pads. This is especially useful for high- and medium-pile carpets, as it completely eliminates any contact between the pad and the carpet if necessary.

Washing quality of napkins

Now I'd like to test the effectiveness of the station itself. Let's start with the cleaning performance of the wipes. After cleaning the floor of dirt and stains, the wipes were in a terrible state. And after washing the wipes, I can say they're actually much cleaner. Increasing the heating temperature to 75 degrees Celsius and automatically mixing in the detergent produced results.

In a domestic setting, after washing the floor, the wipes are rinsed even better at the station. They don't get washed away by the pressure of warm water. This is a plus.

Station maintenance

The station itself is very easy to clean. We remove the drain and tray and rinse them in the sink. The bottom of the station can be wiped with a damp cloth if necessary. Overall, the scrapers do a good job of cleaning the bottom.

Obstacle clearance

The robot has excellent maneuverability. It can easily cross a 2 cm threshold!

Driving on black surfaces

Driving over black carpets is no problem. The robot glides over the black carpet as if nothing had happened.

Noise level

As for the noise level, it ranges from 55 to 73.5 dB, depending on the selected operating mode. The noise level is slightly above average, which is quite normal given the high actual power. The station's noise level during self-cleaning is approximately 72 to 72.5 dB, which is also average.

Personal opinion

The Dreame X40 Pro Ultra robot vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 243 points and this result would allow us to lead Overall rating of tested robotic vacuum cleaners, which already includes over 170 models from several dozen brands. However, there's one catch: regional blocking, which completely negates all its advantages compared to global counterparts until a new workaround is implemented or the blocking is relaxed, which is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, it's important to understand the robot's pros and cons, as an even more refined global version of this new product, the Dreame X50 Ultra, will soon be released, already announced. I'll highlight the advantages and disadvantages I've discovered, and then express my own opinion.

I liked the following:

1. Ability to pass under 9 cm of furniture without affecting navigation.
2. Overall, the navigation and object recognition system are excellent. The robot vacuum neatly navigates around objects on the floor both in good lighting and in complete darkness.
3. Very high suction power, both in figures and according to test results.
4. A retractable side brush completely eliminates the need to sweep debris out of corners. Unlike D-shaped robots, the round Dreame Bot X40 Pro Ultra maintains its maneuverability. It quickly and neatly navigates corners and around chair legs, without unnecessary touching or movement.
5. Double silicone turbo brushes are easy to clean from hair and fur.
6. High-quality dry cleaning on any surface.
7. Maximum wet cleaning efficiency. This is due to the retractable cleaning cloth, which allows the robot to thoroughly clean areas along baseboards and furniture. Moreover, thanks to updated algorithms, the cloth is better at cleaning corners and narrow spaces under furniture. Incidentally, the robot's dirt removal is better than previous models in the line. This may also be due to the cloths being hotter after washing.
8. A fully charged station by 2024 standards, the robot vacuum cleaner self-cleans its dust bin, washes its cloths with VERY hot water, dries with warm air, and even automatically mixes in detergent. The station is very effective in its tasks, including self-cleaning the dust bin, washing, drying, and self-cleaning the bottom of the station with its scrapers. It also features the ability to connect to sewer and water lines.
9. Multi-stage antibacterial protection system: a separate cartridge for disinfecting clean water in the tank, dirty water in the tank, a UV lamp in the wipes washing area, as well as a filter and a bag with a layer of activated carbon.
10. The robot vacuum cleaner is sold complete with an ultra-thin station for built-in furniture.
11. Automatic removal of napkin holders at the station for complete dry cleaning.
12. Automatic lifting of cloths, turbo brush and side brush.
13. The app offers a wide range of features. You can customize cleaning parameters to suit your needs. There's also a CleanGenius smart cleaning mode.
14. Support for the proprietary voice assistant with DreameGPT neural networks.
15. The robot vacuum cleaner is capable of thoroughly cleaning behind curtains and drapes.
16. Remote home monitoring by connecting to the robot's camera via a smartphone.
17. Convenient maintenance of the robot and station.
18. Good cross-country ability.
19. The robot vacuum cleaner is not afraid of black floor coverings.
20. High-quality assembly and high brand authority.

Well, as for the disadvantages, there are some too.

1. The main issue is a strict regional block, which is not completely bypassable at the time of writing. Most features become unavailable within 24 hours after bypassing the block, as happened to me. The main features can, of course, be accessed through the built-in assistant, but for many, this will be extremely inconvenient.
2. The standard package does not include a detergent reservoir. It must be purchased separately.
3. No warranty or service, as the model is intended for the Chinese market and is not sold by official distributors outside of China.

Ultimately, we see that the robot vacuum cleaner itself, while not perfect, is close to perfection in terms of functionality and cleaning quality. It is truly the most efficient, intelligent, and functional robot I tested in 2024. However, the lock is a serious obstacle that greatly limits the ease of operation of this robot. If you manage to configure everything to its maximum, you probably won't experience any significant inconvenience, provided you're accustomed to using the robot only in automatic cleaning mode. It will clean efficiently and require virtually no attention, especially if connected to a sewer or water supply. Therefore, whether to buy this robot or not is up to you, based on the test results, the information I've provided, and the understanding that by purchasing the Chinese version, you primarily gain functionality not yet available on the global market, while saving almost half the price.

On that note, I'd like to end this review. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments. Happy shopping, everyone. Bye!