REVIEW – The robot floor cleaner market is expanding and we, as the human owners of those floors, benefit from the innovation expansion drives. My partner and I have owned several different brands and models of robot vacuum; only once did we ever have one of THOSE accidents… pet owners, if you know, you know. When the Dreamebot L10s Ultra robot vacuum arrived on our doorstep, we thought we knew what to expect. A little wet, a little dry, and fewer trips to empty the dust bag. However, I can confirm we were not prepared for JUST how cool this machine is. Whether you’ve got hardwood, carpet, area rugs, or anything in between, this little saucer steps up to almost every situation. Let’s see what this AI laser-using, “pet-aware”, sweeping/mopping menagerie can do!
What is it?
The Dreamebot L10s Ultra is a circular floor-cleaning robot. Heavy on the ULTRA. It has a good weight to the box, thanks in part to the substantial charging station. This model is capable of both dry vacuuming (but only classifies the action as “Sweeping”) and wet mopping using a built-in water reservoir and two microfiber circular mop heads. The Dreamebot comes equipped with a top-mounted RGB camera that does some really cool stuff. The real meat inside, however, is the onboard Advanced AI, which will make a 3D map of your home to optimize cleaning patterns. The unit can be controlled and monitored using The Dreamhome App (or the Mi Home app whichever you prefer); you can see (and edit) the map of your home to fully customize the cleaning area. The camera is also accessible, in addition to manual motion controls, effectively giving you a short roaming surveillance camera to keep an eye on things while you’re out at dinner… and Yell at them. That’s not everything it can do, but we’ll dive deeper later. As cool as the robot itself is, the command station for our new friend (who we named the T-800) is just as well-designed. It’s got two easily accessible compartments. The lower one houses the dry vacuum bag, which is what you can throw away and replace with one hand tied behind your back; no hands would be a really neat trick. The upper compartment contains the wet mop ingredients: the clean and dirty water reservoirs, and the cleaning solution insert. You may be wondering, “Cleaning solution insert?”. Yes, that’s the best way I can describe the way the cleaning solution is installed. It will make more sense when you see it.
See what I mean? It feels like installing hardware in a computer case. As strange as it is, the best thing about the Dreamebot is how it automatically circulates clean water through the mop heads, goes out to mop, then empties itself into the grey water reservoir. The Dreametech DreameBot L10s Ultra robot vacuum and mop will also sense through software or magic, we’re not sure which, and return to the base to rise and return to clean! Gone are the days of having to snap in the special mop attachment and try your best to fill up the weirdly shaped water container, hoping you didn’t add too much cleaning solution so it becomes too bubbly and not enough water goes in. These two washable rotating mop heads, will lift for carpets and shift down when the AI detects hard surfaces. These features combined make it a “set it and forget it” addition to your cleaning arsenal.
What’s in the box?
- Docking station (including Dirty and Clean water tanks, Cleaning solution, and vacuum bag)
- Dreamebot L10s Ultra Unit
- Cleaning brush
- 2 Cleaning Mop Heads
- 2 Microfiber removable cleaning circles
Hardware specs
Unit: 8.3 pounds, 13.75 inches across
Charging station: 22.3 pounds (with a full clean water tank and empty dirty water container), about 23 inches tall, 17 inches deep with unit docked, about 5 feet of power cord
Design and features
The design of the Dreamebot will be familiar territory for those familiar with cleaning robots but with fancy new functions and controls. It has a sweeping rubber brush, which almost completely eliminates hair tangles and of course the wet mop heads for deeper cleaning. The wet mop design, however, I like far more than past models. Two rotating mopheads actually scrub the floor instead of just dragging a microfiber cloth stretched over a piece of plastic. The manufacturer goes a step further with the addition of the Advanced AI; this allows our T-800 to sense when using the wet mops wouldn’t be cool and lifts up the mopheads. Our area rugs have stopped complaining about moist edges. You may think, but how will I keep my very own T-800 clean and free from mildew with those moist pads once the mopping is done? We won’t need to worry, as the charging station has that covered. Not only will it air dry the pads within 2 hours with a pleasant announcement from Skynet that their “dehydrating mop heads”, but it will rotate the mopheads against grooves located on the removable baseplate, physically removing the dirty stuff. Here’s what ours looked like after a month:
Physically, the Dreametech DreameBot L10s Ultra robot vacuum and mop itself is solid. It is comparable in size to other robot vacuums on the market, which is a testament to all of the quality-of-life improvements dreametech thought of. The L10s Ultra boasts 5300Pa (the unit of measurement means vacuum pressure unit Pascal, so it REALLY sucks). If you are upgrading from a previous generation of robot vacuum, this model should still fit in all of the same places. The charging station, on the other hand, is pretty big at almost two feet tall and just over 20 pounds; I would estimate approximately 1 small child in measurement or a child-size beverage from Paunch Burger. That isn’t to say it’s intrusive, only that users have to give a little more consideration to Skynet’s living area. It is very easy to operate. The manufacturer has included detailed instruction stickers in convenient places:
The design of the water tanks makes it very easy to remove and reinstall them, which is important because this specific task is probably the most upkeep the unit requires outside of a gentle wipe-down. Intuitively placed toggles allow access to the dustbin for manual emptying and that gentle wipe-down of the filter.
What I like
To start, the Dreametech DreameBot L10s Ultra robot vacuum and mop just looks cool. The white exterior and silver trim are giving retro-futurism. As the parent of two four-legged children, I absolutely LOVE the camera. Any time I get the urge to check on them, I can access it quickly through the app and roll the T-800 over to check her usual napping spots. Are they napping? Or is the Cat stealing the Dog food? The latter? GREAT, this unit also allows the use of a microphone that has been both amazing and hilarious in our house. A feature I haven’t mentioned yet is the obstruction detection capabilities of the Advanced AI. When engaged in cleaning mode, the camera is constantly checking for things that could get in its way. It will detect edges at the top of the stairs and furniture just fine, but it will also pick up on wires and feces. It will then take a picture and ask for confirmation from our big human brain; it includes a percentage of how certain the AI is of what kind of obstruction it is:
I appreciate how simple upkeep is. There is a cost associated with the Dreamebot in the way of replacement bags and cleaning solution containers. In my mind, it more than pays for itself both in my time saved sweeping and mopping every day, AND extending the life of our floor surfaces by keeping them clean so regularly. The ability to schedule cleanings on the app makes it so your weekly chore of vacuuming becomes simply making sure the bag isn’t full and the water tanks are appropriately filled and empty. You will of course want to wipe down the unit every so often so dust doesn’t accumulate in the nooks and crannies. The top cover of the robot flips up to reveal the dirt container. There is even a little brush mounted in there as well to sweep clean the filter. The unit is also very vocal, letting you know what’s going on and if there’s a problem. Below is a small sampling of different cleaning tasks:
What I’d change
Finding things to change about the Dreametech DreameBot L10s Ultra robot vacuum and mop is a tall order. If one thing could be improved, it would be the connection with our Alexa device. At the time of review, we have not been able to activate the T-800 through our Echo Show in the kitchen. There are also two different apps that work with this model; the one called Dreamhome is advertised on the company website. This could lead to different levels of functionality depending on developer updates.
As you may have picked up on by now, I’ve got a bit of a problem with the cleaning solution container. I don’t like that it’s a proprietary design that requires future purchases from the manufacturer. It would be better if some sort of empty container that would fit the same slot so users can mix their own solutions based on their own needs. As a pet household, I constantly need to be sure that any cleaning products I bring in are safe for them. This is by no means a deal-breaker, just a minor inconvenience, perhaps mended in future releases. The camera also isn’t perfect; it has run over a phone charging cord once and was really jammed in there for a minute. But, thanks to clever toggle layouts, it is very easy to break down to clean the rubber brush and remove blockages.
Final thoughts
I love the Dreametech DreameBot L10s Ultra robot vacuum and mop. Setting the schedule to vacuum and mop 3 nights per week has essentially eliminated the need for manual sweeping, except in the instance when someone touches flour; I swear, just getting it out of the cabinet will end up with a little on the floor. Our hardwood floors have, let’s say, definitely been put their paces. Even with area rugs, dogs are still going to be dogs; just don’t look at the scratches from moving furniture, my partner didn’t pivot. While cleaning, it is comfortably quiet and it won’t interrupt your novellas. However, depending on where your charging station is located, the process of emptying the robot into the bag may need one or two clicks on the ‘up’ volume knob. In conclusion, it’s a little loud sometimes, and not being able to use whatever cleaning solutions is mildly annoying. But those are easy conditions to live with weighed against the time saved cleaning my floors with two different machines and the broom/dustpan combo. It’s easy to set up whatever schedule fits your lifestyle and family needs. We’ve owned the unit for about a month now and the dry vacuum bag is only about 1/3rd of the way full, even taking into account two animals, a long-haired human, and, of course, the flour. We empty out the dirty water reservoir after use so doesn’t get too grungey and it TELLS YOU TO. This robot is very vocal and assertive about its needs. The Dreamebot L10s Ultra is an investment; the high price tag can cause an understandable pause. Costing as much as a new television, this model is the highest end of Dreametech’s vacuum/mopping robots. Lower price points may come with fewer features, but you most definitely get what you pay for in the L10s Ultra. At almost 14 inches across, this robot stands out to us as a better vacuum than we’ve previously experienced from other brands. If that’s all you need it for, just don’t attach the mop heads. The Advanced AI, coupled with the phone app, will let the Dreamebot know to only engage the vacuum function; gone are the days of having to change behavior or mode settings manually, navigating through menus, and hoping the correct message is received. If you are looking to seriously upgrade your floor-care game, consider the Dreamebot L10s Ultra. It may be the last purchase of its kind you need to make until robot butler research catches up.
Price: $999.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by dreametech.
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I wish reviewers would do the research, dreame offer a refill kit for the detergent which is available on Aliexpress and with replacement bags ans other spares at a fraction of what they cost in the US and Europe