Dreame X30 Ultra review: ZDNET’s new top pick for best 2-in-1 robot vacuum

pros and cons

Pros

• Quiet self-emptying
• Dual oscillating mop heads
• MopExtend mop pads

Cons

• App isn’t as user-friendly as it could be
• Expensive
• Recurring costs

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ZDNET’s buying advice

The Dreame X30 Ultra is the best two-in-one robot vacuum and mop I’ve tested to date, and I have had my hands on dozens of robot vacuums. The 8,300Pa suction, dual oscillating mop heads, MopExtend cleaning capability, and hands-free docking station make this a standout machine.

Yes, the price tag is steep sitting at $1,700, but the cleaning effectiveness is truly unmatched. I have a mobile baby constantly on the move, two big dogs, and a cat whose daily goals seem to be to absolutely wreck my beautiful tile floors. But every single night, the Dreame X30 Ultra sets out to make them shine once again. This is a machine that is worth the money thanks to the time I’m given back every single day.

Specifications

How I tested the Dreame X30 Ultra

For the past month, I’ve given the Dreame X30 Ultra free range to my home. After the initial setup, I start by picking up toys, shoes, chairs, and other easily moved items so that the robot can get a nice layout of my home. From there, I let the X30 Ultra do its thing; It quickly mapped my home, and then attempted to label and divide the rooms for me. 

After the initial mapping run, I integrated the machine into my everyday routine. I set schedules for when I want the machine to run daily, but occasionally stray from that if my usual routine is interrupted. I have a very nimble little one, a German Shepherd, German Shorthaired Pointer, and a cat, so dropped food, kitty litter, dog hair, muddy paw prints, and mostly everything in between makes its way onto my floors. Aside from everything I just mentioned, I’ll bring in grass clippings, dirt, and will carelessly leave snow boots laying around to add to the chaos (but really to test the machine). 

My goal is to put the Dreame X30 Ultra, and any robot vacuum I review, through an everyday, real world test. Personally, I get quickly overstimulated in a cluttered, dirty space and love to walk around my home barefoot. When you combine the two personality traits, I easily know if a robot vacuum is efficient or not.

What are the Dreame X30 Ultra’s best features?

Oscillating mop heads that just work: If you’ve read any of my previous reviews on other robot vacuums, you may know that I love when a robot vacuum mop combo has oscillating mop heads instead of a single horizontal pad. These things put in some serious work on my floors. The pressure is kept consistent and routinely scrubs up dirty paw prints, spilt baby purees, and general dirt and grime. 

A big reason the mop heads work so well is thanks to the new MopExtend cleaning technology, meaning the mop heads will swivel out to clean right against your baseboards, chair legs, kitchen cabinets, etc. These are areas where dirt especially accumulates and I often have to use my steam mop to clean those hard-to-reach edges. Not with the Dreame X30 Ultra. For me, the biggest difference between the X30 Ultra and something like the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is how well the Dreame mops along my rugs. Because the S8 Pro Ultra lifts its mop head as it encounters soft flooring, there tends to be three or four inches that isn’t mopped as the robot is transitioning. The X30 Ultra, instead, swings its mop head out and mops right up to the edge of the carpet or rug. There aren’t a couple of inches missed with the Dreame X30 Ultra, everything is getting cleaned.

Also: The best robot vacuum mops

Finally, and most revolutionary, in my opinion, is the option to have the Dreame X30 Ultra automatically remove its mop pads on its own when it encounters soft flooring. This means that there is absolutely no chance that your high pile carpet or rugs get damp from the lifted mop heads. The feature is intuitive, and even though it disrupts the flow of the cleaning job, I love it. One of my favorite features from the Roomba Combo j9+ is the retractable mop arms that also ensure there aren’t any dirty mop pads being dragged across your soft floors. This is a feature I fully expect to see other robot manufacturers incorporate into their machines in the coming years.

Suction, suction, suction: The Dreame X30 Ultra is capable of 8,300Pa suction and four different suction modes for you to choose from. They go up in suction power, with the base level starting at quiet, then standard, turbo, and max. Within the carpet settings, you have a few other preferences you can set as well, depending on your cleaning needs. First, you can choose if you want the X30 Ultra to take a different cleaning route or not when carpet is encountered. 

This means that if you have it programmed to mop and vacuum simultaneously, the robot will do the hard floors first, then lift the mop pads and do the soft floors at the end of the cleaning. If you want it all done in one pass, the mop heads will be lifted and they will be cleaned in the same pattern. The custom cleaning preference options continue to make this a standout robot vacuum and mop, tailoring to each and every home’s unique needs.

A base station worthy of its size: Let’s face it, two-in-one machines are bulky and usually unsightly. If I’m hosting, the majority of these machines get tucked away. The Dreame X30 Ultra is designed to blend in with your furniture, with a trendy ridged design and gold accents. It’s not small, measuring 13 x 18 x 23 inches, but it houses a lot of functionality. Notably, it isn’t the largest two-in-one base station I’ve tested, that crown goes to the Ecovacs Deebot T10 Omni, but it isn’t the smallest either. That belongs to the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra.

Also: I tested a $6,000 automower for four months. Here’s why I’m fully invested

The X30 Ultra’s base station is self-emptying, self-cleaning, self-drying, self-refilling, self-dispensing, and self-charging. You fill the clean water tank, empty the dirty water tank, add the cleaning detergent, and step away. These containers are all large and I only have to refill the clean water every couple of days. I empty the dirty water after each run so that it doesn’t begin to smell, but it’s never because the tank is full. I appreciate the thoughtfulness put into the design of the base station so that it isn’t such an eyesore sitting in my entryway, especially at this price point.

I can’t forget to mention how quiet the clean base empties its dust bin. With most robot vacuums, I don’t dare to run them when my little one is asleep out of fear that the dirt removal will accidentally wake him up and essentially ruin my day. The Dreame X30 Ultra is a machine I can run while he naps or is in bed because it is one of the quieter systems I’ve tested. Sitting in the rocking chair with my son’s sound machine on and the door closed, I can’t hear the clean base self-empty. This is a feature that parents everywhere will appreciate.

The Dreame X30 Ultra also offers a unique cleaning experience in how it cleans itself. In the settings, you can turn on the option for the clean base to heat its water before washing off the mop heads. I will say that this process can get noisy — nothing crazy by any means, but something to keep in mind. The self-cleaning activates both before and after vacuuming/mop sessions, and the robot will even determine if the brushes need to be cleaned in the middle of them. I’d hope to see other manufacturers pick up on the feature. 

There’s a cleaning setting you’re bound to love: With the Dreame X30 Ultra, you’re either going to love having a ton of settings or hate it. For me, I love having the option to tailor the settings to each cleaning job I assign. The room where our dog kennels are, and where our dogs enjoy taking their naps, needs the max suction setting while my kitchen needs the standard suction setting along with the wet mopping setting (the choices range from slightly dry, moist, and wet).

If this is a hassle, the X30 Ultra can help you decide what your floors need via CleanGenius, an AI feature that vacuums and mops first, and then evaluates how unsanitary the dirty water tank is to decide how much more cleaning is needed.

What I’d like to see in the next model 

The app can be overwhelming: Dreame is doing a lot of things right with this machine, but I found the app to be overwhelming and confusing to use (at first). And that’s coming from someone who’s used a lot of robot vacuum apps. I love the ample setting choices and different cleaning variations available, but there has to be a way to simplify the experience. 

Also: The best robot vacuums for pet hair

Limitations to cleaning solutions: There’s one other notable caveat to using the Dreame X30 Ultra and it’s how the company restricts you to its proprietary cleaning solution. For a $1,700 vacuum, you’d expect a little more flexibility in what cleaning solutions you can use with the machine, but that’s not the case here. Instead of being able to pour in a little Pine Sol or Fabuloso every now and then, Dreame limits you to one specific solution type, which is sold for $26 per bottle, becoming an additional cost to factor in. Depending on your cleaning settings and frequency of use, this could add up quickly.

This isn’t just a Dreame, issue though. To be fair, it’s an industry issue across the board. But, as these machines become more and more expensive, it feels like an elephant in the room. Recurring costs likely aren’t going to be on your mind when making a purchase like this, but could be a limiting factor depending on the size and price point of the solution. ZDNET has reached out to Dreame for comment on this limitation and they said, “it is recommended to use clean water or Dreame’s special cleaning fluid for cleaning. Since different brands of cleaning fluid have different compositions, they may corrode the water tank and cause damage to the machine.”

Final thoughts

The Dreame X30 Ultra does everything I’ve ever asked for from a robot vacuum and mop, but it comes at a price. This robot makes the most sense for families with little ones, individuals with multiple pets, or, if you’re like me, a home with those tiny feet running around and pets making a mess everywhere. I’ve been able to get back a lot of my evening time after my son goes to bed and can have just a little extra time to unwind or do a different chore. 

I haven’t touched my steam mop since the Dreame X30 Ultra entered my home, and I really can’t tell by how clean the floors remain. This isn’t a machine for those living in smaller spaces — you simply won’t get your money’s worth — but I absolutely recommend this to anyone trying to keep up with their floor care needs in a busy, messy home.

Alternatives to consider 

View at EcovacsView at Roborock