It’s time to come clean.
Robot vacuum cleaners are becoming increasingly popular in households these days, and why wouldn’t they be? They not only keep your floors clean and dust-free, but also save precious time and effort from needing to vacuum your home daily.
One of those robot vacuums? The Dreame L20 Ultra Robot Vacuum. With a retail price of up to $2268, it’s definitely one of the more expensive models in the market – but that’s because it’s equipped with the most state-of-the-art features you’ll see in any robot vacuum.
That includes: a docking station that self-washes and dries its mop pads, a vacuum with an extendable bionic arm to reach awkward corners, and more!
Naturally, we got curious about it, so we got our writer, Farzana, to test it out at home and give it a review. And make sure to read till the end, because there’s an exclusive promotion code awaiting you!
About Farzana’s home and household
Farzana (F): I live in a 4-room resale HDB flat, which is approximately 90 sqm in total. I share my home with my mother, brother, and two cats.
Our pain points include:
- Strands of hair on the floor, visible against the white flooring
- Cat fur and litter scattered everywhere
- Vomit and hairballs from the cats
Normally, we rely on our $200 robot vacuum – which we’ve had for about 2 years now – to carry out daily cleaning in our stead. And while it’s done a decent job so far, we’re eager to see just how different the Dreame L20 Ultra can be.
First impressions of the Dreame L20 Ultra Robot Vacuum
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Not included: the 3L dust bag, main roller brush, and side brush, which had been installed beforehand
F: Compared to my existing robo vacuum, the Dreame L20 Ultra Robot Vacuum definitely has more components, but this is understandable as a) it has a mop function, and b) has a dock that self-cleans the vacuum. Each set also comes with a bottle of their in-house cleaning solution*.
*Note that the Dreame L20 Ultra can only use their in-house cleaning solutions due to size and fitting requirements.
Assembling both the dock station and vacuum took me a while. Fortunately, there were clear instructions on the components and a dedicated set-up guide for me to follow, which made things easier.
For reference, the dimensions of the docking station measures at 60.7 x 42.6 x 49.9cm
Once put together, I was struck by just how big the docking station was. Understandably, it’s because it contains two water tanks, but I do see it as a potential challenge for homeowners living in smaller homes who may already be struggling with space constraints.
But that aside, I find myself really liking the overall look. Both the vacuum and docking station come in a matte black colour that is smooth to the touch, with gold accents that add a degree of sophistication. They definitely look very elegant, and I can see them fitting in very nicely into any home interior.
The materials used also feel solid and sturdy – not at all flimsy or plasticky, and certainly don’t feel like they’ll chip after a few uses.
Farzana’s experience of the Dreame L20 Ultra’s cleaning abilities
Pre-cleaning: Mapping the communal area
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Before and after mapping. Note how it’s able to detect obstacles and features such as carpets!
F: I started things off by letting the vacuum map out my communal area.
Immediately, I could see the difference between this and my current robot vacuum. While the latter requires time to go over every inch of floor space, the Dreame L20 Ultra’s Smart Navigation technology allows it to map the same area from a few spots within the space, which takes significantly less time.
It’s also able to detect obstacles such as my cat litter box and tower, and places it on the virtual map instantly.
Vacuuming the floor
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I then triggered the ‘Routine Cleaning’ option, which prompted it to start vacuuming.
During the test run, my living room had yet to be cleaned for the day, which meant there was some loose fur, hair, and dirt particles strewn all over the floor. And I was pleased to see that the vacuum was able to clear it all up with little effort – proof that a high suction power capability of up to 7,000Pa is able to suck up every single particle of dirt and dust.
I was also impressed by the way it was able to detect different types of flooring and adjust the suction settings accordingly. This was especially so when it was cleaning the dining table rug – it automatically switched to the highest suction power to suck up every piece of dirt and dust on it.
Also, I realised that the vacuum was very quiet – other than a soft hum, there wasn’t any jarring noise that frightened my cats or woke my brother from his nap.
Unlike my current vacuum, the Dreame L20 Ultra doesn’t ram into my furniture. Thanks to built-in AI programmes like the 3D Structured Light Obstacle Avoidance System, it’s able to effortlessly manoeuvre itself around small obstacles like wires, as well as varying floor heights (such as between the kitchen and living room).
Mopping the floor
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Once the floor was clean, the vacuum automatically returned to the docking station to switch to mopping mode. Amazingly, it was able to attach the mop pads by itself, without needing any intervention from myself – a feat I personally found to be incredible, as I could quite literally sit back and watch it do everything by itself.
During the mopping stage, the vacuum uses the DuoScrub™ Mopping System, which involves two rotary mops that use pressure to clean the floor. While I was fairly confident that it’ll do a decent job, I wanted to put its full cleaning capabilities to the test – which was why I intentionally smeared chili sauce in the corner of my kitchen.
The results did not disappoint. After the vacuum came and went, the stain was completely gone, with no oily residue left behind. And all it took were a few quick swipes!
Even though the chili stain was in an odd corner of the house, the mop pads were still able to reach it. Thanks to the MopExtend™ Technology – which involves a extendable bionic arm as well as a detector that recognises edges and corners – it’s able to push the mop pads out to reach corners, thus ensuring no dead areas.
And while you’d usually have to rinse the dirt out of a mop after cleaning up a mess, I didn’t have to do it this time – because the Dreame L20 Ultra automatically returned to the docking station, where it spent a few minutes self-washing the mop pads (and left no trace of the chili sauce) before resuming. We’re truly living in the future!
Post-cleaning experience – maintaining the vacuum and more
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F: Initially, I was worried that leaving the mop pads to stew in the dock could lead to foul smells or mildrew growth, but that all changed when I found them being blow dried with warm air, which I appreciated.
Also, the vacuum automatically emptied all the dust and dirt collected into the dust bag stored within the docking station. It meant that no dust was sprayed into the air, making this auto-empty feature one of my favourite things about it.
Plus, the dust bag can last for up to 75 days, so I don’t even have to worry about regular changes to keep the vacuum working optimally.
Although the appliance is by and large automated, do note that you’ll need to manually empty the dirty water tank, which is easily done by pouring the contents down the sink and giving the inside a quick wipe.
But even then, you can have a truly automatic experience if you decide to opt for the Water Hookup kit, where it automatically empties the dirty water tank and refills the second one with clean water.
How does it do this? By being connected directly to the inlet and outlet water pipes of your house – which does require additional installation efforts. However, I can’t give much more insight into this, as my test was done with the regular version of the vacuum.
Verdict - it’s a game changer!
With the plethora of unique AI-powered features jam-packed into one robot vacuum, we have to say that the Dreame L20 Ultra is absolutely worth its premium price point. It not only guarantees a thorough clean, but also lets you (quite literally) kick back and let it do the bulk of the legwork.
We’re not kidding when we say it revolutionises the way you clean your home – a single glance through the reviews on their Shopee page will tell you the same!
An example of a 5-star review on Shopee
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If you think the Dreame L20 Ultra is the one for you, have we got great news for you. From now till 31 December 2023, Qanvast readers can enjoy an exclusive $260 off . Click the link below and key in the code < DREAQV > while checking out the vacuum on Shopee – it’s that simple!
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