One of CNET’s Best Robot Vacuums Solved a Few of My Biggest Cleaning Problems

Robot vacuums have made massive strides in 2025 as many manufacturers race to transform the most efficient area cleaner assistant to be had. Yet no robotic vacuum has been ready to unravel one large drawback of multi-level robotic cleansing with no need to bodily pick out up your vacuum and transfer it. The Dreame X50 Ultra vac/mop combo — which made its debut at CES 2025 — objectives to modify that. 

We examined it at CNET Labs at the side of dozens of alternative robotic vacuums. After lab checking out, it was once named CNET’s absolute best for stumbling blocks and pets. I used to be inspired at how the DreamX50 carried out all through lab checking out. I sought after to peer how the Dream X50 carried out in real-world prerequisites. How neatly may it take on puppy hair, climb over my stuff, mop and navigate random stumbling blocks? 

I spent years as a product building design engineer and now oversee operations at CNET’s Testing Lab. Now layer my experience with my house existence: I reside with my spouse, 3 teenage boys and two extensive dropping canines. What higher position to position the Dreame X50 to without equal real-world check? Here’s what I discovered it did neatly, what shocked me and what fell quick. 

My first impressions of the Dreame X50 Ultra robotic vacuum

Easy arrange: Setting it up was once lovely easy-peasy. I adopted the information, stuffed the water, added the cleaner and plopped within the mud bag. The app was once a breeze on my Android telephone, and I were given it mapping the home very quickly.

Mapping and navigation: It zipped round and mapped my major ground (about 1,200 sq. ft) in simply 11 mins. It discovered the other rooms or even knew the place the carpets had been and the ground kinds of each and every room.

Cleaning: It began with a complete deep blank, then vacuumed and mopped on its 2nd run. During the app arrange, I advised it I had pets, so it emptied its dustbin a host all through the primary run. I discovered it to be lovely sensible about lifting its mops whilst vacuuming the carpet. 

Timing: It took a bit over two hours to do the whole lot, which is slower than my older Roborock Q5 robotic vac, however good day, this one mops! For comparability, my Roborock Q5 will vacuum the entire area in 88 mins, while the Dreame took 123 mins to hoover the similar house. 

5 issues I appreciated and what shocked me 

1. Tangle-free curler: After a couple of runs, there was once 0 hair wrapped across the curler. To me, this by myself is a big win and solves a large ache level for my house. I name it the “Great Pyrenees problem.” I’ve two long-haired, large-breed dropping canines (Great Pyrenees), so untangling hair from the curler is a continuing annoyance. Not having to untangle it always is a win in my ebook.

2. Climbing:  It conquered what I name my “Ikea chair problem.” My different robo-vacs at all times get caught on the backside of this chair. The Dreame X50 discovered tips on how to use its auxiliary mountain climbing palms to recover from it. It’s if truth be told roughly entertaining to observe the robotic battle a bit to start with, then regroup and check out a distinct technique the usage of one of the crucial equipment it has in its arsenal.  

3. Navigating furnishings: I used to be shocked by way of how neatly it might care for furnishings. The X50 has a characteristic that lowers its turret, permitting it to suit beneath low-clearance furnishings that different robots may now not succeed in. 

4. Mopping: I’ve by no means had a mopping robotic sooner than, however this one does a forged activity. It’s just about as just right as after I mop myself. I used to be inspired with how neatly the bottom station wiped clean off the mop pads between cycles. I simply have to offload the grimy water tank and replenish the blank one. 

There’s additionally a place for cleansing resolution, which is neat. When it parks itself at the base station, it sprays off the mop pads whilst spinning them to get the entire dust out. Then it dries them out. I inspected the mop pads after its pad cleansing cycle and so they glance very blank. By default, it’s going to do that after each mopping consultation so that you are by no means the usage of grimy mop pads or grimy water in your flooring. 

I did understand a bit dust buildup within the base station the place it cleans the mop pads, in order that’ll want cleansing ultimately.

5. Object avoidance: This was once critically spectacular. It dodged footwear, socks, cords, toys, the whole lot. I did not need to tidy up sooner than working it, which is astounding. It even known my canines and was once tremendous mild round them.  

6 issues I did not like or I’m nonetheless undecided about

1. Vacuum efficiency: I’m now not 100% satisfied it is the most efficient vacuum for purchasing the entire canine hair off my rugs. Based on my house revel in, it gave the impression to do an OK activity. During lab checking out, regardless that, we discovered the Ecovacs Deebot T30S and the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus to accomplish higher with our puppy hair and carpet check. The Dreame X50 carried out admirably all through the hardwood-sand check, however when compared with its competition, it struggled on carpet, averaging underneath 50% in our checking out on midpile and low-pile carpet. 

2. Lots of shifting portions: The DreameX50 has a ton of devices and shifting portions. I’m curious how neatly it’s going to dangle up long run, however thus far, so just right.

3. Software quirks: The AI is meant to be tremendous sensible, however it had some bizarre moments. It took its time understanding the place it was once initially of a cleansing cycle, and it were given a bit at a loss for words by way of my eating chairs. It additionally took means longer to scrub the home than my outdated robotic vac. 

4. Voice command wonkiness: The voice instructions had been slightly hit and miss, too. I did not at all times know what the robotic would do when given a specific voice command. For instance, after I mentioned “mop the kitchen,” the robotic vacuumed the kitchen sooner than mopping, despite the fact that the default atmosphere was once intended to do each concurrently. Similarly, after I mentioned “blank the home,” the robotic wiped clean best the hallway. I discovered that “get started cleansing” would start up a complete area blank, however different instructions did not at all times produce the predicted effects. While maximum voice instructions labored, there may be nonetheless room for development.

5. Settings menu: The settings menu is tremendous packed, which I discovered overwhelming. Feature bloat has a tendency to be a not unusual drawback on robotic vacuum apps. We’ve additionally noticed this at the Roborock app whilst checking out the Saros Z70. 

6. Price: The Dreame X50 is without doubt one of the most costly vacuums in the market presently, at round $1,699 at complete worth. It could be value it when you have a lot of ranges and thresholds in your house and in point of fact desire a robot vacuum, however I will be able to’t see it emptying cabinets till Dreame can determine tips on how to convey the prices down. 

My total revel in with the Dreame X50 robotic vacuum 

This robotic vacuum strikes a chord in my memory of certainly one of my favourite films from the Eighties — Batteries Not Included. If you have not noticed the film (I extremely counsel it), the Dreame X50 Ultra has a large number of similarities to these robots with all of its equipment and shifting portions just like the lifting palms, the extendable aspect brush, the headlight and the lidar machine. 

Overall, I’m lovely proud of this robotic. It vacuums neatly, the mop characteristic is superb, and the item avoidance is a lifesaver. It’s slightly quirky and may use some device tweaks, however I in truth love all its little robotic palms and the way it tackles stumbling blocks. It roughly looks like some other persona working round the home.