Let’s be honest. Cleaning floors and dealing with pet messes is hardly anyone’s favorite chore. That’s exactly why robot vacuums, often affectionately called “robovacs,” have surged in popularity. Acting like tireless helpers for your home, these intelligent devices keep evolving, becoming more capable and efficient with each new generation. The Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum and mop combo transforms automated floor care by merging smart design with powerful cleaning performance.
Designed for busy households and tech enthusiasts, it delivers an advanced cleaning experience with extended autonomy and a comprehensive set of features. This Dreame L40 Ultra review explores everything you need to know about this robot vacuum.
Table of Contents
Pros Dreame L40 Ultra
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent vacuuming and mopping performance on most surfacesAdvanced obstacle avoidance with camera, LIDAR, and structured lightHands-free maintenance: auto-empty, mop washing, drying, refillCustomizable cleaning modes and app featuresLong battery life and efficient rechargeMop lift and detaches for carpetsEffective edge and corner cleaning with an extendable brush/mopRobust build quality and premium finish | Inconsistent pathing can miss spotsStruggles with fine debris and pet hair on some carpetsHigh recurring costs for consumables (bags, pads, filters, etc.)Small internal dustbin, frequent returns to baseNo HEPA filter, not ideal for allergy sufferersCan be sensitive to dark carpets and certain obstaclesThe app interface can be overwhelming for beginnersExpensive compared to some competitors |
Is Dreame L40 Ultra Worth Considering?
Buy it if
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You want maximum automation and hands-off cleaning
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Your home has mixed flooring and moderate pet hair
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You value advanced app customization and smart home integration
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You want a premium, robust build and design
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You appreciate long battery life and efficient charging
Don't buy it if
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You need perfect edge-to-edge cleaning
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You have lots of dark carpets or rugs
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You’re sensitive to recurring costs
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You require a HEPA filter for allergies
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You want the absolute best carpet cleaning
Dreame L40 Ultra Build and Design
The Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum impresses with its premium build quality and thoughtful design. The glossy plastic chassis feels sturdy, complemented by rubberized wheels and brush guards that enhance durability. The dustbin cover hinges smoothly, though the dustbin itself is made from lighter plastic, which may be prone to damage if mishandled. Constructed from synthetic fibers and rubber, the extendable side brush and mop system are specifically designed to access and clean corners and edges with ease.
Its base station is a compact powerhouse, integrating the Dreame L40 Ultra self-emptying feature with mop washing and drying capabilities. The station’s design optimizes space while housing clean and dirty water tanks, a dust bag compartment, and a self-cleaning washboard, all contributing to a hands-free cleaning routine.
What’s in the Box?
Opening the Dreame L40 Ultra box reveals a comprehensive cleaning system ready for assembly and use:
- Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum
- Base station with self-emptying, mop washing, and drying functions
- Power cable
- Clean and dirty water tanks
- Auto-detergent compartment and cleaning solution
- 2x dust bags
- 2x mop pad holders and mop pads
- Dustbin and filter
- Brushroll and brush guard
- Side brush
- Cleaning tool handle and brush
- Base station ramp extension plate
- User manual and quick start guide
Setting Up the Vacuum Cleaner
Setting up the Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum is a straightforward process that involves a few key steps. After unpacking, the base station should be placed on a flat surface near a power outlet, with enough clearance around it for the robot to dock and undock smoothly. The clean and dirty water tanks need filling according to the included instructions, and the dust bag must be inserted into the base station’s compartment.
Next, the vacuum itself requires the assembly of the side brush using the provided screwdriver. Mop pads and their holders are secured to the underside, while the dustbin and filter are installed in place.
Once powered on, the Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum connects to the Dreamehome app via Wi-Fi, enabling map creation and personalized cleaning schedules. The app walks you through calibration and mapping, allowing you to establish no-go zones, define carpet boundaries, and personalize your cleaning settings. If you’re interested in vacuum cleaners, check out the Narwal Freo X Plus review.
Technical Specifications
| Features | Specifications |
| Suction Power | 11,000 Pa |
| Dimensions | (Robot) 35 x 35 x 10.4 cm (13.8 x 13.8 x 4.1 in), (Dock) 58.9 x 34 x 46 cm (23.2 x 13.4 x 18.1 in) |
| Cleaning Modes | Vacuum, Mop, Vacuum & Mop, Spot Clean, Deep Clean |
| Water Tank Capacity | Clean: 4.5L, Dirty: 4L (Base Station) |
| Dustbin Capacity | 0.20L (internal), 2.10L (dock) |
| Dust Bag Capacity | 3.2L |
| Battery Life | Up to 315 minutes (Quiet mode), 101 min (Max+ mode) |
| Recharge Time | 170 minutes |
| Navigation | LIDAR, RGB camera, structured light, LED, multi-floor mapping |
| Obstacle Avoidance | Camera-based, AI object detection, Pet Avoidance |
| Mop Type | Dual spinning pads, auto-lift (10.5 mm), auto-detach |
| Mop Washing/Drying | Hot water (149°F/65°C), hot air drying |
| App Control | Dreamehome app (iOS/Android), Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant |
| Noise Level | 67.4 dBA (Max+), 68.5 dBA (base station emptying) |
| HEPA Filter | No |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, smart home integration |
| Software Features | No-go zones, multi-floor mapping, cleaning schedules, camera |
The History Dreame L40 Ultra
The Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum represents the latest evolution in Dreame’s lineup of premium cleaning devices. Building on the success of predecessors like the Dreame L10s Ultra and Dreame X40 Ultra, the L40 Ultra introduces refined battery efficiency, an innovative extendable mop and side brush, and an advanced base station that integrates Dreame L40 Ultra self-cleaning and self-emptying features into a single hub.
| Model | Release Year | Key Points | Improvements Over Previous Models |
| Dreame L10s Ultra | 2022 | Mop/vacuum combo, LIDAR, auto-empty, basic mopping | First all-in-one Dreame station |
| Dreame X40 Ultra | 2024 | More suction, hotter mop water, AI object avoid | Better cleaning, smarter navigation |
| Dreame L40 Ultra | 2025 | Enhanced battery, extendable mop/brush, improved dock | Better battery, more automation, lower price |
Dreame L40 Ultra Performance Overview
You can’t pick a robot vacuum for your home until you explore how it performs on different surfaces and how it deals with stains. Here is where you’re going to find out
Hard Floor Pickup
The Dreame L40 Ultra mop performs solidly on hard floors, efficiently collecting large debris such as cereal and pet litter. Its suction power is strong enough to lift dust and crumbs, though fine particles like sand and rice sometimes remain after a single pass due to the vacuum’s horizontal-only pathing pattern. This pathing results in some areas being missed, requiring multiple cleaning cycles for a thorough result.
As one of the best robot vacuums for hardwood floors, the extendable side brush enhances edge and corner cleaning, reaching places that circular robots often skip. While the vacuum covers most areas well, the inconsistent pathing slightly undermines its overall efficiency on hard surfaces.
Carpet Cleaning
On high-pile carpets, the Dreame L40 Ultra mop and vacuum combo show respectable performance. It removes most debris in one pass, particularly when the side brush rotates on the carpet and SideReach settings are enabled. However, corners and edges remain challenging.
The vacuum’s brush roll lacks aggressive agitation, which limits its ability to extract fine dust and pet hair embedded deep in carpet fibers. Low-pile carpets present similar challenges, with fine debris and pet hair often dragged rather than lifted. The mop lift feature prevents wetting carpets during combined vacuum and mop cycles, preserving carpet integrity.
Pet Hair Pickup
Pet hair pickup performance is moderate. The Dreame L40 Ultra’s suction power and brush roll design effectively manage surface hair but have difficulty removing deeply embedded fur.
The vacuum’s obstacle avoidance sometimes misinterprets clumps of hair as hazards, causing it to avoid areas with heavy shedding. This behavior, combined with less effective agitation, means pet owners may need supplementary cleaning methods for thorough hair removal.
Stain Cleaning and Water Drying
The Dreame L40 Ultra mop system uses dual spinning pads with electronically controlled water dispensing, delivering effective cleaning on dried-on stains. The mop pads are automatically washed and dried in the base station using hot water (149°F/65°C) and hot air, which maintains hygiene and readiness for subsequent cleaning cycles.
The mop lift feature raises the pads 10.5 mm when carpets are detected, preventing moisture damage. While effective, stain removal may require multiple passes due to the robot’s linear pathing.
Dreame L40 Ultra Noise Level
The Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum operates quietly in most modes, with noise levels ranging from approximately 55 dBA in Quiet mode to 67.4 dBA in Max+ mode. This range places it among the quieter premium robot vacuums, suitable for daytime operation without significant disturbance.
The vacuum’s noise signature is characterized by a steady motor hum and soft brush sounds, avoiding sharp or high-pitched noises that can be distracting.
The base station, which handles Dreame L40 Ultra self-emptying and mop washing, generates a peak noise level of about 68.5 dBA during active cycles. This is comparable to a standard vacuum cleaner but occurs only briefly during emptying and cleaning sequences. The station’s mechanical washboard and air drying system contribute to the sound profile, producing intermittent water flow and fan noises.
Navigation and Obstacle Avoidance
The Dreame L40 Ultra employs a sophisticated robot vacuum navigation system combining spinning LIDAR, an RGB camera, structured light sensors, and a built-in LED light. Thanks to its mix of sensors working together, the vacuum can map out your space with great accuracy and quickly recognize obstacles. This helps them move confidently and smoothly around them.
The LIDAR sensor creates detailed multi-floor maps, supporting efficient room-by-room cleaning and virtual boundary setting via the Dreamehome app. No more collisions and entanglements, the RGB camera and structured light sensors identify common household obstacles such as furniture legs, shoes, and pet toys. The LED light improves visibility in dimly lit areas for consistent performance regardless of ambient lighting.
Despite these advanced sensors, the vacuum’s pathing algorithm exhibits some quirks. It tends to move in horizontal sweeps and occasionally roams to reposition itself, which can lead to missed spots and inefficient coverage. This behavior contrasts with more systematic pathing seen in some competitors like the Roborock Qrevo Curv review or the S8 MaxV Ultra.
The obstacle avoidance system is sensitive, sometimes misclassifying dark carpets or small debris as hazards, which can interrupt cleaning cycles. However, it successfully avoids common obstacles and rarely causes damage to household items.
Quality of Life Features and Automation
The Dreame L40 Ultra is loaded with features aimed at minimizing user involvement while maximizing cleaning efficiency. The Dreame L40 Ultra self-emptying base station automatically collects debris into a 3.2L dust bag, which can hold up to 60 days’ worth of dirt depending on usage. This minimizes the need for frequent manual emptying.
The base station also performs Dreame L40 Ultra self-cleaning of mop pads using heated water and air drying to maintain hygiene and mop effectiveness. Additionally, it refills the robot’s clean water tank, supporting continuous mop operation without manual refills.
The Dreamehome app unlocks a wealth of customization options, including multi-floor mapping, no-go, and no-mop zones, suction power adjustment across five levels, and 32 wetness settings for mopping.
The app’s CleanGenius AI analyzes sensor data to recommend optimal cleaning modes and schedules. Users can customize carpet-specific behaviors, such as mop detachment and suction boosts, or set the vacuum to avoid carpets entirely during mopping. Integration with smart home platforms like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant enables voice commands and automation.
Physical Automation
The Dreame L40 Ultra features a range of physical automation capabilities designed to simplify operation and maintenance. It sports smart pathing algorithms and includes recharge and resume functionality. This means the robot can return to its base station when the battery runs low and continue cleaning once recharged. While it lacks physical boundary markers and scheduled start buttons, it offers on-board cycle control buttons for basic commands.
The vacuum has three physical buttons on top: a Power button that starts or stops cleaning, a Dock button to send the robot back to its base station (also toggling Child Lock when held), and a Spot Cleaning button for targeted cleaning.
Most advanced settings and scheduling are managed through the Dreamehome app, but the base station automates daily upkeep by emptying the dustbin, refilling the water tank, washing mop pads with heated water, and drying them on a preset schedule.
Dreame L40 Ultra Battery Life
The Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum packs a strong battery that can run for over three hours on quieter settings, enough to clean large homes in one go. When the battery gets low, it heads back to its base to recharge and then picks up right where it left off. Charging takes about four hours, and you can set it to charge during off-peak times to save energy. This Dreame L40 Ultra battery life, combined with the self-emptying and self-cleaning base, means less hassle and more hands-free cleaning for busy households.
User Maintenance and Recurring Costs
Routine upkeep is simplified by the Dreame L40 Ultra self-cleaning base station, which handles daily maintenance tasks. Users still need to replace consumables periodically:
- Brush rolls every 6–12 months
- Side brushes every 3–6 months
- Mop pads every 1–3 months
- Filters every 6–12 months
- Dust bags every 2–4 months.
The internal dustbin is small (0.20L), necessitating frequent returns to the base station for emptying. The app provides timely reminders for part replacements and maintenance schedules. When using the app, you can make sure that your vacuum is kept in peak condition.
Field Testing Insights
General field testing of the Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum reveals a device that excels in automation and ease of use. In everyday home environments, it effectively manages debris on hard floors and carpets, with its extendable side brush and mop reaching edges and corners more thoroughly than many competitors.
Users appreciate the self-emptying and self-cleaning features, which reduce the time spent on routine maintenance. The long battery life supports cleaning large areas without interruption, and the robot reliably returns to its dock for Dreame L40 Ultra auto-docking and recharge. Real testing showed that the vacuum’s pathing can be erratic, occasionally missing spots or requiring multiple passes. The obstacle avoidance is generally effective but can be overly cautious, especially around dark rugs or small items. Pet hair pickup is adequate for surface cleaning but may fall short for homes with heavy shedding.
Real-World User Reviews
✓ Excellent vacuuming performance on hard floors and carpets.
✓ Innovative features like an extendable, liftable side brush and strong suction power.
✓ Long battery life, with up to 194 minutes runtime on low power.
✓ Advanced navigation with LiDAR and obstacle avoidance, plus smart mopping with mop pads that lift on carpets.
✗ Poor pet hair pickup on carpets; it drags hair around and leaves much behind without the optional Tri-cut brush upgrade.
✗ Inconsistent cleaning pathing causes missed spots and less effective debris removal, especially fine debris and floor cracks.
✗ Mopping performance is acceptable but not outstanding; some users report it leaves floors dirty after mopping.
✗ The vacuum can be noisy in Max+ suction mode and the mop-washing mechanism may produce squeaking sounds.
✗ Some sensors can be overly sensitive, causing issues with dark carpets and hair detection.
Dreame L40 Ultra vs. Competitors
The Dreame L40 Ultra mop stands alongside other premium models such as the Roborock Qrevo Curv, Dreame X40 Ultra, and Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra. While it offers superior automation and battery life, some competitors outperform it in pathing efficiency and pet hair pickup.
In comparison to the best robot vacuum for hardwood floors or pet hair like the Eufy X8 Pro and Eufy X10 Pro Omni, the Dreame L40 Ultra offers more advanced automation but slightly less consistent cleaning coverage.
| Model | Suction Power | Obstacle Avoidance | Mop System | Battery Life | Notable Features |
| Dreame L40 Ultra | 11,000 Pa | RGB camera, LIDAR | Dual, auto-lift | Up to 315 min | Automation, app customization |
| Dreame X40 Ultra | 12,000 Pa | RGB camera, LIDAR | Dual, hotter water | Up to 250 min | More suction, slightly better mop |
| Roborock Qrevo Curv | 7,000 Pa | LIDAR, 3D sensor | Dual, auto-lift | Up to 180 min | Superior pathing, carpet cleaning |
| Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra | 8,000 Pa | RGB camera, LIDAR | Dual, auto-lift | Up to 180 min | Best debris pickup, navigation |
Conclusion
Dreame L40 Ultra robot vacuum is a well-suited robovac for almost any home. Detailed reviews and field tests show it performs effectively on various surfaces, including hard floors like wood and parquet, as well as carpets and rugs. It works best on thick carpets and hard surfaces. While it may not be the best robot vacuum for pet hair, overall, it remains an excellent option compared to similar devices.
What are the key features of the Dreame L40 Ultra?
The Dreame L40 Ultra is a robot vacuum and mop combo with an advanced docking station that can auto-empty, refill water, wash and dry mop pads with hot air, and remove the mop pads before carpets. It also has LiDAR navigation, AI obstacle detection, mop pad lifting, and an extending side brush for improved edge cleaning.
How well does it clean (vacuuming and mopping)?
Vacuuming performance is strong on both hard floors and carpets, especially when the side brush extension is enabled. The mopping system is highly effective at scrubbing and removing dried stains thanks to its rotating mop pads and mop-lifting features, offering excellent results even on textured surfaces.
How does it handle pet hair?
The default brush can struggle with pet hair, often pushing it instead of picking it up. However, using the optional anti-tangle brush significantly improves pet hair collection, especially on carpets and rugs.
What common issues do users report?
Some users have reported occasional software bugs, such as inconsistent carpet recognition or difficulties with the mop pads detaching properly. Others noted rare mechanical sounds during operation or issues with the water tank not refilling as expected.
Is the Dreame L40 Ultra worth the price?
Many users find it a great value, especially when purchased on discount. It offers a near fully automated cleaning experience with minimal maintenance and is particularly appreciated by those with pets or larger homes.
