L20 Ultra
3 independent reviewsRead the findings →A former Dreame flagship that leaves its mop pads at the dock before vacuuming carpet. It cleans hard floors and rugs very thoroughly. It's tall, loud and still snags on shoelaces.
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What reviewers found
Three reviews, mixing home use with a controlled dirt-pickup test. TechRadar used it for three weeks, Tech Advisor published the PC-Welt test, and testen mit Kopf measured how much debris it collected. All three praised the cleaning. Obstacles are where they part: TechRadar had to rescue it from shoelaces and string, while the lab course went far better. It's also noisy and the dock is big. Tidy away loose hazards before you leave it running on a schedule.
TechRadar, hands-on, 3 weeks at home, Nov 2023 · Tech Advisor, hands-on, Sept 2023 (tested on the L20 Ultra Complete (EU version, same robot with extra accessories)) · testen mit Kopf, lab test
Hard floors
Reviewers rate it highlytesten mit Kopf measured near-complete pickup of a coffee bean, seed and sand mix from hard floor, and TechRadar said it never failed to pick up something it should have on vinyl and tiles.
Carpet and rugs
Reviewers rate it highlyTech Advisor found it especially thorough on carpet, and TechRadar was happy with its rugs. testen mit Kopf measured strong results on short and high pile, though a deeply grooved flat-woven rug was harder.
Pet hair
Not enough evidenceOnly Tech Advisor judged pet hair, finding it cleaned carpets with pet hair more thoroughly than rivals. No other review we use tested it.
Mopping
Reviewers rate it highlyThe swing-out mops reach the edges: testen mit Kopf called it the best edge cleaning it had seen and saw dried coffee and muddy prints lifted, and Tech Advisor found only millimetres left by obstacles. TechRadar needed deep-clean mode for some kitchen grime.
Navigation and obstacles
Mixed resultsResults depend on the home. testen mit Kopf rated its avoidance excellent on a test course, but TechRadar had to rescue it from shoelaces, string and wires, and saw rug edges and hanging fabric flagged as obstacles.
Dock and upkeep
Mixed resultsIt does a lot: Tech Advisor liked that it can leave the mops at the dock for carpet. But it's big, needing about 30cm above it to reach the tanks, per Tech Advisor, and TechRadar found bin emptying loud and consumables a steady cost.
App and software
Mixed resultsTech Advisor found setup clear and the options plentiful, but TechRadar found deeper tools buried, couldn't work out the zone and room settings, and noted the schedule hidden in menus.
Noise
Reviewers found problemsTechRadar found the robot noisy and the dock's emptying louder still; Tech Advisor noticed the noise too. Run it when nobody's in the room, and clear cables and strings first since those caused trouble in testing.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use ran it long term or judged Dreame's support.
Value
Not enough evidenceOnly TechRadar weighed value, calling the price fair for its features but warning that replacement parts and liquids add up each year.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
A thorough clean on most floors
testen mit Kopf measured 97.13% of a coffee bean, linseed and sand mix removed from hard floor, 94.87% from short-pile carpet and 86% from thick high-pile. A flat-woven rug with deep grooves was harder, at 68.2%. TechRadar said it never failed to pick up something it should have, across vinyl, tiles and two rugs, and Tech Advisor found it especially good on carpet with pet hair. For everyday dirt, this is the part you can rely on.
Mops close to edges, not quite flush
Tech Advisor found only a few millimetres left unmopped near some obstacles, while testen mit Kopf measured about a 1cm strip along edges. Test en mit Kopf also saw dried coffee, juice and muddy footprints lifted. TechRadar found most floors came up well, but some kitchen dirt needed the slower deep-clean mode. Stubborn marks may still need a cloth.
Leaves its mops behind for carpet
When it finds a rug, you choose in the app whether it removes the mops, lifts them or avoids the rug, as Tech Advisor describes. It called leaving the pads at the dock a feature it hadn't seen on any other robot at the time. TechRadar found it spotted rugs by itself, saved them until the end and lifted the pads. Dreame notes that removal is switched off by default, so turn it on if your rugs are thick.
Obstacle spotting: the tests disagree
testen mit Kopf reported strong avoidance on its test course, although it sometimes treated a heavy pile of dirt as an obstacle. At home, TechRadar had it catch shoelaces, string and wires and needed to rescue it; hanging fabric, rug edges and a mirror also confused it. Nobody has explained why the two results differ so much. Clear loose cables and laces before it cleans.
Big, tall and fairly loud
Tech Advisor puts the dock at just under 43 by 50cm and over 60cm tall, and said you need about 30cm free above it to lift the lid and reach the water tanks. It found the robot sometimes noisy, and TechRadar said it was loudest when the dock empties the bin. testen mit Kopf called the 10.38cm height its main weakness, because it limits what furniture it can get under. Plan the dock's spot before it arrives.
Our take
Should you buy the L20 Ultra?
Best for: Homes wanting to mop hard floors while keeping rugs dry. Skip it if: You have little room for a large dock.
Buy it for hard floors with a few rugs, a spot for a tall dock, and mops kept off carpet without your help. For low furniture, the Ecovacs Deebot T50 Pro Omni is slimmer.
The L20 Ultra launched as a Dreame flagship in 2023. It can leave its spinning mop pads in the dock for vacuum-only cleaning, and its edge-mopping mechanism extends a pad towards skirting boards and cabinets. The dock empties dust, washes and dries the pads, and refills water and detergent. Newer L-series models offer different combinations of these features.
testen mit Kopf measured near-complete pickup of a coffee bean, seed and sand mix from hard floor and called its edge mopping the best it had seen, and Tech Advisor found only millimetres left by obstacles. TechRadar found most floors came up squeaky clean but needed the slower deep-clean mode for some kitchen grime. Obstacles split them: testen mit Kopf rated avoidance excellent on a course, while TechRadar had to rescue it from shoelaces, string and wires. The body is tall at just over 10cm, which testen mit Kopf called its main weakness, and Tech Advisor says the dock needs clear space above it to lift out the tanks. TechRadar found it loud, and loudest when the dock empties.
Where to buy
Where to buy the L20 Ultra in United Kingdom
No United Kingdom price checked in the last 21 days. We re-check daily.
We’re still looking for more United Kingdom retailers for this model.
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Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Will it avoid cables and pet mess?
Not reliably with thin things. TechRadar found it tried to eat shoelaces, string and wires often enough to need rescuing, even though testen mit Kopf rated its avoidance excellent on a test course. None of the three tests tried pet mess, so keep an eye on it if your pet has accidents.
Does it fit under low furniture?
Only if there's a good gap. testen mit Kopf measured it at 10.38cm tall, in line with the 103.8mm on the specifications, and called that its main weakness. Measure under your sofa and bed first; slimmer robots manage below 10cm.
Can it leave the mops in the dock for carpet?
Yes. It can drop both pads at the dock, lift them up to 10.5mm, or skip rugs altogether, as Tech Advisor describes. According to the specifications, removal is off by default and must be switched on in the Dreamehome app, and it's the setting to use for pile over 7mm.
How big is the dock, and is it loud?
Big. Tech Advisor gives just under 43 by 50cm and more than 60cm tall, with about 30cm needed above to open the lid. TechRadar found the robot loud, and loudest when the dock empties the bin, so use quiet mode or run it while you're out.
What upkeep does the dock leave to you?
You still refill clean water, empty dirty water, replace the dust bag and clean the tray, filter and brushes. Dreame's maximum bag-life and floor-coverage claims are best cases, so they won't tell you how often your home needs those jobs. Replacement pads, approved cleaning solution and brushes are an ongoing cost. An optional plumbing kit has its own installation requirements.
Is the app easy to use?
Starting a clean is easy, but TechRadar found the deeper tools buried, couldn't work out the zone and room settings, and noted the schedule is hidden in the menus. Tech Advisor found setup clear and suggests exploring the settings, because switching features on or off can change the results.
Alternatives
Other robot vacuums to compare.
L40 Ultra
Why consider it: The newer model keeps a swing-out side brush and mop and a hot-water mop wash, and it avoids clutter well.
The compromise: Reviewers disagree on how clean it gets, with a lab test finding much weaker pickup than the home tester did.
DEEBOT T50 PRO OMNI
Why consider it: It's slim enough to get under low sofas and vacuums well on every floor type.
The compromise: Mopping with plain water is patchier, and one tester found it snagged on cables.
S8 Pro Ultra
Why consider it: Excellent at pulling pet hair out of carpet, with a dock that handles the routine cleanup.
The compromise: Cables and tasselled rugs trip it up too, and its mop only does light work.
L10s Pro Ultra Heat
Why consider it: Similar swing-out edge mopping and a hot-water mop wash from Dreame.
The compromise: The pads don't detach for carpet, loose shoelaces still trip it up, and the station is big and noisy.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
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Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- TechRadar: Dreame L20 Ultra review: a super-powered robot vacuum at a substantial price ↗4 / 5Hands-on, 3 weeks at home
- Tech Advisor: Dreamebot L20 Ultra review ↗4.5 / 5, Editors' ChoiceHands-on · Tested on the L20 Ultra Complete (EU version, same robot with extra accessories)
- testen mit Kopf: Dreame L20 Ultra Saugroboter Test (German) ↗95.55 %Lab test
Sources
Videos
- Search YouTube for Dreame L20 Ultra ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.