I Thought No Robotic Vacuum May Navigate My Tough Furnishings, Then One Stunned Me With Its Ingenious Arms

CNET’s key takeaways 

• No robotic vacuum has really solved the problem of multi-level cleansing with out requiring you to bodily transfer it between flooring.
• This robo-vac can do it, for the high-end worth of $1,699 (on sale proper now for $1,360).
• You will not discover one other robotic vacuum with its options for lower than $1,000 proper now.

The entire level of proudly owning a robotic vacuum is so you do not have to do the cleansing your self. However that was by no means the case at my home — partly due to what I name my “Ikea chair problem.” I’ve seen many robo-vacs get caught on the backside of one among my chairs, which has an unusually-shaped base. It is only one impediment amongst many in my residence, which can also be full of pet hair, paw prints and three teenage sons who go away issues mendacity round all over the place. 

Fortunately I am the product improvement design engineer who oversees operations at CNET’s testing lab, and after the Dreame X50 robotic vacuum was named CNET’s greatest for obstacles and pets, I obtained to see the way it carried out in real-world circumstances at my place. 

Nicely, it conquered the Ikea chair. It was truly fairly entertaining to observe because the Dreame X50 struggled, regrouped after which used its auxiliary climbing arms to recover from the chair’s base — simply one of many instruments it has in its arsenal. 

My expertise with the Dreame X50 Extremely robotic vacuum

Efficiency-wise, the Dreame X50 Extremely was typically stable. It began with a full deep clear, then vacuumed and mopped on its second run. Throughout the app setup, I informed it I had pets, so it emptied its dustbin a bunch throughout the first run. I discovered it to be fairly good about lifting its mops whereas vacuuming the carpet. 

It took it 123 minutes to finish its work round my residence. The mopping operate was surprisingly efficient, tackling muddy paw prints on my vinyl plank flooring in addition to I may myself with a stick mop. And I used to be notably impressed with its object avoidance; it navigated round sneakers, cords and even my two canines with out subject. 

Setting it up was a breeze: The app was intuitive and the standard of the machine’s construct felt sturdy, though with so many shifting elements — like its auxiliary climbing arms and reducing turret — I query its long-term sturdiness.

One key characteristic that basically stood out was the tangle-free curler. In my residence check, evaluating the Dreame X50 to my older Roborock Q5 after cleansing a big space rug, the distinction was hanging. The Roborock was clogged with hair, whereas the Dreame’s curler was fully clear. This can be a large benefit over opponents, which regularly battle with pet hair. That is one other one among my massive checks — I name it my “Nice Pyrenees problem” — and the Dreame X50 handed with flying colours. 

My household shortly grew accustomed to it zipping round, and it turned virtually like one other member of the family — quirky and generally a bit of confused, however total very useful. Ultimately, watching it conquer obstacles like the bottom of my Ikea chair, the place different robots get caught, was not simply efficient — it was truly enjoyable to observe. 

The specs

• Value: Roughly $1,699 (at full worth)
• Options: Tangle-free curler, climbing arms, navigation turret, mopping with base cleansing, object avoidance.
• Connectivity: Wi-Fi
• Mapping: Fast mapping, room and flooring detection.
• Navigation: Digicam and lidar.
• App: Dwell view, customizable settings, pet pictures.
• Cleansing: Vacuum and mop combo.
• Base Station: Mop cleansing and drying, tanks, cleansing resolution spot.
• Cleansing Time: Slower than some.

CNET’s shopping for recommendation

The Dreame X50 Extremely is feature-rich, supreme for pets, obstacles and object avoidance. It is best if you would like superior navigation and mopping, and are keen to pay additional for options just like the climbing arms and reducing turret. Nevertheless, it isn’t the very best at pure vacuuming, particularly on carpets, and the software program generally is a bit quirky.

At its full worth of round $1,699, the Dreame X50 Extremely is a really costly robotic vacuum. Should you extremely worth its distinctive options just like the climbing capability and superior furnishings navigation, then it could possibly be definitely worth the funding. Nevertheless, for those who’re primarily involved with uncooked vacuuming energy or are on a tighter finances, there are less expensive choices. It is a luxurious product, and the worth aligns with its premium options.

For higher carpet vacuuming efficiency and a lower cost level, the Ecovacs Deebot T30Sor the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus each carried out higher on carpet and pet hair checks throughout CNET’s lab testing. Whereas all three have vacuum and mopping performance, the Ecovacs Deebot T30S ($1,400 with a stick vac included) or the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 ($600) are each cheaper than the Dreame X50 Extremely ($1,699). It is price stating although, that the Dreame X50 Extremely is without doubt one of the few robotic vacuums we have examined at CNET with the flexibility to climb over objects, surmount areas and decrease itself below furnishings.