A great robot case that needs a little more

With a long list of impressive specifications and features, the Dreame X60 Max Ultra ($1,699.99 at Amazon) cannot do on paper. As an automated floor cleaning system, this robot vacuum offers 35,000Pa suction, up to 15N wiping pressure and a base station that facilitates continuous operation.

While there are many nice things on the surface, how well does it perform in the real world? To find out, I ran the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete at home for a few months.

The Dreame X60 Max Ultra offers high-end features and specifications, including 35,000 Pa suction pressure, a slim profile with a retractable LiDAR tower to get under low furniture, multi-sensor, AI-driven navigation and obstacle avoidance, heated mat wash, self-cleaning systems, excellent floor pressure, excellent hair shedding capability, 15 anti-tangle features and more.

If you’re browsing Dreame’s robot vacuum catalog, you might notice the Dreame X60 Max Ultra sitting next to the Dreame X60 Ultra ($1,499.99 at Amazon). The Max Ultra version adds a dual detergent for pet cleaning, multi-spectrum dirt detection, and a retractable vacuum pressure chamber, but they’re otherwise very similar.

For the X60 Max Ultra unit I bought, installation was simple, and the X60 Max Ultra Complete package (you currently can’t buy a vacuum separately from the Complete package) comes with a large number of parts and accessories. The dry trash bag and detergent are located behind the front cover of the base station, while the clean and dirty water containers are located under the top cover. Mop pads use magnets to attach to the bot, allowing you to leave them behind when not needed. Extendable arms allow the X60 Max Ultra to reach into corners for sweeping and mopping.

Battery life was excellent, with the vacuum able to run for several hours in my tests before returning to the base for a charge. The app is relatively complex compared to some competitors, but once you get the hang of it, it’s easy to use and the voice controls are a welcome addition. Planning also makes cleaning a whole house easier, at least until the mop needs to be changed – more on that later.

What I want to say here is that Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete is, for the most part, identical to this model. The best robot vacuum cleaners on the market todayIt’s what you’d hope for with an ultra-premium price tag. However, there are some areas where the Dreame could improve the mopping experience, which falls short.

I’ve been testing the best robot vacuums for a while now, and the Dreame X60 Max Ultra has features that put it among the best in the business; however, considering the level of polish you usually get at this level, it’s the little things that make the difference for me at this price point. One of the real differentiators of elite performance is how often you have to manually intervene, and unfortunately the X60 Max Ultra required quite a few interventions during my time with it.

My first concern is that under normal load, the X60 Max Ultra uses a lot of water. After about 600 square meters of cleaning, I need to change the water. This means I have to change the water every 1.5 times I clean my house or every other day. This is a lot compared to the competition, which can go on for days without any fuss.

Another frequent intervention is saving mop pads. The magnetic connection for mop pads is both positive and negative, and it’s not really a problem with magnets; The navigation issue I encountered with the X60 Max Ultra was around carpets. When the bot enters my bathroom or front entry, it can’t jump on the rugs. He pushes into them, gathers the carpets and then tries to clean very closely. I love how the bot cleans the edges of the rugs, but the mop pads almost always get stuck and come off.

On the side, the X60 Max Ultra measures just 3.13 inches tall with the tower lowered; it’s a lot shorter than a lot of bots out there and a lot lower than all the furniture in my house. It’s great to see the bot go under the sofa and tables and come out again.

In general, the Dreame X60 Max Ultra leaves behind beautiful glossy floors. The detergent works well on my wood and tile floors; vacuum and sweep arms extend along the edges and pick up all the dust. Best of all, the X60 Max Ultra was really good at stepping into my living room and avoiding crashes.

The Dreame X60 Max Ultra is a solid offering from a premium smart home brand that wants you to buy one of their products for every smart home hub. The top-notch specs and features show that Dreame is focused on what it takes to compete in the modern robot vacuum market. The overall performance of the X60 Max Ultra series makes me care about its offerings, and taken individually, it’s a fantastic floor cleaner.

All in all, you can’t go wrong with buying the Dreame X60 Ultra series for your home. It navigates and cleans alongside the best bots on the market, but requires a bit more attention than the direct competition.