Skip to main content

This is the best robot vacuum for high-pile carpets in 2024

The Dreame L40 Ultra mopping a room.
Dreame

Robot vacuums have come a long way over the past few years, but most of them still struggle with high-pile carpets. This is especially true if you’re using a robot that both vacuums and mops, as there aren’t many elegant solutions for preventing the mops from streaking across your soft carpets. However, the Dreame L40 Ultra has largely solved the problem — and it’s the best robot vacuum for high-pile carpets in 2024.

The Dreame L40 Ultra automatically removes its mopping pads

The Dreame L40 Ultra dock next to a plant.
Jon Bitner / Digital Trends

There’s one key feature that makes the Dreame L40 Ultra so compelling, and that’s automatic mop removal. The device can be programmed to automatically leave its two mopping pads behind in the docking station when heading out to vacuum, ensuring your floors stay nice and dry.

Recommended Videos

It’s a more elegant solution than most robot vacuums that can only retract their mopping pads a few millimeters. And while the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ has an innovative solution (lifting its mopping plate to the top of the robot with a swinging arm), the L40 Ultra is an overall more compelling device.

Top-of-the-line specs

The swinging arm on the Dreame L40 Ultra.
Dreame

Detachable mopping pads are just the tip of the iceberg with the Dreame L40 Ultra. Other great vacuuming features include a swinging side brush that effectively sweeps near baseboards and around furniture, up to 11,000Pa of suction, and an Anti-Tangle Tricut Brush, which boasts a fancy design that works wonders to eliminate pet fur and hair from getting clogged inside the device.

You can always dive into the Dreame app to customize your cleaning route, though you can also let the robot determine the best parameters based on the amount of dirt it detects with its sensors. This is great for high-pile carpets, as the robot can automatically ramp up its suction levels to clean deep between the fibers.

Maintenance is minimal too, as the docking station holds up to 75 days of debris and both rinses and dries mops once the cleaning cycle is complete. There’s even a duo-scraper system that scrubs the bottom of the dock to prevent gunk from building up.

In short, it’s an all-around powerhouse of a robot vacuum, and our Dreame L40 Ultra review found it to be great for all households. But if your home is loaded with high-pile carpet, all these features make it an even more compelling purchase.

Also consider the Dreame X40 Ultra

If you don’t mind spending a few extra bucks, you should also check out the Dreame X40 Ultra. It’s more expensive (and older) than the Dreame L40 Ultra, but it’s also capable of removing its mops before vacuuming. You’ll also get a bit more suction (12,000Pa), so if you have a messier home than most, the added power could be useful. But for everyone else, the Dreame L40 Ultra is the robot to get.

Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
Tineco shows off three new ways to vacuum, steam, and clean your floors at CES 2025
Tineco Pure One Station Five

Tineco showcased three products at CES 2025, giving you three fancy new ways to vacuum, steam, and clean your floors. The Floor One S9 Artist Steam was the highlight of the trio, as it can produce steam to tackle tough stains, features a lay-flat design, and will automatically adjust its settings to best deal with the challenge at hand.

The Tineco Floor One S9 Artist Steam was designed to streamline all aspects of your floor cleaning chores. It produces steam (which hits temperatures up to 264 degrees Fahrenheit) to  quickly remove common stains produced by ketchup, chocolate syrup, pasta, and other household hazards, It can also lay flat to reduce its height to less than 13 centimeters -- giving you a chance to reach under furniture where larger cleaners can't fit. Along with automatically changing settings based on the dirt levels detected by its sensors, it benefits from Aurora AI Lights that change color dynamically depending on the cleaning status.

Read more
Lymow shows off robotic lawn mower with mulching blades, tracked treads at CES
The Lymow One cutting through grass.

Lymow is hoping to shake up the robotic lawn mower industry later this year with the Lymow One -- an upcoming mower equipped with mulching blades and unique tracked treads. The team’s goal is to “fully replace traditional mowers,” making your lawn maintenance routine easier than ever before. The Lymow One was on full display at CES 2025, and it boasts an impressive list of stats that make it a smart home gadget to watch ahead of its launch in April.

One of the most exciting aspects of the Lymow One is its mowing deck, which houses professional-grade mulching blades. These are common on ride-on and traditional lawnmowers and should provide a better cut than the metal sheet swing blades found on many other robotic lawn mowers. The two blades are powered by a brushless motor capable of a peak output of 1,200 watts (spinning them at 6,000 RPM and cutting at a width of 16 inches). In other words, it should have no problem cutting through even the most overgrown of backyards.

Read more
Tapo launches two affordable robot vacuums with surprisingly premium specs
The Tapo RV30 Max Plus in its docking station

Tapo, a brand responsible for a wide range of smart gadgets, has just revealed two new robot vacuums -- the Tapo RV30 Max Series and Tapo RV20 Max Series. Both can be purchased as standalone robots or bundled with an auto-empty dock, and they offer some pretty impressive stats despite their entry-level price tags below $300.

The Tapo RV30 Max is the more expensive of the duo, clocking in at $220 ($300 when bundled with its auto-empty docking station). Its suction numbers are quite low at just 5,300 Pa, but it does offer a unique Mesh Grid feature that helps it accurately map and move about your home. It works in conjunction with lidar and IMU Dual Navigation, which should also make it great at avoiding obstacles.

Read more