CES 2025: Dreame's X50 Ultra is not the robot vacuum that can climb stairs
UPDATE: Sep. 4, 2025, 1:00 p.m. EDT Since this story's original writing, Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart tested the X50 Ultra at home. It ultimately did not make her list of the best robot vacuums to buy. In August 2025, Dreame announced a new cohort of flagship robot vacuums, including one with improved climbing capabilities. Eufy is also expected to release a stair-climbing robot vacuum, the Eufy Marswalker, in spring 2026.
CES 2025 is filled with weird, new robot vacuum innovations. Dreame, a Chinese tech company, has unveiled its new X50 Ultra, a "stair-climbing" robot vacuum. But before you start dreaming (pun intended) of a bot that can clean your steps, here’s the reality: the X50 Ultra doesn’t actually climb stairs.
Well, not exactly.
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The X50 Ultra can "climb" only if your stairs are about two inches tall, which might make it more accurate to call it a threshold-hopper. Dreame’s North American PR team is marketing it as the "robot vacuum that can literally climb stairs" (their emphasis, not ours). That claim feels a bit overblown, considering the X50 Ultra’s actual capability is more about navigating small obstacles like cords or the lip of a doorway — tasks powered by Dreame’s ProLeap System technology.
Even so, two inches is more than double the threshold clearance height of most robot vacuums on the market. It may not be enough for a full step, but it's nothing to sneeze at.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to test the X50 Ultra’s ability to handle thresholds due to Wi-Fi issues. Still, despite its exaggerated marketing claims, the X50 Ultra looks like a solid contender based on its specs. It boasts up to 20,000Pa of suction power, a HyperStream Detangling DuoBrush for tangle-free cleaning, and a 360-degree scanning sensor for smooth, efficient navigation. It's also a robot vacuum that mops, with one of its spinning pads able to extend to mop in corners.
You’ll still need to manually carry your robot companion up stairs, considering that its navigational abilities are limited to thresholds just over two inches high. But if you’re after a premium robot vacuum that’s great at handling obstacles on flat floors without getting stuck, the X50 Ultra might be worth considering.
The Dreame X50 Ultra officially launched on Valentine's Day 2024. It retails for $1,699.99 but, as of September 2025, is often on sale for as low as $1,999.99 at Amazon and Dreame's website.
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Topics CES Robot Vacuums
Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.
In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social, by email at [email protected], or on Signal at 224-417-6628.
