The Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex is a super-smart wet-dry vacuum

Ever since I started reviewing robot vacuums, maintaining clean floors has become a compulsive obsession. Any sign of dust bunnies or other undesirables on my floors, and I feel the need to press start on a bot. For as great as robot vacuums can be, they have limitations, and sometimes you need a more precise tool to get the job done.

One such contender is the Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex ($699.99 at Amazon), a flagship wet-dry vacuum with a self-drive system, RGB sensors, purpose-built interchangeable rollers, and an intelligent dust-suppression system. I’ve tested it for a few weeks around my home to see how it performs.

With 23,000Pa of suction pressure, and a specialty roller that pulls dirt from deep within your carpet, the Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex is a highly capable wet-dry vacuum — ready to go on hard floors and any carpeted surface alike. It features a powerful floor-scrubbing mop with self-cleaning and drying systems, and is stored in a handy dock that cordlessly charges the vacuum and holds accessories.

This machine has a powered drive system. You still need to hold it upright and steer, but the multi-speed powertrain propels the vacuum across your floors. Best of all, both the carpet roller and the mopping roller integrate with the TangleCut 2.0 hair anti-tangle system, drastically reducing your maintenance requirements.

How well does the H15 Pro CarpetFlex clean?

The H15 Pro CarpetFlex takes things to another level over a traditional stick vacuum cleaner. It takes just a moment to swap between the vacuum roller and mop roller, which completely changes how this machine operates.

With the vacuum brush installed, you can take full advantage of the 23kPa of suction pressure. The brush reaches deep within your carpets, effectively cleaning both short- and long-pile carpets.

I successfully cleaned dirt and pine needles out of several low-pile rugs, as well as both thin and dense shag rugs. I had similar success on hardwood floors and tile as well.

My favorite part about using this machine as a vacuum is the MistLock Dust Control system. As the name implies, a fine mist of water is combined with the incoming dust, trapping it from creating dust clouds in your home. This does not wet the roller; it’s all internal, effectively separating dust from larger dry debris for easy clean up.

With the mop brush installed, the H15 Pro CarpetFlex engages a continuous fresh-water wash. Advanced RGB Dirt Detection is able to identify different messes, instantly adjusting the water levels for the best possible clean. All I have to do is steer the mop over my floors and it automatically handles the settings.

Most spills and simple stains can be removed in just one pass. More difficult messes, such as when I dribbled some honey on the floor and didn’t notice until the next day, took three slow passes to pick up the bulk of the honey, then scrub the tile clean. The included detergent also leaves a nice shine.

The worst part of mopping is cleaning the mop in the end, right?

The Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex has two features that make cleanup and maintenance a breeze: a heated self-wash and a heated dry.

For both the vacuum roller and the mop roller, place the floor cleaning unit into its base station and press the button to begin the clean cycle. The rollers receive a hot water wash, followed by hot air being circulated around them. The process is reasonably quiet. I wouldn’t want it running beside my desk as I work, but it fits in alongside the refrigerator sounds in the kitchen.

Emptying the dirt canister is an easy task. The canister has a simple latch that holds it in the vacuum; lift and pull to easily remove it. Then, simply separate the two pieces and dump the dirt into the trash. Thanks to the hair anti-tangle system, any hair or carpet fibers that you pick up will be in smaller pieces, preventing them from getting wrapped around any internal parts.

Dirty water is also collected in the main canister. A quick dump and rinse, and you’re back in action.

Is the H15 Pro CarpetFlex worth it?

The H15 Pro CarpetFlex functions well as both a vacuum and a mop, and it’s super easy to use thanks to the self-drive system and the full 180-degree lay-flat function that can reach under furniture.

I am getting well over 45 minutes of cleaning per charge. This can be extended to 60 minutes using the quiet mode, which reduces the suction and overall noise. At maximum cleaning, while mopping intensely, I can drain the battery in about 30 minutes. I mop about 475 sqft of my home that isn’t covered by rugs or furniture, and I can cover that space twice in 30 minutes. That means that the average home should be able to do a full cleaning on a charge.

Compared to the robot vacuums in my life, the main trade-off is the hands-off convenience of a bot versus the total control of the H15 Pro CarpetFlex, but then again, this Dreame machine has a lot more suction power than the average robovac, which makes a real difference for the harshest cleaning tasks.

It’s not like it doesn’t have some cutting-edge smarts, though. The H15 Pro CarpetFlex does a great job using RGB cameras and object recognition to dynamically change cleaning intensity, but it doesn’t rely on that same tech to navigate. If the H15 gets it wrong, it simply applies a little more or less water or suction than is optimal, no harm done.

If you need to tackle targeted messes in your home, the Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex is one of the smartest ways to do it.