At CES 2025 Chinese appliance producer Dreame unveiled its X50, a new type of robot vacuum that can navigate its way up and down a flight of stairs. Yesterday we reported on a robot vacuum capable of lifting small objects and moving them out of the way. This is the next logical… step?

Robot vacuums may prove to be a larger market than initially anticipated should new features and innovations continue to arrive as quickly as they recently have.

The X50 runs like a Dreame

The X50 began making rounds on social media after a teaser dropped on YouTube three months ago. The product is awaiting global rollout but is already on sale in China. The X50 made its US debut this week at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, with Dreame treating attendees to a close-up look at its capabilities.

Robot vacuums are nifty little machines but are limited in busy and compact spaces. But they don’t have to be. The X50 navigates stairs with the aid of Dreame’s “ProLeap System” which allows it to handle stairs as high as 6cm. It works by jacking itself up with two motorised arms attached to the wheels, it then uses that elevation to grab onto the ledge and propel itself to the next step. According to Google, the average stair height in a given home is between seven and eight inches, so it won’t quite be ready to run without supervision but should be capable of navigating smaller steps and objects.

The X50 also travels beneath furniture where possible and can identify up to 200 different objects, which helps it contextualise obstacles and respond accordingly. It also has a built-in hot water mop and a specialised brush to sweep up hair without causing a motor-breaking tangle.

Preorders for the robot vacuum open on 7 January and it also comes with an extended two-year warranty and a cleaning kit. The Dreame X50 officially starts selling on Amazon and the Dreame website on 14 February. It’ll set you back a not-very-budget-friendly R31,600. That’s the price you pay for taking the next step in robot vacuum technology, we’re afraid.