Dreame R10 Cordless Vacuum Review: Versatile and Budget-friendly

Price When Reviewed

$369.99

Best Prices Today: Dreame R10

$299.99

Dreame Technology is a Xiaomi brand, specialising in floor care tech, including robot vacuums and cordless vacuums. Its products tend to have a good balance between quality and affordability.

I was asked to review one of the models in its latest R series, the newly-launched Dreame R10. It’s the first cordless vacuum from the brand that I’ve personally tested and I had high expectations of it.

Taking it out of the box, those expectations only increased: the Dreame R10 is very pretty, but is all that glitters gold?

Here’s how it performed.

Design and build

• Versatile cordless vacuum
• Four cleaning attachments
• Multi-surface brush lights
• Stylish design only available in white

While we’ve said that you shouldn’t be guided by looks, we like to start our tech product reviews by describing their design, especially as this goes far beyond whether they look good or not.

You’ll get a fairly large, rectangular cardboard box. Inside it, and organised in individual compartments, are all the parts that make up this cordless vacuum:

• Vacuum with handle and dust compartment
• Extendable wand
• Multi-surface brush
• Mini motorised brush
• Wide combination tool
• Flexible combination tool
• Charger
• Wall bracket

Alba Mora Antoja / Foundry

As you may have noticed, the model I tested is white. In my case, it’s the ideal colour – and not only because of its aesthetic appeal – but because it blends in well with the white walls of my house. I like that because, being a large device, it can otherwise draw the eye more that I’d like.

If it had been black or grey, I would have had a harder time finding a place to stand it. If you feel otherwise, I’m sorry to say that you’re out of luck, as this model is only available in white. From the same cordless vacuum series, the R10 Pro model or the R20 model are sold (only) in black.

Alba Mora Antoja / Foundry

Alba Mora Antoja / Foundry

The vacuum is made up of a cylinder where we find the cyclonic separator, the pre-filter and the dustbin. The cleaning accessories are attached to the bottom of the cylinder.

The dustbin has a capacity of 0.6 litres. It’s not large but as a plus, it’s easy to empty. Simply use the switch to pop open the lid. You can also remove the pre-filter and cyclone separator for cleaning. Dreame recommends leaving them to air dry for a minimum of 24 hours afterwards.

On the top of the cylinder is a handle with a switch, which separates the non-removable battery (with the charging port and six LED lights to indicate the status of the battery both when using it and when it’s charging) and the controls: there’s a speed adjustment switch and a lock button so you don’t need to hold down the trigger when operating it.

Alba Mora Antoja / Foundry

You can use this cordless vacuum with the extendable wand for floor cleaning, or without to reach more difficult places or vacuum sofas and furniture comfortably.

The main brush, which is likely to be the one you use most often, is the only one with inbuilt lights. That’s nothing new in the world of cordless vacuums, and while it’s not as powerful as the laser on the newer Dyson models, it’s still effective at seeing dirt in dark places.

Unlike some other vacuums, the Dreame R10 can’t stand up on its own. I have it propped against a wall at home, although if you prefer (especially if you have pets or small children), you can use the wall bracket that comes in the box.

Performance

• Easy to use and easy to change attachments
• Three suction modes
• Small tank, but long enough battery life

My overall experience testing the Dreame R10 has been good. It’s an intuitive and easy to use vacuum that responds well to your movements. You won’t have too much trouble changing from one head to another depending on your needs.

This appliance offers 120AW of suction power and 20,000Pa pressure. This may not tell you much, but you should be able to vacuum up most of the dirt in your home without any problems. You can choose from three different modes, but I think most of the time you’ll opt for one of the two more powerful ones.

To operate the vacuum, you simply press the trigger button on the handle and let it go when you’re done. Personally, I prefer to use it this way, as it minimises noise when you shift positions or move from place to place. However, you can use the lock key for vacuuming without having to hold down the button. This could be useful on very large surfaces.

In its instruction manual, Dreame lists the use cases for each accessory.

As I said before, the multi-surface brush is the brush head you’ll use most often. It’s suitable for all types of floors (it’s been great on my parquet floor), but also for short pile carpets. But be careful if your carpet has fringes, as they will get tangled in the brush.

In general, it can suck up hair and dust easily, although heavier soiling means you’ll find need to pass over the area more than once. Tip: in these cases, it works best if you run the vacuum towards you.

Alba Mora Antoja / Foundry

My second favourite accessory is the flexible brush. It’s narrow and elongated, which allows you to get into hard-to-reach corners. I’ve also used it to vacuum the corners of walls, picture frames and shelves.

Alba Mora Antoja / Foundry

The R10 also includes a motorised brush ideal for vacuuming fabric surfaces such as a sofa or cushions. The wider brush (seen in the second image below) is also suitable for fabrics, but Dreame also recommends it for keyboards. The ‘6’ key on my laptop is still suffering from its encounter, so I suggest you don’t try it yourself.

Alba Mora Antoja / Foundry

Alba Mora Antoja / Foundry

The battery life is enough to vacuum the areas that tend to get the dirtiest from time to time for several days, or for one or two more thorough cleanings (but that’ll depend on the size of your home).

Still, you’ll need to empty the onboard bin more often. In day to day use, I found the dustbin slightly too small, although I soon got into the routine of charging the battery and emptying the bin at the same time.

Price and availability

The Dreame R10 cordless vacuum is available from Amazon in the US, where it has a list price of $369.99 but is currently available for $299.99.

It’s not yet available in the UK.

This is a good price for its power and feature set, and its design will win over people looking for an aesthetically pleasing vacuum. It can’t compete with the suction power of a Dyson – but you wouldn’t expect that at this price point.

If this isn’t the perfect vacuum for you, have a look at our recommendations in our round-up of the best vacuum cleaners we’ve tested. We’ve also got a round-up of the best robot vacuums, in case you’re more into letting someone else (in this case, a robot) do the work for you.

Verdict

The Dreame R10 would be a good choice for people living in an apartment, or those who want a quick and easy runaround. It would also make a good first vacuum if you’ve just moved out on your own, as it delivers a good cleaning performance for its price.

Discerning buyers may miss smart features, a larger dustbin or even a more flexible extendable wand. But honestly, I don’t think the average user will worry.

You’ll be able to clean every corner of your home with ease, and thanks to a sleek and discreet design, you won’t mind storing it in plain sight.

This article originally appeared on the Spanish edition of Tech Advisor and has been translated for inclusion here.

Specifications

• Suction: 120 AW (power), 20 kPa (pressure)
• Battery: 7 x 2,500 mAh batteries
• Battery life: 60 minutes
• Charging: 3.5 hours
• Volume: 0.6 litres
• Weight: 1.65 kg