Chinese manufacturer Dreame Technology introduced its first robot vacuum in January 2022. The brand then exhibited at Berlin’s annual IFA a year after. Now, look through the market in Australia and you’ll see the name pop up everywhere, typically playing in the premium space with super high-end robot vacuums.
That’s a lot of growth in just a few short years, spurred by high quality product that’s muscling through the increasingly aggressive competition on the robot vacuum cleaner space.
One of our other writers felt like they’ve really nailed the high-end market with the X40 Pro Ultra, and that’s hard to argue with since I’ve had a similar great experience with the Dreame L10s Pro Ultra Heat.
I’ve owned the robot vacuum for a few months now so feel confident I’ve got a firm grasp on its very rich and broad strip of advanced features, as well as a few opinions on this robot vacuum compared to some others I’ve tested over the past few years.
Design
Most robot vacuums are going to look the same these days. The category has landed on the perfect ergonomic design that supports the robot vacuums functions and leaves room for bigger, better advancements in the technology (such as extended arms to better clean tighter surfaces).
Dreame Technology isn’t doing anything different with the shell of the L10s Pro. It looks like a high-end robot vacuum – sleek and perfectly formed to fit in with most home designs. It helps that the recharging dock doesn’t look ugly and brutal, with a clean design you wouldn’t mind displayed in your home at all times.
The white shell with gold accents actually makes it one of the best looking robot vacuums on the market, so if aesthetics is a concern, this is already looking like a better investment compared to the highly functional look of other models.
You’ve got a circular vacuum cleaner and a modestly sized recharge station. Look closely, however, and the body is slightly different with a lower profile that a lot of other robot vacuums. And while the difference is minimal, the profile helps the body fit under furniture much easier, without the 360 lidar radar protruding.
The dust bit is easy to remove should you need to empty it manually but your little cleaning pal is perfectly fine working autonomously, emptying itself at the recharge station.
Performance
I’ve tested 7-8 different robot vacuums over the past few years and you can certainly find differing quality within the category. The Dreame L10s Pro Heat Ultra sits up amongst the most effective, largely thanks to its superior suction power and powerful Vormax suction system which can evidently handle any texture or thickness with ease.
With lesser robot vacuums, I find some debris that’s slightly chunkier – like a large piece of plastic – would present a slight issue with the vacuum. A lot of times, these robotic vacuums aren’t as powerful or smooth as a high-end stick vacuum cleaner. I had no such issue with the L10s Pro Heat Ultra.
Dreame has included several well-calibrated cleaning modes to help up the versatility. My apartment is a stand-in for the average home – minimal with very few objects, not much space, and almost always has a robot vacuum cleaning its floor. There’s a few carpets, only a short set of stairs, and some hardwood floors. In terms of testing, I skew towards very light use. But having such modes is obviously a nod to the fact that customers are going to have many different usage demands for their robot vacuum.
I say that to say this. My experience with the AI-powered “intelligent recommendations” feature isn’t going to be very indicative of how the tech actually works. You set the mode and the vacuum does the rest, adjusting its features based on what each room in your house needs.
My experience is the vacuums smarts, however, leaves little doubt that this thing can do what it says on paper. Dreame is clearly playing catch-up with all the first movers and so they’ve refined the technology to the point of perfection.
Another reason to believe this is the clever wetness slider. You can actually select from slightly dry to moist to wet, giving you much more control over exactly how you clean. Although most homes won’t really need such different settings unless there’s a variety of settings with different optimal cleaning requirements.
Dreame clearly sees the L10s Pro Ultra Heat in larger homes as well. They’ve included an option for the vacuum to run up to 3-times cleaning cycles just to make sure the job as immaculate. I’ve only ever needed max 2 cleaning cycles – although with the L10s Pro I typically only need one.
Having heated 58-degree mopping really works like a charm when it comes to my kitchen tiles. It doesn’t seem as powerful as full steam cleaning, but I’ve had this mop remove stains that other robot vacuums wouldn’t. The heat combined with the superior suction power and gentle mopping gestures really do make a difference here, which is why it’s worth forking out a few hundred more for something like this.
With Precise CleanGenius technology, the robot vacuum is able to ascertain how dirty your floor is and then mop it twice for best results. I’ve only needed this a few times as the first round of mopping is efficient enough, but it’s nice to see some initiative with the dual rotary mops that move at a very fast pace.
The other thing you’d want to do know is if the L10s Pro Ultra is able to navigate objects flawlessly? In his X40 Ultra review, my colleague Andrew said that his Dreame machine featured the best object avoidance technology he has seen in a robot vacuum thusfar. I think it’s more of a Dreame standard here as I’ve been similarly impressed with my L10s Pro Ultra. The company has obviously perfected the technology, so I would have no concerns letting this one loose in a confected obstacle course and watching it dodge all.
Verdict & Value
Right now, you can pick up the L10s Pro Ultra Heat from $2,399. Robot vacuums are getting quite experience but, like a good coffee machine, it’s tech that can not only pay itself, but start putting money back in your pocket with the amount of time and cleaning bills saved.
Thus, I don’t think you should compromise when it comes to a robot vacuum cleaner. The more expensive ones are worth it as you don’t want to waste your time (or money) with a mid-range model that might be missing features you need.
Although how much you need something this advanced really depends on your home. With my apartment, I wouldn’t go out and spend this much on a robot vacuum cleaner. But if I had a bigger house, with pets, children and multiple spaces with many types of flooring, this is the model I’d go for.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Highlights: Incredible suction power; superior object avoidance; a huge range of settings to appeal to more users
Lowlights: Neither the fastest nor the quietest that I’ve tested
Price: $2,399
