Dreame R10 review: A stylish and affordable stick vacuum cleaner

More than two years have passed since we last tested a Dreame stick vacuum cleaner. The company has been spitting out robotic vacuum cleaners by the minute, but things have been much quieter in this segment, which is just as hot. Dreame has now shifted gears and launched two new stick vacs: the R10 Pro and the simpler, entry-level R10, reviewed here.

Dreame

Dreame

Dreame

The R10 is undoubtedly designed to fit in the modern home, with a creamy white design with hints of gold. Its overall design is typical of this class of vacuum, with a suction head at one end of a stick, and a motor and dust canister attached to a comfortable pistol grip at the other. A slider for choosing between three power modes is located just above the handle within easy reach of your thumb, and there’s a button you can press to lock the trigger, so you don’t need to keep it squeezed while cleaning.

Dreame

Dreame

Dreame

Missing features include touch controls and a digital display to report information such as the current power mode and remaining battery life. The Dreame R10 is a relatively simple vacuum, but that simplicity makes it easy to use.

The main unit comes with an extension handle, a removable battery, a simple wall mount, and four attachments: A large motorized head with wheels and with an LED light to illuminate the area in front of it; a second, smaller motorized head without wheels; a wide brush tool with a short handle, and a narrow, tapered brush tool with a longer handle for vacuuming tight spaces.

Andreas Bergsman

Andreas Bergsman

Andreas Bergsman

Good performance

With better-than-average suction power of 120AW (air watts), I have no complaints about the Dreame R10’s ability to collect dust. Pretty much everything that comes in its way gets sucked up into its dustbin without hesitation. The main nozzle can be opened at the front, which makes it easier when I vacuum near baseboards and in corners.

This vacuum isn’t particularly loud, operating at up to 84dB, but I found the character of its operating noise to be very stressful for my ears; and for some inexplicable reason, it sounds worse in its low-power modes. While I could operate the vacuum only at maximum power to reduce my level of discomfort, that limits the time it can operate. The Dreame R10 has a 60-minute maximum battery runtimes–at its lowest suction level; running it at full tilt reduces to that to just 8 minutes.

Andreas Bergsman

Andreas Bergsman

Andreas Bergsman

On the bright side, the Dreame R10 is easy to maneuver, and its LED light makes it easy to spot dirt. On the downside, I had difficulty getting its bulky primary motorized head unit to fit under low-slung furniture.

Specifications

Model: R10
Tested: August 2023
Manufacturer: Dreame
Battery: 25.2 V, 2500 mAh
Battery life: Up to 60 minutes
Charging time: 3.5 hours
Container capacity: 0.6 liters
Filter: Five-layered filter system
Number of speeds: Three
Max suction power: Up to 120AW
Noise level: Up to 84dBA
Weight of main unit: Approximately 1.6 kg (3.5 pounds)
Other: 4 attachments, wall mount

Editor’s note: This review was originally published by TechHive’s Swedish sibling site, M3, and has been translated from the original Swedish.