The Dreame L10 Pro impresses with its suction power and improved navigation through object recognition. It is currently available from Cyberport for €279.
Highlights of the Dreame Bot L10 Pro:
- object detection
- Strong suction power
Xiaomi’s subsidiary Dreame has only been in the vacuum robot business for a few months, so the household manufacturer wants to be at the top right away. Right at the top currently means 3D obstacle detection for round household helpers. The top dog in this area is currently Ecovacs with the Deebot T9+, but Xiaomi also already has a 3D model in its range with the Mop 2 Pro+. Qihoo 360 has also followed up with a vacuum cleaner with 3D recognition.
Does the Dreame Bot L10 Pro have the chance to lure Ecovacs and Co. out of their reserve?
Dreame Bot L10 Pro Vacuum Robot Review, Specs & Price
Dreame Bot L10 Pro | Dreame D9 | |
price approx. | ~470€ | ~270€ |
suction power | 4000 pa | 3000 pa |
navigation | Laser room measurement with 3D obstacle detection | Laser room measurement |
apartment | Xiaomi Home ( Android, iOS ) | Xiaomi Home ( Android, iOS ) |
volume | 47-68 dB (depending on suction level) | 50-65 dB (depending on suction level) |
battery pack | 5200mAh | 5200mAh |
dust chamber/water tank | 0.57L/0.27L | 0.57L/0.27L |
working hours | 2.5 hrs | 2.5 hrs |
loading time | 5 hours | 5 hours |
Weight | 3.8kg | 3.8kg |
Dimensions | 35.3 x 35.0 x 9.6 cm | 35.3 x 35.0 x 9.6 cm |
gradients | 20°, up to 2 cm | 20°, up to 2 cm |
CE mark | in international version yes | Yes |
features | Mapping with map storage of three floors selective room division No-Go Zones and Zoned Cleanup Wiping function with non-wiping zones and electric water tank Continued cleaning Carpet detection (increases suction power) 3D obstacle detection of small objects | Mapping with map storage of three floors selective room division No-Go Zones and Zoned Cleanup Wiping function with non-wiping zones and electric water tank Continued cleaning Carpet detection (increases suction power) |
The technical data sheet reads very well. The Dreame Bot L10 Pro vacuum robot seems to be a remodeled Dreame D9, which, in addition to laser room measurement, also masters 3D obstacle detection and has been given 1000 pa more suction power. Or is there more to it than that? You May İnterested: Dreame L10s Pro
Scope Of Delivery
Many think that’s good, I personally wouldn’t like it so much if I had bought the robot: there’s hardly anything in the package. No spare parts, no accessories. As if there were:
- the vacuum robot itself (well at least)
- Charging station with EU charging cable (without cable management)
- Mop attachment with attached microfiber cloth
- User manual and Quick Start Guide in German and other languages
Optional suction station
Meanwhile, Dreame also offers a suction station for the Bot L10 Pro. This can only be bought together with the vacuum robot and runs under the name Dreame Bot Z10 Pro. We now have our own test article for this. The suction station means you don’t have to empty your vacuum robot as often, because the 4L dust bag has space for a few weeks of vacuuming processes (depending on how dirty your four walls are, of course).
To empty the Dreame’s dust chamber, there are two suction channels on the underside of the station. Whether the Dreame Bot L10 Pro can also be retrofitted in the future remains to be seen.
Design And Processing
Optics are very important at Dreame and so the L10 Pro resembles the somewhat forgotten Roborock S6 Pure. As I have already written in other articles, I would not be surprised if Roborock produced all the models from Xiaomi’s ecosystem, but that is only a guess.
The similarity to the S6 Pure comes on the one hand from the black color scheme, which looks cool but also makes the surface more susceptible to dust, on the other hand from the placement of the LDS, the design of the controls on top and the visually appealing column that was drawn horizontally through the surface.
The three buttons on the top are already familiar from some other models. Functionally, these offer:
- Square: Robot specifically cleans a 1.5 x 1.5 m square area around itself ( mini room work mode )
- Power button: Turn on and off, start and stop the robot
- House icon: Send back to charging station
Holding down the power button and home button for a few seconds resets the network connection. A common remedy for difficulties in the WLAN integration.
Due to the usual high-quality plastic used, the Dreame looks quite high-quality, but this would be even more effective in white. A CE mark is also on board. All the positive points mentioned here can also be expected from a vacuum robot above €400.
With a height of 9.6 cm, you have to measure under some pieces of furniture such as the sofa or bed to see if the robot can get underneath it if you want it to vacuum there. The trend is currently back towards flatter models, but these still have disadvantages in navigation compared to laser distance sensors (LDS).
Tip: Furniture can usually be raised. The way it navigates is definitely worth the effort compared to models that navigate elsewhere. You can find a solution for raising furniture in this guide.
The design does not collect any negative points, even if it is always a matter of taste. But let me say this much: It’s all well and good, but there are also a lack of specials here. Contrary to what you are used to from Dreame, this device does not shine with a unique selling point, the L10 Pro looks like many other round household helpers.
The L10 Pro works with just one rotatable brush head and a main brush that alternately rotates in a V-shape with rubber fins and bristles. The brush head at the front pushes the dirt to be vacuumed in the direction of the main brush, which is located above the intake hood.
The L10 Pro is not lacking in functions and features. As you would expect from a flagship model in 2021, selective room division (individual control of rooms), live mapping in the Xiaomi Home app ( Android, iOS ) and storage of multiple maps for multiple floors are on board.
This includes carpet boost (increases suction power to maximum), continued cleaning (continues cleaning task after battery has been charged) and the use of no-go zones (areas you do not want the robot to go).
Typical Xiaomi charging station, large dust chamber
To create a visual map in the app, the Dreame Bot L10 Pro vacuum robot, like all robot vacuums, should always start from the charging station so that it has a local reference point. It works (even without the app) as follows when you start the suction process:
- Spins around briefly, orienting himself with his sensors (especially the LDS).
- First starts the outer area (walls and outer furniture).
- Divide the premises into quadrants, then drive down them in straight tracks.
In this case, “drive in straight lines” means: After knowing where the outer edges of the room are, he drives straight ahead until he encounters an obstacle. Then it first makes a 90° turn, drives a few centimeters and then turns 90° again to drive in a straight line again to the next obstacle. You can see this on the visual map in the app. More on that in a moment. With this way of working, the L10 Pro does not leave out any area – provided that nothing stands in the way.
The dust chamber is comparatively large with a potential capacity of 0.57 l and offers enough space for what happens on such an everyday round.
If you want an overview of the individual navigation methods, you can read our guide. Probably irrelevant for most, but only briefly mentioned: The L10 Pro can work in the dark as well as in the light.
3D sensors of the Dreame Bot L10 Pro
The step towards 3D obstacle detection is a logical one. Vacuum robots should relieve the user of as much annoying housework as possible. Reliable recognition of objects is particularly desirable in busy households with children and pets, where the appearance of the four walls is constantly changing.
You don’t want to have to clean up before every cleaning trip. Children’s shoes, for example, are not always in the same place, so that even virtual no-go zones are not the best solution here. But the Dreame also comes up with those.
How does this 3D recognition work? Not very different from the laser distance sensor (LDS for short), which was invented in Germany by the way. Only here, in addition to the laser distance sensor on top, there are also two more below (in this framed box in the pictures above).
This duplication allows it to capture obstacles in 3D, giving the Dreame Bot L10 Pro vacuum robot a better ability to avoid obstacles. One LDS scans upwards, the other downwards. This makes it a highly sensitive household helper that docks almost anywhere and curves around everything cleanly, with a small distance from the obstacle.
In theory, the Dreame avoids small obstacles such as cables, socks, toys, shoes and the like, but also larger obstacles such as bathroom scales or the legs of chairs and tables. The Dreame Bot L10 Pro shows its strengths especially with the latter, so – unlike most other models – it doesn’t get stuck in the corner of my armchair or on the legs of my standing mirror. Simply because he “sees” them better.
He has all the more difficulties with small obstacles. For shoes and large toys it is just about enough, everything that is smaller or differently shaped – such as cables – is treated by it in the same way as vacuum robots without 3D sensors handle it: take it or leave it.
Unfortunately, I have to bring my cable corner to safety with a no-go zone, and I can’t just leave socks on the floor. The latter is perhaps better that way, even if I don’t currently have any visitors.
Nevertheless, you have to look at it differently: With larger obstacles such as pieces of furniture, the detection does a very good job, making the L10 Pro much better suited for the four walls than many other vacuum robots. But: We have seen the 3D recognition of small objects better, for example with the 360 S10 or Deebot T9+ . And I’m writing this as a Dreame fan.
The wipe function
As a hybrid robot, there is of course also a wiping function. This is the typical Xiaomi mop kit . It’s nice to have, but don’t expect too much from it.
If you put the water tank with the attached microfiber cloth on the underside, the robot recognizes this automatically and knows that it should now wipe at the same time as it vacuums.
Why waste a lot of words: As is so often the case with hybrid robots, it is superficial wiping and not suitable for deep-seated stains.
App control via Xiaomi Home
The Xiaomi Home App ( Android, iOS ) should be familiar to most gadget users by now, many of you probably already have the app on your smartphone and a few smart devices. From my point of view, it is clever of Dreame to simply use the parent company’s app, as many are already familiar with it.
After downloading the app and successfully registering via disposable email address, you turn on Bluetooth and WiFi on your smartphone. In addition, you have to grant the app one or the other permission, which is (unfortunately) not unusual these days.
If you have difficulties integrating the robot, either describe the problem to us in the comments below (we will answer as soon as possible) or take a look at this guide to the problem.
Now you don’t just let the robot start like that, but you get some hints from the app that you have to pay attention to. The first hint doesn’t make sense to me, since clearing away obstacles should be obsolete for a robot with 3D recognition. However, proper placement of the loading dock (enough space in all directions) and setting up a do not disturb mode makes sense.
Continued cleaning for more working time
The continued cleaning is also a practical feature, since the L10 Pro will continue cleaning if 2.5 hours of working time are not enough. This value applies to cleaning at the lowest suction level without carpet boost. So if you prefer to let the Dreame run on higher levels and own a large floor, you should use the continuous cleaning.
The setting options in the app are manageable for Dreame/Xiaomi vacuum cleaners, but should be skimmed over before you start for the first time. For example, the carpet boost (here carpet performance boost) is a worthwhile setting. A German language pack can also be installed so that the robot speaks German.
Plop, a firmware update
As soon as you have gone through the settings a little, the message pops up about an available firmware update:
Firmware updates should normally always be downloaded and installed, as these may contain bug fixes (problem resolution) or new functions. Downloading and installing only takes a few minutes and can only be done at the charging station.
Before we get to the really smart control of the Dreame Bot L10 Pro, a note about the virtual remote control. This allows you to control the robot manually. Inexplicably, this still only works if the smartphone is in the same WLAN as the vacuum robot.
Live mapping of the Dreame Bot L10 Pro
If you want a complete map, you should not interrupt the Dreame L10 Pro on its maiden voyage, but simply let it do it autonomously. In order to be able to use the strong features such as map storage and selective room division, cleaning must start from the charging station. Ideally, you should also open all the doors so that the Dreame can get to know the four walls.
At the bottom of the interface are controls to start and stop cleaning and send the robot back to the charging station. We know this from some Xiaomi and Roborock models, most recently seen with the Roborock S7. In general, the mapping and the entire interface of the app is typical of the Xiaomi universe.
Virtual walls, no-go and no-wipe zones can be drawn on the map during and of course also after the first cleaning run. This gives the Dreame Bot L10 Pro restricted areas, which the robot then does not drive through.
Conveniently, a magnifying glass function including meter information is included, so that the virtual zones can be drawn in much more precisely and easily.
In the future, all vacuum robots from Xiaomi’s ecosystem will probably have implemented the magnifying glass function. These restricted areas are conceivable, for example, for the children’s play corner with lots of toys or the dog corner.
Selective room division: Can also be scheduled in terms of time
The targeted control of rooms, i.e. the specification of suction and wiping levels for each room individually and the definition of a cleaning sequence, should be available for every vacuum robot above €250.
The vacuum robot itself distinguishes the rooms and marks them in color for our orientation. The robot division works for me, but it is also possible to edit the division and divide or connect rooms accordingly.
It is also practical to set whether the robot is to be used on one or more floors. In this way, the Dreame does not have any orientation problems or accidentally overwrites a saved map.
Allocate working hours for each room
But the highlight is in planning the working hours. After all, we only want to empty the dust chamber from time to time and otherwise not have much to do with household chores. It is possible to determine individually for each room when he should work there.
For example, you can specify that the Dreame L10 Pro cleans the kitchen after baking on Sundays at 1 p.m. and the study on Tuesdays at around 6 p.m. Of course, you can also simply say that he should clean all rooms at maximum suction level three times a week. Because: The suction level and water flow rate can also be determined individually for each room.
So that you can keep track of when you have to clean the most important consumables (brush heads, sensors, etc.) or replace them with spare parts after umpteen trips, there is also an overview for this.
However, these statistics are only based on the number of trips, so it cannot say exactly when the sensors should be dusty. After all, you have a guideline for the filters and brushes when you should look around for spare parts.
Dreame fan or question about the manufacturer’s products? In our Dreame community on Facebook you will receive detailed advice, the latest news and the hottest deals on the brand.
Conclusion: Buy Dreame Bot L10 Pro?
Well Dreame, you can do better than that! The 3D sensors, the wipe function, the mapping, the design and the material used – everything is fine and nice to have, but where is the Dreame-typical exclamation mark? Of course, the Dreame L10 Pro is not a bad vacuum robot, no question. However, Dreame is slowly falling into the whirlpool of the parent company, which is difficult for consumers to understand: more models, shorter production cycles, more similarities between the devices.
Dreame L10 Pro / All this in combination with rising prices is not a positive trend. Yes, one would like to increase the visibility of the company, but this must not be at the expense of an overview of the variety of products. When it comes to vacuum robots, the Dreame F9 and the successor D9 and the L10 Pro are still limited, but I can tell you that these won’t be the only models for much longer… what do you think? Dreame Bot L10 Pro vacuum robot review..