Dreame Bot L10 Pro Review

Robotic vacuum cleaners have gone through a metamorphosis in the past few years. However, one of the biggest obstacles (pun intended) is obstacle avoidance. I’ve seen different technologies put in these products – first is the camera sensor that works to an extent. Unfortunately, these have blind spots and can’t be relied upon solely to avoid objects.

Dreame aims to solve this issue with its latest product – the L10 Pro. Instead of using a front-mounted camera, they used three front laser sensors. I’m not sure what to expect with this technology, but after testing the past few days, I’m impressed by its ability to evade smaller obstacles.

How good are the front laser sensors at obstacle avoidance?

Dreame L10 Pro Review

The most significant upgrade Dreame put in the L10 Pro are the three front laser sensors, enabling this robot to avoid objects better and reduce blind spots. Using a laser sensor provides better accuracy than a camera, and it doesn’t rely on light. Tests reveal that these sensors significantly enhance obstacle avoidance over other brands using a front-facing camera, namely the Ecovacs T8 AIVI and the Roborock S6 MaxV.

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Pros

• Better than the Ecovacs T8 AIVI and Roborock S6 MaxV at obstacle avoidance
• More airflow than the Dreame D9
• Above-average 570-ml dust bin
• Two-in-one functionality of a robot vacuum and mop
• Crisscross cleaning pattern available in both vacuum and mopping modes
• Excellent app functionality

Cons

• Still lagging other brands at cleaning debris
• Only meant for light-duty mopping
• Won’t avoid wires completely

Introduction to the Dreame L10 Pro

This robot may represent the future of obstacle-avoidance technology. Three lasers upfront help it scan its surroundings with more accuracy than a camera sensor, and its non-reliance on light enables it to function even in pitch-black conditions.

Please note that Dreame isn’t the first to use front laser sensors. That distinction goes to the Ecovacs T8 Max and N8+ Pro, but this option could be the least expensive (depending on the introductory price).

Editor’s note: Make sure to check my review on a new product – the Dreame Z10 Pro. It’s a similar product to this variant, but it comes with an auto-empty dock with slightly more airflow.

High Precision 3D Sensor

Dreame calls this technology “High Precision 3D Sensor”. It features three individual laser sensors in front of the robot that detects and evades objects.

The use of lasers improves accuracy and provides a broader field of view. It’s better than a camera sensor in that it doesn’t rely on light.

These sensors fire signals at a rapid rate to detect their surroundings for possible obstructions.

In my experiments, these sensors greatly improved how this robot avoids objects, even those in the edges and corners.

Users will not have to worry about it bumping into expensive furniture. However, there’s a caveat. It will not avoid wires completely. This was an issue with the Roborock S6 MaxV, Ecovacs T8 Max, N8+, and the same for the L10 Pro.

The problem isn’t the laser sensor but the side brush, which exceeds the laser’s field of view.

Any loose or dangling cord will get caught up. I’ve seen this issue several times during the test, and I’d recommend tidying up wires to reduce the risk of accidents.

The side brush also may brush against pet feces and smaller stuff. Also, this robot won’t avoid tiny objects like a Lego mini-figure.

Design

The T10 Pro has a similar design as the D9, with the same LIDAR sensor, combo brush, dust bin, and water tank. It even retains the rubber flaps in front of the brush roll.

I have the all-black, glossy finish. It has a round frame and a top-mounted dust bin.

Underneath, you’ll see it retains the same design as the D9, with one side brush and combo brush.

Behind the brush are slots where you can attach the 270-ml electronic water tank.

Dust bin

One feature I like with the L10 Pro is the large dustbin. It can hold up to 570 milliliters of dry dirt. Disposing of dirt is easy with the front-mounted door, but you’ll have to use a wide trash can to avoid debris spilling over.

The Dreame L10 Pro HEPA filter

Behind the dustbin is a washable HEPA filter, but Dreame still recommends replacing it once every two or three months. There isn’t a fixed timeframe and will depend on several factors like usage frequency and debris type.

Water tank

Another similarity with the D9 is the rear-mounted electronic water tank. It doesn’t look substantial, but it nearly equals the capacity of the Roborock S5 Max and S6 MaxV at 270 milliliters.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any form of agitation, only dragging a damp pad on the surface. So it’s only useful for light-duty mopping.

How does the Dreame L10 Pro navigate?

LIDAR and SLAM enable this robot to traverse efficiently in straight lines. One new wrinkle Dreame added is the crisscross cleaning pattern previously absent in the D9.

I’m not sure if there will be a rollout for the older D9. Regardless, I like this enhancement because it enhances thoroughness. This pattern is also usable in its mopping configuration.

Users can choose the number of passes between one and two. I was hoping they’d increase it to three, but that wasn’t the case.

It navigates efficiently even through tight spaces, and containment features (invisible wall and no-go zones) help users block off-limit areas.

Does the Dreame L10 Pro scuff furniture?

The short answer is no thanks to the three front laser sensors. It will slow down and often avoid furniture, even those on the edges. Watch the video review (if you haven’t) above to see what I mean.

App features

This robot is compatible with the Xiaomi app. If you’re familiar with Xiaomi, they primarily manufacture mobile devices, and it’s no surprise the Dreame app has excellent functionality, better than even the iRobot app.

1. Live map

Perhaps my favorite feature of Dreame as it provides users real-time data of the robot’s exact location. You can see where the robot is on the map at a glance. The map also is used for drawing containment zones like an invisible wall and no-go areas.

There’s also easy access to the map management and invisible wall options on the upper right portion of the map.

2. Map saving

Users can save up to two map levels, so this robot is usable inside multi-level homes.

Within each map, you can divide areas, name rooms, and draw containment zones (invisible wall and no-go zones).

Make sure to turn on the “Multi-Floor Maps” option in the app to activate this feature.

3. Room naming

As I’ve said above, the app has a room naming feature. Unfortunately, users can only select from a list – only limited options. Custom naming isn’t available, and I hope Dreame will consider adding it in future updates.

Selective room cleaning

Folks can select a room/zone that needs cleaning by tapping on a room on the map.

4. Zoned cleaning

This feature is similar to spot cleaning but with more control – by drawing rectangular or square on the map, where the robot will proceed and clean the area. I like using this feature for mopping purposes.

5. Containment

These include invisible wall, “cleaning the restricted area,” and “mopping no-go zone.” The latter two are similar in that it blocks the robot from going into square or rectangular areas.

Having these options provide users with a multitude of options to block off-limit areas.

6. Unlimited scheduling

Another helpful feature is unlimited scheduling, where users can set as many runs per day with the option to select time, water flow, and power setting options.

You can also choose a specific room that needs cleaning, which I think is useful, especially in large homes.

7. Cleaning history

This section shows a list of previous cleaning cycles and the corresponding dates, times, and maps.

8. Accessory usage

This tab provides a quick overview of the status of consumable parts such as the side brush, filter, and main brush. It’s shows figures in percentages and provides users a heads up when to replace these parts or clean the sensors.

How much power does the Dreame L10 Pro have?

Dreame says the L10 Pro has 4000 Pascals of suction, a thousand more than the D9. Airflow tests seem to back up these claims as this variant has 12.88% more airflow at the turbo setting. The increase isn’t as much as the suction, but still an improvement.

Check the results below:

• Quiet: 8.72 CFM
• Standard: 11.33 CFM
• Strong: 13.39 CFM
• Turbo: 18.17 CFM

This increase translates to better overall pick up on hard floors (more below), where the L10 Pro had higher averages at cleaning hard surfaces.

Cleaning Performance

Next, we’ll look at the well the Dreame L10 Pro cleaned different debris types on hard floors and carpets. I tried it on quaker oats, coffee grounds, quinoa, pet litter, sand, and hair.

Here are the results.

• Overall: 89.98%
• Hard floor: 99.35%
• Carpet (surface): 96.95%
• Sand on hard floor: 98.9% (second run: 99.6%)
• Deep cleaning: 64.75% (second run: 72.15%)

It had higher overall numbers than the Dreame D9. The higher airflow manifested itself cleaning sand on hard floors, where the L10 Pro picked up over 8% more after the first two-pass run.

However, it didn’t have enough suction to pick up debris cleanly at its two lowest power modes. You’ll have to select the turbo and strong setting to get a decent pick-up.

Hard floor results

• Quaker oats: 99.6%
• Coffee grounds: 99.4%
• Quinoa: 99.2%
• Pet litter: 99.2%

This robot did best on hard surfaces, picking up in the high 90s, which directly benefited from increased airflow.

I did notice the side brush scattering debris to an extend, but not as bad as the Ecovacs T8 or other robot vacuums with twin side brushes.

Sand on hard floor test

Another improvement over the D9 is cleaning sand, and this robot picked up 98.9% – an 8.2% increase.

Passes were cleaner thanks to the higher suction and airflow. However, the issue remains the same – it only has a two-pass run.

I tried a second run, and the score increased to 99.6% – not perfect, but it’s closer to brands like Roomba and Roborock.

Edge cleaning

Results here were decent but not great. It picked up most of the debris scattered in this area. However, it’s a notch below other robots I’ve tested with two side brushes: the ILIFE A10 and Ecovacs T8 AIVI.

Hair wrap

Another benefit of the more powerful motor is the improved cleaning performance on hair. I tested the L10 Pro on five and seven-inch strands, and here are the results.

Hardly any hair was on the brush after the five-inch test.

• 5-inch test: 99% inside the bin and 1% around the brush
• 7-inch test: 54% inside the bin and 45% around the brush

But much more wrapped around it with longer seven-inch strands.

These results represent an improvement over the D9, particularly resisting tangles from shorter five-inch strands.

Nevertheless, don’t expect the brush to be 100% tangle-free, as stands will wrap around it and on the axles. The good news is cleaning is easy. There’s no need for a scissor or blade – it’s possible to pull the hair out. The detachable end-caps simplifies cleaning hair from the axles.

Carpet cleaning

Unfortunately, the L10 Pro did worse on carpets than hard surfaces. One reason could be the flaps in front of the brush hampering debris from flowing. I’m not sure why Dreame put it in, but it was also present in the D9.

Low pile results

• Quaker oats: 97.6%
• Coffee grounds: 93.6%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet litter: 99.6%

If you compare the L10 pro result to the D9, it did much better picking up more coffee grounds, but not as well in the other two tests (quaker oats and pet litter).

The difference isn’t significant, but it’s something I’d like to point out for your reference.

Mid pile results

• Quaker oats: 91.6%
• Coffee grounds: 89.6%
• Quinoa: 100%
• Pet litter: 99%

The results on mid-pile carpet mirror the results on low pile. It did worse cleaning coffee grounds, which tells me this robot will struggle with tiny debris. Again, it was better than the D9, picking up more coffee grounds, but it didn’t do better with the other experiments.

Deep cleaning results

I was hoping the higher airflow would yield better deep cleaning scores, but it didn’t. The L10 Pro picked up an average of 64.75%, slightly lower than the D9 but not far off the more expensive Ecovacs T8.

Running it a second time increased the score to 72.15% – decent, but it’s not going to replace an upright vacuum in this aspect.

How well does the Dreame L10 Pro Mop?

Next, we’ll look at how well the Dreame L10 Pro mops stains. Please realize that this robot doesn’t have any agitation, so it won’t do well cleaning large stains.

I tried it on red wine and grape juice stains, and here are before and after photos after the first run.

You can see it left visible residue after the two-pass run. So I did a second run.

It looks clean, but what the photo doesn’t show is the sticky residue, which isn’t a surprise because of its agitation (or the lack thereof).

This robot is best suited for light-duty mopping. Don’t use it on stains with sugar content because it’ll leave a sticky residue.

How noisy is the Dreame L10 Pro?

I used a sound meter to measure the L10 Pro’s noise levels in all the settings.

Here are the results.

• Quiet: 57 dB
• Standard: 59.5 dB
• Strong: 65.6 dB
• Turbo: 75.2 dB

It’s quiet in the two lower modes, not even breaching the 60-decibel mark. But there isn’t much usable suction in these two settings, so it’s somewhat of a bummer.

The noise levels increase significantly in the two higher modes as it exceeded the 75-decibel mark in its highest setting.

How long will the Dreame L10 Pro run?

Dreame says the L10 Pro will run for up to 2.5 hours or 150-minutes, which isn’t a surprise because it retains the same 5200 mAh Li-ion battery in the D9.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to utilize it fully since a higher power mode is needed for optimal pick-up, which cuts down the run time.

But this robot has recharge and resume, so it shouldn’t matter because it resumes cleaning automatically after docking if it doesn’t finish the task previously.

What comes in the box?

1. Dreame L10 Pro robot (dustbin already attached to the robot)
2. One side brush
3. Charging station and plug
4. Water tank plus microfiber pad
5. Manual and quick start guide

Availability of Parts

Since Dreame is a new brand, parts availability is limited to consumables such as filters and side brushes. I don’t see Dreame selling harder-to-find components like the battery, side brush, motor, wheels, and such. Only time will tell if these parts will be available, which will depend on the brand’s popularity in the long run.

Maintenance

Regular upkeep is needed to keep robot vacuums functioning at their peak, and the Dreame L10 Pro is no different. I’ll enumerate the list of components that need cleaning or replacing below.

1. Primary brush roll: Perhaps the most abused part of any robot vacuum. Check it weekly for hair or debris build-up on the bristles and axles.
2. Side brush: Another hair magnet component. Inspect weekly for hair wrapping on the bristles or base.
3. Dustbin: Empty it after every cleaning cycle. Check the HEPA filter for accumulation of dust on the folds. The filter is washable, and I’d suggest washing it twice a month. Another option would be tapping it on the dustbin or solid surface (with a newspaper laid out to catch dust). I like to use this technique to increase the filter’s lifespan.
4. Sensors: Use a clean towel to wipe the various filters (drop sensors and front laser sensor). Avoid using something damp, or moisture can trickle down and damage the electronic components.
5. Mopping pad: Wash it after every mopping cycle if possible.
6. Wheels: Wipe the side and caster wheel with a clean microfiber towel to remove any dirt accumulation.

Product Specifications

Where can I buy the Dreame L10 Pro?

Dreame will initially launch this on eBay, but it will be eventually available in stores like Amazon. Check the links below for more details.

• Dreame L10 Pro on Amazon

Disclaimer: I may earn a commission if you buy from any of the links above, but at no extra cost, so it’s a win-win for us!

Does the Dreame L10 Pro provide excellent value?

The introductory price of the L10 Pro makes it an attractive option. This robot has better obstacle avoidance than the Ecovacs T8 AIVI, with slightly worst cleaning performance, but it’s much cheaper.

Clearly, the front laser sensors are the main selling point of this product, and it delivers to a certain extent. It’s the best robot I’ve tested at avoiding smaller objects, even those under 0.5-inches.

Purchasing it at its introductory price makes it an attractive option for the obstacle avoidance feature alone. However, it lags behind the Roborock S4 Max and S5 Max with cleaning debris. It’s decent at cleaning surface debris and best utilized on hard surfaces.

Don’t expect too much with mopping as it can only tackle light-duty stains.

To summarize, here are the reasons to consider the Dreame L10 Pro.

1. Better obstacle avoidance: The three front laser sensors have a broader view and almost zero blind spots. But it’s not perfect and will not avoid cables and wires. Also, it didn’t avoid the Lego mini-figure, so you still have to tidy up stuff.
2. Cheaper than Ecovacs and Roborock: It’s the least expensive option of the three with better obstacle avoidance capabilities.
3. Decent at cleaning hard floors: The increased airflow improved its cleaning performance on hard surfaces.
4. Large dustbin: The 570-ml capacity is one of the largest in the robot vacuum industry (without a self-emptying feature).

The Verdict: Improved Obstacle Avoidance With A Caveat

Dreame delivers on its promise of having better obstacle avoidance with the L10 Pro. It was better in every aspect than the Ecovacs T8 AIVI and Roborock S6 MaxV.

The three front laser sensors provide better accuracy and fewer blind spots (if any). But there’s a limit – it won’t avoid wires and tiny objects, plus the side brush will still touch objects, so you will still need to tidy up.

Regardless, this technology is a step in the right direction in obstacle avoidance technology.