Dreame Bot L10 Pro review: Almost a dream machine

My cats don’t like the Dreame Technologies Dreame Bot L10 Pro robot vacuum, but I do. For the most part. This automated cleaning tool was a helpful addition to my cleaning routine, as it was able to reliably eliminate vacuuming from my daily chore list. Can it do the same for you? Find out in the Android Authority Dreame Bot L1o Pro review.

What you need to know about the Dreame Bot L10 Pro

• Dreame Bot L10 Pro: $479.99

There’s no chore more odious than vacuuming. No one enjoys pushing a vacuum around the house to clean up. Thank goodness we have robot vacuums to do the work for us.

The Dreame Technologies Dreame Bot L10 Pro lands in May amongst stiff competition. It goes on sale in the US on May 8 and across Europe on May 9. Pricing from Amazon for the US model will come in at $379.99 for a two-week introductory period. The full retail price will then be $479.99. Black is the only color option available, and there are no other variants.

With a price tag under $500, the L10 Pro lands very much in the middle of the market. There are plenty of options in the $200 to $600 range, including the iRobot Roomba e5 5150 and i7 7150, as well as the Shark IQ Robot RV1001AE and the Eufy Robotic 15c. What varies between them is running time, suction power, mopping, and self-emptying features. The Dreame L10 Pro doesn’t self-empty, but it does have an optional mop. Here’s how it stacks up.

What’s good?

Setting up and configuring the L10 Pro is mostly painless. You do have to find a proper spot for it in your home away from obstacles and allow it to gather an initial charge before using it. Dreame Technologies is a Xiaomi brand, so the device is managed by the Xiaomi Home app. The app, available on Android and iOS, allows you to add the vacuum to your list of smart devices and run it remotely. About the biggest hurdle you’ll face is connecting it to your Wi-Fi network.

The battery life is good. The L10 Pro has a 5,200mAh lithium-ion battery inside and it gets the job done. The rated runtime for the vacuum is 2.5 hours. My house isn’t that large, so it only ran for about 50 minutes per vacuum. Speaking of size, the battery should be able to handle cleaning approximately 250 square meters, or 2,700 square feet per charge. If your house takes longer than 2.5 hours or is larger than about 250 square meters, the vacuum will automatically return to the base to charge before finishing the job. All that said, the L10 Pro does run about 30 minutes less than most competing models, such as the Roborock S6 Max V.

The dust bin is bigger than many competing models, which means it can hold more dirt and needs less emptying. In fact, most maintenance is easy, such as cleaning the filter, or rinsing out the mop pad.

It’s quiet, too. At 65dB, the Dream Bot L10 Pro is quieter than competing models. You will hear the vacuum if you’re in its immediate vicinity, but I couldn’t hear it while working in my office on the second floor as it cleaned downstairs. Competing models put out 67-70dB. The L10 Pro is way quieter than a standard upright or canister vacuum.

The app is robust. Xiaomi’s app allows you to create separate cleaning zones, install phantom walls, and create no-go zones for the vacuum. I particularly like that you can initiate a clean from anywhere and come home to a clean(er) house.

What’s not so good?

It’s not the absolute best at cleaning. My house has a mix of hardwood floors and large area rugs. The L10 Pro excelled at cleaning the hardwood floors and some of the rugs. The carpet in my living room is a bit thicker than the others and the L10 Pro definitely struggled to remove the cat hair from it — despite the high 4,000Pa suction rating. I would call it good at spot cleaning, but you’ll have to drag out the real vacuum for a deep clean.

Mopping is hit or miss. Hardwood floors are hard to mop effectively. I found it pointless to use the L10 Pro in rooms where area rugs took up most of the floor space, but my kitchen was another story. The vacuum was able to effectively run through just the kitchen thanks to the mop, but left obvious streaking across the floor. The water tank holds 270mL, which was enough for my kitchen, but may not be for larger kitchens.

Despite the LiDAR and other obstacle avoidance tech, the L10 Pro still gets confused sometimes. A piano bench, a dining room table set, and a kitchen table set all left the L10 Pro wandering around trying to find the best path to take. Cliff avoidance, however, was excellent and the L10 Pro avoided several steps and drop-offs with ease.

Dreame Bot L10 Pro review: Should I buy it?

The Dreame Technologies Dreame Bot L10 Pro is a fine offering that has a mix of pros and cons. You can definitely find cheaper robot vacuums that do an approximate job of cleaning, as well as pricier fare that will empty the dustbin automatically. However, the $479.99 asking price feels about right given the features and competition.

Based on my experience, it’s likely not the very best option for pet owners, as it struggled to remove all the pet hair from the carpet. Likewise, if you don’t need the mop function, there are more affordable options from other brands that deliver the basics just as well. But for casual cleanups in between deep vacuuming, the Dream Bot L10 Pro does a solid job of scooping up dirt and dust with little noise or fuss.