Dreame D10 Plus in test: Powerful robot vacuum cleaner at a fair price?

If you want to turn your own four walls into a real smart home, you can’t do without a robot vacuum cleaner. After all, thanks to automated cleaning of your domestic floors, it is the epitome of a convenient household helper. Just a few years ago, however, it was utopian for many to bring their own vacuum robot into their own four walls. Manufacturers like Roomba, Vorwerk and Dyson simply charged too high a price for their models. This changed when Xiaomi entered this segment and conquered it right away. In addition to the premium Roborock brand, which offers a lot of performance at a fair price, the Chinese tech company can also shine with Dreame.

The latter brand usually impresses with a low price in its devices, which makes them extremely attractive for the masses. With the Dreame D10 Plus, a new model is now going on sale, which once again wants to strike into this notch. However, features like a LiDAR sensor and a separate suction station do not sound at all like a model of the inexpensive entry-level class. Does Dreame have a real bargain in the pipeline? We’ll take a closer look. Thankfully, the manufacturer sent us a test model of the promising robot vacuum cleaner – here we go with our Dreame D10 Plus test.

Technical data of the Dreame D10 Plus

Scope of delivery

• Dreame D10 Plus
• Suction station
• Cleaning tool
• Mains cable
• Water tank (wiping unit)
• Mop insert (wiping unit)

Classic design

Since quite a few people place their robot vacuum cleaner in the living room, of course, the appearance plays a major role. For representatives of favor, with an additional suction station this is even more the case. After all, the sheer size alone ensures that you cannot easily hide the vacuum under a cupboard or the like. The Dreame D10 Plus comes in a pleasingly unexciting and classy design.

Our test model in the color white blends in with any living ambience and does not stand out in any way. The design of the robot vacuum cleaner itself is not new, but rather corresponds to known standards. It has a round design, which makes dirt in corners easily accessible in combination with the single side brush. There are only two buttons on the top.

In addition to the power button, you can find the home button here, which is used to send the robot vacuum back to the suction station. Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not include an extra button for parental control, as we know it from the Roborock S7, for example. Once activated, this prevents accidental operation by the offspring or pets. This certainly wouldn’t have hurt the D10 Plus either.

Modern laser technology

As with its Roborock sibling brand, the company logo is emblazoned in chic gray above the handle that helps open the flap. Under the flap, you get access to the 450 ml dust container and the practical cleaning tool. Furthermore, the reset button and a status LED for the Wi-Fi connection are located here. So far, so typical. However, anything but standard is the inconspicuous turret that sticks out in the front half of the robot vacuum.

Inside here is an advanced LiDAR sensor that uses laser technology to provide hyper-accurate orientation in your premises. The red color scheme of the rotating laser unit is strongly reminiscent of older models from Roborock. The front of the D10 Plus is again equipped with optical sensors that are supposed to prevent damage to furniture or the robot vacuum itself in combination with the mechanical bumper. At the back, there is again a generous ventilation.

Removable wiping unit

The underside also relies on classic design. Not only are there two well-profiled wheels here. Between these, you also find the large main brush, which unfortunately does not rely entirely on rubber slats. Since experience has shown that the classic brushes with single hairs are prone to quick wear, you will probably have to buy a new one here regularly. In view of the low price, however, this is quite fair. For uncomplicated cleaning, you can simply remove the flap above the main brush.

Thanks to the floating design of the brush unit, it should probably provide an optimal vacuum between the floor and the suction unit. The main brush is supported by the rotating side brush. This should especially skillfully pass dirt from corners to the suction hatch of the D10 Plus. To prevent falls from stairs or other precipices, Dreame places fall sensors on the underside. A highlight of the D10 Plus is also the wiping unit, which can be conveniently attached and detached. The water tank itself has room for 145 ml of water. That’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.

Practical suction station

Connoisseurs of robot vacuums know that a “Plus” in the name often indicates an additional suction station. This is also the case with the Dreame D10 Plus. But what exactly does such a suction station bring? So that you don’t have to empty the dust bin of the robot vacuum itself every few days, the vacuum returns to its docking or extraction station after the day’s work is complete.

Once there, the collected dirt is vacuumed and ends up in the station’s 2.5-liter dust bag. Dreame itself promises with this that you only need to clean the suction station every 45 days. This is not only convenient, but also hygienic. After all, since it’s a classic dust bag, you won’t get your fingers dirty here.

Both the robot vacuum and the suction station are on a high level of workmanship. There are no creaks here at any point and everything feels high-quality. Consequently, Xiaomi once again underlines that high quality is also possible for comparatively little money. Does this also apply to the cleaning performance? Let’s take a look at that in a moment.

Navigation and app

Dreame gives its D10 Plus a modern LiDAR sensor. This is based on laser technology and ensures reliable mapping of the surroundings. With a scanner radius of 8 m and orientation despite darkness, the D10 Plus is far ahead of many of its competitors in the same price range. This means the robot vacuum always finds its way around your home and can create detailed maps of the individual rooms. This works extremely well in practice. During its maiden voyage through the apartment, it registers every wall, furniture and other obstacles. Once the Dreame D10 Plus is done with that, it can also continue directly in the handy app.

Connoisseurs of Dreame will now get big eyes. After all, there was no dedicated app for the Xiaomi subsidiary’s vacuum robots until now. But this has now changed. So you can access the created maps in the DreameHome app. After its first run, the Dreame D10 Plus usually also recognizes rooms automatically. This is at least the case if your apartment doesn’t have too fancy a floor plan. But even then, it’s no problem to create your own rooms and then name them as well. The finished map then makes cleaning with the help of the robot vacuum cleaner immensely easier. In particular, the option of sending the D10 Plus to specific rooms is extremely practical.

Within the rooms, you can also specify an area to be cleaned. Depending on the floor covering, one can also determine the suction or wiping mode for each room individually. On top of that, no-go areas can be determined, which the vacuum cleaner should bypass. The fact that the D10 Plus is Dreame’s entry-level model is clear from the built-in sensors. Unlike the Z10 Pro and L10 Pro, it does not have any optical sensors on the front. This ensures that it does not detect relatively flat objects that are in its way on the floor. For example, if you have open cables lying around, you can expect tangles in the worst case. Apart from that, the robot vacuum moves confidently through the apartment. This is due to the commendable choice of the LiDAR sensor.

Dreame D10 Plus suction performance

Before we send the Dreame D10 Plus on a cleaning tour through the apartment, it is worth taking a look at the technical data. Thus, the comparatively inexpensive vacuum cleaning robot comes including suction station with 4,000 Pascal. This puts it on par with the much more expensive premium model Dreame Z10 Pro. However, the smart household helper for small budgets scores especially well in comparison with former flagships. At home, I use a Roborock S7, which was once considered the flagship for Xiaomi’s robot vacuum division. However, the former blocking tip in the field of vacuuming robots offers significantly less power than the D10 Plus with 2,500 Pascal. So this is where Dreame really comes up trumps.

The sheer power also makes itself felt in the Dreame D10 Plus test. The robot vacuum reliably removes dirt from tiled, parquet and carpeted floors. Depending on the degree of soiling, you can choose four different suction levels. These offer 800 Pascal (Quiet), 1,200 Pascal (Standard), 1,800 Pascal (Strong) and 4,000 Pascal (Ultra Strong). However, the latter mode should only be selected if you are not at home or have insensitive hearing. With a volume of up to 65 decibels, the Dreame D10 Plus is by no means the loudest vacuum, but it is definitely not really quiet either. However, even though the Dreame D10 Plus is far ahead of the Roborock S7 in terms of power, there are a few differences that make it clear what price range we are in here.

For example, in suction mode, I sorely missed the Roborock S7’s liftable wiper unit. This ensures that the vacuum can raise the wiping unit a few millimeters so that carpets do not get wet. If this bothers you with the Dreame D10 Plus, it is best to remove the wiper unit when cleaning carpets. Otherwise, the suction performance of the Dreame D10 Plus completely convinced me. As the owner of two cats and a dog, I can attest to the fact that the smart household helper is perfectly capable of dealing with pet hair. For the daily removal of dust and other dirt, it is also perfectly suitable.

Dreame D10 Plus mopping performance

A mopping function was reserved only for high-end vacuum robots some time ago. Now the 2-in-1 design has also arrived in the middle class. So it’s not surprising that Dreame also gives its D10 Plus a mopping unit. The mop element is easy to install. However, before you attach it, you first have to fill the 145 ml tank. That may not be much, but the wiping unit of the D10 Plus is more of a goodie than a serious feature anyway. As with many other mid-range vacuum mops, it is by no means a full-fledged replacement for a mop. The wiping unit of the D10 Plus is rigidly pulled behind by the suction mop and does not move itself. High-priced alternatives like the Roborock S7 do it differently. Here, the wiping results are much more thorough due to vibrations of the wiper plate.

However, that’s complaining at a high level. Considering the low price of the D10 Plus, the wiping function is an attractive additional feature. With the vacuum robot, one has the choice between three differently strong stages. While the lowest level is suitable for wooden floors, for example, the strongest level should be used for tiled floors. My cat’s litter is an example of how even a rudimentary mopping function like the D10 Plus has its uses. In the test, for example, the Dreame D10 Plus alone often fails to completely suck up the fine-pored dust of the cat litter. The same applies to flour, by the way. Here, however, the damp wiping surface comes in handy. This simply wipes up the dust that has not been absorbed. For stubborn stains that are already firmly on the floor, however, the wiping function is often overwhelmed.

The battery performance

According to the manufacturer, the Dreame D10 Plus should be able to vacuum for up to 150 minutes at a time. Thus, even large apartments should probably not be a problem for the smart household helper. However, this is the value that applies when using the weakest suction level. The stamina is no coincidence. Like the L10 Pro and the Z10 Pro, the D10 Plus also has a 5,200 mAh battery – impressive! But what actually happens if the robot vacuum suddenly runs out of breath halfway through its run? You don’t have to worry about that. If the path to the suction station is clear, the D10 Plus will retreat in time to recharge the battery. If that should be in the middle of the cleaning process, it continues this reliably after refilling its own battery.

Dreame D10 Plus review: conclusion

I am really positively surprised by the Dreame D10 Plus. What the Xiaomi subsidiary delivers here is impressive for the most part. Especially with its high suction power, the vacuum robot itself is already convincing. In addition to that, the suction station has to be mentioned as a practical feature, which is a novelty in this price range considering the quality. Once you have it, you will not want to do without it. After all, this ensures that you only have to worry about cleaning the robot vacuum every month and a half or so.

Also anything but typical for this price range is the LiDAR sensor. This modern laser technology ensures accurate orientation. At some points, however, you can feel that we are not in the upper class here. For example, the robot vacuum sometimes overlooks flat objects on the floor. Furthermore, the wiping function is rather rudimentary. I would rather put it in the “nice to have” category. You won’t get a full-fledged mopping robot here. However, if you are looking for a lot of vacuuming robot for little money, you will definitely find it here.