Dreame R20 Essential: a top-of-the-line upright vacuum cleaner with an updated floor nozzle!

The new Dreame R20 Essential upright vacuum cleaner is an updated version of the highly popular R20, which features a new floor nozzle with a more efficient roller and improved illumination of the cleaning area. The vacuum also boasts an automatic power boost mode, an informative display, and a set of additional attachments for spot cleaning. For such a complete package, you'll expect to pay around $300-330. So, below, I'll test the Dreame R20 Essential in detail, discuss its differences from the standard R20, highlight the pros and cons based on my test results, and then share my personal opinion on the new product. So, let's get started!

Equipment

The vacuum cleaner arrived in a branded box like this:

The package includes:

1. Main block.
2. Extension tube.
3. Basic floor nozzle.
4. Nozzle with turbo brush for cleaning upholstered furniture.
5. Attachment with sliding bristles.
6. Crevice nozzle.
7. Wall holder with mounting elements.
8. Operating instructions translated into Russian.
9. Power adapter.

The vacuum cleaner comes complete with all necessary consumables, but compared to the standard R20, the flexible adapter for convenient cleaning under low furniture has been removed from the kit.

Appearance

Now let's take a look at the Dreame R20 Essential's design. It's finished in the familiar graphite color. The main unit houses a 570-watt motor, generating up to 190 watts of suction power. The claimed power remains unchanged from the standard R20.

The vacuum cleaner's removable battery is a plus. It features a status indicator. The handle has a connector for manually connecting the charger. There are also terminals on the back for convenient charging on a wall mount.

The vacuum cleaner is turned on and off by pressing the trigger button. An informative display with two mechanical control buttons is located on the end.

The display shows the battery percentage, the selected operating mode, and service messages. There are only two operating modes: Automatic and Turbo. In Automatic mode, the Dreame R20 Essential automatically adjusts suction power depending on how dirty the floor is.

The dust container empties by pressing the release button on the bottom. It can also be completely removed from the housing for convenient maintenance. The filtration system includes a HEPA filter, a fabric filter, a multi-cyclone system consisting of 12 cyclones, and a mesh filter. For those interested, the dust container capacity is 600 ml.

Let's take a look at the included attachments. The main floor nozzle is identical to the one included with the flagship upright vacuum cleaner. Dreame Z40 StationThis attachment features a swivel joint, a front curtain lift switch for collecting large debris, and a light.

The backlight has a wider LED beam angle, so look how well it illuminates the floor and debris in the dark.

The turbo brush itself features a combination of a wide, fluffy, soft bristle insert for hard surfaces and a narrow, flexible bristle insert for brushing out carpets. It can be removed from the attachment without the need for any tools. Behind it, you'll find a comb for detangling tangled hair and fur.

The remaining attachments are of the usual design for the Dreame line.

The upholstery cleaning attachment features a turbo brush with silicone paddles. To access it, you'll need a flat-head screwdriver or a coin.

The sliding bristle nozzle and crevice tool are suitable for spot cleaning.

This is what the vacuum cleaner looks like when assembled:

The wall mount deserves special attention. It conveniently charges the vacuum cleaner and also stores two of the three included attachments. It's unclear why they didn't include holders for all three attachments, like the standard R20.

The pros and cons of this design will be discussed during the final review. Let's move on!

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Dreame R20 Essential, as stated by the manufacturer:

• Power consumption 570 W.
• Suction power up to 190 aW.
• Li-Ion battery 2900 mAh.
• Dust collector 600 ml.
• Operating time up to 90 min.
• Noise level 72-78 dB.
• Weight when fully assembled: 2.87 kg.

I personally measured the noise level with a sound level meter. It's in the 72-78 dB range. I can say the noise level has been significantly reduced compared to the R20, which is a plus! It seems the main floor nozzle is the culprit.

As for weight, the main unit weighs 1,761 grams, the extension tube weighs 267 grams, and the main floor nozzle weighs 846 grams. The complete vacuum weighs 2,874 grams. It's slightly heavier than its predecessor. In any case, this is a fairly standard weight for an upright vacuum. The center of gravity is strategically positioned low, so your hand won't get tired during use.

Testing

Let's move on to the tests. A detailed video review with all the tests has already been prepared and published on the channel:

Opening hours

First, let's check the Dreame R20 Essential's battery life in Turbo mode with the main floor nozzle attached. It lasted 12 minutes and 2 seconds. This is a fairly standard result. The standard R20 lasted a minute and a half longer, and I think this is due to the lower power consumption of the main floor nozzle.

Suction power

In terms of power, the vacuum cleaner in Automatic mode was able to clean debris from a 10 mm gap on the easiest setting, and it also easily cleaned debris from crevices up to 20 mm deep on the second setting and up to 35 mm deep on the most difficult setting. So, it's certainly a powerful upright vacuum.

Collecting debris on laminate flooring

Now let's test how well the Dreame R20 Essential picks up floor debris with its new nozzle. I scattered various types of debris on the laminate floor: hair, fur, grains, and other small household debris. This device performed well.

It's important to note that it has no problem picking up debris along baseboards and in corners. It picks everything up thoroughly. Hair and fur don't get caught in the roller. That's a plus!

Anti-tangle Hair Protection

I also tested how the combs detangled the roller. I spread hair of varying lengths on the floor and vacuumed it up. The roller was clean again—the anti-tangle system worked perfectly!

Carpet cleaning

The same debris was scattered on a low-pile carpet, and the Dreame R20 Essential literally sucked the life out of it. It then thoroughly cleaned a medium-pile carpet.

Using additional attachments

It's also worth noting that the additional attachments allow you to clean a sofa, areas the main nozzle can't reach, and even the inside of a car. Overall, this vacuum cleaner is suitable for a variety of applications.

Cleaning the dust collector

Finally, I'll tell you how to clean the dust bin. Just press the button, and all the debris falls out through the bottom. If hair or fur gets stuck in the bin, you can remove the dust bin, take out the filtration system, and shake out the remaining contents without touching the debris. Convenient!

Personal opinion

The Dreame R20 Essential upright vacuum cleaner has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. Based on my experience with it and testing it, I can highlight the following pros and cons.

I liked the following:

1. High-quality debris collection on a variety of surfaces. Unlike its predecessors, including the R20, there's no need to change roller attachments for hard floors and carpets. One universal attachment handles everything, making it extremely convenient and practical. Furthermore, the attachment effectively picks up debris on a variety of surfaces, eliminating blind spots and capable of picking up large debris.
2. Illumination of the cleaning area with an increased scattering angle.
3. In reality, high suction power.
4. The system for preventing hair from getting tangled around the roller is well implemented.
5. Automatic power increase function when contamination is detected.
6. Charging on a wall holder.
7. Informative display on the body.
8. Removable battery.
9. Removable dust collector.
10. Ergonomic design. The vacuum cleaner is easy to operate with one hand.
11. High-quality assembly and high brand reliability.
12. Availability of warranty and service.

As for the disadvantages, there are rather comments about the vacuum cleaner, namely:

1. There is no minimum power mode, which would increase the autonomy of the vacuum cleaner.
2. The wall mount doesn't hold all the included attachments. It only holds two of the three.
3. There's no vertical parking position outside the holder. This means if you need to take a break while using the vacuum, you'll have to bend over and place it on the floor or prop it up.

In my opinion, none of these criticisms are critical, and the advantages are far more significant. It was a great idea to include a new floor nozzle with the R20 Essential, and I hope all future models follow suit. Plus, the vacuum cleaner is noticeably quieter than the R20, which is likely also due to the new nozzle. It's a shame there are no additional updates, and there are even some weaknesses compared to the standard R20. These include a less well-designed wall mount, the lack of a bendable adapter for cleaning under low furniture, and slightly shorter battery life at maximum power. Again, this doesn't seem like a big deal, but it all depends on the price difference. If the price difference is minimal, then it certainly makes sense to choose the updated Dreame R20 Essential with its more practical and effective floor nozzle and reduced noise levels.

On that note, I'd like to end this review. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments. Happy shopping, everyone. Bye!