Dreame Bot Z10 Pro: A robot vacuum cleaner that self-cleans and identifies objects on the floor

Hello to all readers of this site! This article will review the new flagship from the popular Chinese company Dreame, a sub-brand of Xiaomi. The model is called the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro and is an improved version of the previously released L10 ProThe updated robot now features a self-cleaning station and a minor design change that allows it to clean itself. Below, I'll take a detailed look at and test the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro, after which I'll share my opinion on whether this robot vacuum is worth buying. It costs around $370-400, which is reasonable considering the features offered, the self-cleaning station, and the lidar navigation system. The purchase link is at the end of the review. So, let's get started!

Equipment

The robot vacuum cleaner arrived in a branded box like this:

In addition to the robot and the self-cleaning base, it contains:

1. Wet cleaning nozzle with a microfiber cloth installed.
2. Spare trash bag (one is already installed inside the base).
3. The operating instructions are translated into several languages, including Russian.
4. A quick guide to connecting your robot to the network.
5. Power adapter for connecting the station.

The kit is, as always, sparse. There are no spare accessories for the robot.

Appearance

Let's take a look at the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro's design. It has a traditional round shape. It's dark gray instead of black like its predecessor. It looks more practical and doesn't show fingerprints as much. The robot vacuum cleaner is approximately 97 mm tall.

The control panel features three mechanical buttons: local cleaning mode, start/pause, and forced return to the charging base. The lidar is equipped with a mechanical button to prevent the robot from getting stuck under furniture.

The mechanical bumper houses a system consisting of a 3D sensor and two laser sensors on the sides to detect objects on the floor. An additional wall sensor is located on the side of the bumper.

The dust container is located under the top cover. Next to it, we see a cleaning tool for the robot. Importantly, there are two openings under the dust container. These allow debris to pass from the dust container into the suction channel of the self-cleaning station. This indicates that the previously released Dreame Bot L10 Pro will not be able to self-clean at the station, as it lacks these openings.

The dust container now features curtains that allow self-cleaning. So, the dust container has also been updated. Its capacity, by the way, has been reduced to 400 ml compared to 570 ml. The filtration system uses a mesh filter and a HEPA filter.

Let's take a look at the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro's underside. It's equipped with six fall protection sensors.

There's one side brush: a three-pronged, quick-release design. The central brush can be removed from both sides for easy cleaning of tangled hair and pet hair.

In the suction channel we see a ribbed surface, like Dreame Bot D9 Max and the L10 Pro. This design solution detangles the brush from hair, making it easier to clean.

Here's what the wet cleaning nozzle looks like; it's also changed and noticeably smaller:

The cleaning cloth holds only 150 ml of water, while the nozzles in the D9 Max and L10 Pro models hold up to 270 ml of water. There's a good reason for this reduced capacity, and I'll explain it just below. The cleaning cloth is attached to the nozzle with grooves and Velcro. A pump for electronically regulating the water flow is located inside the nozzle.

And here's an important point: when the wet cleaning attachment is installed, the self-cleaning holes are not blocked, and accordingly, the robot can empty the dust container on the base.

The fact is that some analogues are not capable of self-cleaning with the attachment installed, for example, the same Kyvol Cybovac S31This is precisely why the water tank capacity had to be sacrificed.

Overall, the robot vacuum's build quality is above average. There are no major issues with it.

Well, here's what the self-cleaning base looks like:

Technical specifications

The main characteristics of the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro, as stated by the manufacturer:

• Li-Ion battery 5200 mAh.
• Suction power up to 4000 Pa.
• Cleaning area up to 250 sq.m.
• Battery life up to 150 min.
• Dust collector 400 ml.
• Water tank 150 ml.
• Capacity of the bag in the station: 4 l.
• Self-cleaning station power: 800 W.
• Obstacle clearance 2 cm.
• Robot dimensions: 350*97 mm.
• Station dimensions: 302*403*483 mm.

Only the capacity of the dust bin and water tank has changed, and not for the better. However, it's important to note that the self-cleaning station fully compensates for the reduced capacity of the dust bin. The bag in the base unit will last for approximately two months of robot operation. Incidentally, the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro's 4-liter dust bag is one of its advantages over similar robots. Many other robots have bags that hold up to 3 liters of dry waste.

Functional capabilities

Let's move on to an overview of the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro's features. This robot vacuum is controlled via the Mi Home app. It supports the Russian region, which is a plus.

On the main control panel, the robot creates a map of the room, automatically divides it into rooms, and saves it to memory. First, let me show you the settings available in the main menu. You can turn on and off the object detection feature, as well as adjust the volume and select the language for voice notifications. Dreame Bot Z10 Pro speaks Russian.

You can also enable or disable notifications sent to your smartphone, activate automatic power boost on carpets, and even adjust the sensitivity of the carpet-detecting sensor. However, keep in mind that the higher the sensitivity, the higher the risk of false triggering of the automatic power boost. During testing, we observed that the robot increased power not only on carpets but also on hard surfaces in random areas.

Newly added is the "Child Lock" feature, which prevents buttons on the body from being accidentally activated by children or, for example, pets who like to ride the robot.

There is also a “Do Not Disturb” mode and reminders to rinse the wipes during wet cleaning with the robot.

In the "Self-cleaning settings" section, you can enable or disable this function, select the frequency of self-cleaning, and, if necessary, start it manually.

By setting up a cleaning schedule, you can select the desired rooms, time, and days of the week when the robot should clean, as well as adjust the suction power and water flow rate onto the cleaning cloth.

Additional features include a cleaning log, consumables status tracking, remote control, the ability to find the robot vacuum by sound, and change its name. You can also share control with other family members and update the firmware to the latest version if needed.

Let's return to the main work panel. Below the map, you can choose one of three operating modes:

• Room - this is, accordingly, the choice of the required rooms for cleaning, the order of cleaning these rooms and the number of passes (one or two).
• Automatic cleaning mode for the entire available area.
• Zone – zone cleaning mode for a selected location on the map. In this mode, you can also select the number of passes the robot will make within the cleaning zone.

To the right of the map, we see two more sections. The first allows us to set virtual walls and no-go zones on the map. You can even set separate no-go zones for wet cleaning mode. Below that, there's a section where you can manually adjust the suction power and the wetness of the cloth.

In the map management section, located at the bottom left, you can select one of the saved maps. Incidentally, the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro stores up to three unique maps. When working with a map, you can also combine multiple rooms into one, divide rooms into separate zones, and name these rooms.

That's all the functionality of the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro. Additionally, the robot supports control via Yandex.Alice, which is important to keep in mind. In the video review, I mentioned that the robot doesn't sync with Alice, but we've already found the cause and fixed it.

Testing

A detailed video review of the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro, including all tests, has already been prepared and published on the channel. I recommend watching the video:

Navigation

Let's move on to the tests. First, we'll test the robot vacuum's navigation in challenging conditions. First, the robot drives around the perimeter of the room, then traverses the entire accessible area in a zigzag pattern and returns to the base. It didn't get stuck on the dryer; in fact, it circled it neatly, swept around the chair legs and the box, and then returned to the base. The test was successful.

Regarding housewide navigation, there's a nuance I didn't notice when testing its predecessor, the Dreame Bot L10 Pro. Both the previous model and the Z10 Pro perform poorly on high-pile and even medium-pile carpeting. The 3D sensor recognizes the carpet edges as obstacles, partially avoiding them, but then eventually climbing up into random areas. As a result, on hard surfaces, the robot's navigation pattern is smooth and cleans the entire available area. However, in rooms with carpets, the navigation algorithm isn't perfect, which can lead to missed areas.

Of course, if you disable the object detection feature, the robot will navigate correctly, but then its main advantage compared to most similar robots is lost. So navigation isn't perfect. This test failed.

One nuance is worth noting: for some reason, when leaving the base, the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro takes slightly longer to position itself than its competitors. The map doesn't reset or reposition itself; the robot simply takes a little longer to determine its location.

I'll also test the 3D sensor and how well it recognizes objects on the floor. For the test, I laid out a stuffed animal, a sneaker, a sock, a charger, and a dummy pet surprise on the floor. These are common household items that can interfere with the cleaning cycle and cause the robot to stop automatically.

The only thing the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro failed to detect was the simulated pet feces. However, the robot successfully avoided everything else. It even marked some of the objects with dots on the map.

It is worth noting that this model does not have the ability to photograph objects, as is implemented in Roborock S6 MaxVUltimately, the 3D sensor fulfills its primary purpose, but it's not perfect yet.

In any case, this robot vacuum's navigation is much better than conventional lidar models, except for its performance on carpets. The Dreame Bot Z10 Pro barely touches objects or walls, so if you have fragile items on the floor, this robot might be a better choice.

Suction power

Now let's see how the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro performs in vacuuming crevices of varying depths. As a reminder, the manufacturer claims a suction power of 4000 Pa, which is very high at the time of writing.

Well, here's where I got a rather unpleasant surprise. The robot vacuum cleaner was able to suck up debris from a 2mm-deep gap, and if you look closely, it did manage to pick up some debris from a 4mm-deep gap.

Meanwhile, its predecessor, the D9 Max, can suck up debris from crevices up to 8 mm deep, and the L10 Pro even managed to reach 10 mm. Why the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro actually wasn't as powerful, I can't say. Several tests were conducted on different days to eliminate any chance, but the robot consistently delivered the same results.

It seems the manufacturer has chosen to spare the engine by reducing its revs, while maintaining the stated performance. However, some foreign tests claim this model is slightly more powerful than all the others in the lineup. In any case, I cannot confirm this.

Dry cleaning of laminate flooring

The dry cleaning performance on the laminate floor was impressive. The robot vacuum was able to remove all debris from the floor, including pet hair and fur. Only the corners were left uncleaned.

Hair was tangled around the central brush, but its condition wasn't too bad. The brush's combing system helps a little, but it's not that bad. In any case, the majority of the debris was collected in the dust bin, and this test was passed.

Cleaning the carpet

The cleaning quality on the carpet is high, the robot was able to collect all the debris, I have no complaints.

Wet cleaning

Wet cleaning also proved to be flawless. The Dreame Bot Z10 Pro was able to remove dried-on dirt from the floor without leaving streaks. A small streak of dirt remained along the baseboard, but this was the same for all other similar devices tested.

Overall, the robot doesn't wet the floor too much, even at the maximum water flow level. So, it won't damage wooden flooring. The wet cleaning feature is quite well-implemented and is suitable for gentle wiping.

Yes, and it's worth noting that when you drive into the base, the wet cloth does not come into contact with the floor, so it will not damage the flooring if you fail to remove the nozzle with the cloth in time.

Self-cleaning quality

I'll also show you how well the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro self-cleans. You can see that in its initial state, the dust bin is almost completely filled with various types of debris. But after self-cleaning, there's no debris left in the bin at all. The station does its job perfectly. Test successful!

Obstacle clearance

This model has good obstacle clearance. The robot vacuum cleaner can easily navigate a 2-centimeter threshold. That's a plus.

Driving on dark surfaces

However, the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro is sensitive to black surfaces, detecting them by differences in height. This is important to keep in mind.

Noise level

Finally, we measured the robot's noise level in different modes. At minimum suction power, the noise level was around 60-62 dB, while at medium power, it reached 63.1 dB. In intensive cleaning mode, the noise level reached 65.5 dB, and in Turbo mode, the peak was 73.5 dB.

Again, my observation is that the noise level is about the same as the L10 Pro. There's a 1-2 dB difference in different modes. But for some reason, the power is lost.

Let's sum it up

The flagship robot vacuum cleaner Dreame Bot Z10 Pro has been thoroughly reviewed and tested. our evaluation system he managed to gain 78 out of 100 points, which is 2 points more than the result of the Dreame Bot L10 Pro, from which I also decided to deduct 1 point, just like from the flagship, for incorrect operation on carpets.

Overall rating of robot vacuum cleaners tested on robovac.washerhouse.com: https://robovac.washerhouse.com/en/rejtingi/robovac-obshhij-rejting-robotov-pylesosov-robo.html.

Now I'll share my personal opinion of the robot after a detailed review and testing. I liked the following:

1. Simultaneous dry and wet cleaning.
2. High navigation accuracy on hard floors or when the object detection function is disabled.
3. Very gentle touching of objects, and in most cases no touching at all, thanks to the sensor system on the bumper.
4. All advanced functionality in the application.
5. High quality dry and wet cleaning.
6. Good cross-country ability.
7. The Dreame Bot Z10 Pro has a self-cleaning station, and it can self-clean when the cleaning cloth attachment is installed.
8. Good self-cleaning quality.
9. Optimal price for a self-cleaning robot vacuum cleaner.

As for shortcomings, this model also has quite a few. The main ones I found were:

1. High Precision 3D technology requires further development. This includes not only increasing sensitivity to small objects, such as pet surprises, but also addressing the issue of detecting carpets, on which the robot performs poorly.
2. The robot vacuum cleaner is afraid of dark floor coverings.
3. The suction power does not match the stated one and the robot is actually weaker in power than its predecessors.
4. Small capacity of the water tank.

Overall, for most people, the aforementioned shortcomings may be insignificant, especially if your home or apartment doesn't have carpets. Despite these criticisms, the Dreame Bot Z10 Pro is a very interesting robot vacuum cleaner with lidar, self-cleaning, a wet mopping function, and a floor detection system. I hope the manufacturer improves the front-facing 3D sensor so that the system works as intended. I'd also like to understand what's wrong with this model's power. Either I'm missing something, or some internal changes have genuinely compromised the flagship.

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