Dreame Z30 vs. Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect: Which Upright Vacuum is Better?

In this review, I decided to compare two top-end cordless vacuum cleaners from reputable brands. The new product Dreame Z30 And Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect, which, in my opinion, is the best in the Dyson line. The reason is that the price of the vacuum cleaners being compared is practically the same, and both boast high claimed suction power. Plus, in terms of features and other specifications, the vacuum cleaners are also very similar. So now I'll compare each component in detail and review the test results, after which I'll express my opinion on which upright vacuum cleaner is better. So, let's get started!

Price and warranty

First, let's compare the prices of vacuum cleaners. The Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect has a wide price range. The lowest price I found was $600. The highest was $1,360. Most stores sell for between $650 and $700.

The Dreame Z30 has a narrower price range, ranging from $650 to $750. This means the two vacuum cleaners are practically identical in price.

But there's an important caveat: the Dreame Z30 is a fully official product from a recognized brand. This means it's sold through official distributors with a full warranty and after-sales support. Dyson has withdrawn from the Russian market, and therefore there's no official warranty for its devices. This is important to keep in mind.

Speaking of cost, it's important to immediately mention the price of accessories, as some parts need to be replaced over time, and some may fail after the warranty period. It's also important to understand the differences in operating costs between vacuum cleaners. Dyson batteries range from $160 to $180, so it's important to consider this. The original filter costs around $185 on the brand's website, but it's advertised as having a lifetime service life. With Dreame, the new Z30 has just been released, and original batteries and filters are not yet available in Russia, so we couldn't find the price. It would likely be lower if we were to compare it to previous models. However, the fact that they're out of stock, while the vacuum itself is already on sale, clearly gives Dyson the edge in terms of consumable availability.

Equipment

Now let's compare what is included in the kit of the compared vacuum cleaners.

The Dreame Z30 comes with one basic kit, which includes: a floor stand for storing the vacuum cleaner and three attachments, a main floor nozzle with a roller for carpets, a main nozzle with a roller for hard surfaces, a flexible extension hose, a bendable adapter, a nozzle with a turbo brush for cleaning upholstery, a nozzle with soft bristles, a crevice nozzle, a nozzle with a rotating soft brush, and, in my opinion, the most distinctive feature - a nozzle for combing out pets.

The Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect comes in two different kits. Mine came with a five-tool kit, including an extension wand with a built-in crevice tool, a main floor nozzle with a carpet roller, a main floor nozzle with a fluffy hard-floor roller, an upholstery and mattress cleaner, a brush head with retractable bristles, and a wall-mounted holder for the vacuum and two attachments.

There's also a 10-piece kit, which is slightly more expensive. It also includes a flexible connecting hose, an extra crevice tool, two additional bristle attachments, and a rotating soft brush attachment.

In my opinion, the Dreame Z30 has a more interesting package, especially considering the special attachment for combing animals.

Design

The next stage of the comparison is design and features. First, the design. The Dreame Z30 comes in black and gray. It looks stylish and understated.

Dyson, on the other hand, has a bright, recognizable design and signature style. I liked its color scheme better, but there's one drawback: the signature paint drips and streaks on the body. I already discussed them in a separate review, explaining why this happens. But like many others, I'm not happy with all these streaks, which cheapen the vacuum's appearance.

Let's go through each component separately. Let's start with the main units. Both have a removable battery. That's a plus. Both devices boast removable dust bags, which is very convenient for maintenance. However, the Dyson's cyclone and mesh are not removable. In my opinion, this is a design flaw. Typically, both the cyclone and mesh are washed when cleaning the vacuum cleaner. This is impossible here.

The filtration system is a crucial element of any vacuum cleaner. The Dreame Z30 has a HEPA filter, an additional fabric filter, and a cyclone with a mesh filter.

The Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect has an identical filtration system. Both filters are washable. The only difference is that the Dreame has 10 cyclones, while the Dyson has 14. But I don't think that's a significant difference.

When comparing dust container emptying technologies, Dyson is definitely ahead of the pack. They have a very efficient and convenient dust ejection system with a cyclone cleaning system. Simply pull the slider, and all the dust falls out. Dreame has a familiar bottom lock that's activated by pressing a button. Press it, and the bottom opens, and the dust falls out. If there's a lot of lint and hair in the dust container, you'll have to completely remove the dust container and empty it, as this type of debris tends to get stuck inside.

Let's compare controls, displays and operating modes.

The Dreame Z30 features two control buttons conveniently located under the display, ideal for your thumb. The display is informative, showing the battery percentage, the selected operating mode, the amount and size of debris collected, and service messages. There are three operating modes: Eco, Automatic, and Turbo. Information icons replace labels.

The Dyson also has a display on the side. One control button is on the top, and the other is on the bottom. The top button turns the vacuum on and off. This means you can't hold the vacuum and turn it on with one hand. It's inconvenient. The display itself displays the selected operating mode in Russian, the remaining runtime, the size and number of particles collected, and service messages. There are four operating modes: Eco, Medium, Automatic, and Turbo. Medium and Automatic are interchangeable depending on the attachment installed.

Now, let's talk about the features. Both have an automatic power boost mode. The Dreame Z30 only boosts power when it detects dirt, while the Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect boosts power when it detects both dirt and carpets. This is a definite plus.

Both vacuum cleaners being compared can count the size and quantity of debris. Everything is the same here.

The differences in the main floor nozzles are minimal. Both Dyson and Dreame have a lighted nozzle with a fluffy roller.

What's interesting here is that the Dyson has its backlight on the right, giving it a 90-degree illumination angle. The Dreame has its backlight on the left, and the angle is smaller. The backlight itself is slightly brighter and has a wider beam on the Dyson. Plus, Dyson was the first to bring this idea to market, so Dyson has the advantage here.

But if we compare the attachments to carpet rollers, Dreame did a great job adding a light to this attachment as well. This is especially useful if you plan to use it exclusively on different surfaces.

Both attachments feature a curtain at the front, and the rollers themselves are similar in design. Plus, both have a comb behind the roller for detangling hair and fur.

The next thing I wanted to highlight is Dyson's signature crevice tool placement system. It's built into the extension wand. With one click, a regular upright vacuum cleaner becomes a handheld one. A very convenient solution and another plus for Dyson!

And finally, the last important point is storing and charging the vacuum cleaners. The Dreame vacuum cleaner itself and its three attachments can be stored on a floor stand. It's convenient that you don't need to drill into the wall to install the wall stand. However, wireless charging is not included with the floor stand. You need to manually plug the charger into the socket. The Dyson, on the other hand, stores the vacuum cleaner on a wall stand, which also holds two of the included attachments. Plus, the crevice tool is stored in the tube. So, three attachments are always at hand.

And here we've already implemented the installation of the charger plug into the holder, so that the vacuum cleaner can be charged immediately upon installation. In this regard, it's a matter of personal preference.

Characteristics

Of course, let's compare the specifications of the Dreame Z30 and the Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect. I've compiled all the data in a table for easy reference:

	Dreame Z30	Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect
Power consumption	855 W	Not declared
Suction power	up to 310 AW	up to 282 AW
Battery	Li-Ion 3200 mAh	Li-Ion 2500 mAh
Claimed operating time at minimum power	up to 90 minutes	up to 70 minutes
Real time of operation at maximum power	12 minutes 42 seconds	14 minutes 32 seconds
Actual noise level	70-81 dB	70.5-81 dB
Dust collector capacity	600 ml	760 ml
Weight of the main unit	2200 g	2250 g
Weight of the extension tube	250 g	390 g
Weight of floor nozzles	680/800 g	425 g/800 g
Actual weight when fully assembled	3130-3250 g	3065–3440 g

Here we see that on paper, the Dreame Z30 is more powerful, has a larger battery, lasts longer in Eco mode, and is slightly lighter when fully assembled. In reality, the Dyson Gen5 offers longer runtime at maximum power and a larger dust bin.

Testing

And finally, I'll tell you about the results of testing the compared upright vacuum cleaners.

For a visual comparison of the vacuum cleaners in action, I recommend watching the video comparison:

Both models perform excellently on hard floors, leaving no blind spots along baseboards or in corners. Moreover, in both areas, the rollers barely pick up hair and fur thanks to their special structure—debris doesn't stick to them and is immediately sucked into the suction channel.

On carpets, the compared vacuum cleaners showed good results thanks to a special roller with short bristles and high power.

Regarding power, I tested how deeply both vacuums could vacuum from crevices of varying depths. I used the carpet roller attachment for the test. The Dreame Z30, at minimum power, thoroughly cleaned 15 and 20 mm deep crevices in 10 passes, halfway through a 25 mm crevice, and partially through 30-35 mm crevices. At maximum power, it cleaned all crevices thoroughly in just the fifth pass. Meanwhile, the Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect, at minimum power and with the same attachment, cleaned deep 15 and 20 mm crevices in 10 passes, partially through 25-30 mm crevices, and was unable to clean a 35 mm crevice. At maximum power, it performed on par with the Dreame – easily cleaning even a 35 mm crevice. In other words, at minimum power, the Dreame actually offers slightly better suction. In a domestic environment, you are unlikely to notice any difference in power between these vacuum cleaners, especially in Turbo mode.

Incidentally, when compiling this comparison, I studied the power measurements taken by foreign bloggers using a special pressure gauge, and the Dreame Z30 performed significantly better than the Dyson. So, taking into account both my own tests and theirs, I can say that the Dreame is definitely more powerful, both numerically and in real-world tests.

I also tested the turbo brush attachments for upholstery cleaning. I cleaned the same sections of the sofa under identical conditions with a high amount of hair. It took me a minute and a half to remove hair from a section of the sofa with both the Dreame and Dyson. The turbo brushes came out clean after the test in both cases.

Comparison results

Ultimately, after a detailed comparison of all the key parameters of the Dreame Z30 and Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect, I can say that both upright vacuums are truly worthy of consideration and fit into the premium price range. In the final table, I compare everything under consideration:

	Dreame Z30	Dyson Gen5 Absolute Detect
Price	$650-$750	$600-$1360
Official guarantee	Yes	No
Availability of consumables and accessories	Out of stock	Available for sale (original and non-original)
Equipment	7 attachments, 2 adapters, floor holder	5 nozzles and a wall holder / 8 nozzles, 1 adapter, a wall holder
Claimed suction power	up to 310 AW	up to 282 AW
Battery	Li-Ion 3200 mAh	Li-Ion 2500 mAh
Claimed operating time at minimum power	up to 90 minutes	up to 70 minutes
Real time of operation at maximum power	12 minutes 42 seconds	14 minutes 32 seconds
Dust collector capacity	600 ml	760 ml
Operating modes	Eco, Auto, Turbo	Eco, Auto/Mid, Turbo
Automatic power increase	If contamination is detected	When dirt is detected, when carpets are detected
Actual weight when fully assembled	3130-3250 g	3065–3440 g
One-handed operation	Yes	No
Additional benefits	1. In reality, it is slightly more powerful. 2. The carpet roller attachment is equipped with a backlight. 3. The kit includes an attachment for combing animals. 4. No need to drill into the wall to install the vacuum cleaner holder.	1. Brighter and more efficient illumination of the cleaning area 2. Unique system of placing the crevice tool in the extension tube. 3. Convenient emptying of the dust container. 4. Wireless charging on a wall holder.
Important disadvantages	1. There is no wireless charging on the holder.	1. High cost of accessories and consumables. 2. The cyclone filter with mesh is non-removable. 3. Paint drips on the body

 

We see that the vacuum cleaners themselves are in reality very similar, and each has its own significant advantages.

Dyson, first and foremost, has a ton of signature design features that other brands have since adopted. These include an interesting design, readily available consumables, a longer runtime at maximum power, and a smarter automatic mode. And, let's face it, Dyson is more trustworthy as a brand, given their years of experience developing innovative solutions in the upright vacuum cleaner market. Plus, there are a large number of positive reviews from owners after several years of use. So, I would probably assume that Dyson is more reliable than its competitor. However, the fact that the company has left the market and you have to buy a vacuum cleaner either from so-called gray dealers or from marketplaces with unclear warranties is a major drawback, considering the cost of the equipment. And accessories are quite expensive.

In my opinion, the Dreame has a more interesting package with a pet attachment, a more convenient filtration system, and a more convenient one-handed operation. There aren't any special features that would make the vacuum cleaner stand out from the competition or showcase its innovative design. However, it does come with an official warranty, which is very important when you're paying around $700 for a vacuum cleaner.

Ultimately, I can say that I definitely liked the Dyson vacuum cleaner better, thanks to all its features and design. But I can't say the Dreame is outright worse. In terms of cleaning performance, they're absolutely identical.

So, here we need to rely on the comparison results and decide what's most important to each individual. 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!