Dreame R20 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Review
Dreame has three different types of series for their cordless vacuum. V series, R series, and T series. I am confused as to what are the differentiating factors between the series. There are various models for different price ranges between the series, so I can’t consider one flagship over the other.
I guess Dreame took the best features of the V12 Pro (flagship of the V series) and T30 (flagship of the T series) and came out with the R20.
But one thing is sure is that both the R and T series come with removable batteries.
Dreame R20 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner retails for S$699 on Shopee. If you use the coupon code, DREALC, it will give you an additional S$105 off, bring the price down to S$594.
TL;DR
Pros:
- Value for money
- Flexible adapter and combination tool are useful for vacuuming underneath low-lying furniture
- Blue laser with 138° angle allows you to see dust easier
- Most parts can be washed
- Detachable battery
Cons
- Lack of crevice tool
- Empties from the bottom
Comparision
Since the Dreame R20 is the flagship of the R series, we can compare it to the Dreame V12 Pro, which retails for S$549, and the Dreame T30, which retails for S$479.
| Model | R20 | V12 Pro | T30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| RRP | S$699 | S$549 | S$479 |
| Charging Time | 4 Hours | ||
| Run Time | 90 Mins | 85 Mins | 90 Mins |
| Suction Power | 27 kPa (190 AW) | 32 kPa | 27 kPa (190 AW) |
| Battery Capacity | 2,900 mAh | 2,700 mAh | 2,900 mAh |
| Removable Battery | Yes | No | Yes |
| Roller Brush With Lightning | Laser Blue Light (138°) | No | No |
| Dustbin Capacity | 0.6 L | 0.5 L | 0.6 L |
| Weight | 1.67 kg | 1.64 kg | 1.76 kg |
| Packaging Contents |
– 1x Main Body – 1x Carbon Fiber Rod – 1x V-Shaped Multi-Surface Brush – 1x Soft Roller Brush – 1x Wide Combination Tool – 1x Motorized Mini Brush – 1x Flexible Combination Tool – 1x Flexible Adapter – 1x 2-in-1 Charging & Storage Mount – 1x Charger – 1x User Manual |
– 1x Main Body – 1x Carbon Fiber Rod – 1x V-Shaped Multi-Surface Brush – 1x Extension Host – 1x Wide Combination Tool – 1x Motorized Mini Brush – 1x LED Crevice Nozzle – 1x Flexible Adapter – 1x Soft Dusting Brush – 1x 2-in-1 Charging & Storage Mount – 1x Charger – 1x User Manual |
– 1x Main Body – 1x Carbon Fiber Rod – 1x Smart Multi Brush Bar – 1x Extension Host – 1x Wide Combination Tool – 1x Mini Electric Brush – 1x LED Crevice Nozzle – 1x Flexible Adapter – 1x Soft Dusting Brush – 1x 2-in-1 Charging & Storage Mount – 1x Charger – 1x User Manual |
If you are talking about Dyson, Dreame R20 is the direct competitor to the Dyson V12 Detect Slim.
| Model | Dreame R20 | Dyson V12 Detect Slim |
|---|---|---|
| RRP | S$699 | S$899 |
| Run Time | 90 Mins | 60 Mins |
| Suction Power | 190 AW | 150 AW |
| Dustbin Capacity | 1.67 kg | 2.2 kg |
| Light | Blue (138°) | Green (90°) |
| Packaging Contents |
– 1x Main Body – 1x Carbon Fiber Rod – 1x V-Shaped Multi-Surface Brush – 1x Soft Roller Brush – 1x Wide Combination Tool – 1x Motorized Mini Brush – 1x Flexible Combination Tool – 1x Flexible Adapter – 1x 2-in-1 Charging & Storage Mount – 1x Charger |
– 1x Main Body – 1x Rod – 1x Fluffy Optic Cleaner Head – 1x Hair Screw Tool – 1x Combination Tool – 1x Crevice Tool – 1x Wand Clip – 1x Docking Station – 1x Charger |
Unboxing
Many small cupboards are in the box, and I must double-check to ensure I have opened everything.
Here are the box contents:
- 1x Main Body
- 1x Carbon Fiber Rod
- 1x V-Shaped Multi-Surface Brush
- 1x Soft Roller Brush
- 1x Wide Combination Tool
- 1x Motorized Mini Brush
- 1x Flexible Combination Tool
- 1x Flexible Adapter
- 1x 2-in-1 Charging & Storage Mount
- 1x Charger
I also have to match the box contents with what is stated in the user manual to ensure I got all the items before disposing of the boxes.
Accessories
The charging and storage mount allows you to mount your R20 on a stand or on a wall.
The Smart Multi-Surface brush is suitable for vacuuming on medium/low carpets, tiles, and floors.
If you need to vacuum larger particles (like coffee beans, cornflakes, etc.) using this brush, you can turn on the switch in front of the brush.
The soft Roller Brush is suitable for cleaning hard floors like marble flooring.
The Wide Combination tool vacuums curtains, keyboards, sofas, etc.
The Motorized Mini Brush is meant to vacuum pet hairs and other stubborn particles from fabric surfaces like beddings and sofas.
The Flexible Adapter is attached between the rod and the main body so you can vacuum low-lying furniture like beds and sofas.
The Flexible Combination Tool features a bendable and retractable brush nozzle. This flexibility allows you to vacuum narrow and hard-to-reach gaps.
It is a pity that R20 didn’t include a crevice tool in the packaging.
Design
The colors of the R20 is in grey with gold accent.
Using It
There are only two buttons on the display panel, Trigger Switch Lock at the top and Suction Level at the bottom.
My Dyson V8 requires my finger to constantly press the trigger to keep the vacuuming on.
By toggling the Trigger Switch Lock on or off, you can have the option of what Dreame calls the continuous Cleaning Mode. So you don’t have to keep your finger on the trigger while vacuuming.
I like this mode and am unsure whether later Dyson models have this. It is tiring to keep squeezing on the trigger.
The Suction Level switches between two modes, automatic and turbo.
R20 has a suction power of up to 27 kPa (190 AW). The numbers mean nothing to me since I will be on automatic most of the time. Since I don’t have a carpet, vacuuming dust and hairs on the floor only needs a little power.
The Flexible Adapter is handy for reaching low-lying furniture like my TV console and shoe rack. Remember to press the button on the Flexible Adapter to bend it. I didn’t notice a button there, so I bent it by force. Luckily it didn’t break.
Robot vacuum cleaners cannot reach those areas as well. So you will need to vacuum it manually.
The Flexible Combination Tool allows you to reach small gaps between furniture.
Because the carbon fiber is lightweight, the weight distribution is very top-heavy, similar to Dyson.
The blue laser has an angle of 138°.
I didn’t find a difference between the blue laser and regular LED lights on my Philips SpeedPro Aqua. As long as there is a lightning source, you can see the dust specks on the floor.
When in automatic mode, the blue laser detects the dust level and adjusts the suction power accordingly.
No complaints about the battery life. On automatic mode, one full charge is enough for me to vacuum the house, which usually takes an hour. On paper the battery life is up to 90 minutes.
Noise Level
When in automatic mode, the noise level hovers around 75 dB.
In turbo-mode, it increases by 10 dB, hovering about 88 dB.
Nothing noisy about it. I measure my Roborock S8 and Dyson V8 noise levels, which are also within the same range on automatic and turbo modes.
Maintenance
To empty the dust cup, press the release button located in front of the dust cup. It empties from the bottom.
I prefer it to be emptied from the front. Dyson switches to that from Dyson V10. It just feels more convenient and less awkward.
The good thing about R20 is that everything is washable. You can wash the dust cup, cyclone assembly, pre-filter, and filter.
With my Dyson V8, I can’t wash the cyclone assembly.
Conlusion
At S$594 (after a S$105 discount), the Dreame R20 is a value-for-money and easy-to-use vacuum cleaner.
The vacuum power is good enough for my use case since I am using all my vacuum cleaners in automatic mode.
The blue laser makes no difference compared with the regular LED, but I am glad there is a light source to shine on the floor, unlike the Dreame V12 Pro.
The battery is detachable, which can be easily swapped out when spoilt.
Maintenance is easy because most of the parts can be easily removed and washed. This is my favorite feature of the R20.
My two complaints are that the missing crevice tool and emptying from the bottom are still awkward.
