If you’re looking for a cordless vacuum cleaner but find the Dyson V12 too expensive, you could consider the new Dreame R20 as it is cheaper and offer similar features or if not better paper specs. Dreame R20 comes with interchangeable brush heads, flexible attachments and has dust detection via laser to make cleaning easier than your traditional vacuum cleaner. Dreame R20 is currently retailing at an early bird price of S$699, and you can use the code DREATJ on Shopee (until 30th June) to get an extra S$105 off on top of it for just S$594!
But that’s not all, if your purchase is done between 6- 8 June, you can stand to receive free gifts of (1) vacuum cleaner stand, and (2) Dreame Hair Glory hair dryer – both worth up to S$288!
Unboxing
In the box, you’ll find the following items:
- Dreame R20 main body
- Extension Rod
- Multi-Surface Brush
- Soft Roller Brush
- Motorized Mini Brush
- Wide Combination Tool
- Flexible Combination Tool
- Flexible Adapter
- 2-in-1 Charging & Storage Mount
- Charger
- User Manual & Mounting Template sticker
Setting up the Dreame R20 is a combination of 2-3 parts depending on the tool you intend to use. All parts snap into place satisfyingly with a click and they are easily removed via the press of the button to release the latch. The charging & storage mount needs to be drilled onto a wall.
Comparison with Dyson V12
| Dreame R20 | Dyson V12 | |
|---|---|---|
| Run time | 90 mins | 60 mins |
| Suction power | 190 AW | 150 AW |
| Dustin capacity | 0.6 litres | 0.35 litres |
| Weight (kg) | 1.67kg | 2.2kg |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
| Laser Detection | Blue light | Green light |
| Laser Detection Angle | 138º | 90º |
| Intelligent Dust Detection | Yes | Yes |
| Electronic Lock | Yes | Yes |
| Detachable Battery Pack | Yes | Yes |
| Flexible Adapter | Yes | No |
On paper, the Dreame R20 beats the Dyson V12 in all key aspects of cleaning. It has a bigger dustbin, can clean for longer with more power, and is lighter in terms of weight as well. It also has the Laser Detection that the Dyson V12 is known for, with a larger field of view (FOV) at 138º. Dreame R20 is close to 20% cheaper than the Dyson V12.
Design and build quality
Cordless vacuums are usually hung on a wall because they don’t stand on their own. The Dreame R20 has a modern and clean design with rounded edges over its silhouette. It sports a grey colourway with golden trimmings on the its circular parts. The extension rod features a carbon fibre finish, while the rest of the attachments are of a slightly darker matte grey.
The main cylindrical body sits perpendicularly, so the length that is extended from your wall is about 22cm. Just something to take note in case if you are intending to place the charging mount in a tight area of your house. Build quality of the Dreame R20 is solid, with buttons and latches all feeling high quality. Dreame R20 weighs in at 1.67kg, which is light compared to its competitors. It is not too tiresome using it with one hand and you can certainly reach high areas which too much strain (in “handheld” vacuum setup), but it still gets tiring after prolonged use.
The charging mount is made of plastic and comes with three additional latch points to store the many attachments provided by Dreame. It would be great if the charging mount added two more storage points given there are a total of five attachments (excluding the one attached to the vacuum).
Perhaps the charging mount was only designed to hold the combination tools and the flexible adapter, and not the brushes, but it is still a nice hub to store the commonly used items. If you don’t want to mount something on your wall, you can consider this stand for S$27.90.
Performance and user experience
The main body of the Dreame R20 has a single trigger-style button which powers the vacuum on/off. There are another two buttons on the LCD screen of the main body – (1) to switch between Auto/Turbo mode, and (2) electronic lock/unlock continuous cleaning. The LCD screen is great as it tells you the cleaning mode, battery level, and any alerts and errors encountered by the vacuum.
The electronic lock button lets you decide if you wish to hold down the power button to vacuum or perform continuous cleaning. For prolonged cleaning, I activate the lock so that I can vacuum for extended duration without finger fatigue from holding the button.
The handle of the Dreame R20 is at a slant so that your wrist is at a natural angle while vacuuming. While continuous cleaning, it is natural for my four fingers to rest below the power button. It is a slightly tight fit for all four of my fingers, so if you hands are large, it might only be comfortable to rest three fingers there.
Vacuuming with Dreame R20 is easy as both the multi-surface brush and soft roller brush comes with a flexible pipe in the middle to allow for twist and turns when manoeuvring. The blow holes are located at the side which is thoughtful since it is pointed away from your face when vacuuming. There is a filter located in the main body which can be removed to be cleaned with water.
Multiple attachments for various cleaning jobs
Dreame provided a total of 5 different brush heads for the Dreame R20 to use in different cleaning scenarios.
Having different attachments to vacuum different areas of my house makes the cleaning much easier. The ‘default’ is the Multi-Surface Brush which is suitable for floors and low/med pile carpets. Hair doesn’t seem to get stuck on the brush itself which is good as I don’t have to spend time to detangle it. If you’re intending to vacuum larger dust particles, it is recommended to flip the switch in the middle of the brush to the right. Dreame should have added a colour indicator on the switch as well so it is easy to identify at a glance.
Soft roller brush is useful for cleaning hard flooring such as marble. I find myself using the multi-surface brush because it feels as competent.
Mini motorized brush was useful for cleaning the sofa, gaming chair, and any other sitting surface with fabric upholstery.
Next, we have the combination tools that come in a wide and flexible format. The length of the Wide Combination tool is short so attaching it to the Dreame R20 makes it become a small portable handheld vacuum which was useful for cleaning my table top, keyboard, and open shelving. The Flexible Combination tool has an extendable portion which you can bend like rubber. This allows me to clean in tight and narrow gaps such as behind the sofa.
Lastly, we have the Flexible Adapter which you can install either at the bottom or at the top of the vacuum. You have to press latch on the adapter to unlock the flexibility. Once it is lined up, it will lock back in place.
You can check out the video above of the Flexible Adapter in use via the bottom installation. I found that using it at top is better, as it is easier to reach the release latch. I liked that Dreame added this attachment as it made vacuuming under the sofa and bed easier as I don’t have to bend down and try to avoid hitting the stick on my furniture.
Laser Detect Technology – Detecting microscopic dust
If you’re envious of the laser detection technology on the Dyson V12 which shows off all the dust while you vacuum, you’d be pleased that the Dreame R20 also has that – just that the laser is blue in colour. The blue light does help to reveal dust particles on the floor which I couldn’t see with my naked eye.
It is quite amazing to see dust at an area which you thought was actually clean. In a way, it does make cleaning a little bit more fun as I can tell the before and after state of the floor. Just look the the dust that I could not see with my naked eye before and after cleaning below! Apart from revealing dust, the blue light also helps to illuminate dark corners in your house.
However, do note that this laser detection feature is only available on the Multi-Surface Brush head, so if you want to clean using the Soft Roller Brush then you won’t have the laser feature.
Intelligent Dirt Detection
This smart cleaning feature is similar to the Dreame H12 Pro‘s Auto Mode, where it will automatically adjust the strength of cleaning based on the type of dust detected. Dreame R20‘s Intelligent Dirt Detection will automatically adjust it’s suction power based on (1) type of dust detected, and (2) type of surface it is cleaning. The LCD screen will display the cleaning status in real-time via three different colours:
- Green: Light dust
- Amber: Medium dust
- Red: Heavy dust
If you prefer a higher vacuuming strength, you can switch to Turbo mode which is represented by the white fan colour LED.
Battery life
Dreame R20 is rated to last 90 minutes of use on a single charge. Personally, I’ve never cleaned for more than an hour at one go. But having more time is always appreciated. In fact, the 90 minutes is 50% more than the R10 and the Dyson V12.
And if you somehow require more than 90 minutes, the Dreame R20‘s battery pack is interchangeable so you can easily swap out the battery to get another 90 minutes of use. Currently, Dreame has not listed the swappable battery for sale yet.
Maintenance
The bottom lid of the dust cup is easily opened via a single press as demonstrated by the video below.
While most of the dust gets dumped away when the lid opens, some of the thick ones stay stuck on the cyclone assembly. Thankfully, the dust cup and cyclone assembly is removable so you can throughout remove all the debris in it. It is recommended that you clean the cyclone assembly once every 6 months.
Comparison with peers – R10 and R10 Pro
| Dreame R10 | Dreame R10 Pro | Dreame R20 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Run time | 60 mins | 65 mins | 90 mins |
| Suction power | 120 AW | 150 AW | 190 AW |
| Dustbin capacity | 0.6 litres | 0.6 litres | 0.6 litres |
| Weight | 1.65kg | 1.65kg | 1.67kg |
| Laser Detection | LED light, no laser | LED light, no laser | Yes, blue laser |
| Laser Detection Angle | – | – | 138º |
| Intelligent Dust Detection | No | No | Yes |
| Electronic Lock | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Detachable Battery Pack | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Flexible Adapter | No | No | Yes |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
| Price | S$279 | S$399 | S$699 |
The Dreame R20 offers quite a different cleaning experience compared to the R10 series. After having used all 3 vacuums back to back for a few weeks, I’d say that the Dreame R20 feels more like an all-in-one vacuum which is more fuss free as you can just turn on the vacuum and let it do its job.
If your house do have quite some carpets then the Dreame R20 will be more suitable as its Intelligent Dirt Detection makes it fuss free when you transition from cleaning your floor to the carpet. With the R10 series, you may consider increasing the suction power, but with the R20 you can trust the vacuum to adjust accordingly. Also, the LCD screen on the R20 provides more insight and information to your cleaning.
Cleaning with the Dreame R20 feels more satisfying because of the Laser Detection vs the LED lights on the R10 series. The use of laser is better as there is less reflection and is better at spotting dust. You also have more cleaning time with the Dreame R20 as offers up to 30 minutes longer vs the R10 series. When it comes to versatility, the Dreame R20 is more all-rounded. For example, the Flexible Adapter in the Dreame R20 really made a difference for me when cleaning under furniture compared to cleaning with the R10 series.
Conclusion
The new Dreame R20 should be the go-to cordless vacuum if you are looking to get your first one. The new features of Laser Detection, “Auto mode” cleaning (Intelligent Dirt Detection), longer battery life, and the flexible adapter makes it a very versatile vacuum for all sorts of cleaning. I really like the Laser Detection as it makes cleaning more purposeful. If you have the budget I’ll opt for the R20 instead of the R10 Pro, even though it is S$300 more.
DREATJ
for extra $105 off
And as readers of Tech Jio, you can use the code DREATJ to get an extra S$105 off on top of the early bird price to a final price of S$594. The exclusive promo code expires 30 June 2023 – so be quick if you want to get the best deal for your Dreame R20. Every purchase will come with a 2-year warranty. Moreover, if your purchase is done between 6- 8 June, you can stand to receive free gifts of (1) vacuum cleaner stand, and (2) Dreame Hair Glory hair dryer – both worth up to S$288!