Dreame, a partner company of Xiaomi, has launched a new wireless vacuum cleaner Dream T20which we had the opportunity to test. It offers great performance, up to 70 minutes and a color display. But can it effectively vacuum all the dirt?
Where to buy Dreame T20
We bought the Dreame T20 rod vacuum cleaner directly in the official Aliexpress shop of the Dreame manufacturer. It was delivered to us by courier without any other fees such as customs duties or VAT.
The vacuum cleaner is currently available in a European warehouse in France with delivery in 1 week.
Dreame T20 rod vacuum cleaner
Rich packaging
The Dreame T20 comes in a black, relatively small box. We have to admit that we haven't unpacked such a precisely packaged product for a long time. Everything has its place in the box and the individual components are nicely arranged so that everything can be stored in a box of reasonable dimensions.
In the upper part there is a very clear instruction in several languages and the main rod of the vacuum cleaner in a nice, matte red color. Under the top carton are the other parts in the individual compartments. In addition to the main unit of the vacuum cleaner, where the motor and the dirt tank are located, you will also receive a number of attachments in the basic package.
The two attachments are powered by electricity because they contain a rotating cylinder that collects dirt. It is the main floor nozzle and extension for vacuuming mattresses, couches and similar surfaces.
Both were given a rotating cylinder with fine bristles on it. Unlike some other, similar models, the entire rotary cylinder is not covered with bristles. They are in a thin spiral line, so they should collect dirt more efficiently.
You can also find out that these two nozzles are electric on the basis of the pins located on them. These fit perfectly into the connectors on the main unit of the vacuum cleaner.
In addition to the aforementioned floor and mattress nozzle, several passive extensions are included, which are similar to the classic extensions of conventional vacuum cleaners. There is a narrow attachment for vacuuming less accessible slots and an attachment with a brush.
You can connect these passive extensions directly to the main unit of the vacuum cleaner or you can also use the included flexible extension part, which will help you get to less accessible places.
The package also includes a wall bracket, along with dowels and screws. It is possible to buy a mop with a water container.
Quality of workmanship and first impression
The Dreame T20 bar vacuum cleaner gives a premium impression. It was already clear during unpacking that it was a well-processed product. Although most parts are made of plastic, they are high-quality processed parts that fit together perfectly.
All power-fitting extensions fit perfectly. Thanks to the click system, it does not happen that any attachment or main bar is disconnected from the vacuum cleaner during use. When using classic vacuum cleaners, it sometimes happens that the main rod disconnects, so we evaluate this system very positively.
Overall, the quality of processing is at a high level. However, one weak link may be the dust container opening system. It opens by pulling on a small plastic lock. The question is how long will this fuse last if the container is emptied frequently. We could imagine a better safety system for closing the container.
Controls and modes
The big advantage is that the vacuum cleaner is wireless. There is nothing wrong with vacuuming, which is a huge positive. Its operation is very simple. The vacuum cleaner is switched on with a gun-style button, which does not need to be kept pressed at all times. However, it is positioned so that holding this button is kind of natural and would not prevent us from holding it down at all times during the vacuuming.
The vacuum cleaner has a color display, which is very fine and also looks premium. The main element on the display is the selection of vacuum modes. There are 4 modes available: eco, automatic, medium and turbo. However, automatic mode is only available with electric attachments. For passive, it is medium instead of automatic mode.
The eco mode is the weakest and is especially suitable for vacuuming hard floors, but it also collects dirt from harder carpets. Turbo mode offers full power and sucks perfectly. However, the tax for this performance is weaker endurance, which we will address below. Automatic is an intelligent mode that can independently determine the suction power based on the surface. Medium mode speaks for itself.
Many people ask if such a stick vacuum cleaner is not difficult, as you hold it in your hand while vacuuming. Dreame T20 weighs 1.7 kg and you can't feel its weight very much when vacuuming the floor. It is a bit worse when vacuuming with other attachments, when you hold the entire weight of the vacuum cleaner in one hand. But it was not difficult at all for us and we had no problem vacuuming the whole apartment without any problems.
However, the lower sex may have some reservations about the weight when vacuuming higher places, when it is necessary to keep the vacuum cleaner in an unnatural position. In this case, a classic, cable vacuum cleaner has the advantage.
Maneuvering the vacuum cleaner and its limits
When it comes to maneuvering, the vacuum cleaner handles very well. Vacuuming less accessible places near a wall or floor can be a minor problem, and we have sometimes encountered its limits.
These result from the physical dimensions of the main unit of the vacuum cleaner, which sometimes does not allow it to get closer to the wall or floor. For example, if you want to vacuum under a couch where there is not much space, you do not have to get there, as the vacuum cleaner rod cannot be completely flush with the floor.
Sometimes it can happen that the main unit of the vacuum cleaner loads, so to speak, and does not allow to get to all places. However, in some cases this can be solved by a flexible extension part, which, however, is not electrified, so that it cannot be used with the main floor nozzle. However, almost all rod vacuum cleaners have this problem.
This could be solved, at least in part, by turning it sideways, in the joint at the floor nozzle. However, this is very limited and the joint allows rotation only a few degrees to both sides. This is probably due to the power supply to the nozzle.
Vacuum quality and suction power
The Dreame T20 has been given a technologically advanced and powerful engine that can develop up to 125 rpm and suction power 25 Pa. Turbo mode is the strongest mode in which a full suction power of 150 AW is available.
The difference compared to conventional vacuum cleaners is considerable. This is because a classic vacuum cleaner uses more or less only the suction power in the form of intake air. A rod vacuum cleaner like the Dreame T20 usually has a weaker suction, which is complemented by a rotating cylinder.
It can efficiently collect dirt and perfectly replaces weaker suction. This is even a big advantage when vacuuming carpets. At first we had some worries about whether such a roller would scratch the floor, but the brushes are really soft and won't scratch anything.
We managed to remove dirt from the solid floor without any problems, even in the weakest, eco mode, in which the vacuum cleaner is relatively quiet. However, it may not be enough to vacuum carpets, mattresses or sofas. Especially if you vacuum carpets with longer hair, you need a stronger suction power.
With the strongest turbo mode, the difference is, of course, immediately felt and heard. The vacuum cleaner in this mode offers high performance, which is comparable to conventional vacuum cleaners. We also vacuumed carpets, mattresses and sofas without any problems (with minor exceptions, which we will address in the next chapter). Thinner carpets literally adhere to the floor nozzle in turbo mode.
Automatic mode adjusts the suction power according to the surface. Of course, it only works when using electric nozzles. The operation of this mode can be seen nicely when vacuuming the floor and then switching to the carpet, or vice versa. If we went from the floor to the carpet, after a while the suction power automatically increased.
During our testing, we liked the automatic mode the most, which works very well. We didn't have to worry about manually switching the suction power.
As for the manual setting of the suction power, we could imagine the setting in several stages. Thus only two are available - eco and turbo. In our opinion, setting according to a multilevel scale would be better.
And what problems we encountered during vacuuming
Vacuuming is usually problem-free, but slight negatives have also been found. The first is the above-mentioned accessibility to some narrow places where it is simply not possible to get with the floor nozzle.
With the Dreame T20 vacuum cleaner, we were thus unable to fully vacuum up all the places that we had previously reached without problems with a classic vacuum cleaner. However, this is a disadvantage of all rod vacuum cleaners, whether they have a motor and a dust container located in the upper or lower part.
Another problem is vacuuming thin carpets. It has happened to us several times that the corner of such a carpet has become entangled in the rotating cylinder of the floor nozzle. It happened even in the weakest, eco mode.
The same problem can occur when vacuuming carpets with too long hair. It happened to us that when vacuuming such a carpet with automatic or turbo mode, the rotating brush stopped and the vacuum cleaner signaled the cleaning of the brush.
The last problem we would like to mention is the weight when vacuuming with different attachments, when you hold the entire weight of the vacuum cleaner in your hand. This weight can interfere with someone after prolonged vacuuming. We have to admit that when vacuuming radiators, skirting boards, couches or even the ceiling, you can feel the strain on your hand after a while.
However, since most of these problems are related to the physical design of the rod vacuum cleaner, they will be present in almost all vacuum cleaners of this type.
Filter
Dreame T20 has five stages of filtration, thanks to which up to 99.97% of impurities are captured, so that almost no impurities get back into the air.
After removing the dust container, the round thin filter can be removed. Below it is a cyclone unit. The HEPA filter is located in the upper part.
All named, removable parts can be washed under running water.
Endurance and charging
The Dreame T20 rod vacuum cleaner received a removable battery with a capacity of 2700 mAh. The manufacturer states a lifespan of 70 minutes per charge in eco mode, 30 minutes in medium mode and 8 minutes in turbo mode.
During our test, we reached 27 minutes in automatic mode. We mainly vacuumed floor areas, of which approximately 30% were carpets, which automatically increase the suction power.
However, we were slightly surprised that the vacuum cleaner will display a low battery warning only when the capacity drops to 5%. We would expect such a warning at least at 20%. However, the low battery audible alert is missing. This is because the display is often out of sight during vacuuming, so it is easy that you don't even notice when the battery is empty.
In turbo mode, the battery capacity actually decreases very quickly. We managed to discharge the battery after 10.5 minutes. When vacuuming in eco mode, the vacuum cleaner lasted us for about an hour, and this mode was enough for us to vacuum a flat with a laminate floor with a minimum of carpets.
As for charging, there was a slight disappointment here. The battery charges from 5% to full capacity in about 3.5 hours, which is a lot compared to the endurance per charge. We would appreciate a faster charger that could handle it in 2 hours.
Dreame T20: Final evaluation
The Dreame T20 surprised with its high-quality workmanship and high suction power. Despite several shortcomings, we vacuumed better with a vacuum cleaner than with a classic cable vacuum cleaner, as we all know.
The absence of a cable and a vacuum cleaner that needs to be pulled behind each other is a huge advantage. When using a wall stand, storage is also much easier. The automatic mode is also excellent, as it can adjust the suction power based on the suction surface.
Endurance per charge is completely sufficient even for vacuuming in a large family house with automatic mode. In a classic prefabricated apartment, the battery lasted for several vacuums. Dreame T20 is ideal for fast daily vacuuming, especially if you have a pet or small child.
Dreame T20 rod vacuum cleaner
Minor disadvantages include slow charging and the inability to get to some places due to the size of the vacuum cleaner. However, the advantages in our case outweighed the negatives, so we can recommend the Dreame T20 to anyone who is interested in a quality and powerful rod vacuum cleaner.
I looked for this vacuum cleaner but in the end I came up with a better choice of viomi a9.