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Dreame U20 cordless vacuum: two-minute review
Hailing from parent company, Xiaomi, Dreame is fast becoming a popular sub-brand with an extensive product lineup. Ranging from wet-dry vacuums, air purifiers, robot vacuums (including a robot lawnmower), cordless stick vacuums and hair dryers, Dreame has it all, and across different budgets, too.
While its high-end robovacs are items to dream about (pun intended), as you can see in our Dreame X50 Ultra review, I’m in love with a less expensive product that helps me clear up after my pets. The inexpensive Dreame U20 has change into my lifesaver, combining Dyson-like tech with the signature Dreame model. It’s a flexible and light-weight cordless vacuum that delivers nice efficiency for an exceptionally low value, because it’s very regularly discounted.
Its color scheme belies its budget price point – available in a gorgeous gold and beige colourway, the Dreame U20 looks far more premium than its $249.99 / £250 / AU$399.99 price point suggests.
What I found even more impressive is its suction. For the price, its 120AW power isn’t bad at all, which isn’t too far off the Shark Cordless Detect Pro’s 123AW of suction, and but it was greater than sufficient to wash my pup’s fur off my couch and carpets properly. Evidently, it handles arduous flooring very simply, making it a candidate for being one of many best cordless vacuum cleaners.
It comes with the usual attachments, together with a multi-surface brush head with LED blue lights to light up darkish areas, a mini motorized brush for cleansing upholstery, a crevice device and a detachable battery that is rated for as much as 60 minutes.
Realistically, although, you may get no extra 37-40 minutes when utilizing the 2 motorized attachments on the bottom suction, however that is fantastic for smaller houses – I can simply vacuum my dwelling space, two bedrooms and two bogs inside that point. Nevertheless, in the event you principally have carpets, I discovered it might take longer to get it clear as you might have to travel just a few instances, thus consuming extra battery. The one battery indicator on the U20 is a tiny gentle on the tip cap, which is difficult to see whereas in use, and it blinks when it’s operating low. There’s additionally no fast charging right here, and the vacuum can take as much as 3.5 hours to totally recharge.
The one different draw back to this in any other case nice purchase is that the dustbin capability is just 0.5L, that means you would possibly have to empty it regularly when you have a big dwelling with pets. In the event you do not want any extra bells and whistles, the Dreame U20 is simple to suggest as a top-notch funds cordless vacuum cleaner.
Dreame U20 review: price & availability
- List price: $249.99 / £250 / AU$399
- Availability: Sold in the US, UK and Australia at third-party retailers
The Dreame U20 can be picked up in the US at Target for an inventory worth of $249.99. It’s additionally obtainable on Instacart, with provides stocked at Costco and different smaller retailers. It’s at present not obtainable on Dreame’s US retailer.
Within the UK, the record worth is £250, and you’ll decide it up from Amazon UK or Curry’s, however once more, the vacuum is at present unavailable on the model’s UK retailer.
For patrons dwelling in Australia, Amazon AU lists it for AU$399.99, nevertheless it’s usually discounted to AU$199.99. Even in Australia, the U20 is not obtainable on the Dreame web site.
The Dreame web site lists 27 international locations the place its units can be found, together with the U20. In the event you’re having hassle discovering the product, examine their web site to see if it is obtainable the place you reside.
Even at full worth, the Dreame U20 represents very good worth for cash, notably if you will discover it at a reduced worth. Admittedly it is a very fundamental mannequin, so if you would like a contact extra suction, Dreame has different mid-range fashions, with the Dreame R20 review scoring very properly for balancing worth and efficiency.
- Worth for cash rating: 5 out of 5
Dreame U20 review: specs
|
Type: |
Cordless stick vacuum |
|
Bagless: |
Yes |
|
Weight: |
7.27 lbs / 3.3kg |
|
Bin size: |
0.5 liters / 500ml |
|
Max runtime: |
60 mins |
|
Charge time: |
3.5 hours |
|
Tools: |
Multi-surface brush head, motorized mini brush head, wide combination crevice tool and extension rod |
|
Power: |
120AW |
Dreame U20 review: design
- Compact cordless stick vacuum in a lovely color scheme
- Five attachments, including LED multi-surface brush, mini motorized brush and combination tool
- Can be used as a stick vacuum or a small handheld vacuum
I’m new to the world of vacuum testing, with just one other for sister site Tom’s Guide under my belt. Needless to say, the Dreame U20 has been quite the dream, especially when it came to design. For me, the gold and beige colorway was a winner, a stray away from the typical grey or black of other competitors. It lends the affordable vacuum a classy look.
Other than that, the Dreame U20 has a stock-standard design which allows it to become a handheld unit quickly for cleaning cars, sofas, mattresses and, hey, even dog beds. To pair with the handheld unit, there’s a motorized mini brush in the box that would be handy for said dog bed and the sofa. It could even be used on carpeted stairs.
It has a trigger, like most Dyson models, but you don’t need to keep this pressed at all times to run the machine – you just need to click it on and off. There’s just one other control button on the motor’s end cap to change suction modes and that should be easy to reach for most users with the thumb when holding the U20.
The main floor-cleaning attachment is called the Multi-Surface Brush, which features LED blue lights that help illuminate the floor in front of the brush head but don’t highlight miniscule dust particles like Dyson’s Fluffy tool does. And that’s OK because it still helps you see in dark areas – for example, I was able to see scattered kitty litter in an unlit bathroom.
The other attachment in the box is a combination crevice tool, but a wall-mount kit also ships with the vacuum in case you want to stow it away in a convenient place without compromising floor space.
Weighing 3.3kg / 7.27lbs, the Dreame U20 isn’t exactly lightweight (in comparison, the Shark Cordless Detect Professional weighs 2.7kg / 5.9lbs), nevertheless it’s nonetheless very simple to push round. It measures 16cm x 30cm x 68cm with the extension rod hooked up.
The 120AW motor is able to operating at three completely different velocity modes, indicated by three lights on the tip cap of the motor. You possibly can swap between the velocity settings (low, medium and excessive) by tapping the button instantly under the lights and switching it on through the use of the set off. For many cleans, I discovered I tended to flick between medium and excessive, particularly when cleansing carpets.
Based on Dreame, the U20 motor has a multi-layer filtration system that captures as much as 99.9% of fantastic mud and particles. Its HEPA filter additionally retains particles out of the air and contained in the bin whereas vacuuming, which is fairly commonplace for any cordless vacuum cleaner lately.
For its worth level, the 0.5L bin is sort of commonplace, nevertheless it’ll probably refill quick when you have, say, a two-bedroom or bigger dwelling with pets, that means you may have to make extra journeys to empty it. The bin has a useful sticker on the entrance (which I did refer again to many instances) that signifies the right way to insert or take away it to empty, and its so simple as pushing the button on the bottom and twisting the canister clockwise. After detaching, all it’s important to do is unscrew the filter from the container to take away the particles – finer mud or crumbs fall out simply, however you might have to get your fingers inside to take away clumps of hair from the bin.
The removable battery pack might be useful for some customers as you possibly can clip it into the wall-mount attachment and start charging it when you’re emptying the vacuum for instance. Nevertheless, in the event you’re a renter who cannot drill holes into your wall – like me – you possibly can depart the battery hooked up to the U20 and hold the vacuum propped up in opposition to a wall or in a cabinet for topping up.
It lacks an LCD display screen to indicate suction modes or time remaining earlier than the following cost. As an alternative, the battery life is displayed by a small vertical gentle on the pack itself, which flashes when it wants charging. It is unlucky that it faces ahead, so it’s not seen to the person, and neither is it a really noticeable gentle – and that is my largest criticism with the Dreame U20 as there have been just a few cases the place the machine shut down mid-clean throughout my testing.
The U20’s multi-surface brush head is sort of much like many floor-cleaning attachments from different manufacturers, nevertheless it options blue LED lights on the entrance that illuminate two small triangular sections of the ground instantly in entrance of the comb head. Whereas it seems much like Dyson’s inexperienced dust-illuminating gentle on the Fluffy Optic, this blue gentle doesn’t spotlight invisible mud on the ground, however I discovered it’s vivid and vivid sufficient to assist stroll round in a darkish room with out bumping into issues. Living proof: it completely confirmed scattered kitty litter in an unlit toilet that was, on the time, pitch darkish.
The comb additionally has V-shaped bristles with comb-like tooth – in my expertise, this not solely prevents tangles successfully, however can decide up human hair and pet fur from low-pile carpets simply as properly.
This brush head is sort of versatile, rotating 90º round chair legs and furnishings. It’s additionally not as giant as you’d discover on different (costlier) vacuum cleaners and I discovered it might get into corners, which is especially useful in my pet hair-filled dwelling.
My favourite attachment, nevertheless, is the motorized mini brush, which clips in just below the bin for handheld use. It’s excellent for sucking up fur from my sofa and cushions – it’s each maneuvrable and anti-tangle.
If it wasn’t for the lacking show to examine battery life, I’d say that Dreame would deserve high marks for the U20’s design.
Dreame U20 review: performance
- Excellent maneuverability
- Impressive performance on hard floors and low-pile carpets
- Lower suction than competitors but still tackles pet hair well
I’ve spent a few months with the Dreame U20 (as of publishing this review) and I still can’t get over how impressive its maneuverability is. The 90º rotating main brush head makes it very easy to clean around chair legs and furniture and I had no trouble handling the 3.3kg / 7.2lbs vacuum. That said, if you are using the extension tube to clean ceiling corners, the U20 could begin to feel heavy for some users quickly.
The controls are well placed, which are as simple as pushing the end cap button to select the speed and hitting the trigger underneath. And as I’ve mentioned previously, there’s no need to keep the latter depressed continuously for power like a Dyson.
Speaking of power: sure, we could ask for higher suction than its 120AW, but given its price point, it’s hard to argue with what it has. If you do need better performance, you could consider the Dreame R20 (if it’s available where you live), but I found the U20 does an admirable job nonetheless. It can struggle on some carpets as you will need to go over a particular spot multiple times to get a deeper clean, and I’ve found myself needing to push with full shoulder force on occasion.
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Throughout my testing, the Dreame U20 impressed in more ways than one. I performed TechRadar’s standard tests for vacuum cleaners, sprinkling a smattering of oats and tea from a bag on both my hardwood and carpeted floors. As an extra measure, I also made sure the floors had extra pet debris – i.e. kitty litter and fur – which were my two motivations for purchasing the U20 in the first place.
During the hardwood mess test, the U20 performed remarkably well on the lowest speed setting in picking up most of the oats. I needed to boost the speed to the second (or medium) setting to do another pass to pick up every last speck of oats, though, but that left the hard floor entirely clean.
As for the tea, the U20 did a better job, sucking it all up in one go on the low setting, so it handles lighter and smaller dirt better than larger debris. It was the same for pet hair on hardwood – all strands got sucked up in one pass on the low setting. The vacuum struggled a touch with kitty litter, leaving a few specks behind on hard floors in a single pass, but it was cleaned up in the second go.
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I wasn’t expecting as impressive a performance on carpets, but the U20 did better than I had anticipated on a low-pile carpet in my tests, quickly removing the oats and tea dust from a bag in one pass on the low suction setting. It will, however, struggle with medium and high-pile carpets, particularly if the dust and debris is deep-seated, although loose dirt will come away if you give the area a few gos with the U20.
In terms of pet hair on carpet, the U20 did indeed struggle at the lowest setting, leaving more than a few strands behind after the first pass. The U20 performed the best with pet hair on the same low-pile carpet at maximum suction, and didn’t require several passes to get the job done. The kitty litter yielded a similar result to the hardwood floor test, but I needed to boost suction again to pick up every last piece.
While it can tackle low-pile carpets with ease, pet hair embedded in medium- or high-pile carpets will remain even after several passes – you can expect about 80% off the fur to be sucked up from these kinds of flooring.
As a pet mum, it was important to me to own a vacuum cleaner with a tangle-free brush, as I’ve often painstakingly cleaned out wads of hair from cleaning attachments of older machines. I was thrilled to find that the U20’s V-shaped bristles were especially impressive at leaving no evidence of entanglements. That’s made ongoing maintenance of the vacuum easier.
This sentiment also rang true for the mini motor brush when cleaning my couch and cushions. It does, however, require several passes when using the handheld motor and mini brush to clean up pet hair due to its smaller footprint, but it still worked a treat.
The U20 collects a nice volume of hair in its 0.5L bin, and I have particularly enjoyed how easy it is to empty the bin with a twist of the base. If you are a pet owner with a shedding furry friend, then I would recommend the U20 for a quick, daily tidy-up, but you might want to consider other pet-focused vacuum cleaners, like the Shark Stratos Pet Pro (IZ400), as they normally have a larger-capacity bin and boast extra suction energy.
Regardless of its comparatively decrease suction and smaller bin, the U20 performs very properly, given its funds worth – it is very simple to suggest for fast clean-ups.
- Efficiency rating: 4.5 out of 5
Dreame U20 review: battery life
- Average battery life for an affordable cordless vacuum
- 3.5-hour charging time
- Expect shorter runtimes if the floor is dirty
According to Dreame, the U20 has a battery life of up to 60 minutes on a full charge, and takes around 3.5 hours to top up from practically empty. Take that number with a pinch of salt, as it indicates runtime when using non-motorized tools, which in this case is the combination crevice attachment only.
With a motorized head like the main floor cleaner and the mini brush, I found that it lasts a maximum of 37 minutes on its lowest setting – and there’s no dynamic suction here to drain the battery faster. At TechRadar, we’ve tested over a hundred vacuum cleaners over the last decade, and we’ve found that the average battery life for a budget cordless vacuum is around 40 minutes, which puts the U20 on par with others, including the Dyson V8 .
Increased the suction, the sooner the battery will drain, in fact and, in testing, I obtained about 17 minutes of runtime on a full cost when set to most. That’s not unhealthy, contemplating some premium fashions just like the Dyson V15 Detect can provide you lesser runtime on Enhance mode (about 8 minutes on a unclean mid-pile carpet), though it routinely adjusts suction energy to swimsuit the quantity of filth it detects.
So whereas the U20 has common battery runtime, I’d suggest it for smaller houses or one thing for the shed, maybe.
- Battery life rating: 4 out of 5
Should you buy the Dreame U20?
|
Attribute |
Notes |
Rating |
|---|---|---|
|
Value |
Often on sale, the U20 is an excellent budget option with great performance. |
5/5 |
|
Design |
The color combination makes it look premium, and its attachments are useful. It would have been good if there was a better way to gauge battery life. |
4/5 |
|
Performance |
Great for everyday, quick cleaning, even of pet hair, on hard floors and low-pile carpets, but it may struggle on particularly dirty mid- and high-pile carpets. |
4.5/5 |
|
Battery |
Rated for up to 60 minutes, but expect about 35 minutes in real-world use on low power. |
4/5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Dreame U20: alternatives to consider
|
Product: |
Dreame U20 (reviewed) |
Shark Cordless Detect Pro |
Dyson V8 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Weight: |
7.27lbs / 3.3kg |
6lbs / 2.7kg |
3.48lbs / 1.58kg |
|
Bin volume: |
0.5L |
0.4L |
0.54L |
|
Max runtime: |
60 mins |
40 mins |
40 mins |
|
Accessories: |
Multi-surface brush head, motorized mini brush head, wide combination crevice tool and extension rod |
Duster, crevice tool, optional auto-empty dock (costs extra) |
2 x floorheads, Hair screw tool, Combination tool, Crevice tool |
How I tested the Dreame U20 cordless vacuum
TechRadar adopts a strict testing regime for all its products so potential buyers know exactly what they’re getting. To comply with the testing, I used the machine for a few months before putting it through some rigorous carpet and hard-floor tests using common pantry items, such as tea and raw oats. I also took into account the device’s ergonomics, design and overall experience to determine my final verdict.
Read more about how we test vacuum cleaners
- First reviewed September 2025
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