Dreame Z30 Cordless Stick Vacuum Live Only

Absolutely beats all other stick vacuums - even my Dyson stick vacuum. It has a great, sturdy feel and is super quiet. My son owns one and recommended it. I am glad I listened.

Cleaning now will be a dream!!!
Excellent product. Light weight. Has suction levels from light to powerful. Blue light dust detector. Will definitely recommend to my friends

I’ve used a few different stick vacuums over the years, starting with a from Dyson several years ago to a more recent, lower budget option. I was intrigued by the claim that this Dreame Z30 has powerful suction, and while it lives up to the claim with powerful cleaning capabilities and a very effective light system, the weight and the lack of some basic convenience features makes me question the cost.

The product comes with the main vacuum unit, which includes a replaceable battery (a nice feature), a non-adjustable extension wand, a floor head, an upholstery brush head, a crevice tool, a multi purpose tool, a base station to store all the pieces, an instructions manual, and a power cord. Setup is straightforward as you only need to click together two parts to set up the base station, then you place everything on the station and plug in the power cord to get the device charging.

The finish of the Z30 is an attractive black with gold accents. Generally I’m not a fan of gold accented designs but this is done tastefully and makes the vacuum look good. All the pieces feel solid and are made of a durable plastic. The pieces snap together snugly and even the storage slots on the base station provide a satisfying, firm but not overly tight hold.

The first thing I noticed about the vacuum was how heavy it was. I appreciate there is a trade-off between having a large enough battery and powerful enough motor to make a good performing vacuum vs. something lightweight. I think this vacuum lives right on the edge, if not a bit over in terms of the heaviness. The runtime claims this will run for 90 minutes on a single charge (more on that in a moment) but I can say I wouldn’t want to be using this for 90 minutes straight based on the weight.

Operation is simple as there are only two buttons. The power button is used to turn the vacuum on and off while the second button is used to switch between three different levels of suction. The default setting is the mid level. The display is similarly simple as it shows the battery capacity as a percentage and then the power level, which is represented by “wings” - at least they look like wings to me. One wing represents the lowest level, two the middle, and three the highest (see start of video). In addition to these manual controls the vacuum seems to have a sensor that determines the dirt level and when additional suction is needed. As you run over an area the “wings” change from green to orange (extra dirt) to red (heavy dirt) with an automatic increase in suction the higher the dirt level. This is a nice feature as it means you only need to guide the vacuum without manually adjusting suction levels.

The vacuum claims a runtime of 90 minutes which may be accurate if run at the lowest suction section on relatively clean floors. Practically speaking you’d run this at the mid suction level and, based on using this a few times, my guess is the battery will last for 40-45 minutes before needing recharging.

The best feature to me is the dirt detecting light. I have another vacuum that also has a light but it doesn’t perform anything near the way this one performs. I tried to capture it in the video but it doesn’t do it justice. Not only does the lighting system make it easier to see small debris it also highlights dust in a way I haven’t seen before. It’s really helpful and also very satisfying to see this in the lights and then see it disappear once you’ve run over it with the vacuum. Both the floor head (which has the lights) and the upholstery/small motor head performed very well, picking up debris in the first pass without showing any tangling of hair or threads. The floor head also didn’t scatter larger pieces of dirt (e.g., cat litter) around and instead picked it up cleanly.

Those are all the good things, but there are some things that make this a bit annoying to use in addition to the weight. First, you have no option of installing this on a wall so you must take up floor space to house the vacuum when not in use. I’m not used to this and wish there was an option to hang this from a wall as it would increase where you could store the vacuum. Secondly, and this is my biggest issue, the charging is very crude. Both my several-years-old Dyson as well as my Narwal stick mop have base station charging, that is you simply rest the device on the base station and they begin to charge. This vacuum requires you to put the device on the base station and then manually plug in a cord. Since the cord is not contained in any way it means you’re always bending down to pick it up from the floor every time you need to plug it in. This is the way my budget stick vacuum works and frankly it’s a nuisance and one that shouldn’t be present for something this expensive.

When I unboxed the Dreame Z30, my first thought was: this thing looks good. Everything was neatly packed, and the build feels amazing in hand, just heavy enough to feel solid, almost like holding a precision tool. All the pieces click and snap together perfectly with no wobble. Even the included base deserves a mention: it holds the vacuum and all its accessories neatly, and when everything’s in place it looks sleek and almost luxurious.

Performance & Suction
This thing sucks in the best possible way. I honestly didn’t expect this level of power from a cordless vacuum. I have a cat, and it pulls up her hair from rugs and hard floors even on the lower setting, with zero tangling on the roller. I never see dust or hair escaping; it pulls everything in. The main cleaning head is nimble and rotates enough to get around chair legs and under sofas effortlessly. Maneuvering it feels natural.

Battery & Modes
On Eco mode, I get around 90 minutes. The highest suction mode eats through battery much faster, but in my testing, I haven’t needed it. I suspect it’s for big messes. I mostly use Auto mode, which adjusts suction based on how dirty the floor is. With a full charge in Auto, I can clean my entire two-floor home without worrying about battery life, and not having to deal with a cord makes the whole process faster.

Dust Reveal Light & Attachments
The dust reveal light is no gimmick. It’s like a blacklight for dirt. I thought my floors were clean until I saw them light up like a Christmas tree. It’s… humbling. I use the main head most often, but all the attachments have proven useful.

Noise & Comfort
It’s quieter than my old Electrolux. My cat doesn’t even bother running away when I turn it on. You can actually talk to someone without shouting, especially in the lower settings.

Maintenance
Emptying the dust bin and cleaning the unit is simple and mess-free. Much easier than other cordless vacuums I’ve tried.

The Bottom Line
Pros: Powerful, cordless, easy to maneuver, smart Auto mode, looks great.
Cons: The $700 price tag. I’ve never paid that much for a vacuum before and wouldn’t have considered it until I tried this. Now I get why it costs what it does, but it’s still a premium buy that won’t be for everyone.

If you can swing the budget, this thing feels like a luxury power tool that happens to be a vacuum, and it makes cleaning SO MUCH easier.

For those who are not familiar with Dreame products: they are comparable if not superior to leading brands of vacuum cleaners. I have a big house, 2 dogs, 1 cat, two teens…the dreame robots are life savers. So, I was particular excited to try their hand held vacuum cleaner. The first thing I noticed is the number of accessories it comes with, including a pet brush which I really needed. There are three levels of suction (eco, auto and turbo), and a particulate matter detector which classify the particulate based on size (from mites to pollen). In the auto mode, the strength of the vacuum adjusts based on the amount of dirt, which is quite cool. The regular brush has lights which help in seeing dirt in low light conditions or dark color floors. There is also a soft brush for dusting delicate surfaces, such as TVs, and another smaller extension to dust keyboards. Another extension allows the vacuum cleaner to bend (see pictures) The suction is strong, and the level of noise is quieter or similar than other leading brands. Quiet enough to not scare my Australian Shepherd during grooming. The charging station does not require a wall, but it has a floor-based charging dock, so no mount is required (see picture from manual). As cons, like other leading brands, it does not stand by itself. So far, I believe this vacuum cleaner is similar in suction power to major brand competitors, but superior for the number of attachments it comes with.