I Tested the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller Robot Vacuum and It Finally Showed Me What Hands-Free Cleaning Can Be

With its large dock, roller mop, and high price, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller is most definitely a premium appliance designed to stand out.

It comfortably sits among the best robot vacuums for mopping and it does a great job on hard floors, even if it’s less impressive and consistent on carpets.

Dreame bills its $1,599.99 Aqua10 Ultra Roller as its most advanced cleaner yet and in everyday use it largely lives up to this. It's hugely capable, it's just not without a few flaws. Read on to learn more.

The One-Minute Summary

The Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller is designed for people who want their floors cleaned with as little effort as possible and, in many ways, it delivers. Over four weeks of testing, it was especially impressive on hard floors, where its self-cleaning roller mop came into its own.

The continuously washed roller system – a first in the market – lifts grime rather than dragging it around, leaving floors clean without streaks or odors. This puts it closer to the results I'd expect from some of the best vacuum-mops than a typical robot vacuum. The fully automated dock, which washes, dries, and empties the machine, means you rarely have to deal with dirty water or damp pads.

Elsewhere, mapping is accurate and once set up, the robot runs largely without help. It can navigate furniture, cables and everyday clutter well, and it's great at avoiding obstacles – including pets – making it ideal for busy homes with kids, dogs and general chaos.

It's not perfect though. The app can feel busy and overwhelming at times, even for someone who has spent more than a decade testing smart home devices. Vacuuming is inconsistent; it's great on hard floors and low-pile rugs but less effective on cleaning carpets, and both the robot and the dock are bulky. With the station resembling a small piece of furniture, it may not suit small apartments or homes with limited space and the slimmer Roborock Q7 M5 may be a better bet.

In terms of value, at $1,599.99 the Aqua10 Ultra Roller is expensive. You're paying a premium for automation, advanced mopping, and reduced day-to-day effort. If you can afford it, it's worth the investment. If it's beyond your budget, the eufy Omni S1 Pro is a close like-for-like alternative that is regularly on offer, since the launch of the eufy Omni S2.

Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller: Specifications

Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller: Setup

Unboxing the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller is relatively painless, even though the box itself is huge and heavy. Everything is well-organized and packed neatly so you’re not digging through a mess of loose parts, and there isn’t loads of pointless plastic either.

Even better, all the robot vacuum components – the filter, brushes, and mop rollers – come pre-installed so the "build" is quick and easy, as is filling the clean water tank and solution reservoirs on the dock. There's one reservoir for the Dreame's Standard Solution, and one for Dreame's Pet Odor version.

You get a bottle of each, plus a spare of each and all of the robot's spare components included in the box. A very welcomed touch.

In total, fully unboxing the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller and dock took less than five minutes.

The smart home setup is quick, too. The Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller's Quick Start guide is genuinely one of the easiest I’ve used because of its simple step-by-step instructions. You don't have to flick through a full manual, navigate complex diagrams, or scan a QR code to watch a video. It takes you through downloading the Dreamehome app, finding your device, and connecting it to Wi-Fi.

At no point did I experience errors or the frustrations I've had with other robot vacuums recently – namely the Roomba 750 – and nothing that tripped me up.

Once connected, the robot does a mapping run. Mine created a decent first map in a little over 20 minutes – although it thought my garden was an extra room. It was then ready to start deep cleaning my home.

The app recommends charging the robot to 100% before running the initial deep clean, although ours managed it on 48% (the level of battery it had straight out of the box). The dock then takes care of all the prep, including washing the roller mop. All you need to do is clear the floor.

Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller: Design and Features

The robot itself is fairly low-profile, with a round, wide body and a smooth finish. On top, there are two physical buttons for basic controls, letting you start a clean or send it back to the dock without the app.

The navigation system sits flush to the top when not in use but rises up when it starts to clean. It can also retract this tower mid-clean if it needs to fit under low furniture, for example.

There’s then a small onboard water tank at the rear, which the dock refills automatically when needed, and a camera that lets you remotely view your home.

This is fun and it captures Pet Moments, which are cute, but this likely adds a premium to the already expensive price so you're effectively paying a privilege for something that, in real-world terms, adds very little.

Flip the robot over and you’ll find the main brush, side brushes for pulling trapped debris from corners and edges, and the cylindrical roller mop. Unlike flat pads, this roller spins as it cleans and is designed to lift dirt rather than smear it. It also cleans itself as it goes, and has a cover that automatically moves into place when the vacuum moves from hard floors to carpets to avoid stains transferring. The roller additionally sits slightly off-center, helping it achieve better baseboard cleaning and reach into corners.

Sensors and wheels are then positioned around the underside to help with navigation, and there are even "legs" that protrude from the base to help the robot climb high thresholds.

The dock itself is large and bulky.

Inside, behind a removable panel on the front, it houses the dust bag and solution reservoirs. The clean and dirty water tanks can be accessed via the top of the dock, and then the washing and drying system for the mop is built into the base.

The dock handles emptying, rinsing, drying, and refilling automatically, so you rarely need to interact with the robot itself.

Most control happens through the Dreamehome app, though. From here, you can start and stop cleans, choose specific rooms or zones, and decide whether the robot should vacuum, mop, or do both at once. You can create cleaning schedules for different days and times, set no-go zones and virtual walls, and adjust suction and water levels for different rooms, even during the same clean.

The app also lets you set up routines, such as cleaning the kitchen after meals or focusing on high-traffic areas more often. You can send the robot to clean a single spill, an entire floor, or a custom area you draw on the map. And once mapping is complete, the home layout, including walls and rooms, can be fine-tuned.

Over time, the system builds a detailed picture of how your home is used. It tracks which areas get dirty most often and can suggest more frequent cleaning in busy spaces via the CleanGenius mode.

You can choose whether to follow these suggestions or ignore them, but the option is there if you want a more hands-off approach.

Maintenance features are built into the app too. You can check the condition of brushes, filters, and bags, see when parts need replacing, and order spares directly. The robot automatically empties its on-board dust bag and cleans and dries its mop but if you don't think it's done a good-enough job, you can manage this in the app. Plus, it's a good place to start if your robot vacuum keeps getting stuck or isn't working as it should.

What Is the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller Like to Use?

Around my house, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller moved carefully and slowly. It didn't rush through rooms but this meant it rarely had to double back unnecessarily. It follows logical paths, keeps good track of covered areas, and updates its map as it goes. Even after I'd moved furniture or left doors open, it adapted well without needing to completely remap.

This also meant it handled obstacles well. Despite my best efforts, shoes, toys, messy cables, and pet bowls are often left scattered around. They were always avoided rather than dragged across the floor. Very thin wires and low objects had a tendency to still trip it up, but that’s true of most robot vacuums I've tried.

Elsewhere, the robot moves well between surfaces and rooms. I have a high threshold between the Karndean flooring in my kitchen and the solid wood of my hallway. This often caused the robot to hesitate, but it always managed to scale it thanks to the "legs" that protrude and push it up and over. Even if the clattering noise as it hits the floor when the legs retract makes me jump every time.

Speaking of noise, the robot itself is easy to live with. During everyday use, it fades into the background and is quiet enough to run while working or watching TV. The dock is noticeably louder when it empties the dustbin or cleans the mop, but those moments are brief and predictable.

If I was being picky, the app is a little too busy for my liking. There's a lot going on with various options and settings spread across myriad submenus. From pet-friendly settings, to settings for different floor types, different ways to clean carpets, edge and corner settings, obstacle settings, camera and voice assistant settings and more.

On the map page alone there are nine icons in addition to the main cleaning menu, within which are five modes, four suction strengths, how wet you want the mop to be and how much pressure it should apply and more.

On the plus side, this means you can customize the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller to your exact home and needs and with many of these settings, you can set and forget. But it can feel overwhelming and confusing at times.

Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller: Vacuuming Tests

To get a clear picture of how well the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller actually vacuums, I ran a set of tests on both hard floors and carpet, using sugar for fine debris, lentils for medium, and cereal for larger pieces.

When cleaning hardwood floors and kitchen laminate, results were consistently strong. With sugar, the robot picked up almost everything on the first pass. Very little was pushed around, and only a small amount remained in tight corners, which were cleared on a second sweep. It didn’t smear or drag the fine debris, and nothing was spat back out.

Lentils were handled almost as well. Most were collected immediately, including those near the baseboards. A few were nudged forward before being picked up, but few were left behind, and nothing was flung across the room. When the robot went back to the dock to charge, a few of these lentils fell out but this is a small complaint.

Cereal was also dealt with well. The larger pieces were either run over and turned to dust, or lifted without clogging or bouncing away. Only a couple were briefly pushed ahead before being collected. Corners were less consistent, but still better than average for a robot vacuum and a quick manual sweep is enough to get rid of them.

On carpet, however, performance was a mixed bag (excuse the pun).

Sugar was mostly removed on the first pass, but some was left behind in deeper fibers. A second run noticeably improved things, although it still didn’t achieve the same finish as on hard floors.

Lentils were picked up reasonably well, but not quite as cleanly as on hard surfaces. A small number became buried in the carpet pile and needed an extra pass. None were thrown around, but the coverage wasn’t quite as good.

Cereal proved the most challenging on carpet. Few pieces were collected with several just being pushed around or crushed. The robot often seemed to get confused by the cereal and just moved in random patterns. I assume it thought they were obstacles, despite the fact the robot handles other obstacles so well, and this was annoying to say the least.

Beyond these standardized tests, edges and moldings, which can be one the hardest cleaning tasks were rarely a problem. The robot even has a little arm that extends to push the brush or the mop into the nooks.

The robot also handled pet hair well on hard floors and low-pile rugs. This is where the app's recommendations work well because it now knows to concentrate around my labrador's bed. On thicker carpets, hair was lifted from the surface, but deeper strands weren't always fully removed and I still found myself having to manually vacuum in carpeted areas to remove the dander.

In practical terms, though, the Aqua10 reduced my manual vacuuming by around 70%. The biggest reduction I've seen in all my time testing robot vacuums. I still used my regular vacuum on carpets and stairs every weekend, but for daily maintenance, the robot handled most of the work.

Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller: Mopping Tests

To test how well the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller handles real, sticky stains, I ran two standardized tests on hard flooring using ketchup and mustard.

For the ketchup test, the robot performed well. On its first pass, the spinning roller lifted most of the stain straight away. A faint pink line was left behind in a couple of places, mainly near the edges of the roller but because the mop cleans itself as it goes, none of the residue was moved around.

The mustard test was more of a challenge for the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller. Mustard is thicker, oilier and more likely to leave staining behind. On the first pass, the robot removed the bulk of the spill, but it did drag a small amount of yellow residue across the floor. I also had to send the vacuum back over the spill, this time via the Spot Clean setting with mop pressure set to high in order to lift the faint yellow that remained.

Importantly, and despite these complaints, in both mopping tests, the roller mop behaved more like a manual mop than a damp cloth. Instead of pushing liquid around, it lifted and absorbed the mess, which is something many robot mops I've tried struggle to do.

For everyday tasks, too, mopping is where the Aqua10 Ultra Roller really stands out. The powered roller and automatic washing system make a noticeable difference.

Floors consistently looked – and smelled – cleaner after a run, especially in kitchens and entryways where sticky residue and grime tend to build up. The cleaning solutions gave a light, clean scent and there were no musty or “wet cloth” smells, which can be an issue with robots that don’t dry their pads properly.

After mopping, floors are left slightly damp but not soaked. In most cases, they were dry enough to walk on comfortably within five minutes. There was minimal splashing, no clogging, no foaming and no obvious build-up of grime on the roller. Just streak-free floors.

In fact, the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller's stain removal in general is excellent for a robot mop. Fresh food spills, muddy paw prints, and drink splashes were usually removed in one run.

Older, dried-on stains, especially coffee, sometimes needed a second pass, but very rarely required me to manually mop. Over several weeks of testing, I found myself mopping far less often, if at all.

Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller: Maintenance

One of the main reasons to buy a premium robot vacuum like the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller is to cut down on day-to-day chores, not add to them and in this case, it overdelivers.

Most routine maintenance is handled by the dock. After each run, it washes the roller mop thoroughly and dries it with warm air, which stops odors and prevents mold. In everyday use, I found the mop consistently came out clean and dry, with none of the damp, musty smell that cheaper robot mops often develop. The dustbin is emptied automatically, and both clean and dirty water tanks are clearly labeled and easy to remove and refill.

Hair management is good but not great. The rubber main brush resists tangling better than bristle brushes, and during testing I rarely had to cut away wrapped hair but that doesn't mean it was faultless. With my long hair and pets in the house, I still needed to check it every couple of weeks and loosen stubborn hairs, but as a rule it performed well.

The app keeps track of wear and tear and sends reminders when filters, bags, or brushes need cleaning or replacing. Replacement parts can then be ordered directly from the app. Knowing how to clean a robot vacuum is key to extending its lifespan and with a robot this expensive, it's great to see clear instructions easily available.

And if you need to check one of the components, or replace it, access is straightforward. The underside opens easily, the roller mop lifts out without tools, and the dust filter can be rinsed under the tap.

Overall, maintenance is minimal. Aside from topping up water, emptying the dirty tank, and doing the occasional brush check, the Aqua10 largely looks after itself. For a robot vacuum in this price bracket, it offers one of the most hands-off experiences I've had, and that’s a big part of what you’re paying for.

How Does the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller Compare?

The Dreame Aqua10 Roller cleans more thoroughly, and handles obstacles, navigation, and pattern-learning better than most robot vacuums we've tested. It costs $1,599.99 at Dreame at full price (but is often discounted to under $1,000).

The eufy Omni S1 Pro, another of our top picks, once cost around the same, but is now discounted to around $699.99 at eufy. The Dreame Aqua10 Roller has stronger suction, more thorough mopping, and more advanced features, but the eufy Omni S1 Pro has stronger performance on pet hair.

The Yeedi S20 Infinity is another strong alternative, costing around $899.99 at Amazon. It has a few drawbacks, notably its poorer durability, but like the Dreame it also has some of the strongest suction and deepest mopping in the robot vacuum market.

How I Tested the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller

We take a methodical approach to how we test vacuums which involves in-depth and standardized performance tests, running benchmarks, and living with the product to see how it fits into everyday cleaning.

I tested the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller over one month in a family home with mixed flooring, children, and a dog.

To standardize the vacuuming tests, I used sugar, lentils, and cereal on hard floors and carpet, while mopping tests used ketchup and mustard stains. Noise levels were measured using the DecibelX app, and I used the scheduling and manual functions on the app in everyday use.

This helped me focus on how often the robot genuinely replaced manual cleaning versus adding to the household chore load.

Next, learn how to choose the best vacuum for every home and budget.