The Chinese brand Dreame is upgrading its floor scrubber. Exit the H14 Pro, one of the most accomplished models on the market. Now it's time for the H15 Pro, a model that retains many of the same features as its predecessor, but adds a few welcome new features. The goal? Still the same: to offer a floor cleaner that's even more efficient, but also easier to use. Has Dreame succeeded with its new model? Find out in our full review.
From the H14 to the H15: notable developments
Without changing its formula, the H15 Pro nevertheless manages to evolve the floor scrubber as Dreame designed it. This evolution in the company's vision is primarily due to two new features. The first is the addition of a squeegee blade, which improves cleaning performance. The second is formal and boils down to the change in the location of the water tank. The latter, which was previously positioned on the arm of the machine, is now housed above the washing head. These two modifications are not without consequences on the use of the H15 Pro and on the ease with which the cleaner is moved as it is used. We'll come back to that.
For the rest, the H15 Pro retains most of what made its predecessor a success, both in the "broom" section and in the cleaning station, which has barely changed. Last notable change: Dreame made the strange choice to deprive its floor cleaner of the ability to use detergent. Again, this choice is not without consequences for its performance.
The H15 Pro in everyday use: simpler, not lighter
Let's start with what is undoubtedly our biggest regret about this H15 Pro. During our test of the H14 Pro, we regretted that Dreame had not managed to reduce the weight of its floor cleaner. Unfortunately, its successor does no better, as it dangerously approaches 6 kg. This is not a deal breaker, far from it, but it does make the cleaner more difficult to use, especially when you have to move it between several floors or, worse, if you want to clean stairs. This is where we come to the limits of this type of product and the aspects in which they are still struggling to make us forget about conventional stick vacuums.
Finally, one of Dreame's notable choices, that of having moved the water tank onto the cleaning head, is not the best idea in terms of maneuverability either. On the one hand, because the H15 Pro's head seems heavier, but also because the whole thing becomes less maneuverable. While Dreame's floor cleaner can still rely on "GlideWheel" technology to motorize movements and reduce the effort required from the user, we nevertheless notice that using the H15 Pro requires a little more support, especially when the cleaning head moves backward. In this phase, the tank and the squeegee on the cleaning head make handling less fluid.
On the other hand, the Dreame H15 Pro retains the main new feature of its predecessor, namely the ability to tilt up to 180° to be able to clean under furniture. Lying down, its head measures only 9.6 cm high while the rest of the broom goes up to 14 cm. In this respect, it remains particularly easy and efficient.
Performance: always a safe bet
The H15 Pro remains as simple to use as ever. Once the cleaner is removed from its docking station, simply tilt it to start. Its small motors assist with the forward and backward movement and accompany the user's movements. The user only has to control the control screen on top of the broom. This displays the cleaning mode in use, as well as the battery level. To change the suction power or the cleaning mode (four modes: suction, turbo, silent, or auto), a button on the top of the handle allows you to switch between them. In short, the recipe is now known, it is simple and effective, in fact, Dreame does not hesitate to repeat it.
However, it must be recognized that the formal changes made to the H15 Pro do not always do it any favors, including in use. As we've already mentioned, the cleaner is relatively heavy, but to this must also be added a slight lack of flexibility which makes tight maneuvers a little more difficult, especially when you have to squeeze between chair legs or go to clean a corner.
On the other hand, in terms of washing and cleaning, the changes made are paying off and the H15 Pro is still improving on this point. Usage note: we mainly used the auto mode during this test. This option automatically detects the level of dirt on the floor and applies the power and quantity of water required for cleaning.
On the washing side, the new feature is this squeegee that is positioned on the cleaning head and makes a slight movement to help with scrubbing and collect small residues. This actually improves the performance of the floor cleaner, which is in the good average of its category. Of course, these are the same types of stains that continue to pose problems (dried sauce, for example) and, on this point, the squeegee does not change anything. On the other hand, it does improve the results when a large quantity of liquid is spilled. Its only drawback is when it is faced with larger waste, in the case of certain cereals, the squeegee even tends to push them instead of swallowing them. Nevertheless, overall, its contribution is undeniable.
On the other hand, special mention should be made of the H15 Pro's ability to handle hair and other long hair. These are generally the bane of this type of machine, including robot vacuum cleaners. However, Dreame's new floor cleaner manages to handle them easily, and there's no need to untangle the brush or clean the access points to the dirty water tank.
Surprisingly, Dreame has chosen not to include a detergent tank for this model, so you'll have to make do with washing with water, which is a step backwards compared to the previous generation. Unless you consider that detergent does nothing to keep floors clean?
Maintenance: you'll need to go to the tap regularly
Maintenance of the new H15 Pro doesn't differ excessively from that required by its predecessor. As we pointed out during our test, maintenance of the cleaning head and that of the tank elements must be separated. The former is almost entirely carried out by the docking station and is done almost perfectly.
Indeed, the self-cleaning procedure is as simple as it is effective. Once the cleaner is placed on its base, simply select the cleaning mode (standard or deep), which is done by pressing the dedicated button on the handle once or twice. From then on, the brush is taken over by the maintenance base, it is re-wet in heated water and then dried with hot air (85 or 90C°) for up to 30 minutes. This procedure, although a little noisy, is extremely effective and removes traces of dirt as well as odors.
Unfortunately, Dreame and its competitors have not found an equally effective solution for cleaning the tanks. In this regard, you simply have to get your hands dirty. The H15 Pro still has two tanks, but their storage capacity has evolved: 780 ml for clean water, compared to 880 ml on the H14 Pro and 700 ml for dirty water, compared to 650 ml previously. Here, the fact of having moved the clean water tank to the cleaning head has not only reduced its capacity, but also made its maintenance a little more difficult, the opening being much narrower than before. As for the additional 50 ml of capacity on the dirty water side, their addition does not radically change the situation. You have to work hard to clean this tank, which remains the most unpleasant operation of the entire maintenance.
Autonomy: in continuity
If there is one aspect on which the H15 Pro has hardly evolved, it is that of autonomy. Like its predecessor, it takes around forty minutes of intensive cleaning, which is more than enough to cover an area of 50 to 75m². What will affect the battery life? The intensity of the cleaning, of course. When the cleaner detects a particularly dirty area, or when the user passes over the same spot several times, the H15 Pro increases its suction and cleaning capabilities to be more efficient. This naturally results in greater demands on its battery and therefore less autonomy.
As with its predecessor, it is undoubtedly the clean water tank that will most often interrupt your cleaning by asking you to refill it. On this point, Dreame seems to have made some progress and it seemed to us that a complete cleaning of our test area required a smaller quantity of water than during the H14 Pro test. However, in the case of intensive washing, you have to count on refilling the water tank every 35 minutes.
Finally, once the cleaning is finished, you have to go through the recharging stage. This is done automatically on the H15 Pro docking station. In our test, it took us just over 3 hours to go from 0 to 100% battery, which is average for the category.
Test verdict:
The H15 Pro is a very good floor cleaner that's also suitable for large surfaces thanks to its 40-minute battery life. Versatile and efficient, it's particularly good with loose stains and pet hair. However, Dreame's improvements to this new version aren't all successful. The squeegee is a plus, except when it comes to thicker dirt. As for the water tank located on the cleaning head, it offers a reduced capacity, which means it needs to be refilled more often, but more importantly, it makes the H15 Pro a little less maneuverable. In fact, at just under 6 kg, Dreame's cleaner won't necessarily be suitable for multi-story homes. In these respects, the H15 Pro pays for some design choices, but it's probably the compromise to accept for such cleaning efficiency.
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