After 6 Months of Testing, the Dreame Aero Pro Is the Floor Cleaner I Keep Reaching For

3 min readVacuuming is a wind-me-up-and-watch-me-go activity that I can get lost in: blasting music through my speakers and whipping around like I’m Mrs. Doubtfire, I genuinely enjoy the process (maybe I need a hobby). But my wooden floors started looking dingy and I realized dry vacuuming wasn’t going to cut it, I need to add mopping to the ritual.Living in a small Brooklyn apartment means no room for the traditional mop-bucket combo, so I started shopping for a wet/dry vacuum. A coworker recommended the Shark AquaReach Pro, but I was more drawn to Dreame’s vacuum design. I landed on the Dreame Aero Pro for its checklist of features. After having used it for six months I realized how much I needed a mop but, and more impressively, it opened my eyes to the magic of steam cleaning.Great Design That’s ManeuverableAt $600, I’ll admit there’s initial sticker shock, but the three-in-one functionality is well worth it. Not to mention, I’m a sucker for sleek design.The Dreame Aero Pro is intuitive and easy to use out of the box—fill the reservoir up with water and go. It has a weightiness that feels luxuriously well-built, not heavy: It glides forward across my wooden floors, and pulls back just as easy to soak up the water. Its vacuum head is wide enough to cover ground, but nimble enough to maneuver around corners and under furniture.Efficient Cleaning All AroundThe Dreame Aero Pro has five different modes—smart, turbo, eco, steam, suction—though I mostly use eco because it’s simple and actually works. It automatically adjusts based on how dirty the floors are. If something is really stuck onto the floor I use the touch-control screen to switch to “steam” and within about 15 second, the stain is gone.I was shocked how clean my floors were after its maiden voyage; They were cleaner than when I first moved in two years ago. Scuffs and marks that I thought were permanent fixtures of my new digs were removed in a couple of passes. While my apartment is small, it was a quick cleaning session as the Dreame Aero efficiently picks up dirt and grime. I even use it in my tile bathrooms and it leaves the floors spotless.The Base Charges and Self CleansThe Dreame Aero Pro runs on a rechargeable battery which has a stated runtime of 70 minutes. I’ll be honest, I don’t know if that’s true because I’ve only needed to use it for 45 minutes tops. There is a safeguard feature that can be annoying but one I appreciate: If you turn the vacuum on and it’s low on battery, it commands you to charge it before you can use it. I can see why some may not like this, but it’s a preventative feature that keeps me from running out of power mid cleaning session.I’m often skeptical of “self cleaning” modes in any product category, but especially with vacuums. I’ve tried models that boast this feature but still smell after a couple of uses, but that’s not the case with the Dreame. Its self cleaning function sanitizes the brush head and there’s no weird smells. I keep the vacuum and base in a small laundry closet with no ventilation—not a forgiving place for bad odors—and haven’t noticed any offensive smells.Final Thoughts I am extremely happy with the Dreame Aero Pro vacuum. Spending $600 on one machine would be a non-starter for me if it was a one-trick pony, but this vacuum is anything but: A single machine allows me to vacuum my living room carpet, mop the kitchen, and steam clean bathroom floors. The sleek design makes it fun to use and allows me to live out my Mrs. Doubtfire vision.Buy the Dreame Aero Pro Steam VacuumDanny Perez is a Reviews Editor for Popular Mechanics with a focus on men's style, gear, and home goods. Recently, he was coordinator of partnership content at another product journalism outlet. Prior to that, he was a buyer for an independent men's shop in Houston, Texas, where he learned all about what makes great products great. He enjoys thrifting for 90s Broadway tees and vintage pajama sets. His spare time is occupied by watching movies and running to impress strangers on Strava.