Review: Dreame Roboticmower A1

Expert’s Rating

4.5/5

Pros

• Easy installation
• Can handle up to 45 per cent slope
• Many functions
• Fine and precise cutting

Cons

• Poor obstacle detection (of low-profile objects)
• Link module not included
• Relatively expensive

Our Verdict

This easy-to-use robot mower navigates and cuts well, but its relatively high price tag and inability to detect and avoid low-profile objects on the ground is much less impressive.

Price When Reviewed

$2,499.99

Best Prices Today: Dreame Roboticmower A1

$2,499.99

Dreametech’s advertisements for its Dreame Roboticmower A1 left me with high expectations. And this robot lawnmower does look good, if a bit plasticky.

Easy installation and advanced mapping system

Dreame’s mobile app quickly guides you how to control the machine around your property line, coming within 10 centimeters (3.9 inches) of its edge. You steer the mower with just a thumb on the screen, which is not optimal, but it works. I was happy to return to the starting point, a few meters in front of the charging station, at which point I was asked to create a path to the charging pad. That’s a bit strange, but it works.

The Roboticmower A1 maps your yard with what Dreametech calls its “OmniSense 3D Ultra-Sensing System,” and you can view this map in the app. The map becomes more detailed over time, and it impressively identifies even the surroundings all around the lawn.

You can set the Roboticmower A1’s cutting height to between 30- and 70mm (1.2 to 2.8 inches), and there are a lot of other settings to explore. The mower cuts methodically in straight lines by default, much like a robot vacuum cleaner, but you can customize this. There’s both rain and frost protection, and a PIN code for theft protection. If you want a geofence-based alarm, you’ll need to buy a “link module” for about $279.

Poor obstacle detection

Observing the fat LiDAR sensor on top of the mower and reading the manufacturer’s claims of the mower’s obstacle-avoidance prowess raised my expectations on that front. The company’s website claims: “By leveraging environmental point cloud data acquisition and cutting-edge AI algorithms, A1 intelligently identifies and circumvents common garden obstacles.”

Larger obstacles like flower pots and footballs were no problem; but when I challenged the machine with slightly more realistic and difficult obstacles, it failed, running over two different Gardena hose nozzles and a water hose so smoothly that it rattled the blades.

The Roboticmower A1 cuts fine

This mower cut very precisely, delivering what its manufacturer promised, and it moved perfectly along the edges I marked up. It had no problem covering the parts of the lawn that are not within line of sight of the base station. It’s also easy to create no-go areas around parts of the garden you want to screen off, and you can set up multiple zones, with passages in between.

The mower is supposed to be able to handle up to a 45-percent slope, but I haven’t had the opportunity to test that. It does get around well and has had no problems with rougher and more challenging terrain.

I’m not completely sold on this mower, mainly because it can’t handle low-profile obstacles in the lawn. But also because the copious amounts of plastic in its construction don’t inspire confidence, especially in light of its price tag. That said, it certainly has other advantages, such as high precision and (so far) high reliability.

The test will be updated later in the season.

Looking for a less-expensive boundary wire-free robot mower? Check out our Segway Navimow i110N review. Segway’s smaller mower covers a smaller mowing area–1/4 acre to Dreame’s 1/2 acre–but it also costs $1,200 less.

Specifications

• Manufacturer: Dreame
• Tested: May, 2024
• Cutting area: 1,000 square meters (1,196 square yards) (per day)
• Cutting height: 3- to 7cm (1.2- to 2.8 inches) (set in the app)
• Obstacle detection: LiDAR (OmniSense 3D)
• Anti-theft provisions: PIN code, lift-alert alarm, geofencing (with optional link module)
• Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi (2.4GHz only)
• Rain sensor: Yes
• Maximum incline: 45 percent
• Price: From $2,499.99

This article originally appeared on our sister publication M3 and was translated and localized from Swedish.