A2 Robotic Mower
4 independent reviewsRead the findings →Dreame's wire-free laser-and-camera mower for larger lawns, with no aerial needed. It suits gardens where trees or buildings upset satellite mowers. Its edge cutter splits opinion, though, and big lawns mean lots of recharging.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
Where it sits in Dreame’s range
- A1 / A1 ProLaser only, no camera; up to 2,000m²
- A2 Robotic MowerThis model
- Dreame A2 1200Smaller version with the same sliding edge cutter
- A3 AWDFour-wheel drive, laser and cameras, 1,000–2,000m²
- A3 AWD ProFour-wheel-drive flagship with a 40cm twin-disc cut
Feedback
What reviewers found
Four finished tests agree the A2 is easy to set up and leaves a neat, striped cut. Notebookcheck and Basic Tutorials found obstacle spotting reliable, while Les Numériques saw it react to shadows and objects that weren't there. The sliding edge cutter splits them: Notebookcheck found far less left to trim, but Les Numériques called it disappointing. L&B Tech Reviews and Les Numériques found automatic mapping struggled on awkward lawns. Owners on Owners on Reddit add reports of laser-sensor repairs.
Notebookcheck, hands-on, Mar 2025 · Les Numériques, hands-on, Apr 2025 · L&B Tech Reviews, hands-on, Jun 2025 · Basic Tutorials, hands-on, Sept 2025 (Tested on a 90m² lawn)
Cut quality and edges
Mixed resultsTesters agree the cut itself is neat and striped. Edges split them: Notebookcheck found the sliding disc left far less to trim along flush paths, while Les Numériques and L&B Tech Reviews still had a strip along walls and slabs.
Setup and boundaries
Mixed resultsPairing and placing the dock are easy, and automatic mapping followed beds and a fence closely for Notebookcheck. On awkward lawns it struggled: L&B Tech Reviews gave up after many attempts and drew the border by hand, and Les Numériques had to draw some borders too.
Navigation
Reviewers rate it highlyNotebookcheck found it worked systematically and went back for missed patches, and L&B Tech Reviews called its navigation precise. On a big lawn the battery is the limit: Notebookcheck and Les Numériques got only about 160 to 200m² per charge.
Slopes and rough ground
Mixed resultsLes Numériques found it grips on dry, even banks but slips on wet or soft ground, and L&B Tech Reviews saw it handle gentle slopes but struggle on the steepest part of its lawn. Notebookcheck found the new wheels grip better than the A1's.
Obstacles and safety
Mixed resultsNotebookcheck saw it avoid nearly every test object, including a dummy hedgehog and a hose, and Basic Tutorials found it missed no toys. Les Numériques found detection less dependable, with shadows and tall grass mistaken for obstacles.
Weather
Not enough evidenceOnly Les Numériques touched on wet conditions, finding it can slip on wet or soft slopes. None of the reviews we use tested how it handles rain.
App and software
Mixed resultsThe app has plenty of settings, but Notebookcheck found the live map of mowed areas didn't always update, and L&B Tech Reviews had to pause the mower or dock it before changing any setting.
Upkeep
Not enough evidenceOnly Notebookcheck covered upkeep, finding blade changes tool-free, with 81 spare blades in the box, and the body safe to hose down. No other review we use reported on it.
Reliability and support
Not enough evidenceNone of the reviews we use has run it long-term or judged Dreame's support. Owner reports of laser-sensor repairs come from forums, not tests.
Value
Mixed resultsNotebookcheck calls it a good but not cheap choice for big gardens, and L&B Tech Reviews found it expensive, though a solid pick for larger, more complex lawns. It makes less sense for a small, simple garden.
Verdicts come from independent, hands-on, finished reviews. An area needs at least two of them before we say more than “Not enough evidence”. We don't score robots ourselves. How this works
Spots most obstacles, sometimes too many
On its most sensitive setting, the A2 spotted nearly every test object for Notebookcheck, including a dummy hedgehog and a short piece of hose, and only ran over a tennis ball. Basic Tutorials scattered tennis balls, soft toys and garden toys, and it avoided them all. The flip side is caution: Les Numériques saw it treat tall grass and shadows as obstacles, and Basic Tutorials found overhanging herbs set it off. You can lower the sensitivity in the app if it skips too much grass.
Edges: closer, but not edge-to-edge
For edge runs the cutting disc slides out to about 5cm from the body's edge. Notebookcheck found that left far less to trim than the A1, and along flush borders 7 to 10cm wide it mowed right to the edge, though it skipped big patches in inside corners. Basic Tutorials and L&B Tech Reviews were also pleased with the edges. Les Numériques was not: it still left a strip several centimetres wide along walls and other solid borders. Flush paths help it most.
Easy start, but mapping varies
Setup is just the dock and the app, with no aerial. Automatic mapping worked well for Notebookcheck, following beds, a patio and a fence closely. Les Numériques found it much less precise than Ecovacs's and drew some borders by hand, and L&B Tech Reviews gave up on a lawn full of nooks after many attempts. Driving it round by hand in the app works well. One annoyance from L&B Tech Reviews: you have to pause the mower before changing any settings.
Slow going on big lawns
Dreame rates it for 3,000m², but a charge doesn't go far. Notebookcheck measured about 100 minutes of mowing and roughly 160m² before it headed home, then just under 90 minutes to recharge. Les Numériques got about 200m² in 200 minutes and listed battery life as a weakness for very large gardens. On a small lawn it's brisk: Basic Tutorials had 90m² done in under 45 minutes.
Quiet, and fine on dry slopes
Notebookcheck measured about 53dB on short grass and Les Numériques about 55dB at a metre, quiet enough for evenings. On slopes, Les Numériques found it grips well on dry, even banks but can slip on wet or soft ground and has to take another run at it. L&B Tech Reviews saw it manage gentle slopes but struggle on the steeper part of the reviewer's own lawn. Notebookcheck found the new wheels grip better than the A1's.
Owners report laser-sensor repairs
Two owners on Owners on Reddit described repairs to the laser sensor, one of them a repeat failure, and another found it slow to cover about 1,100m² because of the time spent charging. One unhappy owner later said a replacement unit had won them back. A handful of posts isn't a failure rate, but it's enough to check the warranty terms before you buy.
All four reviewers tested the full-size A2, rated for 3,000m². Basic Tutorials tested it on a 90m² lawn.
Our take
Should you buy the A2 Robotic Mower?
Best for: Lawns shaded by trees or surrounded by tall buildings. Skip it if: Your lawn is steep, soft or full of bumps.
A good pick for a mid-sized to large lawn where trees or buildings would upset a satellite mower, if you want neat striped mowing and dependable obstacle spotting without an aerial. Testers found it easy to get going. If your lawn is steep or often soggy, a four-wheel-drive mower such as Dreame's own A3 AWD Pro grips better. If you mainly want less strimming, the Ecovacs GOAT O1200 LiDAR Pro's side trimmer reaches further into the border.
The A2 is Dreame's follow-up to the A1. It still finds its way with a spinning laser scanner on top, so there's no wire to bury and no aerial to put up, but it adds a front camera for spotting obstacles and a cutting disc that slides sideways to reach closer to the edge. It's rated for lawns up to 3,000m² and 50% slopes, cuts a 22cm strip and has mobile data built in. Above it sit Dreame's four-wheel-drive A3 AWD models.
The trade-off is price and pace. The sliding cutter helps along flush paths, but walls and inside corners still leave grass to trim.
Dreame also sells a smaller A2 1200. The reviews here are of the full-size model.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it need a boundary wire or an aerial?
No. It maps the garden with a laser scanner and a camera, per the specifications, so you only place the dock. You can let it map by itself or steer it round the edge in the app. Automatic mapping worked well for Notebookcheck, but L&B Tech Reviews and Les Numériques had to draw some borders by hand.
Is it safe around hedgehogs, pets and toys?
It's better than most. Notebookcheck saw it stop for a dummy hedgehog and a short hose but run over a tennis ball, and Basic Tutorials found it avoided every toy. Les Numériques found detection not always reliable. Clear small things off the lawn, and set a night-time pause if hedgehogs visit.
How close does it cut to the edge?
Closer than most, thanks to a disc that slides out to about 5cm from the edge, per the specifications. Notebookcheck found it mowed right to flush paths, but inside corners were left untouched. Les Numériques still had a strip several centimetres wide along walls. Expect some strimming, less along flat paths.
Will it cope with my slope?
Dreame rates it for 50% (26.5°), per the specifications. Les Numériques found it steady on dry, even banks but prone to slipping on wet or soft ground, and L&B Tech Reviews saw it struggle on the steepest part of a sloping lawn. For steep or damp gardens, look at four-wheel drive.
Is there a subscription for 4G?
Not yet. Notebookcheck reports that three years of mobile data are included in the price, and that Dreame hadn't said what it will cost after that. The 4G link lets you check on it and track it away from Wi-Fi; at home it also works over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
How noisy is it for neighbours?
Quiet. Dreame quotes under 55dB, per the specifications, and Notebookcheck measured about 53dB on short grass. Les Numériques got about 55dB at a metre and found it quiet enough to run in the evening or at weekends without bothering anyone.
Alternatives
Other robot lawn mowers to compare.
A1 / A1 Pro
Why consider it: The laser-only predecessor, which testers found mows in tidy straight lanes.
The compromise: It misses small objects on the grass and leaves a wide strip at the edges.
GOAT O1200 LiDAR PRO
Why consider it: Laser-guided with a built-in string trimmer that cuts far more of the border than most robots.
The compromise: The trimmer is loud, and one tester's trimmer failed after two months.
i2 LiDAR (i208, i210, i215, i220)
Why consider it: Laser-guided for lawns of 800 to 2,000m² with trees and buildings, and testers praised its tidy lines and quiet running.
The compromise: Setup can take tweaking and the edges still need a strimmer.
A3 AWD Pro
Why consider it: Four-wheel drive for large, lumpy or sloping gardens; testers found it climbs well and cuts evenly.
The compromise: Plan to map it by hand and keep a strimmer.
Specs
Full specifications
Each specification names its source. Manufacturer claims are not independent test results; unconfirmed figures are labelled.
Owner reviews
Do you own the A2 Robotic Mower?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner accounts are shown separately from independent reviews.
Sources
Where this page’s findings come from
Editorial reviews
- Notebookcheck: Dreame A2 review ↗Hands-on
- Les Numériques: Dreame A2 test ↗5 / 5Hands-on
- L&B Tech Reviews: Review: Dreame Roboticmower A2 ↗5 / 6Hands-on
- Basic Tutorials: Dreame A2 test ↗91 / 100Hands-on · Tested on a 90m² lawn
Sources
Videos
- Lavelab EN: Dreame A2: HONEST Review and Test ↗
- Martijn Wester: Dreame A2 Review: The Smartest Robot Mower You Can Buy Right Now ↗
- Search YouTube for Dreame A2 Robotic Mower ↗Search results may include company demonstrations or similar models. Check the source and model name; a demonstration is not an independent performance test.