Z1
Dreame's cordless pool robot for the floor, walls and waterline: the Z1 Pro without its underwater remote. The Pro's testers liked its easy magnetic charging, but found it slow and patchy until a firmware update.
See the alternatives below, or switch market.
The short version
The Z1 is the plain version of Dreame's Z1 Pro. It has the same claimed suction, the same dual brushes, the same filter and the same claimed three-hour runtime. It cleans the floor, walls and waterline, and moves sideways along the waterline rather than just up and down. What it drops is the Pro's hand-held remote, and Dreame claims slightly less coverage per charge.
Nobody has reviewed the Z1 itself yet. The two tests on this page are of the Z1 Pro, so they cover the shared robot, not the remote. One tester found it slow and poor on storm debris until a firmware update. Charging takes four to six hours. And without the remote, you can't call it to the edge while it's underwater: you rely on it parking by itself, or on a hook.
The Pro's remote was fiddly in both tests, so losing it isn't a big sacrifice.
Our take: Buy it if you want a cordless robot for the floor, walls and waterline of a small or medium pool, and you'll keep the firmware updated and give it a few runs to settle in. Skip the Pro unless you really want the remote. If you want a robot that heads for debris by itself, look at the Aiper Scuba V3. If you'd rather it floated up and waited for you, the Beatbot AquaSense 2 does that.
Where it sits in Dreame’s range
- Z1This model
- Dreame J1A surface skimmer rather than an underwater cleaner
- Z1 ProSame robot plus an underwater remote and more coverage
What reviewers found
There's no review of the Z1 itself yet. Both tests here are of the Z1 Pro, which Android Authority describes as the same robot plus a remote. Android Authority ran it over two days in a small pool that already looked clean and was impressed by how much dirt it still picked up. PCWorld tested it for longer, with real storm debris and scattered leaves, and found it slow and patchy until a firmware update lifted pickup to about 90 per cent. Both liked the magnetic charger.
Android Authority, hands-on (tested on the Z1 Pro; Tested the Z1 Pro in a small pool) · PCWorld, hands-on (tested on the Z1 Pro; Tested the Z1 Pro; results changed after a firmware update)
Cleaning depends on the firmware
On the Z1 Pro, PCWorld dropped the robot into a pool full of storm debris and after three hours found the basket less than half full and the pool barely touched. It picked up only about two-thirds of a batch of test leaves. After a firmware update and six full runs, pickup rose to about 90 per cent, though debris was still left around the steps. Android Authority's pool looked clean, yet the basket came out full of gunk. Update it before you judge it.
Slow, and only waits briefly
PCWorld called the Z1 Pro one of the slowest pool robots it has tested, and once found it spinning on the spot for nearly ten minutes mid-run. When a run ends it climbs to the waterline but holds on for only five minutes before sinking. Android Authority liked this auto-parking. On the Z1 it matters more, because there's no remote to call it back up. Watch for the app notification or keep the hook handy.
Easy charging, but not quick
Both testers liked the Z1 Pro's magnetic charger, which snaps on without plugs or rubber seals, and PCWorld found a small cloth on the cable for drying the contacts. The catch, per Android Authority, is time: four to six hours for a full charge, among the slowest of the robots it tested. Battery life was ample in its small pool, with over 60 per cent left after a run. Charge it overnight rather than between cleans.
An app that maps the pool
PCWorld rated the Z1 Pro's app as perhaps the best it has used, and the first to draw a map of the pool after a run. The first map of its L-shaped pool was reasonable, but later ones were much worse, and one report claimed a two-hour run had cleaned three square metres. The single-piece basket lifts out of a top hatch and opens on a hinge, which PCWorld found easy to empty. The app can't connect while the robot is underwater.
Both reviews tested the Z1 Pro, which shares the Z1's suction, brushes, filter, battery and app. Their findings on the Pro's remote are left out because the Z1 doesn't have one.
Before you buy
The questions people ask about this one
Does it climb walls and clean the waterline?
Yes. It has floor, wall, waterline and all-in-one modes, per the specifications, and moves sideways along the waterline. Android Authority used the all-in-one mode on the Z1 Pro. Neither review says much about waterline results, so how well it removes a scum line is still untested.
How do I get it out of the water?
It climbs to the waterline and parks when it's done. PCWorld found the Z1 Pro holds on there for only five minutes before sinking. The Pro's remote can call it back up; the Z1 has no remote, so after that you need the included hook. PCWorld weighed the Pro at about 27 pounds.
Does it handle leaves as well as fine dirt?
It got better with updates. PCWorld found the Z1 Pro missed a third of its test leaves at first and reached about 90 per cent pickup after a firmware update. Android Authority found it lifted plenty of fine gunk from a pool that looked clean. The Z1 uses the same 180-micron basket, per the specifications.
Is it cordless, and how long does a charge last?
It's cordless, with over 180 minutes claimed for floor cleaning in Eco mode, per the specifications. Android Authority had over 60 per cent battery left after a full run of the Z1 Pro in a small pool. Charging is slow, at four to six hours on the magnetic lead.
Does it need an app?
No. A button on the robot picks the cleaning mode, per the specifications. The app adds scheduling, parking settings and cleaning reports. PCWorld rated the Z1 Pro's app very highly, though its maps and reports weren't always accurate. It only connects while the robot is out of the water.
Compare with
Z1 Pro
The same robot with an underwater remote for pausing it or calling it to the edge, and slightly more claimed coverage.
Both testers found the remote fiddly, needing several tries or waving before it responded.
Scuba V3
It's lighter, and a camera spots debris and drives to it; three testers found it cleans well.
You get only about ten minutes to collect it before it sinks.
AquaSense 2
It cleans the floor, walls and waterline and floats to the edge when done, so collecting it is easier.
Testers found steps and fine silt hit and miss, and it doesn't skim.
Full specifications
Figures come from the manufacturer’s product page unless a source is named. A blank means nobody we trust has confirmed it.
Owner reviews
Own a Z1?
Tell people how it’s held up: cleaning, maintenance, faults and support. Owner reviews are shown separately from expert tests and never mixed into the score.
Sources
Everything cited on this page. Expert scores are shown as the reviewer gave them.
- PCWorld: Dreame Z1 Pro pool robot review: Rocky start but a happy ending · 3.5 / 5Hands-on · Tested on the Z1 Pro · Tested the Z1 Pro; results changed after a firmware update
- Dreame: Dreame Z1 Robotic Pool Cleaner product pageManufacturer