Review: The Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex is the first wet/dry vacuum I liked

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I first tested a wet/dry vacuum when the technology was still new. It was an early Tineco model — and I hated it. The technology just wasn’t ready yet. But the Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex is proof that that’s no longer the case. When I first saw this wet/dry in operation at a Dreame event in New York City, I was amazed. And after reviewing dozens of vacuums in my career, I am not easily amazed by floor-cleaning technology.

If you’ve been looking for a wet/dry vacuum that actually works (and can clean on carpets as well), then the Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex is a smart pickup at $699.99. Dreame has made similar cordless wet/dry vacuums, but the addition of carpet cleaning sets this new flagship model apart. I took some before-and-after photos and videos to show you how it works.

The Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex: By the numbers

I should note that while the H15 Pro uses hot water to clean itself, it doesn’t use hot water to clean your floors. I found it worked well as is, but if you want hot water cleaning, you’ll have to spring for the $899.99 H15 Pro Heat Wet/Dry model.

Unboxing the Dreame H15 Pro.
Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

The H15 Pro CarpetFlex Review: It easily passes the Swiffer test

Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

The charging station uses hot water and air to clean the mop head.
Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

When I first started reviewing 2-in-1 hybrid robot vacuums and mops, I asked a simple question with each review: Does it pass the Swiffer test? (Not to be confused with my colleague Leah Stodart’s Graham Cracker test.) As in, does it mop better than a $20 Swiffer? Considering that flagship vacuums now cost $1,000 or more, they damn well better pass the Swiffer test.

The H15 Pro passes where other wet/dry vacuums and robot vacuums before it have failed. Don’t judge me, but in these before-and-after videos, you can see a layer of set-in stains, which my army of robot vacuums has left behind over the years. You can clearly see where the H15 Pro has been to work, and you can watch as the stains disappear relatively quickly. This is a wet/dry vacuum that really can wipe away stains on hardwood floors (or, in my case, laminate flooring and tile flooring).

That’s impressive on its own, but the H15 Pro can also make fresh spells disappear just as easily. I spread a swab of butter on the floor, and the H15 Pro gobbled it up faster than any vacuum I’ve ever tested. That’s partly thanks to a scraper, which drops down when you pull back the vacuum. You can lock this scraper in place, and if you look closely, you’ll also see a slightly confusing message: “No detach. Just attach — one machine for all floors.”

A swab of butter disappearing under the H15 Pro.
Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

The H15 Pro has one major flaw — don’t make my mistake

OK, so that’s the “wet” part of wet/dry, but what about carpets and other floor types? On paper, the H15 has a lot going for it. A filter to stop allergens, 23,000 Pa suction power, and a brush designed to comb through and clean carpet fibers. However, after rolling this vacuum brush across my hard floors to get to the area rugs in my bedroom, I found that this vacuum left behind a long trail of scuffs on my floor.

Now, I’m not sure if this comes from the scraper being locked in place or from the carpet brush itself. You could call this user error — no one made me lock the scraper in place or roll the carpet brush across laminate floors, but if it’s user error, it’s an incredibly easy error to make. Now, these scuffs aren’t permanent, and I was able to use the H15 Pro to wipe them away, but it was annoying.

So, not great! Once I learned from my mistake, I found that this works fine as a carpet vacuum. It’s not the best I’ve tested (that honor goes to a Dyson cordless vacuum — no surprise), but impressive enough for a 2-in-1.

Battery and self-cleaning work well

The Dreame offers one-button self-cleaning, which is very effective. The self-cleaning dock uses hot water cleaning (212 degrees Fahrenheit / 100 degrees Celsius) to thoroughly clean the roller brush of grease and debris, as well as hot air (194 degrees F / 90 degrees C). It’s not as loud as I expected, and it cleans itself fairly quickly. As you can see, after a self-cleaning cycle, the scrubbing brush looks basically like new:

Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

The wet roller brush after self-cleaning.
Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

Is the Dreame H15 Pro worth it?

If you have a lot of hard floors to clean and don’t want to put in any elbow grease, the Dreame H15 Pro actually fulfills the wet/dry promise. However, you need to watch for the scuffing that can be caused by the carpet attachment. As long as you don’t repeat my mistake, this easily justifies its $699.99 price tag. I plan on updating this review after spending a bit more time with this cordless vacuum, but my initial review has been positive.

The Dreame H15 Pro looking very proud of itself.
Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

Would I have bought this wet/dry for my one-bedroom New York City apartment? No, but if you have more square footage and share my disdain for cleaning, this cordless wet/dry vacuum makes quick work of tough messes.

You can buy the Dreame H15 Pro CarpetFlex from Amazon and Dreame starting today for $699.99.