We tested the 'first self-cleaning air purifier' and it's a pet owner's dream

The Dreame FP10 Air Purifier is a dream come true for owners of furry pets: it is whisper-quiet, exceptionally easy to clean and very efficient at removing hair, pet dander and bad odors, plus it doubles as a small table or a convenient vantage point for a curious cat. If only this air purifier were cheaper and had a more user-friendly control panel, it would have scored a full five stars.

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  Elegant and discreet

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  Whisper-quiet

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  Excellent air-cleaning performance

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  Low-maintenance

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  Pet-friendly design

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  App and voice control

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  On the expensive side

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  Underwhelming air quality monitoring

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  Small, hard-to-read control buttons

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• Design
• Features
• Performance
• What the users say
• Verdict
• Related products
• How we tested

Keeping the house fur-free is a constant battle for many cat and dog owners. Air purifiers help remove some of that pesky hair, but even the most pet-friendly models will inevitably clog up and have you spend hours washing and vacuuming the filters. However, the era of such never-ending maintenance may finally be over. Meet the Dreame FP10 — the first-ever air purifier that uses a 360-degree self-cleaning roller to keep its filters free of fur, dust and other debris lingering in the indoor air.

The Dreame FP10 seems to tick all the boxes for owners of furry pets. Not only is it low-maintenance, but it also features bite-resistant cords and a little tabletop that your mischievous cats can climb without you having to worry about their safety. Most importantly, it promises to solve the most common air quality woes plaguing pet households. According to the manufacturer, the Dreame FP10 can remove up to 99.97% of airborne particles and 99.9% of stubborn pet odors, without making much noise or causing disruptive airflow.

To top it off, this air purifier comes with a dedicated app, voice control and real-time air quality monitoring — and it looks great, too. Needless to say, we were eager to put the Dreame FP10 through its paces and see whether it could earn a spot in our guide to the best air purifiers for pet owners.

Dreame FP10 Air Purifier review

Dreame FP10: Design

• Elegant, durable and pet-friendly
• Doubles as a small table
• Small control buttons and no on-body display

Key specs

Dimensions (in): 14.57 x 24.4 (W x H)

Dimensions (cm): 37 x 62 (W x H)

Weight: 19.4 lbs (8.8 kg)

Coverage area: 624 square feet (58 square meters)

Max power: 45 W

CADR: 206 CFM

Filters: Pre-filter, HEPA, activated carbon, metal functional layer

Auto mode: Yes

Max noise: 62 dB

Ionizer: No

Smart features: App and voice control

Energy Star-certified: No

Warranty: 2-year

Air purifiers designed for use around pets tend to prioritize functionality over looks, but that is not the case with the Dreame FP10. With its elegant tower design, tastefully toned-down color palette and soft lighting illuminations, it is one of the nicest-looking air purifiers we have tested, more akin to a piece of furniture than a household appliance. It is discreet and unobtrusive, and should not look out of place even in the most stylish households. That's not to say the Dreame FP10's design lacks functionality, though — quite the opposite.

One of its defining features is a small detachable tabletop. We like the concept of an air purifier that doubles as a bedside table, because it gives us more space to store our books, magazines and other small trinkets. This design tweak is not just practical, but also exceptionally cat-friendly. As these four-legged creatures have a penchant for climbing on household appliances, it gives them somewhere to sit and explore their surroundings without getting in the way of air vents or accidentally stepping on the control buttons.

Interestingly, this detachable table can be swapped for an optional pet-weighing tray. This clever accessory (soon to be available on Dreame's website) records the weight and daily sleep routine of your furry friend every time they step on it, and can even automatically adjust the appliance's fan speed to shield them from excessive noise and sudden airflow changes. This data can then be viewed in the Dreamehome app, giving you a handy overview of your pet's well-being and daily habits.

The Dreame FP10 not only has a convenient space for your cat to sit on, but it is also built well enough to withstand their weight and sudden movements. This air purifier features an exceptionally sturdy base that keeps the whole unit from tipping over, and it feels sufficiently durable to, for example, survive a head-on collision with a racing dog. At the same time, we did not find the Dreame FP10 particularly difficult to move around the house. Yes, it is a relatively big and heavy appliance, but its tabletop is so securely attached that it can serve as a handle if needed.

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All in all, the Dreame FP10 seems to be more thoughtfully designed than many of the pet-friendly air purifiers we have tested previously. If there is anything we would complain about here, it is the control panel. The buttons are tiny and not particularly visible in low light, and there is no on-body display showing current air quality readings or which settings are switched on. Given that most air purifiers these days come with a digital touchscreen, this feels like quite an oversight. This clunky control panel can also be a considerable disadvantage for people with poor eyesight, or those who simply do not fancy always having to use an app to control their appliances.

The price is another drawback. The Dreame FP10 costs $499.99, making it one of the most expensive pet-friendly air purifiers we have tested.

Dreame FP10: Features

• 10 manually adjusted fan speeds
• Auto mode
• Self-cleaning roller and a detachable hair collection chamber
• PM2.5, TVOC, temperature and humidity sensors

The Dreame FP10 features a four-stage purification system: a pre-filter for capturing hair, dust and other larger particles; a HEPA filter designed to remove tiny airborne allergens, such as pet dander, pollen and mold spores; an activated carbon filter which helps absorb odor-bearing particles; and a metal functional layer that breaks those odor-bearing particles down (and therefore helps remove them from circulation.) According to the brand, this system allows the Dreame FP10 to remove up to 99.9% of stubborn odors and 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. While these figures sound impressive, we could not find any independent studies that would verify these claims.

What we can confirm, however, is the Dreame FP10's impressive range of purification settings. This air purifier comes with 10 manually adjusted fan speeds — most commercially available models are limited to three or four. It also has an auto mode in which the fan speed changes automatically based on real-time air quality data, and a sleep mode in which the fan speed is reduced to a minimum to limit any nighttime disturbances. Moreover, the Dreame FP10 features a dedicated pet mode that works with the optional pet-weighing tray.

The star of the show, however, is the self-cleaning feature. The Dreame FP10 comes with a 360-degree roller that can brush around the pre-filter to remove any fur that has stuck to it. This cleaning process can be activated in the app, lasts approximately 30 seconds, and once it’s completed, the collected debris gets deposited in the detachable chamber.

When this chamber gets full, you can easily remove it from the unit and empty its contents into a bin. You do not have to worry about cross-contamination or bad odors here — the chamber is tightly sealed and the cleaning process does not seem to release any of the collected pollutants back into the air. In our opinion, this feature offers an excellent way to save time and prolong the filter life, and we would love to see it implemented in more pet-friendly air purifiers in the future.

The air quality measurements, on the other hand, were not as impressive. The Dreame FP10 measures only two types of airborne pollutants: PM2.5 (particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter, such as pollen and pet dander) and much smaller TVOCs (volatile organic compounds, such as potentially harmful gases from paints and varnishes). While these two metrics may be sufficient for general air quality monitoring, they may not accurately represent air quality in pet households, because some of the most common pet-related pollutants are much larger than 2.5 microns. For example, fur strands and some pet dander flakes can measure more than 10 microns.

Dreame FP10: Performance

• Quiet and unobtrusive
• Excellent air-cleaning performance
• Efficiently removes dust, hair and bad odors

The Dreame FP10 may have some shortcomings in design and features, but its day-to-day performance is truly top-class. This air purifier did exactly what it promised — it made a tangible difference to the air quality in our home, quickly and efficiently removing odors, hair and various other airborne pollutants, and its built-in roller kept the pre-filter pristinely clean without us having to lift a finger. True, we are not pet owners and can't vouch for its performance around cats or dogs, but we have tested enough air purifiers to recognize the Dreame FP10's superior air-cleaning capabilities and are confident this air purifier has what it takes to deliver great results in challenging environments.

As long as it is used correctly, that is. According to the brand, the Dreame FP10 works best in rooms measuring up to 624 square feet (58 square meters). This claim is roughly in line with its CADR rating. This independent metric, measured in cubic feet per minute (CFM), indicates how quickly an appliance can clean the air in a given space. The Dreame FP10 is rated 206 CFM, which means it can clean the air once every 30 minutes in a space measuring the stated 624 square feet — and that is enough to make a significant difference to its overall air quality. Based on this CADR rating, however, the very best results (one air change per 15 minutes) are to be expected in rooms measuring up to 300 square feet (27.8 square meters). Incidentally, that’s around the size of the room where we conducted our air quality tests.

The first test we did assessed the Dreame FP10's air-cleaning capabilities in ambient conditions. We placed this air purifier in the room, locked the doors and windows, then used our trusted Perfect Prime air particle monitor (an industry-grade device that can detect airborne pollutants as small as 0.3 microns) before and after running this air purifier on its auto setting for 30 minutes. The Dreame FP10 removed 71% of particles measuring 0.3 microns and 75% of pollutants measuring 2.5 microns (no 10-micron particles were detected). This is a considerable drop, given that both the air purifier and air particle monitor indicated good air quality at the time of testing.

Then, we conducted the smoke tests. We started by burning a handful of matches, then running the Dreame FP10 for 30 minutes on its auto setting. The air purifier removed 98.5% of 0.3-micron particles, 99.7% of particles measuring 2.5 microns, and all the pollutants larger than 10 microns. When we repeated the match test on the highest fan speed setting, all of the smoke particles were hoovered up after 30 minutes, and when we repeated the procedure with a handful of incense sticks, we obtained similarly good results. All in all, the Dreame FP10 has demonstrated it can stand up to the task of keeping our indoor air free of pollutants.

The cherry on top? The Dreame FP10 is exceptionally quiet. Most of the time, we could barely hear it working. This air purifier is understandably much louder at the highest fan speed — when we measured it with the Sound Meter decibel-counting app, we noted around 60 dB, equivalent to the sounds of regular conversation or office environment — but even then, it is not particularly disturbing or unpleasant on the ears. The Dreame FP10 should not keep you up at night or cause excessive stress to your four-legged friends.

Dreame FP10: User reviews

At the time of writing this review, the Dreame FP10 was rated 4.8 out of 5 stars at both Amazon and Dreame. This air purifier was often praised for its quiet fans, ease of use, great air-cleaning performance and high build quality, and several users credited it with significant improvements to their allergy symptoms.

One happy customer said: "This has got to be one of the best air purifiers I have bought! I have four dogs, one of them is a husky, and I have gone through a lot of purifiers over the years. Even the ones that said they were for pets don't beat this one! [...] My allergies have been way better and the house just smells fresher."

Negative remarks, though few and far between, tended to focus on the Dreame FP10's control panel and air quality measurements. As one user said: "It has no visible air quality indicators, except for a little red light that comes on when air quality is low and is hard to see, as are all the controls on the main unit. Supposedly, the external lighting is supposed to get a warmer, yellowish hue when air quality is poor, however I have not seen it do this. If it is doing so, it is so subtle as to be useless. [...] The indoor temp readings have consistently been 4 to 5 degrees F too high. There is no way to calibrate or to enter an offset to correct for this. Hopefully, this and the air quality hue feature can be addressed with a firmware update and are not caused by something faulty."

Should you buy the Dreame FP10 air purifier?

The Dreame FP10 Air Purifier ticks all the main boxes for people with furry pet, from near-silent operation and cat-friendly design to effortless filter maintenance and excellent air-cleaning performance. It is well-built and looks great, too. However, as good as this air purifier is, it also comes with two major downsides: a high price point and a clunky control interface.

✅ Buy it if: You are a pet owner looking for a quiet, stylish air purifier that excels at removing fur and bad odors.

❌ Do not buy it if: You are on a budget, want something smaller or prefer air purifiers with an easy-to-read digital display.

If the Dreame FP10 air purifier is not for you

Looking for something more budget-friendly than the Dreame FP10? Consider the Oneisall Pet Air Purifier. It is exceptionally compact, ultra-quiet and easy to maintain, and more importantly, very efficient at removing pet hair and lingering odors — all for less than $90. That said, the Oneisall Pet Air Purifier lacks smart features and is not suitable for rooms bigger than 294 square feet (27.3 square meters).

Want something bigger and more powerful than the Oneisall Pet Air Purifier? Then you can't go wrong with the Levoit Vital 200S. It is our all-time favorite air purifier for pet owners and it costs less than half the price of the Dreame FP10. However, it is not particularly stylish or low-maintenance.

Need a multi-purpose appliance? The Switchbot Air Purifier Table is an excellent choice here — it is light, compact and smart-enabled, plus it comes with a built-in wireless phone charger, scent diffuser and ambient light. The best part? It is often on sale for less than $199 and can be easily integrated with other Switchbot appliances.

Dreame FP10: How we tested

We spent over a month trying and testing the Dreame FP10 air purifier. We carefully assessed its design, features, durability, day-to-day performance and ease of use. We also checked how loud it was using the Sound Meter decibel-counting app, and measured its air-cleaning capabilities using a Perfect Prime air particle monitor — an industry-grade device capable of detecting airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns.

We started with an ambient air quality test. We placed the Dreame FP10 in an enclosed room measuring approximately 200 square feet (18.5 square meters), then calculated the difference in airborne particles before and after running it for 15 and 30 minutes on different fan speed settings. Then, we followed up with more challenging smoke tests. We burned a handful of matches and incense sticks, then repeated the procedure on an auto mode and the highest fan speed.

After this testing protocol had been completed, we gave our final verdict on the Dreame FP10's overall functionality and value for money.

Anna Gora is a health writer at Live Science, having previously worked across Coach, Fit&Well, T3, TechRadar and Tom's Guide. She is a certified personal trainer, nutritionist and health coach with nearly 10 years of professional experience. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, a Master’s degree in Nutrition, Physical Activity & Public Health from the University of Bristol, as well as various health coaching certificates. She is passionate about empowering people to live a healthy lifestyle and promoting the benefits of a plant-based diet.

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