Dreame A3 AWD Pro Review: A Compelling Case for LiDAR Robomowers

Robot mowers have come a long way in the last couple of years, but they’re still guaranteed to be compromise machines. One might be great at navigation, but only if it has good satellite reception in your yard. Another might fit in tight spaces but be two-wheel-drive and unable to deal with difficult terrain. Some automowers have great all-around performance—but they aren’t very affordable.

The $3,200 LiDAR-based Dreame A3 AWD Pro , which I tested for about a week, fits in that latter category. It’s got great satellite-free navigation. But although its all-wheel-drive nature means it can handle lumpy yards and steep inclines, it’s more prone to carving bald spots and wheel ruts in your yard than the comparable but cheaper Segway Navimow X430 . And unless you have a very big lawn—I tested the A3 AWD Pro 3500, the middle of three range-differentiated models, which can handle more than three-quarters of an acre—it’s hard to justify its hefty price tag.

Assuming the A3 AWD Pro fits your circumstances and budget, it’s a capable automower with creature comforts not found on many competitors. Plus, since it uses LiDAR navigation, satellite connectivity is a complete nonissue. The device has its drawbacks for sure, but once you work through them and set a mowing schedule, things should be smooth sailing. Mostly.

Dreame’s imperfect, but capable robomower shows just how good LiDAR is—if you can afford it.

Many robomower makers—Mammotion, Segway, and others—seem to have decided that their devices should all look like tiny cars. Usually race cars, although I think the A3 AWD Pro has a sort of overwrought luxury SUV vibe. A red LED strip on the back is probably meant to drive that feeling home, but it really just reminded me (and several people who were at my house one night during testing) of the Cylons, Battlestar Galactica ’s race of murderous, sentient robots.

Without satellite navigation, the Dreame A3 AWD Pro is way less of a pain in the ass to set up than satellite-dependent competitors like the Navimow X430. LiDAR-based navigation lets you place its dock wherever works best for you, rather than wherever there’s a reliable satellite signal. Plus, you won’t have to install an RTK beacon in the middle of your yard. Once you’ve got the dock placed where you want it and the mower connected to the Dreame Home app (by scanning a QR code under the hood that covers its physical controls and hood), you can go straight to mapping.

Unlike with other automowers I’ve tested, automatic mapping is actually somewhat feasible in my cluttered area. All by itself, Dreame’s mower mapped the biggest open space in my backyard. It didn’t move beyond that on its own, but hey, I’ll take it. The other mowers I’ve tested either wouldn’t attempt automatic mapping at all—the X430 and its smaller sibling, the i2 LiDAR I didn’t review but have tested, algorithmically determine whether they can map an area themselves—or, in the case of the Roborock RockNeo Q110H , only managed a very small portion. I did the rest of the yard manually, walking behind the A3 AWD Pro and controlling it via the app.

Manual mapping was a bit frustrating at first.