Robot vacuum spec glossary

This page exists so that the rest of the site can refer to it instead of re-explaining. Each entry says what the number measures and, more usefully, whether comparing it between two brands tells you anything.

Suction, in pascals (Pa)

The vacuum pressure the fan can generate, measured by the manufacturer under its own conditions at the nozzle with nothing in the way. Current models publish from 5,300 Pa to 22,000 Pa.

Comparable across brands? No. There is no shared standard, no required conditions and no independent verification. It ranks reliably within one maker's own range and nowhere else. Pressure also is not the same thing as airflow, which is what actually lifts debris. Full treatment on the suction table.

Threshold or obstacle climb height, in mm

The tallest vertical step the robot can drive over. Published figures range from 20mm to a claimed 60mm; several makers publish nothing.

Comparable across brands? Yes, with conditions. A millimeter is a millimeter. What is not comparable is the condition attached — a double-layer threshold, a series of steps with gaps, or with the mop attached are all different claims. Read the condition, then compare. The climb table.

Mop lift height, in mm

How far the wet mop pad rises off the floor when the robot detects carpet. Published figures run 10mm to 17mm.

Comparable across brands? Yes. One of the cleanest specs in the category. Compare it against your carpet pile depth, not against other models. iRobot's retracting design has no figure because the pad leaves the floor plane entirely. Mop lift compared.

Runtime, in minutes

How long the robot runs on a charge. Published figures reach 291 minutes, always measured in the quietest mode on the easiest surface.

Comparable across brands? Only with the conditions. eufy publishes separate figures for vacuuming and for vacuuming plus mopping, which is the useful way to do it. A single unqualified figure tells you much less. It only genuinely binds on a floor with no dock. Runtime compared.

Dustbin capacity, in liters

The on-board bin volume. Rarely published; where it is, it is a fraction of a liter.

Comparable across brands? Yes. A liter is a liter. Bulky debris such as pet hair fills the usable volume well before the stated capacity, so treat it as a ceiling. Bins and docks.

Navigation terms

• LiDAR — a spinning laser measuring distance in a 360-degree sweep. Accurate, works in the dark, adds body height because of the turret.
• vSLAM — simultaneous localization and mapping from camera images. No turret, so a lower body; needs light to work.
• dToF — direct time-of-flight sensing. Measures distance from light travel time with no moving turret, which is how the thinnest current models stay thin.
• Structured light — a projected pattern read by a sensor to build a depth map. Used for obstacle detection, works in the dark.
• Gyroscopic navigation — position estimated from wheel rotations and a gyroscope, with no external sensing. The cheapest approach; drifts over a long run.
• Carpet boost — automatic increase in fan power on detecting carpet.
• Chassis lift — the whole body raises, for thresholds and for deep pile. Roborock calls it AdaptiLift; Dreame calls it ProLeap.

The full comparison of the mapping approaches is on LiDAR versus vSLAM.

Dock terms

• Self-emptying — the dock empties the robot's bin into a larger bag or bin. Intervals of 60 to 100 days are quoted.
• Self-refilling — the dock refills the robot's water tank from a larger reservoir. On-board tanks can be as small as 80ml.
• Mop washing — the dock rinses the pad. The temperature matters and ranges from cold to a stated 167F.
• Mop drying — warm air dries the pad after washing. This is what stops it going musty.
• Auto solution dosing — the dock adds cleaning solution to the water automatically.