Comparison Dreame F9 Pro vs Dreame D9 Max

The suction power provided by the vacuum cleaner. For models with power adjustment (see below), in this case, the maximum value is taken into account. Note that "suction power" is sometimes erroneously also called the suction force, indicated in pascals; see below for more details.

Suction power is a key indicator that determines the capabilities of the unit: the higher it is, the more efficiently the vacuum cleaner can draw in various contaminants, and the better it handles with carpets, fabrics and other materials into which dust can penetrate deeply. On the other hand, high power inevitably affects the weight, power consumption, dimensions and price of the device. Therefore, it does not always make sense to chase the maximum values — you need to take into account the real working conditions and the general purpose of the vacuum cleaner.

The specific numbers found in this paragraph largely depend on the type of device. For example, in handheld household models, suction power does not exceed 100 W, and for conventional household units, an indicator of 100 – 150 W is still considered very limited. At the same time, we note that the minimum required for a full-fledged dry cleaning of smooth floors is considered to be 300 – 350 W, for carpet and other short pile coatings — 350 – 400 W, and for long pile materials and upholstered furniture higher rates are desirable. Vacuum cleaners with lower suction power values are intended not so much for periodic cleaning, but for constant (ideally daily) maintenance of cleanliness in an already tidy room.

As for the relationship between suction power and suction force, it is as follows: power is the suction force (thrust) multiplied by the airflow (performance). Without going into too much detail, we can say that the efficiency of the vacuum cleaner is determined by both of these indicators. And it is worth evaluating this efficiency by suction power (regardless of the specific relationship between traction and performance).

The suction force provided by the vacuum cleaner. It is indicated by the maximum vacuum (negative pressure) that the unit can create at the working nozzle.

Note that this parameter is sometimes confused with the suction power described above, which is indicated in watts. Yes, suction force to some extent determines the efficiency of the unit. However, this efficiency also depends on the performance (airflow). And the suction power, indicated in watts, takes into account both of these parameters — it is determined by multiplying the suction force by the performance (see above for more details). For this reason, there is no strict relationship between this force and suction power: for example, a vacuum of 25,000 Pa can be found in models with 250 W, 200 W and even 150 W of power.

As for the practical significance of this spec, in general, a higher suction force allows you to work more efficiently with high resistance. For example, when processing carpets with a long pile. On the other hand, more pascals (with the same number of watts) means less airflow and, accordingly, less efficiency for large amounts of work at low resistance (for example, cleaning large rooms with parquet floors). Thus, it makes sense to pay attention to this indicator mainly in cases where high suction force is fundamental for you. In other cases, it is worth evaluating the capabilities of the vacuum cleaner in terms of suction power in watts.

Note that for a number of...reasons, the suction power is most often specified for robot vacuum cleaners (see “Produc type”). For such models, a value of 1500 Pa and below is considered very small, 1500 – 2000 Pa — medium, 2000 – 2500 Pa — high, more than 2500 Pa — very high.

It is also worth mentioning that the indication of suction force is often used as a publicity trick — to improve the impression of the product. For example, the suction power of 150 watts in itself is quite modest. But at the same time, the suction force of such a vacuum cleaner can be 25,000 Pa — a very impressive figure, especially for an inexperienced buyer, but having a very indirect relation to real efficiency. Especially often, such tricks are used among upright models and the already mentioned robots — these varieties initially do not differ in high power in watts. For many of these units, the characteristics only indicate the vacuum in pascals without specifying the suction power. It further enhances the impression: for example, in the specs of a modest robot, the figure "3000 Pa" looks much more impressive than "40 W". However, such figures have a very weak relation to the real capabilities of the unit and if they are not supplemented by data on suction power in watts, they should be considered solely as bait for a not particularly sophisticated buyer.

A capacity of a tank for water or detergent a vacuum cleaner with a wet cleaning function is equipped with. (see "Cleaning type").

Large capacity allows you to work longer without refilling the tank. On the other hand, an increase in capacity has a corresponding effect on the size, weight and cost of the unit. Thus, manufacturers choose this parameter taking into account the general specialization and the “weight category” of a particular model. So, in robots (see "Type"), the volume of the water tank is, by definition, small. Even in the heaviest models, it does not exceed 650 mL. But other types of vacuum cleaners can differ markedly in this parameter.

In general, for non-robot units, a capacity of 1 liter or less is considered very limited, 1 – 2 liters is small, 2 – 3 liters is average, more than 3 liters is above average. However, it much depends on the type. For example, in conventional vacuum cleaners, the capacity does not exceed 2.5 liters, and "for workshop" models this is very little — in most cases, they have a tank capacity of 3 liters or more.

Types of voice assistants supported by the robot vacuum cleaner.

As the name implies, this function allows you to control the robot using voice commands. However, we emphasize that in this case, we are not talking about the voice recognition system built into the vacuum cleaner but about compatibility with an external device on which the corresponding voice assistant is installed — a smartphone, tablet, smart speaker, etc. Thus, to use voice control, an additional device will inevitably be required; on the other hand, there are no problems with the search for such a device nowadays. And in itself, such a control method often turns out to be more convenient than a command from the remote control or searching for the desired option in the control application.

As for specific assistants, the most popular nowadays are (in alphabetical order) Amazon Alexa, Apple Siri, Google Assistant. And in robot vacuum cleaners, compatibility can be provided both with one of them and with several at once. The specific control functionality available through the voice assistant should be specified separately for each model. It is also worth paying attention to the supported languages: for Siri, the language must be selected in the settings, for the Google Assistant, automatic language recognition is available (some adjustment may be required), and in Alexa (as of early 2021) support for the Russian language is not provided at all.

Cleaning area for which the robot vacuum cleaner is designed.

It is the maximum size of the room that the device can effectively process without the need to empty the dust container or charge the battery. It is worth choosing according to this parameter with a certain margin — this will give an additional guarantee in case of various emergencies. On the other hand, you should not take too much stock: after all, a large cleaning area requires more capacious batteries and capacious dust collectors, which significantly affects the dimensions, weight, and most importantly, the price of the vacuum cleaner.

As for specific figures, the most modest models nowadays are designed for 45 – 60 m2 — this corresponds to an average apartment with 1 – 2 rooms. And in the most advanced and heavy devices of this type, the cleaning area can be 300 m2 or even more.

The highest height of thresholds and various small obstacles that the robot cleaner can effectively overcome.

Most modern robots are able to effectively cope with obstacles with a height of 10 to 18 mm — this allows at least without problems to cross the edges of carpets, and small height differences at the boundaries of rooms (due to the difference in the type of coating), etc. But the models where the indicator is 20 mm or more are already referred to as robots capable of crossing high thresholds. However, even in such devices, the permissible height of obstacles does not exceed 30 mm. It is due to the fact that to overcome high obstacles, in particular, large wheels and high ground clearance are needed — and these features, in turn, increase the overall height of the robot, make it difficult to move under furniture and other low-lying objects, as well as reduce suction efficiency. On the other hand, even thin robots, whose height does not exceed 70 mm, can have very good crossing ability — for some of them, the maximum threshold height is about 25 mm.

The capacity of the battery installed in the vacuum cleaner.

Recall that batteries are used in all robots, as well as other types of vacuum cleaners for which mobility is important; see "Power supply" for details. As for battery capacity, theoretically, a larger battery allows you to work longer without recharging. However, there are nuances. Firstly, the actual battery life of the unit will also depend on its type, power and some features of the functionality. Secondly, the actual battery capacity is determined not only by this indicator but also by the voltage in volts. So if these batteries differ in voltage, you need to convert their capacity into watt-hours and use this data when comparing. These calculations are described in more detail in special sources.

In light of all this, only vacuum cleaners with similar specifications can be directly compared in terms of battery capacity. And it is best to evaluate the actual battery life by the directly claimed operating time.

The noise level produced by the vacuum cleaner during operation. Usually, the value for normal operation at maximum engine power is indicated here. With less power, the loudness of the unit may be lower, but the key is precisely the maximum indicator.

Regarding specific numbers, keep in mind that the decibel used to measure the noise level is a non-linear quantity. Therefore, it is worth evaluating specific indicators using special comparative tables. In general, vacuum cleaners are quite noisy appliances; so in this case, models are considered quiet if this indicator does not exceed 65 dB — this is the level of a loud conversation between 2 – 3 people at a distance of 1 m. The quietest of these models give out only 40 dB — this is the average volume of a person’s speech in normal tones (and the minimum volume allowed for constant noise sources in living quarters during the day). For louder units, the comparison table looks like this:

— 66 – 70 dB — loud conversations between several groups of people at a distance of about 1 m;
— 71 – 75 dB — the volume of a cry or laughter in full voice at a distance of about 1 m;
— 76 – 80 dB — the volume of a mechanical alarm clock or the engine of an old truck;
— more than 80 dB — a very high noise level, exceeding the level of a loud scr...eam; when working with a vacuum cleaner having such specifications for a long time, it is highly desirable to use hearing protection.

Also note that the noise level largely depends on the engine power, as well as some other features (for example, it is strongly affected by the presence of an aquafilter — see "Dust collector"). At the same time, there is no hard connection here, and units with a similar set of specifications can differ markedly in actual loudness. In such cases, when choosing here, it is worth proceeding from the fact that a quieter vacuum cleaner will be more comfortable to use. However, it will most likely cost noticeably more.