SwitchBot S20

Suction in pascal, as the maker measures it. More pascal helps on carpet, but it says little about how well the robot picks grit off a hard floor.

A brush that guides hair to the side instead of letting it wind around the shaft. It saves the cutting work in homes with long hair or pets.

How the mop is built: flat pads, two spinning discs or a roller. Discs press harder on dried-on dirt, a roller rinses itself while it works.

The dock empties the robot’s dust bin, usually after every run. You only empty the dock’s bag or bin.

The dock collects dust in a bin instead of a disposable bag. No bags to buy, but you empty it yourself.

How much the dust bag in the dock holds.

How long the maker says a dust bag lasts with daily use. With pets or a lot of carpet it is shorter.

The dock washes the mop for you, so you do not rinse it by hand.

The dock dries the mop afterwards, so it does not sit there wet and start to smell.

Drying is done with warm air instead of cold. It is faster and it helps against smell.

The dock mixes detergent into the water itself, from its own bottle.

The dock can be connected to the tap and the drain, so you never fill or empty a tank. It does need a connection nearby.

The clean water tank in the dock, which wets the mop.

The tank that catches the dirty water from the mop. You empty this one yourself.

How the robot maps your home and follows that map. Lidar measures with a laser and works in the dark, a camera looks along and recognises more.

How the robot sees loose things on the floor, such as cables, socks or a pet accident. A camera with depth sensing sees more than a bumper that reacts on contact.

The highest threshold the robot takes, as the maker states it. Measure your own: the step into a bathroom or onto a balcony is often higher.

How tall the robot is. It decides whether it fits under your sofa, bed or cabinet.

How wide the robot is. Narrower gets between chair legs more easily, wider usually means a bigger dust bin.

What the robot weighs. It counts most if you carry it up a staircase every day.

The capacity of the battery. It hints at the runtime, but how much the robot draws counts just as much.

Matter is the standard that lets devices from different makers work together. With it you can run the robot outside the maker’s own app.

Which voice assistants the robot works with, such as Google Assistant or Alexa.

The warranty the maker gives in the Netherlands. Consumer law here stands apart from it and can last longer.