Comparison Dreame H13 Pro vs Dreame H12 Pro

The type of dust collector provided in the design of the vacuum cleaner.

Nowadays, there are three main types of dust collectors — a regular bag, a cyclone system and an aquafilter. Also, in some vacuum cleaners (in particular, industrial and fireplace models — see "Product type") dust collectors in the form of rigid containers (tanks) can be used without additional equipment. For such models, the type of dust collector in our catalogue is not specified. As for the three main types, here are their features:

— Bag. A dust collector in the form of a soft bag, simultaneously plays the role of one of the filters: air passes through the walls of the bag, and most of the contaminants are retained. Such containers are simple and inexpensive, while they can be made quite roomy. In addition, the vacuum cleaner with a bag remains operational in any position of the body. On the other hand, as the bag fills up, suction efficiency drops noticeably; and the cleaning procedure is usually quite troublesome — in particular, a lot of dust is raised into the air. Disposable bags, which are available for many models as an additional accessory, are deprived of such a drawback. However, on the other hand, the purchase of such bags is associated with additional expenses. As a result, this type of dust collector, although very popular in modern vacuum cleaners, is much less common...than the "cyclones" described below.

— Cyclone system (bagless). Dust collector based on a cyclone type air cleaner; usually has the form of a plastic bowl of a special shape. The principle of operation of such systems is that the air flow entering the dust collector is twisted into a spiral. In this case, the centrifugal force throws debris and dust out of the formed vortex, and the collected pollution sinks to the bottom of the dust collector. One of the main advantages of "cyclones" is the ease of cleaning: just turn the container over and the contents pour out of it without additional effort, and if desired, the dust collector can be easily washed. In addition, the suction force is practically independent of the degree of filling of the bowl. However, cyclones are somewhat inferior in capacity to bags, but because of the foregoing, this point is usually not fundamental. But the unequivocal disadvantages of this option are the higher cost of the same bags; a lower suction force for the same engine power; as well as a somewhat lower efficiency of catching fine dust. In light of the latter, "cyclones" have to be equipped with additional filters, which also periodically require cleaning. It is also worth bearing in mind that such systems are most effective with a regular, strictly defined position in space. If you deviate from this standard operational position, the efficiency of the dust collector may noticeably decrease, which leads to rapid clogging of the filters.

— Aquafilter. This type of dust collector looks like a container with water: the air drawn in by the vacuum cleaner passes through the liquid, which traps most of the contaminants. Such systems are highly efficient and hygienic: they capture various contaminants well, including even fine dust, without additional filters. In addition, the air released by the vacuum cleaner is additionally humidified which is especially useful in the cold season, when heating dries the air in the room. At the same time, the procedure for cleaning the dust collector itself is very simple and convenient: after cleaning, its contents can simply be poured into the sewer, while no dust rises into the air (unlike the process of cleaning cyclones and especially bags). On the other hand, it is desirable to wash and dry aquafilters after each use, which somewhat complicates maintenance. In addition, most of these vacuum cleaners are quite expensive, the passage of air through the water creates additional noise, and the water itself significantly increases the weight of the unit.
Separately, it is worth emphasizing that the presence of an aquafilter does not mean that the vacuum cleaner is washing (see above) or at least can wet cleaning (see "Cleaning type"). Quite a few models with an aquafilter work only in a dry format — and vice versa, units with a wet cleaning function may well be equipped with other types of dust collectors.

— Aquafilter + bag. This option means that the vacuum cleaner is equipped with two types of dust collectors at once — an aquafilter and a traditional bag. The features of both are described in detail above. Here we note that such models necessarily have a wet cleaning mode (see above) and/or a water suction function — an aquafilter is used for these purposes. But the bag, anyway, is intended for traditional dry cleaning. In general, this is the most common combination of the two types of dust collectors. The other variants described below are much less common.

— Aquafilter + cyclone. A combination similar to the aquafilter with a bag described above. The delivery set of such a vacuum cleaner includes two types of containers: an aquafilter for wet cleaning and/or water suction (this function can also be provided in vacuum cleaners with purely dry cleaning), as well as a cyclone system (see above) for sry cleaning .

— Cyclone system + bag. A combination found exclusively in dry cleaning models. Similar to the combinations described above, most often we are talking about the presence of two replaceable dust collectors of different types in the kit. The specific type is chosen depending on the situation. So, the cyclone system is convenient for collecting relatively large and heavy contaminants, and the bag handles better with fine dust.

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.

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 operating time of a battery-powered vacuum cleaner (see "Power supply") on a single battery charge.

Usually, the average operating time in normal mode is indicated here. Accordingly, in fact, the battery life of the vacuum cleaner may differ slightly from the claimed one, depending on the chosen application format. Nevertheless, the operating time indicated in the specifications is a fairly reliable indicator; it can be used both for a general assessment of battery life and for comparing the selected vacuum cleaner with other models.

Separately, we note that increasing battery life requires either the use of more capacious (and therefore more expensive and heavier) batteries or a decrease in engine power (and the efficiency of the unit as a whole). So it is worth looking specifically for a long working vacuum cleaner if these moments are outweighed by a long operating time.

The time required to charge the cordless vacuum cleaner fully (see "Power supply").

Larger batteries tend to take longer to charge. On the other hand, modern batteries can use various solutions that speed up the process, so there is no strict dependence here.

Separately, we note that the speed of charging batteries is usually uneven: at first, the process is fast, then it gradually slows down. So if, for example, the specifications indicate a charging time of 2 hours, then charging from 0 to 50% will take a little less than an hour, and from 50% to 100% the remaining 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.

The presence of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting in the design of the vacuum cleaner.

Such lighting is placed on the working nozzle or close to it and illuminates the area being processed by the vacuum cleaner. Its main purpose is to provide convenience when working in dark places, such as under sofas/beds, dark corners, etc. At the same time, the lighting can be useful in normal brightness lighting: it well reveals dust and debris on smooth surfaces like linoleum or laminate.

As for the LED lighting vacuum cleaners themselves, most of them belong to one or another type of upright ones (see "Type") — it is in such units that this function is technically easiest to implement. It is also found in some conventional and handheld household vacuum cleaners. However, there are a few such models on the market, and they are not cheap due to additional design features. For example, in a conventional vacuum cleaner, for the lighting to work, not only a tube is required, but also a hose of a special design — with wiring to supply power to the LEDs.