Robotic Pool Cleaner Specs Glossary: What Every Number Actually Means

Plain-English definitions for the terms we use across every product page, comparison, and Finder answer on this site.

Pool compatibility

• Install type — whether a model is confirmed for above-ground pools, in-ground pools, or both.
• Max pool length — the manufacturer's stated maximum pool length the model can cover in one cleaning cycle.
• Compatible surfaces — pool wall/floor materials (vinyl, fiberglass, concrete, gunite, tile) the manufacturer confirms are safe for the model's brushes.

Cleaning coverage

Floor, walls, waterline, surface — the specific areas a model is confirmed to clean. A model not listed for waterline coverage isn't assumed to do it partially; it's simply not confirmed.

Power

• Corded — powered continuously through a cable; see cable length for reach.
• Cordless — battery-powered; see runtime (minutes per charge) and charge time.

Filtration

Micron rating — the approximate smallest particle size the filter reliably catches; lower means finer filtration. See our filtration guide for more.

Navigation

The manufacturer's own name for how the robot maps and moves through the pool — we report it as stated, not independently verified. See navigation technologies.

Connectivity

App, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth — confirmed independently; a model can have app control without confirmed Wi-Fi if the manufacturer doesn't specify the connection method.

Warranty

Manufacturer-stated coverage period, in months. See what a warranty typically covers.

"Not verified"

Means exactly that — we couldn't confirm the spec from a manufacturer or retailer source, not that the feature is absent. See why specs sometimes disagree for how we handle conflicting numbers across sources.