It has been confirmed that the suction power labels on Chinese-made cordless vacuums distributed in the domestic market differ from their actual performance, misleading consumers. Major Chinese brands such as Roborock and Xiaomi used the pascal (Pa) unit, which is not directly related to suction power, to make their performance appear superior. However, actual measurements showed Roborock at 72 watts (W) and Xiaomi at 82W, falling short of even one-third of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics products (280W).
The Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) said on the 18th that, together with the Korea Testing Laboratory (KTL), it tested and evaluated the maximum suction power of 10 cordless vacuums on the market and reviewed their labeling and advertising practices, finding that six Chinese-made models used pascals as suction power. Products from Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics used watts, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard unit, while Dyson (made in Malaysia) and Dreame (made in China) used air watts (AW), the standard unit of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).
However, Chinese-made products including Roborock, Xiaomi, Inic, iRoom, Dibea, and Tindou all labeled pascals, a vacuum degree unit, as "maximum suction power." The consumer agency noted, "Vacuum degree is only one of the factors that affect suction power; it does not include air flow and is a physical quantity that indicates only internal pressure conditions," adding, "Using it as a suction power unit is not appropriate."
In the tests, products from Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, and Dyson all recorded suction power of at least 280W, but the six Chinese-made models were only at the 58–160W level. In particular, Roborock (72W) and Xiaomi (82W) showed large gaps from their labeled values. In Dreame's case, it was advertised as 150AW, but its actual performance was about 20% lower at 121AW.
Labeling pascals in a way that can be mistaken for suction power poses a risk of consumer confusion. In response, the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards plans to establish, by early next year, a national standard (KS) reflecting the international standard (IEC) to require that cordless vacuum suction power be uniformly labeled in watts.
The consumer agency recommended that eight importers improve how they label suction power units and figures. It also asked the Korea Energy Agency (KEA) to consider introducing a mandatory labeling system for energy efficiency grades and cleaning performance for cordless vacuums.