How do you measure your home for a robot vacuum?

The two numbers that decide whether a robot fits, and how to take them.

Updated Oct 25, 2026.

How do I measure a door sill?

Stand the tape measure on the floor on the lower side of the doorway and read the height of the sill’s top edge. If the floors on each side sit at different heights, the lower side is the one the robot climbs from, so measure there. If a sliding-door track sits on top of a sill, measure to the top of the track and compare it with the “two steps or stacked” figure, which only some makers publish, each its own way: Dreame’s X50 Ultra figure, for one, assumes steps more than 1.57 in (40 mm) apart.

How do I measure the gap under a sofa or bed?

Measure from the floor to the lowest part of the frame the robot would pass under, such as a crossbar or the edge of a drawer, not just the front edge. Measure in a few places, and measure from the top of a rug if the robot will drive over one there. Then compare the lowest reading with the robot’s height.

Does the laser tower on top count?

Most makers give one height and don’t say whether it includes the laser (LiDAR) tower on top, so allow for it. A few robots can lower the tower to drive under furniture and list both heights; the Dreame X50 Ultra, the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete and the Roborock Saros 10 do, and we compare the lower one.

Which robots fit under your furniture?

A robot needs some room to spare: eufy, for one, tells owners of the 2.85 in Auto-Empty C10 to set no-go zones under furniture 2.8 to 2.95 in (71 to 75 mm) high.

Which robots climb your door sills?

Makers rate door sills their own ways, and the Dreame L40 Ultra, the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2, the eufy Omni S1 Pro and the SwitchBot S20 give a figure for crossing obstacles rather than door sills. Door sills and robot heights list every figure with its source, and all of them are in one table you can download.