Traditional vs robotic vacuum cleaners. Pros and Cons

Traditional vacuums are still a thing, because you can still find them in any specialized store. They are reliable, easy to operate and great at keeping your house clean. But with all the technological advancements, there’s now a newer type of cleaning gadget which has grown in popularity over the years: the robot vacuum cleaner. Robot vacuums are getting smarter with every new model, they are cute, small, efficient and packed with impressive features such as voice control and auto charging capability.

So which one is better? Should you keep your old corded vacuum or replace it for one of those fancy cleaning robots?

Here are the main advantages and disadvantages of robot vacuums, to help you make a more informed decision:

Advantages of robot vacuums

One of the biggest advantages robot vacuums have over the traditional ones are the fact that they are smarter. Most of them now come with voice control (such as Alexa, Google Assistant), WiFi connectivity and an app that lets you control the vacuum from anywhere, as long as you have a WiFi connection. You can program the vacuum to start a cleaning session even when you are not home, you don’t need to do it manually, you can schedule everything through the app. Other smart features you can find in robot vacuums are auto shut-off and the self-charging function, which means that when the battery is almost depleted, the vacuum will know to return to the charging station by itself. Some of them also have voice control and work with Alexa, etc.

Another important benefit is the fact that robot vacuums work with little to no human intervention. This means more time for you to focus on other things and no more bending or getting down on your knees to reach certain areas. The robot cleans every spot on its own, be it carpets, hard floors, tough corners and so on. Some of them even have a mopping function.

Robot vacuums are more ergonomic and they take up less space than traditional vacuums. They also require less maintenance. All you really have to do is empty the bin when it’s full and change the filter when necessary. There aren’t that many components that can break or need to be replaced in a robot vacuum.

And although this might not be important for everyone, it is good to know that robot vacuums are not as noisy as their traditional counterparts.

Disadvantages of robot vacuums

The first obvious disadvantage of robot vacuums is the steeper price. Robot vacuums are more expensive than traditional vacuum cleaners.

Another ‘con’ is the fact that although they are more convenient in many ways, robot vacuums can’t really clean as well as traditional vacuums. They can be very useful for general maintenance and getting rid of most of your dirt, but traditional vacuums will give you better overall results. Also, no robot vacuum can clean your stairs or curtains.

Robot vacuums are indeed smart and equipped with all sorts of sensors, but even so, sometimes they get stuck in certain areas or trapped under furniture and you have to be around to release them and put them back on the right track.