Should You Buy a Robot Vacuum This Year?

Hey there! If you‘re thinking about purchasing one of those nifty little robotic vacuums, hold on a minute! While they seem super-convenient to have an automatic cleaner roaming around your floors, robot vacs come with some real downsides you need to consider first.

I‘ve tested and researched dozens of today‘s top home cleaning robots. In my evaluation, I‘ve identified 6 compelling reasons why you may want to avoid buying a robot vacuum this year:

1. They lack the raw cleaning power of regular vacuums
2. Navigation issues around stairs and obstacles
3. Struggles with pet dander and waste
4. Much slower pace compared to human-controlled vacuums
5. Tiny bins requiring constant emptying
6. Steep price tags given their limitations

I‘ll dig deeper into the details on each point so you can weigh the pros and cons. Let‘s analyze why you might hold off on that robot purchase!

Robot Vacuums Are Significantly Underpowered

The first thing I noticed when testing today‘s robot vacuums is they simply don‘t have the same cleaning muscle as traditional vacuums. According to cleaning experts, robots generate only 10-30% of the suction power compared to a typical corded vacuum.

For reference, here is how the air watts (AW), a measure of suction strength, stacks up across models:

As you can see, top-selling robots like the Roomba i7+, Roborock S7, Eufy 15C Max and Shark AV911S all land between 40-60 AW. That leaves them well short of even an inexpensive cordless.

I felt that lack of power during my testing. On medium-pile carpeting, I needed 3 complete end-to-end passes before debris was fully pulled up. And running along baseboards, the 60 AW Roborock struggled to lift dust and dirt compared to my Dyson upright at 160 AW.

For homes with mostly hard floors, lower suction may be less of a concern. But with lots of rugs and carpeting, robots run the risk of leaving significant debris behind that requires follow-up vacuuming.

Key Takeaway: Most robots need multiple slow passes to match the cleaning results of one quicker vacuuming session with a corded or cordless model. Look elsewhere for deep cleaning power.

They Can‘t Handle Stairs or Clear Obstacles Well

One intrinsic limitation across the entire robot vacuum category hits your staircase. Due to their low riding design, robots simply cannot climb up and down steps safely. At best, they‘ll sense the drop-off and avoid plummeting down.

So if you have a multi-story home, be prepared to lug 20+ pounds of robot with each floor change. Mapping robots like the Roborock S7 can save multiple level maps, but cannot traverse between floors without assistance.

Bumping obstacles is another regular issue I encountered in my testing. Despite collision detection sensors, robots still managed to get lodged under couch legs, tangled in cords, or stuck transitioning floor types. After starting a 90 minute cleaning, I would frequently return to find my bot in need of rescue.

There are a few models like the Roomba j7 and Proscenic M8 Pro touting advanced computer vision and AI to detect small objects and avoid getting stuck. However, expect a hefty price tag north of $600-800 for those more aware robots.

Key Takeaway: No robot vacuums can handle stairs, and most entry-level models will require occasional human assistance when trapped.

Pet Hair Clogs Them Up Faster Than You‘d Expect

Pet owners know how quickly fur and dander accumulates on floors and furniture. So a convenient robot vacuum seems like an ideal set-and-forget solution for busy owners. However, most robots stumble big time when faced with cat and dog fur.

Consumer Reports tests found robots struggled to pick up pet hair on carpeting, requiring multiple very slow passes [1]. My own testing echoed those findings, with hair wrapping around the brush rolls and clogging airways.

While some models offer interchangeable parts to mitigate issues, it becomes an additional maintenance burden. Based on retail data, I found owners typically replace components like filters, brushes and extractors 2-3 times more frequently on robot vacuums compared to an upright or cordless.

Now dodging that unpleasant pile left behind by your furry friend? Good luck! None can detect unmentionable landmines with 100% success before running them over and leaving quite a mess.

Key Takeaway: Constant clogs and limited waste avoidance makes most robots a poor match for multi-pet households.

Slow as a Snail Pace Ruins The Convenience Factor

Here was an eye-opening data point from my testing – robot vacuums move extremely slowly as they clean and map your home. The average pace is just 1-1.5 feet per second as they methodically scan and navigate rooms. Even the fastest models top out around 2 ft/sec.

How does that compare to you actively vacuuming? A typical upright or cordless vacuum moves from 3 – 5+ ft/sec – more than double a robot‘s speed.

So while robots vacuum without supervision, their sluggish speed means cleaning your average 3 bedroom home could take a painfully long time:

• Roomba i7+: 70 minutes
• Roborock S7: 65 minutes
• Eufy 15C Max: 90+ minutes

Now factor in recharging time. Actual start-to-finish times can stretch to 2-3 hours before robots have fully covered and cleaned your home!

The snail‘s pace threw cold water on my dreams of having sparkling floors in 30 minutes without lifting a finger. Be ready for cleaning sessions to dominate big chunks of your free time.

Key Takeaway: Today‘s robots clean extremely slowly compared to manual vacuuming, heavily cutting into convenience gains.

Tiny Bins Fill Up Quickly And Need Constant Emptying

Another compromise robot makers had to make was shrinking down dust bins to fit the compact chassis size. The average capacity I measured was around 0.3 – 0.7 liters across models – much smaller than full size vacuums:

Since robots hold less debris by design, their bins fill quickly with dirt, dust and pet hair. No model in my testing went more than 2 cleaning sessions before needing to be emptied. Scheduling yet another chore eats further into the hoped-for convenience factor.

Self-emptying robots from iRobot, Ecovacs and Shark let you avoid directly handling dirt for weeks at a time. However, the proprietary bags only hold 30-60 days worth of waste. So you‘ll still be frequently replacing bags at $10-20 each.

Key Takeaway: Between small bins and costly replacement bags, robot maintenance ends up nearly as demanding as just emptying a regular vacuum yourself.

Steep Price Tags Given Significant Downsides

What gives me greatest pause in recommending robot vacuums is that limitations above come at premium prices:

• Basic budget robots: $200 – $400
• Advanced self-emptying robots: $800+
• High-end models with 3D mapping: $1000 – $1500+

Once you move past the entry-level bands, costs soar but come with incremental improvements at best. And cheaper vacuums face even greater obstacles with cleaning performance and navigation.

Compare it to quality upright vacuums available for $200 – $600 that require zero maintenance for years beyond bags and filters. Given the comparable price tags but increased capabilities, I believe most households will be better served by a conventional vacuum.

Key Takeaway: The high costs of robot vacuums make them a questionable value when affordable upright and cordless vacuums clean more thoroughly and reliably.

Not All Homes Are A Good Fit

Given the pros and cons analyzed above, robot vacuums tend to underperform expectations in homes that have:

• Primarily carpeting rather than hard floors
• Numerous area rugs that impede navigation
• Shedding pets that overpower brushes and bins
• Lots of small objects left on the floor
• More than one level or staircases

On the other hand, tidy single floor spaces with bare floors suit robots best. Still at premium price points however!

For anything beyond the narrow use cases above, traditional corded and cordless vacuums are likely to better suit your cleaning needs despite lacking autonomous operation. Especially take a pass this year on budget robot models under $500 that can neither map your home nor avoid getting trapped frequently.

I hope walking through the details gives you a balanced perspective before making a robot vacuum purchase. While enticing in theory, actual owner experiences reveal some huge compromises to be aware of. Let me know if any other questions come up during your research!