Who Buys Robot Vacuums? (And Should You Get One Too?)

When you talk about smart home living, robot vacuums are an automatic must-have smart cleaning appliance. Due to their artificial intelligence, they can semi-autonomously clean a household without much human intervention needed.

Unlike a traditional vacuum cleaner, a robot vacuum can even be controlled via a smartphone app, remote control, or voice control technology such as Alexa or Google Assistant. Simply put, robot vacuums give the ultimate benefit of modern convenience, which makes them perfect devices for people who put a premium on such.

While the general market can benefit from robot vacuums, we can further segmentize the target market of smart cleaning devices. Since robot vacuums come in many different models, each vacuum cleaner has its own merits and market that can benefit the most. There are robot vacuums that have technology that can specifically benefit pet owners and there are those that are a perfect fit for the small condo dwellers market.

In this article, we will be explaining what a robot vacuum is, how it differs from a traditional vacuum cleaner, and who can benefit from a robot vacuum cleaner. From there, you would be able to pinpoint which market you belong in and if you should consider buying a robot vacuum of your own.

What is a Robot Vacuum?

Robot vacuums are essentially robots on wheels that can clean floors, suck dust, and even mop surfaces. These semi-autonomous floor cleaners or “dust bins” have powerful suction, various brushes, and filters.

Unlike traditional vacuums, robotic vacuum cleaners run on batteries and have the ability to charge themselves by returning to their dock station on their own. Compared to a traditional vacuum cleaner, a robot vacuum cleaner works using advanced technology and sensors that help them self-navigate. This makes these smart cleaning devices efficiently capable of running on their own with or without wi-fi.

Who Can Benefit From Robot Vacuums?

Generally, every household can benefit from a robot vacuum cleaner. With the ability to efficiently clean on its own, save storage space, and more, a robot vacuum cleaner is a practical smart cleaning device to have at home that’s well worth its price.

However, some of these devices are designed to cater to a specific target market because of their features and technology. In addition to this, some also benefit more than others because of their lifestyle, household setup, or preference. Let’s take a look at the specific markets that can benefit from a robot vacuum cleaner and see if you fall into one of them.

People On-the-Go

Individuals who are constantly on the move and have busy schedules can benefit greatly from a robot vacuum cleaner. Since this market has their days packed, cleaning even just one room can be too time-consuming for them. In fact, they might not even have the energy, to begin with.

As a robotic vacuum cleaner is designed to run on its own, individuals who belong in the on-the-go market can simply set a cleaning schedule and let this smart device take its course. By the time these people come back home from their jobs, night outs, or even travels from the other side of the world, they can be assured of clean floors and take their much-deserved rest as soon as they step inside the door.

Busy Families

With this market, there are plenty of factors at play in making a robot vacuum cleaner beneficial to their household.

A busy family with children can definitely benefit from a robot vacuum cleaner as kids are prone to making messes. They may spill drinks, drop crumbs from their food, and leave dirt along their tracks after playing.

As much as parents or guardians can be hands-on in keeping a tidy household, sometimes there is just too much on their plate that they simply cannot keep cleaning up after the mess the kids make. With that, a robot vacuum cleaner becomes a nifty device to have because it can be left running to pick up the mess left on the floor.

Of course, running a robot vacuum cleaner while there are kids at home sounds like an accident waiting to happen. There’s the possibility of parts getting broken or forcibly detached when there’s roughhousing and there’s also a chance that a curious child would like to conduct experiments on the running robot vacuum.

As a robotic vacuum has a heftier price tag than a traditional vacuum, one cannot simply replace a unit if it gets broken. Luckily, there are replacement parts that can be bought so it wouldn’t be the end of the world should your robot vacuum meet such demise.

Robot vacuums can also find rooms on their own so families who live in rather large homes can benefit from these devices. With advanced technology that allows them to self-navigate, map, and memorize a layout, a robot vacuum cleaner can find rooms that you would like for it to clean as you focus on playing with the kids or perhaps preparing dinner.

Should each area in the house also have a different floor type, then a robotic vacuum cleaner is perfectly capable of running on a carpeted floor, tile floor, and other hard floorings.

Pet Owners

No pet owner in the world would tell you that their furry animals are capable of cleaning up after their pet hair, sheddings, and dander. With that, pet owners are one market that greatly benefits from owning a robotic vacuum cleaner because they constantly need to vacuum their homes to keep them clean and fur-free.

Given the need to vacuum more regularly due to the amount of fur and dander, pet owners may need to replace certain parts such as the wheels and filters more than usual. Although the price may be more expensive, pet owners would also purchase a robotic vacuum cleaner with a large dust bin for said reason.

Do take note though that some pets may need extra encouragement before warming up to a robotic vacuum cleaner as some of them might find this robot cleaner a threat to everyone’s security. For that reason, we wrote an article on how to keep your robot vacuum and pets living harmoniously.

Elderly and PWDs

Unlike a traditional vacuum cleaner, a robot vacuum won’t need a person to manually handle and carry it around at home. With self-navigation technology, a robot vacuum semi-autonomously cleans and does not need to be picked up so it can go to another area in the house.

Since the elderly and PWD market may have mobility issues and difficulties, a robot vacuum is more than capable enough to do all the floor dusting for them so they won’t have to bend down themselves. A robot vacuum is also quick and powerful enough to vacuum bugs should this market need an extra hand in chasing after them.

Allergy Prone Individuals

For allergy-prone individuals, a robot vacuum is a great smart device to have thanks to its HEPA-like filters and UV sterilization features. Although a robot vacuum with such features may have a bigger price tag, those who suffer from allergies will know how worth it it is to invest in such.

Offices and Commercial Spaces

Office spaces and the commercial market that have long hallways and open spaces that need to be constantly cleaned can benefit from robot vacuums. Although a robot vacuum cannot replace a hired cleaner for deep cleaning, said device can help in maintaining an area clean 24/7.

After all, no matter what industry you’re in, you would know just important cleanliness is when you have employees or customers to take care of.

Since a robot vacuum can also be left running overnight, office spaces and commercial areas can be kept clean and ready for the next day’s activities. Though it might require you to do more maintenance work on your robot vacuum, manufacturers are making it easier to purchase replacement parts, so your robot vacuum can last longer.

This means you won’t have to replace your unit even after a year of heavy-duty cleaning. After all, these devices don’t all come at a cheap price, especially if you’re looking at units with advanced technology and features.

Final Note

Although there are plenty of people and markets who would benefit from owning a robot vacuum, the main and common factor that they all have is their need for convenience. If you are one who also finds convenience as the most important selling point, then it may be time for you to purchase your first robot vacuum!

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is buying iRobot?

Amazon has announced that it will be acquiring iRobot for approximately $1.7 billion. iRobot is hailed as one of the leading manufacturers of robot vacuum cleaners in the world with one of their most popular ones being the Roomba. Said move by Amazon will help in the conglomerate’s plans on growing its tech retail starting with the Astro Robot.

What is the target market for iRobot?

With a business strategy that makes use of optional pricing and add-ons, iRobot aims to target young high-earning individuals who are seeking modern and innovatory products of the future.

What do you do with old robot vacuums?

For old robot vacuums whose parts cannot be replaced any longer or have reached the end of their product lifespan, they can be surrendered to the nearest waste management electronic recycling center for proper disposal.

Depending on the brand or manufacturer of your robot vacuum, they should be able to indicate where these centers may be and the process of how to properly dispose of them.

What should I know before buying my first robot vacuum?

While there are several factors to consider before buying your first robot vacuum, you generally need to know these two things: the features your unit should have based on your requirements and the size of your unit in proportion to the layout of your home and amount of dirt you will need it to clean.

Here’s our ultimate robot vacuum buying guide for a more in-depth breakdown of what you should take note of to help you in purchasing the best robot vacuum for you.