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Otherwise, one category of vacuum would dominate and the other would disappear.

Thebest robot vacuumsand thebest cordless vacuumsboth have their place in the world.

Robot vacuum vs cordless vacuum

The Combo J7 Plus did well toeing the line between tile and rug

Ideally, you would have one of each, but money doesnt grow on trees and neither do vacuums.

If you want just a basic robot vacuum, youre looking at around $200 as an entry point.

Cordless vacuum cleaners, on the other hand, have a much narrower price range.

The iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ cleaning the edge of a rug

The Combo J7 Plus did well toeing the line between tile and rug

Its pretty straightforward but can be a bit loud and has a fairly small dustbin.

However, if time is of the essence, your money is better spent on a robot vacuum.

Regardless, theyre low to the ground and function in an almost-sentient way.

Shark IQ Intelligent Wifi…

Youll also find plenty of models that use some kind of pad in the back to add mopping capability.

The most basic robot vacuums come with a stripped-down charging station where it will rest between cleanings.

Youll find the motor, battery, filter, handle, and controls here.

Proscenic 850T Robot Vacuum…

They are the transformers of the vacuum world.

Like robot vacuums, they also come with a docking station.

Robot vacuum vs cordless vacuum: Performance

Robot vacuums are getting more powerful every day.

Shark AV2501S AI Ultra Robot…

And, some premium models are almost comparable to other types of vacuums in their suction power.

However, theyre generally far from the most powerful options out there.

They do a great job with dust, small debris, and depending on the model, pet hair.

Shark HydroVac Pro XL…

However, this is usually not much of an issue with better models.

Cordless vacuums dont have the autonomous operation of robot vacuums, but they have more suction power.

Additionally, cordless vacuums usually work very well as handhelds since theyre already decently powerful.

Ultenic FS1 Cordless Vacuum…

But, robot vacuums can be scheduled to run every day even when youre not home.

Some can even be used with a voice assistant.

Robot vs cordless vacuums: Which is right for you?

Eufy X9 pro docked at base station

Ideally, you would have both a robot vacuum and a cordless one at the ready.

However, a cordless vacuum is going to offer a deeper clean.

Just in terms of cleaning, the cordless vacuum comes out ahead.

Bissell CleanView Pet Slim Cordless Stick Vacuum and all its accessories against a grey wall in a room with a grey floor

But, the convenience of a robot vacuum cant be denied.

If you already have a regular vacuum, get a robot.

If you dont have anything, get a cordless.

Dyson V12 Detect Slim branding on tube

Yeedi Cube on the author’s floor