Robot Vacuum vs Cordless Stick Vacuum

These two get compared because they are bought for the same reason: nobody wants to drag out a heavy corded vacuum. They solve that in opposite ways, and each has its own failure point. This comparison uses Consumer Reports’ lab testing and member surveys. We have not tested either type ourselves.

Where a cordless stick does better

• Depth of clean. A Consumer Reports test engineer says most stick vacuums give a deeper clean than robots. Its guidance on robots is blunt: they are adequate for light routine cleaning, but pick up only surface dirt and do not get down into carpet fibers.
• Time. The same engineer puts a small apartment at a few minutes with a stick, against half an hour or more for a robot.
• Cost. Consumer Reports notes that robot vacuums can cost from five to almost ten times as much as a good stick or upright.
• Reach. A stick does stairs, the car, a sofa and a spilled bag of flour. A robot does floors.

Where a robot does better

• It cleans when you would not. A robot that runs every day keeps dust, crumbs and pet hair down in a way an occasional vacuuming session does not. That is its whole case.
• Under furniture. Low robots get beneath beds and sofas that a stick cannot reach without moving them.
• No effort. For anyone who finds pushing a vacuum difficult, that is not a convenience but the point.

The price of that convenience is preparation. Floors have to be cleared of cables and socks first, and the robot’s bin, brush and sensors need cleaning about once a week. Our report on robot vacuum problems goes through what owners find.

Complaints they share

Batteries. This is the weak point of both, and Consumer Reports’ member survey puts numbers on it:

These are shares of the vacuums its members reported on, bought new over roughly the past decade. They are self-reported, and they vary a good deal by brand.

Carpet. Neither is a deep-carpet machine. Consumer Reports calls the carpet test the most challenging one for stick vacuums, and it continues to recommend a full-size upright or canister for homes with a lot of carpet, with a stick or robot as the second machine.

Run time. A stick generally gives only ten to fifteen minutes at its highest power setting, according to Consumer Reports, though results range widely between models. A robot takes much longer to cover the same floor.

What to check before you buy either

• Brand reliability. Consumer Reports publishes survey-based reliability ratings for both types, and they differ a good deal from brand to brand.
• A replaceable battery. On a stick, check that the battery clips out and that spares are sold. On a robot, check that a replacement battery is available for the model.
• Recalls and warnings. Consumer Reports has reported a CPSC warning to stop using one make of cordless stick because its battery packs could overheat and ignite. Search the model on the CPSC site first; our recall guide shows how. The notices we found are listed in cordless vacuum problems.
• The return window. A robot in particular needs a few weeks in your own home before you know whether it copes.

If you have decided on a robot and are wondering which brand, our guide to Roomba alternatives compares them by reliability and owner satisfaction.

How we researched this

This comparison is based on Consumer Reports’ published vacuum guidance, lab test commentary and member survey results. The percentages are Consumer Reports’ figures, not ours. We did not test any vacuum, and we have compared types of machine, not individual models.