Three years of robot vacuum ownership, here's what actually held up and what didn't
Bought mine three years ago and been tracking what actually breaks down versus what marketing said would last. Motor and suction have been solid. The parts they don't tell you about, side brushes, mop pad attachment, docking contacts, those are what actually fail first.
Newer models with self-emptying and self-cleaning stations seem to address some of this by reducing manual handling, but I'm skeptical about whether the added complexity means more things that can break. My experience is simpler designs last longer even if they need more manual upkeep. Looking at upgrading but not sure if the newer self-maintaining ones are actually more reliable or just more convenient until they break. #lifestyle source