[Agile Electronics Story] Home Appliance Industry, Truly the Era of Wireless Vacuum Cleaners

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] ‘Agile Electronics Stories’ is a column that keenly examines small details about electronic and mechanical products and devices. From hot new products frequently appearing in advertisements and news, to nostalgic items, and puzzling product and industry terms and news, we will kindly cover them with the heart of a beginner.

With the resurgence of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), we are back to the stay-at-home era. As people spend more time at home, home appliance companies are introducing various new hygiene appliances targeting this trend. Among them, not only large companies but also mid-sized companies in the home appliance industry are launching various new cordless vacuum cleaners, attracting consumer interest.

The domestic cordless vacuum cleaner market size is growing about 30% annually, increasing from 1 million units in 2018 to 1.4 million units last year, and it is expected that 1.8 million units will be sold this year. Accordingly, the sales amount last year is understood by the industry to have easily exceeded the trillion-won mark. The domestic cordless vacuum cleaner market share and consumer preference are reportedly divided between LG Electronics and the British home appliance company Dyson, with Samsung Electronics fiercely chasing them. According to a July announcement by the Korea Broadcast Advertising Corporation (KOBACO), LG Electronics’ CordZero showed a consumer preference of 62%, and Dyson 60%.

LG Electronics, 'LG CordZero A9S ThinQ'
[Image source=Yonhap News]

What cordless vacuum cleaner products have home appliance companies introduced this year? First, LG Electronics, ranked number one in domestic cordless vacuum cleaner preference, launched the premium product 'LG CordZero A9S ThinQ' early in March this year. This product, with a suction nozzle thickness of 55mm, is thin and convenient for cleaning narrow gaps in furniture. It also retains the mop cleaning function, which was the driving force that helped it surpass Dyson in Korea. Especially, when linked with the LG ThinQ app, users can check past cleaning records and use the smart diagnosis function to identify causes of malfunctions and solutions.

Dyson's Omni-glide (left) and Digital Slim

Dyson, which landed in Korea over 10 years ago and led the cordless vacuum cleaner craze, officially launched the ‘Dyson Omni-glide’ and ‘Dyson Digital Slim’ in July. The Dyson Omni-glide, with a handle shaped like a broom, is the world’s first vacuum cleaner whose head part is designed to rotate 360 degrees in all directions. It allows easy cleaning of obstacles, narrow gaps, wooden floors, and mats. The Dyson Digital Slim weighs 1.9 kg, about 0.5 kg lighter than typical cordless vacuum cleaners.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Samsung Electronics’ cordless vacuum cleaner Jet and its dust removal solution Clean Station, which are fiercely chasing the two companies, are also attracting high interest. When cordless vacuum cleaners first appeared, home appliance companies focused on increasing suction power to break the stereotype that they were weaker than corded vacuum cleaners. Samsung Electronics went further by equipping the Jet with the 'Jet Cyclone' featuring 27 air holes to remove fine dust. Moreover, during the final stage of cleaning when emptying the dustbin, the Clean Station minimizes fine dust dispersion using air pulse technology. The number of customers purchasing both products simultaneously is increasing, and it is reported that the simultaneous purchase rate of the two products exceeded 80% in July.

Besides these three companies, small home appliance company Cuckoo Homesys and French comprehensive household goods company Tefal have also entered the competition by launching cordless vacuum cleaner products. On the 27th of last month, Cuckoo Homesys and Tefal respectively launched premium cordless vacuum cleaners ‘Inspure Powerclone’ and ‘Air Force 360 Light Nonstop’. Cuckoo Homesys’ Inspure Powerclone is notable for its ‘Smart Dust Detection Sensor’ that automatically adjusts suction power by detecting the amount of dust and foreign substances in real time, despite being relatively affordable in the 400,000 KRW range. Tefal’s Air Force 360 Light Nonstop is praised for its powerful motor running at 14,000 rpm while being ultra-lightweight at 1.4 kg.

Swedish home appliance company Electrolux also recently released new products Well Q7 and Well Q6 after a year and a half, improving suction power and design from the discontinued Ergophago. These products feature up to five times stronger suction power than previous models and combine stick-type and handheld vacuum cleaners into one integrated product. Their prices range from 200,000 to 400,000 KRW, making them among the most affordable.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.