Dustbin Management Made Easy... LG and Samsung Compete for the Throne of Wireless Vacuum Cleaners

LG CordZero A9S ThinQ New Product
Photo by LG Electronics

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] As the COVID-19 pandemic prolonged, the time spent at home increased, leading to heightened interest in hygiene. LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics, which dominate the domestic home appliance industry, are focusing on competing to capture the premium cordless vacuum cleaner market by considering such consumer demands. A representative advancement is the automation of the dust removal function, which is considered the most cumbersome aspect of vacuum cleaner maintenance.

The core feature of LG Electronics' newly unveiled premium cordless vacuum cleaner, the 'CodeZero A9S ThinQ,' released on the 5th, is the automatic dust-emptying function. When the vacuum cleaner's 'dust-emptying mode' is set to automatic, it empties the dustbin automatically every time the vacuum is docked without the need to press a button each time. The discharged dust is collected in a dedicated dust bag inside the docking station called the 'All-in-One Tower.' The dust bag has a capacity of 2.5 liters, and the recommended replacement cycle is three months under typical household conditions, enhancing convenience.

This product received the CES Innovation Award from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) at last month's world's largest home appliance and IT exhibition (CES). The U.S. IT media outlet 'BGR' praised it by mentioning the UK-based Dyson, known as the pioneer in cordless vacuum cleaners, stating, "Using LG's new product will make you forget Dyson."

Samsung Electronics' premium cordless vacuum cleaner, the 'Samsung Jet,' also launched the 'Clean Station,' which automatically empties the dustbin, in March last year. The method involves detaching the dustbin from the vacuum cleaner and inserting it into the Clean Station, which then automatically collects the dust. According to Samsung Electronics, after the Clean Station was released, sales of the Samsung Jet more than doubled compared to the same period the previous year by the end of the year, and among consumers who purchased the Samsung Jet in the second half of last year, 88% also bought the Clean Station. This year, Samsung introduced the 2021 model Samsung Jet, which integrates the cordless vacuum cleaner and Clean Station into one unit, at CES 2021, winning the CES Innovation Award. This product is scheduled to be released domestically next month.

The 2021 model Samsung Jet, which combines a cordless vacuum cleaner and a Clean Station into one unit
[Photo by Samsung Electronics]

In the past, cordless vacuum cleaners were strongly perceived as supplementary products to corded vacuum cleaners. Limitations such as weaker dust suction power compared to corded models and restricted usage time due to battery charging were obstacles. As the home appliance industry gradually addressed these shortcomings and added convenience features, cordless vacuum cleaners have now established themselves as the main products replacing corded vacuum cleaners.

The domestic cordless vacuum cleaner market size is estimated by related industries to have increased continuously from 1 million units in 2018 to 1.4 million units in 2019 and 1.8 million units in 2020. During the same period, sales of corded vacuum cleaners decreased from 1 million units in 2018 to 600,000 units last year. Market share by manufacturer is estimated at 50% for LG Electronics, 30% for Samsung Electronics, and 10-20% for Dyson.

An industry insider forecasted, "As domestic companies emphasize premium cordless vacuum cleaners as their main products, strengthening convenience features and enhancing price competitiveness, the growth trend will continue." LG and Samsung also expressed their plans to continuously lead the cordless vacuum cleaner market by introducing new products equipped with advanced technology in unison.

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