Background information
Robotic vacuum cleaners can do almost nothing without Wi-Fi and an app
by Lorenz Keller
Chinese vacuum cleaner brands are blowing away their global competition
16.3.2026
Translation: Katherine Martin
The vacuum cleaner market’s in a state of flux, with sales of robot vacuums growing twice as fast as conventional ones. While Dyson still rules the roost, Chinese brands such as Dreame and Roborock have almost completely taken over the robot segment, leaving Western pioneers such as iRobot trailing behind.
Vacuuming used to be a tedious, noisy and time-consuming process. One characterised by lugging a canister around behind you, getting tangled up in the cable and faffing around with dusty bags. Then the cordless vacuum cleaner came along, bringing freedom along with it. These days, many people have axed vacuuming from their chores rota altogether. In an increasing number of today’s homes, the hoovering’s done by a smart, flat, disc-shaped gadget, automatically snaking its way around chair legs and over carpet edges. Eight out of ten of these nifty household helpers are made by Chinese companies.
Sales of robot vacuum cleaners are skyrocketing, increasing by over 50 per cent on Galaxus in 2025. In the same year, sales of traditional cordless and canister vacuum cleaners grew by around 21 and 22 per cent respectively – in other words, not even half as quickly.
The flipside to all this innovation? Robot vacuum cleaners create detailed maps of the homes they clean, and many of them are fitted with cameras. The fact that Chinese manufacturers have digital floor plans of 80 per cent of robot vacuum-owning European households raises questions. However, manufacturers claim they process this data in encrypted form and in compliance with the GDPR.
China’s become robo top dog
There’s a new hierarchy taking shape in the robot world. In 2018, US-based pioneer iRobot had a market share of over 52 per cent on Galaxus and Digitec. What followed was a rapid, merciless crash. By 2025, iRobot’s slice of the pie had shrunk to 6.5 per cent.
Chinese up-and-comer Dreame, founded in 2017, didn’t even make it into the top 10 list of brands until 2020. Today, the Suzhou-based company is the top-selling robot vacuum brand on Galaxus.
With a market share totalling over 40 per cent in 2025, Dreame has left the former top dog Roborock trailing in its wake. Together with Xiaomi, these top three brands, all of which are based in China, now control over 80 per cent of the Swiss robot vacuum market. European or US-based players have practically disappeared.
«Chinese manufacturers have conquered the robot vacuum market and are currently defining it,» says Fabian Fleischli, Category Business Manager at Galaxus. «We’re seeing innovation advance at an extremely fast pace among Chinese manufacturers.» The fate of iRobot demonstrates just how unforgiving the market is. The US pioneer, which initially popularised robot vacuum cleaners with its Roomba model, was recently taken over by its Chinese manufacturing partner after getting into financial difficulty.
Dyson, a company originally founded in England, dominates the conventional vacuum cleaner segment, with a 13 per cent market share on Galaxus. When it comes to robot vacuum cleaners, however, it’s a small fry. The one robotic model in its range amasses nowhere near the sales figures generated by its Chinese competitors.
Premium over penny-pinching: robot models are getting pricier
The average sale price of a robot vacuum on Galaxus has risen from 463 to 582 francs within the last seven years – an increase of 25 per cent. Conventional vacuum cleaners, on the other hand, got 16 per cent cheaper during the same period, dropping from 237 to 199 francs.
There are good reasons behind robotic devices getting more expensive. Today’s vacuums can do much more, with new features added every year. Modern vacuum cleaners don’t just get rid of dust – they also mop floors, dump dirty water into a clean base, climb stairs and move obstacles out of their way. Manufacturers are willing to pay top dollar for these features, so it’s not uncommon for top-end vacuum cleaners to command over CHF 1,000. What’s more, customers are increasingly going for pricier models.
Dyson’s holding onto the traditional vacuum cleaner crown
When it comes to traditional vacuum cleaners, Dyson’s still the frontrunner. That being said, it’s lost more than half of its share of Galaxus sales since 2018. Like Dyson, most vacuum cleaner brands on the market in 2018 were of European origin. At that time, not a single Chinese brand had made it into the top 10 rankings. Now, around eight years later, two Chinese brands – Xiaomi and Dreame – are represented in the top 10.
Younger generation more likely to have a robot do their vacuuming
A customer’s age also influences their decision to invest in a robot vacuum cleaner. The sales data reveals a hoovering generation gap, with robot vacuums proving especially popular with younger and middle-aged customers. In fact, 70 per cent of people who purchase robot vacuums are under 45 years old. When it comes to traditional vacuum cleaners, it’s a different story. Over 40 per cent of customers opting for canister and cordless vacuum cleaners are over 45 years old.
Will robot vacuum cleaners eventually wipe out their conventional counterparts? Galaxus’s Fabian Fleischli believes two classes of vacuum will coexist in future: «Robot vacuums are going to get even better. They’ll soon be able to climb stairs or move objects out of their way. Even so, I think old-school vacuum cleaners will still have their part to play – especially on those finicky spots behind doors or in corners.»
Have you ditched your vacuum cleaner for a robot? Or do you prefer to do the hoovering yourself?
Manuel Wenk
Communications Manager
Manuel.Wenk@digitecgalaxus.chAs a Multimedia Producer, preparing multimedia content and knowing about cutting-edge technology is my business. My main focus at digitec is producing videos. I can’t wait to try out new products such as cameras, drones or smartphones as soon as they’re launched. This is where being at the source comes in rather handy. When I’m not working, I’m probably skiing, biking or hiking – the mountains are my place to be.
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