Expert Q&A Sessions, Vacuums, Part 1: Vacuum talk gets weirdly tribal — Dyson loyalists, Shark people, robot-vac-only households. Where do you fall, and how did your stance evolve?

We had another conversation with our Senior Deal Editor, Iconian, and this time we were discussing vacuums! Iconian has been a Slickdealer since 2006 and has an incredible 12,000+ Frontpage deals to their name.

Question: Vacuum talk gets weirdly tribal — Dyson loyalists, Shark people, robot-vac-only households. Where do you fall, and how did your stance evolve?

Iconian: I'm not loyal to any specific brand. I'm loyal to three things: price, performance, and quality. For me, all three have to meet somewhere in the middle in a way that makes sense.

When it comes to quality, I want something durable that I won't have to replace constantly. Performance means it needs to do exactly what I need it to do, such as being lightweight with long battery life, running quietly, or delivering deep cleaning power.

I once needed to clean talcum powder out of a shag rug. I spent 15 minutes trying to clean it with an older Dyson with no luck, then got it out right away when I switched to an LG Kompressor Canister Vacuum. The LG vacuum had no bona fides to protect but it was a clear winner, for in the end the only thing that actually mattered was that the rug was talcum powder free. The funny part is that LG vacuum originally sold for around $400-$500, but I ended up getting it through an Amazon pricing mistake for a fraction of that, and I am still using it today, 15 years later.

Question: Robot vacuums have shifted pretty dramatically over the last few years. Roomba was the default for over a decade, and Chinese brands like Roborock, Dreame, and Ecovacs have taken a real chunk of the enthusiast and mid-premium market. How has this played out in the deal space? What have you noticed when looking at, or posting, vacuum deals on Slickdeals?

Iconian: I have been one of the earliest adopters of the Roborock vacuums. In fact, I bought the first Roborock back before it split from Xiaomi, I also had to buy a converter plug as at the time they only shipped with 220v plugs. I bought it for $330 because it offered full mapping control via phone and at the time, vacuums in the US did not offer this capability on models below $500. Even back then, it became clear Roborock had a great foundation, and the only thing that mattered to me was that it cleaned well.

In the deal space, I think Roborock and Dream have extremely loyal followers because people really want the performance and do not mind paying a premium for reliability. They want the obstacle avoidance, the customizable maps, and the ability to mop the floor. The after market supply chain is strong, which just speaks to the popularity of these products, so you can easily find bulk dust bags, extra mops and filters for very little money.

I've been using my Roborock for five years, every two weeks or so, and it still works really well. Even though you might be able to find a less expensive alternative, mine has done what I need it to for long enough to more than justify what I paid.

Question: Walk us through your alert setup for this category. Are you tracking specific models, brand keywords, certain price thresholds, refurb listings — what does your deal alert list look like for vacuums? Or if you don't have alerts, what are the things you look for when deal hunting for vacuums?

Iconian: For me, the process is actually pretty simple:
Before I even set up alerts, I first narrow my options down to maybe three or four models across a few brands. Then I read reviews, compare features, and make sure those models actually fit my needs. After that, I research on SD the typical sale price so I know what a good deal even looks like.

Once I've done that, I just wait for the right opportunity. A vacuum purchase usually isn't something I need immediately, so I'll wait for a major sale event like Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Prime Day, or Black Friday. Vacuum sales also tend to be cyclical, so if a vacuum historically goes on sale during Prime Day or Black Friday, there's a good chance it'll happen again.

At that point, I know the exact model I want and the target price range. So I set up alerts, and when the deal finally hits that number, I buy it immediately because the decision has already been made ahead of time.