LG’s new vacuums offer all the power with none of the cords

LG Electronics’ Cord Zero vacuum cleaners are making a splash in the home appliances market.

Sales of the Cord Zero series accounted for 50 percent of the LG’s total vacuum sales, with two out of three buyers of “premium” vacuum cleaners - costing 500,000 won ($427) or more - choosing a Cord Zero model, according to the company.

Models include the Cord Zero Cyking, a portable traditional vacuum; Cord Zero Handy Stick, a stick-type vacuum; robot vacuum Roboking; and Cord Zero Bedding King, a bedding cleaner.

More than 10,000 Cord Zero Cykings were sold in the first five months of this year, and the model is one of the top sellers in the cordless vacuum market - good news for LG Electronics, which has struggled with slumping sales in recent years.

Users can clean more conveniently, without tangled cords or the hassle of having to plug and unplug the vacuum. The models run on lithium-ion batteries and offer 200 watts of suction power, similar to vacuums with cords and the most among existing cordless vacuums.

The batteries are manufactured by LG Chem. After four hours of charging, the Cyking can run for 40 minutes on regular power mode and 17 minutes in high power mode, providing enough time to clean about eight rooms. It takes an average of two minutes to clean a room, the company said.

Its brushless direct-current motor has three times the lifespan of regular motors and is covered by the company’s 10-year warranty.

The model also kicks up very little dust while cleaning, which earned it approval from the British Allergy Foundation.

The Cord Zero Cyking maintains more than 80 percent of its suction power even after recharging more than 500 times, and its batteries last up to five years when used about twice a week.

“[The Cyking] has set a whole new standard for cordless vacuum cleaners,” an LG Electronics spokesman said.

Cord Zero Handy Stick offers two functions in one. The stick-type model can be used like a normal vacuum cleaner with a full-length handle or as a more portable hand-held device.

It is equipped with an anti-tangle brush and can run for up to 70 minutes using its lithium-ion dual battery pack.

It comes with LED lights near the suction area, making it easier to clean around dark corners. Its head can also swivel 180 degrees to allow the user to clean every nook and cranny.

It has a slim design, weighing 2.8 kilograms (6.2 pounds).

In less than three months since its debut last September, over 10,000 units were sold. This year, over 50,000 sold from January to May, averaging monthly sales of 10,000.

Roboking is a square-shaped robotic vacuum cleaner with dual eye camera sensors that can accurately scan and map floor surfaces, even in the dark.

Roboking keeps track of places it has cleaned with a feature called “cleaning diary,” which means that users can leave the robot to clean while they’re out of the house.

The latest Roboking model can be controlled via smartphones; it can be turned on and off, moved manually and start working at preset times.

The user can also set up a course for house cleaning.

Cord Zero Bedding King is designed to clean bedding, but it has a wide variety of uses. It can also clean mattresses, carpets, sofas, curtains, car seats and even strollers.

Its “dual punch” technology pummels dusty surfaces 8,000 times per minute and sucks in the dust that’s released. Its dual HEPA filter prevents even the smallest particles from escaping during cleaning, and it can kill surface germs using ultraviolet ray sterilization.

BY PARK JUNG-YOUN [park.jungyoun@joongang.co.kr]