Matic robot vacuum price will rise by $250 in September
Matic says component and memory costs are driving the robot vacuum’s planned increase from $1,245 to $1,495.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
2 min read
Matic plans to raise the price of its robot vacuum and mop by $250 on Sept. 9, taking the device from $1,245 to $1,495. The increase matters for shoppers considering the premium floor-cleaning robot, because the company is pairing the higher price with limited perks rather than a hardware change.
Matic told The Verge that the new price reflects higher costs for memory and other vacuum components. The company said those costs are now ten times higher, according to The Verge.
Customers who buy the robot directly from Matic will receive a year of replacement bags at no added cost, The Verge reported. Matic values that bag bundle at $96.
Each refill includes 12 bags and ships free, according to The Verge. The company has also extended its return window from 60 days to six months, The Verge reported.
What the Matic robot does
The Matic is a robot vacuum and mop that The Verge has ranked as its top robot vacuum. The publication’s reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy praised its navigation in a review, saying it became stuck only twice during six months of use.
Tuohy tested the robot in a three-story home with pets, thick rugs, high transitions and clutter, according to The Verge. The review said the Matic handled that environment while providing strong suction and an effective self-cleaning roller mop.
The device can keep vacuuming after its water tank runs dry, The Verge reported. The review also described the robot as quiet enough to run during work-from-home hours without creating a distraction.
Less dependence on a dock
The Matic differs from many robot vacuums by avoiding a large multifunction dock, according to The Verge. It carries its own water tank and stores dirty water in a disposable bag, leaving the user to empty and clean the dirty-water reservoir.
The Verge reported that the robot can drive itself to the sink when it needs more water. The publication also said the Matic can operate fully offline, keeping maps and other data stored locally instead of relying on cloud storage.
The planned price change leaves buyers with a short window to purchase at the current $1,245 price. After Sept. 9, Matic’s listed price is set to rise to $1,495, while direct buyers get the added replacement bags and longer return period, according to The Verge.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.