🚫 Why use <Navigate/> component instead of useEffect + useNavigate for Protected Routes in React.js

React Router’s is not just cleaner—it solves flicker issues, avoids security glitches, and keeps your code sane. Here's the lowdown👇

const navigate = useNavigate();
const isAuthenticated = useSelector(...);

useEffect(() => {
  if (!isAuthenticated) navigate('/login');
}, [isAuthenticated, navigate]);

But this approach has big flaws:

• The protected component still briefly renders before the redirect runs.
• A console log or side effect may fire, even if the user isn’t authorized.
• This isn’t just a UX glitch—it can leak data or trigger sensitive logic before redirecting.

✅ Why is Way Better
Here's how your route should look:

import { Navigate } from 'react-router-dom';

const ProtectedPage = () => {
  const isAuthenticated = useSelector(...);

  if (!isAuthenticated) {
    return <Navigate to={"/login"} />;
  }

  return <SecretStuff />;
};

Why it's superior:

• Declarative: You tell React exactly what to render.
• No flicker: Unauthorized users never see protected UI even for a split second.
• Cleaner code: No more juggling useEffect, useNavigate, or loading flags.
• React‑idiomatic: Leverages JSX for what it’s good at—conditionals.

🧩 Bonus Tips
Want to preserve the current URL after login? Use .

Combine this with a reusable private route wrapper to apply protection across multiple routes.

✅ TL;DR

• Bad: useEffect + useNavigate = flash of protected UI + potential data leaks.
• Good: = clean, safe, flicker-free routing.