The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
No matter if you have a carpet that is high or low-pile, there's a robot vacuum for you. These intelligent appliances can navigate your home, suck up dirt and clean under furniture.
They are equipped with advanced features, like mapping that help them navigate through your home and remember the location of furniture. They can also boost suction power to clear dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba by iRobot is an entry level robot vacuum that is effective on both floors that are unfinished and floor carpets with a low pile. It has a decent suction and can clean all kinds of debris, but it struggles with larger particles like rice or sand. It does a good job cleaning pet hair, but it isn't as strong against tangling as premium Roomba models such as the j7 and I6.
The Roomba is easy to use. It has three buttons on its top cover: 'Clean' starts the cleaning process, 'Dock' puts it back into its charging station, and 'Spot Clean' initiates the targeted cleaning. You can control it via a smartphone application that allows you schedule cycles, stop/start them and adjust settings. You can also pair the device with smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant to control it by voice.
This vacuum is a bit slower than other models, but it's still able to reach most corners and crevices. It has a large bin, which makes it easier to empty. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers which allow you to program the robot to stay out of certain areas, or even stop cleaning altogether to prevent it from getting stuck.
It's not the most effective in its price range however it's superior to other models. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning efficiency than the Roomba 694 and it's able to clean carpets with a low pile and bare. It also has an efficient cleaning route and has longer battery life. It is also more robust, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, is priced less over its lifetime and charges faster than 694.
You may also want to consider other models from the iRobot range, like the v7 or 981. The 981 and v7 are both more expensive, but they provide significant improvements in cleaning performance both on low and bare pile floors. They also have a larger dirt compartment, charge faster, move more easily and are easier to pair with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This self-emptying robotic vacuum cleaner does a good job on low-pile carpet and hard flooring. Its combo brush reaches into corners and edges and it automatically increases suction when it spots carpet. It also does a great job of cleaning embedded dirt from mid-pile carpet. The IQ's compact dock footprint and self-emptying feature are both nice features. However, if you wish to change floor levels on the map, or set no-go zones you'll have manually reset it to do so, which is a bit of trouble.
The IQ app offers some advanced mapping and automated features, however it does not have no-go zones. These are only available on iRobot robots. The smart-pathing system of the app permits for better maneuverability and the high-pile mode of its carpet cleaning mode is efficient but it could get caught on the tassels of the rug.
During our tests in our tests, the IQ was adept at handling pet hair well, clearing huge amounts of hair from bare floors and moderate amounts from medium-pile carpet. It was less effective on shag carpets, where it had a hard time reaching dirt and dust buried within the fibers. It was able to navigate the legs of chairs, small spaces and even the base of an IKEA wooden step stool. We did notice that it was a bit slower on bare floors however it soon recovered speed and performed more thoroughly than the other robots we tested.
The IQ is a better option than the iRobot Roomba 694 for most uses. It has a bigger dustbin and a longer battery life and is more adept at navigating around obstacles. It has mopping tools that can clean up sticky messes. On the other hand, the iRobot feels better-built and has fewer components that require maintenance or replacement, incurs lower recurring costs, and can create virtual no-go zones with its companion app. It is able to even resume a cleaning session from where it left off if it runs out of battery before finishing the job. The iRobot is also controlled by voice, which can be an enormous benefit for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S eufy robot vacuum isn't one of the most advanced models, but it provides excellent cleaning power for a low cost. This robot vacuum is made for those who are budget conscious and don't require a complicated mapping system, or an app, to control it. This robot will last for up to an hour. It comes with an remote control, a cleaning tool and AC power adapter.
The 11S is slim, sleek, and features a tempered-glass upper deck that appears like the brushed appearance of aluminum. It's a nice aesthetic departure from Roomba, Samsung, and Neato designs that are more utilitarian and industrial.
In our tests, the eufy 11S was extremely effective at removing larger particles and fine dust on hard floors. However, it struggled to give medium and high pile carpets an effective deep clean. It also has a tendency to hit furniture and people in its path however, it is able to detect those obstacles using sensors. It ceases and emits a loud sound when it encounters an obstacle. It is then possible to manually guide the device around the obstacle and get it to work again.
The BoostIQ mode is a great feature of the Eufy11S. It allows you to configure the robot to automatically adjust suction force based on the floor type and the amount of the mess. The remote control makes it easy to direct the 11S to your desired area.
Single Room Mode is a great alternative if you have a small amount of furniture in the area you want to vacuum. The eufy will take 30 minutes cleaning the area that it's assigned to.
Edge Cleaning is another option that can limit the time spent on each surface to just 20 minutes. This will increase the battery's life. This option allows the eufy to move in a spiraling fashion by cleaning edges and corners.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 canister robot is a top mid-priced vacuum cleaner that is a winner on carpet. Its performance is also great on bare floors. It can pick up rice and other small particles with ease. The suction power doesn't diminish when the dirt bin is full. Its design that is allergy-friendly and sealed with air traps allergens and keeps your family healthy. It has an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin, so you don't need additional filters or a vacuum bag.
It's not as powerful as more expensive models, but it's still ideal for fighting staining and deep cleaning. It comes with two cameras in front that provide live feeds to your smartphone. It also has one of the most advanced obstacle avoidance systems. It has a large bin, a long runtime and the ability to clean up quickly and without bumps.
Contrary to other robots the Complete C1 can switch between two powerheads, a standard one and a turbo head for different floor types. The turbo head is great for carpeting that is high-pile and low-pile, while the standard powerhead can be used on unfinished floors and light rug. It also comes with an automatic height adjustment system which lets it easily adapt to different kinds of flooring, without manual adjustments.
This model is bundled with the SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead, which can be used on both carpets with a hard surface and carpets with a medium pile. The powerhead is also easy to move and can get into difficult spots. It comes with five levels of surface adjustments and an off-brush switch to help prevent tangled hairs.
The mop vacuum robot Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll, a UtraClean Mode that cleans the same area up to three times, and a self-emptying bin that you can empty by pressing a single button. Its sound level is a little higher than that of other models however its powerful 1,200-watt motor as well as solid construction make it well worth the extra cost.
If you're willing to spend a little more it is the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is a fantastic all-purpose robot vacuum. It performs better on carpets than the Classic C1. It is better suited for all types of floors and is built more securely and comes with an HEPA filter.