The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
Whether you've got low or high-pile carpet There's a robot vacuum for you. These smart appliances automatically navigate through your home, pick up debris and even clean under furniture.
Many of them have advanced features, such as mapping, which can help you navigate around your home and keep track of furniture positioning. They can also increase suction power to tackle dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694"
The Roomba from iRobot is a budget-friendly robot vacuum that works well on both plain flooring and low-pile floor carpet. It has a good suction and is able to clean up most debris, though it isn't able to handle larger debris such as rice or sand. It also does a decent job at cleaning pet hair but it's not resistant to tangling like the high-end Roomba models such as the j7 or I6.
The Roomba 694 is easy to use. It features three buttons on the top cover. Clean, which launches a cleaning session, 'Dock,' which puts it in its charging station, and "Spot," which initiates an individualized cleaning. It is controlled by an app on your smartphone that lets you schedule or stop/start cycles, as well as alter settings. You can also connect the device with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant to control it through voice commands.
This vacuum cleaner is slower than other models, but it can reach most corners and crevices. It has a huge dust bin which is ideal for reducing the frequency with which you must empty it. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers which lets you set the robot to avoid certain areas, or even stop cleaning altogether to avoid it from getting stuck.
Although it's not the top model in its price range however, it's superior to many other alternatives. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning capability than the Roomba 694 and it can clean both low-pile and bare carpets. It also has a more efficient cleaning path and has longer battery life. It is also more robust, has fewer components that require regular maintenance, and costs less over its lifetime, and charges faster than 694.
You should also consider other models in the iRobot range, including the v7 and the 981. The 981 and v7 are more expensive, but have 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 robot with a budget does a good job on hard floors and carpets with a low pile. Its combination brush reaches the edges and corners and automatically increases suction when it spots carpet. It also does a great job of cleaning dirt off carpets in the middle of the pile. The IQ's tiny footprint for docks and its self-emptying feature are great features. If you'd like to change the floor level or set areas that are not allowed to be used, you'll need to manually reset the map.
The IQ's app has some advanced mapping and automation features however it doesn't have no-go zones that are available on iRobot models. Its smart-pathing system allows for superior maneuverability, and the high-pile mode of its carpet cleaning mode is effective however it can be caught in rug tassels.
During our tests, we observed that the IQ handled pet hair well. It was able to eliminate the majority of hair on floors that were unfinished and a decent amount on medium-pile rug. It was a little less effective on shag carpets which was a struggle to reach dirt and dust buried in the fibers. It was capable of navigating the legs of chairs, tight spaces, and the base of a wooden IKEA step stool. It was a little slower on bare flooring however, it was able to recover speed and did better than other robots we tested.
The IQ is a better option over the iRobot Roomba 694 for most applications. It has a larger dustbin and lasts longer on a charge and is more capable of getting over obstacles. It has a mopping tool that can clean up sticky debris. On the other side, the iRobot feels better-built and has fewer parts that require replacement or maintenance, incurs lower recurring costs, and can create virtual no-go zones with its companion app. It is able to continue cleaning from where it left off even if its battery runs out before it has finished. The iRobot can also be controlled using voice, which is a huge plus for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S isn't the most feature-rich robot vacuum around however it offers great cleaning power for the price of. It's designed for those who don't require a complicated mapping system or app to control the device. The robot is able to last for over an hour. It comes with an remote control, a cleaning tool and AC power adapter.
The 11S is slim and sleek, and features a tempered-glass upper deck that appears like the brushed appearance of aluminum. It's a refreshing departure from the utilitarian and industrial designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
In our tests, the eufy11S was very effective in removing large particles and fine dust on hard flooring. However, it struggled to provide medium and high pile carpeting an effective deep clean. The device is capable to bump into furniture and people in its path. However, it is able to detect obstacles with sensors. When it encounters them, it stops and lets out a loud sound so you can manually steer it through the obstacle before getting back to work.
The BoostIQ mode is another great feature of the eufy11S. It allows you to set the robot up to automatically adjust the suction strength based on the type of floor and the amount of the mess. It's also easy to use the remote to direct the 11S where you'd like it to go.
Single Room Mode is a great option if you have little furniture in the room you'd like to vacuum. The eufy will spend up to 30 minutes cleaning the area it is assigned.
You can also select Edge Cleaning that limits the amount of time in each location to 20 minutes for optimal battery life. This option allows the eufy to move in a spiraling manner cleaning edges and corners.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range canister robotic vacuum and a top performer on carpet. Its performance is also great on bare floors. It is able to remove rice and other small particles easily. The suction power doesn't decrease as the dirt bin gets full. Its design is a breathable one and its air-sealed body will trap allergens to keep your family healthy. It uses an onboard HEPA filter and self-emptying dustbin, so you won't need to purchase additional filters or a separate vacuum bag.
It's not as powerful as the more expensive models, but it's ideal for fighting staining and deep cleaning. It comes with two cameras in front that deliver live feeds to your smartphone. It robot vacuum also has one of the most advanced obstacle avoidance systems. It also has a large dustbin, a long runtime, and a fast clean-up that is free of bumps.
Contrary to other robots unlike other robots, the Complete C1 can switch between two powerheads, a standard one and a turbo head to accommodate different floor types. The turbo head works best on low-pile or high-pile carpeting while the standard powerhead is suitable for floors with no flooring and light rug. It also features an automatic height adjustment system that allows it to adapt to different kinds of flooring without manual adjustments.
This model comes bundled with an SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle both hard floors and carpeting of medium-pile. The powerhead can also be easily moved and get into difficult areas. It comes with five levels of surface adjustment as well as a switch that lets you turn off the brushroll to avoid hairs getting caught in tangles.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll, a UtraClean Mode that will clean the same area up to three times and a self emptying dustbin that can be emptied with a single button press. The noise level is slightly higher than that of other models however its powerful 1,200-watt motor and robust construction make it worth the extra cost.
If you don't mind spending an extra amount it is the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is a great all-around robot vacuum. It performs better on carpets than the Classic C1. It is more efficient on all floor types and feels more sturdy and comes with an HEPA filter.