The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
There's a robot to suit any carpet type, whether it's low-pile or high-pile. 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 allows them to navigate around your home and keep track of furniture placement. They can also increase suction power to tackle dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba by iRobot is an entry level robot vacuum that works well on both bare flooring and floor carpets with a low pile. It is able to suction well however, it struggles with larger debris such as sand or grains of rice. It is effective in cleaning pet hair but isn't as strong against tangling as the premium Roomba models like the I6 and j7.
The Roomba is easy to use. It has three buttons on the top cover. 'Clean,' which triggers a cleaning process and 'Dock' that puts it in its charging station and "Spot," which initiates a targeted cleaning. It can be controlled via a smartphone app that allows you to program or stop/start cycles as well as alter settings. You can also connect the device with smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant to control it by voice.
This vacuum cleaner is slower than other models, but it can be able to reach the majority of corners and crevices. It has a big bin that makes it easy to empty. It is compatible with digital barriers and virtual barriers, which allow you to make it impossible to clean certain areas or even stop cleaning completely in order to prevent it from getting stuck on something.
Although it's not the top model for its price, it's better than many other options. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning performance than the Roomba 694, and it can clean both carpets with low pile as well as bare. It also follows the most efficient cleaning method and has a longer battery life. It is also more durable, has fewer components that require regular maintenance, costs less over its life and charges faster than 694.
It's also worth considering other, more premium models in the iRobot line, such as the 981 or the v7. The 981 and v7 are both more expensive, but have significant improvement in cleaning efficiency, for both bare and low pile floors. They also have a bigger dirt compartment they charge faster, can move more easily, and are easier to pair with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This budget self-emptying robot does a good job on hard floors as well as carpets with low pile. Its combo brush reaches into edges and corners, and it automatically increases suction when it spots carpet. It also does an excellent job of cleaning dirt off mid-pile carpet. The IQ has a tiny footprint and a self-emptying function. If you wish to alter the floor's levels or define areas that are not allowed to be used, you'll need to manually reset the map.
The IQ app comes with advanced mapping and automated features, but it isn't equipped with no-go zones. These are available only on iRobot robots. The smart-pathing technology allows for greater maneuverability and the high-pile feature of its carpet cleaning mode is very effective however it can be caught in the tassels of the rug.
In our tests, we found that the IQ was able to handle pet hair effectively. It was able to eliminate lots of debris on floors that were unfinished and a decent amount of medium-pile rug. It was less efficient with shag carpets, as it struggled to get at dirt and here dust buried within the fibers. It did a decent job of navigating the legs of chairs and tight spaces as well as the bottom of an wooden IKEA step stool. We did notice that it was a little slower on bare floors, but it regained speed and performed better than the other robots we tried.
The IQ is a better option over the iRobot Roomba 694 for most uses. It has a bigger dust bin and lasts longer on charge and is capable of moving itself around obstacles. It also comes with a mopping attachment that can tackle sticky debris. On the other side the iRobot is built better, has fewer parts that require maintenance or replacement and incurs lower costs for recurring maintenance and creates virtual no-go zones through its companion app. It can continue cleaning where it left off, even if the battery is out before it has finished. The iRobot is also controlled by voice, which can be an advantage for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S by eufy isn't exactly the most feature-rich robot vacuum around, but it does offer great cleaning power for a low price. The RoboVac 11S is designed for consumers with a tight budget who don't need a complex mapping system, or an app, to control it. This robot will last for up to an hour. It comes with a remote control, cleaning tool, and AC power adapter.
The 11S is slim and sleek with an upper deck of tempered glass that is covered with plastic, which is finished to appear like brushed aluminum. It's a nice stylistic contrast to Roomba, Samsung, and Neato designs that are more industrial and utilitarian.
In our tests, the eufy11S was very effective in removing larger particles and fine dust on hard flooring. It was unable to thoroughly clean carpets with high and medium piles. The device has a tendency to bump into furniture and people along its route. However, it is able detect these obstacles using sensors. When it comes across them, it halts and emits a loud sound so you can manually steer it around the obstacle and then get it back to work.
The BoostIQ mode is a 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 mess. The remote control makes it easy to guide the 11S to the desired area.
Single Room Mode is a great alternative if you have a small amount of furniture in the space you'd like to vacuum. The eufy can spend 30 minutes intensely cleaning the area it's assigned.
Edge Cleaning is another option that reduces the time spent on each area to a maximum of 20 minutes. This will extend battery life. If you select this option the eufy moves in a spiral fashion to clean edges and corners for an efficient clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range canister robot vacuum that is a top performer on carpet. Its performance on carpets with no floor is also impressive. It can remove rice and other small particles with ease. The suction power doesn't decrease when the dirt bin is full. Its design is a breathable one and its air-sealed body traps allergens and keeps your family healthy. It comes with 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 more expensive models, but it's still great for tackling staining and deep cleaning. The two cameras on the front of the unit provide a live image feed on your smartphone, and it has one of the top obstacle avoidance systems we've seen. It has a huge bin, an extended runtime and the ability to clean up quickly and without bumps.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots in that it is able to switch between the standard head and turbo to suit different kinds of flooring. The turbo head works best with high-pile or low-pile carpeting while the standard powerhead is ideal for floors with no flooring and light carpets. It also comes with an automatic height adjustment system that allows it to adjust to different kinds of flooring without manual adjustments.
The model comes with a SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle both hard floors and carpeting of medium-pile. The powerhead can be easily moved and reach difficult spots. It has five different surface adjustments and a switch that stops the brushroll to prevent tangled hairs.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll, the 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. Its noise level is slightly higher than that of other models however, its powerful 1,200-watt motor and sturdy build make it worth the extra cost.
If you're willing to pay some extra money it is the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is an excellent all-around robot vacuum. It performs better on carpets than the Classic C1. It performs better on all floors and is more solidly constructed, and includes an HEPA filter.