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 your home, suck up debris and even clean under furniture.
A lot of them come with advanced features, like mapping, which allows them to navigate your home and remember furniture positioning. They can also boost suction power to tackle dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba from iRobot is an entry level robot vacuum that performs well on both floors that are unfinished and floor carpets with a low pile. It is able to suction well however it has trouble with larger particles such as sand or grains of rice. It is effective in cleaning pet hair but isn't as resistant to tangling as the premium Roomba models such as the j7 and I6.
The Roomba is simple to use. It has three buttons on its top cover: 'Clean' initiates an entire cleaning cycle, 'Dock' puts it back into its charging station, and 'Spot Clean' activates the targeted cleaning. It is controlled by a smartphone app that lets you schedule or stop/start cycles, and also adjust settings. You can also pair the device to smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant to control it through voice.
This vacuum is slower than other models, but it's still able to reach most corners and crevices. It comes with a large bin that makes it easy to empty. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers, which allows you to program the robot to stay out of certain areas or to stop cleaning altogether to avoid it from becoming stuck.
It's not the top in its price, however it's better than most other options. The Roborock E4 is more advanced than the Roomba 694, with better cleaning efficiency on carpets that are low and bare. It also follows an efficient cleaning route and has a longer battery life. It also feels more durable and has fewer components that require regular maintenance, is less expensive to own over the course of its life and charges more quickly than the 694.
It's also worth taking a look at other, more premium models from the iRobot line, like the 981 or the v7. The v7 and 981 are more expensive, but offer significant improvements in cleaning performance, both on low and bare pile floors. They also have a larger dirt compartment they charge faster, can move more easily, and are easier to pair with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This self-emptying robotic vacuum cleaner does a great job on carpets with low piles and hard flooring. Its combo brush reaches into edges and corners, and it automatically increases suction when it detects carpet. It also does a good job of cleaning dirt off carpet in the middle. The IQ's tiny footprint for docks and the self-emptying feature are great features. If you'd like to change the floor's levels or define no-go areas, you'll need to manually reset the map.
The IQ app offers some advanced mapping and automated features, but it lacks no-go zones. These are only available on iRobot robots. Its intelligent-pathing navigational system results in superior maneuverability and its high-pile carpet mode is clean well, but it is prone to get caught up on rug tassels, and its iHome speaker lets you operate the robot by voice commands.
During our tests, we observed that the IQ was able to handle pet hair effectively. It was able to eliminate lots of debris on floors that were not bare, and a fair amount on medium-pile rug. It was less effective on shag carpets. It was unable to reach dirt and dust buried within the fibers. It was able to navigate the legs of chairs, small spaces as well as the base of an IKEA wooden step stool. It was a little slower on flooring that was not fully covered but it was able to recover speed and was more efficient than the other robots that we evaluated.
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 obstacles. It also has a mopping attachment that can tackle sticky debris. On the other hand the iRobot is more durable and has fewer components that require maintenance or replacement, incurs lower recurring costs and can even create virtual no-go zones using its companion app. It can continue cleaning where it left off, even if the battery is out before it finishes. The iRobot can also be controlled using voice commands, which is a huge benefit for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S robot vacuum isn't one of the most advanced models, but it does offer powerful cleaning power at an affordable price. The RoboVac 11S is designed for budget-conscious consumers who do not require a complicated mapping system, or even an app to control it. The robot can run for more than an hour and includes a remote, cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base, and additional filters.
The 11S is slim and sleek, with a tempered glass upper deck that covers plastic and is made to look like brushed aluminum. It's a nice change from the industrial and utilitarian designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
In our tests, the eufy11S was very effective in removing larger debris and fine dust on hard floors. It struggled to deep clean carpets with high and medium piles. The device has a tendency to hit furniture and people along its course. However, it is able detect obstacles with sensors. It ceases and emits a loud ring when it encounters an obstruction. Then, you can manually guide the device around it and restart it.
The BoostIQ mode is another fantastic feature of the Eufy11S. It allows you to configure the robot to automatically adjust suction strength based on the floor type and the level of dirt. It's also simple to use the remote to direct the 11S in the direction you want it to move.
If you don't have much furniture in the space where you'd like to vacuum, check here Single Room Mode is an excellent alternative. The eufy will take 30 minutes cleaning the area that it's assigned.
Edge Cleaning is another option that can limit the time spent on each surface to 20 minutes. This will increase the battery's life. By selecting this option the eufy can move in a spiral fashion, tackling corners and edges for a thorough clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range canister robot vacuum that can be a great performer on carpet. Its performance on bare floors is also impressive. It can remove rice and other fine debris easily. The suction power doesn't diminish as the dirt bin gets full. Its air-sealed, allergy-friendly design snuff out allergens and keep your family healthy. It has an onboard HEPA filter and a self-emptying bin, so you don't need additional filters or a separate vacuum bag.
It's not as powerful as more expensive models, but it's still ideal for fighting dirt and deep cleaning. It has two cameras on the front which provide live feeds to your smartphone. It also comes with one of the most advanced obstacle avoidance systems. It also comes with a huge dustbin, a long running time and a speedy clean-up that is free of bumps.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots in that it is able to switch between two heads, a standard and a turbo head for various kinds of flooring. The turbo head is great for low-pile and high-pile carpeting, while the standard powerhead can be used on bare floors and lightweight rugs. It also features an automatic height adjustment system that enables it to adapt to various types of flooring without manual adjustments.
This model comes with the SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead, which can be used on carpets with a hard surface and carpets with a medium pile. The powerhead can be easily moved around and reach difficult spots. It comes with five different surface adjustments and a brushroll-off switch to prevent hairs getting caught in knots.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll as well as an UtraClean mode that goes back and forth over the same area three times to ensure the best cleaning possible and a self-emptying trash bin which can be filled with the touch of the button. The noise level of this model is higher than other models. However its powerful motor with 1,200 watts and durable construction are worth the additional cost.
If you're willing to pay some extra money then 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 kinds of floors and is more robustly built and comes with a HEPA filter.