The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
There's a robot to suit every carpet type, whether it's high-pile or low-pile. These intelligent appliances can navigate through your home, pick up debris and even clean under furniture.
They are equipped with advanced features, such as mapping that helps you navigate around your home and remember where furniture is located. They can also increase suction power to tackle dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba 694 by iRobot is a basic robot vacuum that is able to work on carpets with low pile and bare floors. It has good suction, but struggles with larger debris like sand or grains of rice. It also does a decent job of removing pet hair however it isn't impervious to tangling as high-end Roomba models such as the j7 or I6.
The Roomba is simple to use. It has a trio of buttons on its cover: 'Clean' initiates a cleaning cycle, 'Dock' puts it back into its charging station and 'Spot Clean' activates a targeted clean. It can be controlled with an app for smartphones which lets you schedule or stop/start cycles, as well as adjust settings. You can also pair it with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum is a bit slower than other models, but it's still able to reach most corners and crevices. It has a huge dust bin, which is great for reducing the frequency with the frequency you have to empty it. It's compatible with digital maps and virtual barriers that let you restrict it to certain areas or stop cleaning altogether in order to prevent it from getting stuck on something.
It's not the top for its price, but it's superior to other models. 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 durable battery and a better route. It is also more robust, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, and costs less over its lifetime, and charges faster than 694.
You may also want to consider other models from the iRobot range, such as the v7 or 981. 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 up with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This budget self-emptying robot does a good job on hard floors as well as carpets with a low pile. Its combo brush reaches into corners and edges, and it automatically increases suction when it spots carpet. It also does a good job of cleaning dirt on carpets in the middle of the pile. The IQ has a small footprint and has a self-emptying feature. If you wish to alter the floor level or set no-go areas, you'll need to manually reset the map.
The IQ's application has advanced mapping and automation capabilities but it's missing no-go zones, which are available on iRobot models. Its intelligent-pathing navigational system gives you greater maneuverability and its high-pile carpet cleaning mode cleans well, although it does have a tendency to get caught up on rug tassels. Additionally, its iHome speaker allows you to control the robot with 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 unfinished and a decent amount of medium-pile rug. It was less effective on shag carpets, as it was unable to reach dirt and dust embedded within the fibers. It was able to maneuver the legs of a chair, tiny spaces, and even the base of an IKEA wooden step stool. We did notice that it was a bit slower on floors that were not paved but it quickly recovered and performed more thoroughly than other robots we tested.
The IQ is a better option than the iRobot Roomba 694 for most uses. It has a larger dustbin and lasts longer on a charge, and does a better job of maneuvering itself over obstacles. It also has mopping attachments that can handle sticky messes. On the other side the iRobot is built better and has fewer components that require replacement or maintenance and incurs lower costs for recurring maintenance and creates virtual no-go zones with its companion app. It can continue cleaning where it left off even if its battery runs out before it has finished. The iRobot can also be controlled with voice, which can be an advantage for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S from Eufy isn't the most feature-rich robot vacuum on the market however it offers excellent cleaning power at an affordable price. The RoboVac 11S is designed for consumers with a tight budget who don't require a complicated mapping robot cleaner and mop system, or even an application to control it. The robot is able to last for more than an hour. It includes the remote control, cleaning tool and AC power adapter.
The 11S is slim and sleek and has a tempered-glass upper deck that looks like brushed aluminum. It's a nice departure from the utilitarian and industrial designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
In our tests, the eufy 11S was excellent at picking up larger debris and fine dust on hard flooring. It struggled to deep clean medium and high-pile carpets. The device is also prone to smack into furniture and other objects in its path, but it's able to detect obstacles with sensors. If it encounters them it halts and emits an alarm so that you can manually guide it around the obstacle and then get it back to work.
The BoostIQ mode is another great feature of the Eufy11S. It lets you set up the robot to automatically adjust suction force based on the type of floor and the level of the mess. It's also simple 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 area you want to vacuum. The eufy can spend 30 minutes intensely cleaning the area that it's assigned to.
Edge Cleaning is another option that limits the time that is spent on each area to just 20 minutes. This will increase the battery's life. With this option, the eufy will move in a spiral fashion, tackling corners and edges to ensure a clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 canister robot is a great mid-range vacuum cleaner that performs well on carpet. Its performance on bare floors is also impressive. It is able to remove rice and other fine particles easily. The suction power doesn't diminish as the dirt bin fills. Its allergy-friendly design and air-sealed body captures allergens to keep your family healthy. It comes with an onboard HEPA filter and a self-emptying bin, so you won't need to purchase additional filters or a separate bag for your vacuum.
It's not as powerful as the more expensive models, but it's still great for tackling dirt and deep cleaning. Two front cameras provide live images to your smartphone, and it features one of the best obstacles-avoiding systems we've seen. It also has a big dustbin, a long runtime and a quick clean-up that is free of bumps.
In contrast to other robots, the Complete C1 can switch between two powerheads, a standard one and a turbo head to suit different flooring types. The turbo head is ideal for carpeting that is high-pile and low-pile, while the standard powerhead works well on unfinished floors and light rugs. It also has an automatic height adjustment system, which lets it easily adapt to different types of flooring without any manual adjustments.
The model comes with a SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle both hard floors as well as medium-pile carpeting. The powerhead can be easily moved and reach difficult spots. It comes with five levels of surface adjustment and an off-brush switch to help prevent tangled hairs.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll and the UtraClean Mode that cleans the same area up to three times and a self-emptying dustbin that you can empty with a single button press. Its noise level is slightly higher than some other models however, its powerful 1,200-watt motor as well as robust construction make it worth the extra expense.
If you're willing a bit more then the Miele Complete C3 is an excellent all-around canister robot vacuum that performs better on carpet than the Classic C1. It is more effective on any type of flooring and is built more securely, and comes with a HEPA filter.