The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
No matter if you have a low or high-pile carpet there's a robotic vacuum for you. These intelligent appliances can navigate around your home, and can scoop up dirt and clean under furniture.
A lot of them come with advanced features, like mapping, which can help you navigate around your home and keep track of furniture place. They also can increase the suction power in order to tackle dirtier surfaces.
iRobot Roomba 694"
The Roomba by iRobot is an entry level robot vacuum that works well on both plain flooring and carpets with low pile. It has good suction and cleans all kinds of debris, but it struggles with bigger debris like sand or rice. It is effective in cleaning pet hair, but is not as resistant to knots as premium Roomba models like the I6 and j7.
The Roomba is easy to use. It has a trio of buttons on its cover: 'Clean' starts an entire cleaning cycle and 'Dock' allows it to be put back into its charging station, and 'Spot Clean' initiates an targeted clean. You can control it via an app on your smartphone that lets you to schedule cycles, stop/start them, and alter settings. You can also pair it with smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum is a little slower than other models, but it is still able to get into the most crevices and corners. It has a big bin, which makes it easier to empty. It is compatible with digital maps and virtual barriers, which allow you to make it impossible to clean certain areas or to stop completely cleaning if you want to keep it from getting stuck on something.
Although it's not the most efficient model for its price but it's far superior to other options. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning performance than the Roomba 694 and it is able to clean both carpets with low pile as well as bare. It also follows the most efficient cleaning method and has longer battery life. It is also more robust, has fewer components that require regular maintenance, and costs less over its life and charges faster than 694.
You should also consider other models within the iRobot range, such as the v7 and the 981. The v7 and 981 are more expensive, but they offer significant improvements in cleaning performance, both on low and bare pile floors. They also have a bigger dirt compartment and charge faster, move more easily and are more a breeze to pair with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This budget self-emptying robot vacuum cleaner does an excellent job on low-pile carpet 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 from carpets in the middle of the pile. The IQ has a small footprint and also a self-emptying function. If you want to change the floor levels or set areas that are not allowed to be used, you'll need to manually reset the map.
The IQ app provides advanced mapping and automated functions, however it isn't equipped with no-go zones. These are available only on iRobot robots. The smart-pathing navigational system gives you superior maneuverability and its high-pile carpet mode is clean well, though it tends to get caught up in rug tassels. Its iHome speaker allows you to control the robot with voice commands.
During our tests, we found that the IQ was able to handle pet hair effectively. It was able to eliminate a large amount of debris on bare floors, and a fair amount of rug with a medium pile. It was less efficient with shag carpets. It was unable to reach dirt and dust buried within the fibers. It was able to maneuver chair legs, small spaces and even the base of an IKEA wooden step stool. It was slower on bare flooring however, it was able to recover speed and was more efficient than the other robots we tested.
The IQ is a better choice for the majority of users than the iRobot Roomba. It has a larger dustbin and a longer battery life and is more adept at navigating around obstacles. It comes with a mopping tool that can clean up sticky mess. On the other side the iRobot feels better-built and has fewer parts that require replacement or maintenance and has lower recurring costs and can even create virtual no-go zones using its companion app. It can continue cleaning from where it left off, even if its battery runs out before it has finished. The iRobot is also controlled by voice, which can be a big plus for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S robotic vacuum isn't among the most features-rich models, but it offers powerful cleaning power at affordable prices. It's a budget-friendly option for buyers who don't need a complicated mapping system or app to control the device. The robot is capable of running for a long time and comes with a remote, cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base, and additional filters.
The 11S is slim and elegant and has a tempered glass upper deck that looks like polished aluminum. It's a nice aesthetic contrast to Roomba, Samsung, and Neato designs that are more industrial and utilitarian.
The eufy11S performed well in our tests at removing larger debris and fine dust from hard flooring. It struggled to deep clean medium and high-pile carpets. The device is capable to bump into furniture and people along its path. However, it is able to 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 great feature of the Eufy11S. It lets you set up the robot to automatically adjust suction strength based on the floor type and the level of dirt. The remote control makes it simple to direct the 11S to your desired area.
Single Room Mode is a great option if you have little furniture in the room you want to vacuum. The eufy is capable of spending up to 30 minutes cleaning the area it is assigned.
You can also opt for Edge Cleaning which reduces the time spent in each area to 20 minutes robot vacuum that vacuums and mops to ensure optimal battery life. By selecting this option the eufy moves in a spiral pattern, tackling corners and edges for a thorough clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range canister robotic vacuum that is a top performer on carpet. Its performance on carpets with no floor is also exceptional. It can pick up rice and other fine particles effortlessly. The suction power doesn't decrease as the dirt bin fills. Its design that is allergy-friendly and sealed with air captures allergens to keep your family healthy. It has an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin, which means you don't require additional filters or a vacuum bag.
It's not as powerful as other models, but it's excellent for deep cleaning and taking on staining. The two cameras on the front of the unit provide live images to your smartphone, and it features one of the top obstacles-avoiding systems we've seen. It also comes with a huge dustbin, long runtime and a speedy, bump-free clean-up.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots because it can switch between two heads, a standard and a turbo head for various types of flooring. The turbo head is great for carpeting with high-pile or low-pile and the standard powerhead works well on unfinished floors and light rugs. It also has an automated height adjustment system, that allows it to adjust 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 medium-pile carpeting. The powerhead is also easy to move and can get into difficult spots. It has five different surface adjustments as well as an off-brush switch to avoid tangled hairs.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll, an UtraClean mode that moves around the same area three times for the best possible clean, and a self-emptying dustbin that can be empty at the touch of one button. The noise level is slightly higher than other models however, its powerful 1,200-watt motor and robust construction make it worth the extra cost.
If you don't mind spending a little more, the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is an excellent all-around robot vacuum. It is more effective on carpets than the Classic C1. It performs better on all floor types and is more solidly constructed and comes with an HEPA filter.