The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
No matter if you have a carpet with a high or low pile there's a robotic vacuum for you. These smart appliances are able to navigate your home on their own and pick up dirt and clean under furniture.
A lot of them come with advanced features, like mapping, which can help you navigate your home and remember furniture positioning. They also can increase suction power to take on dirtier surfaces.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba 694 from iRobot is a basic robot vacuum that performs well on both carpets with low pile and bare floors. It has good suction, but struggles with larger particles such as grains of rice or sand. It also does a good job of removing pet hair, but it's not resistant to tangling like the high-end Roomba models like the I6 or j7.
The Roomba is simple to use. It has three buttons on its top cover. 'Clean,' which initiates a cleaning session and 'Dock' that places it in its charging station, and the 'Spot' button, which triggers a targeted cleaning. It can be controlled via an app on your smartphone that lets you schedule cycles, stop/start the cycle and change settings. You can also pair it with smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum cleaner is slower than some others, but it is able to reach most corners and crevices. It comes with a large dust bin, which is great for reducing the frequency the frequency you have to empty it. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers, which allow you to program the robot to stay out of certain areas or to stop cleaning altogether to prevent it from becoming stuck.
It's not the best cheap robot vacuum in its price range but it's better than most other options. The Roborock E4 is more advanced than the Roomba 694, with better cleaning efficiency on both bare and low-pile carpets. It also has a more durable battery and a better path. It is also more comfortable to use and has fewer components that require regular maintenance, costs less to own over its lifetime and charges more quickly than the 694.
It is also worth considering other models within the iRobot range, like the v7 or 981. The 981 and v7 are both more expensive, but have significant improvements in cleaning performance, both on bare and low pile floors. They also have a bigger dirt compartment they charge faster, can move more easily and are easier to pair up with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This self-emptying robotic vacuum cleaner does a great job on carpets with low piles and hard floors. The combination brush is able to reach the edges and corners and automatically increases suction as soon as it senses carpet. It also does a good job of cleaning dirt on carpet in the middle. The IQ has a small footprint and also a self-emptying function. If you want to change the floor levels or set zones that aren't allowed, you'll have 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. The smart-pathing technology allows for superior maneuverability and the high-pile feature of its carpet cleaning mode is very effective, although it can get caught on rug tassels.
In our tests, we observed that the IQ handled pet hair well. It was able to eliminate the majority of hair on bare floors and a decent amount on medium-pile rug. It was less effective on shag carpet, where it struggled to get at dirt and dust buried in the fibers. It was able to maneuver the legs of a chair, tiny spaces as well as the base of an IKEA wooden step stool. It was slower on floors that were not paved however, it was able to recover speed and was more efficient than the other robots that we test.
The IQ is a more suitable choice for the majority of users than the iRobot Roomba. It has a larger dustbin, lasts longer on a charge, and does a better job of getting around obstacles. It has mopping tools that are able to remove sticky debris. On the other side, the iRobot is more durable and has fewer parts that require replacement or maintenance and incurs lower costs for recurring maintenance and creates virtual no-go zones with its companion app. It is able to 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 a big plus for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S from Eufy isn't the most feature-rich robot vacuum around however it offers great cleaning power for an affordable price. It's a budget-friendly option for buyers who don't need a complicated mapping system or app to control the device. This 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, elegant and has a tempered glass upper deck that appears like polished aluminum. It's a nice aesthetic contrast to Roomba, Samsung, and Neato designs that are more industrial and utilitarian.
The eufy11S was successful in our tests of removing larger particles and fine dust from hard floors. It was unable to thoroughly clean medium and high-pile carpets. The device is capable to bump into furniture and people in its route. However, it is able to detect obstacles with sensors. It ceases and emits a loud ring when it encounters an obstacle. You can then manually guide the device around it and return it to working.
Another excellent feature of the eufy11S is its BoostIQ mode, which allows you to set the robot to automatically adjust its suction strength to match the type of floor and level of mess. The remote control makes it simple to direct the 11S to the desired area.
Single Room Mode is a great option for those with small furniture in the space you'd like to vacuum. The eufy can spend 30 minutes cleaning the space it's assigned to.
You can also select Edge Cleaning that limits the amount of time in each area to 20 minutes for maximum battery life. This option allows the eufy to move in a spiraling manner, cleaning corners and edges.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range canister robotic vacuum that can be a great performer on carpet. Its performance on floors that are not bare is also impressive. It is able to remove rice and other fine debris effortlessly. The suction power doesn't diminish when the dirt bin is full. Its air-sealed, allergy-friendly design traps allergens, keeping your family healthy. It uses an onboard HEPA filter and a self-emptying dustbin, which means you don't have to buy additional filters or a separate bag for your vacuum.
It's not as powerful as the more expensive models, but it's still excellent for dealing with dirt and deep cleaning. It has two front cameras that deliver live feeds to your smartphone. It also comes with one of the most advanced obstacle avoidance systems. It has a large bin, a long running time and a quick, bump-free cleanup.
Contrary to other robots the Complete C1 can switch between a standard powerhead and a turbo head to suit different flooring types. The turbo head is great for carpeting with high-pile or low-pile, while the standard powerhead is great on bare floors and lightweight rugs. It also comes with an automatic height adjustment system that enables it to adjust to different kinds of flooring without manual adjustments.
This model is bundled with the SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead, which can be used on both carpets with a hard surface and carpets with a medium pile. The powerhead is also easy to move and can reach tough spots. It comes with five different adjustments to the surface and a switch that stops the brushroll to prevent hairs from getting tangled.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll, an UtraClean mode that goes back and forth over the same area three times to ensure the best possible clean and a self-emptying trash bin which can be filled with the push of one button. The volume of noise produced by this model is higher than other models. However, its powerful motor with 1,200 watts and robust construction are worth the extra cost.
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 performs better on all kinds of floors, is more solidly constructed and comes with a HEPA filter.