The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
There's a robot that can be found for all carpet types, regardless of whether it's high-pile or low-pile. These smart appliances navigate your home automatically and pick up dirt and clean under furniture.
Many of them have advanced features, such as mapping, which helps them navigate your home and recall furniture place. They can also increase the suction power to take on dirtier surfaces.
iRobot Roomba 694"
The iRobot Roomba is an entry level robot vacuum that performs well on both bare flooring and low-pile floor carpet. It has good suction, but struggles with larger particles such as sand or grains of rice. It does a good job cleaning pet hair, but it isn't as strong against knots as premium Roomba models such as the j7 and I6.
The Roomba is easy to use. It has three buttons on its top cover. 'Clean,' which launches a cleaning session and 'Dock' that places it in its charging station, and the 'Spot' button, which triggers an individualized cleaning. It can be controlled with an app on your smartphone that lets you program or stop/start cycles as well as alter 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 others, but it is able to reach most corners and crevices. It comes with a large bin, which makes it easier to empty. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers, which allow you to make the robot avoid certain areas or to stop cleaning altogether to prevent it from becoming stuck.
Although it's not the most efficient model in its price range but it's far superior to other alternatives. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning capability 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 longer battery life. It also feels better-made and has fewer components that require regular maintenance, is less expensive to own over the course of its life, and charges faster than the 694.
It is also worth considering other models within the iRobot range, such as the v7 or the 981. They're more expensive, but they are significantly better than the 694 in terms of cleaning performance on both low- and bare floors, follow a more efficient cleaning route, have a bigger dirt compartment, are more efficient to charge, maneuver themselves more easily, and are easier to pair with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This self-emptying robot that is budget-friendly does an okay job on hard floors as well as carpets with low pile. Its combo brush reaches into corners and edges and it automatically boosts suction when it senses carpet. It also does a good job of cleaning dirt on carpets in the middle of the pile. The IQ has a tiny footprint and has a self-emptying feature. However, if you wish to change the floor levels on the map or set no-go zones you'll have manually reset it to do this, which is somewhat of a hassle.
The IQ's application has advanced mapping and automation features however it doesn't have no-go zones which are included on iRobot models. Its smart-pathing system permits for better maneuverability and the high-pile mode of its carpet cleaning mode is very effective however it can be caught on the tassels of the rug.
In our tests, the IQ was adept at handling pet hair well, clearing an impressive amount of debris from floors with no flooring and fair amounts of medium-pile carpet. It was less effective on shag carpet, which was a struggle to reach dirt and dust that was embedded in the fibers. It was capable of maneuvering chair legs, tight spaces, and the base of a wooden IKEA step stool. It was a bit slower on floors that were not paved however, it was able to recover speed and performed better than other robots that we evaluated.
The IQ is a more suitable option 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 moving itself over obstacles. It also comes with mopping attachments that can tackle sticky mess. On the other side, the iRobot feels better-built 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 even restart cleaning from where it left off in case it is unable to recharge its battery prior to having completed the task. The iRobot can also be controlled via voice, which is a huge plus for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S eufy robot vacuum isn't one of the most advanced models, but it offers great cleaning power at a low cost. The RoboVac 11S is designed for consumers with a tight budget who don't need a complex mapping system, or even an application to control it. This robot can last for over an hour. It comes with an remote control, a cleaning tool, and AC power adapter.
The 11S is slim and sleek, and features a tempered-glass upper deck that appears like polished aluminum. It's a nice change from the utilitarian and industrial designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
The eufy11S performed well in our tests of removing larger particles and fine dust from hard floors. It struggled to deep clean medium and high-pile carpets. The device is also prone to bump into furniture and vacuum mop cleaner robot people that are in its path however, it is able to detect these obstacles using sensors. It stops and emits a loud sound when it encounters an obstacle. You can then manually steer the device around it to get it to work again.
The BoostIQ mode is a great feature of the Eufy11S. It lets you configure the robot to automatically adjust suction strength based upon the floor type and the level of dirt. The remote control makes it easy to guide the 11S to the desired area.
Single Room Mode is a great option for those with small furniture in the area you'd like to vacuum. The eufy will spend 30 minutes intensely cleaning the area it's assigned.
You can also select Edge Cleaning which restricts the amount of time spent 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 canister robot is a fantastic mid-range vacuum cleaner that performs well on carpet. Its performance is also excellent on bare floors. It can remove small particles such as rice with ease and doesn't lose suction performance even as its dirt bin fills. Its air-sealed, allergy-friendly design capture allergens to keep your family safe. It comes with an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin, so you don't need any additional filters or vacuum bags.
It's not as effective as the more expensive models, but is still ideal for deep cleaning and taking on staining. Two front cameras provide live feeds of images on your smartphone, and it features one of the top obstacles-avoiding systems we've seen. It has a large bin, a long runtime and a quick, bump-free cleanup.
Unlike most other robots, the Complete C1 can switch between the standard powerhead and the turbo head to accommodate different types of floors. The turbo head is great for carpeting with high-pile or low-pile and the standard powerhead can be used on unfinished floors and light carpets. It also has an automatic height adjustment system which lets it easily 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 as well as medium-pile carpeting. The powerhead is also easy to move and can be used to reach difficult areas. It comes with five different adjustments to the surface and an off-brush switch to avoid tangled hairs.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll, an UtraClean mode that goes across the same area three times to ensure the most thorough cleaning and a self-emptying bin that can be emptied with the touch of the button. The noise level of this model is greater than other models. However, its powerful motor with 1,200 watts of power and robust construction justify the additional cost.
If you're willing to pay a little more then the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is a great all-around robot vacuum. It is more effective on carpets than the Classic C1. It performs better on any type of flooring and is more robustly built and comes with a HEPA filter.