The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
No matter if you have a low or high-pile carpet, there's a robot vacuum for you. 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 place. They can also boost suction power to tackle dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694"
The Roomba by iRobot is an entry level robot vacuum that is effective on both floors that are unfinished and carpets with low pile. It has a good suction and is able to clean most debris, however it isn't able to handle larger debris such as rice or sand. It also does a decent job of removing pet hair but it's not impervious to tangling as high-end Roomba models, such as the j7 or I6.
The Roomba 694 is easy to use. It has three buttons on its top cover: 'Clean' starts the cleaning process and 'Dock' places it back in its charging station, and 'Spot Clean' activates the targeted cleaning. You can control it via a smartphone application that allows you to 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 get into the most crevices and corners. It has a huge dust bin that is ideal to reduce the frequency at which you must empty it. It's compatible with digital barriers and virtual barriers which let you make it impossible to clean certain areas or to stop completely cleaning in order to prevent it from getting stuck on something.
It's not the top in its price, however it's better than most other options. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning performance than the Roomba 694 and it can clean both low-pile and bare carpets. It also has a more efficient cleaning path and has a longer battery life. It also feels more durable and has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, costs less to own over the course of its life and charges faster than the 694.
It's also worth looking at other, more premium models in the iRobot line, like the 981 or the v7. The 981 and v7 are more expensive, but they have significant improvement in cleaning efficiency, for both bare and low pile floors. They also have a bigger dirt compartment, charge faster, move more easily, and are easier to pair with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This budget self-emptying robot vacuum cleaner does a great job on carpets with a low pile and hard floors. The combination brush is able to reach the edges and corners and it automatically boosts suction once it spots carpet. It also does a great job of cleaning dirt from carpet in the middle. The IQ has a tiny footprint and also a self-emptying function. If you want to change the floor's levels or define zones that aren't allowed, you'll have to manually reset the map.
The IQ's app comes with advanced mapping and automation features but it's missing no-go zones that are available on iRobot models. The smart-pathing navigational system results in superior maneuverability and its high-pile carpet cleaning mode cleans well, but it is prone to get caught up on rug tassels. Its iHome speaker allows you to control the robot using voice commands.
In our tests in our tests, the IQ was capable of handling pet hair effectively, clearing huge amounts of debris from floors that were not bare and fair amounts on medium-pile carpet. It was less effective with shag carpets. It struggled to get at dirt and dust buried 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. It was a bit slower on floors with no flooring however it soon recovered speed and performed more thoroughly than the other robots we tried.
The IQ is a better choice over the iRobot Roomba 694 for most uses. It has a larger dustbin, a longer battery life and is more adept at navigating around obstacles. It also has mopping attachments that are able to deal with sticky debris. The iRobot is, on the other hand feels better built, has fewer components that require replacement or maintenance, incurs less cost per year, and can create virtual no go zones with its companion application. It is able to continue cleaning from where it left off, even if the battery is out before it has finished. The iRobot can be controlled by voice, which is a huge benefit for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S isn't the most feature-rich robot vacuum available, but it does offer great cleaning power for an affordable price. This vacuum was designed for consumers with a tight budget who don't require a complicated mapping system, or an app, to control it. This robot can run for more than an hour and comes with a remote, cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base and extra filters.
The 11S is slim, elegant and has a tempered glass upper deck that looks like the brushed appearance of aluminum. It's a refreshing departure from the industrial and utilitarian designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
The eufy11S performed well in our tests at removing larger debris and fine dust from hard floors. It was unable to thoroughly clean high-pile and medium-pile carpets. The device has a tendency to hit furniture and people along its path. However, it is able to detect obstacles using sensors. It ceases and emits a loud sound when it encounters an obstruction. You can then manually steer the device around it and get it to work again.
The BoostIQ mode is another great feature of the Eufy11S. It allows you to configure the robot to automatically adjust the suction strength based on the floor type and the level of mess. The remote control makes it simple to direct the 11S to the desired place.
If you don't have much furniture in the space where you'd like to vacuum, Single Room Mode is an excellent option. The eufy will take 30 minutes focusing on cleaning the area that it is assigned to.
Edge Cleaning is another option that can limit the time spent on each surface to a maximum of 20 minutes. This will increase the battery's life. If you select this option the eufy can move in a spiral taking care of edges and corners for a thorough clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range robot vacuum that can be a great performer on carpet. Its performance is also great on floors that are not bare. It can pick up small particles like rice easily and doesn't lose suction efficiency even as its dirt bin fills. Its air-sealed, allergy-friendly design traps allergens, keeping your family healthy. It comes with an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin which means you don't require additional filters or vacuum bags.
It's not as powerful as other models, but is still excellent for deep cleaning and fighting the toughest stains. It comes with two cameras in front that provide a live feed to your smartphone. It also comes with one of the most advanced obstacle avoidance systems. It also has a big dustbin, a long running time and a speedy, bump-free clean-up.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots in that it is able to switch between two heads, a standard and a turbo for different types of flooring. The turbo head is great for low-pile and high-pile carpeting and the standard powerhead can be used on floors that are unfinished and light rug. It also comes with an automatic height adjustment system that enables it to adapt to various types flooring without manual adjustments.
This model comes with a SBD 285-3 Classic vacuum mop robot cleaner Combination Floorhead that can handle both hard floors and carpeting of medium-pile. The powerhead can be easily moved and get into difficult areas. It has five different surface adjustments 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 for the best cleaning possible and a self-emptying bin which can be filled with the touch of the button. Its sound level is slightly higher than some other models however its powerful 1,200-watt motor and robust construction make it worth the extra cost.
If you're willing to pay an extra amount it is the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is a great all-around robot vacuum. It performs better on carpets than the Classic C1. It is more effective on any type of flooring and is more robustly built and comes with an HEPA filter.