The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
There's a robot to suit any carpet type, whether it's high-pile or low-pile. These machines are intelligent and can automatically navigate through your home, pick up debris and even clean under furniture.
A lot of them come with advanced features, like mapping, which can help you navigate your home and recall furniture placement. They can also increase the suction power in order 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 a decent suction and can clean all kinds of debris, but it isn't able to handle larger debris like rice or sand. It also does a good job of cleaning pet hair but it's not immune to tangling like high-end Roomba models like the j7 or I6.
The Roomba is easy to operate. It has a trio of buttons on its cover: 'Clean' starts an entire cleaning cycle, 'Dock' puts it back in its charging station, and 'Spot Clean' activates an targeted clean. You can control it using an app on your smartphone that lets you to schedule cycles, stop/start them, and alter settings. You can also connect it with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum is a little slower than the others, however it is still able to reach the majority of crevices and corners. It has a big bin that makes it easy to empty. It's compatible with virtual barriers and digital mapping, which allow you to set it to avoid specific areas or even stop cleaning completely 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 is more advanced than the Roomba 694, with a much better cleaning efficiency on carpets that are low and bare. It also has a more durable battery and a more efficient path. It is also more comfortable to use, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, costs less to own over the course of its life and charges faster than the 694.
You may also want to consider other models within the iRobot range, including the v7 or 981. The v7 and 981 are more expensive, but have significant improvement in cleaning efficiency, both on bare and low 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 vacuum cleaner does a good job on carpets with low piles and hard flooring. Its combo brush reaches into corners and edges and it automatically increases suction when it detects carpet. It is also effective at cleaning dirt embedded in the middle of the pile carpet. The IQ has a tiny 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 included on iRobot models. The smart-pathing technology allows for greater maneuverability and the high-pile feature of its carpet cleaning mode is very effective however it can be stuck on the tassels of the rug.
During our tests during our tests, the IQ was adept at handling pet hair well, clearing huge amounts of debris from bare floors and moderate amounts from medium-pile carpet. It was a little less efficient on shag carpets, where it struggled to get at dirt and dust embedded in 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 bare flooring, but it recovered speed and did better than other robots that we tested.
The IQ is a better choice than the iRobot Roomba 694 for most uses. It has a bigger dust bin and lasts longer on a charge, and is more capable of moving itself around obstacles. It comes with mopping tools that can remove sticky messes. The iRobot is, however, is better constructed and has less components that need maintenance or replacement and has lower ongoing costs, and can even create virtual no go zones with its companion application. It is able to continue cleaning from where it left off, even if the battery runs out before it's finished. The iRobot can also be controlled with voice commands, which is an enormous benefit for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S robot vacuum isn't among the most features-rich models, but it offers excellent cleaning power for an affordable price. This vacuum was designed for budget-conscious consumers who don't need a complex mapping system, or an app to control it. This robot can last for over an hour. It includes 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 the brushed appearance of aluminum. It's a nice change from the industrial and utilitarian designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
In our tests, the eufy 11S was extremely effective at removing larger particles and fine dust on hard flooring. However, it was unable to provide medium and high pile carpeting an effective deep clean. It also has a tendency to bump into furniture and other objects in its path however, it's able detect these obstacles using sensors. When it encounters them, it ceases to move and emits a loud beep so you can manually steer it through the obstacle before getting it back to work.
The BoostIQ mode is a great feature of the eufy11S. It lets you set the robot up to automatically adjust the suction force based on the type of floor and the level of dirt. It's also simple to use the remote to direct the 11S in the direction you'd like it to move.
If you don't have many furniture in the space where you're looking to vacuum, Single Room Mode is an excellent alternative. The eufy will spend up to 30 minutes cleaning the area it is assigned.
You can also robot vacuum and mop opt for Edge Cleaning which restricts the time spent in each area to 20 minutes for optimal battery life. This option allows the eufy to move in a spiraling fashion by cleaning edges and corners.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range canister robotic vacuum and a top performer on carpet. Its performance on floors that are not bare is also exceptional. It can pick up small particles like rice easily and it doesn't suffer from suction efficiency even as its dirt bin gets full. Its air-sealed and allergy-friendly design snuff out allergens, keeping your family healthy. It has an onboard HEPA filter and a self-emptying dustbin, which means you don't need additional filters or a separate bag for your vacuum.
It's not as powerful as more expensive models, but is still great for deep cleaning and fighting the toughest stains. Two front cameras provide live images to your smartphone, and it features one of the most effective obstacles-avoiding systems we've seen. It also comes with a huge dustbin, long runtime and a quick clean-up that is free of bumps.
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 best on low-pile or high-pile carpeting, while the standard powerhead is suitable for floors with no flooring and light rug. It also has an automatic height adjustment system that enables it to adapt to different types 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 carpeting with a medium pile. The motor can also be easily moved and can reach hard-to-reach areas. It comes with five levels of surface adjustments and a brushroll off switch to prevent hairs from getting tangled.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll and an UtraClean mode that moves across the same area three times to give the best cleaning possible and a self-emptying bin which can be filled with the push of a button. The noise level of this model is more pronounced than other models. However, its powerful motor with 1,200 watts of power and sturdy construction justify the extra cost.
If you're willing to pay a bit more, the Miele Complete C3 is an excellent all-round canister robot vacuum that is more effective on carpet than the Classic C1. It performs better on all floors, feels more solidly built and comes with a HEPA filter.