The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
No matter if you have a carpet with a high or low pile, there's a robot vacuum for you. These smart devices are able to navigate your home on their own, pick up debris and clean under furniture.
They are equipped with advanced features, such as mapping that helps you navigate around your home and help you remember the location of furniture. They can also boost suction power to clean up areas.
iRobot Roomba 694"
The Roomba 694 from iRobot is a robot vacuum for entry-level use that is able to work on bare floors and low-pile carpet. It has a good suction and is able to clean up most debris, though it isn't able to handle larger particles like rice or sand. It does a good job cleaning pet hair, but isn't as strong against tangling as the premium Roomba models such as the j7 and I6.
The Roomba 694 is simple to use. It has three buttons on its top cover. "Clean," which initiates a cleaning session, 'Dock,' which places it in its charging station and "Spot," which initiates a targeted cleaning. It can be controlled via a smartphone application that allows you to schedule cycles, stop/start them and adjust settings. It is also possible to pair the device with smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant to control it via voice.
This vacuum is a bit slower than others, but it is still able to reach the majority of crevices and corners. It has a huge dust bin that is ideal for reducing the frequency with the frequency you have to empty it. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers which lets you set the robot to avoid certain areas or to stop cleaning completely to stop it from becoming stuck.
It's not the top in its price range but it's still better than most other options. The Roborock E4 is more advanced than the Roomba 694 with superior cleaning efficiency on carpets that are low and bare. It also follows a more efficient cleaning path and has longer battery life. It also feels more durable, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, is less expensive to maintain over its life and charges more quickly than the 694.
It's also worth considering other, more premium models within the iRobot line, like the 981 or the v7. They're more expensive but they provide significant improvements over the 694 in terms of performance on both bare and low-pile floors, use the most efficient cleaning method and come with a larger dirt compartment, are quicker to charge, can move more easily, and are easier to connect to smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This budget self-emptying robot does an okay job on hard floors as well as carpets with a low pile. Its combination brush gets into corners and edges and it automatically increases suction when it detects carpet. It also excels at cleaning dirt that is embedded in the middle of the pile carpet. 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 need manually reset it to do this, which can be somewhat of a hassle.
The IQ app offers some advanced mapping and automated features, but it isn't equipped with no-go zones. These are only available on iRobot robots. 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 rug tassels.
During our tests, we found that the IQ handled pet hair well. It was able to get rid of the majority of hair on floors that were not bare and a good amount of rug with a medium pile. It was less effective on shag carpets, where it struggled to get at dirt and dust that was embedded in the fibers. It was able navigate the legs of chairs, small spaces and even the base of an IKEA wooden step stool. It was a little slower on flooring that was not fully covered, but it recovered speed and was more efficient than the other robots that we tested.
The IQ is a better option for the majority of users than the iRobot Roomba. It has a bigger dust bin and lasts longer on charge, and is more capable of maneuvering itself around obstacles. It comes with mopping tools that are able to remove sticky messes. The iRobot however, is better built and has less components that require replacement or maintenance and incurs fewer recurring costs, can create virtual no-go zones using its companion app. It can continue cleaning from where it left off, even if the battery runs out before it has finished. The iRobot can also be controlled via voice, which is a major benefit for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S by eufy isn't exactly the most feature-rich robot vacuum available however it offers great cleaning power for an affordable price. It's a budget-friendly option for buyers who don't require a complex mapping system or app to control the device. The robot is capable of running for up to an hour and comes with an remote, cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base, and additional filters.
The 11S is slim and sleek, with a tempered glass upper deck that is covered with plastic, which is finished to look like brushed aluminum. It's a nice departure from the utilitarian and industrial designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
The eufy11S performed well in our tests to remove larger particles and fine dust from hard floors. It was unable to thoroughly clean medium and high-pile carpets. The device is also prone to smack into furniture and people that are in its path, but it's able to detect obstacles with sensors. It stops and emits a loud noise when it comes across an obstacle. Then, you can manually steer the device around it and return it to working.
Another fantastic feature of the eufy11S is its BoostIQ mode that lets you set the robot to automatically adjust the strength of its suction to match floor type and the level of dirt. The remote control makes it simple to guide the 11S to the desired place.
If you don't have much furniture in the space where you're looking to vacuum Single Room here Mode is an excellent alternative. The eufy can spend up to 30 minutes cleaning the space it is assigned.
You can also select Edge Cleaning which restricts the amount of time spent in each area to 20 minutes to ensure optimal 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 great mid-range vacuum cleaner that performs well on carpet. Its performance on floors that are not bare is also outstanding. It can remove small particles like rice with ease and doesn't lose suction power even when its dirt bin fills. Its air-sealed design and allergy-friendly design capture allergens, keeping your family healthy. It comes with an onboard HEPA filter and a self-emptying dustbin, which means you don't need additional filters or a separate vacuum bag.
It's not as powerful as more expensive models, but it's ideal for deep cleaning and fighting the toughest stains. It has two front cameras that provide live feeds to your smartphone. It also comes with one of the most advanced obstacle avoidance systems. It also comes with a huge dustbin, long runtime and a speedy clean-up that is free of bumps.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots in that it can switch between two heads, a standard and a turbo head for various types of flooring. The turbo head is ideal for carpeting that is high-pile and low-pile, while the standard powerhead is great on unfinished floors and light rugs. It also comes with an automatic height adjustment system, which lets it easily adjust to different types of flooring without any manual adjustments.
This model is bundled with the SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead, which can be used on both hard floors and carpets of medium pile. The powerhead can be easily moved and get into difficult areas. It has five different surface adjustments as well as a switch that stops the brushroll to prevent hairs getting caught in knots.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll and the UtraClean Mode that will clean the same area up to three times, and a self emptying dustbin that you can empty by pressing a button. The noise level is a little higher than other models, but its powerful 1,200-watt motor and sturdy build make it worth the extra cost.
If you're willing a little more it's worth it. Miele Complete C3 is an excellent all-round canister robot vacuum that is more effective on carpet than the Classic C1. It is more efficient on all floors, feels more solidly built and comes with an HEPA filter.