The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
Whether you've got carpet with a high or low pile, there's a robot vacuum for you. These smart appliances automatically navigate around your home, and can scoop up debris and even clean under furniture.
Many have advanced features like mapping, which allows them to navigate around your home and keep track of furniture positioning. They can also boost suction power to tackle dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694
The iRobot Roomba 694 is a basic robot vacuum that works well on bare floors and low-pile carpet. It has a good suction and is able to clean all kinds of debris, but it isn't able to handle bigger debris like sand or rice. It is effective in cleaning pet hair but isn't as strong against tangling as premium Roomba models like the j7 and I6.
The Roomba is easy to operate. It features three buttons on the top cover. Clean, which launches a cleaning session and 'Dock' that puts it in its charging station, and the 'Spot' button, which triggers an individualized cleaning. It is controlled by an app on your smartphone which lets you schedule and stop/start cycles, and also adjust settings. You can also connect it with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum cleaner is slower than other models, but it can get into the most crevices and corners. It comes with a large dust bin that is ideal for reducing the frequency which you must empty it. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers, which allows you to program the robot to stay out of certain areas or to stop cleaning completely to stop it from becoming stuck.
While it's not the best model for its price but it's far superior to other options. The Roborock E4 is more advanced than the Roomba 694 with a much better cleaning performance on carpets with low and no pile. It also has a more durable battery and a better route. It is also more comfortable to use, has fewer parts that need regular maintenance, is less expensive to own over the course of its life and charges faster than the 694.
You should also consider other models from the iRobot range, such as the v7 or 981. They're more expensive but they provide significant improvements over the 694 in terms of cleaning efficiency on both low and bare floors. They also follow a more efficient cleaning route, have a bigger dirt compartment, are faster to charge, maneuver themselves more easily, and are more easy to connect with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This self-emptying robot with a budget does a good job on hard floors as well as low-pile carpet. The combo brush can reach into corners and edges and it automatically boosts suction when it senses carpet. It also does a great job of cleaning embedded dirt on carpet in the middle. The IQ's tiny footprint for docks and the self-emptying feature are both nice features. If you want to change the floor levels or set no-go areas, you'll need to manually reset the map.
The IQ's app comes with advanced mapping and automation features however it doesn't have no-go zones which are included on iRobot models. The smart-pathing technology allows for greater maneuverability, and the high-pile mode of its carpet cleaning mode is efficient but it could get stuck on rug tassels.
In our tests, we found that the IQ was able to handle pet hair effectively. It was able to remove lots of debris on floors that were unfinished, and a fair amount of rug with a medium pile. It was less effective with shag carpets. It struggled to get at dirt and dust embedded within the fibers. It was able to navigate the legs of chairs, small spaces and even the base of an IKEA wooden step stool. It was a little slower on floors that were not paved but it was able to recover speed and was more efficient than the other robots we have test.
The IQ is a better choice over the iRobot Roomba 694 for most applications. It has a bigger dust bin, lasts longer on a charge, and is capable of getting over obstacles. It also has a mopping attachment that can tackle sticky mess. On the other hand, the iRobot is built better and has fewer components that require maintenance or replacement and has lower recurring costs and can even create virtual no-go zones with its companion app. It can continue cleaning where it left off even if the battery runs out before it has finished. The iRobot is also controlled by voice commands, which is an enormous benefit for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S robot vacuum isn't among the most advanced models, but it does offer excellent cleaning power for an affordable price. It's designed for budget-conscious buyers who don't require a complex mapping system or app to control the device. The robot can run for more than an hour and comes with an remote, cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base and extra filters.
The 11S is slim and sleek, with a tempered glass upper deck that covers plastic and is made to appear like brushed aluminum. It's a nice departure from Roomba, Samsung, and Neato designs that are more practical and industrial.
The eufy11S did well in our tests at removing larger particles and fine dust from hard floors. It struggled to deep clean carpets with high and medium piles. It is also prone to hit furniture and people in its path, but it's able to detect those obstacles using sensors. It ceases and emits a loud ring when it comes across an obstacle. You can then manually steer the device around the obstacle and return it to working.
The BoostIQ mode is another great feature of the Eufy11S. It allows you to set up the robot to automatically adjust the suction strength based on the floor type and the level of dirt. It's also simple to use the remote to direct the 11S where you'd like it to move.
Single Room Mode is a great option if you have little furniture in the area you'd like to vacuum. The eufy will take 30 minutes intensely cleaning the area that it's assigned.
Edge Cleaning is another option that can limit the time that is spent on each area to 20 minutes. This will increase the battery's life. This feature allows the eufy to move in a spiraling manner by cleaning edges and corners.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 canister robot is a top mid-priced vacuum cleaner that performs well on carpet. Its performance is also exceptional on floors with no floor. It can pick up rice and other fine debris effortlessly. The suction power doesn't drop as the dirt bin gets full. Its air-sealed design and 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 a vacuum bag.
It's not quite as powerful as more expensive models, but is still excellent for deep cleaning and tackling the toughest stains. Two front cameras provide a live image feed on your smartphone, and it comes with one of the best obstacles-avoiding systems we've seen. It also more info 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 can switch between two heads, a standard and a turbo for different kinds of flooring. The turbo head works best with high-pile or low-pile carpeting, while the standard powerhead is good for bare floors and light rug. It also features an automated height adjustment system, which allows it to easily adjust to different kinds of flooring, without manual adjustments.
This model comes with an SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle hard floors as well as medium-pile carpeting. The powerhead can be easily moved around and can reach hard-to-reach areas. It has five different adjustments to the surface and a brushroll-off switch to prevent hairs from getting tangled.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll as well as it has a UtraClean Mode that can clean the same area up to three times, and a self-emptying dustbin that you can empty by pressing a single button. The noise level of this model is greater than other models. However, its powerful motor with 1,200 watts and sturdy construction justify the extra cost.
If you're willing to spend a little more it is 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 all floors and feels more sturdy, and includes an HEPA filter.