The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
There's a robot that can be found for every carpet type, whether it's high-pile or low-pile. These machines are intelligent and can automatically navigate your home, suck up debris and even clean under furniture.
They have advanced features such as mapping that helps you navigate around your home and help you remember where furniture is located. They can also increase suction power to tackle dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694"
The Roomba 694 from iRobot is an entry-level robot vacuum that is able to work on carpets with a low pile or bare floor. It has a decent suction and can clean all kinds of debris, but it isn't able to handle larger particles like sand or rice. It also does a good job of cleaning pet hair but it's not resistant to tangling like the premium Roomba models, such as the I6 or j7.
The Roomba is easy to use. It has a trio of buttons on its top cover: 'Clean' starts a cleaning cycle and 'Dock' allows it to be put back into its charging station, and 'Spot Clean' triggers a targeted clean. You can control it using an app for smartphones that lets you schedule cycles, stop/start the cycle and change settings. It can also be paired with smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum is slower than the others, however it's still able get into the most crevices and corners. It has a large dustbin that is ideal for reducing the frequency which you must empty it. It is compatible with digital maps and virtual barriers which let you restrict it to certain areas or to stop completely cleaning when you want to stop it from getting stuck on something.
It's not the most effective for its price, however it's superior to other models. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning capability than the Roomba 694 and it's able to clean low-pile and bare carpets. It also has a more efficient cleaning path and has longer battery life. It is also more robust, has fewer components that require regular maintenance, costs less over its life and charges faster than 694.
You should also consider other models within the iRobot range, like the v7 and the 981. They're more expensive but they provide significant improvements over the 694 in terms of performance on both low- and bare floors, use an efficient cleaning path and have a larger 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 that is budget-friendly does a decent job on hard floors and carpets with a low pile. The combination brush is able to reach the edges and corners, and it automatically increases suction as soon as it detects carpet. It is also effective at cleaning dirt that is embedded in the middle of the pile carpet. The IQ has a tiny footprint and also a self-emptying function. However, if you wish to change floor levels on the map, or set no-go zones you'll have to manually reset it in order to do so, which is quite trouble.
The IQ app provides advanced mapping and automated functions, however it isn't equipped with no-go zones. These are only available on iRobot robots. The smart-pathing navigational system results in greater maneuverability and its high-pile carpet cleaning mode cleans well, but it does have a tendency to get caught up on rug tassels. Its iHome speaker allows you to operate the robot by voice commands.
During our tests in our tests, the IQ was able to handle pet hair with ease, removing an impressive amount of debris from floors that were not bare and fair amounts on medium-pile carpet. It was a little less efficient on shag carpets, where it struggled to reach dirt and dust buried in the fibers. It was able to maneuver the legs of chairs, small spaces as well as the base of an IKEA wooden step stool. We did notice that it was a bit slower on floors with no flooring but it quickly recovered and performed more thoroughly than the other robots we tried.
The IQ is a better option for most users than the iRobot Roomba. It has a bigger dustbin, a longer battery life, and is better in navigating around obstacles. It also comes with mopping attachments that are able to deal with sticky mess. On the other side the iRobot feels better-built and has fewer parts that require replacement or maintenance, incurs lower recurring costs and creates virtual no-go zones through its companion app. It can even restart the cleaning process from where it left off if it runs out of battery before it has completed the task. The iRobot can also be controlled via voice, which can be an advantage for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S from Eufy isn't the most feature-rich robot vacuum around but it does provide excellent cleaning power at a low price. This robot vacuum is made for those who are budget conscious and don't require a complicated mapping system, or an app to control it. This robot can run for a long time and comes with more info a remote, cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base, and additional filters.
The 11S is slim, sleek and has a tempered-glass upper deck that resembles brushed aluminum. It's a refreshing departure from the industrial and utilitarian designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
In our tests, the eufy 11S was very effective in removing larger particles and fine dust on hard floors. It struggled to deep clean carpets with high and medium piles. It is also prone to smack into furniture and people in its path, but it's able to detect those obstacles using sensors. When it comes across them, it stops and lets out a loud sound so you can manually guide it around the obstacle and get back to work.
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 the floor type and the level of mess. It's also simple to use the remote to direct the 11S in the direction you want it to go.
Single Room Mode is a great option for those with small furniture in the area you want to vacuum. The eufy can spend 30 minutes intensely cleaning the area that it's assigned to.
Edge Cleaning is another option that reduces the time spent on each area to 20 minutes. This will increase the battery's life. By selecting this option the eufy moves in a spiral taking care of edges and corners for a thorough clean.
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 impressive. It is able to remove rice and other small particles easily. The suction power doesn't diminish as the dirt bin gets full. Its design is a breathable one and its air-sealed body traps allergens and keeps your family healthy. It has an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin, so you don't need additional filters or vacuum bags.
It's not as powerful as the more expensive models, but it's still great for tackling dirt and deep cleaning. It has two front cameras which 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, a long running time and a speedy clean-up that is free of bumps.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots in that it is able to switch between the standard head and turbo head for various types of flooring. The turbo head works best on low-pile or high-pile carpeting while the standard powerhead is ideal for bare floors and light rugs. It also has an automatic height adjustment system, which lets it easily adapt to different kinds of flooring, without manual adjustments.
This model comes with the SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead, which can be used on carpets with a hard surface and carpets with a medium pile. The powerhead can be easily maneuvered and get into difficult areas. It comes with five levels of surface adjustment as well as a switch that lets you turn off the brushroll to prevent hairs from getting tangled.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll as well as the UtraClean Mode that cleans the same area up to three times and a self-emptying bin that you can empty by pressing a button. Its sound level is a little higher than other models however, its powerful 1,200-watt motor and sturdy build make it worth the extra expense.
If you're willing to pay some extra money then the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is an excellent all-around robot vacuum. It is more effective on carpets than the Classic C1. It performs better on all kinds of floors, is more solidly constructed, and comes with an HEPA filter.