The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
There's a robot that can be found for any carpet type, whether it's low-pile or high-pile. These smart devices are able to navigate your home on their own and pick up dirt and clean under furniture.
Many of them have advanced features, such as mapping, which can help you navigate your home and remember furniture placement. They also can increase the suction power in order to clean up surfaces that are dirtier.
iRobot Roomba 694
The iRobot Roomba 694 is a robot vacuum for entry-level use that works well on carpets with low pile and bare floors. It has a good suction and is able to clean all kinds of debris, but it struggles with larger particles like sand or rice. It is effective in cleaning pet hair but isn't as resistant to tangling as premium Roomba models such as the I6 and j7.
The Roomba 694 is simple to use. It has three buttons on its cover: 'Clean' launches a cleaning cycle and 'Dock' allows it to be put back in its charging station, and 'Spot Clean' initiates an targeted clean. You can control it via an app for smartphones that lets you to schedule cycles, stop and start them, and alter settings. You can also pair the device with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant to control it through voice commands.
This vacuum is a little slower than the others, however it is still able to get into the most crevices and corners. It has a large dustbin that is ideal for reducing the frequency the frequency you have to empty it. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers, which allow you to program the robot to stay out of certain areas or stop cleaning altogether to avoid it from becoming stuck.
Although it's not the top model in its price range, it's better than many other options. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning efficiency than the Roomba 694 and it's able to clean carpets with a low pile and bare. It also follows an efficient cleaning route and has longer battery life. It also feels better-made, has fewer parts that need regular maintenance, costs less to maintain over its life and charges more quickly than the 694.
It's also worth taking a look at other models that are more expensive within the iRobot line, such as the 981 or the v7. They're more expensive, but they provide significant improvements over the 694 in terms of cleaning performance on both bare and low-pile floors, follow a more efficient cleaning route and come with 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 budget self-emptying robot does a good job on hard floors and carpets with a low pile. The combo brush can reach into corners and edges and it automatically boosts suction when it senses carpet. It also does a good job of cleaning embedded dirt on mid-pile carpet. The IQ has a small footprint and has a self-emptying feature. If you'd like to change the floor level or set zones that aren't allowed, you'll have to manually reset the map.
The IQ's app comes with advanced mapping and automation features however, it's not able to access no-go zones which are included on iRobot models. Its smart-pathing navigational system gives you superior maneuverability and its high-pile carpet mode cleans well, although it does have a tendency to get caught up on rug tassels, and its iHome speaker allows you to control the robot with voice commands.
During our tests during our tests, the IQ was adept at handling pet hair effectively, clearing huge amounts of debris from floors with no flooring and fair amounts of medium-pile carpet. It was less effective with shag carpets. It was unable to reach dirt and dust embedded within the fibers. It did a good job of navigating the legs of chairs and tight spaces as well as the base of a wooden IKEA step stool. It was a little slower on floors with no flooring, but it regained speed and performed better than other robots we tested.
The IQ is a better option over the iRobot Roomba 694 for most uses. It has a larger dustbin and lasts longer on a charge, and is capable of maneuvering itself around obstacles. It also comes with a mopping attachment that can tackle sticky mess. On the other hand, the iRobot feels better-built and has fewer parts that require replacement or maintenance, incurs lower recurring costs, and can create virtual no-go zones using its companion app. It is able to continue cleaning the point it started, even if its battery runs out before it's finished. The iRobot can also be controlled via voice commands, which is a major benefit for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S robot vacuum isn't among the most advanced models, but it offers excellent cleaning power for a low cost. The RoboVac 11S is designed for consumers with a tight budget who don't need a complex mapping system, or an application to control it. The robot is able to last for over an hour. It comes with a remote control, cleaning tool and AC power adapter.
The 11S is slim, sleek and has a tempered-glass upper deck that looks like polished aluminum. It's a refreshing departure from the utilitarian and industrial designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
The eufy11S was successful in our tests of removing larger debris and fine dust from hard floors. However, it struggled to give high and medium pile carpets a thorough clean. It is also prone to smack into furniture and people that are in its path however, it is able to detect those obstacles using sensors. When it encounters them, it halts and emits an alarm so that you can manually guide it through the obstacle before getting back to work.
Another great feature of the eufy11S is its BoostIQ mode that allows you to set the robot to automatically adjust its suction strength to match the type of floor and level of the mess. The remote control makes it simple to direct the 11S to your desired area.
If you don't have many furniture in the area you want to vacuum Single Room Mode is an excellent alternative. The eufy will take 30 minutes intensely cleaning the area it's assigned to.
Edge Cleaning is another option that can limit the time that is spent on each area to 20 minutes. This will extend battery life. By selecting this option the eufy moves in a spiral to clean edges and corners for an efficient 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 bare floors is also outstanding. It is able to 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 traps allergens, keeping your family healthy. It has an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin which means you don't require additional filters or vacuum bags.
It's not as powerful as more expensive models, but it's still great for tackling dirt and deep cleaning. The two cameras on the front of the unit provide live feeds of images on your smartphone, and it has one of the top obstacle avoidance systems we've ever seen. It also has a large dustbin, a long running time and a speedy and smooth clean-up.
Unlike most other robots that vacuum and mop robots, the Complete C1 can switch between two powerheads, a standard one and a turbo head for different flooring types. The turbo head is ideal for carpeting with high-pile or low-pile and the standard powerhead works well on unfinished floors and light rugs. It also comes with an automated 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 around and can reach hard-to-reach areas. It comes with five different adjustments to the surface and a switch that stops the brushroll to prevent tangled hairs.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll, the UtraClean Mode that can clean the same area three times, and a self emptying dustbin that can be emptied with a single button press. The noise level is slightly higher than that of other models, but its powerful 1,200-watt motor and solid construction make it well worth the extra expense.
If you don't mind spending a little more, the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is an excellent all-around robot vacuum. It performs better on carpets than the Classic C1. It performs better on all types of floors, is more solidly constructed, and comes with an HEPA filter.