The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
There's a robot to suit any carpet type, whether it's low-pile or high-pile. These intelligent appliances can will navigate your home in a way that is automated, pick up debris and clean under furniture.
They are equipped with advanced features, like mapping that help them navigate through your home and remember the location of furniture. They can also boost suction power to tackle dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694
The iRobot Roomba is a budget-friendly robot vacuum that works well on both floors that are unfinished and low-pile floor carpet. It is able to suction well however, it struggles with larger debris like grains of rice or sand. It does a good job cleaning pet hair but is not as resistant to knots as premium Roomba models like the I6 and j7.
The Roomba 694 is simple to use. It has a trio of buttons on its top cover: 'Clean' launches a cleaning cycle and 'Dock' places it back in its charging station and 'Spot Clean' triggers an targeted clean. It can be controlled via an app for smartphones that lets you to schedule cycles, stop and start them, and alter settings. It is also possible to pair the device with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant to control it through voice.
This vacuum cleaner is slower than others, but it is able to reach most corners and crevices. It has a large bin, which makes it easier to empty. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers, which allow you to set the robot to avoid certain areas, or even stop cleaning completely to stop it from getting stuck.
Although it's not the top model in its price range, it's better than many other alternatives. The Roborock E4 is more advanced than the Roomba 694, with superior cleaning performance on carpets that are low and bare. It also follows a more efficient cleaning path and has a longer battery life. It is also more robust, has fewer components that require regular maintenance, costs less over its lifetime and charges faster than 694.
It's also worth considering other, more premium models from the iRobot range, such as the 981 or the v7. The 981 and v7 are more expensive, but provide significant improvements in cleaning performance, 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 with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This self-emptying robot with a budget does an okay job on hard floors as well as low-pile carpet. The combination brush is able to reach the edges and corners, and it automatically increases suction as soon as it spots carpet. It also does an excellent job of cleaning embedded dirt off carpets in the middle of the pile. The IQ has a small footprint and has a self-emptying feature. If you'd like to change the floor's levels or define zones that aren't allowed, you'll have to manually reset the map.
The IQ app provides advanced mapping and automated features, however it isn't equipped with no-go zones. These are available only on iRobot robots. Its intelligent-pathing navigational system gives you greater maneuverability and its high-pile carpet mode is clean well, though it does have a tendency to get caught up on rug tassels. Its iHome speaker allows you to control the robot using voice commands.
During our tests, we discovered that the IQ handled pet hair with ease. It was able to remove lots of debris on floors that were not bare, and a fair amount of rug with a medium pile. It was less efficient on shag carpets, which was a struggle to reach dirt and dust buried in the fibers. It did a good job of maneuvering chair legs and tight spaces as well as the wooden base of an IKEA step stool. It was slower on bare flooring however, it was able to recover speed and was more efficient than the other robots that we evaluated.
The IQ is a better option here over the iRobot Roomba 694 for most applications. It has a bigger dustbin, a longer battery life, and is better in navigating around obstacles. It has mopping tools that can clean up sticky debris. On the other side, the iRobot feels better-built and has fewer parts that require replacement or maintenance and incurs lower costs for recurring maintenance, and can create virtual no-go zones using its companion app. It is able to even resume cleaning from the point it started if it has run out of battery before having completed the task. The iRobot can be controlled by voice, which is a huge benefit for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S robot vacuum isn't one of the most features-rich models, but it offers powerful cleaning power at an affordable price. It's designed for those who don't need a complicated mapping system or an app to control the device. The robot is capable of running for a long time and includes the remote, a cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base and extra filters.
The 11S is slim and sleek, and features a tempered-glass upper deck that resembles brushed aluminum. It's a nice change from the utilitarian and industrial designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
In our tests, the eufy 11S was very effective in removing larger particles and fine dust on hard flooring. It was unable to thoroughly clean high-pile and medium-pile carpets. The device is prone of bumping into people and furniture in its route. However, it is able detect obstacles with sensors. It stops and emits a loud noise when it comes across an obstruction. You can then manually guide the device around the obstacle and restart it.
The BoostIQ mode is a great feature of the Eufy11S. It allows you to configure the robot to automatically adjust suction strength based on the floor type and the level of mess. It's also easy to use the remote to direct the 11S to where you'd like it to move.
Single Room Mode is a great option if you have little furniture in the room you want to vacuum. The eufy will take 30 minutes intensely cleaning the area that it is assigned to.
You can also select Edge Cleaning that reduces the amount of time in each location to 20 minutes to ensure optimal battery life. This feature allows the eufy to move in a spiraling pattern, cleaning corners and edges.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range canister robot vacuum and a top performer on carpet. Its performance on floors that are not bare is also impressive. It can remove small particles such as rice easily and it doesn't suffer from 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 and self-emptying bin, which means you don't require additional filters or vacuum bags.
It's not as powerful as the more expensive models, but it's ideal for fighting staining and deep cleaning. It has two cameras on the front that deliver a live feed to your smartphone. It also has one of the most advanced obstacle avoidance systems. It also has a large dustbin, a long runtime and a quick, bump-free clean-up.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots in that it can switch between a standard head and a turbo head for various kinds of flooring. The turbo head is ideal for low-pile and high-pile carpeting and the standard powerhead works well on bare floors and lightweight rugs. It also features an automatic height adjustment system that enables it to adjust to different types flooring without manual adjustments.
This model comes with the SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead, which can be used on hard floors and carpets of medium pile. The motor can also be easily maneuvered and can reach hard-to-reach areas. It comes with five different surface adjustments and an off-brush switch to avoid hairs getting caught in knots.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll, the UtraClean Mode that will clean the same area three times, and a self emptying dustbin that can be emptied by pressing a single button. Its noise level is slightly higher than other models however, its powerful 1,200-watt motor and sturdy build make it worth the extra expense.
If you don't mind spending a little more then the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is a great all-around robot vacuum. It performs better on carpets than the Classic C1. It is more efficient on all floors, feels more solidly built, and includes a HEPA filter.