The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
Whether you've got low or high-pile carpet There's a robot vacuum for you. These smart appliances navigate your home automatically, pick up debris and clean under furniture.
They have advanced features such as mapping that helps you navigate around your home and help you remember the location of furniture. They can also increase the suction power to tackle dirtier surfaces.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba 694 from iRobot is an entry-level robot vacuum that is able to work on carpets with low pile and bare floors. It has a good suction however, it struggles with larger debris like grains of rice or sand. It also does a decent job of cleaning pet hair but it's not impervious to tangling as top Roomba models like the j7 or I6.
The Roomba 694 is easy to use. It has a trio of buttons on its top cover: 'Clean' starts an entire cleaning cycle, 'Dock' puts it back in its charging station, and 'Spot Clean' activates an targeted clean. It is controlled by an app for smartphones which lets you schedule or stop/start cycles, and also adjust settings. You can also pair it with smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum is a little slower than other models, but it's still able to get into the most crevices and corners. It comes with a large bin which makes it much easier to empty. It is compatible with digital maps and virtual barriers that let you restrict it to certain areas or even stop cleaning completely when you want to stop it from getting stuck on something.
While it's not the best model in its price range but it's far superior to other alternatives. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning efficiency than the Roomba 694 and it is able to clean both carpets with low pile as well as bare. It also has a longer-lasting battery and a more efficient route. 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 looking at other, more premium models from the iRobot line, such as the 981 or the v7. The v7 and 981 are more expensive, but they have significant improvement in cleaning efficiency, for both bare and low pile floors. They also have a larger dirt compartment and charge faster, move more easily and are easier to pair up with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This self-emptying robotic vacuum cleaner does an excellent job on low-pile carpet and hard flooring. 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 dirt off mid-pile carpet. The IQ's tiny dock footprint and self-emptying feature are both nice features. However, if you wish to change the floor levels on the map, or set no-go zones, you'll have to manually reset it to do so, which is a bit of trouble.
The IQ app comes with advanced mapping and automated features, however it lacks no-go zones. These are only available on iRobot robots. Its smart-pathing navigational system gives you greater maneuverability, and its high-pile carpet cleaning mode cleans well, though it tends to get caught up in rug tassels, and its iHome speaker lets you control the robot using voice commands.
In our tests in our tests, the IQ was adept at handling pet hair with ease, removing huge amounts of hair from floors with no flooring and fair amounts of medium-pile carpet. It was less efficient with shag carpets, where it struggled to get at dirt and dust embedded within the fibers. It was able to navigate chair legs, 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 that we test.
The IQ is a more suitable option for the majority of users than the iRobot Roomba. It has a bigger dust bin, lasts longer on a charge, and is more capable of maneuvering itself around obstacles. It also comes with mopping attachments that are able to handle sticky mess. The iRobot is, however, is more sturdy and has less components that require maintenance or replacement and has lower ongoing costs, and can even create virtual no go zones with its companion application. It is able to continue cleaning from the point it started, even if its battery runs out before it has finished. The iRobot is also controlled by voice, which can be an advantage for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S eufy robot vacuum isn't one of the most features-rich models, but it provides excellent cleaning power for an affordable price. It's designed for budget-conscious buyers who don't require a complicated mapping system or app to control the device. The robot can run for up to an hour and includes the remote, a cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base and extra filters.
The 11S is slim, sleek and has a tempered-glass upper deck that appears like brushed aluminum. It's a nice departure from the utilitarian and industrial designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
In our tests, the eufy 11S was extremely effective at removing larger debris and fine dust on hard floors. It was unable to thoroughly clean medium and high-pile carpets. The device is capable to bump into people and furniture in its path. However, it can detect obstacles with sensors. It ceases and emits a loud sound when it encounters an obstruction. It is then possible to manually steer the device around it and restart it.
Another great aspect of the eufy 11S is its BoostIQ mode that lets you set the robot to automatically adjust the strength of its suction 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 much furniture in the space where you want to vacuum Single Room 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 location to 20 minutes to ensure optimal battery life. If you select this option, the eufy will move in a spiral fashion to clean edges and corners to ensure a clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range robot vacuum that can be a great performer on carpet. Its performance is also exceptional on floors with no floor. It can remove rice and other fine particles effortlessly. The suction power here doesn't diminish as the dirt bin fills. Its design is a breathable one and its air-sealed body captures allergens to keep 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 more expensive models, but it's ideal for deep cleaning and taking on the toughest stains. It has two front cameras which provide a live feed 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 quick and smooth clean-up.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots in that it can switch between a standard head and a turbo to suit different kinds of flooring. The turbo head works best with high-pile or low-pile carpeting while the standard powerhead is ideal for bare floors and light carpets. It also has an automatic height adjustment system which lets it easily adjust to different kinds of flooring, without 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 can reach hard-to-reach areas. It comes with five levels of surface adjustments and an off-brush switch to help prevent tangled hairs.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll as well as an UtraClean mode that cycles across the same area three times to ensure the best possible clean, and a self-emptying dustbin that can be empty at the touch of a button. The volume of noise produced by this model is greater than other models. However, its powerful motor with 1,200 watts of power and durable construction are worth the extra cost.
If you're willing to spend a bit more then the Miele Complete C3 is an excellent all-round canister robot vacuum that is more effective on carpet than the Classic C1. It performs better on all floor types and is more solidly constructed and comes with an HEPA filter.