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 and pick up dirt and clean under furniture.
Many have advanced features like mapping, which can help you navigate your home and recall furniture placement. They can also increase the suction power in order to tackle dirtier surfaces.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba by iRobot is an entry level robot vacuum that is effective on both bare flooring and carpets with low pile. It is able to suction well, but struggles with larger debris like grains of rice or sand. It also does a decent job at cleaning pet hair however it isn't impervious to tangling as top Roomba models, such as the j7 or I6.
The Roomba is easy 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 schedule cycles, stop/start them, and alter settings. You can also pair it with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum cleaner is slower than some other models, but it can be able to reach the majority of corners and crevices. It has a huge dust bin which is ideal to reduce the frequency at the frequency you have to empty it. It's compatible with digital maps and virtual barriers which let you make it impossible to clean certain areas or to stop completely cleaning if you want to keep it from getting stuck on something.
It's not the top in its price range however it's better than the majority of other options. The Roborock E4 is more advanced than the Roomba 694 with a much better cleaning efficiency on both bare and low-pile carpets. It also has an efficient cleaning route and has longer battery life. It is also more comfortable to use, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, costs less to own over the course of its life, and charges faster than the 694.
You may also want to consider other models from the iRobot range, such as the v7 or the 981. They're more expensive, however they are significantly better than the 694 in terms of performance on both low and bare floors, follow the most efficient cleaning method, have a bigger dirt compartment, are more efficient to charge, maneuver themselves more easily, and are easier to connect to smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This budget self-emptying robot vacuum cleaner does a good job on low-pile carpet and hard flooring. The combination brush is able to reach corners and edges, and then automatically boosts suction once it spots carpet. It also excels at cleaning dirt that is embedded in mid-pile carpet. The IQ's tiny footprint for docks and its self-emptying feature are great features. If you wish to alter 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 capabilities however it doesn't have no-go zones, which are available on iRobot models. The smart-pathing technology allows for superior maneuverability and the high-pile mode of its carpet cleaning mode is very effective but it could get caught in the tassels of the rug.
In our tests during our tests, the IQ was capable of handling pet hair with ease, removing huge amounts of hair from bare floors and fair amounts on medium-pile carpet. It was less efficient on shag carpets, where it struggled to reach dirt and dust that was embedded in the fibers. It was capable of navigating the legs of chairs and tight spaces, as well as the bottom of an wooden IKEA step stool. It was a bit slower on bare floors, but it regained speed and performed better than other robots we tested.
The IQ is a better option than the iRobot Roomba 694 for most applications. It has a larger dustbin and a longer battery life, and is better at navigating around obstacles. It also comes with mopping attachments that can tackle sticky debris. The iRobot however, feels more sturdy, has fewer components that require maintenance or replacement, incurs less ongoing costs, and can even create virtual no-go zones with its companion application. It is able to even resume a cleaning session from the point it started if it is unable to recharge its battery prior to having completed the task. The iRobot can also be controlled using voice, which is a huge plus for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S by eufy isn't exactly the most feature-rich robot vacuum available but it does provide excellent cleaning power at an affordable price. This vacuum was made for those who are budget conscious and don't need a complex mapping system, or even an application to control it. This robot will last for over an hour. It comes with an remote control, a cleaning tool, and AC power adapter.
The 11S is slim and sleek and has a tempered-glass upper deck that resembles the brushed appearance of aluminum. It's a nice aesthetic contrast to Roomba, Samsung, and Neato designs that are more practical and industrial.
In our tests, the eufy11S was very effective in removing larger debris and fine dust on hard flooring. However, it was unable to provide medium and high pile carpets an effective deep clean. The device is prone of bumping into people and furniture in its course. However, it is able to detect obstacles using sensors. If it encounters them it stops and lets out a loud sound so you can manually guide it around the obstacle and get back to work.
Another excellent feature of the eufy 11S is its BoostIQ mode that allows you to set the robot to automatically adjust its suction power to match floor type and the amount of mess. The remote control makes it easy to direct the 11S to your desired location.
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 cleaning the space it's assigned to.
You can also select Edge Cleaning that limits the time spent in each area to 20 minutes for maximum battery life. If you select this option the eufy moves in a spiral pattern taking care of edges and corners for an efficient clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 canister robot is a fantastic mid-range vacuum cleaner that performs well on carpet. Its performance on floors that are not bare is also outstanding. It can remove rice and other fine particles effortlessly. The suction power doesn't drop as the dirt bin fills. Its allergy-friendly design and air-sealed body will trap allergens to keep your family healthy. It comes with an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin, so you don't need additional filters or a vacuum bag.
It's not as effective as the more expensive models, but is still ideal for deep cleaning and tackling staining. Two front cameras provide live images to your smartphone, and it comes with one of the most effective obstacle avoidance systems we've ever seen. It also comes with a huge dustbin, a long running time, and a fast clean-up that is free of bumps.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots in that it is able to switch between two heads, a standard and a turbo for different types of flooring. The turbo head is ideal for carpeting that is high-pile and low-pile and the standard powerhead is great on floors that are unfinished and light carpets. best affordable robot vacuum has an automatic height adjustment system that allows it to adjust to different kinds of flooring without manual adjustments.
This model comes bundled with a SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle both hard floors and medium-pile carpeting. The powerhead can also be easily moved around and can reach hard-to-reach areas. It has five different surface adjustments and a brushroll-off switch to prevent hairs getting caught in knots.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll as well as an UtraClean mode that moves around the same area three times for the best cleaning possible and a self-emptying bin that can be empty at the touch of the button. The sound level of this model is more pronounced than other models. However, its powerful motor of 1,200 watts and sturdy construction justify the extra cost.
If you don't mind spending a little more 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 and is more robustly built, and comes with an HEPA filter.