The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
If you have carpet that is high or low-pile There's a robot vacuum for you. These smart devices navigate your home automatically, pick up debris and clean under furniture.
Many have advanced features like mapping, which allows them to navigate your home and remember furniture place. They also can increase the suction power in order to take on dirtier surfaces.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba from iRobot is a basic robot vacuum that is effective on both bare flooring and floor carpets with a low pile. It has a good suction, but struggles with larger debris such as sand or grains of rice. It also does a decent job of removing pet hair however it isn't immune to tangling like premium Roomba models, such as the I6 or j7.
The Roomba 694 is simple to use. It has three buttons on the top cover. Clean, which initiates a cleaning session, 'Dock,' which puts it in its charging station and "Spot," which initiates the targeted cleaning. You can control it via a smartphone application that allows you schedule cycles, stop/start them, and alter settings. You can also connect the device to smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant to control it by 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 big bin which makes it much easier to empty. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers which allows you to set the robot to avoid certain areas, or even stop cleaning altogether to prevent it from becoming stuck.
While it's not the best model in its price range, it's better than many other alternatives. 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 comfortable to use and has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, is less expensive to own over its lifetime and charges more quickly than the 694.
You should also consider other models within the iRobot range, including the v7 or 981. The 981 and v7 are more expensive but offer significant improvements in cleaning performance both on low and bare pile floors. They also have a bigger dirt compartment they charge faster, can move more easily, and are more a breeze to pair with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This self-emptying robotic vacuum cleaner does a great job on carpets with low piles and hard flooring. The combo brush can reach into corners and edges and it automatically increases suction when it detects carpet. It also does an excellent job of cleaning dirt from carpets in the middle of the pile. The IQ has a small footprint and a self-emptying function. However, if you wish to change the floor levels on the map or create no-go zones you'll have to manually reset it to do this, which can be somewhat of an inconvenience.
The IQ's application has advanced mapping and automation capabilities however it doesn't have no-go zones, which are available on iRobot models. The smart-pathing system of the app permits for better maneuverability and the high-pile mode of its carpet cleaning mode is very effective, although it can get caught in rug tassels.
In our tests in our tests, the IQ was capable of handling pet hair effectively, clearing huge amounts of hair from floors that were not bare and fair amounts on medium-pile carpet. It was less effective with shag carpets. It had a hard time reaching dirt and dust embedded within the fibers. It did a good job of maneuvering chair legs and tight spaces, as well as the bottom of an wooden IKEA step stool. It was a bit slower on flooring that was not fully covered however, it was able to recover speed and did better than other robots we test.
The IQ is a better choice than the iRobot Roomba 694 for most uses. It has a bigger dust bin, lasts longer on a charge, and does a better job of moving itself over obstacles. It comes with mopping tools that are able to remove sticky messes. The iRobot, on the other hand feels better built and has fewer parts that need maintenance or replacement and incurs fewer ongoing costs, and can even create virtual no go zones using its companion app. It can continue cleaning from where it left off even if the battery is out before it's finished. The iRobot can also be controlled via voice commands, which is a big plus for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S robot vacuum isn't one of the most advanced models, but it offers powerful cleaning power at affordable prices. It's designed for those who don't require a complicated mapping system or an app to control the device. The robot is capable of running for up to an hour and comes with the remote, a cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base, and additional filters.
The 11S is slim, elegant and has a tempered glass upper deck that resembles polished aluminum. It's a nice contrast to Roomba, Samsung, and Neato designs that are more practical and industrial.
In our tests, the eufy11S was excellent at picking up larger particles and fine dust on hard floors. It struggled to deep clean carpets with high and medium piles. The device is prone to bump into furniture and people in its course. However, it can detect obstacles using sensors. It ceases and emits a loud noise when it comes across an obstacle. Then, you can manually guide the device around the obstacle and get it to work again.
Another excellent aspect of the eufy 11S is its BoostIQ mode that allows you to set the robot to automatically adjust its suction power to match the floor type and level of mess. It's also simple to use the remote to direct the 11S where you want it to go.
If you don't have a lot of furniture in the area you'd like to vacuum Single Room Mode is an excellent alternative. The eufy can spend up to 30 minutes cleaning the space it is assigned.
Edge Cleaning is another option that can limit the time that is spent on each area to just 20 minutes. This will extend battery life. With this option the eufy moves in a spiral to clean edges and corners to ensure a clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 robot cleaner is an excellent mid-range robot vacuum that is a top performer on carpet. Its performance on carpets with no floor is also impressive. It is able to remove small particles such as rice effortlessly and it doesn't suffer from suction power even when its dirt bin gets full. Its design is a breathable one and its air-sealed body captures allergens to keep your family healthy. It uses an onboard HEPA filter and a self-emptying bin, so you won't need to purchase additional filters or a separate bag for your vacuum.
It's not as powerful as other models, but it's excellent for deep cleaning and tackling the toughest stains. Two front cameras provide a live image feed on your smartphone, and it comes with one of the top obstacle avoidance systems we've ever seen. It has a large bin, a long running time and a quick, bump-free cleanup.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots in that it is able to switch between two heads, a standard and a turbo head for various types of flooring. The turbo head is best on low-pile or high-pile carpeting while the standard powerhead is suitable for floors with no flooring and light rug. It also comes with an automatic height adjustment system that allows it to adapt to different types of flooring without manual adjustments.
This model comes bundled with a SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle hard floors as well as carpeting of medium-pile. The powerhead is also easy to maneuver and can reach tough spots. It has five levels of surface adjustment as well as a brushroll off switch to help prevent tangled hairs.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll, an UtraClean mode that goes around the same area three times to give the most thorough cleaning and a self-emptying trash bin which can be filled with the press of a button. Its sound level is a little higher than that of other models, but its powerful 1,200-watt motor as well as 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 is more efficient on all types of floors and is more solidly constructed and comes with a HEPA filter.