The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
If you have low or high-pile carpet There's a robot vacuum for you. These smart appliances automatically navigate your home, suck up dirt and clean under furniture.
They come with advanced features such as mapping that helps you navigate around your home and remember the location of furniture. They can also increase suction power to clear dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba 694 by iRobot is a basic robot vacuum that performs well on both carpets with a low pile or bare floor. It has a good suction and is able to clean all kinds of debris, but it struggles with larger debris like rice or sand. It is capable of cleaning pet hair, but it isn't as resistant to tangling as the premium Roomba models such as the I6 and j7.
The Roomba 694 is easy to use. It has a trio of buttons on its top cover: 'Clean' starts an entire cleaning cycle and 'Dock' places it back in its charging station, and 'Spot Clean' activates an targeted clean. It can be controlled via a smartphone application that allows you schedule cycles, stop/start them, and alter settings. It can also be paired with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum is slower than others, but it's still able get into the most crevices and corners. It comes with a large dust bin which is ideal for reducing the frequency which you need to empty it. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers which lets you program the robot to stay out of certain areas or to stop cleaning altogether to prevent it from becoming stuck.
It's not the most effective for its price, however it's better than the majority of other options. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning performance than the Roomba 694, and it is able to clean both carpets with low pile as well as bare. It also has a more durable battery and a cleaner path. It also feels better-made, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, is less expensive to own over the course of its life and charges more quickly than the 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 improvement in cleaning efficiency, both on bare and low pile floors. They also have a bigger dirt compartment and charge faster, 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 and low-pile carpet. The combination brush is able to reach the edges and corners and then automatically increases suction when it detects carpet. It also is effective in cleaning dirt and debris that are embedded in carpets that are mid-pile. The IQ's tiny footprint for docks and its self-emptying feature are both nice features. If you want to change the floor's levels or define areas that are not allowed to be used, you'll need to manually reset the map.
The IQ app comes with advanced mapping and automated functions, however it does not have no-go zones. These are only available on iRobot robots. The smart-pathing technology allows for superior maneuverability and the high-pile mode of its carpet cleaning mode is very effective, although it can 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 an impressive amount of debris from bare floors and moderate amounts from medium-pile carpet. It was less efficient on shag carpets, where it struggled to reach dirt and dust embedded in the fibers. It was able to maneuver chair legs, small spaces and even the base of an IKEA wooden step stool. It was slower on flooring that was not fully covered, but it recovered speed and did better than other robots that we tested.
The IQ is a more suitable option for most users than the iRobot Roomba. It has a bigger dust bin and lasts longer on charge, and is more capable of moving itself around obstacles. It comes with mopping tools that can clean up sticky mess. On the other side the iRobot is built better and has fewer parts that require replacement or maintenance and has lower recurring costs, and can create virtual no-go zones with its companion app. It can even resume cleaning from where it left off if it has run out of battery before finishing the job. The iRobot can also be controlled with voice commands, which is an advantage for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S robot vacuum isn't among the most features-rich models, but it provides powerful cleaning power at an affordable price. It's designed for those who don't require a complex mapping system or an app to control the device. The robot can run 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, with a tempered glass upper deck that is covered with plastic, which is finished to appear like brushed aluminum. It's a nice aesthetic different from Roomba, Samsung, and Neato designs that are more practical and industrial.
In our tests, the eufy11S was extremely effective at removing larger particles and fine dust on hard flooring. It struggled to deep clean carpets with high and medium piles. The device is prone to hit furniture and people along its route. However, it is able to detect obstacles using sensors. It ceases and emits a loud noise when it comes across an obstruction. Then, you can manually guide the device around it to return it to working.
The BoostIQ mode is another fantastic feature of the eufy11S. It allows you to set up the robot to automatically adjust the suction strength based on the floor type and the amount of dirt. The remote control makes it easy to guide the 11S to the desired location.
If you don't have a lot of furniture in the space where you're looking to vacuum, Single Room Mode is an excellent alternative. The eufy is capable of spending up to 30 minutes cleaning the space it is assigned.
You can also choose Edge Cleaning which limits the time spent in each location to 20 minutes for optimal battery life. If you select this option the eufy can move in a spiral fashion to clean edges and corners for a thorough clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range canister robotic vacuum that is a top performer on carpet. Its performance is also excellent on bare floors. It is able to remove fine debris like rice effortlessly and doesn't lose suction performance even as its dirt bin gets full. Its design that is allergy-friendly and sealed with air captures allergens to keep your family healthy. It comes with an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin, so you don't need any additional filters or vacuum bags.
It's not as effective as other models, but is still great for deep cleaning and tackling staining. It comes with two cameras in front that deliver live feeds to your smartphone. It also has one of the most advanced obstacle avoidance systems. It has a large bin, a long runtime and the ability to clean up quickly and without 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 great for carpeting with high-pile or low-pile and the standard powerhead is great on unfinished floors and light rug. It also has an automated height adjustment system, which lets it easily adjust to different types of flooring without any 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 powerhead can also be easily maneuvered and can reach hard-to-reach areas. It comes with five different surface adjustments as well as an off-brush switch to avoid hairs from getting tangled.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll, an UtraClean mode that goes around the same area three times to give the best possible clean and a self-emptying bin which can be filled with the touch of one button. The volume of noise produced by this model is higher than other models. However, its powerful motor with 1,200 watts of power and robust construction make it worth the additional cost.
If you're willing more then the Miele Complete C3 is an excellent all-around canister robot vacuum that performs better on carpet than the Classic Best self empty robot vacuum C1. It has a better performance on all floors and feels more sturdy and comes with a HEPA filter.