The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
If you have carpet with a high or low pile there's a robotic vacuum for you. These smart appliances automatically navigate around your home, and can scoop up debris and even clean under furniture.
Many have advanced features like mapping, which helps them navigate around your home and keep track of furniture positioning. They can also boost suction power to clear dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba 694 by iRobot is a basic robot vacuum that is able to work on carpets with low pile and bare floors. It has a good suction, but struggles with larger debris like grains of rice or sand. It also does a good job of removing pet hair however it isn't immune to tangling like high-end Roomba models, such as the j7 or I6.
The Roomba 694 is simple to use. It has three buttons on its top cover: 'Clean' launches the cleaning process and 'Dock' places it back in its charging station and 'Spot Clean' initiates a targeted clean. It is controlled by a smartphone app which lets you program or stop/start cycles as well as alter settings. You can also connect the device with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant to control it through voice.
This vacuum is slower than other models, but it's still able to reach the majority of crevices and corners. It has a huge dust bin which is ideal for reducing the frequency which you need to empty it. It's compatible with digital barriers and virtual barriers which let you set it to avoid specific areas or stop cleaning altogether in order to prevent it from getting stuck on something.
Although it's not the most efficient model in its price range however, it's superior to many other alternatives. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning performance than the Roomba 694, and it's able to clean carpets with a low pile and bare. It also has a longer-lasting battery and a more efficient route. It also feels better-made and has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, is less expensive to own over its lifetime and charges faster than the 694.
You should also consider other models in the iRobot range, including the v7 and the 981. The 981 and v7 are more expensive, but they have significant improvement in cleaning efficiency, both on low and bare 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 a good 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 is effective in cleaning dirt embedded in mid-pile carpet. The IQ has a small footprint and a self-emptying function. If you'd like to change the floor levels or set areas that are not allowed to be used, you'll need to manually reset the map.
The IQ app provides advanced mapping and automated functions, however it isn't equipped with no-go zones. These are only available on iRobot robots. Its intelligent-pathing navigational system gives you superior maneuverability and its high-pile carpet cleaning mode cleans well, but it tends to get caught up in rug tassels. Additionally, its iHome speaker allows you to control the robot with voice commands.
During our tests, we found that the IQ handled pet hair well. It was able to eliminate lots of debris on bare floors and a good amount of medium-pile rug. It was less efficient on shag carpets, where it struggled to get at dirt and dust that was embedded in the fibers. It was capable of navigating chair legs and tight spaces, as well as the wooden base of an IKEA step stool. It was a little slower on bare flooring however, it was able to recover speed and performed better than other robots that we test.
The IQ is a better option than the iRobot Roomba 694 for most uses. It has a bigger dustbin and a longer battery life, and is better at navigating around obstacles. It also has mopping attachments that are able to deal with sticky debris. On the other hand, the iRobot feels better-built, has fewer parts that require replacement or maintenance and has lower recurring costs and can even create virtual no-go zones with its companion app. It can even resume the cleaning process from where it left off if it runs out of battery before finishing the job. The iRobot can also be controlled using voice commands, which is a huge plus for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S robot vacuum isn't among the most feature-rich models, but it does offer powerful cleaning power at an affordable price. It's designed for budget-conscious buyers who don't require a complicated mapping system or an app to control the device. This robot can run for a long time and includes a remote, cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base and extra filters.
The 11S is slim and sleek with an upper deck of tempered glass that is covered with plastic, which is finished to appear like brushed aluminum. It's a refreshing departure from the utilitarian and industrial designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
In our tests, the eufy11S was extremely effective at removing larger particles and fine dust on hard flooring. However, it was unable to give high and medium pile carpeting an effective deep clean. It also has a tendency to hit furniture and people in its path, but it's able to detect those obstacles using sensors. It ceases and emits a loud noise when it comes across an obstruction. It is then possible to manually guide the device around the obstacle and 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 force based on the type of floor and the level of the mess. The remote control makes it simple to guide the 11S to the desired place.
Single Room Mode is a great alternative if you have a small amount of furniture in the area you want to vacuum. The eufy will take 30 minutes focusing on cleaning the area that it's assigned.
You can also opt for Edge Cleaning, which restricts the amount of time in each area to 20 minutes to ensure optimal battery life. With this option, the eufy will move in a spiral taking care of edges and corners for an efficient clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 canister robot is a top mid-priced vacuum cleaner that performs well on carpet. Its performance is also great on bare floors. It can pick up small particles like rice with ease and doesn't lose suction efficiency even as its dirt bin gets full. Its air-sealed, allergy-friendly design capture allergens to keep your family safe. It comes with an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin, so you don't need additional filters or vacuum bags.
It's not as effective as other models, but it's ideal for deep cleaning and taking best robot cleaner on stains. Two front cameras provide live images to your smartphone, and it features one of the most effective obstacles-avoiding systems we've seen. It has a large bin, a long running time and the ability to clean up quickly and without bumps.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots because it can switch between a standard head and a turbo to suit different kinds of flooring. The turbo head is great for low-pile and high-pile carpeting, while the standard powerhead is great on bare floors and lightweight carpets. It also has an automatic height adjustment system that allows it to adapt to various types of flooring without manual adjustments.
This model comes with an SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle hard floors as well as medium-pile carpeting. The powerhead is also easy to move and can reach tough spots. It has five levels of surface adjustments and a switch that lets you turn off the brushroll to prevent hairs from getting tangled.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll and it has a UtraClean Mode that cleans the same area up to three times and a self-emptying dustbin that you can empty by pressing a single button. The sound level of this model is greater than other models. However, its powerful motor with 1,200 watts of power and durable construction justify the extra cost.
If you're willing to pay an extra amount it is the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is a great all-around robot vacuum. It is more effective on carpets than the Classic C1. It has a better performance on all floor types and is more solidly constructed, and includes an HEPA filter.