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 devices navigate your home automatically and pick up dirt and clean under furniture.
They come with advanced features like mapping, which help them navigate through your home and keep track of the location of furniture. They can also boost suction power to clear dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694"
The Roomba by iRobot is a budget-friendly robot vacuum that performs well on both bare flooring and floor carpets with a low pile. It has a good suction and is able to clean up most debris, though it struggles with larger debris like rice or sand. It also does a good job of removing pet hair but it's not impervious to tangling as top Roomba models like the I6 or j7.
The Roomba 694 is simple to use. It has three buttons on its top cover. "Clean," which triggers a cleaning process and 'Dock' that puts it in its charging station, and 'Spot,' which activates a targeted cleaning. It can be controlled via an app on your smartphone which lets you program or stop/start cycles as well as alter settings. You can also pair it with smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum is slower than other models, but it's still able to reach most corners and crevices. It has a large dustbin which is ideal to reduce the frequency at which you must empty it. It is compatible with digital barriers and virtual barriers which let you set it to avoid specific 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 but it's superior to other models. The Roborock E4 is more advanced than the Roomba 694 with a much better cleaning performance for both bare and low-pile carpets. It also follows an efficient cleaning route and has longer battery life. It also feels better-made, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, costs less to own over the course of its life and charges more quickly than the 694.
It's also worth taking a look at other, more premium models within the iRobot line, like the 981 or the v7. The v7 and 981 are more expensive, but provide significant improvements in cleaning performance, both on low and bare 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 budget self-emptying robot vacuum cleaner does an excellent job on carpets with low piles and hard flooring. The combination brush is able to reach the edges and corners, and it automatically increases suction as soon as it spots carpet. It is also effective at cleaning dirt that is embedded in carpets that are mid-pile. The IQ has a small footprint and a self-emptying function. If you wish to alter the floor level or set no-go areas, you'll need to manually reset the map.
The IQ app provides advanced mapping and automated features, but it isn't equipped with no-go zones. These are only available on iRobot robots. Its smart-pathing navigation system provides superior maneuverability and its high-pile carpet mode is clean well, though 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 observed that the IQ was able to handle pet hair effectively. It was able to eliminate lots of debris on floors that were unfinished and a good amount of medium-pile rug. It was less effective on shag carpets where it struggled to reach dirt and dust buried 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 flooring that was not fully covered, but it recovered speed and performed better than other robots that we evaluated.
The IQ is a better option than the iRobot Roomba 694 for most uses. It has a bigger dust bin and lasts longer on a charge, and does a better job of getting over obstacles. It also comes with mopping attachments that are able to tackle sticky mess. On the other side the iRobot is built better, has fewer parts that require maintenance or replacement and has lower recurring costs and creates virtual no-go zones through its companion app. It can continue cleaning where it left off even if the battery is out before it's finished. The iRobot can also be controlled via voice, which can be a big plus for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S robotic vacuum isn't one of the most features-rich models, but it does offer powerful cleaning power at a low cost. The RoboVac 11S is made for those who are budget conscious and don't require a complicated mapping system, or even an app to control it. This robot will last for over an hour. It comes with the remote control, cleaning tool, and AC power adapter.
The 11S is slim and sleek, with an upper deck of tempered glass that covers plastic and is made to look like brushed aluminum. It's a nice departure from the utilitarian and industrial designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
The eufy11S did well in our tests at removing larger debris and fine dust from floors. However, it struggled to give high and medium pile carpets a thorough clean. The device also has a tendency to smack into furniture and other objects in its path, but it's able to detect obstacles with sensors. If it encounters them it halts and emits a loud sound so you can manually steer it around the obstacle and then get back to work.
The BoostIQ mode is another fantastic feature of the Eufy11S. It lets you configure the robot to automatically adjust suction strength based upon the floor type and the level of dirt. It's also simple to use the remote to direct the 11S where you want it to move.
If you don't have a lot of furniture in the room you'd like to vacuum, Single Room Mode is an excellent option. The eufy can spend up to 30 minutes cleaning the area it is assigned.
You can also opt for Edge Cleaning, which restricts the time spent in each location to 20 minutes to ensure optimal battery life. This option allows the eufy to move in a spiraling fashion by cleaning edges and corners.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range robot vacuum and a top performer on carpet. Its performance on floors that are not bare is also impressive. It can pick up fine debris like rice easily and it doesn't suffer from suction power even when its dirt bin fills. Its air-sealed, allergy-friendly design snuff out allergens and keep your family robot vacuum reviews healthy. It has an onboard HEPA filter and a self-emptying bin, so you don't need additional filters or a separate vacuum bag.
It's not quite as powerful as other models, but it's excellent for deep cleaning and taking on stains. The two cameras on the front of the unit provide a live image feed on your smartphone, and it features one of the best obstacle avoidance systems we've seen. It also comes with a huge dustbin, a long runtime and a quick, bump-free clean-up.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots because it can switch between a standard head and a turbo for different kinds of flooring. The turbo head is best on low-pile or high-pile carpeting while the standard powerhead is ideal for floors with no flooring and light carpets. It also has an automated height adjustment system, which lets it easily adjust to different kinds of flooring without manual adjustments.
This model comes with an SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle both hard floors and carpeting with a medium pile. The powerhead can also be easily moved and reach difficult spots. It has five different surface adjustments and a switch that stops the brushroll to prevent tangled hairs.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll and an UtraClean mode that moves across the same area three times to give the most thorough cleaning and a self-emptying bin which can be filled with the touch of a button. The noise level of this model is more pronounced than other models. However its powerful motor of 1,200 watts and durable construction justify the additional cost.
If you're willing to pay a little more then the Miele Complete C3 is an excellent all-around canister robot vacuum that is more effective on carpet than the Classic C1. It is better suited for any type of flooring, is more solidly constructed and comes with a HEPA filter.