No matter if you have a carpet with a high or low pile, there's a robot vacuum for you. These intelligent appliances can navigate around your home, and can scoop up dirt and clean under furniture.
They have advanced features like mapping, which help you navigate around your home and keep track of the location of furniture. They can also increase suction power to tackle dirtier areas.
iRobot Roomba 694
The iRobot Roomba 694 is an entry-level robot vacuum that is able to work on bare floors and low-pile carpet. It has a decent suction and can clean all kinds of debris, but it isn't able to handle larger debris like rice or sand. It does a good job cleaning pet hair, but it isn't as resistant to knots as premium Roomba models such as the j7 and I6.
The Roomba 694 is easy to use. It has three buttons on its top cover. Clean, which launches a cleaning session, 'Dock,' which places it in its charging station and 'Spot,' which activates an individualized cleaning. It can be controlled via an app for smartphones that lets you to schedule cycles, stop and start them and adjust settings. You can also connect it with smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant for voice-controlled operation.
This vacuum is a bit slower than others, but it's still able reach the majority of crevices and corners. It has a large dustbin, which is great for reducing the frequency which you need to empty it. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers which lets you make the robot avoid certain areas or stop cleaning altogether to avoid it from becoming stuck.
Although it's not the top model for its price however, it's superior to many other options. 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 cleaner path. It is also more robust, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, is priced less over its life and charges faster than 694.
You may also want to consider other models within the iRobot range, including the v7 or 981. The v7 and 981 are more expensive but have significant improvements in cleaning performance, both on bare and low pile floors. They also have a bigger dirt compartment they charge faster, can move more easily and are easier to pair up with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This budget self-emptying robotic vacuum cleaner does a good job on carpets with a low pile and hard floors. The combo brush can reach into corners and edges, and it automatically increases suction when it spots carpet. It also is effective in cleaning dirt that is embedded in the middle of the pile carpet. The IQ's small footprint for docks and its self-emptying feature are nice touches. However, if you wish to change floor levels on the map or set no-go zones, you'll have manually reset it to do so, which is somewhat of trouble.
The IQ app offers some advanced mapping and automated functions, however it isn't equipped with no-go zones. These are only available on iRobot robots. The smart-pathing system of the app allows for greater maneuverability and the high-pile mode of its carpet cleaning mode is very effective but it could get caught on the tassels of the rug.
In our tests, we discovered that the IQ was able to handle pet hair effectively. It was able to get rid of a large amount of debris on floors that were unfinished and a decent amount on medium-pile rug. It was less effective on shag carpet, where it struggled to reach dirt and dust that was embedded in the fibers. It was able to maneuver the legs of chairs, small spaces and even the base of an IKEA wooden step stool. It was a little slower on bare flooring but it was able to recover speed and was more efficient than the other robots that we tested.
The IQ is a better option for most users than the iRobot Roomba. It has a larger dustbin, lasts longer on a charge, and is more capable of moving itself over obstacles. It also comes with mopping attachments that are able to handle sticky debris. The iRobot is, however, is better constructed and has less components that require maintenance or replacement and has lower ongoing costs, and can even create virtual no-go zones using its companion application. It is able to even resume cleaning from the point it started if it runs out of battery before it has completed the task. The iRobot can also be controlled with voice commands, which is a big plus for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S robot vacuum isn't one of the most feature-rich models, but it does offer great cleaning power at a low cost. The RoboVac 11S is designed for budget-conscious consumers who don't require a complicated mapping system, or even an application to control it. This robot can last for up to an hour. It comes with the remote control, cleaning tool, and AC power adapter.
The 11S is slim and sleek and has a tempered-glass upper deck that looks like the brushed appearance of aluminum. It's a nice aesthetic contrast to Roomba, Samsung, and Neato designs that are more utilitarian and industrial.
In our tests, the eufy 11S was excellent at picking up larger debris and fine dust on hard floors. It struggled to deep clean carpets with high and medium piles. The device is also prone to hit furniture and people in its path, but it's able to detect those obstacles using sensors. It ceases and emits a loud sound when it encounters an obstruction. It is then possible to manually steer the device around it and return it to working.
Another excellent aspect of the eufy 11S is its BoostIQ mode, which allows you to set the robot to automatically adjust the strength of its suction to match floor type and the amount of mess. It's also easy to use the remote to direct the 11S to where you'd like it to move.
If you don't have much furniture in the space where you're looking to vacuum Single Room Mode is an excellent option. The eufy will spend 30 minutes intensely cleaning the area it's assigned.
You can also select Edge Cleaning that reduces the time spent in each location to 20 minutes for maximum battery life. This option allows the eufy to move in a spiraling fashion cleaning edges and corners.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range canister robot vacuum that is a top performer on carpet. Its performance is also exceptional on floors that are not bare. It can pick up small particles such as rice effortlessly and it doesn't suffer from suction power even when its dirt bin gets full. Its design that is allergy-friendly and sealed with air traps allergens and keeps your family healthy. It has an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin so you don't need additional filters or vacuum bags.
It's not as powerful as the more expensive models, but it's still excellent for dealing with staining and deep cleaning. It has two front cameras that deliver a live feed to your smartphone. It also has one of the most advanced obstacle avoidance systems. It comes with 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 the standard head and turbo for different kinds of flooring. vacuum mop combo works best on low-pile or high-pile carpeting, while the standard powerhead is good for bare floors and light carpets. It also features an automatic height adjustment system that allows it to adjust to different kinds of flooring without manual adjustments.
This model comes with a SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle both hard floors as well as carpeting of medium-pile. The powerhead is also easy to maneuver and can get into difficult spots. It has five different adjustments to the surface and a switch that stops the brushroll to prevent hairs getting caught in knots.
The Classic C1 also has a self-cleaning brush roll as well as an UtraClean mode that goes around the same area three times for the most thorough cleaning and a self-emptying trash bin that can be emptied with the press of a button. The noise level of this model is greater than other models. However its powerful motor of 1,200 watts and sturdy construction make it worth the additional cost.
If you're willing to spend a bit more, the Miele Complete C3 is an excellent all-round canister robot vacuum that is more effective on carpet than the Classic C1. It is more efficient on all types of floors and feels more sturdy, and includes an HEPA filter.
