No matter if you have a low or high-pile carpet, there's a robot vacuum for you. These machines are intelligent and can automatically navigate your home, suck up debris and even clean under furniture.
They are equipped with advanced features, such as mapping that helps them navigate through your home and keep track of the location of furniture. They also can increase the suction power to tackle dirtier surfaces.
iRobot Roomba 694
The iRobot Roomba 694 is an entry-level robot vacuum that performs well on both carpets with a low pile or bare floor. It has good suction and cleans up most debris, though it has trouble with larger particles such as rice or sand. It also does a decent job of removing pet hair, but it's not resistant to tangling like the high-end Roomba models, such as the j7 or I6.
The Roomba 694 is easy to use. It has a trio of buttons on its top cover: 'Clean' initiates an entire cleaning cycle and 'Dock' places it back into its charging station and 'Spot Clean' initiates the targeted cleaning. It can be controlled via an app for smartphones that lets you program or stop/start cycles and also adjust settings. You can also connect the device to smart home devices like Alexa or Google Assistant to control it through voice.
This vacuum is slower than others, but it's still able to reach the majority of crevices and corners. It has a huge dust bin that is ideal to reduce the frequency at which you must empty it. It is compatible with digital barriers and virtual barriers, which allow you to make it impossible to clean certain areas or to stop completely cleaning if you want to keep it from getting stuck on something.
Although it's not the top model for its price however, it's superior to many other alternatives. news has a better cleaning efficiency than the Roomba 694 and it is able to clean both carpets with a low pile and bare. It also has a more durable battery and a better path. It is also more robust, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, is priced less over its lifetime and charges faster than 694.
It's also worth considering other models that are more expensive in the iRobot line, like the 981 or the v7. The v7 and 981 are more expensive, but they offer significant improvements in cleaning performance both on bare and low pile floors. They also have a larger dirt compartment, charge faster, move more easily and are easier to pair up with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This budget self-emptying robot vacuum cleaner does a great job on low-pile carpet and hard flooring. Its combo brush reaches into corners and edges and it automatically increases suction when it detects carpet. It also does a great job of cleaning embedded dirt on mid-pile carpet. The IQ has a small footprint and also a self-emptying function. However, if you want to alter the floor level on the map or create no-go zones you'll have to manually reset it in order to do this, which can be a bit of trouble.
The IQ's app comes with advanced mapping and automation capabilities however it doesn't have no-go zones that are available on iRobot models. 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.
During our tests, we observed that the IQ was able to handle pet hair effectively. It was able to remove the majority of hair on floors that were not bare, and a fair amount of rug with a medium pile. It was less efficient on shag carpets, where it struggled to get at dirt and dust embedded in the fibers. It did a good job of maneuvering the legs of chairs, tight spaces, and the base of a wooden IKEA step stool. It was a little slower on bare floors but it quickly recovered and performed better than the other robots we tried.
The IQ is a better choice over the iRobot Roomba 694 for most applications. It has a bigger dust bin and lasts longer on a charge and is capable of maneuvering itself around obstacles. It also comes with mopping attachments that are able to tackle sticky mess. The iRobot, however, feels more sturdy and has fewer parts that require maintenance or replacement, incurs less recurring costs, can create virtual no-go zones using its companion application. It can even restart a cleaning session from where it left off in case it has run out of battery before it has completed the task. The iRobot can also be controlled via voice commands, which is a major benefit for many users.
Eufy 11S
The eufy RoboVac 11S robot 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 an application to control it. The robot is capable of running for up to an hour and comes with an remote, cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base, and additional filters.
The 11S is slim, sleek, and features a tempered-glass upper deck that resembles brushed aluminum. It's a nice aesthetic different from Roomba, Samsung, and Neato designs that are more utilitarian and industrial.
The eufy11S was successful in our tests to remove larger particles and fine dust from hard flooring. However, it struggled to give high and medium pile carpets an effective deep clean. The device has a tendency to hit furniture and people in its route. However, it is able to detect these obstacles using sensors. When it comes across them, it halts and emits an alarm so that 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 the suction strength based on the floor type and the level of the mess. The remote control makes it easy to guide the 11S to the desired location.
Single Room Mode is a great option if you have little furniture in the space you want to vacuum. The eufy will spend up to 30 minutes cleaning the area it is assigned.
You can also choose Edge Cleaning, which reduces the amount of time spent in each area to 20 minutes for maximum battery life. By selecting this option the eufy moves in a spiral fashion taking care of edges and corners for a thorough clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 canister robot is a fantastic mid-range vacuum cleaner that performs well on carpet. Its performance is also great on bare floors. It can pick up rice and other fine debris with ease. The suction power doesn't decrease when the dirt bin is full. Its allergy-friendly design and air-sealed body will trap 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 a vacuum bag.
It's not as effective as the more expensive models, but it's great for deep cleaning and tackling stains. Two front cameras provide live images to your smartphone, and it features one of the most effective obstacle avoidance systems we've seen. It also comes with a huge dustbin, a long runtime and a speedy and smooth clean-up.
Contrary to other robots unlike most other robots, Complete C1 can switch between the standard powerhead and the turbo head to suit different types of floors. The turbo head is ideal for low-pile and high-pile carpeting, while the standard powerhead works well on bare floors and lightweight rug. It also has an automatic height adjustment system, which lets it easily adapt to various types of flooring without any manual adjustments.
This model comes bundled with a SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle both hard floors as well as medium-pile carpeting. The powerhead can be easily moved around and can reach hard-to-reach areas. It comes with five different surface adjustments and a switch that stops the brushroll to prevent 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 for the best possible clean, and a self-emptying dustbin which can be filled with the press of one button. Its noise level is a little higher than other models however its powerful 1,200-watt motor and sturdy build make it worth the extra cost.
If you're willing to pay some extra money, the Miele Complete C3 canister robot vacuum is an excellent all-around robot vacuum. It is more effective on carpets than the Classic C1. It performs better on all floor types and feels more sturdy and comes with an HEPA filter.
