There's a robot to suit any carpet type, whether it's high-pile or low-pile. These machines are intelligent and can automatically navigate around your home, and can scoop up debris and even clean under furniture.
Many have advanced features like mapping, which can help you navigate your home and recall furniture placement. They can also increase suction power to clean up areas.
iRobot Roomba 694
The Roomba by iRobot is an entry level robot vacuum that works well on both bare flooring and floor carpets with a low pile. It has a good suction, but struggles with larger debris like sand or grains of rice. It also does a good job of cleaning pet hair, but it's not immune to tangling like top Roomba models such as the I6 or j7.
The Roomba is easy to use. It has a trio of buttons on its cover: 'Clean' initiates a cleaning cycle and 'Dock' places it back in its charging station and 'Spot Clean' triggers the targeted cleaning. It can be controlled with a smartphone app that allows you to schedule or stop/start cycles, and also 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 other models, but it is still able to get into the most crevices and corners. It has a large bin, which makes it easier to empty. It is compatible with digital mapping and virtual barriers which lets you make the robot avoid certain areas or to stop cleaning completely to stop it from becoming stuck.
It's not the most effective in its price range but it's still superior to other models. The Roborock E4 has a better cleaning performance than the Roomba 694, and it's able to clean carpets with low pile as well as bare. It also has an efficient cleaning route and has a longer battery life. It is also more robust, has fewer parts that require regular maintenance, is priced less over its lifetime, and charges faster than 694.
You may also want to consider other models in the iRobot range, including the v7 and the 981. The v7 and 981 are more expensive, but they offer significant improvement in cleaning efficiency, both on low and bare pile floors. They also have a larger dirt compartment they charge faster, can move more easily and are more a breeze to pair with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This budget self-emptying robotic vacuum cleaner does a great job on carpets with a low pile and hard flooring. Its combinator brush gets to the edges and corners and it automatically increases suction as soon as it senses carpet. It is also effective at cleaning dirt embedded in the middle of the pile carpet. The IQ's compact footprint for docks and the self-emptying feature are nice touches. However, if you wish to change floor levels on the map or set no-go zones, you'll need manually reset it to do this, which can be somewhat of a hassle.
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 system permits for better maneuverability and the high-pile feature of its carpet cleaning mode is very effective but it could get stuck on the tassels of the rug.
During our tests in our tests, the IQ was adept at handling pet hair effectively, clearing huge amounts of debris from bare floors and fair amounts on medium-pile carpet. It was less efficient with shag carpets. It had a hard time reaching dirt and dust that was embedded in the fibers. It was capable of navigating the legs of chairs and tight spaces as well as the wooden base of an IKEA step stool. It was a bit slower on floors that were not paved however, it was able to recover speed and was more efficient than the other robots we test.
The IQ is a more suitable option for most users than the iRobot Roomba. It has a larger dustbin, lasts longer on a charge and is more capable of maneuvering itself around obstacles. It has mopping tools that can clean up sticky debris. On the other side the iRobot is more durable and has fewer components that require replacement or maintenance and incurs lower costs for recurring maintenance, and can create virtual no-go zones with its companion app. It is able to even resume cleaning from where it left off in case it has run out of battery before having completed the task. The iRobot can also be controlled with voice, which can be an enormous benefit for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S eufy robot vacuum isn't one of the most features-rich models, but it offers powerful cleaning power at an affordable price. It's designed for those who don't need a complicated mapping system or app to control the device. neato robot vacuum will last for more than an hour. It comes with an remote control, a cleaning tool and AC power adapter.
The 11S is slim, elegant and has a tempered glass upper deck that appears like the brushed appearance of aluminum. It's a nice change from the industrial and utilitarian designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
In our tests, the eufy11S was very effective in removing larger debris and fine dust on hard floors. However, it was unable to provide medium and high pile carpets an effective deep clean. The device is capable of bumping into people and furniture in its path. However, it is able to detect these obstacles using sensors. When it comes across them, it stops and lets out a loud beep so you can manually steer it through the obstacle before getting back to work.
The BoostIQ mode is a great feature of the eufy11S. It allows you to configure the robot to automatically adjust suction strength based upon the type of floor and the amount of the mess. It's also easy to use the remote to direct the 11S to where you want it to move.
If you don't have much furniture in the area you're looking to vacuum, Single Room Mode is an excellent alternative. The eufy will take 30 minutes cleaning the area that it's assigned to.
You can also opt for Edge Cleaning that reduces the amount of time in each area to 20 minutes for maximum battery life. With this option, the eufy will move in a spiral fashion to clean edges and corners for an efficient clean.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 canister robot is a top mid-priced vacuum cleaner that excels on carpet. Its performance on carpets with no floor is also impressive. It can remove rice and other fine debris with ease. The suction power doesn't diminish when the dirt bin is full. Its air-sealed, allergy-friendly design capture allergens, keeping your family healthy. It uses an onboard HEPA filter and self-emptying dustbin, so you don't need additional filters or a separate bag for your vacuum.
It's not as powerful as pricier models, but it's 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 has a huge bin, a long runtime and a quick, bump-free cleanup.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots in that it is able to switch between two heads, a standard and a turbo for different kinds of flooring. The turbo head is ideal for low-pile and high-pile carpeting, while the standard powerhead works well on unfinished floors and light rugs. It also has an automatic height adjustment system that allows it to adapt to different types flooring without manual adjustments.
The model comes with a SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle both hard floors as well as carpeting of medium-pile. The motor can also be easily moved around and reach difficult spots. It comes with five levels of surface adjustment and a brushroll off switch to avoid hairs getting caught in tangles.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll and the UtraClean Mode that cleans the same area up to three times and a self-emptying dustbin that can be emptied with a single button press. The noise level of this model is greater than other models. However, its powerful motor with 1,200 watts of power and sturdy construction make it worth the extra cost.
If you're willing to pay more, the Miele Complete C3 is an excellent all-round canister robot vacuum that is more effective on carpet than the Classic C1. It performs better on all types of floors and is more solidly constructed and comes with a HEPA filter.
