There's a robot to suit every carpet type, whether it's high-pile or low-pile. These smart appliances automatically navigate through your home, pick up debris and even clean under furniture.
Many of them have advanced features, such as mapping, which helps them navigate your home and recall furniture positioning. They can also boost the suction power to take on dirtier surfaces.
iRobot Roomba 694"
The Roomba by iRobot is a budget-friendly robot vacuum that performs well on both plain flooring and low-pile floor carpet. It is able to suction well however, it struggles with larger debris like grains of rice or sand. It also does a good job of removing pet hair but it's not resistant to tangling like the top Roomba models such as the I6 or j7.
The Roomba is easy to operate. It has a trio of buttons on its top cover: 'Clean' launches a cleaning cycle and 'Dock' places it back in its charging station, and 'Spot Clean' activates an targeted clean. It can be controlled with a smartphone app that lets you program or stop/start cycles and also adjust settings. You can also pair the device with smart home devices such as Alexa or Google Assistant to control it by voice commands.
This vacuum is slower than others, but it is still able to get into the most crevices and corners. It has a huge dust bin which is ideal for reducing the frequency with the frequency you have to empty it. It is compatible with virtual barriers and digital mapping which let you restrict it to certain areas or even stop cleaning completely in order to prevent it from getting stuck on something.
While it's not the best model for its price but it's far superior to other alternatives. The Roborock E4 is more advanced than the Roomba 694, with a much better cleaning efficiency on carpets with low and no pile. It also follows an efficient cleaning route and has a longer battery life. It is also more robust, has fewer components that require regular maintenance, and costs less over its life and charges faster than 694.
It is also worth considering other models within the iRobot range, including the v7 and the 981. They're more expensive, but they offer significant improvements over the 694 in terms of performance on both low and bare floors. They also follow a more efficient cleaning route and have a larger dirt compartment, are quicker to charge, can move more easily, and are more easy to pair with smart home devices.
Shark RV1001AE IQ
This self-emptying robot with a budget does a good job on hard floors and low-pile carpet. Its combination brush reaches the edges and corners and it automatically boosts suction once it detects carpet. It also is effective in cleaning dirt and debris that are embedded in the middle of the pile carpet. The IQ has a tiny footprint and has a self-emptying feature. If you wish to alter the floor level or set areas that are not allowed to be used, you'll need to manually reset the map.
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. Its smart-pathing navigation system provides greater maneuverability, and its high-pile carpet mode cleans well, although it tends to get caught up on rug tassels. Additionally, its iHome speaker lets you control the robot using voice commands.
In our tests, we observed that the IQ handled pet hair well. It was able to remove a large amount of debris on bare floors, and a fair amount on medium-pile rug. It was less efficient with shag carpets, where it was unable to reach dirt and dust buried within the fibers. It did a decent job of navigating chair legs and tight spaces as well as the base of a wooden IKEA step stool. We did notice it was a bit slower on floors with no flooring, but it regained speed and performed better than other robots we tested.
The IQ is a better option for the majority of users than the iRobot Roomba. It has a bigger dust bin and lasts longer on a charge and does a better job of moving itself over obstacles. It also has mopping attachments that can handle sticky debris. On the other side the iRobot is more durable and has fewer parts that require replacement or maintenance and has lower recurring costs and creates virtual no-go zones using its companion app. It can continue cleaning from the point it started, even if its battery runs out before it finishes. The iRobot is also controlled by voice, which can be a big plus for many users.
Eufy 11S
The RoboVac 11S eufy robot vacuum isn't among the most features-rich models, but it offers powerful cleaning power at affordable prices. It's designed for those who don't require a complicated mapping system or an app to control the device. The robot is capable of running for a long time and comes with a remote, cleaning tool, AC power adapter, charging base, and additional filters.
The 11S is slim and sleek and has a tempered-glass upper deck that appears like the brushed appearance of aluminum. It's a nice departure from the utilitarian and industrial designs of Roomba, Samsung and Neato.
The eufy11S did well in our tests of removing larger debris and fine dust from floors. However, it was unable to give medium and high pile carpeting an effective deep clean. The device has a tendency to bump into people and furniture in its path. However, it is able to detect obstacles with sensors. When it encounters them, it ceases to move and emits a loud sound so you can manually steer it around the obstacle and get back to work.
The BoostIQ mode is another fantastic feature of the eufy11S. It allows you to set the robot up to automatically adjust suction strength based on the floor type and the level of the mess. It's also simple to use the remote to direct the 11S to where you want it to go.
If you don't have much furniture in the area you want to vacuum, Single Room Mode is an excellent alternative. The eufy can spend 30 minutes intensely cleaning the area it's assigned.
Edge Cleaning is another option that limits the time that is spent on each area to 20 minutes. This will maximize the battery's life. This option allows the eufy to move in a spiraling pattern, cleaning corners and edges.
Miele Complete C1
The Miele Complete C1 is an excellent mid-range robot vacuum that can be a great performer on carpet. Its performance is also excellent on floors that are not bare. It can pick up rice and other fine particles with ease. The suction power doesn't diminish when the dirt bin is full. Its design that is allergy-friendly and sealed with air will trap allergens to keep your family healthy. It has an onboard HEPA and self-emptying bin so you don't need additional filters or a vacuum bag.
It's not quite as powerful as more expensive models, but is still great for deep cleaning and tackling the toughest stains. Two front cameras provide live feeds of images on your smartphone, and it comes with one of the top obstacles-avoiding systems we've seen. It also comes with a huge dustbin, a long running time and a speedy and smooth clean-up.
The Complete C1 is unlike most robots because it can switch between two heads, a standard and a turbo to suit different kinds of flooring. The turbo head works best with high-pile or low-pile carpeting, while the standard powerhead is good for floors with no flooring and light rugs. It also has an automatic height adjustment system that allows it to adjust to different types flooring without manual adjustments.
The model comes with an SBD 285-3 Classic Combination Floorhead that can handle hard floors as well as medium-pile carpeting. The powerhead can also be easily maneuvered and get into difficult areas. It has five different adjustments to the surface and an off-brush switch to avoid tangled hairs.
The Classic C1 has a self cleaning brush roll as well as it has a UtraClean Mode that can clean the same area up to three times and a self-emptying dustbin that you can empty by pressing a single button. The volume of noise produced by this model is more pronounced than other models. However, its powerful motor with 1,200 watts and durable construction are worth the additional cost.
If you're willing to spend some extra money then 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 types of floors, is more solidly constructed and comes with an HEPA filter.
