Do you find that your busy lifestyle leaves little time for household cleaning? And your carpets and rugs are often neglected? We think that a robotic vacuum will be a huge benefit to you.
You’ll save time with a robot vacuum that will come with a lot of smart features to do the work for you. These can get under furniture to clean difficult-to-reach spaces. You can control them with your phone or voice making your cleaning jobs very easy.
We’ll tell you what features you need to look for when choosing a robotic vac. And we’ve also reviewed the top models out there on the market. So you can choose the best robot vacuum for carpet in your household.
Our Top Picks
The HouseWire earns a commission through the following independently chosen links at no additional cost to you.| Best Robot Vacuums for Carpet of 2023 | ||||
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 | Best Overall Neato D8 |
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 | Best Budget Roborock E4 Vacuum |
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 | Best for Thick Carpet iRobot Roomba s9+ |
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 | Best for Low Pile Carpet Neato Robotics Botvac D6 |
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 | Best for Frilly Rugs Robot Roomba i3 |
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 | Best Value Self-Emptying Shark IQ Self-Empty |
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Are Robot Vacuums Good For Carpet?
No, not all robot vacuums are good for your carpet. You shouldn’t assume that all are suitable for cleaning carpeted floors.
This is because some don’t have enough suction to clean carpets properly. Upright vacuums generally have more suction to tackle carpets than robot vacuums. Plus, some robots don’t have enough clearance to tackle high pile carpet.
Thankfully, some models are suitable for cleaning carpets. Those with a suction power of around 1,800 to 2,500 Pa will be powerful enough to suck up debris from carpet fibers. And, look out for those that have a boost or turbo mode that turns on automatically when the vacuum goes over a carpet.
And models with dual brushes or automatic cleaning brushes are ideal for carpets. The brush roll on normal vacuum cleaners can often get tangled with pet hair that has become embedded in your carpets. But dual brushes and self-cleaning brushes should avoid this problem. So you won’t need to clean and maintain them as often.
Are Roomba Models Safe On Carpet?
Yes, Roomba models are safe to use to clean your carpets. Robot vacuums shouldn’t ruin your carpet, as a general rule.
But, be careful if you have loose carpet fibers and/or rugs that have fringed edges. A more basic or budget robot vacuum might suck these up and get stuck on them. This could cause damage to your carpets.
Smart robot vacuums will help you avoid this. So if you’ve got a high pile carpet or thick, frilly rugs, choose an iRobot Roomba model like this i3+ (3550). It uses a sophisticated mapping function to follow virtual boundaries.
How To Choose The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpet
Let’s look at the key features that you need to keep an eye out for when choosing the best robotic vacuum cleaner.
Suction Power
So you might want to consider using a robotic vac for day-to-day cleaning chores. And a traditional vacuum cleaner for deep cleaning.
Look at what level of Pascal Pressure Units (Pa) the robot has. This measure is used by manufacturers to speak of suction power and normally ranges from about 1,000 to 4,000 Pa. See, for example, this Tesvor model that has a very high Pa level of 4,000 Pa: Strong Suction Robot Vacuum Cleaner – 4000 Pa.
However, this measure is a unit of pressure. Not a measure of suction power. And it’s used by robot vacuum manufacturers even when it isn’t even related to the suction power!
Suction power is usually measured in CFM or cubic feet per minute for airflow. This is the force that is exerted by the moving air as you vacuum, which sucks up dirt and debris and pulls it into the bag or dust canister.
Cleaning Modes and Heads
Also, check if there’s a “spot” mode. This is useful for cleaning up a mess quickly. And some robots can be programmed to clean a room once or twice. Or you can set them to specifically clean corners and along baseboards. For example, this Samsung Powerbot R7040 model has a rubber blade to clean edges and crevices.
Finally, see what brushes there are. As we said above, dual and self-cleaning brushes are ideal for carpet cleaning. Many have a central brush roll and side brushes to cover your whole floor. Combined, these spinning brushes will loosen dirt and debris trapped in carpet fibers. So you can give your carpets a thorough clean even with less suction power.
Height
If the robot is too tall, it won’t be able to clean under your couch or kitchen cabinets. Or it might try and then get stuck under there!
Therefore, measure the gaps of where you want it to be able to clean and compare it with the robot’s height before you buy. Most robot vacuums are around 3.5 to 4 inches tall. If your gaps are quite small, you might want to opt for a low-profile design. Like this Coredy Robot Vacuum Cleaner – it’s 2.83 inches tall.
Navigation
All the robot vacuums you look at now should have a feature whereby they detect they’re at the top of the stairs or lodge and don’t fall down. And the more basic robots have infrared sensors. These stop them from banging into your furniture and prompt the robot to change direction if they’ve bumped into an object.
Whereas the more advanced models have smart navigation technology where they can map out multiple rooms using lasers. Or they utilize a combination of cameras and sensors. For example, this iRobot Roomba i7+ (7550) model has a smart feature for mapping out your home.
Battery
Another handy feature is those robot vacuums that are self charging. Even if the vacuum can’t cover a whole area in one go, this function means that it will recharge itself when needed by returning to the dock. And then it’ll return to finish its job.
Controls
See if it’s compatible with smart technology that you might already have in your home, such as an Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Then you can use voice control from wherever you are in the house.
Noise Level
Even if you’re out when the vacuum is cleaning, these noises can disturb neighbors or frighten your pets. So it’s a good idea to look for a vacuum with a quiet mode. Or for one with a noise level of around 55 decibels or less. This is about the same noise output as a normal conversation (1).
For example, this eufy RoboVac 15C Max Robot Vacuum Cleaner has strong suction but a noise output of around 55 decibels. So it’s no louder than other appliances such as a microwave or clothes dryer.
The Best Robot Vacuums for Carpets of 2023
We’ve spent lots of time looking at the best robot vacuums for carpet. So you don’t need to! Our hours of research covers customer feedback, technical specs, and manufacturer descriptions.
1. Neato D8 Intelligent Robot Vacuum
“You’ve got us in your corner”. This is Neato’s promise to their customers with their D8 model. Its distinctive D-shape means that you can clean your whole carpeted room including the corners where other round-shaped robot vacuums can’t reach.
There are two suction settings. Eco mode is good for when you’ve just got a light mess to clean up. Turbo mode means that you can give your high pile carpets a thorough clean. The brush will work faster and suction power is boosted so that even embedded dirt and debris that isn’t visible is sucked up.
The D8 is also intuitive. If it knows that it won’t have enough battery power to finish a cleaning job, it’ll work out how much more power it needs. The robot will then take itself back to its base, charge the required amount on Quick Boost. And then go back to where it left off to finish the vacuuming!
You’ll also get high-performance filters. These trap 99.5% of dust and allergens from your carpet. So this would be a good pick if you have allergy sufferers in your household. Plus, the D8 has just been released in a new color. So you can brighten up your home if you opt for the indigo version.
- Less time spent emptying the dust bin due to its 0.7-liter capacity
- D-shape means that all corners of your house are cleaned
- Create No-Go zones on the app so it can avoid areas you don’t want cleaning
- Users said that it worked well on carpets, but also on hardwood floors and tile floors
- Some customers found that the navigation function didn’t work properly
- Others also found that the app didn’t always work as well as it should
Technical Specs
| Mapping | Yes |
| Battery Life | 90 minutes |
| Remote Control | No |
| Phone Control | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes |
| Soil Type | Everyday Dirt/Allergens and Dust |
| Surface Type | Multi-Surface |
2. Roborock E4 Robot Vacuum Cleaner
ou don’t need to spend a fortune on a quality robot vacuum for your carpets. This model from Roborock is affordable and has a suction power of 2000 Pa. Plus, the Carpet Boost function means that the robot reverts to max power on this type of surface to give your floors a good clean.
The dust bin has a 0.64-liter capacity so you won’t have to empty it too often. And the battery lasts for up to an impressive 200 minutes. So if you’ve got a larger carpeted home, this robot vacuum would be ideal for you.
You can control this robot vacuum with an app. Or simply connect to your Amazon Alexa or Google Home device and you can give it voice commands without needing to have your phone to hand.
The E4 has OpticEye motion tracking and dual gyroscopes. So once you’ve told the robot where to clean, it’ll plan a logical route to efficiently clean your house. And it has 13 sensors so it won’t bang into your furniture or drop down your stairs.
Finally, if you do want to spend a bit extra, you can buy an add-on mopping system. Therefore, with this added functionality the robot will be able to complete two chores in one go. And you won’t have had to grab a broom or mop to do it yourself!
- Offers value for money without compromising on suction power and floor coverage
- Users said that it was particularly effective at cleaning up pet hair
- The filter is washable so will cost you less in replacements
- Spot Clean button allows you to quickly clean up mess in an exact spot
- Some users commented on how easily the robot could get stuck, e.g. when moving from a hard floor to a rug
- A few reviewers reported problems with it docking itself at the base
Technical Specs
| Mapping | Yes |
| Battery Life | 200 minutes |
| Remote Control | No |
| Phone Control | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes |
| Soil Type | Stains and Spills/Pet Hair |
| Surface Type | Hardwood Floors/Carpet |
3. iRobot Roomba s9+ (9550) Robot Vacuum
Dig deep into your thick carpets with this iRobot Roomba s9. It has a 3-stage cleaning system to lift and loosen embedded dirt and debris from your carpet before eliminating it. There’s also a power boost technology to enhance the suction for really deep carpet cleaning.
The Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal allows this robot vacuum to empty itself for up to 60 days. So you won’t have to worry about emptying the dirt bin that often.
Plus, you can use the Imprint Smart Mapping and scheduling functions to set your iRobot Roomba s9 up to clean your house when you want. But you can also use your Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to tell it to do on-the-spot cleans.
And the robot is so intuitive that it will offer you customized schedules – and suggest that it does more vacuuming when the pollen count is higher or your pets might be shedding! This, along with the rubber brushes that don’t get tangled in pet hair and filter that traps 99% of allergens, makes this robot vacuum a good pick for pet owners.
Finally, you don’t need to fret that this robot vacuum will damage your furniture or household objects. You can create Keep Out Zones. And the robot has a 3D sensor which means it’ll clean around any objects in its path.
- Users found that it performed well due to its strong suction power
- Lots of customers commented on how well the mapping function worked
- Easy to clean and maintain according to customer feedback
- Several reviewers liked the corner brush which did a good job
- Expensive compared to other robot vacuums
- Some users found that it was loud while working
Technical Specs
| Mapping | Yes |
| Battery Life | N/A |
| Remote Control | No |
| Phone Control | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes |
| Soil Type | Everyday Dirt/Pet Hair |
| Surface Type | Carpet and Rugs/Large Area |
4. Neato Robotics Botvac D6 Robot Vacuum
Give your low pile carpets a thorough clean with this Neato Botvac. And your tile and hardwood floors too, as this robot vacuum performs well on all kinds of floor types. The Eco mode can be used on bare floors. Whereas Turbo mode is ideal for cleaning carpets.
Neato says that they are a pet hair specialist with their dual brushes. Their model has a core brush that is up to 70% larger than the brushes on most robot vacuums. And there’s a side brush to pick up more pet dander. Plus the filter is a HEPA one so you can be sure that it’ll trap more than 99% of allergens and dust mites on your low pile carpet.
The laser navigation system allows this robotic vacuum to map out your house. It’ll clean around your furniture and won’t fall down the stairs. The robot moves in straight lines to make sure that the whole floor surface is cleaned. And the lasers even let it see in the dark!
You can control this robot vacuum using the app which gives you regular software updates. Or use voice control with your Apple Watch, Amazon Echo, or Google Home. However you control your cleaning, the robot will automatically recharge itself when needed.
- Customers were pleased with how long the battery lasted
- You can use the multiple floor plans feature to get a personalized clean on each story of your home
- Many users liked that this robot vacuum was relatively quiet when operating
- Pet owners said that it was good at picking up pet hair and that this didn’t get tangled in the brushes
- Some feedback suggested that this robot vacuum wasn’t that good at cleaning corners
- Some users found that it had a tendency to get stuck, especially under furniture
Technical Specs
| Mapping | Yes |
| Battery Life | 120 minutes |
| Remote Control | No |
| Phone Control | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes |
| Soil Type | Everyday Dirt/Pet Hair |
| Surface Type | Bare Floors/Carpet |
5. iRobot Roomba i3 (3150) Robot Vacuum
Clean your frilly rugs or medium pile carpet easily with this i3 iRobot Roomba. The floor tracking sensors on this vacuum mean that the rooms in your house are cleaned in neat rows. And the robot works seamlessly between hard floors and area rugs.
And if you’ve got pets, you don’t need to worry about embedded pet debris in your shag carpet. The Dual Multi-Surface rubber brushes on this robotic vacuum won’t get tangled with hair, saving you time on having to clean them. There’s also an edge-sweeper brush on the side which makes sure that all dirt is swept up by the main brush rolls.
Plus, the rubber brushes pull up dirt whatever the surface – the rubber makes the brushes flexible so that they will clean up mess on all floor types. And the high-efficiency filter in this robot will trap 99% of allergens and dust particles. You also get one replacement filter with your purchase.
This robot also has the technology to suggest more cleaning be done when it’s allergy or shedding season. So it knows when to clean your home for you! In addition, Dirt Detect sensors tell the vacuum which areas of your home need the cleaning the most.
- 30 years experience in making trusted robotic products
- Can purchase a mop add-on so that the robot can vacuum and mop in one go
- Good at adjusting between hard flooring and area rugs
- Users were impressed with the iRobot app – and that you could also control the robot with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant
- Some reviewers found that they had to empty the dust bin fairly often
- No spot-clean feature which frustrated some customers when they had a small mess to clean up
Technical Specs
| Mapping | Yes |
| Battery Life | N/A |
| Remote Control | No |
| Phone Control | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes |
| Soil Type | Everyday Dirt/Pet Hair |
| Surface Type | Bare Floors/Carpet and Rugs |
6. Shark IQ Self-Empty Base Robot Vacuum
Have more free time than ever before with this Shark IQ robot vacuum cleaner. The manufacturer promises that you can “forget about vacuuming for up to a month”!
The bagless self emptying base can hold up to 30 days worth of dust and debris. Plus, the self cleaning brushroll needs hardly any maintenance. It’s designed so that hair and threads won’t get tangled around it. And extra side brushes make sure that all areas of your carpet are covered.
You can use the SharkClean app or voice control via Alexa and Google Assistant to tell your robot to clean multiple rooms at specific times. Or if you want a specific area targeted at that exact time, this functionality is also available.
The Shark IQ is also self charging. It knows when its power is about to run out. So the robot will take itself back to the charging dock to recharge.
Finally, you’ll get some BotBoundary strips included. You can use these strips to block any areas that you don’t want the robot to go. So there’s no relying on sensors – these strips are a physical barrier to the places you want the vacuum to avoid.
- Customers found that this robot offered good coverage when cleaning their home, compared with other robot vacuums they’d owned
- Saves you time on having to empty the base every day or week
- Several users said that once the mapping had been put in place, this feature worked really well
- Bagless so no ongoing costs in buying replacement bags
- Some users found that it was a bit noisy while working
- Feedback from some reviewers suggested that the app didn’t always work that well
Technical Specs
| Mapping | Yes |
| Battery Life | N/A |
| Remote Control | No |
| Phone Control | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes |
| Soil Type | Everyday Dirt/Pet Hair |
| Surface Type | Carpet/Hardwood Floors |
Robot Vacuums for Carpets Comparison Chart
| Product | Battery Life | Mapping | Remote Control | Phone Control | Scheduling | Soil Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neato D8 Intelligent Robot Vacuum | 90 minutes |  |  | | | Everyday Dirt/Allergens and Dust |
| Roborock E4 Robot Vacuum | 200 minutes | | | | | Stains and Spills/Pet Hair |
| iRobot Roomba s9+ Vacuum | N/A | | | | | Everyday Dirt/Pet Hair |
| Neato Botvac D6 Robot Vacuum | 120 minutes | | | | | Everyday Dirt/Pet Hair |
| Robot Roomba i3 Vacuum | N/A | | | | | Everyday Dirt/Pet Hair |
| Shark IQ Self-Empty Robot Vacuum | N/A | | | | | Everyday Dirt/Pet Hair |
Go Robotic For Quick and Efficient Cleaning
Finding the time to give your carpets a deep clean is hard. And with busy households that contain pets and children, there’s often a fair bit of mess to clean up.
But a robot vacuum can help out. It’ll do the cleaning for you so you’ll save time and energy. The technology available allows for quick and easy vacuuming that you can control with an app or smart speaker. Plus, they can reach places you don’t always get to clean, such as under couches and tables.
You need to look at suction power, navigation features, battery life, and cleaning modes when choosing the right robot vacuum for you.
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