Robot Vacuum For Carpet: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly
How a Robot Vacuum For Carpet Can Help Keep Your Floors Clean
A robot vacuum can keep your floors clean regardless of whether you live in a sprawling house with three pets or an elegant apartment with carpets that are medium-pile. Just make sure the model you pick is specifically designed to clean carpets and rugs efficiently.
Thankfully, today's models are more powerful than ever before. In fact, some have sensors that let them avoid climbing on rugs while they're mopping, so the rug won't be wet.
Powerful Suction
No robot can quite replace a stick vacuum or upright however, many do a good job of removing dirt, crumbs and shed pet hair from hard floors and carpets with a low pile. For the best results, opt for a model that has strong suction that can quickly pick up dust and debris in a single pass across your floors or multiple passes across carpeting. Also, you want a machine that is able to maneuver easily around furniture, stairways and tight corners.
In our tests, we found that the top-rated robots in this category are able to work with almost any floor type. They can also shift from carpeting to hardwood and tile without getting stuck. Larger wheels enable them to climb over ledges, steps and doorways more easily than smaller ones. They also have sensors that help them avoid bumping into furniture or falling. Some models can sense when they are close to the tassels on a rug and increase their suction to avoid becoming entangled.
Most of the best robots in this class have powerful motors that offer strong suction for quick clean-ups. They also come with a range of attachments that allow you to sweep and mop your floors. Some of them can be connected to smart speakers compatible with Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant for a hands free cleaning experience.
Toner suggests that you also need to consider how long a robot can run on a charge and how it is easy to recharge. Some robots come with a helpful feature that lets you restart cleaning right where the robot left off. This is beneficial when you have a large home or a schedule that is frequently changed.
Although the majority of robots don't require much maintenance, it is important to clean them periodically to remove hair or lint from their brushes and parts. It's also a good idea to empty the dust bin (and, if needed, rinse it) and clean the sensors or cameras periodically. If you own a robot mop, be sure to clean and dry the pads before using it again.
Customized Cleaning Schedules
You'll need a robot vacuum for carpet to aid you with this task. Dirt and debris can get stuck in the fibers' base. A carpet-specific robot vacuum can make this chore considerably less time-consuming and labor-intensive. These machines are smart enough to can automatically clean and sweep floors at scheduled times, and they can even operate when you're not home.
But you need to be sure to select the right model for your needs. You'll need a robotic vacuum with more features to ensure more efficient performance on carpet. The cheapest models won't perform as well. The top models come with a variety of customizable settings and smart navigation technologies to ensure that they don't miss any dirt.
Neato D9 is a good example. It's one of our top robot vacuums overall however, it's especially effective in cleaning carpeted surfaces and finding difficult spots such as under furniture. This is due to its mapping technology. It is able to learn and save the location of your home to help it clean your home more efficiently, without being lost or getting caught behind furniture. You can alter the map by using an application to block rooms you don't want it to access.
Other features to consider include the power of the battery, a large dustbin and a long cleaning cycle. We recommend an auto-emptying model that will empty the bin when full rather than requiring you to manually do it.
Shark ION Robot vacuum series is a great option for those with a small budget but still want a powerful carpet cleaner. It may not have the sophisticated mapping abilities of our top pick but it's still incredibly efficient in cleaning carpeted floors. It doesn't have docking stations however, so you'll have to locate a space for it in your home.
You can also opt for an hybrid model that doubles as mop. These machines come with a reservoir of water as well as a microfiber pad to be used for wetting and scrubbing floors. They're not as effective as vacuums specifically designed to clean carpets however they can be useful for tackling more serious spills and stains, as well as to keep floors looking good between cleanings.
Advanced Sensors
Modern robots that vacuum carpet can detect different flooring types and adjust their cleaning according to. The best robot vacuum we tested for carpeting will automatically increase suction when changing from hardwood to carpet. It is also able to go back and clean that same area a second time for an efficient clean. This is possible because the robot utilizes various sensors to navigate your home and build an accurate map of furniture and window blinds, power cords and much more. This information is then compiled and used to determine the most efficient way to wash each room.
In addition to carpet recognition sensors, look for other advanced features that help a robot vacuum do a great job cleaning your floors. For example, some of the top-rated models come with gyroscopes to aid in calculating distances from obstacles, like staircases or walls. This technology functions in the same way that a compass works, by spinning fast to determine the robot's orientation. This feature prevents the robot from falling down steep staircases or other obstacles, which could damage it or cause an accident.
Certain models also come with an additional feature that allows you to detect pet hair and other allergens in carpet. This is an excellent feature to have if you live with pets and are looking for a robot that can collect hair from different flooring types without damaging carpet fibers. We also considered models with a smart mapping function which can recognize the layout of your home so you can block off areas you don't want cleaned or establish no go zones where the robot won't be able to access these areas.
Make sure your robot vacuum is tidy to ensure it lasts as long as it can. Hild suggests that you inspect the filter on a regular basis and get rid of hairs that have become caught in the brushes. It's a good idea empty and clean the dust bin, and wipe down the cameras and sensors after every use.
Easy to operate
Keeping robotvacuummops of crumbs, dirt and pet hair that has fallen out isn't easy, but a robot vacuum can make it much easier. The best robots will clean your carpets in a shorter amount of time and with superior results than a manual sweeper. They also have a better chance of removing embedded debris, such as screws made of metal, nails, and nuts. They're also very quiet and won't disrupt your daily routine.
You can control your robot vacuum with its app or via voice commands using an appropriate smart home assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Certain models let you monitor the robot's cleaning route and progress while it's working. You can also create custom schedules and set specific rooms for the robot.
Choose a hybrid mop that can clean both carpet and hard surfaces in one go. Eufy 11s is our favorite in this category. It comes with a range of features that allow it to stand out from the competition. For example the mopping pad dispenser automatically cleans and removes the pads after each use, which helps prevent tangled hair from clogging the vacuum's roller brush. There's also a cleaner head option with "powerfins" designed to dig a little deeper into carpets and more easily pull up gathered pet hair without getting trapped in the wheels or brushes.
Its powerful suction is ideal for removing hair from carpets, however it could be necessary to switch to a lower setting if you have hard flooring. The dust bin fills faster than other models, so you'll have to empty it more often. However it is simpler than manually vacuuming your floors.
The robot vacuum is more efficient when it can be integrated with your smart home system to detect when it's time to empty the trash and then return to its charging station. Thankfully, this feature will be available soon to other models, and it's definitely something you should consider if have a busy family with pets or children that frequently leave messes behind.