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If you have thick carpet that gives your normal vacuum cleaner a tough time, you may be wondering if you can use a robot vacuum cleaner to clean up. While it’s true that automated vacuum cleaners are not as powerful as traditional upright vacuums, you may be surprised at how well they can perform. Of course, as with most things in life, it really depends on the model and inherent features at how well it will work for you. Below we have selected a range of vacuums that perform well on carpet. We have determined which ones perform the best on thick carpet and which one gives you your best “bang for your buck”. Read below to find out which is the best robotic vacuum for thick carpet.
The robotic vacuum was first introduced in 1996 by Electrolux. It worked well for a while though it had a minor problem – colliding with objects and stopping on walls. In 2002, Roomba was launched by the American Advanced Technology Company, iRobot. This version of robovac was able to change direction when faced with an obstacle. It was also able to detect dirty spots and steep drops to keep it from falling downstairs. This is why it became so popular on the market and made other companies reconsider the idea that robot vacuums don’t have an audience in the market.
Neato D7 Botvac |
eufy 11s |
Roomba 675 |
Shark ION R75 | |
| Honors | Best in Class | Best Value | ||
| The Good | Excellent navigation, no-go lines, technologically advanced, smartphone and Alexa integration | Slim and attractive design, long battery charge, remote control, scheduling, economical | Dirt detection, virtual walls, app integration, 3-stage cleaning works wonders | Alexa compatible, excellent navigation, climbing features |
| The Bad | Filter design, no mopping, more expensive | Brushes can get tangled, scheduling is limited, no mapping | Battery life could impact cleaning large homes, random navigation | Small dustbin, poor customer support, poor battery runtime |
| Overall | The best robot vacuum cleaner currently available without jumping into the commercial versions. If you're looking for the best, this is it. | An economical solution for those who don't want to pay too much. Good, but not great, features and performance. | Better than the cheaper offerings, but some issues such as the battery and random navigation are problems. | Competitor to Neato and iRobot performs well for others in the same class. Not as advanced as the Neato D7, but comparable to the Roomba 675. |
| Our Rating | 8.4 | 6.9 | 7.8 | 8.0 |
| Check Price | Check Price | Check Price | Check Price |
The Neato Botvac D7 Connected is Neato’s top-of-the-line offering, and it shows! The Neato D7 offers the best cleaning power, most features, and smartest navigation among those we have compared. If you have pets and are looking for robotic vacuum to help with cleaning up pet hair, look no further. This robot vacuum can handle almost any household, no matter the number of pets you may have. Of course, if you have several large dogs and a herd of cats, you may need to get two vacuums, but for most of us, this robot vacuum has everything we need.
The Neato D7 navigation system is what really makes this unit shine above its competitors. Neato has been using their proprietary laser-mapping system for a number of years, and like most technology, it is constantly being improved upon. Combined with the powerful app integration, the D7 Botvac’s navigation ensures your entire home is cleaned without missed spots like some other robot vacuums that move in a random pattern while cleaning. Just to be sure that it got everything, it will even send a notification to your phone with a cleaning map report when the cleaning cycle has been completed.
The Neato D7 has ample power to get that deep-down clean we all know our carpets need (especially thick carpet). While the normal cleaning mode works great, the Turbo mode greatly enhances the suction to get all the dust and particles that may be trapped in the carpet. The Ultra Performance filter does a good job at filtering dust and allergens to help you breath easier after it has finished cleaning. Furthermore, the D-shaped design (as opposed to the more common circle shape) does a great job at letting the Neato get into corners and other places the circular robots have trouble reaching.
The eufy RoboVac 11s is the most cost effective vacuum on our list. The eufy 11s has a number of nice features, impressive power, and affordability as its primary selling points. This is one of the more popular products on Amazon with over 2800 customer reviews currently available. A high review rating also shows that shoppers are pleased with their purchase. The abundance of happy buyers is rooted in the fact that this machine allows many to step into the realm of robot vacuums without spending too much money. Fortunately, it offers a number of features and performance improvements over others in the lower-tier of robotic vacuums, without sacrificing too much on price.
While it may not be as technologically advanced as the other models, it does have a number of nice features such as the slim design, remote control, and variable power. The slim design allows the eufy RoboVac to clean under objects that are normally a hassle. Additionally, the included remote allows the user to set a schedule for the robot to clean. Remember that it will clean at this time every day, as you are not allowed to set it to only clean on specific days like the more advanced models allow. Finally, the power is comparable from what would be expected from a mid-grade unit. Unfortunately, this added power only comes in short bursts as the robot automatically senses the dirtier areas for deeper cleaning. This is great if you have pets that commonly track in mud and whatnot.
As the eufy 11s Slim is an economical robot, there are a few key features that are missing when compared to more advanced models. The most glaring is the lack of Wi-Fi and smartphone integration. This severely limits what you can do to increase the convenience. Furthermore, the navigation is completely random, which can lead to missed spots. To fix this issue, just run it more often and it will surely get the missed spots in its random sweeps.
The iRobot Roomba 675 is in the mid-range of robot vacuum cleaners with many of the common features we expect from our “smart” products. iRobot released the first Roomba in 2002 and have been improving on their design ever since. The newer models have incredibly advanced features and powerful capabilities, but be prepared to pay for them! The Roomba 675 follows in the iRobot tradition of offering a quality product with enough features to make life easier but not require a second mortgage.
This robot vacuum has impressive cleaning capabilities with the 3-stage cleaning system and dirt detect technologies. The 3-stage system allows the brushes to loosen up dirt deep in the carpets and then lets a second brush sweep it out. This method works exceptionally well and provides a very deep clean. The Dirt Detect feature is also a great feature to ensure the vacuum cleans extra hard on those especially dirty areas. Furthermore, an auto-adjusting cleaning brush makes sure that no matter what the terrain may be like, the brush is consistently cleaning as close to the carpet/hardwood as possible.
There are a couple of problems with the Roomba robot vacuum. First, the battery has a 90 minute life, which could cause some problems for large homes. While 90 minutes is fine for small to medium-size homes, it is common for purchasers to buy more than one unit to ensure the entire home can be cleaned in one go. Another problem is that the navigation is completely random. While it does a good job at avoiding collisions, it cleans in a haphazard manner which leads to wasted battery life, inefficient cleaning, and missed spots.
The Shark ION 750 offers surprising value for its price. It provides everything you want in a mid-grade robot vacuum at a lower tier price. It’s even cheaper than the eufy 11s currently, although prices fluctuate and they’re close. Although the eufy has a similar price, it does not offer close to the number of features the Shark ION 750 provides at a comparable price. App and Alexa integration? Check. Scheduling, alert notifications, and automatic docking and return to spot? Check. Performance out of its class? Check again. This robot vacuum is very impressive considering all it offers at the lowest price of all those we have compared.
The Shark R75 (750) has a powerful suction that does very well on thick carpets. While not as powerful as the Neato or Roomba, the performance brushroll, self-cleaning brush, and side brushes all combine to add up to more than the sum of its parts. Pet hair and dirty areas are cleaned up very quickly. While it may not perform as well as some of the more expensive models, the performance drop is negligible when price is taken into consideration.
The dust bin on the Shark robot could be larger as it requires emptying if your floors are very dirty or have quite a bit of pet hair. Many just run their vacuum every day to ensure it is able to complete its cleaning cycle before the dust bin is full if it is cleaning while you are away from home. There have also been reports of customer support being poor with long wait times.
Thick carpets often require more cleaning and work than your typical short variety. One of the best features of robot vacuums is their automatic nature and ease of use. They are very simple to use – just turn it on and let it clean. A great thing about these devices is that they contain a lot of sensors to allow it to clean independently. Many brands allow for scheduling so you can set it to automatically clean when you are not at home or at another time that best suits your schedule. This allows you to ensure your thick carpet is being cleaned on a daily or weekly basis. In the case of thick carpets and robot vacuums, it is usually best to clean every day or as close to that as possible to ensure it is as clean and free of dirt as possible.
Since robovacs can charge themselves, you don’t have to worry about manually charging them. The device will automatically return to its docking station when its cleaning cycle has completed, or its battery needs to recharge. This means it will recharge itself if the battery is low, so you don’t find it sitting in the middle of the floor needing to be placed back on the dock. Recharging times vary based on the model, but they can range anywhere from 45 minutes all the way up to seven hours per charge. The more advanced models often include a fast charger that allows it to fully recharge in under an hour.
Did you know that vacuums initially inspired and were actually used as hair dryers? Yes, that’s right, this happened in 1888 in France, where the first hood dryers for seated patrons were invented. After a long period of time, the first hair dryers were officially presented to the market in the 1920s. This technology was inspired by vacuums, while also included heated coils. The new designs of a robotic vacuum have variations of “Virtual Wall”. You can use the virtual wall to keep the cleaner from going into places you don’t want it to go.
We live in a busy world, where you’d like to have time for everything: building your career, maintaining a social life, or everything that comes with raising a family. Of course, all of this is more important than cleaning, but the good news is that robot vacuums can clean without any supervision and that can save you time for other pursuits. You can just turn on the device (or schedule it) and do what you have to do, while it cleans for you. You can control the device on your tablet or smartphone, which makes it even more convenient.
Different robotic vacuum cleaners come with different levels of technology. Depending on your model, it may or may not come with smartphone integration. Nevertheless, even if a smartphone app isn’t available on your model, others often offer a remote alternative that allows for scheduling cleaning cycles and controlling your vacuum’s movements. If your model does have smartphone abilities, enjoy the convenience! A wide range of options and convenience features such as scheduling, cleaning maps, no-go lines, variable cleaning mode controls, and a host of other features are often accessible via that robot’s app.
When buying a robot vacuum for the first time, we often wonder how to choose the right one and how to use them. Nevertheless, if you are not sure where to start, here is a small tip: try to make a small survey around your house first – do you have carpets or pets (some are specifically made for pets). After you know the general environment, it’s time to decide your budget and consider if you want your device to be connected to a tablet or a smartphone. In other words, do you want an app with it? The last thing you would need to consider is the model. What you would need to know is that some models clean better than others. Depending on your home environment, choose the type that best suits your needs.
How long do robot vacuum’s battery charge last?
That would depend on the model and the design of the device. For example, a device made by iRobot has a comparatively long battery life at up to 120 minutes run time.
Which Robot Vacuum Cleaner is the best?
Every brand and model have their own strengths and weaknesses. Some prefer the iRobot Roomba while others prefer the Neato models. Read the robot vacuum reviews at the top of the page to see our picks.
How to care for a robovac?
Robot Vacuums should be cleaned regularly. It is pretty easy actually, you should just clean the brushes and empty the dirtbag but be careful to fully charge your robovac before cleaning. Additional cleaning with compressed air (often used to clean keyboards) is great at de-dusting the exterior and visible components.
How to improve the lifespan of the robot vacuum?
The only way to improve the lifespan of the robot vacuum cleaner is to take a good care of the device – clean it after each cycle, maintain the brushes, and replace the filters at least once a month.
Robot vacuum cleaners come in every kind of shape, size, or price that you can think of. Determining which is best for you can be tricky as you will need to find out what features are necessary and which are just luxuries. Our pick of the best of those that we compared is the Neato D7 Connected robot vacuum cleaner. Although it is in a different class than the others that were compared, we thought it only fair to ensure that the best of the best was included on this list. It outperforms everything in its class and below. Its powerful suction, smart laser mapped navigation, and abundance of features make it suitable for almost any home. Thick carpet, pets, or children shouldn’t pose any problems for this fantastic piece of time-saving equipment. If you don’t need the wide range of features that come with the Neato, the Shark ION 750 is our pick for best value. While not as powerful as some of the other brands, it is extremely affordable and feature-rich.
