4 Best Robot Vacuums for Carpet and Rugs
These expert-tested models eliminate debris buried deep between carpet fibers.
Tested by Noah PinsonnaultHome Care & Cleaning Reviews Analyst
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Even if you already have an upright- or cordless stick vacuum, sometimes life gets in the way, and you just want to start cleaning your floors with a tap on your smartphone screen.
That’s where a robot vacuum comes in. If you need to touch up your floors with minimal effort on your part, they work wonders at sucking up crumbs, pet hair and dust. However, not all robot vacuums are created equally — especially if you have a lot of carpet and rugs throughout your home.
The best robot vacuums for carpets have great suction, help collect the dirt and debris below the carpet surface and can maneuver over both low and higher pile carpets and rugs. Robot vacuums are the fastest-growing category within the vacuum cleaner industry, and at the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we are constantly testing and evaluating new models to assess their performance.
Pros
- Uses laser navigation to move smoothly and methodically around your space
- When it finishes cleaning, it returns to the dock and automatically empties itself
Cons
- Struggles with thresholds
The Shark AI Robot vacuum not only delivers better-than-average carpet cleaning performance but also includes premium features typically reserved for vacuums twice its price. Unlike some budget vacuums that bump around aimlessly to clean your space, this one is much more agile and strategic when it comes to navigation.
It uses LIDAR (the same sensor as self-driving cars) to get around and systematically cleans carpets room by room — deflecting obstacles along the way. During our tests, we found that it could remove all the hard debris applied to our test area.
“It didn’t struggle when going from one floor type to another,” said Executive Director of the Home Care and Cleaning Lab Carolyn Forté. “Rugs were no challenge either. And for especially dirty jobs, you can program it to UltraClean mode where it goes over the same area three times for the deepest clean.”
Although the vacuum occasionally had issues getting over taller thresholds, after cleaning our test floors, it returned to the dock and emptied all the dust and debris it picked up. It’s worth noting that Shark is one of the few robot vacuum brands that offers a bagless base station bin, similar to a stick vacuum. This eliminates the need for replacement bags, saving you money in the long run.
Lastly, the SharkClean app makes it easy to set no-go zones, send the robot to specific rooms or areas of your home and set regular cleaning schedules.
Dust bin capacity: 1,000 mL | Warranty: 1 year | Battery runtime: Up to 120 minutes | Included accessories: Side brush, HEPA bagless self-empty base
READ OUR FULL REVIEW: I Tested Shark's AI Ultra Self-Empty Robot Vacuum
Pros
- Automatically adjusts suction when it senses carpet
- Large wheels help it navigate over threshholds
Cons
- Its brush roller is prone to hair tangles
This robot vacuum from eufy is an affordable yet powerful option that flaunts a super-slim design which helps it clean under low-profile furniture. Our tester found the vacuum extremely easy to use since it doesn’t have any smart features, meaning you don’t have to pair it to your Wi-Fi network. It still comes with a remote control for adjusting suction speed, spot-cleaning or scheduling cleanings.
The vacuum’s large wheels and intelligent sensors allowed it to navigate our space flawlessly. It overcame obstacles like door ledges and stairs. It avoids furniture and adjusts suction for different floor types, effectively capturing dust and debris — even on medium-pile carpet. Although its twin side brushes come in handy for directing dust bunnies to its chute, we found its sole roller brush was more likely to get tangled with human and pet hair than other models we tested.
Regardless, thanks to its price, long-lasting battery and suction power, this vacuum is hard to pass up and is worth considering, especially if you’re on a limited budget.
Dust bin capacity: 600 mL | Warranty: 1 year | Battery runtime: Up to 100 minutes | Included accessories: Side brushes, remote control, charging base, cleaning tool
Pros
- Doesn’t struggle with vacuuming pet hair
- Impressive 3+ hour runtime
- Excellent navigation performance
Cons
- Self-emptying base doesn’t always fully clean the onboard dustbin
The Dreame L10s Ultra is a powerful vacuum and mop combo that seamlessly transitions between vacuuming and mopping, lifting its mop pad to keep your carpets and rugs dry. Its long runtime, large dust bin and excellent maneuverability earned it a spot in our Cleaning & Organizing Awards.
A standout performer on all surfaces, the Dreame demonstrated strong carpet-cleaning capabilities, even exceeding its performance on bare floors. It senses when it moves from bare floor to carpet, automatically increasing the suction level in the process. It excelled at removing pet hair from carpets without getting dust bunnies and hair clogged or tangled around its brush roll.
Our tester found that it had above-average navigation performance and proved to be great at picking up messes beneath furniture and around corners. However, we did notice that the base's self-emptying feature left some dirt behind in the robot's dustbin. Despite this minor shortcoming, overall, the vacuum is incredibly effective, powerful and easy to use.
It has an intuitive app for remotely starting the vacuum, adjusting suction levels and setting boundaries. We also appreciated that the robot dries its mop pads after it finishes cleaning.
Dust bin capacity: 3,000 mL | Warranty: 1 year | Battery runtime: Up to 210 minutes | Included accessories: Mop pads, dust collection bag, self-empty base, side brush
RELATED: The Best Robot Vacuums for Pet Hair
Pros
- Impressive suction power
- Has a large dustbin
- Deep cleans carpets better than the competition
Cons
- Large floor plans will require multiple charges in between
With its wider-than-average, tangle-resistant brush bar and impressive suction, the Dyson 360 Vis Nav is an outstanding robot vacuum for carpet. Our tests found that it effortlessly glided across thick rugs and outperformed other robot vacuums when removing heavy debris like sand from carpet, although it was noisy.
My usual stick vacuum struggles with the thickness of my medium-pile living room rug, forcing me to use it on its lowest suction setting, but the Dyson handled it like a champ and automatically cranked up the suction when it encountered a mix of flour and crumbs I’d embedded in the carpet fibers. I also found that the Dyson outperformed other robot vacuums I’ve tested when it came to avoiding frustrating hair tangles and clogs.
Although it’s pricier than the competition, it’s easier to use and more affordable to maintain than competing robot vacs, thanks to its removable, washable filter and larger-than-average-sized dustbin. The latter means less frequent emptying and no need to purchase replacement bags.
It’s worth noting that while it can efficiently clean smaller spaces, larger homes may require multiple cleaning sessions. In my 1,400-square-foot space, cleaning three medium-sized rooms on Auto mode took 35 minutes for a thorough clean before the 360 Vis Nav needed charging. If you use the ultra-powerful “Boost” mode setting, which depletes the battery in just 12 minutes, your cleaning session could take as long as 4 hours.
Dust bin capacity: 570 mL | Warranty: 2 years | Battery runtime: Up to 65 minutes | Included accessories: Dyson 360 Vis Nav wall dock
READ MORE: Dyson 360 Vis Nav Robot Vacuum Review
How we test robot vacuums
Robot vacuums have come a long way since we first tested iRobot's original Roomba in the halls of the Good Housekeeping Institute over 20 years ago. In recent years, we’ve tested dozens of robot vacuum cleaners and we’re testing new models regularly.
Following the ASTM International-industry-standard test methods, our team puts every robot vac through its paces, evaluating its ability to pick up dry debris, faux pet hair and dust from carpet (and hard floors). The cleaner’s onboard dustbin is weighed both before and after it cleans to calculate the percentage of the debris it picked up from our carefully laid out testing environment.
Besides scrutinizing suction performance, we also monitor how well the vacuums navigate, maneuver around the obstacles, clean edges and fit under furniture. If the cleaners offer self-emptying or mopping capabilities, we evaluate the effectiveness of those features.
Since a robot vacuum is supposed to make cleaning your carpets a breeze, we assess ease of use beyond the Lab and have our colleagues try the vacuums in their own homes to share their opinions so we can get an accurate picture of what it’s like to use and maintain them.
What to consider when shopping for a robot vacuum for carpet
If your home has wall-to-wall carpet or several rugs, there are a few things to keep in mind when choosing the best robot vacuum for your home.
✔️ Space and runtime: Our cleaning experts suggest you analyze your space and pay attention to the vacuum’s runtime before making a purchase — especially if you have a large home. Typically, most robot vacuums can cover about 1,000 square feet in one hour and will pause, recharge and then resume cleaning where they left off. More affordable robot vacuums tend to offer no more than 90 minutes of runtime, and it takes roughly an hour and a half to recharge a robot vacuum. You should also look at the size of whatever robot vacuum you’re considering and measure the clearance under your furniture to determine if it can clean under your furniture.
✔️ Navigation and mapping capabilities: The biggest difference between budget, midrange and premium robot vacuums is their methods of navigation. Some use cameras or lasers and advanced algorithms to traverse your floor plan. Some even use AI to recognize obstacles and objects that may cause them to get stuck. Less expensive models move forward until they encounter an obstacle. Then, they reverse direction and try to find a new path, continuing this process until they run out of battery. Our favorite models offer companion smartphone apps that let you set up virtual barriers to block off entire rooms or specific spaces where you don’t want the vacuums to clean.
✔️ Automatic carpet recognition: If you’re shopping for a robot vacuum for carpet, you’ll definitely want your vacuum to be able to sense carpet or rugs on its own. Models that offer this functionality will automatically increase the suction power to better pick up dust and debris. Some models that feature a built-in mop will automatically lift their mop pad out of the way when approaching carpet or rugs to prevent the carpet from getting damp.
✔️ Brush rollers: For cleaning carpets, we prefer rubber brush rollers over bristled brushes, as the latter have a tendency to experience tangles from hair and dust bunnies when vacuuming carpets. The Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum features a unique, soft brush with nylon bristles designed to protect delicate hardwood floors while removing dirt. A few robot vacuums even come equipped with dual rubber brush rollers that work in tandem to beat out dust and debris embedded deep within carpet fibers.
Is a robot vacuum worth it?
Yes, a robot vacuum can efficiently clean up daily messes, reducing the need for frequent vacuuming. However, for most homes — especially ones with pets, children or heavy foot traffic — they will not completely replace a traditional vacuum.
Our cleaning experts recommend using your robot vacuum in between your deep-cleaning sessions to minimize the number of times and lengths you have to manually vacuum. For areas of the home with low foot traffic, a robot vacuum may be all you need to keep floors clean.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
GH Contributing Commerce Editor Brandon Carte wrote this guide. He has over a decade of experience testing and researching products, from vacuums to home goods, appliances and skincare. Carte, who lives with an endlessly shedding German shepherd and husky, is constantly on the lookout for the perfect vacuum cleaner so he can ditch his lint roller and wear his favorite cashmere sweater again.
Noah Pinsonnault works as a product reviews analyst in the Home Care and Cleaning Lab where he helps design and perform tests on various product categories. He evaluated several newer robot vacuums and pored over old testing data to see how the new models compare to our past favorites.
Noah works as a product reviews analyst in the Home Care & Cleaning Lab where he helps design and perform tests on various product categories. He draws on scientific expertise garnered during his time as an environmental researcher, where he managed environmental monitoring equipment, analyzed water samples in a lab and developed protocols for restoration projects. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in environmental science from the University of Wisconsin-Superior.
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