Best robot vacuums for carpet and rugs 2021: Roomba, Shark, and more

BEST ROBOT VACUUM DEALS:

Robot vacuums have become our mini housekeepers, and over the past few years they’ve only gotten smarter, more powerful, and in some cases, more expensive. Whether you have a crazy work schedule or a large home that needs some extra cleaning, a robot vacuum will take some of the load off your hands. Vacuums with smart features let you schedule cleaning while you’re out, control them with your voice, and even set which rooms should and shouldn’t be cleaned.

But if your home is mostly carpeting or if you have a lot of rugs laying around, you might be wondering if a robot vacuum will actually clean them or if it’ll become more of a hassle for you to deal with (plenty of robot vacs are known for getting stuck in weird places, confused by dark flooring, or refusing to transition from hardwood floors to carpet).

Are robot vacuums good on carpet?

Some robot vacuums can clean carpet and rugs, but not all were designed to handle cleaning your floor coverings. Some robot vacuums simply have too little suction or too little clearance to properly handle thick, high-pile carpet. When choosing a vacuum, you’ll want to look on each robot vacuum’s product page to find out what carpet height it can handle. While most suggest only low-pile carpet or flat-weave rugs, some vacs like those from Eufy can handle up to medium-pile, and some of the pricier models (notably from Roomba and Shark) will do max suction on thick carpeting, too.

As a general rule of thumb, upright vacuum cleaners have more suction power than small robot vacuums, and you’ll do a better job of thorough cleaning than most robot vacuums will. But if you simply have too much carpet or too many rugs to keep clean, a robot vacuum can help you outsource some of the effort. You’ll want to look for models with high suction (around 1400 to 2000Pa) to ensure you’re removing dirt, crumbs, and pet hair from your carpets. Anything lower won’t do a very exhaustive clean, and you might end up with carpets that are still gunked up.

Dual brushes and automatic cleaning brushes are a fantastic added bonus for carpeting, too. If you have a dog that sheds like a monster or a roommate who has enough hair for everyone in the household, chances are that hair will get deeply embedded into your carpet. Normal vacuums tend to get the hair tangled up in the brushroll, but robot vacuums with dual brushes or self-cleaning brushes will help you avoid this problem altogether. (No one should have to personally yank hair out of their vacuum on a weekly basis in 2021.)

Models with automatic carpet sensing are a plus, too. This feature is ideal for homes with both hard floor and carpeting, since the robot will know when it’s on the carpet and adjust the suction strength to be stronger, picking up even more crud from deep within the fibers of the carpet. More suction on carpets and rugs mean less dust, dander, and allergies, too, so you can finally stop sneezing in your house.

Will a Roomba ruin your carpet?

Generally speaking, a Roomba is unlikely to ruin your carpet. However, things that you might want to watch out for are loose carpet strings and rugs with fringed ends, as some non-Roomba bots will try to suck these up and promptly get stuck on them, potentially damaging your floor coverings.

If your home has a lot of decorative rugs with fringe, the best choice is the iRobot Roomba i3. Many user reviews say that this robot vacuum will glide right over the decorative hems on rugs without sucking them up or getting stuck. So that vintage heirloom rug you have in the living room? It’ll most likely be fine with the iRobot Roomba i3, but other bots with stronger suction might try to slurp it up.

Which is better: Shark or Roomba?

Both are good, which is why you’ll see both brands on this list. Roombas tend to feel sturdier on the outside, with some seriously strong suction power — but the downside is that they’re expensive, loud, and are prone to technology bugs. Shark robot vacuums, on the other hand, might feel a little bit less durable on the outside but are fantastic for quieter cleaning, and still offer smart features at a lower price point. Shark vacuums do sometimes get lost though, as documented in this hilarious TikTok video, so take note of that if you have a very large home with lots of spaces for your robot vacuum to hide.

Overall, both robot vacuum brands offer smart features, solid navigation, and strong suction, so making the choice between a Shark and a Roomba will depend on your desired price point and noise tolerance.

Which robot vacuum works best on carpet?

Based on in-depth research and reviews, we think the Shark IQ Robot Vacuum with XL Self-Empty base will do a quality job on most carpeting. While the iRobot Roomba s9+ might offer the most comprehensive clean and the strongest suction, the price point is a huge downside. At half the price of the s9+, the Shark IQ offers smart navigation, total home mapping, a self-emptying base, and a ton of smart features that will improve the cleaning setup of any home, big or small.

If you’re looking for specifics and more of our top picks, check out the full list of robot vacuums for carpet below.