The Best Robot Vacuum for Thick Carpets – 2021 Review Guide
Robot vacuums are the most convenient for cleaning carpets with minimal effort. As you know, these vacuums work on their own, requiring very little assistance.
However, much like all vacuums, robots differ based on the brand, power, and several features. For this reason, some can clean all floors while others can only clean hard flooring.
Either way, a very few robot vacuums can clean high pile and plush carpets. It’s because these vacuum cleaners have a low profile, brushes, and wheels that usually get stuck into this kind of carpeting.
Still, that doesn’t mean you can’t clean your high pile carpets with a robot vacuum. All you need is the best robot vacuum for thick carpet. You’ll notice that your carpet is prettier than ever after just a few uses.
Stay tuned to learn about the best robot vacuums for thick carpets and how to choose one. We reviewed these products and included a buyer’s guide with some useful information.
| Product | Dimensions | Weight | Run Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13.8 x 13.8 x 3.6 in | 8.6 lbs | 75 min | |
| 12.8 x 12.8 x 2.9 in | 5.73 lbs | 100 min | |
| 12.6 x 12.6 x 2.7 in | 8.95 lbs | 120 min | |
| 12.8 x 12.8 x 2.8 in | 8.82 lbs | 120 min | |
| 13.4 x 13.4 x 3.5 in | 6.77 lbs | 90 min |
Top 5 Robot Vacuums for Thick Carpet
iRobot Roomba 960 Robot Vacuum
iRobot Roomba 960 is among the most popular robot vacuums from the brand. It delivers strong suction, picking up most debris, dust, pet hair, and dander.
What’s important is its intelligent mapping of an entire level of your home. This is possible thanks to its iAdapt 2.0 technology that’s combined with vSLAM navigation.
As we mentioned, this one cleans pet hair and dander with ease and is ideal for pet owners. It features a 3-stage cleaning system that picks up everything in its way regardless of the surface.
Also, it has unique dual multi-surface brushes that adjust according to the surface.
Another thing worth noting is its HEPA filter. It traps up to 99% of dust, pollen, and other allergens. Plus, it recharges on its own, automatically returning to the docking station.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 13.8 x 13.8 x 3.6 in
- Weight: 8.6 lbs
- Run Time: 75 min
Pros
- Works with iRobot App, Alexa, and Google Assistant
- Edge-to-edge cleaning
- 70 minutes of run time
Cons
- Not for dark carpets and rooms
When it comes down to a battle between Roomba 960 and Roomba 860, here’s what prevails.
Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S (Slim), Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S is the slimmest robot from the brand. It has a 2.85” profile and is quiet, so it won’t disturb your household, children, and pets. This one covers 10.5 inches in a second.
One of the best things about it is its BoostIQ Technology that allows it to focus on high-traffic areas with embedded dirt. It automatically increases suction for 1.5 seconds so that it can remove concentrated dirt from different surfaces.
This one offers some 100 minutes of run time, cleaning everything from hardwood to thick carpets.
Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S senses when it’s about to run out of battery, and recharges automatically. It comes with four side brushes, five cable ties, an AC power adapter, a cleaning tool, remote control with batteries, and a charging base.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 12.8 x 12.8 x 2.9 in
- Weight: 5.73 lbs
- Run Time: 100 min
Pros
- Scratch-resistant top cover
- Drop-sensing technology
- 0.6 L dust bin
Cons
- It may get stuck under furniture
Coredy Robot Vacuum Cleaner, 1700Pa Strong Suction
Coredy offers 1700 Pa of suction along with dual edges that help it remove all dust and dirt that’s on your thick rug. It also has a main rolling brush that picks up dust, dirt, pet hair, and dander.
Its profile measures 2.7 inches, which allows the robot to clean under furniture. However, some furniture may be too low, so be careful that the robot doesn’t end up stuck.
Also, this robot vacuum automatically increases suction in areas with concentrated dirt. This makes it ideal for spot-cleaning.
It’s equipped with anti-drop and anti-collision technologies that help the robot vacuum to avoid falling down the stairs or hitting your furniture and walls.
Another thing worth noting is the HEPA filter that traps up to 99% of dust, allergens, and pollen. It offers 120 minutes of continuous performance.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 12.6 x 12.6 x 2.7 in
- Weight: 8.95 lbs
- Run Time: up to 120 min
Pros
- Four cleaning modes
- 550 ml dust bin
- Schedule cleaning
Cons
- The roller brush needs frequent cleaning
Head over to our complete overview of strong-suction robot vacuums if long hairs are an issue in your household.
GOOVI 1600PA Robotic Vacuum Cleaner with Self-Charging
This Goovi provides some 1600 Pa of intense suction that’s enough to pick up crumbs, dust, and dirt. It works on hardwood floors and high pile carpets with equal efficiency.
It features a 2.83” slim design that allows it to clean under furniture and in tight areas. Also, this one recharges by returning to the docking station on its own.
The robot vacuum has large wheels that allow it to move across different surfaces with ease. This makes it easy to cross door ledges without assistance, which means you can leave the vacuum to work when you’re not at home.
It has a few cleaning modes, providing versatile cleaning. Also, you’ll receive four side brushes, the main brush, a HEPA filter, remote control with batteries, an adapter, a charging dock, and a cleaning brush for the dust bin.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 12.8 x 12.8 x 2.8 in
- Weight: 8.82 lbs
- Run Time: 120 min
Pros
- Smart movement system
- For all floor types
- Automatic recharging
Cons
- Poorly written instructions
iRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum
iRobot Roomba 675 is another popular robot vacuum from the popular brand. It features 3-stage cleaning that allows it to loosen, lift, and suck in all the dust, dirt, and hair from all floor surfaces.
It has dual multi-surface brushes that work together to pick up both small and large debris. Plus, its Auto-Adjust cleaning head adapts to all floor surfaces, providing the most effective cleaning.
This iRobot vacuum features the brand’s unique dirt detect sensors that alert it of high-traffic areas with embedded dirt. Plus, it has a full suite of sensors that allow it to navigate without falling down the stairs or bumping into furniture.
Its Edge Sweeping brush is designed at a 27-degree angle. This allows it to sweep dirt away from corners and edges. On top of that, this one uses Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as the iRobot HOME App.
Specifications
- Dimensions: 13.4 x 13.4 x 3.5 in
- Weight: 6.77 lbs
- Run Time: 90 min
Pros
- 90 minutes
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Smart navigation
Cons
- It struggles to return to the docking stage at times
Buying Guide
Have you chosen a robot vacuum for your thick carpets? If you can’t decide among as many robot vacuums, you should take some time to check our buyer’s guide.
These are the most critical buying factors you should always consider when buying a robot vacuum. The information below can help you figure out which is the most suitable robot for your high pile carpets, especially if you have other flooring types as well.
Suction Power
Suction power is always critical, but it varies among the robot vacuums. In the case of robots, suction functions pretty much the same as in regular vacuums. There’s a motor that pulls air, drawing in the dust, dirt, and different particles.
The air, along with these particles, is then pushed through the filter. Only clean air is expelled back into your breathing space while the dirt particles stay inside the vacuum.
Robot vacuums have strong suction but aren’t as powerful as other vacuum types. Uprights and canisters are typically stronger than robots, which is why robots are only recommended for maintaining the floors clean.
HEPA Filter
HEPA filtration is still the best choice when it comes to fighting pollen, dust mites, and other allergens inside your home. It’s a mechanical filter that forces the air through a fine mesh that traps all the dander, pollen, tobacco smoke, and other harmful particles.
Many vacuums feature HEPA filters, but many feature HEPA-like filtration as well. Needless to say, HEPA-like isn’t really HEPA and should be avoided.
Luckily, the best robot vacuums for high pile carpets have HEPA filters that are easy to washable and reusable. It’s the best choice if you or someone in your family is prone to allergies.
Learn more: Our Full Guide on the Different Filtration Options
Brushless Robot Vacuum Design
Robot vacuums usually have brushes that rotate and can damage your thick carpets. For this reason, you should look for a robot vacuum that doesn’t have rotating brushes. Instead, these bots have tangle-free extractors.
If you have combined floors and need rotating brushes, make sure that you can shut them off when cleaning high pile carpets. Rotating brushes can damage your carpet beyond repair, more so if it’s a thick rug with long and densely-packed fibers.
Many robots are brushless, so it’s just a matter of checking and ensuring that that’s the case with the vac of your choice.
Wheels
Robots have wheels that allow them to move across different surfaces without your assistance. However, you should always check the size of the wheels, especially when choosing a robot for your high pile carpet.
Small wheels aren’t the best for this type of carpet because they can get caught up in the fibers. For this reason, you should go for a model that has large wheels.
Those with large wheels don’t struggle as much to move around. They’re better when it comes to moving across thick carpets.
Make sure that the wheels have a rubber coating so that they don’t damage the carpet fibers.
Run Time
This is an important factor to consider because these vacuum cleaners are cordless and battery-operated. Different models have different batteries, which means their battery life varies just as well.
In most cases, these vacuum cleaners offer 30 to 120 minutes of run time. However, you should always check this before purchasing any particular robot.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some features may drain the battery furthermore. For example, Boost cleaning mode that increases the suction power of your vac will most definitely shorten its battery life.
Navigation
Robots have different navigation systems that allow them to move and clean all areas of your house. However, some are more efficient than others. In most cases, more expensive robots have better navigation.
You’ll notice that some have visual navigation while others use lasers to move around. Some combine collision and optical sensors to cover all areas of your home. These usually use the vSLAM navigation system.
Other robots scan their surroundings, which allows them to plan and map out how they’ll move throughout the room, while some models can even memorize the area. Sadly, it’s nearly impossible to tell which navigation system is the best since navigation depends on how many obstacles the robot comes across as well.
FAQ
Q:
Does Roomba work on thick carpet?
A: Roomba is designed and manufactured by iRobot that is among the most popular and efficient brands. However, there’s more than just one Roomba model, and some of them aren’t so suitable for thick carpets.
Roomba models we reviewed can work on thick carpets because they’re designed specifically to clean without damaging the fibers.
However, other models may not be as suitable. For this reason, you should always double-check just so you’re sure that the Roomba of your choice can work on thick carpets.
Also, you may want to test your cleaner before letting it move across the carpet. Choose the spot-clean mode and let Roomba clean a remote area of your carpet. This way, you can still hide the part of the carpet in case the Roomba damages it.
-Read More: Why Roomba May Not Be The Smartest Choice for Coarse Carpeting
Q:
How do robot vacuums work?
A: A robot vacuum is meant to supplement your full-size cleaner. No robot is meant to replace full-size cleaners regardless of what the manufacturer may say.
With that said, you should know that robots have their pros and cons. And while setbacks aren’t as huge or significant, they’re still something you should keep in mind.
Robots work by moving across your floor in a particular pattern, cleaning dust and debris on the way. How it moves and navigates depends on its navigation system and whether or not it has smart mapping.
It has a motor that provides suction power that also varies from brand to brand. They have small dust cups since they’re also quite small. In most cases, you’ll have to empty the dust cup at least once during the cleaning process.
On top of that, they have a wide range of sensors that help them to navigate, come close to your furniture and walls, and avoid falling.
Q:
How to prevent Roomba from getting stuck?
A: The best way to prevent Roomba from getting stuck is to prepare the house. You should remove all the toys, cables, scarfs, clothes, shoes and pretty much everything else from your floors.
Cables are, by far, the worst enemy of Roomba because the vacuum nearly always damages all cords it comes across. Not only it gets stuck, but it also destroys the cable, which means you’ll have to buy a new one each time this happens.
Lift the curtains so that they’re not hanging close to the floor. The last thing you want is Roomba to damage your curtain or take it down altogether.
Q:
What is the best robot vacuum for a deep pile carpet?
A: The best robot vacuum for high pile carpets is Roomba 960. It’s among the best and most popular robots from the brand because it cleans everything from hair, dander, debris, and dust.
It features intelligent mapping, which allows it to navigate throughout your house. It comes with iAdapt 2.0 technology and vSLAM navigation, making it easy to avoid obstacles while cleaning.
Also, it has a HEPA filter, so it’s suitable for allergy-prone people.
Q:
What is the best robot vacuum for medium pile carpet?
A: Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S is slim and easy to use in areas that have lots of obstacles and furniture. It’s quiet and efficient on all floor types like hardwood, tile, medium, and high pile carpets.
It has BoostIQ Technology that focuses its suction power on areas with embedded dirt. The increased suction lasts some 1.5 seconds, which is usually enough to remove the debris.
Keep in mind that most robots for cleaning thick carpets can also clean medium carpets.
Conclusion
Just because you have a thick rug, that doesn’t mean it should be dirty and dusty. And we all know how these carpets hold lots of dust and are typically tricky to clean. For this reason, a weekly rundown with your upright vacuum may not be enough.
This is where a robot vacuum comes in, making sure your thick carpets are clean and dust-free. These robot vacuums are specifically designed for cleaning plush and thick carpets.
Their features and specifications are made to make the job easier regardless of the size of your home. However, it’s essential to consider your needs and preferences when choosing a robot vacuum for thick carpets.
Consider the ones we reviewed if you’re looking for the best robot vacuum for thick carpets and hard floors. These bring cleaning to another level, making it easy to maintain thick carpets that people usually struggle with.
Sources and Resources
- A Study on Authentication Mechanism Using Robot Vacuum Cleaner
– https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/11424925_15
- Control strategies for cleaning robots in domestic applications: A comprehensive review
– https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1729881419857432
