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UPDATE: Dec. 14, 2024, 4:30 a.m. EST I recently updated my list of the top three best Shark robot vacuums with the newest, fanciest Shark model, the PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro. This model is in the running to be added to this list as well, which will be updated accordingly in the coming weeks.
Nearly any robot vacuum can sufficiently clear tile or hardwood floors of the hair and crumbs blowing across them like tumbleweeds. But for a robot vacuum to work on carpet, more suction power and concentrated airflow are required to uproot the debris embedded in those fibers.
Do robot vacuums work on carpet?
Yes, several robot vacuum cleaners do a pretty phenomenal job on carpets and rugs. In fact, the best robot vacuum brands such as iRobot, Roborock, Eufy, and Shark have been mastering the art for several years, particularly honing in on pet hair pickup and hair tangling in the roller brush.
For homes with varying floor types and a notable amount of foot traffic, buying the cheapest robot vacuum will likely create more hassle. Every time that bot gets stuck on a rug corner or welcomes you home to pet hair still visibly clinging to the living room carpet, you'll be tempted to do the job yourself — but rest assured that that's not an inevitable experience with every robovac.
The best robot vacuums for carpet have powerful suction, of course, aided by brush roll systems designed to dig into low- and high-pile carpet to pinch hair and large chunks while simultaneously inhaling fine debris that a weaker robot vac would pass right over. The most common way to measure suction power is in Pascals (though top contenders like iRobot and Shark just have to be different by not adhering to that method). When suction power in Pa is advertised, look for at least 5,000 Pa, and under no circumstances entertain anything lower than 4,000 Pa. For reference, robot vacuums at the premium end of the spectrum clock between 10,000 and 12,000 Pa.
Our top picks use automatic suction adjustment to customize cleaning based on floor type, leading to stronger cyclonic force on soft floors. All our picks also come with a self-emptying dock (or at least offer the option) to mitigate the frequency of trips to the trash bin, which would be a lot if the robovac is deep cleaning the amount of gunk from your carpets that it should be.
What about robot vacuums on different floor types?
If a robot vacuum has mastered carpet — the hardest floor type to tackle — these models definitely won't struggle to sweep up debris from hard floors like hardwood, tile, and laminate. Speaking of hard floors, if you're already eyeing a robot vacuum with market-leading suction power, chances are that that model is also one of the most advanced at mopping. Typically, the super powerful premium robot vacuums are also outfitted with pressurized mopping pads that wash and dry themselves, plus sensors that alert them to stop mopping on carpet. Unless it's a bumbling artifact from 2018, most robot vacuums transition between floor types without a blip (though even the best ones often still struggle not to trip on a bath mat).
Not sure which robot vacuum would work best on your carpets or rugs? I test and compare a ton of top robot vacs as they come out in my own home, narrowing down the best options and refreshing my recommendations as necessary. For this list, I kept an extra close eye on performance on a variety of carpet pile lengths, rugs, and bath mats, pet hair and debris pick up, transitions between floor types, automatic suction settings, and more. Here are my three favorites of 2024:
With above-average suction power, self-washing and self-drying mopping pads, and a livestream pet camera, the S8 MaxV Ultra is an exhaustive floor care and pet care suite for homes with multiple pets and multiple floor types.
The attention that the Qrevo Master gives to walls and edges also makes it a top contender for people who are extra picky about thorough cleaning, and who are willing to pay more if it means their robot vacuum won't ignore the mess that's hiding out in the corners of the room. On the flip side, Roborock's second-fanciest vacuum is overkill in smaller spaces with little foot traffic, no pets, or a modest layout — or for modest budgets.
Why we picked this:
The Roborock Qrevo Master stole the crown from our previous pick, the more expensive S8 MaxV Ultra, because it packs almost every single fancy feature that the S8 MaxV Ultra does — just for way less money. The crown is even more of a no-brainer when the Qrevo Master hits its record-low sale price of $999.99, whereas the $1,799.99 S8 MaxV Ultra is almost always at full price.
The Qrevo Master also features the S8 MaxV Ultra's most premium features: 10,000 Pa of suction power (a five-digit feat that a majority of robot vacs can't beat) and a pet camera that can livestream whatever the robot vacuum sees as it's cleaning right to your phone. These two features, plus the Roborock suction power boost that kicks in when carpet or area rugs are sensed, came in clutch in an apartment with two cats who shed, cover my bathroom in litter on an hourly basis, dig up potted plants, and find new ways to mess around every time I'm not home. However, even with its top-notch navigational smarts, the Qrevo Master consistently failed to scale my two medium-pile bath rugs without leaving them in a jumbled pile, ultimately leading me to shake them out and let the vac just deal with the tile floor instead.
The meticulousness with which the Qrevo Master went after the nasty corners and wall edges in my home cemented its spot as one of my favorite robot vacuums of the year. The FlexiArm side brush is not your average spinning side brush that merely pushes debris around and then gives up. Rather, a flexible arm loaded with three brushes pops out from under the vacuum and digs directly into corners that are too tight of a squeeze for the vacuum itself. The S8 MaxV Ultra has this as well, but what it doesn't have is a flexible side mop that does the same thing while scrubbing — not necessarily helpful in the carpet department, but convincing for anyone who's passionate about the most thorough clean possible.
The Good
Frequently on sale for under $1,000
Same 10,000 Pa suction power as pricier Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra
Dual spinning mopping pads plus an extending side mop
Mops spin 200 times per second
Same livestream pet camera as the pricier Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra
Washes mopping pads mid-job to prevent smearing
Dock is compact and chic for all that it does
Won't get carpet or rugs wet
The Bad
Might get small rugs and bath mats wet
Room separating in app is a little nit-picky
Cleaning solution shouldn't have to be manually filled at this price
Shoppers looking to squeeze the longest feature menu out of a sub-$1,000 budget should look to Eufy's newest flagship model. With small obstacle avoidance and a fully self-sufficient mopping system, the X10 Pro Omni is way more autonomous than the similarly-priced Roomba Combo j7+ or Roborock Q8 Max+. The X10 Pro Omni has amazing battery life even when using its highest suction mode, making it ideal for tackling lots of square footage or multiple stories without needing to charge.
If your home is anything like mine — where a chaotic underbed storage situation and rogue extension cords make it tricky to run many robot vacuums when you're not home — you'll want to prioritize AI-powered small obstacle avoidance, like Eufy has given the X10 Pro Omni.
Why we picked this:
Not to be confused with the (less impressive, more expensive) Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni, the Eufy X10 Pro Omni is the brand's first self-emptying hybrid model that also self-refills the water tank and self-washes and dries the mopping pads, all within that same self-empty dock. That fully self-sufficient mopping system is a feature I've seen before, but never really seen before below $1,000.
Eufy's carpet cleaning deserves equal attention. On paper, 8,000 Pa of suction is beastly at any price point. During in-home testing, it successfully cleared a thick, purposefully-spilled heap of rice from a medium pile runner and soil from a flat weave rug. It did struggle on deep cleaning spilled flour and getting into corners, but then again, more expensive vacs do, too.
I came across one quirk that hinders Eufy's impressive suction power from cleaning to its full potential. Its obstacle avoidance camera was working so hard to not get stuck that it mistook a small fluffy bath mat for clothing and gave up on one section of the bathroom altogether, leaving strewn kitty litter untouched. Unfortunately, Eufy's app doesn't let you dismiss a perceived obstacle as "incorrect," so the bath mat needed to be moved.
For those who can settle for a less intense carpet clean if it means they can spend significantly less money, the Shark Matrix RV2300 is a solid budget option that's still decently powerful for the price. This model can be purchased with or without a self-emptying dock, so you can customize your spending and willingness to be on dustbin duty there.
While it does smart map, it doesn't mop, so the ideal buyer would have little hard floors that require wet cleaning — or they just aren't pressed about mopping in general.
Why we picked this:
The most basic robot vacuum in Shark's Matrix line still runs cleans circles around the older Shark ION vacuums and the most basic Roombas. This $299 vacuum (or $199.99 on sale) has LiDAR-power smart mapping and can clean specific rooms in the house, defying the outdated stereotype that cheap robot vacuums navigate by blindly bumping around and hoping for the best. I didn't experience any major navigational blips with the RV2300 in my few months with it as long as I made sure to pick up any cords or cat toys in its path.
What I really appreciated is the Shark Matrix RV2300's attention to detail when spot cleaning carpets in Matrix cleaning mode, where it vacuums in a crosshatch pattern to pull up any debris that may still be hiding in carpet or rug fibers after the first pass. While more powerful robot vacuums I've tested (plus my Dyson) would do a more thorough job, I was surprised that I could actually trust this Shark to sufficiently clear a crushed chip or kitty litter off my rugs and bathmats. I couldn't say the same for the similarly-priced Roomba 692.
The Good
Frequently on sale for under $200
Super affordable and accurate LiDAR
Matrix Cleaning goes over extra soiled spots from multiple angles
Optional self-empty dock version is still very budget-friendly
As a senior shopping reporter, I have been testing popular robot vacuums for Mashable in the various apartments I've lived in since 2019. My hands-on analyses span from budget models under $200 that just cover the basics to $1,500 (or more) premium models that are the market’s most advanced in the way they clean, navigate my home, and take care of their own recurring maintenance.
So far in 2024, I’ve had hands-on experience with the Roborock Qrevo Master, Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Eufy X10 Pro Omni, Shark Matrix RV2300, Shark Detect Pro, Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1, Roomba Combo j9+, Roomba Combo j5+, Narwal Freo X Ultra, Dyson 360 Vis Nav and Yeedi M12 Pro+. I am also currently working with the Roomba Combo 10 Max + AutoWash Dock and Shark PowerDetect 2-in-1 with neverTouch Pro Base.
My own personal three-bedroom apartment — not a lab — makes up the testing grounds for every robot vacuum, where a combination of hardwood floors, tile floors, and rugs of various piles are tackled. Over the course of at least four weeks, each robot vacuum is put through a series of standardized tests that flow into a scoring rubric that I’ve created to exemplify all factors of owning a robot vacuum and trusting it on a daily basis. That rubric is made up of four pillars:
Cleaning thoroughness: I’m pickier than average about what it takes for a floor to feel “clean,” and I’m trusting these robot vacuums in my own home — and pitting them against my trusty Dyson. To encapsulate the full spectrum of debris a robot vacuum might encounter, each robot vacuum and its suction power settings complete an obstacle course of standardized tests for multiple types of debris on both hard floors and rugs, an efficiency score being given to each. The robot vacuum and mop combos also complete three additional scrubbing tests on hardwood and tile. As for the actual “dirty” status of those floors being tackled, each robot vac is sent over both fresh messes (like crumbs, drinks, and sauces I spill purposefully) and more lived-in messes that build up over time (like dried or sticky splatters, shoe prints near the door, dust bunnies in corners, and matted-down cat hair on the rug).
Navigation: I consider a robot vacuum’s ability to maneuver to the right spot in the first place as a litmus test ahead of getting into any nitty gritty cleaning capabilities. In my testing, each vac’s navigational brainpower is analyzed by its smart mapping accuracy and ability to find specific rooms and zones for spot cleaning, as well as its ability to swerve safely around walls or between chair or table legs. Robot vacuums that can successfully detect phone chargers, pet waste, and laundry with small obstacle avoidance technology are given an extra star.
User-friendliness and politeness as a house guest: The ideal robot vacuum will be a relatively seamless addition to your household, and blend in nearly as easily as any other appliance used daily would. If a robot vacuum is loud, clunky, or generally a pain to use, you're not going to want it in your house at all — so things like noise level, battery life, size, aesthetic design, and the intuitiveness of using the app can make or break the experience.
Maintenance: Some robot vacuums are more automated than others when it comes to how they take care of themselves past the actual cleaning. If someone is already considering the robot vacuum route because of the hands-off cleaning experience, they might want that convenience to extend to dustbin emptying or mopping pad cleaning, too, which would get them off the hook from maintenance for days or weeks at a time.
Finally, I can't not consider the overall bang for your buck for each robot vacuum. Are its features on paper and actual cleaning competence worth the price tag, and how practical is that cost for the average household?
Frequently Asked Questions
Any robot vacuum is unlikely to ruin your carpet. However, loose carpet strings and rugs with fringed ends are something to look out for. Bumbling bots with less accurate object sensors may gobble these right up and get stuck on them, potentially damaging your floor coverings. Folks who love a good frilly rug should consider a robot vacuum that follows virtual boundaries through smart mapping (rather than hit-or-miss no-go strips, which have been mostly phased out in the past three years).
People in homes with combination flooring may be considering a robot vacuum that mops. You can ensure that your carpets don't get ruined by getting wet during mopping in a few ways: If you're shopping for a cheap to mid-range 2-in-1 model, use the app to keep the botvac out of carpeted rooms on the app, or draw a no-go zone around rugs. (At this point, even the super budget-friendly picks you're considering should have smart mapping capabilities.) If you're open to spending more on a premium robot vacuum, most of these have a built-in mop that lifts and lowers depending on floor type, only pressing down and allowing water to flow on hard floors. These same vacuums that require a human to attach and remove the water tank also physically can't mop if the water tank isn't clicked on.
Carpets and rugs are where pet hair, crumbs, and dust go to die, so beefy (yet methodical) suction is key for homes with a lot of stubborn floor coverings. Aim for at least 5,000 Pa, but ideally closer to 8,000 Pa (if that brand measures suction power in Pascals — iRobot and Shark don't, however) as well as suction that automatically boosts when the robot vacuum detects carpet.
But suction power shouldn't be your only consideration.
Automatic emptying is huge for dealing with all of the gunk that will build up quickly if your robot vacuum is doing its job on your carpet. It's especially clutch for large homes or those with pets that inherently need more cleanup, requiring more frequent dust bin emptying. Rather than you having to manually dump the bin into the garbage and wrestle wrapped hairs with your bare fingers, a self-emptying robot vacuum empties itself into a larger dustbin in its charging dock after each cleaning session. These larger bins can typically hold weeks of dirt without needing to be emptied themselves.
Smart mapping refers to a robot vac's ability to remember your home's layout and clean specific rooms or zones on command. This navigational feature is crucial if you have certain carpeted or rug-covered rooms that'll need attention more often than a whole home clean, like the carpeted living room where the pets hang out or the entryway doormat that's covered in dirt.
We'll argue that smart mapping is so normalized and available at such a variety of price points that getting a robot vacuum without LiDAR or vSLAM (the two main technologies robot vacuums use to map) isn't a wise move in 2024; robovacs without smart mapping technology are hard to find nowadays, anyway.
Leah Stodart
Senior Shopping Reporter
Leah Stodart is a Philadelphia-based Senior Shopping Reporter at Mashable where she covers essential home tech like vacuums and TVs as well as sustainable swaps and travel. Her ever-growing experience in these categories comes in clutch when making recommendations on how to spend your money during shopping holidays like Black Friday, which Leah has been covering for Mashable since 2017.
The robot vacuum beat in particular has cemented itself as Leah's main ~thing~ across the past few years. Since 2019, her expertise has been perpetually bolstered by the meticulous eye she keeps on robot vacuum deals and new releases, but more importantly, her hands-on experience with more than 25 robot vacuums tested in her own home. (This number has probably gone up by the time you're reading this.) That at-home testing is standardized through Mashable's robot testing guide — a granular scoring rubric for assessing all aspects of owning and using a robot vacuum on the daily — that Leah created herself.
Leah graduated from Penn State University in 2016 with dual degrees in Sociology and Media Studies. When she's not writing about shopping (or shopping online for herself), she's almost definitely watching a horror movie, "RuPaul's Drag Race," or "The Office." You can follow her on X at @notleah or email her at [email protected].
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