The 4 Best Robot Vacuums For High-Pile Carpet

Robot vacuums are an enticing gadget for anyone who doesn’t have the time or energy to regularly vacuum their home the old-fashioned way. Some models can be a bit fussy about vacuuming on particularly thick carpets, but the best robot vacuums for high-pile carpet tackle the problem with an effective brush roll. Other features like home mapping, HEPA filters, self-emptying dust bins, and mop settings can also make a device better at meeting your specific cleaning needs. Just keep in mind that the overall best vacuums for thick carpets are generally canister and upright models — but there are still some excellent robot vacuum options available if you’re in search of a more hands-off approach for routine cleaning.

How To Choose A Robot Vacuum For High-Pile Carpet

Robot vacuums all roughly have the same basic function, with variation in materials, tech features, and cleaning specifics that may make one model more suited for your lifestyle over another.

• Brush rolls surface dirt trapped in carpet in order to effectively vacuum it up, so it’s essential that the robot vacuum you pick for high-pile carpet is equipped with one. They come in many materials, but ones made of rubber or silicone rather than traditional bristles to prevent hair from tangling, and are often a good choice for pet owners. Some brush rolls are also self-cleaning, helping to ensure you don’t need to detangle them yourself.
• All of the included vacuums on this list connect to apps, but some of them have the additional ability to map your home so you can stipulate exactly where you want — and don’t want — them to clean. This is a great feature to look for if you keep particular office hours when you need absolute quiet, have a playroom that’s often covered in toys which might get in the vacuum’s way, or imagine any other scenarios where you’ll want to be careful about where the vacuum roams. Vacuums that aren’t able to map your home can be assisted by boundary strips — magnetic tape which tells the vacuum not to enter an area. The strips are sold separately and correlate to specific brands.
• According to the EPA, HEPA filters are certified to remove 99.7% of dust, pollen, and other airborne particles, so if you’re particularly concerned with air quality or minimizing potential allergens, consider opting for a robot vacuum with this kind of filter.
• Self-emptying robot vacuums deposit the waste they pickup into their dock whenever they return to charge. Since these bins are larger than the one inside the vacuum, it alleviates the need to empty the vacuum often. Instead, you’ll only have to empty the dock every month or so.
• Some robot vacuums double as robot mops. While you won’t want this feature for use on carpets, if you’re looking for an all-purpose cleaning gadget you can use on any floor surface to great effect, you may want to get one that does double duty.

Shop The Best Robot Vacuums For High-Pile Carpet

In a hurry? These are the best robot vacuums for high-pile carpet:

1. A Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum With A Self-Cleaning Brush Roll: Shark RV1001AE IQ Robot Self-Empty XL
2. A Robot Vacuum With Rubber Brush Rolls: iRobot Roomba i3 EVO Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum
3. A Budget-Friendly Robot Vacuum With A Silicone Brush Roll: yeedi k650 Wi-Fi Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
4. A Combination Robot Vacuum & Mop: yeedi Vac Station Robot Vacuum And Mop

Here are some of the best robot vacuums for high-pile carpet, which reviewers confirm take down dirt on even their shaggiest rugs.

1. A Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum With A Self-Cleaning Brush Roll

Pros:

• Brush roll self-cleans to avoid hair tangles
• Self-empties the dust bin into the dock

Cons:

• Requires boundary tape to avoid some obstacles

Shark’s self-emptying robot vacuum makes cleaning even easier, thanks to its ability to dock and deposit the debris all on its own. The dock holds about 45 days’ worth of dirt before needing to be emptied. While made with traditional bristles, its brush roll is conveniently self-cleaning for ease of maintenance. The vac is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, and you can also map your home within its app and select which specific rooms you’d like to be cleaned at any time. However, if you’d like it to avoid any very specific areas, you will need to use boundary tape so it knows where not to clean. The tape is sold separately. The vac uses a non-washable paper filter.

Brush roll: Self-cleaning bristles | Home mapping: Yes | HEPA filter: No | Self-emptying: Yes | Mop feature: No

One reviewer wrote: “The shark IQ works great. It learned our large floor layout after 2-3 runs. It cleans hardwood floors, low carpets and high-pile, shag-type carpets. Lines are uniform and even. It gets under chairs and furniture, and hits all the corners too. When it runs out of charge, it docks, recharges and resumes until it’s completed the entire floor area. At first, it got stuck in a few places such as behind furniture and in the powder room, but we placed the blocking strips for future runs.”

2. A Robot Vacuum With Dual Rubber Brush Rolls

Pros:

• Rubber brushes excel at picking up hair without tangling
• Provides suggestions for best cleaning

Cons:

• Brush rolls require occasional replacement

The iRobot Roomba i3 EVO has not just one, but two rubber brush rolls, making it a particularly good choice for pet owners whose carpets need frequent upkeep. The vacuum self-adjusts its height when working on different flooring types, so it’ll be a smart pick if your space has both high-pile carpets and wood or tile. It uses high-efficiency paper filters, features home mapping in its app, and is compatible with Google Home and Alexa. But its coolest feature might be its ability to make cleaning suggestions based both on your past vacuuming sessions as well as the time of year when allergens may be more present. Reviewers have noted that its brush rolls need occasional replacement.

Brush roll: 2 rubber brushes | Home mapping: Yes | HEPA filter: No | Self-emptying: No | Mop feature: No

One reviewer wrote: “I receive the i3 As a Christmas present and I am completely impressed and Also a little embarrassed after seeing all the dirt that it can pick up especially since I own a Dyson animal which I always thought had done an awesome job. I have no complaints on my thick carpet, area rugs, or my hardwood floors. It really does a great job! I highly recommend it!”

3. A Budget-Friendly Robot Vacuum For Carpet

Pros:

• Cheapest option on this list
• Silicone brush roll prevents hair tangles

Cons:

• Doesn’t have smart mapping
• Requires boundary strips for areas you don’t want it to clean

This robot vacuum is slightly more budget-friendly than the other options on this list, and it has the essential features you need for an efficient clean without a ton of bells and whistles. It doesn’t feature home mapping, but it does have sensors to prevent collisions and falls, and you can lay down boundary tape to keep it away from certain spaces. While the Yeedi-specific tape is currently sold out, reviewers have had good results using this boundary tape instead. The vacuum is also compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa. It can clean for 130 minutes per charge and uses replaceable HEPA filters to keep allergens to a minimum.

Brush roll: Tangle-free silicone brush | Home mapping: No | HEPA filter: Yes | Self-emptying: No | Mop feature: No

One reviewer wrote: “I don’t write reviews very often, but this little powerhouse earned one. I didn’t expect much when I ordered this and I quickly fell in love with it. It is able to handle thick carpet with ease. I couldn’t believe all of the places it was able to clean and it gets all of the places that I skip. My house hasn’t looked this good in years. I’ve had it for a week now and use it every day. I loved it so much I bought a 2nd one for the 2nd floor. I can’t speak to its durability, but I’m impressed so far.”

4. A Combination Robot Vacuum & Mop

Pros:

• Dual vacuum and mop functionality
• Self-empties into a bagged dock
• Uses a HEPA filter

Cons:

• Uses a bristled brush roll that might not be suitable for pet hair

Looking for a robot cleaning gadget that works on all kinds of surfaces? This combination robot vacuum and mop is here to help. It’s designed to clean both hard surfaces and high-pile carpets alike on 200 minutes of runtime per charge. It adjusts its suction based on the surface it’s working on (with more suction on carpets) — and, of course, it knows not to use its mopping feature on carpets, thanks in part to the app’s home mapping feature. The vacuum is self-emptying, and its bagged dust collector only needs to be emptied every 30 days or so. It uses a HEPA sponge filter and washable mop pads.

One potential trade-off: Some reviewers have had trouble with the bristled brush roll tangling when faced with lots of hair, so it may not be the best choice for pet owners.

Brush roll: Traditional brush roll | Home mapping: Yes | HEPA filter: Yes | Self-emptying: Yes | Mop feature: Yes

One reviewer wrote: “The yeedi is by far the best vacuum/mop I’ve had! Members of my family have different brands of vacuums that don’t work as well and don’t have the mop feature. The yeedi is able to determine if needs to adjust its suction power for the different levels of carpet and you can determine how much water you want the mop to put out. When using the mop mode, it can tell where there is carpet and it will make sure not to go over that area. The final part I love of this machine is the ability to put boundaries on the map where you don’t want the machine to go. You don’t have to buy extra sensors to put in different areas of the house. Just pick the part of your map and place the boundary.”

About The Recommender

Rachel Dunkel is a commerce writer whose work regularly appears on sites including Bustle, Elite Daily, Mic, and The Zoe Report. She has four years of experience in sourcing, testing, and recommending products in a wide range of categories, including tech and travel products.