How To Choose The Right Robot Vacuum For Carpeted Floors
2023-08-28
A carpet is a comfortable addition to any home, providing a cloud of softness and warmth underfoot. However, carpet fibres can trap allergens and pollutants like dust mites, microparticles of pollen and sand, dirt, and even mould spores, impacting indoor air quality. Shockingly, a single square meter of carpet can accumulate up to 4 kilograms of dirt in a year!
More and more people are turning to robot vacuums to do the work of keeping their floors clean, and with advances in the industry, some products are doing even better jobs than handheld vacuums. In this guide, we’ll detail how to select the right robot vacuum to keep your carpet looking pristine and your household environment healthy, so you can go longer in between deep cleans.
What Are The Challenges Of Carpet Cleaning?
Compared to hard surfaces, carpets have more unique cleaning requirements. It’s easy for debris to accumulate at the base of fibres, especially in high-traffic areas. If they get wet, they can develop mould or mildew growth. Carpets are also prone to hard-to-remove stains, especially in households with pets or children (Check out DEEBOT vacuum robots for pet hair). Thus, regular deep cleans are a necessary part of having carpet in your home.
Common issues associated with manual carpet cleaning include ineffective cleaning of embedded dirt or stains, the potential for over-wetting, potential damage like piling or fraying with aggressive scrubbing or a harsh cleaning solution, and a long drying time. Not to mention that manually cleaning a carpet is typically more physically demanding than cleaning other floor types, like tile or vinyl.
Best DEEBOT Smart Vacuums To Clean Carpets
DEEBOT T20 OMNI
The DEEBOT T20 OMNI is ECOVACS’ premium offering for two-in-one mop vacuums, which besides automatically detecting when there’s a change in surface between hardwood, tile and carpet, boosts its vacuum power and lifting its mops out of the way to ensure the best possible clean on both carpeted and non-carpeted floors. Its OMNI station is one of the most advanced vacuum robot stations available. It is capable of self-emptying its own debris, washing its mops, hot-air drying its mops and separating dirty and clean water. Designed by Nordic design firm Jacob Jensen, the powerhouse of a charging station holds approximately two months of dust at a time, meaning the user can truly keep their home clean without needing to do anything.
DEEBOT X1 OMNI
The DEEBOT X1 OMNI is another smart vacuum mop from ECOVACS’ robotic vacuum cleaner line. It utilizes TrueMapping 2.0 and AIVI 3D softwares created by ECOVACS to essentially ‘learn’ the walking paths and boundaries of your home. Using this information, it maps out the most efficient way to clean rooms and which rooms to clean first, so it can optimise the fastest path for one full cleaning cycle. The X1 OMNI is capable of understanding where carpets and/or rugs in your home are located for a super personalised cleaning routine. It also self-empties dust and automatically washes and dries its own mopping pads for the deepest clean every time.
DEEBOT X1 TURBO
A highly effective sweep and mop robot in one, the DEEBOT X1 TURBO by ECOVACS is optimised for carpet-cleaning in multiple ways. Like the T20 OMNI, it uses ultrasonic sensors to detect within milliseconds when there’s a carpet underneath, boosting the power of its main brush to really reach the suction into the depths of the fibres. It reaches a maximum suction of 5,000 Pa, making it suitable for clearing micro particles and large debris off soft and hard floors.
How Do Robot Vacuums Work On Carpets?
New generations of robotic vacuum for carpets have stronger suction and more features tailored to carpet cleaning than ever before. Here, we will take the ECOVACS DEEBOT T20 OMNI as an example.
Our most innovative vacuum mop robots to date, this smart vacuum seamlessly transitions from hard floors to carpet or rug and back using its ultrasonic sensor. The model’s new rubber brush is better at agitating fibres to release more dirt and dust into the vacuum stream. With a maximum suction power of 6,000 Pa, the T20 OMNI goes even further to boost suction power when it detects carpet to effortlessly extract trodden debris.
This cutting-edge robot carpet cleaner has three specialised carpet modes:
- Adapt to Carpet: Lift mop pad out of the way to keep carpets dry.
- Avoid Carpet : Navigate away if you don’t want to clean carpet.
- Ignore Carpet: Mop both hard surfaces and carpet.
What are the Benefits of Robot Vacuums for Carpets?
Time-saving And Convenience
Robot vacuums for carpets are the ultimate time saver for busy parents (of human or animal babies) and professionals who like the look and feel of carpet but don’t have the time to manually vacuum a couple of times a week. They can be scheduled to clean at the desired frequency.
Effective Removal Of Dirt, Dust And Allergens
Gone are the days when robot vacuum cleaners for carpet were weaker than stick or central vacuum systems. Usually denoted in Pa (Pascals), which refers to the motor power of the vacuum, modern automatic vacuum cleaners can often match the Pa, or cleaning capability, of certain handheld vacuums to remove particles that can cause allergies, breathing difficulties, or bug infestations.
Features Tailored For Carpet Cleaning
As we touched on above, robot vacuums are now specially designed to tackle carpet. Not only are brushes optimised to loosen built-up debris, but robot vacuums can be scheduled to clean as often as you need it, can clean by zone, are capable of mapping your entire home in minutes, instantly recognising where there is carpet and even the types of furniture, and can boost suction power when they detect carpet.
How To Choose The Best Robot Vacuum For Carpets
Keeping in mind that carpets have specific cleaning needs to keep well over the years, as well as the fact that each home is different (How much carpet do you have? Is it one large piece of carpet or many rugs around the home? Do you have a big or small space?), here are some things to consider when comparing robot vacuum cleaners for carpet.
Cleaning Effectiveness
Surface debris collects over days, while embedded debris and hair collects over weeks and months, attracting even more dust and becoming breeding grounds for bacteria. Check the brush configuration of the automatic vacuum for carpet (typically consisting of main brushes and side brushes) to get an idea of how effective the cleaning performance would be.
Suction Power And Brush Technology
DEEBOT models have a maximum suction of 6,000 Pa1. To give you an idea, a 6,000 Pa robotic vacuum significantly outperforms a 3,000 Pa robot in terms of carpet cleaning, making it highly effective in removing stubborn stains and debris. The actual cleaning results also rely on factors such as the robot vacuum's design, brush type and cleaning mode. At times, an appropriate design combined with a smart cleaning strategy can deliver a more effective cleaning performance than solely relying on high suction power.
Also make sure to check what material the brushes at the base of the robot vacuum cleaner are made of. Some are made from plastic while others are made from rubber; plastic works fine in the short-term but can wear down faster.
Navigation And Mapping Capabilities
Budget robot vacuums don’t tend to have sophisticated navigation skills. Our DEEBOT vacuum robots are equipped with industry-leading floor mapping technology to navigate your home in the fastest way and object avoidance technology. With the companion app, ECOVACS HOME, users also have the ability to assign virtual boundaries and no-go zones, as well as map multiple floors of a home.
Battery Life And Charging Options
Ensure the automatic vacuum cleaner’s battery life makes sense for the size of your home. It would be annoying to have to recharge the device multiple times just for one cleaning session. DEEBOTs are suitable for small and large homes with their long battery life. With a 5,200mAh battery, one charge powers the latest DEEBOT models for up to 260 minutes of working time (under standard suction power setting and working on a hard floor). They also feature ‘Continuous Clean’ smart charge, which automatically returns them to the station when low on battery and then returning to the task once sufficiently charged.
Ease Of Use
The robot vacuum’s ability to clean low-pile or high-pile carpet is rendered useless if the device is not user-friendly. Smart vacuum cleaners generally come with a remote or accompanying app, so it’s worth checking past customers’ experience with using these. The ECOVACS HOME app is intuitive, offering 2D and/or 3D models of your home and the ability to set virtual boundaries and cleaning schedules. Furthermore, new DEEBOT models come with YIKO, an AI voice assistant which understands natural language commands. All models are compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa.
Noise Level
In general, automatic vacuums for carpets are quieter than traditional vacuums. Yet the decibel level (dB) can vary greatly between different products. This factor of comparing robot vacuums for carpets can be especially significant if you have pets that are startled by loud noises. For reference, a dishwasher clocks in at around 63 dB and a hair dryer at 78 dB.
Dimensions
Another feature to consider when purchasing a robot carpet cleaner is the dimensions to ensure it fits under furniture you want it to clean under. It would be disappointing for the robot vacuum to arrive at your home, only to discover you’ll have to move things out of the way to get a full clean!
Maintenance And Part Replacements
Finally, take a look at how many components of the robot vacuum for carpet are actually reusable. Also, check how much user intervention is actually required. For instance, almost all DEEBOT robot vacuums self-empty dust, while some even self-clean their own mop pads. Minimal action is required from occupants because the base station dust bags can hold up to 60 days’2 worth of debris.
How To Effectively Use A Robot Vacuum On Carpets
Finally, let’s discuss some tips that will enhance the carpet-cleaning results when you do decide on the right robot vacuum for carpet. Although DEEBOTs feature highly sensitive obstacle avoidance tech, it’s important to prepare the carpeted area by removing big objects for optimal contact with the carpet surface.
You should also optimise settings such as vacuum-only, mop-only or simultaneous vacuum mopping and schedule the automatic carpet cleaner robot for regular cleaning to decrease the effort required to clean the accumulated dust each session.
How about addressing specific concerns like stains or footstep tracks in high-traffic areas? DEEBOT is capable of spot cleaning with just a tap on the relevant area in the mobile app, getting rid of spots or unsightly feet marks. It’s essential to sic the smart vacuum cleaner on the affected area as quickly as possible to restore the carpet to its best state.
FAQ
Can you use robot vacuum on carpet?
Absolutely! Robot vacuums are not just compatible with carpet, but some models are specialized for use on carpets or rugs. ECOVACS’ DEEBOT T20 OMNI, for example, not only auto-lifts mops out of the way when it detects soft surfaces, but also increases its suctioning to lift debris away.
What is the best robot vacuum for hardwood to carpet transition?
The best DEEBOT auto vacuums for transitioning from one surface to another are those that can climb obstacles. ECOVACS’ robot vacuums such as the DEEBOT X1 OMNI can traverse a change in surface height as high as 20 mm, making light work out of moving from hardwood or tile onto low-pile carpet.
What is the best robot vacuum for thick or high-pile carpet?
The best DEEBOT robot carpet cleaner for thick or high-pile carpet is the DEEBOT T20 OMNI which can not only move smoothly from carpet onto flat surface but can also utilise its advanced sensors to detect carpet and avoid it if desired.
What is the best robot vacuum for pet hair and carpet?
The best DEEBOT robot vacuum cleaner for carpet and pet hair are those with sufficient suction power and well-positioned brushes. The DEEBOT X1 OMNI, X1e OMNI and T20 OMNI are all excellent robotic vacuums for effectively cleaning thick pet hair from carpet.
Disclaimer(s):
- 6,000Pa: This data comes from ECOVACS laboratory. The suction power of DEEBOT T20 OMNI can reach 6,000Pa.
- 60 days: This data comes from ECOVACS laboratory. The large 3L disposable dust bag can be used for up to 60 days. Actual results may vary according to the home environment.
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