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, suction power and time spent cleaning need to be boosted to uproot the debris embedded in any pile height.
Do robot vacuums really work on carpet?
Yes, several robot vacuum cleaners do a pretty phenomenal job on carpets and rugs. In fact, the best robot vacuum brands have been mastering the art for several years, particularly honing in on pet hair pickup and deep cleaning of plush carpet.
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 Pascals (Pa) is advertised, look for at least 6,000 Pa, and under no circumstances entertain anything lower than 5,000 Pa. For reference, robot vacuums at the premium end of the spectrum clock between 10,000 and 22,000 Pa.
Our top picks use automatic suction adjustment to customize cleaning based on floor type, leading to stronger cyclonic force on soft floors without you having to specifically request so. All of my top picks also come with a self-emptying dock (or at least offer the option) to mitigate the frequency of trips you’d personally have to make to the trash can — which, ideally, 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 smoothly between floor types. (Though almost every robot vacuum slips up on a bath mat from time to time, the ones that are better at navigating will at least make it out without getting stuck in place.)
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 2025:
