Best Robot Vacuums for Pet Hair in 2024

As a pet owner, you know that seeing a little shed fur around your house comes with the territory of having a dog or cat. You also know that cleaning up that hair is a tedious chore. If you are constantly in a time crunch, it’s all too easy to neglect detailed household tasks.

However, robot vacuums can help you save time. While these appliances can’t tackle pesky pet fur on your furniture, they can take care of the animal hair on your floors. When we say floors, we don’t just mean hardwoods, tile and linoleum. Many robot vacuums are able to lift pet hair from carpet too.

Best Robot Vacuum For Pet Hair Overall

For Pets Owners: iRobot Roomba j7+

The iRobot Roomba j7+ offers powerful suction and self-emptying for up to 60 days. With PrecisionVision Navigation, it detects and avoids obstacles like pet waste. Its smart mapping feature enables room-specific cleaning, and it integrates with voice assistants like Alexa, providing efficient, hands-free cleaning.

Efficient Option: Roborock Q5 Max+

The Roborock Q5 Max+ offers powerful 5500 Pa suction, efficient LiDAR navigation, and hands-free cleaning for up to 7 weeks. Its self-emptying dock, DuoRoller brush, and multi-level mapping ensure thorough cleaning on various floor types, making it ideal for homes with pets and complex layouts.

Budget: Eufy 11S MAX

The Eufy 11S Max is a compact, quiet, and powerful robot vacuum. With its slim design, 2000Pa suction, and BoostIQ technology, it easily cleans hard floors and medium-pile carpets. Its 100-minute battery life and self-charging feature offer hassle-free, thorough cleaning, making it ideal for pet owners.

Best of the Best: Roborock Qrevo Master

The Roborock Qrevo Master offers a complete hands-free cleaning experience with 10,000Pa suction, dual brushes, and advanced mopping. Its intelligent dock handles self-emptying, mop washing, drying, and water refilling. Equipped with reactive AI for obstacle avoidance and voice control, it’s perfect for pet owners and busy households.

Popular: iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO

The iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO offers smart mapping, self-emptying for up to 60 days, and advanced navigation. Ideal for pet owners, it features powerful suction, dual multi-surface rubber brushes, and personalized cleaning schedules. Compatible with Alexa, it ensures hands-free, efficient cleaning for both carpets and hard floors.

Guide to Buying a Robot Vacuum for Pet Hair

Cleaning up after your pets is not fun, but a robot vacuum makes this chore easier. Due to the clingy nature of cat and dog fur, you can’t blindly choose a robotic vacuum and expect it to do a thorough job. To make the best choice, you need to know what features comprise a reliable pet-hair-cleaning robot vacuum.

Consult this buyer’s guide when you’re robot vacuum shopping, so you can find a model with features you need.

Brushroll

One of the first features you should examine is the brush configuration. Pass on those that don’t have a brushroll because they won’t be able to keep up with the demands of animal fur. A wide brushroll that is V-shaped or spiraled will have the deepest reach, making it ideal for carpet vacuuming.

Some robotic vacuums are equipped with two brushrolls to boost their lifting ability. Since every type of flooring is different in terms of height, it’s always a plus if the robot can adjust its height. This automated function allows the robot vacuum’s brushroll to closely touch the floor.

Side Brush

Virtually every robot vacuum has at least one spinning side brush. The inclusion of a side brush helps the robot vac clear dust and dirt from baseboards, wall edges and corners.

Plus, this brush sweeps dirt toward the robot’s suction inlet, so the vacuum can remove as many debris as possible in one pass.

As a pet owner, you’ll definitely want the robor vacuum you choose to have a spinning brush because it catches stray hair that may otherwise float away while the robot is vacuuming. Some robot vacuums have one spinning brush on both sides to enhance its dirt-collection capability.

Suction

Strong suction is a given when it comes to desirable features. However, a powerful suctioning system is a must-have for lifting pet hair, especially hair that’s on your carpet. Manufacturers often list the suction strength of their vacuums in the product specs. Look for a robotic vacuum that produces at least 500 pascals of suction. As a general rule, the more pascals a robot vacuum has, the better it can lift all kinds of debris.

Size

The size of the robot vacuum determines how well it can maneuver around all the objects in your home. For a wide cleaning path, get a robot vacuum that hovers around 12 to 13 inches in width. If you don’t want to manually vacuum under all your furniture, you need a robotic vacuum that is no taller than 4 inches.

Then, there is the shape of the robot to consider. Most robot vacuums are circular while some are D-shaped. If you’re a stickler for freshly cleaned baseboards, you’ll appreciate how close a D-shaped robot can get to walls.

Battery

No matter how messy your floors or how large your home, a powerful battery is important. This means you should go with a robot vacuum that contains a lithium-ion battery, which is the best money can buy in terms of performance.

A robot vacuum with a lithium-ion battery can produce unwavering suction even when its charge is low. It can also clean for 1 hour or more depending on the particular battery and vacuum model. Plus, it usually doesn’t take long to replenish a lithium battery, with 3 to 4 hours being the average recharge time.

Filtration

Pet hair is a major allergen. Even if you don’t suffer from asthma or allergies, you don’t want the fur the vacuum has suctioned to escape back into the air. Therefore, you need a high-efficiency filter.

This type of filter can capture 99 percent or more of allergens such as dust, dander and pollen.

You should also pay attention to the robot vacuum’s dust bin. ideally, the ideal bin should have a large capacity to reduce the number of times you must empty it. It should also be quick and easy to remove from the robot.

Protective Components

A damaged robot vacuum is of little use to you. The robot vacuum of your choice needs to have a full suite of sensors that detect drop-offs and obstacles. Some robot vacuums even have an on-board camera to optimize the vacuum’s navigation.

Look for other features that help keep a robot vac in one piece, such as a soft bumper and a cover made of anti-scratch material like tempered glass.

Controls

The type of control setup you pick is a matter of personal preference. If convenience is your main concern, you can’t go wrong with a Wi-Fi-enabled robot vacuum. Those with Wi-Fi connectivity allow you to control all of the vacuum’s features via a smartphone app.

Some manufacturers also make their robot vacuums compatible with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. If you’d prefer a traditional control method, look for a robot vacuum that comes with a remote.

FAQ

Are Robot Vacuums as Efficient as Upright Vacuums?

Upright vacuums are the go-to tool for cleaning carpets, and many are well-adept at suctioning debris from hard floors. In most aspects, robot vacuums perform at the same level as upright vacuums, especially robot vacuums that are equipped with a brushroll.

Robotic vacuums are also able to reach further under furniture.

However, there are some areas where upright vacuums come out on top. Their motors tend to be stronger due to the size of these appliances. Plus, there is one place uprights can go that are off-limits to robot vacuum cleaners, which is the stairs. If you don’t have a staircase, this is not an issue. If your house does have one, you should keep a lightweight stick vac on hand for stair vacuuming.

How Do Robot Vacuums Work?

Basics like the suction, filtration and brushroll all operate similarly regardless of whether the vacuum is an upright, a stick, a handheld or a robot. One of the main differences between traditional vacuums and robotic ones is how the robot navigates.

Since robot vacuums don’t require physical assistance to roll across the floor, they rely solely on a navigation system. Depending on the particular model, the navigation system may consist of infrared sensors, directional lasers or a smart camera.

In robot vacuums with infrared sensors or directional lasers, the robot is able to detect objects like furniture. When they spot an obstacle, these vacuums simply pivot on a caster wheel and travel in a different direction. Those that have a smart camera can do this too, but they also use the camera to scan a room and calculate the best route.

What If I Can’t Be Home to Monitor the Vacuum?

If you’re always on the go, get a robotic vacuum with an on-board camera and Wi-Fi connectivity. These vacuums are able to send a floor map to your smartphone, so you can keep track of where it has cleaned. Through the manufacturer’s app, you can also send it instructions remotely.

What If the Battery Dies When I’m Away From Home?

Robotic vacuums are different from other rechargeable cordless appliances. Almost all robotvacs are able to charge themselves.

This means that as soon as the robot senses its battery has a low charge, the vacuum drives itself to the charger where it docks until the battery is replenished.

Once it’s recharged, simply press the appropriate button to make the robot continue vacuuming.

Some manufacturers enhance their robot vacuum’s self-docking function by designing the robot to resume cleaning after the battery recharges. Therefore, these robot vacuums will drive off the dock and return to the exact spot where they last vacuumed, making the battery-charge process completely automated.

Is It Safe to Use a Robot Vacuum Around Stairs?

While no technology is perfect, you can let a robot vacuum clean near your stairs with little worry. The same navigation system that finds and avoids objects also identifies drop-offs such as stairs. When a robot vacuum cleaner discovers a drop-off, it will move away from it and vacuum elsewhere.

As a safeguard measure, many manufacturers include a virtual barrier with their robotic vacuums. This barrier may either be a magnetic strip or a tiny tower. If it comes with a boundary strip, you can cut the strip to size and place it in front of a threshold or stair, and the robot will steer clear of it.

If the barrier is a virtual wall, put it in front of the off-limits area and turn on the tower. Once it’s powered on, the tower will create an invisible, straight-line beam that the robot can’t cross. A few virtual walls also create halos that the rob vac can’t penetrate.

Most Robotic Vacuums Are Round – How Can They Vacuum Along Edges and Corners?

The majority of robot vacuums are circular in shape, but there are a few with two straight sides. These vacuums look like the letter D, and they do an excellent job of cleaning along baseboards and getting into corners.

However, you don’t need to buy a D-shaped robot vacuum to get precision wall-edge cleaning. Robot vacuums are equipped with a special side brush that is positioned under the vacuum. The propellers of the brush extend past the circumference of round robot vacuums, so they can sweep dirt and dust from baseboards, edges and corners.

Many robots even come with two spinning brushes, allowing the vacuums to edge clean from both sides.

How Do I Prep My Home for a Robot Vacuum?

No matter what type of vacuum you use, there is always some work to do before starting a cleaning session. First, make sure the floors are clear of small metal or plastic items like thumbtacks and Lego bricks. Also, keep all cords and wires organized, so the vacuum won’t roll over them or try to pull them into its suction inlet.

If you have tasseled throw rugs in your house, stuff the tassels under the rugs to prevent tangling the robot’s brushroll. Finally, lay the vacuum’s virtual boundaries if it comes with any, so the robot won’t travel to areas you don’t want touched.

Aren’t Robot Vacuums Expensive?

In the early 2000s, robotic vacuums were the most technologically advanced household appliance you could buy, and their price tags reflected these vacuums’ luxury status. Today, you won’t suffer from sticker shock when you open your wallet to purchase one.

You now have more options in terms of brands and models, and the technology is well-established. As a result, the purchase price is much lower than what it once was. Whether your budget is tight or wide open, it’s easy to find an efficient, reliable, affordable robot vacuum.

To get a better idea of what options are available, we’ve reviewed several budget-friendly and high-end robot vacuum cleaners.

Conclusion

In conclusion, robot vacuums like the Roborock Qrevo Master and iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO are top choices for tackling pet hair and keeping your home clean with minimal effort. The Roborock Qrevo Master, with its powerful 10,000Pa suction and advanced features like FlexiArm side brushes and dual spinning mops, excels at reaching every corner while efficiently picking up pet hair. Its self-emptying, mop-washing, and drying dock make it virtually hands-free, offering great convenience for pet owners.

Similarly, the iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO provides an excellent solution for pet hair with its dual multi-surface rubber brushes that prevent tangling and its self-emptying system, allowing up to 60 days of debris collection. Powered by iRobot OS, it learns your home’s layout and adapts its cleaning routine to target pet hair more effectively. Both models stand out in providing ease of use and powerful performance, making them ideal for pet owners seeking a cleaner home.