While we all love our furry friends at home, there’s no denying that cleaning up after a shedding pet is a time-consuming and underwhelming affair. Unless, of course, you have a robot vacuum that can take on pet hair cleaning duties!
Robot vacuums can collect a myriad of debris including a tumbleweed of fur and dander. However, we regret to share that not all robot vacuums are made for tackling pet hair. But don’t fret just yet because the options that address our main concern today remain aplenty. Even better, we’ve already reviewed dozens of them leading to this exclusive list of the best robot vacuums for pet hair cleaning!
Read here about robot vacuum vs stick vacuum.
How to Choose the Best Robot Vacuum for Pet Hair?
The best robot vacuums with good pet hair cleaning performance surprisingly comes from different price points. This means you can buy vacuums for pet hair removal at an affordable price or get a more powerful vacuum that can do a more well-rounded job for your household. The choice is yours! But here are some factors we strongly recommend for you to consider on your next purchase.
- Size – a compact vacuum that slides under low-rise furniture and around around furniture legs is most ideal for cleaning pet hair because fur and dander can easily be carried into corners and tight spaces that are hard to reach even with your help.
- Self-emptying – dog hair piles up fast, so a self emptying robot vacuum with its own charging station is more than ideal since the device will likely need multiple runs to thoroughly clean carpet and hardwood floors.
- Hybrid models – robot mop and vacuum hybrids are simply more efficient. Even just the standard side-brush on hard floor is going to save you a lot of time that you’ll be wise to spend somewhere else. We also previously tested hybrid mop and vacuums and listed our favorites here.
- Mapping – a robot vacuum without a sensor, mapping or object recognition system is going to leave you with uneven results that you’ll likely have to clean up after. Pet owners also need a robot vacuum with sensor so that it can easily avoid solid pet waste among other debris that can halt its progress or make a bigger mess.
- No-go zones – you can use the no-go zone feature to target or restrict access on certain parts of your household.
- Targeted rooms – the best robot vacuums with state-of-the-art mapping technology and advanced features can make scheduling and targeting much simpler. It’s not essential, but it sure is nice to have.
- Wi-Fi connectivity – robot vacuums with Wi-Fi support is a must-have for smart homes. Some models will even use an integrated camera to send updates when you’re away from home.
- Multiple floors – smart robot vacuums can commit multiple floors and specific rooms to memory and make adjustments as necessary for different surfaces.
- Scheduling – an automated device without a scheduling feature is not capable of truly automating your chores.
- Remote control – standard remote controls are nice, but in-app control is the way to go if you’re building toward home automation.
- Battery Life – compact robot vacuums will concede some battery capacity to keep its form, so it’s best to look for an option that has self-charging capabilities.
- Dust Capacity – dust bin capacity is doubly important for other robot vacuums without self-emptying abilities.
Can Robot Vacuums Handle Pet Hair?
Yes, even a standard robot vacuum can handle fur and pet dander. However, there are certain features that you may want to prioritize over the other. We’ve listed them above for a quick reference!
Can a Robot Vacuum for Pet Hair Replace a Regular Vacuum?
A well-rounded robot vacuum can definitely make a case to replace your regular vacuum. Despite their compact size, robot vacuums tend to boast strong suction power that’s sufficient for most households. Some premium models also have a high efficiency filter and smart features that can provide deeper clean even for high pile carpeting.
How to Clean a Robot Vacuum?
Manufacturers will have different and specific instructions on how to clean their robot vacuums. What we can guarantee is that cleaning your vacuum regularly will allow it to perform at its best, especially during spring shedding season!
How Much Should You Spend on the Best Robot Vacuums for Pet Hair?
The best robot vacuums for pet messes aren’t always the most recent or expensive models. Therefore, you’ll have a fair chance of striking a deal that is inexpensive.
7 Best Robot Vacuum for Pet Hair
We tested over 40 robot vacuums from different price ranges and concluded that these 7 outstanding robot vacuums are worth every cent!
iLife V3s Pro
iLife V3s Pro is one of the robot vacuums that is directly targeted for pet owners. It’s also one of the most affordable units in the market! Even then, iLife V3s Pro features preset cleaning modes, built-in sensors, scheduling, dedicated remote control and more.
- Size: 11.8″L x 11.8″W x 3″H (29.9L x 29.9W x 7.6H cm)
- Weight: 4.5 lbs. (2.04 kg)
- Pros: Good pet-hair-cleaning performance, recommended for hard floors, self-charging feature and affordable pricing.
- Cons: No self-emptying mechanics, inefficient on carpet.
iRobot® Roomba s9+
What we love the most about the iRobot Roomba s9+ is the consistency in its smart mapping technology. The self-emptying model also sports an auto disposal function that is desirable when it comes to cleaning pet hair.
- Size: 12.25″L x 12.25″W x 3.5″H (31.1L. x 31.1W x 8.9H cm)
- Weight: 8.15 lbs. (3.7 kg)
- Pros: Self-emptying feature, supports voice and app control including Siri and Amazon Alexa and powerful suction power.
- Cons: Noisy during auto-disposal, mediocre battery life.
iRobot® Roomba j7+
iRobot’s “Pet Owner Official Promise” (P.O.O.P. Promise) for the iRobot® Roomba® j7+ robot vacuum regarding the unit’s accuracy in avoiding solid pet waste is a bold and impressive claim that made it a quality option for pet owners right from the start. This vacuum is also known to efficiently collect more than just pet hair since we’ve seen no problems in its ability when we tested it against pet food, crumbs, cat litter and other usual household dust and debris.
- Size: 13.3″L x 13.3″W x 3.4″H (33.8L. x 33.8W x 8.6H cm)
- Weight: 7.5 lbs. (3.4 kg)
- Pros: Automatic object detection and avoidance, P.O.O.P. Promise, Wi-Fi and app connectivity and self-emptying feature.
- Cons: Loud noises during auto-disposal, low battery life.
Neato Botvac D7 Connected
The Neato Botvac D7 Connected is a slightly expensive but effective choice that can be easily integrated into most smart home setups thanks to its support for Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT. Notably, we were most impressed by its app-based virtual boundary solution that is consistent and takes little effort to set up.
- Size: 13.2″L x 12.5″W x 3.9″H (33.5L. x 31.7W x 9.9H cm)
- Weight: 7.9 lbs. (3.6 kg)
- Pros: Easy to clean and maintain, third-party integration, app-based no-go zones and good battery life.
- Cons: Expensive, small dust bin.
Eufy RoboVac 30C
We first encountered Eufy RoboVac 30C because of its avid admirers, but it’s now safe to say that you can count us among them, and maybe you as well if you’re looking for an inexpensive robot vacuum for pet hair removal and standard dust cleaning. During our test runs, the Eufy RoboVac 30C performed well on hard floors and just about as you’d expect (average) in carpets.
- Size: 12.8″L x 12.8″W x 2.8″H (32.5L. x 32.5W x 7.1H cm)
- Weight: 12 lbs. (5.4 kg)
- Pros: Uses boundary strips for no-go zones, support for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, low-clearance height and powerful suction power for its price.
- Cons: Compact but heavy, we occasionally struggled to set up Wi-Fi
Shark IQ Robot Vacuum RV101AE
Shark IQ Robot Vacuum RV101AE is packed with features we love such as self-emptying, advanced mapping and self-cleaning brush rolls. It’s self-charging, too and is relatively affordable despite all these features. I’s mostly a win for us during our trial except for the unintelligent smart features that make it difficult to create maps and add commands.
- Size: 12.9″L x 12.6″W x 3.5″H (32.7L. x 32W x 8.9H cm)
- Weight: 13.23 lbs. (5.6 kg)
- Pros: Self-emptying and self-charging dock, slick design and efficient cleaning patterns.
- Cons: Lackluster controls, loud operation
Samsung POWERbot R7070
Last but not the least is the Samsung POWERbot R7070 which performs just about average during our tests. It stands out immediately because Samsung didn’t go for the conventional circular design in order to give more priority to its cleaning performance. It ultimately pays off although we still think the model comes across as a bit underwhelming for its hefty price tag. Still, we agree it’s one of the best robot vacuums for cleaning dust and pet hair.
- Size: 13.7″L x 13.4″W x 3.8″H (34.8L. x 34.3W x 9.7H cm)
- Weight: 9.5 lbs. (4.3 kg)
- Pros: Can be controlled via companion app or remote, excellent at cleaning hard surfaces
- Cons: Low battery life, unreliable connectivity, pricey
Is it Worth Getting a Robot Vacuum for Pet Hair?
If you’re looking to automate a common task that is as repetitive as cleaning pet hair, then it’s definitely worth getting your first robot vacuum! Also, don’t forget that most robot vacuums can clean more than just pet hair. Thus, you’re making a solid, long-term investment that will certainly improve your quality of living.
Lastly, feel free to explore our blog for the latest news and products on home automation including the some of the best or even the quietest robot vacuums for home use.
