The best robot vacuums for pet hair of 2023: Tested and reviewed
The best robot vacuums for pet hair of 2023: Tested and reviewed
Let’s face it, one of the worst parts about owning pets is the constant shedding. Between my German Shepherd, German Shorthaired Pointer, and cat, the fur dust bunnies in my house are terrifying. The only thing that keeps my floors clean without manually vacuuming every single day is my robot vacuum. Truly, it is one of my favorite items in my home.
Since there are so many robot vacuums to choose from, you may be wondering which is best for your home. From testing multiple robot vacuums at home and through everyday life, my top robot vacuum choice to tackle pet hair at home is the Roomba j7+ due to its self-emptying dust bin and P.O.O.P guarantee. However, depending on your floor type and how much your pet sheds, there are several other robot vacuum options worth considering.
Keep reading to find my list of the best robot vacuums to fight pet hair, keeping your home clean and yourself sane.
Also: The 18 best early Black Friday robot vacuum deals
The best robot vacuums for pet hair of 2023
- Self-emptying
- Intelligent
- Smart Mapping technology
- User-friendly app
- Loud when it self-empties
Roomba j7+ features: P.O.O.P – pet accident avoidance guarantee | PrecisionVision Navigation | 3-stage cleaning system | Clean Base automatic dirt disposal
My favorite robot vacuum on the market right now is the Roomba j7+. There are a lot of robot vacuums that come in and out of my home for testing, but this one vacuum has a permanent spot in my kitchen.
Part of why it’s so loved within my household is because it can handle all of the pet hair on my floor, whether it’s been just a day or several days since it last ran. How? Because the robot self-empties as soon as the dust bin is full instead of waiting until the end of the job, like other robot vacuums. If it is peak shedding season, it’s very common for the j7+ to empty four or five times during a single job, never leaving any pet hair behind.
On top of that, it’s simply a very intelligent robot. The j7+ comes with the P.O.O.P guarantee, an innovative promise from the manufacturer that the robot vacuum will avoid pet waste instead of creating accidental smearing, or they will replace your robot at no additional cost. This means the robot vacuum is also good at avoiding pet toys, shoes, cords, and other household objects. It’s truly one of the very best robot vacuums available and does a tremendous job keeping up with my furry friends.
- Small, square-shaped design
- 8,000Pa suction
- Dual oscillating mop heads
- Water tanks have a cheap feel
- Pricey
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni features: 5mm Auto Mop Lifting | Dual laser LiDAR navigation | OZMO Turbo Spinning Mopping system | 210 minute runtime
If you’re looking for a powerhouse robot vacuum and mop, the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni is the machine for you. This two-in-one machine has 8,000Pa suction, dual rotating mop heads, and an Omni Station that does all of the dirty work for you. Being a two-in-one machine, the AI intelligently navigates your home and recognizes your soft floors, carpet and rugs, versus tile, hardwood, or laminate. The mop heads can lift 0.60 inches, easily keeping your rugs dry during a cleaning routine.
The Deebot X2 Omni has easily kept with 3 kids and a mutt who is mixed with some of the hairiest breeds — Husky, Golden Retriever, Coonhound, and German Shepherd. I think that should speak for itself. Being a robot vacuum and mop, you can rest assured that all of your pet hair will be vacuumed up while the dirty paw prints are washed away.
- Dual oscillating mop heads
- 5,000Pa suction
- Mop head self-cleaning as often as every 6 minutes
- Giant docking station
- Mop heads have to be manually removed
Ecovacs Deebot T10 Omni features: OZMO Turbo 2.0 dual mop rotating system | 5000Pa Suction | Multi-floor Mapping
Another Ecovacs lands itself on the list, and for good reason. The Deebot T10 Omni is another fantastic option to keep your floors free and clear of pet hair. With 5,000Pa suction, it has more than enough power to suck up everything in its path. When you look at the machine, you’ll notice the massive docking station. That’s because this two-in-one machine is self-cleaning, self-drying, and self-emptying. The only manual intervention needed is taking the mop heads on and off as you transition from just vacuuming to vacuuming and mopping.
I love the Deebot T10 Omni because of how efficiently it could clean up after my dogs in a single run. My dogs run in and out of my back door more times than I can count; I would simply send the T10 Omni to clean that back room and it was always completely free of dog hair and paw prints in a single go. If your home is primarily hardwood, tile, or laminate as opposed to numerous rugs and carpet, you will love this robot vacuum for pet hair.
Review: This robot vacuum mop combo has a brilliant self-cleaning feature I didn’t know I needed
- Simple
- Small charging dock
- Strong suction
- No mapping capability
- Can’t self empty
Shark ION AV751 features: Tri-Brush System | Cliff detection | 120 minute run time
If you’re looking for a simple, straight-forward robot vacuum that can tackle your home without the fancy bells and whistles, the Shark ION AV751 is for you. This is quite literally one of the easier robot vacuums to use — you hit the clean button on the machine and it goes to work. But don’t let the simplicity fool you, this machine was able to suction up everything in its path. It doesn’t automatically empty and it doesn’t map your home, so it just bumps around cleaning, but it simply gets the job done.
You may have to pick the Shark ION up and place it in the room you want it to clean, but I exclusively used this robot vacuum for several weeks and it kept up with all of my pet hair and dirt.
Review: Shark ION Robot Vacuum AV751 review: Great suction for a cheap vac
- 6,000 Pa suction
- Reactive 3D Obstacle Avoidance
- Stress-free, self-cleaning mop head
- Expensive
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra features: Dual rubber brushes | VibraRise 2.0 scrubbing technology | Hands-free docking station
If you’re like me and completely fed up with the mess your pet’s fur makes in your home and you’re ready to buy the very best robot vacuum money can buy, the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is your machine. This is a totally hands-free experience — it’s self-emptying, self-drying, self-washing, self-refilling, and self-cleaning. It also has dual rubber brushes and a VibraRise 2.0 scrubbing technology to really clean your floors.
Pet hair doesn’t stand a chance against the 6,000Pa suction power and thanks to those dual rubber brushes I mentioned, hair doesn’t get tangled up and clogged. I love the straightforward simplicty two-in-one machines offer, and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is no different. The per hair dust bunnies haven’t stood a chance in my home against it.
Review: Roborock S8 Pro Ultra: This 2-in-1 vacuum can do just about everything
What is the best robot vacuum for pet hair?
With thousands of hours of testing under my belt, I feel confident saying the Roomba j7+ is the best robot vacuum to handle pet hair. Its ability to navigate my home with ease, self-empty as needed throughout the duration of a job, and its promise to avoid pet waste makes this my top pick.
See how it compares to other models I enjoy using to keep up after my pets.
|
Best robot vacuum for pet hair |
Cost |
Battery life |
Mopping capability |
|
Roomba j7+ |
$588 |
80 mins |
No |
|
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni |
$1,160 |
200 mins |
Yes |
|
Ecovacs Deebot T10 Omni |
$1,200 |
150 mins |
Yes |
|
Shark ION AV751 |
$180 |
120 mins |
No |
|
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra |
$1,600 |
180 mins |
Yes |
*Lowest price at the time of writing. Please note that prices may vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts.
Which robot vacuum is best for you?
There are hundreds of robot vacuums to choose from, so how do you know which is best for you? Here’s a quick breakdown:
|
Choose this robot vacuum if… |
If you need… |
|
Roomba j7+ |
You want the best robot vacuum to handle all of your pet hair. It’s intelligent, has strong suction power, and will avoid pet accidents. |
|
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni |
If you have multiple flooring surfaces throughout your house that need to be both vacuumed and mopped. |
|
Ecovacs Deebot T10 Omni |
If you have primarily hard floors throughout your house and very limited carpet/rugs. |
|
Shark ION AV751 |
You want a simple, straightforward robot vacuum without all of the bells and whistles. |
|
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra |
You want a premium robot vacuum and mop machine that can keep up with all of the pet hair and paw prints scattered throughout your house. |
How did I choose these robot vacuums?
I’ve tested dozens of robot vacuums, bringing them into my home and going up against real life dirt, debris, and pet hair. You can rest assured knowing that whatever dirt and debris you have in your home, I most likely have in mine. Each robot is evaluated on factors such as:
- Effectiveness: The most important factor — did the robot vacuum successfully do its job and do it well?
- Battery: A robot vacuum is of little use when it is constantly dead, so we look for those with a longer battery life so they spend more time cleaning and less time charging.
- Mapping: Robot vacuums can use a special mapping feature to create a blueprint of each floor. It helps to avoid unnecessary collisions with furniture and other objects that can serve as obstructions.
- Connectivity: Many of the best robot vacuums offer voice control, some even with Alexa. Others may feature an app that allows you to control your robot from afar, setting schedules, tracking progress, and controlling the machine’s efforts.
- Cost: Budget is always a concern, so we look for models that fit a variety of different budgets, offering something for everyone.
How often do you have to empty robot vacuums?
Most robot vacuums are self-emptying, which means you don’t have to worry about manually dumping the dust bin after every single use. Four out of the five vacuums on this list are self-emptying robot vacuums. However, there are a few that you need to manually empty and that frequency will depend on how much dirt, debris, and pet hair you have in your home. It’s good to be realistic about your home’s needs and proactive about the emptying process so that your vacuum can continue suctioning up as much dirt as possible during its job.
The self-emptying robot vacuums typically empty into a dust bag that’s stored in the base station. The dust bags vary from one brand to another, but you can typically get around 60 days worth of dirt and debris before needing to change the bag out.
Are there reoccurring expenses for robot vacuums?
Most robot vacuums encourage you to replace the filter, rollers, and side sweeping brushes periodically to keep it optimally performing. Additionally, if your robot empties into a dust bag, those need replaced every few months. Finally, some robot vacuum mops require a mop cleaning solution that will need to be repurchased throughout the robot’s lifetime.
Can robot vacuums avoid pet accidents?
Robot vacuums are getting more and more intelligent with each new device and are now able to avoid various objects in your home, including pet waste. iRobot and Roborock both are two robot vacuum companies that claim their devices can both identify and avoid running over pet waste.
Can robot vacuums handle multiple flooring surfaces?
Each robot vacuum brand specifies what flooring surface their machine is optimized for, so it’s important to research that before you swipe your credit card. Our favorite robot vacuums for pet hair are optimized for these flooring surfaces:
|
Robot vacuum |
Flooring surface |
|
Roomba j7+ |
Carpet, hardwood, hard surfaces |
|
Ecovacs Deebot X2 Omni |
Hardwood floor, carpet, tile |
|
Ecovacs Deebot T10 Omni |
Carpet, wood floor |
|
Shark ION AV751 |
Hard floor, hard wood, carpet |
|
Roborock S8 Pro Ultra |
Carpet, marble, wood, tile, upholstery |
Are there alternative robot vacuums for pet hair worth considering?
There are a lot of great robot vacuums on the market, so I obviously couldn’t include every single one. Here are a few other worthy contenders:
Best name-brand cheap alternative
Roborock Q5+
You really can’t go wrong with any device from Roborock, and that includes the Q5+. With its auto dust emptying base and 2700Pa suction, you can get a lot of the higher-end robot vacuum features for a cheaper price.
Best robot vacuum and mop combo alternative
Yeedi Cube
With 4,300Pa suction, a mop head that vibrates 2,500 times per minute, and 150 minutes of runtime, you will be impressed. You may be disappointed in the robot’s lack of object avoidance, though.
ZDNET Recommends
About The Author
