The best roombas for pet hair will be able to handle one of the most stubborn customers when it comes to vacuuming. Pet hair is difficult to remove because it clings to the carpet fibers and gets embedded with footfall. Even if a robot vacuum manages to pick it up, it can easily jam the brush bar and cause a blockage. That’s why most pet owners will dread the day they have to vacuum, particularly if it’s shedding season.
Some roombas are designed with pet fur collection in mind, but that’s no guarantee of performance, so how can you tell which to buy? That’s why we include pet hair in our robot vacuum tests — to find those that deliver on their claims. We’ve tested a wide range of models to find the best options available, whether you’re shopping on a budget or want the latest tech. These are the best robot vacuums for pet hair.
10. iRobot Roomba j7+ (7550) Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum – Identifies and avoids obstacles like pet waste & cords, Empties itself for 60 days, Smart Mapping, Works with Alexa, Ideal for Pet Hair, Graphite
This remarkable vacuum cleaning robot pet series is very strong, built and it cleans very well. It is ideal for people who have hand issues, leg issues, bad backs as well as other physical difficulties. Also, it is slightly heavy because it is built very well. It will help you to clean each room in your house. Moreover, it is made of high quality materials for maximum durability.
9. iRobot Roomba i3 EVO (3150) Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum – Now Clean by Room with Smart Mapping Works with Alexa Ideal for Pet Hair Carpets & Hard Floors, Roomba i3
It features patented three-stage cleaning system as well as double multi-surface brushes that pick up everything from small particles to extra large debris. Additionally, it automatically docks as well as recharges, thus it is always ready to clean your house. It features specially designed edge-sweeping brush that sweeps debris from along corners and wall edges. Furthermore, its auto-adjust cleaning head automatically adapts its height to effectively clean hard floors and carpets. The vacuum suction pulls in pet hair, dirt, and dust from wherever it hides.
8. Automatic Programmable Robot Vacuum Cleaner PUCRC95
This vacuum cleaner features programmable scheduler self activation that automatically runs it any scheduled time to keep you house clean all times. It is ideal for cleaning hardwood, hard carpet, and tile floor. As well, it has an automatic recharge dock and the in-built rechargeable battery permits for 90 minutes run time. It has two side sweeper brushes that extends the reach and rotates to catch debris and dirt along the walls, on open floor or even edges in your house.
7. iRobot Roomba i3+ EVO (3550) Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum – Now Clean By Room With Smart Mapping, Empties Itself For Up To 60 Days, Works With Alexa, Ideal For Pet Hair, Carpets
It has functions such as mopping, vacuuming, and sweeping your floors all the time, focuses on picking up debris, dirt and hairs. Also, it has an auto adjustable cleaning head that automatically adapts its height and even clears corners of your room. It provides long-term cleaning, with a maximum cleaning area of 150 square meters. Additionally, it has a compact design, lightweight and ultra-thin hence ideal for hard floor, marble floors, tarpaulins, wooden boards, and ceramic tiles.
6. iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum-Wi-Fi Connectivity, Personalized Cleaning Recommendations, Works with Alexa, Good for Pet Hair, Carpets, Hard Floors, Self-Charging, Roomba 694
This robotic vacuum cleaner has illuminated touch screen buttons hence very simple to operate even in the dark. It features soft touch sensors for bumper-less navigation. Also, it has back-to-back brushes for simple cleaning thus will leave you house clean every time. Moreover, it has programmable seven-day cleaning schedule thus it will clean you house even when you are away. It comes with the bObi blOck accessory, which allows you to create an invisible wall across the floor.
5. PURE CLEAN Automatic Programmable Vacuum Cleaner- PUCRC90
This vacuum cleaner features programmable scheduler self activation that automatically runs it any scheduled time to keep you house clean all times. It is ideal for cleaning hardwood, hard carpet, and tile floor. As well, it has an automatic recharge dock and the in-built 2000mAh rechargeable battery permits for 90 minutes run time. The roomba has two side sweeper brushes that extends the reach and rotates to catch debris and dirt along the walls, on open floor or even edges in your house. Moreover, it has an in-built IR sensor that prevents it from running directing into obstacles and from running off ledges.
This roomba is ideal for cleaning hardwood, hard carpet and tile floor.
4. eufy [BoostIQ] RoboVac 11+ (2nd Gen: Upgraded Bumper Suction Inlet) High Suction, Self-Charging Robotic Vacuum Cleaner
It features BoostIQ™ Technology that automatically increases suction power when more vacuuming strength is required to get remarkable cleaning results. It has an upgraded front-bumper streamlines RoboVac’s profile that glides effortlessly around and under furniture while the reinforced suction inlet prevents wear. As well, it has upgraded three point cleaning system for remarkable cleaning results.
3. iRobot Vacuuming Robot Roomba 960
This vacuum cleaner is equipped with iRobot HOME App that allows you clean, customize and schedule your cleaning preferences from your smart phones and compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. It cleans the whole level of you house with iAdapt 2.0 Navigation that has Visual Localization. Furthermore, it has a maximum run time of up to 75 minutes, and then it automatically recharges as well as resumes cleaning to finish the whole job.
2. ILIFE V3s Pro Robotic Vacuum
It has pet hair care technology that focus on picking debris, dirt and hairs. As well, it features low profile design to clean under sofa and beds where dirt and hairs hides. It features self charging, programmable schedule and smart sensors for anti-bump. Additionally, it is great for hardwood floor with simple operation with remote control, or even auto clean all at single touch.
1. iRobot Roomba 690 Robot Vacuum
It features sleek, premium design that complements your house décor and includes one double mode virtual wall barrier for extra control. Also, it has three stage cleaning system as well as double multi-surface brushes that pick up everything from small particles to big debris. Furthermore, it has patented dirt detect sensors that alerts it to work harder on dirt concentrated areas. It is ideal for cleaning hard floors and carpets.
The above robotic vacuum cleaners have maximum navigation, agitation, and power thus they will clean up pet hair perfectly. Also, they can find their way around your room, pick up pet hair out of carpet fibers, as well as vacuum it up. Therefore, if you have a pet, these are the top 10 best Roombas for pet hair you should consider.
How to choose the best robot vacuum for pet hair
You need to consider a few factors before investing in a robot vacuum for you and your pets. First of all, think about how many pets are in your home and how much are they actually shedding. Is it long fur or short fur and are they shedding on a regular basis? You should also consider if you want the robot vacuum to help with other cleaning needs, such as mopping.
Price is also going to be an important aspect. But, don’t go for the cheapest straight away.
Allergies need to be considered too. If someone struggles with allergies at home, then a self-emptying robot vacuum might be the best option. It stops dust from being released into the air as regularly.
Some cats and dogs are terrified of robot vacuum cleaners. The noise and the movement, particularly as they drive towards your pet, can no doubt cause nerves. If your pet is new to robot vacuums, try introducing them slowly, running the bot for a few minutes to start with, until they’re used to each other!
One final note, if your pet tends to have bathroom-related accidents around the home, be sure to clean it up before your robot vacuum finds it. It will only make further mess and can even break your vacuum, so keep an eye on this.
Features to look out for
- Self-emptying
You can find this feature on some of the more premium models, such as the iRobot Roomba s9+ mentioned above. Essentially, the robot vacuum will empty itself into a larger dustbin in the charging base once it’s full, saving you from emptying it as much. This is a great feature to have if you suffer from allergies as dust isn’t released into the air as often. - Wi-Fi connectivity
This is quite a common feature to find on robot vacuums nowadays. It means your robot vacuum can connect to your smartphone via Wi-Fi. In doing this, you can control and monitor it remotely and this also gives you access to an assortment of features, depending on your model. - Hybrid models
There are hybrid models available which can both vacuum and mop. In our experience, these aren’t as good as dedicated robot vacuums in terms of pick-up. So if you’re dealing with pet hair, stick to a standard robot vacuum for sure. - Mapping
With this feature, a robot vacuum can map-out your home by feeling its way around with sensors during setup. They can then tell where any obstacles are, such as table legs or the stairs. Using the map, the robot vacuum will then plot the best course for cleaning, rather than moving randomly. - No-go zones
This comes with models which offer mapping. You can essentially set areas where you don’t want it to go, such as around the pet’s food bowls or around an expensive rug. - Targeted rooms
This is the opposite of no-go zones, where you can set which areas you would like the robot vacuum to focus on. - Multiple floors
Some robot vacuums can only store one map, which is frustrating if you need it to work on more than one floor. That’s why they’ve now introduced models which can record maps for multiple floors. - Scheduling
This is one of the most common features you will find for robot vacuum cleaners. Once you’ve connected the model to your smartphone, you can schedule when you would like it to clean, whether daily, weekly or when you’re not at home. - Remote control
If your robot vacuum cleaner doesn’t connect to the Wi-Fi, it might come with a remote control instead. You won’t get as many features on this versus an app, but you can still control your robot vacuum hands-free. - Battery life
Make sure you consider the battery life of your potential robot vacuum. If it comes with a base, it can charge itself between runs, but if you need to plug it in manually, it might run out of charge part-way through cleaning. - Dust capacity
A smaller dustbin will need emptying more often, unless you’re lucky enough to own a self-emptying model! Look for a minimum of 400ml capacity for guidance.