7 of the best robot vacuums for pet hair

If you’re looking for a “Renaissance” robot, you will definitely want to consider this Roomba robotic vacuum — the 980. That’s because no matter what type of floors you have in your house — from carpet to tile to hardwood floors — the 980 will quickly adjust. Of course, many consumers are drawn to this particular Roomba because it’s manufactured with boost technology, which provides 10 times the air power on carpets and rugs. This powerful suction is paired with a high efficiency filter that captures 99 percent of particles, pollen and allergens floating around your home. Just as crucial for pet owners, it also has tangle-free extractors to prevent hair clogs. 
Importantly, the 980 offers WiFi capabilities as well as an iRobot Home App which lets you schedule and set cleaning preferences via your phone or tablet. You can also ask Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant to start, stop, or dock the robot (just don’t let all that power go to your head). Moreover, you can receive cleaning reports that show exactly where the robot cleaned and how long each area took.
And fear not; this Roomba won’t accidentally fling itself down stairs and come to a premature end. It has sensors to prevent it from tumbling over a drop-off as well as boundary markers to stop it from going into specific rooms or bumping into fragile objects. Best of all, the 980 will smartly return to its dock if it senses it needs to be recharged. Once the battery has regained life, the Roomba will resume cleaning until the work is complete. Because this robot takes pleasure in a job well done!
John, an Amazon customer, writes:

“I purchased the Roomba 980 as my 5th robotic vacuum (I’ve previously owned the Roomba 880, Neato BotVac 65, Roomba 655, Neato XV-11, and a few more). Long story short, this is by far the best robotic vacuum cleaner I’ve ever used, and I highly recommend it if you can stomach the price. You are getting a robot that’s second to none in terms of cleaning power, navigational finesse, and ease-of-maintenance.”

If you’re feeling frugal yet want to hop on the robot vacuum bandwagon, the Eufy Robovac 11 is a solid option. One of the better performing budget models, the Eufy features 11 infrared sensors, a drop sensor, central rolling brush as well as two side brushes and a swivel wheel—all of which help ensure that hair and debris will be picked up. However, we should note that the infrared sensors don’t work as well on dark floors or high carpets. It’s best for flat hardwood floors and low rugs.
While it doesn’t have any WiFi capability, the Eufy does work in conjunction with a remote control. The remote offers six different cleaning settings—single room, manual, max, spot, auto and edge. This variety of cleaning configuration proves to be pretty useful. The auto mode cleans based upon each room’s layout while edge mode primarily focuses on the edges (obviously). Spot mode seeks out spots of dirt and debris. If you’re cleaning a carpet, you’ll want to set the Eufy to max mode. Single room tells the robot to only vacuum the room it’s currently in, before gently returning to its charging station (though, admittedly, it doesn’t always make it back). Additionally, despite not having a fancy companion app, the remote does feature a button in which you can schedule future cleanings.  
Finally, we should note that the Eufy does get tripped up over even the smallest obstructions. You’ll want to make sure your floors are clear of cords or any wayward objects before turning the ol’ robot on. 
Amazon customer Adam Skeate writes:

“We have 3 short hair dog breeds who shed something horrible. I could vacuum every day but only did it 1-2 times per week as life is just too busy to do this task daily. My socks constantly picked up dog hair and drove me nuts. We had a coating of hair along the baseboards in our home constantly. Since putting this champ of a vac to work, I wake up to clean floors! No more socks full of dog hair! It picks up dropped kibble from the floor too. Love this trouble free vacuum and would highly suggest it to anyone who has a similar dog situation as I do! The small dust hopper needs to be emptied daily. It’s amazing how much dirt this vacuum finds. It cleans under chairs and tables impossible to get to with a regular vacuum. It’s cool to watch it work as it pivots around chair and table legs.”

A fantastic, mid-priced option, the ECOVACS DEEBOT 900/901 is equipped with some impressive technology. For starters, it has an exclusive laser navigation system that scans and maps your entire home (it’s simultaneously cool and creepy). This allows the robot to craft an optimized cleaning path, saving both time and battery power. It also has anti-drop and anti-collision sensors. And most importantly, it has a three-stage cleaning system that works on both carpets and hard floors and picks up all debris in its path.
Like most WiFi-enabled bots, the DEEBOT works with both Alexa and Google Home voice commands. In other words, you can kick back and enjoy some hands-free cleaning. There’s also an accompanying app which let’s you both schedule and customize your cleanings. You can even use the app to construct virtual boundary lines—in case you have a secret room you don’t want your robot seeing.
An Amazon customer, Erin Wyckoff, writes:

“Best purchase I’ve ever made … I let it charge for the full 4 hours and then tested it out. It is really cool to see the vacuum move on the application as it cleans. The technology is really amazing. It astounds me that it is able to map the rooms so accurately. I like the feature that allows to to pick if you only want certain rooms cleaned. It is also helpful to note that we have one room I don’t have it clean every time. If I don’t want it to clean that room I just close the door and it doesn’t have any issues or get hung up in that area. I have it set to clean every night. We need it with 2 very hairy Australian cattle dogs and 2 cats. Ours isn’t a large space and it only takes 20 min to clean the entire downstairs. I’ve not tried to move it to try it upstairs yet but I will. Even if it has to remap itself that doesn’t take long and it still cleans as it goes. I find I need to empty it after every 1-2 cleanings as it picks up a lot! It is very quiet too. I have it running downstairs as I’m typing this and if I didn’t know better I wouldn’t know it was cleaning. I was also nervous about if it would get stuck under our dining room table and chairs. It doesn’t! It navigates them wonderfully! It may need to take a bit more time under them to find its way out but it manages. It did have an issue with the recliner. Note to anyone who purchases: don’t have it clean when a recliner footrest is up-ours got stuck underneath and needed to be saved.

So far I’ve not had any issues with it being able to find its way back to the dock either! Even my husband had his doubts before we got it but after the first cleaning he fell in love with it. It helps us keep up with the endless pet hair and dirt, without requiring us to haul out a heavy cumbersome vacuum every day. I should also mention how it can be triggered to vacuum even from miles away! I was at work and tested it out and sure enough it started vacuuming when I told it to even though I was 60 miles away.

Overall, it is worth every penny (even if not on sale) and the application works perfectly and is intuitive.”

Simply put, the Neato Botvac D7 knows how to get the job done. Though the D-shaped design might not seem especially sleek, it actually allows the vacuum to hug walls as well as reach under corners and ledges. This ultimately leads to a more thorough cleaning. Additionally, the D7 features both a spiral combo brush along with side brushes to help ensure that all lingering dirt and hair is sucked up. That’s right—no unwanted particles escape the Neato. And speaking of particles, the vacuum has both an ultra performance filter and a filter screen. These guarantee that debris stays in the bin. 
Importantly, the Botvac D7 is also a tech lover’s dream. After all, it’s WiFi enabled and offers an accompanying app that’s compatible with both Android and iOS. It can also be controlled via Alexa, Apple Watch, Facebook Messenger, IFTTT, Google Home, and the Neato Chatbot. Hence, you can schedule and monitor cleanings when you’re not at home. You can even create virtual boundaries to make sure the robot avoids precarious situations and sensitive areas. As if that wasn’t enough, the vacuum is capable of mapping and memorizing the layout of your home (up to 5,000 square feet). Finally, just to make sure you’re fully impressed, the Neato D7 automatically returns to its to dock to recharge—after finishing its task of course!   
Amazon customer L.Norris writes:

“It’s run every day now since I bought it. Sometimes more than once. It maps really well and only didn’t return back to base a few times. I cleaned it and found there was junk caught up in its brush (twist ties, plastic parts, etc.). After cleaning, it has returned back to its base every time. It is also obeying the no-go lines very well. Some added info is that our base is on carpet and it doesn’t seem to be a problem. Also we have several dogs, a cat, and a couple of long haired females in our house and it is handling the hair very well. Much better than our downstairs Roomba 650. We’ve also run our Dyson vacuum upstairs once between scheduled D7 runs and the D7 still fills its dirt bin daily. So it navigates well AND is actually a good vacuum. I’m very happy with it.”

We completely understand why the Roomba 890 is popular with pet owners. First off, it’s made with tangle-free extractors so pet hair won’t cause any issues. And it features the Roomba’s patented AeroForce filter which follows in the footsteps of HEPA filters. So you know that even the tiniest particles will be collected. Of course, the 890 isn’t a robot that rests on its laurels. It also offers customers a three-stage cleaning system that expertly lifts, loosens, and sucks up dirt and debris. It even has advanced dirt detection sensors which tell the Roomba that it must work harder on certain areas. 
The 890 is also one heck of a smart robot. It can sense “cliffs” to prevent it from falling. It can expert navigate around furniture and clutter. And, naturally, it will automatically dock and recharge. As you might have suspected (and also because we mentioned it above), it’s WiFi-enabled. Thus, you can control it with Alexa, Google Assistant or its companion app.   
Amazon customer Fenny!!! Writes:

“GET A ROOMBA, it is AMAAAAAZING!!! I vacuumed pretty intensely before I started the Roomba on Day 1, and it still needed to be emptied out 3x in one hour. I was both horrified by the amount of dog hair the roomba was able to find, and also impress that it found that much dog hair! … Because of the style of furniture we got, the roomba was able to get under the bed, the couch, the armchair, etc…basically all the places that I only vacuum once a quarter…but it got ALL the dust bunnies (dust puppies?)! … The dog is terrified of the roomba, so she barks at it constantly. But more importantly, she FREAKS out that the roomba comes after her toys (the doesn’t suck up the toys – her dog toys are too big…but small lego blocks will get sucked up, so warn your kids!), so now the DOG PICKS UP HER TOYS. Of course, she brings all the toys into my bed or onto the couch instead of her toy bin…but we finally got the dog to pick up after herself!!! LOL”

We know this list is a little Roomba-heavy, but it’s with good reason. Their products are popular and well made. The Roomba 690 (which was designed to replace the 650 model) is no exception. Though it operates on a system of “bump and run,” it also features an invisible boundary marker for added control. Just as crucial, the 690 is armed with a dirt detect sensor to ensure that it works harder on high traffic areas. Even better, the robot’s dual multi-surface brushes and 3-stage cleaning system guarantee that no debris (no matter how small) is missed.
Unlike the old 650, this Roomba is WiFi-enabled. You can tap into the iRobot HOME app as well as connect through Alexa and/or Google Assistant. This allows you to schedule a cleaning from anywhere. In other words, you can always be sure you come home to a clean house. What a miracle! 
Amazon customer Mamie writes:

“This device (we have the 690 model) has proven to be much better than I expected. I have pets with long hair and while you have to run it a lot to get all the hair, there is no way we would ever have the patience to vacuum a rug for as long as the Roomba will do it. You can vacuum and then run this and have a lot more hair picked up. I put it in our bedroom, close the door and let it run until it needs recharging (about an hour). It’s also fun to watch it learn if you happen to be in the room with it. It works well on our short shag and gets up under things to vacuum the hard to reach places. The only downside is that there are no attachments so you can’t use it to vacuum pet hair off of furniture. Another possible downside is that anything spilled or if you have a pet that is not quite housebroken – as smart as the Roomba is it cannot smell or see – it will spread anything just like you stepping in it and walking around the house without knowing.”

Sure, the iLife V3 is lightweight and affordable. But it also offers consumers something even more valuable—versatility. Unlike the vast majority of robot vacuums on the market, this iLife contains a mopping function. And you’re certain to fall in love with this feature whenever you or your pet track mud into your house.
Beyond mopping, the vacuum contains a low-profile design making it ideal for getting under beds and sofas. While it’s not equipped with WiFi, it does come with a remote control. Moreover, it’s self-charging and allows you to program a cleaning schedule. The iLife V3 is also equipped with sensors to avoid bumping into or falling off objects or stairs. However, it does sometimes get tripped up when transitioning to different surfaces. And, lastly, the filter will need to be cleaned every time you run the bot. 
Amazon reviewer L. Leigh writes:

“I have 4 pets and daily vacuuming is not always accomplished. I needed something that will get the pet hair and kitchen crumbs up. I was amazed at how well this did this and at how much it was able to collect (hair, crumbs, kitty litter and dirt) not to mention how quietly this goes about its business. Yes your have to watch it the first couple times it runs because you just never know what it may get caught up on … It has no problem moving most light things out of its way such as shoes, pet toys etc. which I found awesome. On a full charge it did my family room, kitchen/dining room, front living room, master bedroom and bathroom (my home is 2600 sq feet total. This covered the downstairs of that portion) and made its way back home to its station after the battery ran out. Approximately 1 hr. 20 min. It will go under tables if it will fit. So after you figure out what obstacles you need to move…. its set it and forget it (except cleaning out the dust bin). Mine goes off each day at a set time.The only thing I wish this would do is climb my furniture to get the pet hair off of. This is a great little machine and I am about to purchase 2 more. One for the upstairs and one for my sis who has hardwood floors.”