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Oct 16, 2024

The best robot vacuums for pet hair of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed | ZDNET

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean? ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including

'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?

ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.

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ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.

33 years of experience 30 hands-on product reviewers 10,000 square feet of lab space

Functionality and features

Assess what you need the product for to determine what requirements you’d like it to meet, then look for these features and ones that can make your tasks more efficient. Ensure that the product you choose fits in your space, can integrate with other systems you already use, and is made with durable materials.

Ease of use

Look for products that are intuitive and easy to operate—this will add to the convenience of getting this device. Consider how easy it is to set up and start using, including whether any third-party app integrations make it more user-friendly.

Price

Determine your budget by considering what features are must-haves and which ones you can forgo. Then, compare prices to ensure the product offers good value for your money, considering if it goes on sale often and if it’s worth waiting for a discount.

Maintenance

Many kitchen and household devices require regular maintenance, like robot vacuums, air purifiers, handheld vacuums, and smart kitchen appliances. Consider how easy it is to clean and maintain the product and if replacement parts, like filters and dust bags, are easily available and affordable.

It's high time to ditch the traditional upright vacuum, even if you have dogs, cats, or both. As a robot vacuum reviewer, pet hair is one of my pet peeves, so evaluating how a robot vacuum performs against it is one of the main characteristics I look for when testing these robots. With a very hairy dog and three little ones, the only thing that keeps my floors clean without manually vacuuming daily is a great robot vacuum that tackles the task for me.

Also: The best robot vacuum mops you can buy

When shopping for the best robot vacuum options to control the pet hair on your floors, there are quite a few features to consider. Look for robot vacuums with strong suction to pick up each strand of hair, obstacle avoidance to avoid larger items your pet may leave behind, capable navigation features you can trust, and any extra features important to you. Budget and floor types are also key factors when shopping for any robot vacuum.

Since there are so many robot vacuums, you may wonder which is best for your home. We've tested dozens of robot vacuums at home and in everyday life, and our top choice to tackle pet hair is the iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ due to its self-emptying dust bin, tangle-resistant brush rollers and iRobot's Pet Owner Official Promise (P.O.O.P. guarantee). However, several other robot vacuum options are worth considering, depending on your floor type and how much your pet sheds.

If you're looking for great deals, the robot vacuum market is full of them. Robot vacuums can be found at up to 60% off during big sales events this fall, like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. While these sales events are typically the best time to score a great deal on a robot vacuum, these devices are often discounted at different points of the year.

The Roomba Combo j7+ is one of our all-time favorite robot vacuums. Many robot vacuums come and go through my home for testing, but this one earned a permanent spot.

Part of why it's so loved is because it can handle all of the pet hair on our floor, whether it's been just a day or several days since it last ran. 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 common for the j7+ to empty four or five times during a single job, never leaving any pet hair behind.

Review: Roomba j7+: A life-changing robot vacuum

In addition, it's simply an 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 iRobot 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.

Customers agree, touting the vacuum's ability to navigate obstacles and deliver clean floors. One reviewer commented, "The AI never ceases to amaze me. This thing makes decisions about which room to vacuum next (unless you tell it to vacuum a specific room), goes around wires, and avoids pet waste (I don't have that problem in my house). It's very good at suction and goes slow enough to do a bang of a job cleaning the carpet."

iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ specs: Price: $999 | Battery life: 180 mins | Base station dimensions: 15.7 x 12 x 13.3 inches | Suction power: Not specified | Dustbin volume: 300 ml | Water tank capacity: 170 ml

The Eufy X8 Pro is a midrange two-in-one machine that keeps my carpets and rugs clean. The Dual TurboCyclone Suction has four different settings and paired with the BoostIQ, the robot intelligently ramps up the suction when it encounters soft flooring. Dog and cat hair was easily lifted away, leaving behind beautiful carpet lines in its path.

Review: Eufy X8 Pro

The X8 Pro is equipped with iPath Laser Navigation so that it will map your home and clean with efficient rows, but it isn't equipped with object detection. You'll be impressed with its cleaning capabilities if you can live with picking up your floors before the X8 Pro runs.

Pet owners rave about the X8 Pro's cleaning ability, even without object detection. One customer said, "I'm thrilled with this purchase. I can walk around in socks or bare feet comfortably, and when my fam stops by unannounced I don't have to rush to clean up or be embarrassed that I can't keep up with all the things."

Eufy X8 Pro features: Price: $650 | Battery life: 100 mins | Base station dimensions: 13.8 x 18 x 15 inches | Suction power: 4,000Pa | Dustbin volume: 335 ml | Water tank capacity: No mopping feature

The Narwal Freo X Ultra is a $1,400 (currently discounted to $999) robot vacuum and mop that excels at picking up pet hair from hard floors. Its innovative technology makes it outstanding at cleaning without getting its brush roller tangled up in random objects. The Freo X Ultra has a self-emptying dustbin that allows up to seven weeks of debris storage before emptying.

Review: I tested my favorite two-in-one robot vacuum's new model, and it's better in almost every way

ZDNET's Jack Wallen has been a Narwal user for some time and recently upgraded to the Narwal Freo X Ultra and loved the experience. "I can leave the house while the robot is doing its thing without worrying it's going to wrap up a cord and take something down (or stop the job because it doesn't quite understand that the corner of a rug isn't something it should suck up," Wallen wrote in his review.

Overall, the Freo X Ultra performs exceptionally well compared to other high-end units, often matching the capabilities of more expensive models. One buyer says, "The Narwal Ultra X's performance is where it truly shines. After mapping my house, which features hardwood flooring and several area rugs, I tested it with both vacuuming and mopping. The vacuum noise level is comparable to my old iRobot, but the Narwal Ultra X boasts much higher suction power. It handled long hairs on the floor effortlessly, a particularly impressive feature."

Narwal Freo X Plus features: Price: $400 | Battery life: 254 mins | Base station dimensions: 13.7 x 14 x 4.2 inches | Suction power: 7,800Pa | Dustbin volume: 800 ml | Water tank capacity: 280 ml

If you're looking for a powerhouse robot vacuum and mop, the Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo Complete is the machine for you. This 3-in-1 machine has 8,700Pa of suction power, dual rotating mop heads, a cordless vacuum for quick cleanups, and an Omni Station that does your dirty work. You can use the cordless vacuum to pick up pet hair from your area rugs or clean up crumbs from your couch, then set it to charge on the Omni station and watch as the contents of its dustbin automatically empty into the dust bag within.

Review: Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo Complete

The AI-powered Robot 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 cleaning.

The Deebot X2 Combo Complete has easily kept up with my three (messy) kids and my mutt mixed with some of the hairiest breeds -- husky, golden retriever, coonhound, and German shepherd. That should speak for itself. As a robot vacuum and mop, you can rest assured that your pet's hair will be vacuumed while the dirty paw prints are washed away.

Customer reviews agree with my assessment: "The Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo engineers, designers, and programmers did their homework and then went out and built an incredible, not just vacuum but a solidly built system that shines in its accomplishment."

Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo Complete features: Price: $1,700| Battery life: 210 mins | Base station dimensions: 20.6 x 17.4 x 21.8 inches | Suction power: 8,700Pa | Dustbin volume: 379 ml | Water tank capacity: 180 ml

The Eufy 11S Max robot vacuum has become a staple among budget-friendly robot vacuums, beloved by users and appreciated by wallets. Though its retail price is $250, it's common to see its price drop to as low as $120 -- it's currently available for only $140.

If you're looking for a no-frills robot vacuum to tackle your floors without paying for all the bells and whistles, the Eufy 11S Max is for you. This robot vacuum can offer up to 100 minutes of cleaning and features a slim build, at only 2.85 inches tall. Simplicity is the name of the game with the 11S Max, so it doesn't automatically empty its dustbin and doesn't create thorough maps of your home -- it simply gets the job done.

Also: I compared a $90 robot vacuum to a $700 one. Here's my buying advice for budget shoppers

This is a pretty popular Eufy robot vacuum, and it maintains a high rating despite its popularity, which speaks volumes about its performance. One buyer commented, "I really like this! It does a nice job cleaning up the dog hair and other things that get on my floor and saves me a lot of time not vacuuming daily. If you have a dog, I would watch them with this first before you use it. My dog was initially scared of it but sniffed its 'butt,' and now they are cool, and she does not mind it at all. Pleased with this product and would recommend!"

Shark ION AV751 features: Price: $140 | Battery life: 100 mins | Suction power: 2,000Pa | Dustbin volume: 600 ml | Water tank capacity: No mopping feature

The Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra is the company's latest flagship robot vacuum and mop combination, featuring advanced cleaning capabilities. With 10,000Pa of suction power, I had a great time testing it over a few months with various debris types, including coffee grounds, crumbs, and pet hair.

The S8 MaxV Ultra's vacuuming performance was exceptional, particularly in picking up pet hair from rugs and carpets. surpassing many other popular robot vacuums. The robot features a dual rubber roller brush system, which helps prevent hair tangles and empties periodically during cleansing sessions. Its AI capabilities let the S8 MaxV Ultra detect debris and adjust its cleaning power accordingly.

Review: Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra

This robot's mopping feature is pretty good, with room for improvement, as it often leaves streaks behind due to the brush design. I've come to prefer a robot vacuum and mop with dual rotating mop heads or a mop roller over a vibrating mop pad, which is what the S8 MaxV Ultra features. Despite this minor drawback, the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra's hands-free dock, outstanding vacuum performance, and comprehensive app features make it a compelling choice for automated cleaning in homes with pets.

"Let me start off by saying that we have three Siberian Huskies in this house. That is a LOT of fur. We've had a couple of iRobot Roombas over the years, and they helped cut down the amount of time I spent sweeping up fur by a fair amount, but I had grown weary of the issues with them," one buyer wrote. "Both in removing it from the floors and being able to remove it from the machine, I give it a 12/10. Despite my Husky pack's best efforts, there are no fluff drifts. I still have to bust out the Dyson on the weekly to get the cracks and crannies, but I could probably get away with less often if I was slightly less extra about the fur removal. But seriously? Whoever designed the roller was a frigging genius."

Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra features: Price: $1,800 | Battery life: 180 mins | Base station dimensions: 16.1 x 17.6 x 18.5 inches | Suction power: 10,000Pa | Dustbin volume: 270 ml | Water tank capacity: 100 ml

Former ZDNET editor Elizabeth Mauder contributed to this story.

Though the Roomba j7+ is the best robot vacuum for handling pet hair, the other options may be better for different situations. A typical robot vacuum for cleaning pet hair can cost $150-$1,900, depending on its extra features and autonomy.

See how the best pet hair robot vacuums compare to other models we use to keep up with our pets.

*Lowest price at the time of writing. Please note that prices vary based on retailer and available promotions, sales, or discounts.

There are hundreds of robot vacuums, so how do you know which is best for you? Here's a quick breakdown:

If you're trying to decide whether a stick or a robot vacuum is the best option for tackling pet hair, the truth is that there isn't a black-and-white answer. Here's how they stack up:

I rotate both a stick vacuum and a robot vacuum in my home, while my old upright vacuum is relegated to monthly cleaning jobs for a deeper clean. I've found that combining a robot vacuum for daily automated cleanings and a stick vacuum for quick cleanups is the best way to keep my floors clean without a big hassle.

Also: Forget Dyson: I tested Roborock's wet-dry hand vacuum and it left my floors spotless

Some robot and stick vacuum combinations, like the Ecovacs T30S Combo and Deebot X2 Combo, are available on the market, which greatly helps. This is especially true as the stick vacuum's canister on these devices self-empties into the same bag as the robot vacuum, making the entire experience easier.

While trying to determine the best robot vacuum, I kept several factors at the forefront of my testing and research, which can also aid your search:

Also: I changed these 10 things to maximize my robot vacuum's battery life

ZDNET has several robot vacuum reviewers that have tested over 50 units thus far. We conduct tests in real homes with real challenges and in a controlled lab environment for comparison.

Also: How we test robot vacuums at ZDNET in 2024

Here's what we consider when testing robot vacuums and mops at ZDNET:

To top it all off, we gauge the device's longevity and long-term performance by using it over the course of a few months. Our review timelines vary, but we typically test robot vacuums for about a month before reviewing and keep our reviews updated while the device is available.

Shark and Roomba robot vacuums have pros and cons when handling pet hair. We've tested different models from both brands at ZDNET and have found that, while Shark robots tend to excel in suction, Roombas generally have better navigation and obstacle avoidance capabilities.

Some Roomba robot vacuums also have dual brush rollers to help prevent hair tangles and advanced smart features, like P.O.O.P. But Shark tends to offer more affordable alternatives than Roomba, including in recurring expenses. Shark robot vacuums also notoriously handle pet hair well with self-cleaning brush rollers.

In the end, choosing between Shark and Roomba will come down to the individual model and depend on the buyer's needs.

As a robot vacuum reviewer, I've gotten a lot of experience setting up robot vacuums. Here are some steps I follow when I get a new robot vacuum:

Most of the vacuums on this list are self-emptying, so you don't have to worry about manually dumping the dust bin after every use. However, there are many on the market that you need to manually empty. How often you empty your robot vacuum dustbin depends 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 emptying so your vacuum can continue suctioning up as much dirt as possible during its job.

The self-emptying robot vacuums are typically emptied into a dust bag stored in the base station. The dust bags vary from one brand to another, but you can normally get around 60 days' worth of dirt and debris before needing to change the bag out.

Robot vacuums are often good at getting pet hair out of short-pile carpets but don't always perform as well on medium and high-pile carpets, as they can get stuck in them. However, robot vacuums are not as great at removing stubborn hair from carpet and rugs as some upright and stick vacuums.

While many robot vacuums have very powerful suction, their brush rollers often to reach deep enough in the carpet to loosen up stubborn hair. Robot vacuums are perfect for keeping floors clean, but your rugs and carpets will still require a more thorough cleaning every few weeks to remove all the pet hair.

Most robot vacuums encourage you to replace the filter, rollers, and side sweeping brushes periodically to keep the devices performing optimally. Additionally, if your robot empties into a dust bag, it must be replaced every few months. Finally, some robot vacuum mops require a mop-cleaning solution that must be repurchased throughout the robot's lifetime.

Robot vacuums are becoming increasingly intelligent with each new device, and they can now avoid various objects in your home, including pet waste. iRobot and Roborock are two robot vacuum companies claiming their devices can identify and avoid running over pet waste.

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 that we've tested:

You really can't go wrong with any device from Roborock, including the Q5+. With its auto dust emptying base and 2700Pa suction, you can get many of the higher-end robot vacuum features for a cheaper price.

The Dreame X40 Ultra is ZDNET's pick for the best robot vacuum and mop combination, with 12,000Pa of suction power and reliable object avoidance capabilities. It'll cost you, though, as it's priced steeply at $1,900.

With 4,300Pa suction, a mop head that vibrates 2,500 times per minute, and 150 minutes of runtime, you will be impressed. However, you may be disappointed in the robot's lack of object avoidance.