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| Winner | Runner Up | Third Place |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
| iRobot Roomba i7+ | Shark IQ Robot RV1001AE | Neato Botvac D7 |
| Read Review | Read Review | Read Review |
| View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
Does it feel like you need to vacuum 24/7 to keep up with your dog’s shedding? A robot vacuum can help keep your floors spotless and knock one chore off your to-do list. We review the best robot vacuum for pet hair to help you pick the best Roomba for pet hair and other debris.
Best Robot Vacuums For Pet Hair
We chose the best robot vacuum based on the following factors:
- Price
- Runtime
- Dustbin size and auto-empty features
- Ability to vacuum every area and not miss a spot
- Auto recharge and resume
- Recharge time
All of the vacuums we review here work on carpet and hard floors. If you have rugs in your home, you may need to pick them up or use carpet tape to help keep them in place. (Please read the instructions carefully and make sure it won’t damage your flooring.)
In general, you’ll want to remember to declutter your floors before running the vacuum. That means picking up and securing any loose cords, blankets, etc.
Winner: iRobot Roomba i7+ Review
Our top pick for the best robot vacuum for dog hair is the Roomba i7+. If you don’t want to think about vacuuming for months, this is an excellent choice. This vacuum performs well with even heavy shedding dogs like Beagles and German Shepherds, which is why we consider it the top dog in robot vacuums.
This Roomba for pet hair includes a high-efficiency filter that’s ideal for pets and can vacuum an entire level of your home with innovative mapping technology. What makes it the best for those of you with heavy shedders is that it has automatic dirt disposal, so it can return to the home station, empty its bin and continue vacuuming without your help.
You can also create “Keep Out Zones,” which are lines you can draw in the app on the virtual map to keep Roomba away from sensitive areas like your pet’s food dishes. The vacuum connects to an app, so you can schedule it to clean an entire level of your home or specific rooms. Daily runs of this vac can help reduce the amount of dog hair on your floors and keep your home more allergen-free.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Recharges and resumes vacuuming Self-emptying dustbin App available to schedule a cleaning or turn the vacuum on Maps out your floor plan and leaves nice carpet lines Vacuums for about 75 minutes Fully recharges in 75 minutes 1-year warranty and 60-day money-back guarantee Keep Out Zones | Nearly double the cost of other bot vacs in this article Requires bags for the base dustbin* |
*This may not be a con for those of you who suffer from allergies. The fact that Roomba i7+ uses an AllergenLock bag means that it traps 99% of pollen, mold, and dust mites, something that bagless robot vacuums cannot claim.
Price
Runner Up: Shark IQ Robot RV1001AEÂ Self-Empty Review
If the Roomba i7+ is too expensive, consider this Shark IQ Robot, which also has self-emptying capabilities. The Shark IQ can run for up to 60 minutes, recharges and resumes vacuuming, and has an app to control the vacuum.
It has many similar features to the Roomba i7+. However, it takes much longer to recharge (up to six hours, whereas the i7+ only takes 75 minutes). It also has a much smaller dustbin, so it will need to return to the base station to empty more often than the Roomba i7+.
If the long charge time doesn’t bother you, you may prefer this one since it is often less expensive, and it doesn’t require any bags in the base dustbin ass the i7+ does.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Recharges and resumes vacuuming Self-emptying dustbin App available to schedule a cleaning or turn the vacuum on Maps out your floor plan and leaves nice carpet lines The base dustbin is bagless 1-year warranty and 90-day money-back guarantee | High price point It takes 4-6 hours to recharge Runs for 60 minutes (most competitors have longer runtimes) Smallest dustbin in this article (only 0.16 liters) |
Price
Third Place: Neato Botvac D7 Review
The Neato Botvac D7 is excellent for multi-level homes since it can store up to three-floor plans. You can also create “no-go lines,” which are lines you can draw in the app on the virtual map to help keep the robot vacuum away from sensitive areas like your dog’s food and water bowls. (Other bot vacuums (besides Roomba i7+) have sensors or tape you can place as boundaries to keep the vacuum out of areas.)
This vacuum uses lasers to map out the floor plan, which means it can operate even in the dark, so you can run the vacuum while you’re asleep if you want. Unfortunately, you can’t tell Neato which rooms you want to clean. If you want a specific room cleaned, you’ll need to place the vacuum in the room and close the door so it remains in that room. Another option is to put “no-go lines” in the app to keep Neato in certain rooms.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Recharges and resumes vacuuming App available to schedule a cleaning or turn the vacuum on Maps out your floor plan and leaves nice carpet lines Can store up to three floor plans Vacuums for 120 minutes (the longest in this article) Recharges in 2-3 hours 1-year warranty No-go lines | High price point It does not self-empty, but its bin is 0.7 liters Cannot set it to clean a specific room |
Price
Comparison Table
| iRobot Roomba i7+ | Shark IQ Robot R101AE Self-Empty | Neato Botvac D7 | Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S (Slim) | iRobot Roomba 675 | iRobot Roomba 960 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $680.99 | $371.90 | $449.99 | $139.79 | $224.99 | $199.99 |
| Dust Bin Capacity | 0.42 Liters | 0.16 Liters | 0.7 Liters | 0.6 Liters | 0.6 Liters | 0.82 Liters |
| Self Empties |  | | ||||
| Base Dust Bin Holds | 60 Days | 30 Days | ||||
| Bagless | Requires bags for the base dustbin | | | | | |
| Runtime | 75 Minutes | 60 Minutes | 120 Minutes | 100 Minutes | 90 Minutes | 75 Minutes |
| Recharges & Resumes Vacuuming | | | | Recharges Only | Recharges Only | |
| Schedule Vacuuming | | | | | | |
| Vacuum Specific Rooms | | | ||||
| Warranty | 1 Year | 1 Year | 1 Year | 90 Days | 1 Year | 1 Year |
| Money-Back Guarantee | 60 Days | 90 Days | N/A | 30 Days | 60 Days | 60 Days |
| Charge Time | 75 Minutes | 4-6 Hours | 2-3 Hours | 5-6 Hours | 1-2 Hours | 75 Minutes |
| Virtual Barrier Walls | | | | | ||
| App | | | | | | |
| Remote Control | | |||||
| Compatible With Alexa & Google Home | | | | | | |
| Mapping Technology* | vSLAM | Lasers | Lasers | Collision, Wheel, Brush & Cliff Sensors | Collision, Wheel, Brush & Cliff Sensors | vSLAM |
*Mapping Technology = Robot vacuums use various forms of technology to clean a space.
Collision, Wheel, Brush & Cliff Sensors
The basic and least accurate technology is collision, wheel, brush, and cliff sensors. This isn’t technically a form of mapping since the bot vac doesn’t map out your floor plan. Instead, the robot operates in a random pattern, bumping into things and maneuvering around the room.
The sensors tell the robot when they are getting close to an object, and then the vacuum can slow down or change its path. Vacuums with this type of technology typically cost less than those with more advanced mapping technology. These types of vacuums may not get every inch of floor coverage, but if you run the vacuum regularly, it will most likely hit any missed space another time.
vSLAM
vSLAM stands for visual simultaneous location and mapping. It is an optical system that can identify furniture and room layouts to navigate a room efficiently. It won’t waste time vacuuming the same spot unless heavy dirt is detected.
Vacuums with vSLAM technology can typically vacuum an area faster and more thoroughly than those with collision, wheel, brush, and cliff sensors. The downside is that these vacuums generally are more expensive, and they need some lighting to help them find their way. So if you want to run your vacuum at night while you’re sleeping, you’ll need to leave some lights on so the vacuum can see.
Lasers
Vacuums with laser navigation can detect an object’s size and shape to help them maneuver a room. These vacuums are typically good at covering a space with high efficiency.
These types of vacuums can typically operate well in the dark, so if nighttime vacuuming is your goal, a laser mapping vacuum is a good option. The downside is that these vacuums can cost more.
What About Eufy & Other Roomba Models?
The vacuums below didn’t make our top 3, but they are still worth your consideration because they may fall more in line with your budget or have features that are more important to you.
Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S (Slim) Review
If your dog hates loud noises, this may be the best robot vacuum for you. Designed to run no louder than a microwave, the Eufy 11S makes an excellent choice for those with young children at home. However, this vacuum is missing many features that most higher-end robot vacs include.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Recharges automatically Vacuums for up to 100 minutes Quiet (only 55dB) | No app, remote control only Not suitable for high-pile carpet It doesn’t self-empty, but its bin is 0.6 liters No smart mapping technology Not compatible with Alexa or Google Assistant Only a 90-day warranty It takes 5-6 hours to recharge Doesn’t resume vacuuming after recharging Cannot set it to clean a specific room |
Price
iRobot Roomba 675 Review
If you want something that’s slightly more budget-friendly but doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of our top 3 picks, the Roomba 675 is a dependable robot vacuum. It’s suitable for those interested in a robot vacuum but doesn’t want to invest a ton of money.
This vacuum works best in homes with lower-maintenance dogs who have short hair. The bristle-style brush roll can tangle longer pet hairs, so we don’t recommend this for households with heavy-shedding, long-haired dogs.
This is an excellent starter model if you’re interested in a robot vacuum but aren’t ready to invest $500+ in one,
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Recharges automatically App available to schedule a cleaning or turn the vacuum on Vacuums for about 90 minutes Recharges in 1-2 hours 1-year warranty and 60-day money-back guarantee | Not suitable for homes with long-haired, heavy-shedding dogs It doesn’t self-empty, but its bin is 0.6 liters Doesn’t resume vacuuming after recharging Cannot set it to clean a specific room |
Price
iRobot Roomba 960 Review
This is the first robot vacuum I purchased for my home, and I love it. I have a hound mix, and she sheds close to what a Labrador Retriever does. I also have two young kids who love to drop crumbs everywhere. So this vacuum has been a tremendous help.
I have it set to vacuum the entire main level of my home several times a week. I also take it to other stories in my house (with the base station) to vacuum them. It’s so convenient and takes a chore off my to-do list. It has a 0.82-liter dust bin, so it can typically clean a whole level of my home without emptying. Maintenance is easy for this vacuum, and it’s nice to play on the floor with my kids without getting covered in dog hair and crumbs.
My home has a mix of hardwood, rugs, high-pile carpet, low-pile carpet, luxury vinyl, and linoleum flooring. I noticed the Roomba struggling and dragging more flimsy rugs. I installed some carpet tape to hold them in place; now, the Roomba has none of these issues.
I wish I could set it to clean a specific room, but I knew I wouldn’t have that capability before purchasing it. It wasn’t until after I bought this vacuum that I realized how convenient that feature could be. My next robot vacuum will include this feature. I wasn’t confident I’d be a fan of robot vacuums, so I didn’t want to spend the extra money on that feature, but looking back, I wish I had invested in those higher-end features.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Recharges and resumes vacuuming App available to schedule a cleaning or turn the vacuum on Maps out your floor plan and leaves nice carpet lines Vacuums for about 75 minutes Recharges in 75 minutes 1-year warranty and 60-day money-back guarantee | High price point It doesn’t self-empty, but its bin is 0.82 liters Cannot set it to clean a specific room |
Price
Watch A Robot Vacuum In Action (Video)
Check out the video below of my Roomba 960 in action. As you can see, it does a great job adjusting to furniture and toys, and my dog, Sally, doesn’t mind it too much, either.
Unsure About Robot Vacuums?
If a robot vacuum isn’t suitable for your household, you can still go the traditional route and purchase a regular vacuum. We’ve reviewed the best vacuums for pet hair and have selected various models depending on your needs.
Tagged With: Cleaning, Comparison, Shedding
