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 young kids, 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, ability to avoid hair tangles, 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.
What is the best robot vacuum for pet hair right now?
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 10 Max due to its outstanding suction power, self-emptying dust bin, self-washing mop pad, 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.
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The best robot vacuums for pet hair of 2024
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The Roomba Combo 10 Max is one of the top-performing robot vacuums against pet hair. Many robot vacuums 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 all our floor types, whether it’s been one or several days since it last ran. The robot self-empties as soon as the dustbin 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 Combo 10 Max to empty four or five times during a single job, never leaving any pet hair behind, even on carpets.
Review: iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max
In addition, it’s simply an intelligent robot. The Roomba Combo 10 Max 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, “We have a combination of flooring in our house and especially like the mop option to clean our hardwood floors. I appreciate the smart capabilities of mapping our house and then using Alexa to run it. Having the AutoWash Dock is awesome as well, self-cleaning the robot and the dock. This saves me time and energy as it empties the debris, refills the mopping tank and washes and dries the mop pad.”
iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max specs: Price: $999 (limited-time deal) | Battery life: 120 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
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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 $200.
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: $200 | Battery life: 100 mins | Suction power: 2,000Pa | Dustbin volume: 600 ml | Water tank capacity: No mopping feature
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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: $1,240 (limited-time deal) | 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
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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 to map your home and clean it with efficient rows, but it isn’t equipped with object detection. If you can live with picking up your floors before the X8 Pro runs, you’ll be impressed with its cleaning capabilities.
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: $325 (limited-time deal) | 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
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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: $1,500 (limited-time deal) | 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
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The Narwal Freo X Ultra is a $1,400 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: Narwal Freo X Ultra
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: $1,400 | 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
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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.
| Best robot vacuum for pet hair | ZDNET’s take | Price | Suction power | Functionality | Self-emptying dustbin | Battery life |
| iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max | Best overall | $999 | N/A | Vacuum and mop | Yes | 120 mins |
| Eufy X8 Pro | Best for carpet | $325 | 4,000Pa | Vacuum | Yes | 100 mins |
| Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo Complete | Best for multiple floor types | $1,240 | 8,700Pa | Vacuum and mop | Yes | 210 mins |
| Narwal Freo X Ultra | Best for hard floors | $1,400 | 8,200Pa | Vacuum and mop | Yes | 210 mins |
| Eufy 11S Max | Best for a budget | $200 | N/A | Vacuum | No | 100 mins |
| Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra | Best 2-in-1 | $1,500 | 10,000Pa | Vacuum and mop | Yes | 180 mins |
*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:
| Choose this robot vacuum mop… | If you… |
| iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ | Want the best robot vacuum to handle all of your pet hair. It’s intelligent, has strong suction power, and will avoid pet accidents. |
| Eufy X8 Pro | Need a robot vacuum that can successfully tackle a lot of carpets and/or rugs. |
| Ecovacs Deebot X2 Combo Complete | Have multiple flooring surfaces throughout your house that must be vacuumed and mopped. |
| Narwal Freo X Ultra | Want up to 7 weeks of dust storage and want a quick and efficient robot. |
| Eufy 11S Max | Want a simple, straightforward robot vacuum without all the bells and whistles. |
| Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra | Want a premium robot vacuum and mop machine that can keep up with all the pet hair and paw prints scattered throughout your house. |
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:
- Robot vacuums are best suited for daily or every-other-day maintenance between deep cleaning sessions. They are ideal for low-pile carpets and hard floors, such as wood, tile, and vinyl.
- Stick vacuums are perfect for quick cleanups of crumbs or pet hair but can also be better suited to vacuum carpets more thoroughly than a robot vacuum. They provide stronger suction and versatility than robot vacuums, which helps them remove stubborn pet hair more effectively from carpets and rugs.
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:
- Suction power: When weighing your options, compare each robot vacuum’s different suction power features. Suction power is measured in Pascals (Pa); the higher the number, the better. Inexpensive options like the Eufy 11S Max feature a 2,000Pa suction, while more high-end options, like the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, have 10,000Pa. Also, consider that this number is the robot’s peak power, so you’ll likely have to set it up in its highest setting to reach the advertised number of Pascals.
- Floor types: Some robot vacuums are best equipped to work with different floor types, like carpet or hardwood, and can even automatically increase suction when the carpet is detected. Others perform best on hard floors but fall short on carpets. Before you buy, consider the type of flooring in your home and which vacuum is most appropriate.
- Mapping: For full automation, your robot vacuum must have a mapping feature to navigate each room. Robots use different sensors to create floorplan maps, including LiDAR, laser, and even artificial intelligence through cameras. Many robot vacuums use these sensors to detect cliffs and stop so they don’t fall down the stairs. Depending on the tech used for mapping, robot vacuums clean in linear or random patterns, which is also something to consider if you like the look of carpet lines. Many robots can also create multi-floor mapping, which lets you move your robot vacuum to clean different levels in your home and save each map.
- Obstacle avoidance: An obstacle avoidance feature can have the robot vacuum avoid things like furniture, wires, socks, shoes, and even pet waste so the robot doesn’t get its brush roller stuck on it or spread the mess all over your carpet. This feature is a must-have in my home with a dog and young kids who constantly leave objects strewn about.
- Battery: Consider the runtime before choosing the best robot vacuum to ensure it has enough power to clean your home, especially if you want to clean a large area in one go. If you select a robot vacuum with the technical capability to pause its job, return to the charging base to refill its battery, and then resume the job where it left off, this may not be as big of a factor as others on this list.
- Connectivity: Many of the best robot vacuums offer voice control, some through Amazon Alexa or Google Home, and others with built-in voice assistants. Most feature a mobile app that lets you control your robot remotely, set schedules, track progress, and control the machine’s efforts.
- Extra features: Robot vacuum manufacturers often market extra features that may or may not be important to buyers, so choosing which features you’d like before buying is worth it. These include tangle-resistant brushes, self-emptying dustbins, the ability to set no-go zones and create schedules, mopping capabilities, and many more.
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:
- Determine evaluation criteria: For our key evaluation criteria, we consider how robots perform by assessing their suction power, navigation, mapping, and battery life. We also assess the user experience, the robot’s versatility, longevity, and whether it delivers on its specifications.
- Unboxing: During this process, we assess the packaging and setup experience and note any accessories and unique features.
- Testing environments: We test the robot vacuums on different floor types (like carpet and hardwood) and see how they navigate various obstacles to test performance.
- Performance metrics: We test suction power with various debris types and assess obstacle navigation and mapping accuracy.
- Extra features: When testing robot vacuum and mop combinations, we evaluate their effectiveness at removing stains and overall cleaning quality. We also check how unique features work, like obstacle avoidance and recognition, extendable mop pads, etc.
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.
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.
Other robot vacuums we’ve tested
Robot Vacuums Reviewed & Compared
