The 4 Best Robot Vacuums for Pet Hair, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

iRobot Roomba j7+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum

5

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  5 /5
• Effectiveness
  5 /5
• Noise Level
  5 /5
• Maneuverability
  5 /5
• Features
  5 /5

In a home with a dog and kitten, the Roomba J7+ picked up pet hair and cat litter that had been tracked more efficiently than we ever could. The Roomba J7+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum from iRobot is a highly effective vacuum cleaner with several features–like an edge-sweeping brush for excavating pet hair within tight crevices–and enhancements–like the ability to communicate if an object on the floor is temporary or a new permanent fixture–that makes it our top choice for homes with pets.

The setup process is a breeze, arriving primarily intact with a docking station that will serve as its home base for self-emptying and charging. For proper use of this circular vacuum, the Roomba app must be installed on an iOS or Android device, and from there you help the Roomba J7+ connect to your Wi-Fi network and learn its way around the space it will be cleaning.

During its initial voyage, the iRobot Roomba J7+ maps out the terrain to learn where it should and should not venture, communicating what it encounters with you via photos on the app. When it spots an obstacle–like your dog taking a nap on the floor–the vacuum will send a photo of this (adorable) scene without approaching to wait for your instruction as to whether that is a temporary obstacle that will be removed later, or if that is a space that the vacuum should avoid moving forward. If it’s temporary, the vacuum will then remind itself to address the area in question at a later time.

For subsequent cleaning missions, the Roomba J7+ will retain the information you’ve fed to it for more streamlined ventures. While it’s not capable of climbing a staircase (nor are any robotic vacuums we’ve encountered), it can cross thresholds into other rooms with significantly more ease than other robot vacuum cleaners we tested.

The vacuum fully charges in two hours with a light notification indicating that it’s ready to go. It has a prolonged run time of 75 minutes and the ability to transition across flooring surfaces–hardwood, carpeting, tile, laminate–before returning to its docking station to self-empty all the pet hair and debris collected, recharging for the next programmable mission you send it on.

If you have a larger home the vacuum bin may need to be emptied more frequently, and on occasion manually clearing a tangled hair or particle that is stuck in the bin is likely to be needed. And on average the dustbin bag within the docking station, where the self-emptied debris is collected, will need to be emptied out and replaced every 60 days.

Price at time of publish: $800

_{Weight:7.5 pounds |Power Source:Lithium-ion battery |Bin Volume:Not available |Included Accessories:Extra dustbin bag, replacement edge brush |Model Number: J755020 |Maximum Runtime: 75 minutes}

Best Splurge

Samsung Jet Bot AI+ Robot Vacuum With Object Recognition

4.5

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Our Ratings

• Setup
  4 /5
• Effectiveness
  4.5 /5
• Noise Level
  4 /5
• Maneuverability
  5 /5
• Features
  5 /5

运行时为90分钟,一个五层的高效filtration system capable of housing up to 2.5 liters of compressed dust, pet hair, and dander, the Samsung Jet Bot AI+ Robot Vacuum Cleaner is made to thoroughly pick up after pets in a home. While testing, this relatively quiet vacuum was able to navigate its way under sofas and chairs, and around objects like cables, power cords, and socks–which are typically problematic roadblocks that hinder a robot vacuum from completing its mission.

通过三星SmartThings应用,机器人vacuum will communicate needs through notifications, send images of obstacles it encounters, and even allow you to view a live stream video of the vacuum’s cleaning journey in your space. The Jet Bot AI+ uses laser-powered technology known as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to autonomously transition across surfaces and adjust suction power while successfully avoiding individuals—like pets and children—and objects that cross its cleaning path, even in the dark. It’s comparable to the technology self-parking automobiles use to gauge distance and determine which objects to avoid.

The internal brush has two lines of defense to keep pet hair and other particles lurking on the floor from getting stuck–it’s made with anti-static fibers and there are self-cleaning extractors that grind up hair to prevent tangles. And the Jet bot AI+ comes with a docking station where the robot vacuum self-empties its dust bin into a larger sealed container. It also navigates its way back to its homebase for charging, but the dock, referred to as the cleaning station by Samsung, is larger than the others that made our list so it might be too overwhelming if you live in an apartment.

For safety, the sensors on the robot vacuum are very sensitive, but while testing in a home environment, a long strand of hair was often the culprit holding up the cleaning process. It was easy to remove, but something to keep in mind if you plan to run the vacuum cleaner while you are away from your home.

Price at time of publish: $1,299

_{Weight:20.3 pounds |Power Source: Lithium-ion battery |Bin Volume: 0.2 liters (internal), 2.5 liters (docking station)|Included Accessories:Docking station, brush |Model Number:VR50T95735W/AA |Maximum Runtime:90 minutes}

Best Budget

Neato D8 Intelligent Robot Vacuum

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With the Neato D8 Intelligent Robot Vacuum you can define areas in a room that are off limits—like around your pet’s bowls to avoid spilling water. It’s equipped with a spiral combo brush that is suitable for use across hardwood, carpet, and tile, and a brush cleaning tool is also included to help the spiral combo brush maintain its efficiency.

The Wi-Fi-enabled Neato D8 is best controlled through the NeatoApp on a mobile device where cleanings can be scheduled and the overall maintenance needs of the vacuum can be monitored. There are two cleaning modes to choose from while the D-Shaped vacuum glides around furniture legs and gets into corners. We found the more powerful of the two, turbo, to be highly efficient but too loud to run in the same room while you are having a conversation. The quieter mode, eco, is less intrusive but several passes were often needed to clear the surface of pet hair.

Similar to theSamsung Jet Bot AI+ Robot Vacuum Cleaner, our choice for Best Splurge, the D8 uses LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to identify and navigate its way around obstacles. But unlike the other robot vacuum cleaners we recommend, the Neato D8 does not capture and send photos of what it encounters in your home–a feature that some think could be a potential invasion of privacy.

The affordably priced robot vacuum has a maximum runtime of 100 minutes and is capable of covering up to 750 square feet on a single charge. When the Neato D8 is running low on battery, it can navigate its way to the docking station, but it does not have the capability of self-emptying. The internal dustbin is slightly larger (0.7 liters) than other robotic vacuums but does require manual emptying. The vacuum is also fitted with an internal filter and comes with two replacements.

Price at time of publish: $400

_{Weight: 8 pounds |Power Source: Lithium-ion battery |Bin Volume:0.7 liters |Included Accessories:Docking station, brush cleaning tool, spiral combo brush|Model Number:945-0372 |Maximum Runtime:100 minutes}