Best Robot Vacuum For Pet Hair
You might want to invest in an automatic vacuum specifically designed for pet hair if you have cats or dogs in your home. These models have strong suction that can pull up hair strands and food particles as well as cat litter spills.
They are also usually equipped with large dustbins, which reduce the frequency of emptying. Some are equipped with a mopping pads.
1. Eufy RoboVac ElevenS
The Eufy RoboVac 11S is a budget robot vacuum with some great pet hair-busting features. It is quiet, has a big dirt compartment and battery and can automatically clean up to two minutes in spot cleaning mode. It also has BoostIQ which can automatically switch between a 'Standard Power" and the 'Maximum suction" to give the best performance, based on the type of floor.
It doesn't map rooms like Roomba however it does have reactive obstacle avoidance technology as well as drop-sensors to stop it from hitting things (like the cats or dogs) or falling down the stairs. It is also able to suspend and resume cleaning as it gathers debris and transports it to the charging base. Plus, it has an automatic self-emptying feature, and an extremely small dust bin so that you don't need to look or even feel what it's sucking up.
The 11S was a great performer when we tested it on bare floors and carpets with medium cat hair. It wasn't as successful on carpets with high piles and had a bit of trouble with thicker debris, like kitty litter and cereal but it was better than most of the competitors. It also was able to climb over low lying obstructions such as cords with ease. It also kept pet hair out of the way on the wheels and brushes.
We observed that the 11S didn't do as well with dog hair as other models, however the amount was smaller than in other tests. The 11S has its limitations as well like not being able to schedule, and having a limited number of voice commands. However they're not major concerns.
While the 11S is a great choice however, we would suggest checking out other robot vacuums that provide more advanced functionality. For example, the iRobot Roomba 960 is better-built and easier to maintain. It has a bigger dirt storage compartment and a quicker recharge time, and also has smart pathing and better performance on all surfaces than the eufy. The iRobot also gets rid of more pet hair and has a much more extensive list of features to help with your home automation needs.
2. Deebot T10 Omni
The Deebot T10 Omni offers a hands-free, superior experience when cleaning floors. It's among the most powerful robotic vacuums that are available and has great capabilities for picking up pet hair and litter. It also works with smart home assistants like Alexa and Google Assistant, making it easy to fine-tune your cleaning schedule and utilize voice commands.
However its obstacle avoidance capability needs improvement. The T10 Omni tends to bump into loose cabinet baseboards and furniture and gets stuck in the tight corners of the home. It also can damage furniture and surfaces by knocking against furniture as it tries to get out of rooms. The T10 is a bit random when it comes down to the path, too. It can't see things like socks and cords which is why it runs into them.
Fortunately, the new T10+ has upgraded its navigation system and dropped the camera that was found on earlier models. Ecovacs has instead opted to use structured light and lasers to aid in navigating around objects. This is a smart move as it lets the T10 to avoid obstacles and furniture more efficiently.
In addition to that, the T10+ has a self-emptying dust container and a dock that automatically cleans and dry mopping pads to prevent bacteria from accumulating. It also comes with 8,000Pa of suction and is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control. It's also the priciest robotvac we have however it's an excellent choice for homes with a lot of carpeted areas.
Some robot vacuums are more feature-rich than others. For instance, some have the capability to create a customized cleaning schedule and pick the rooms to clean. Certain dust bins are bigger, which reduces the frequency of emptying them. Some come with tangle-free brush rolls that decrease the amount of long hair sucked up into the dustbin. Some models have a less raucous operating noise, which can be helpful for households with sensitive ears. Many robotic vacuums are compatible with smart assistants that support voice control, and can be connected to smartphone apps to track the progress of cleaning.
Roomba 960 from iRobot
The Roomba 960 is one the best robot vacuums for pet hair. It performed well in the majority of our tests, however it had some issues with carpet and had an issue with certain obstacles like rug tassels. It is also a bit more expensive than some of its rivals. However, it has more features and better navigation than the other models we tested.
It comes with a big dustbin, as well as a virtual wall that keeps it from going into areas you don't want. It's compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant that let you control the robot via voice commands. The iRobot app lets you view a map of the areas it has cleaned. Additionally, you can set the cleaning preferences.
The 960 performed well on bare floors. It picked up a lot of surface litter including cereal and did a good job of removing particles that were embedded. It's not bad for low-pile carpet, either however, it loses steam as the dirt compartment is filled up. It also has a few components that you need to replace regularly.
It did well in our Home Coverage test, which is responsible for 20 percent of a robot's overall score. It covered the entire furnished room, which is better than other robots that we have tested. The 960 also did an excellent job at navigating stairs, which is difficult for most robots to tackle. It didn't perform as well on carpets as the 980 or our favorite which is the Neato Botvac D80, but it still did an excellent job.
It's more expensive than the D80 but it comes with a lot of innovative features. It also has larger dust bin. If you are willing to make sacrifices in navigation and obstacle detection but value excellent debris pick-up and a clean environment, then the 960 is an excellent option for you. It is also cheaper than the 980. This means it will have less cost-per-use.
4. iRobot Roomba 980
The Roomba is the top of the-line robotic vacuum. It's also their most effective model to tackle hair from pets. It's a little bit more expensive than some of the other options on this list, but it has a blend of brains and muscle that makes it one of the most efficient robovacs available. It has a tread that can navigate uneven floors and the suction that picks the cat litter that is scattered throughout your home. It also comes with connectivity to allow you to manage it remotely or schedule cleanings.
It's the smartest robot vacuum we've tested and is based on the most sophisticated software available from iRobot to map out your home and plan a course of action for each cleaning cycle. To do this, it uses cameras, an on-board sensor, and a specific algorithm called VSLAM (Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping).
The Roomba 980, despite being capable of navigating your home with relative ease isn't a perfect machine. Its quick cleanings have left behind a small amount of sawdust and pet hair on vinyl. robot vacuum for dog hair can be manually redirected with the help a virtual barrier to keep out these areas.
You can set these up with the iRobot app and place them close to your pet's water and food bowls or any other area you'd like to keep clear from. If you're looking for more help preventing your pet's hair from ending up on the floor, the 980 comes with an exclusive Power Boost mode that boosts suction whenever needed.
As far as the user experience is concerned the 980 is pleasant to use. Its large central CLEAN button is easy to find and presses down with satisfying clicks to begin the robot's cleaning process. There are three additional buttons on the outside: an energy button, a schedule button, and a reset button. You'll also be able to control the robot using voice commands, and also a smartphone using the iRobot app.