Your choice will depend on the amount of hair your pet sheds and how much of it clumps together. Before you get into that, it would be good to know the difference between robot vacuums and traditional vacuums.
Traditional Vacuums vs Robot Vacuums
Dustbin Capacities
Traditional vacuums and robot vacuums share similar dustbin concerns. Contrary to popular belief, you will still have to track your dustbins with robot vacuums. Robot vacuums, however, are more reliable. Since these are smart vacuums, they follow methodical cleaning. Human vacuum cleaning, while fail-safe, depends on the human operating the machine. Robot-mandated cleaning may take longer, but it does ensure an efficient cleaning effort every time. Like traditional vacuums, the dustbins of robot vacuums vary on what each person may need. Small houses may need smaller smart vacuums, and larger houses obviously would need a bigger machine. Either way, there are no shortcuts to dustbins. Traditional and robot vacuums will need you to keep a close eye on their dustbin capacities. The difference is, you can program some robots to remind you that their bins are almost full of dust.
Maintenance Costs
Maintaining vacuums can be costly, which is why this question surrounds the best robot vacuum models. Because of recharging, people care about what it takes to maintain robot vacuums. For traditional vacuums, maintenance is simple. Some are rechargeable while some need to be plugged in just for it to work. There are traditional vacuums that fit in the palm of your hand, but there are also vacuums stored in large cabinets. There is diversity within traditional vacuuming options. By this virtue, the maintenance costs for traditional and robot vacuums are more or less the same. There are a few trade-offs involved, but these are not exceptionally significant. With smart vacuums, efficiency is much more consistent. Some robots even find their own charging spots, which is a plus for anyone who wants low-maintenance cleaning.
Connectivity
The biggest difference between traditional and smart vacuums is connectivity. Traditional vacuums need your physical control to function. The biggest selling point of the best robot vacuum models is that all you need for a robot-led cleaning is your phone and an app. You control these Wi-Fi vacuums right through your smartphone. Through a few apps, you can control the schedule, intensity, and even the routes of your smart vacuums. With most smart vacuums, you can even control them like a robot car. What is also interesting about these best robot vacuum models is that they base their routes off of statistics. They have their own floor plans and explore each section of your home as they deem fit. Of course, you can control them, but you can opt to rest easy if you are having a busy day.
Efficiency
Previously, we have written about the best robot vacuums you should consider buying. Now, we will give you 16 chosen specifically for the maintenance of your furry friends and the tranquility of your home. Most robot vacuums can cover any floor type, too. Moving houses does not equate looking at new robot vacuums online. Of course, this is the case for all traditional vacuums, but this goes to show that the difference between them is narrowing. While there is no labor quite like our own, the best robot vacuum models are compact household items that can do a large and tedious chore for you. They can reach the nooks and crannies of your house, so there is no need for you to wear your cleaning clothes when your robot vacuum is on the job.
Considerations in Buying the Best Robot Vacuum Models For Pet Hair
Pet Shedding
Roomba’s i7+ has one of the most impressive innovations when it comes to dealing with animal fur. With a feature called the Clean Base, your i7+ stores 30 dustbins worth of fur, debris, and dust. This makes the i7+ one of the most low-maintenance robot vacuums as it can go a long time without you having to check up on it. The Roomba’s i7+ also catches pet allergens with its filter, making sure you and your pet’s well being is at the best they can be. You can see that through this feature, the i7+ does not only cater to your pet’s needs. It also has a recharging feature. The i7+ is so advanced that when it runs low on battery, it charges itself. After it’s done charging, it picks up where its cleaning left off. How will it know which rooms to go to? This robot vacuum surveys your household and can distinguish rooms from one another. It navigates your floors through your house’s landmarks. There are more features to discover, so here is everything you need to know about the iRobot Roomba vacuums. To connect to your Roomba i7+, you should have the iRobot HOME app. Like a lot of other best robot vacuum models on this list, connecting through Alexa or Google Assistant is an option too. Other features include washable filters, a navigation system, self-cleaning, and large wheels. These above-average wheels make it possible for this robot vacuum to pass over thick rugs and other flooring accessories. It is also worth mentioning that Samsung has other lines of robot vacuums for you to explore. Learn more about the unique features of Samsung robot vacuums if you’re interested in learning more. Auto mode provides the usual cleaning you would expect from the best robot vacuum models. It scans a room and navigates it by focusing on the room’s edges. To get tiny and unreachable dirt, use spot mode. It targets these areas of your household. In contrast, enable the max mode of your RoboVac 11S if you want one big clean up. Either way, its drop sensors and central rolling brush make this robot vacuum perfect for cleaning up your pets’ fur. The single room mode does what it is supposed to, only cleaning the room that it’s currently in. You can schedule your cleaning through its remote. When it is done with its chores for the day, the RoboVac also self-charges. Its battery life is one of the best in the robot vacuum game. Running for up to 100 minutes without recharging, the 15C Max is the best Eufy option for people with large houses. It will navigate your homes using infrared sensors that have evolved since the 11S’s release. These sensors detect obstacles coming your RoboVac’s way. Like the 11S, you can also schedule your cleaning time. You do not have to be at home for your vacuum to do its job, which makes this a good option for busy people. Your pet’s hair will be taken care of with the Eufy RoboVac. All you have to do is control it using its remote, the EufyHome App, or through Alexa and Google Assistant. Another physical feature of the D7 is its spiral combo brush, enabling a thorough cleaning of your pet’s hair and similar discharges. Best believe that this is not only for your pets since the Neato can deal with all types of dirt. It even filters these out with its filter screens. For its smart features, the Botvac D7 gives you the chance to create virtual boundaries. It can avoid rooms that you don’t think it has the business of being in with a few presses of a button. No need to worry if it remembers your settings, too, since it can memorize up to 5,000 square feet of your home’s layout. Compared to the other best robot vacuum models, the Botvac has the most avenues for connection. Use your Neato Botvac D7 through your Android and iOS phones, Alexa, your smartwatches, Facebook Messenger, and more. Its battery life is fairly long, especially for apartments and condominiums. In smaller spaces like these, clutter and obstacles can be found almost everywhere, but the Roomba 630 manages to do its job well. This robot vacuum can clean different floor types, from rugs to tiles and wood. You can never tell where your pet decides to take a nap next, which is why the 630 is still a good choice for pet owners. Its versatility and low-maintenance keeping, despite its aged technology, keep it on this list. As for its cleaning features, the 690 has a bump=and-run navigation system. This means that it has a trial-and-error approach to cleaning—if it bumps on anything, it will rewire its routes automatically. As it goes through its cleaning routes, this robot vacuum uses multi-surface brushes and three-stage cleaning. This ensures that it gets as much dirt and debris off the floor as possible. Moreover, the 690 also has invisible boundary makers and dirt sensors. These features are best for busy homes with more than just a couple of pets lying around. This best targets dirty spots in your household. With your control, you can map out your home and command your robot to focus on a specific area. The boundaries you set and the cleaning hours you can set make your robot clean quickly and efficiently in that area of your home. Controlling the Roomba is possible only through your smartphone since it functions on its built-in Wi-Fi. It is compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, though. The absence of such an integral feature to modern robot vacuum cleaners makes features like room mapping, smart home assistants, and app controls inapplicable on the V3s Pro. It is worth mentioning, though, that these features may not be a priority for some since this robot vacuum has a remote. Its cleaning method is a perfect fit for people with furry pets because the V3s Pro does not have brushes. Best used on hardwood and low carpet floors, fur will not tangle inside this vacuum’s inner workings at all. You can also schedule cleaning time with the V3s Pro. This is a good option for anyone who specific busy hours in their homes. The other visible upgrade from the V3s is the V8s’s mopping capability. With three different mopping intensities, you get bang-for-your-buck cleaning with this iLife model. Like the V3s Pro, this vacuum robot is not equipped with Wi-Fi. However, it does have self-charging and scheduled cleaning capabilities, the latter possible through your V3s remote. Its suction is no joke, too, as it can get crumbs, hair, and other dust particles off the floor. Pet owners know animals do more than just shed. Owning a pet is a big responsibility because it is like having a baby around your house, only with less crying. The Roborock’s mop feature can handle the wet paw prints your pets may leave on your hardwood floors or, even worse, their pee. Its features are not only for show. The Roborock boasts the ability to precisely get dust and hair because of its suction power. If you are worried about them cleaning a bit too much of your rooms, you can set up restricted areas in your home. Features of this robot vacuum include strong suction, mapping capabilities, and restricted section programming. For a clearer idea on how strong this robot vacuum is, it can clean up even batteries. The Neato Robotics D5 is perfect for these types of homes. People with a lot of pets can appreciate that you can control the boundaries of this robot vacuum. Alternatively, you can also control the vacuum yourself if you want to focus on that one specific spot that has been bugging you for weeks. The D5’s shape makes it perfect for spot-on cleaning. Since it is D-shaped, it can get into the narrow corners of your household. This is perfect for people with pets that love to hang around by the nooks and crannies of their homes. Discover everything you need to know about the Neato vacuums here. Should it need to recharge, you can trust PetHair Plus to go back to its charging station unattended. It will keep you in the loop, though, as you can see its battery life on its LCD screen at all times. Being one of the best robot vacuum models, the PerHair Plus filters 99.7 percent of your pet allergens and can also function as a mop. While it cannot map your rooms, it does have a remote for you to control. Rest assured that it can get down and dirty in areas that are very hard to reach as long as you can steer it in the right direction. This robot vacuum does not have Wi-Fi, but it does have a proper functioning remote. Schedule your cleaning time every day for a week with the PerHair Plus. Using the app, you will get updates and notifications for how your ION R85 is doing at home. Since you can schedule your cleaning times, the robot can function without your help. Although, you must know that the ION R85 cannot clean as swiftly as other robot vacuums. While it detects ledges, walls, and other landmarks, it may take a bit more time to navigate your floor space. Still, it offers above-average robot vacuum features. The Deebot 500 will create cleaning routes that make cleaning more efficient. It also uses sensors that detect when it is about to hit household items. If this does not deliver good cleaning, feel free to set your own invisible boundaries. You can control your Deebot 500 through your app through Alexa and Google Home. Like the other robot vacuums, you can schedule your cleaning time and let your Deebot do its job while no one is at home. Robots.net has a comprehensive review of the Ecovacs line, if you are interested. Having your furry friends at home posits more pros than cons. Your pets are your family in a way, but that does not mean they cannot be a pain in your chore days. When looking for the best robot vacuum models for your pet hairs, consider what and how much your pets shed. Furs differ across pet breeds, and some vacuums serve different purposes better than the other. Do a small background check on your pet before deciding on a dedicated robot vacuum. Is it the type to shed a lot as it grows older? What type of fur does it shed? Thick? Thin? Small patches? Is your pet big or small? Does it like staying underneath the nooks and crannies of your home? These will determine the type of robot vacuum you plan on buying.
Battery Life
Other than doing a background check on your pet, you should also always consider the battery life of the best robot vacuum you want to buy. While the top robot vacuum models cater to any situation, there are those that specialize in smaller or larger spaces. You will discover this when you look into each robot vacuum’s battery life. A vacuum’s battery life is a good indicator of what it is best used for. For people with large, spacious homes, vacuums that clean for over two hours without recharging is best for you. Following stricter schedules can assure it delivers the most efficient cleaning, too. There are also vacuums that run for 120-140 minutes, so it really depends on your home and how you want it cleaned. On average though, the best robot vacuum cleaners run for about 60-80 minutes. This would not be of concern to anyone who wants a vacuum for a small and specific floor space.
Dustbin Size
Because the best robot vacuum models can clean unmonitored, you may forget to track their dustbin capacities. Smart vacuums clean as long as they are able to and follow their repetitive (or random) methods while doing so. Thus, while maintenance for these are less, it does not amount to no maintenance at all. Most models have a 0.5-liter capacity, for starters. If it goes above that, then you have a robot vacuum good for pets that shed a lot of fur everywhere. For context, there are dustbins that have capacities ranging from 0.6 liters – 1.1 liters. The list above guides you through the pros and cons of each offering. The benefit of a large dustbin capacity is obvious: there will be less cleaning up after your own cleaning robot. In fact, some vacuums even empty themselves. In that scenario, there is not much you have to do other than schedule your cleaning sessions. Still, there are underlying benefits to large dustbin capacities. One of which is that differently-shaped dustbins can clean tight corners better than its competitors.
Smart Robot Features
At the end of the day, the best robot vacuum models can be considered as household appliances. Given their features, though, it is safe to say that they are more like gadgets and less like appliances. When considering each model, you also have to understand the limits of their features. For example, most of the vacuums above have Wi-Fi connection. But how far will this connection go without becoming unstable? Will moving between rooms affect how you control your robot? This is why you have to dissect the features of your models.
Navigation
Learn about how your smart vacuums navigate their cleaning spaces. Some do their cleaning at random, while some have a strict routine they follow. Your smart robot will map out your living spaces either way, so it is best to learn how it will clean them. This ensures safety and care for your floors and your robots, too. Other robot vacuum models have their own dirt detection methods, so this is a bang-for-your-buck choice if you have a messy pet. Why? Dirt detection focuses on messy areas of your floors and will target them while cleaning. This means it will clean there longer than it would have to if it were cleaning at random.
WiFi Connection
The best robot vacuum models are only possible through a WiFi connection. As every model has it, it is best for you to see its connection capabilities. Larger homes may have a problem with this, as crossing rooms weaken phone-vacuum connections. There is no harm in learning about how strong the connections are and can be when it’s doing its duties.
Filtration systems
Vacuuming can amp up the dust and pollen in your home. Even for people who clean often, eliminating all dust bunnies is impossible. When vacuuming, you get as much as you can. Still, it creates a domino effect in your homes—-more dust and pollen may appear in the process of trapping dust and pollen. This is why a strong filtration system is needed, especially for households ridden with allergies. Filters make sure that all the unearthed dust and pollen get sucked in your vacuum. All vacuums have them, but the best vacuum models have filters that catch even the smallest particles. With an above-standard filtration system, you have clean air, a clean floor, and a cleaner living space.
Noise Level
This is a no-brainer for anyone with a pet. Household animals are often startled (or angered) by anything that moves that is not you. Noises, for dogs especially, trigger these emotions as well. Robot vacuum models that are sensitive to the needs of your pet are the ones that you should consider if your pets scare easily. There are vacuums that sound like an electric fan, and some that sound obnoxiously loud. If you and your pet go for a run regularly, then consider buying a vacuum that can clean when you are not around. In that scenario, it will not matter if it’s loud or not. But, if you work from home and live with your pets 24/7, consider the noise these robot vacuums make.
Virtual Wall
Not all robots have a virtual wall, so you might consider getting one that does. Virtual walls are magnetic strips that stop your robots from getting too close to specific objects. If you have a house filled with objects prone to falling, then these are a priority for you. This also applies to pets, since robot vacuums can refrain from tripping up your furry friend when they are minding their own business.
Easy Replacement Features
Even if your robot vacuums can feel like super-robots with their capabilities, they are not indestructible. There will be a few instances where they will need some rewiring or a general check-up. This is a given for any appliance, though, so there is nothing too special about this consideration. You will still need to make sure replacement parts for your robot vacuum are easy to find. Getting the best robot vacuum is one thing, but you must know where and how to get it fixed if it breaks. Also consider the warranties provided to each vacuum as this will come in handy for the future. What items should you have extras for at the ready? Filters, brushes, and dustbins are a good start.
Final Words
Your choice for what is the best robot vacuum for you will depend on several factors. Truly, there is not one good option. Before you make your decision, remember to consider the floor area of your household and how busy it gets. Most of all, consider how your pets will react to this new piece of technology. Once you put all of these into consideration, finding the perfect robot vacuum for your pet will be a piece of cake.
