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The Pet Owners'

Ultimate Robot Vacuum Guide 2022

A robot vacuum is the most essential tool in any pet owners home. But which do I choose?

Why are robovacs so good for pets?

The convenience of it vacuuming everyday for you is the most obvious factor, but it’s really only the beginning.  Pet fur is tough for most vacuums to pick up.  Not because fur’s heavy, but because it gets tangled and stuck in the carpet.

Robot vacuums have roller-brushes that are powered by electric motors, while the brush on many handheld vacuum only spins because of the air-flowing past it.  As a result, they usually excel at removing pet fur from carpet or hard-floors.

Features you'll want to consider.

Object Detection

Most of the sensors on a robot look at the room around it, not directly at the floor in front of it.  Secondary “object detection” sensors can help to avoid pet poop nightmares.

Roller Brush design

The roller brush design is the most important thing for fur pick up on carpet.  Rubber brushes get less hair tangled, however bristled brushes do pick up slightly more.  The dual rubber brushes on iRobot are the best.

Auto-empty dock

The dust-bins on board the robot are small as there isn’t much space, and if you have pets they fill up quickly.  With an auto-empty dock, the robot will empty itself every time it returns to base.  Some cope with pet-hair better than others.

Best on Carpet (heavy shedding pets)

It’s not cheap, but the iRobot Roomba S9+ is still the best option on the market for absolute pet hair removal. 

We recently had to exchange another top-tier robot for an S9+ as it couldn’t cope with husky levels of hair on thick carpet, but the S9+ made it look easy.  If you have rag doll cats, huskies or allergies, then the extra investment is likely worth every penny.

  • Dual rubber roller brushes – better at pick up and gets less hair tangled.
  • Significantly stronger suction than any other iRobot options.
  • Auto-empty dock that still works with huge amounts of pet hair.
  • D-shaped to fit into corners better.
 
The iRobot Roomba j7+ is a more affordable option.  Although it has less suction than the s9+, it has the patented dual roller brushes that do most of the hard work so it is still an excellent hair remover.  In addition to this, it is the only iRobot model with a camera designed specifically to detect and help the robot avoid pet poop.
 
  • Fantastic on pet hair, despite less suction than the S9+.
  • Auto-empty dock that stores up to 30 days of debris (a lot less if you have a husky).
  • LED to help it work at night.
  • Camera specifically designed to help it avoid pet poop.

Best on Hard Floors

Removing pet hair from hard-floors is usually less challenging than carpet. The best option is the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra, followed by its more affordable sibling, the Roborock S7 Plus.

On hard-floors, suction power becomes more relevant than the roller-brush system, and the Roborock’s both have plenty of that.  They also have an ultra-sonic mop that helps to eliminate  muddy footprints.  The robot will also automatically detect carpet and lift the mop up so it can continue to vacuum without your help – the only one on the market capable of this.

It’s worth mentioning that they will perform well on carpet, but not as well as the iRobot Roombas suggested above if you have thick pile carpet or huskies or rag-doll cats.

The S7 MaxV Ultra is the absolute best on the market for this, because:

 

  • The Ultra base will clean the mop, refill the water tank and empty the dustbin.  It’s the most hands-free option on the market.
  • The S7 MaxV has a whopping 5,100pa of suction – strongest on the market.
  • Not much hair gets tangled around the roller brush compared with normal designs.
  • The auto-empty dock doesn’t struggle with LOTS of hair.
 
The S7 Plus is the best value for money, because:
 
  • It features the same vacuuming mechanisms and ultra-sonic, auto-lifting mop.
  • The auto-empty dock won’t clog easily with pet hair and it also has a bagless option (saves $ on consumables).
  • It has 2,500 pascals of suction which is plenty on hard-floors.
 

Honorable Mentions

Well Rounded

The Ecovacs Deebot T9+ has everything, at an affordable price.  It has an oscillating mop, 3,000 pa of suction, object detection and an auto-emptying dock.  It is also the only option on the market with a fragrance dispenser to keep the floors smelling fresh.  

Best Value

The Mi Mop 2 Ultra+ is the best value option on the market. The mopping function isn’t quite as good as the T9+, but the vacuuming performance is exceptional and the auto-empty dock works well.

Premium Automation

The Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni is the flagship of the Ecovacs’ range.  It has 5,000 pascals of suction and a dock that washes the mopping pads, refills the water tank and empties the dust-bin.  

You won't regret it.

The truth is, any robot vacuum is better than none.  If you haven’t had a robovac before, even the worst for pet-hair on the market will probably still surprise you (at least from one of our brands).  So, go on, take Buster for a run down the beach while Robby gets the cleaning done at home.

Don’t love it?  If you purchase from Robomate you have 30 days to send it back for a full refund if you aren’t stoked.