Best Robot Vacuum For Dog Hair [3 Best 2021]

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[Updated February 2021]

Are you tired of having to vacuum all of that dog hair in your home? Well, you’re not alone! Many of us own dogs that are shedding machines, myself included!

I love my Golden Retriever, but I’m constantly vacuuming and sweeping my floors! There has to be a better solution. Ahh yes, a robot vacuum!

What is the best robot vacuum for dog hair? Find out in this article as I review 3 of the best, plus a bonus robot vacuum to consider.

What To Consider Before Choosing The Best Robot Vacuum For Dog Hair

With so many robot vacuums on the market today, it can be a bit overwhelming when trying to decide on which one will do the best job at cleaning up all that dog hair.

You will need to consider the following:

Your Budget

How much are you wanting to spend on a robot vacuum?

Prices range from $200 to as much as $1000, and the lower-priced robot vacuums will not have as many of the features as the expensive ones. Features such as tractioned brush rollers and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Your Flooring

Is your flooring mostly made of hard surfaces like hardwood, laminate, and tile? Or do you have mostly carpet?

Many robot vacuums are designed for hard floor surfaces and can handle low-pile carpet, or thin carpet, while other robot vacuums are able to handle medium-pile carpet.

If your house is mostly made up of carpet, and you are of course a dog owner, then you will need a robot vacuum that will be able to pick up dog hair with ease.

Battery Life and Run Time

Usually the bigger the battery, the more run time the robot vacuum will give.

If your house is really big, then a bigger battery life might be important to you. You want the robot vacuum to last through an entire cleaning session, before needing a re-charge.

Robot vacuums can clean for up to 1.5 hours, on average, and some high-end models can last up to 2 hours.

Some robot vacuums when they are in need of re-charging will navigate back to their base station, re-charge and then finish cleaning.

How Loud Is The Vacuum?

If you plan on having the robot vacuum clean your home while you are watching TV or reading a book, then you will prefer a model that is quiet. Also, your dog may not like the sound of the vacuum, I know that my dog absolutely hates it when I bring out my vacuum cleaner.

Robot vacuums are generally quieter than standard vacuums, but some make an annoying high-pitched whistle noise, while others make a mechanical grinding noise.

Noise may be less of a concern to you if you plan on having the robot vacuum clean your home while you are out of the house.

Remote Control or Wi-Fi Connectivity?

Many of the entry-level robot vacuums will come with remote control, which will allow you to control where the vacuum will clean. These models are simple to use and are a great option if you are wanting to save some cash. However, having to physically control the vacuum with a remote, or by manually pushing a button, kind of defeats the purpose of having a robot do all the work for you.

If you are wanting a robot vacuum that you can schedule to clean, and is easier to control, then you will want to look for models that have a companion app. A robot vacuum that has app capabilities, means that it also offers Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, and you will be able to use voice command to run the vacuum.

Having a Wi-Fi enabled robot vacuum, will offer you more convenience. By simply installing an app on your smartphone or tablet, you can schedule, start, pause, stop, and receive notifications from your robot vacuum, all while you are away from home.

Use your smartphone or tablet as a remote control, and direct the robot vacuum to clean any room or specific spot that you want.

Some robot vacuums with app capabilities can even map out where they have cleaned.

Slim Design

You want to look for a vacuum that has a slim design so that it can easily maneuver underneath furniture like the couch, bed, tables and chairs.

Stair Detection and Obstacle Avoidance

This is a standard feature among almost all robot vacuums, which allows the robot to detect when it has reached a step, or ledge so that it can back up and avoid tumbling down the stairs.

Most robot vacuums have intelligent sensors that can sense obstacles such as furniture, toys, and any other objects in their way. Sensors are located on or near the vacuum’s shock-absorbing bumpers, and allow the vacuum to steer through these obstacles without slowing down.

HEPA Filter

A robot vacuum that has a HEPA filter is great for people with allergies, and people with pets. A HEPA filter will help eliminate the allergens that are produced from dog hair and any other pet dander.

Size of the Dustbin

The size of the dustbin will matter to you, especially as a dog owner. Look for dustbins that are larger than 600 millilitres, so that you don’t have to worry about emptying the bin after each cleaning.  Smaller dustbins will need to be emptied after each cleaning as they fill up faster.

Will A Robot Vacuum Really Benefit Me?

A robot vacuum will not replace your traditional vacuum cleaner, you’ll still need to vacuum your stairs, and upholstery to get rid of all that dog hair. But, a robot vacuum is a great addition to your regular vacuum.

Here are some of the benefits of a robot vacuum:

• Saves You Time: A robot vacuum is great for maintaining your floors on a daily basis. The robot vacuum can clean dog hair, dirt and debris from your floors in between the times you use a full-sized vacuum to deep clean your floors.

• Schedule Cleaning Whenever: You can schedule the robot vacuum to clean your home at a certain time, while you are at work or even asleep.

• They Are Compact: Robot vacuums are small, and compact, making them easy to store.

• Adjust To Different Floors: They automatically adjust to different floor surfaces in your home, from tile to hardwood to carpet.

• Self-Charging: Robot vacuums can charge themselves, saving you time. When a robot vacuum is finished cleaning, it returns to its docking station and re-charges.

• Requires Little To No Effort: Robot vacuums are easy to use and require little to no effort from you. You can either operate it with remote control, your smartphone or with voice control. Either way, it is simple.

• Quieter Than Traditional Vacuums: This is great for dog owners because dogs usually run away from the noisy vacuum cleaner. However, robot vacuums are pretty quiet and dogs tolerate them.

Check out this short video to see a Robot Vacuum in action.  

The dog in the above video is clearly not bothered by the robot vacuum at all!

Best Robot Vacuum For Dog Hair [My Top 3 Picks, Plus Bonus]

1. Eufy Boost IQ RoboVac 15C MAX

This is the newest model in the Eufy lineup.  The 15C MAX has been re-engineered to offer you its most powerful suction while still maintaining a super quiet operation and super slim design.

This vacuum is Wi-Fi connected and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Simply ask, and the RoboVac will do the hard work for you.  Use the EufyHome app to schedule cleaning when you are away.

At just under 3 inches, this vacuum easily fits under almost any piece of furniture in your house.  The advanced brushless motor makes it super quiet, operating no louder than a microwave, you can even have it running while you are watching TV.

The large heavy-duty wheels allow this vacuum to easily move over low-medium-pile carpets and raised floor ledges to clean up the mess.

Zero attention is needed to operate this vacuum.  With drop sensing technology and infrared sensors, this RoboVac will not tumble down any stairs or bump into any obstacles.

This vacuum is powerful and has Boost IQ Technology, which automatically increases suction power when extra vacuuming strength is needed. The 15C generates an impressive 2000 pascals of suction, which is powerful enough to remove ground-in dirt from carpets.

Features:

• 100 Minutes Runtime.
• Quiet: 75% quieter than traditional vacuums.
• Slim 2.85″ thin.
• Wi-Fi Connected uses EufyHome App.
• Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, voice control.
• Suction Power: 2000Pa.
• Dustbin 0.6L.
• Decibels 55dB.
• Weighs 6 pounds.
• 1 Lithium-ion battery included.
• Remote included, for operating without a smartphone or smart assistant.
• Brushless Motor.
• 3-Point Cleaning System consisting of a suction inlet, rolling-brush, and side brush.
• 1-Year Warranty.

Pros:

• The Eufy 15C MAX is super quiet, thin and compact. The strong suction power allows this vacuum to lift any ground-in dirt from carpets and sucks up dog hair with ease and without any tangles.

• Wi-Fi is not needed to operate this vacuum, it also comes with a remote.

• When the battery is low, the vacuum senses this and returns to the base.

• This vacuum will not damage or scratch your hardwood floors, and easily transitions from hard floors to carpets.

Cons:

• Some users have mentioned that this vacuum often struggles to find its way back to the charging base.

• The run-time is reduced when used on carpet.

2. iRobot Roomba 980

[UPDATE: The iRobot Roomba 980 has been discontinued, you can still purchase pre-owned models, however.]

When it comes to robot vacuums, one name usually comes to everyone’s mind, iRobot. iRobot was founded in 1990 and has significantly improved its robot vacuums since then.

The iRobot Roomba 980’s most impressive features are its ability to navigate an entire level of your home, keeping track of where it has cleaned, and where it has yet to clean.

It cleans for a run time of 120 minutes, then goes back to its docking station to recharge and once recharged it resumes cleaning until the job is done.

The iRobot 980 has 10X the suction power to that of the most basic Roomba and features a Carpet Boost sensor that detects carpet or area rugs and increases suction.

A great feature of this vacuum is its dirt detect sensors that are able to detect areas that are extra dirty, such as high traffic areas, and spend more time cleaning them.

Features:

• 120 Minutes Runtime.
• Automatically recharges and resumes cleaning.
• The auto-adjust cleaning head cleans all floor types.
• Carpet Boost: 10X Power & deeper cleaning on carpets.
• Wi-Fi Connected uses iRobot HOME App.
• Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, voice control.
• Weighs 8.7 pounds.
• 3.6 inches thin.
• Tangle-free brushes handle pet hair with ease.
• Use Clean Map Reports to see where your vacuum has cleaned.
• A high-efficiency filter captures 99% of allergens.
• Dirt Detect sensors concentrate on extra dirty areas.
• Edge Clean: use perimeter clean mode to clean near walls and corners.
• Lithium-Ion Battery.
• 3 Cleaning brushes: 2 rotating brushes, 1 spinning side brush.
• Floor tracking sensors.
• 2 Virtual Walls: set up to define boundaries.
• 1-Year Warranty.

Pros:

• This vacuum allows you to schedule routine cleaning cycles, all with your smartphone.

• This vacuum handles dog hair with ease, it really does a great job on all floors, and it increases its suction power on carpets, with its Carpet Boost.

• The brushes do not get tangled, and in high traffic areas that are extra dirty, this vacuum goes over them twice.

• On hard floors and in standard cleaning mode, this RoboVac cleans continuously for up to 2 hours, then goes to its base to recharge, and resumes cleaning until the job is done.

Cons:

• Some users of this vacuum have mentioned that it is loud, especially when it is vacuuming carpets on Carpet Boost.

• It is expensive.

• Some users have mentioned that it does not clean corners and edges thoroughly, because of its round shape.

• The dustbin can be hard to empty, and users have mentioned that the bin is small. Upon first use, this vacuum will pick up a lot of dust, dirt and dog hair, and that is a good thing. After you let it run a few days a week, it will not be picking up as much, so the dustbin will not need emptying as much.

Bonus: iRobot Roomba 960

The Roomba 960 is still one of iRobot’s most popular robot vacuums, and it easily sucks up dog hair making it a great choice for dog owners.

The Roomba 960 and the Roomba 980 share similar features, but the 960 is available at a cheaper price point, and now that the 980 has been discontinued, the 960 is a great alternative.

How does it differ from the Roomba 980? It has less runtime, slightly less suction power, and features 1 virtual wall, but it is still able to clean up messes with ease. It is a great choice if you don’t need the extra runtime and live in a modestly sized home.

Features:

• 75 Minutes Runtime.
• Automatically recharges & resumes cleaning.
• Wi-Fi Connectivity.
• 5x More suction power than previous models.
• High-Efficiency Filter traps 99% of allergens.
• Full Bin Indicator.
• Lithium-ion Battery.
• 1 Virtual Wall.
• Weighs 8.6 lbs.
• 3.6 inches thin.
• Floor tracking sensors to navigate in neat rows.
• Anti-Tangle Technology.
• 1-Year Warranty.

Pros:

• More affordable than the iRobot Roomba 980, and does just as good of a job. The Roomba 960 will do just fine in homes that are not too large.

• Slightly quieter than the Roomba 980.

• Picks up dog hair easily, even on medium shag carpet.

• It spends extra time on high traffic and dirty areas to make sure they are clean.

Cons:

• Some reviewers have mentioned that it has navigation problems.

• It doesn’t have carpet boost like the Roomba 980.

• Still an expensive option.

3.Samsung PowerBot R7070 Pet Robot Vacuum

Samsung is Wi-Fi enabled and works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It can be controlled with a remote as well which is included.

This vacuum is easy to clean, the dustbin is see-thru and top-loading, and pops out with the touch of a button. The filter is washable and reusable.

Samsung has powerful suction and has an onboard camera and multiple sensors to create an optimal cleaning path, avoiding any obstacles in its way.

A coverage map lets you see where the vacuum has cleaned.

Features:

• 90 Minutes Runtime.
• Wi-Fi Connected.
• Voice Control with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Bixby.
• Edge Clean.
• The self-cleaning brush automatically detangles & removes pet hair collected around the brush.
• Large wheels, transitions with ease from hard floors to carpets.
• Schedule cleaning times.
• Washable filter.
• 9.5 pounds.
• 3.8″ thin.
• 1-Year Warranty.

Pros:

• Users of this vacuum love how it does a great job of sucking up dog hair, and hair does not get tangled. This vacuum does a great job of returning to its base.

• This vacuum has Edge Clean technology, a rubber blade extends out of the vacuum to clean hard to reach areas like corners and edges along walls.

• Remote control is included for you to operate this vacuum without Wi-Fi if you wish.

Cons:

• At a height of 3.8″, some users of this vacuum have reported that it has difficulty fitting underneath furniture, and gets stuck.

• The dustbin is small.

Tough Decision But… The Winner Is

Eufy Boost IQ RoboVac 15C MAX

I chose this vacuum as the winner because it has amazing suction power and picks up dog hair from carpets and hard floors with ease. I like that it is super quiet and super thin, just under 3 inches, it doesn’t get stuck under furniture.

It is the most affordable vacuum out of the 3 that I reviewed, and it has Wi-Fi connectivity and includes a remote for operating without your smartphone.

For anyone wanting to get a robot vacuum, without paying an arm and a leg for it, I highly recommend the Eufy Boost IQ RoboVac 15C MAX.

What About You?

Do you agree with my review of the best robot vacuum for dog hair?  Do you currently use a robot vacuum?  Which one is your favourite to tackle all that dog hair?

Share your thoughts and comments below.  I would love to hear from you.