The Best Robot Vacuums for Pet Hair We Tested, Including Shark, Eufy, and More

Mar. 15, 2025

In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleOur Top PicksReviewsOthers We TriedWhat To KnowBehind the ScenesWhy Trust PEOPLE?What Is PEOPLE Tested?

In This ArticleView All

In This Article

View All

Our Top Picks

Reviews

Others We Tried

What To Know

Behind the Scenes

Why Trust PEOPLE?

What Is PEOPLE Tested?

Photo:People / Julee Evans

People / Julee Evans

Pet ownersknow that no matter how often you manually sweep, mop, or vacuum, pet hair always seems to find its way back onto the floor.Consider a robot vacuum for pet hair: These small vacuums work wirelessly, often running off a pre-programmed schedule, to suck up pet hair and debris on multiple surfaces from carpet to hardwood. Though not a replacement fortraditional upright vacuums, robovacs can be a complementary machine, maneuvering around and under furniture more easily.We had real pet owners test six popular robot vacuums over two weeks, comparing their ease of setup and use, features, and overall performance. All of the robot vacuums produced a noticeably cleaner environment, but a few came out ahead.Our Top PicksBest Overall:SALEEufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Max at Amazon$250$170Jump to ReviewBest Overall, Runner-Up:roborock Robot Vacuum at Amazon$600Jump to ReviewBest Budget:Shark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum at Target$260Jump to ReviewBest Investment:Ecovacs T20 Robot Vacuum and Mop at Amazon$1,100Jump to Review

Pet ownersknow that no matter how often you manually sweep, mop, or vacuum, pet hair always seems to find its way back onto the floor.

Consider a robot vacuum for pet hair: These small vacuums work wirelessly, often running off a pre-programmed schedule, to suck up pet hair and debris on multiple surfaces from carpet to hardwood. Though not a replacement fortraditional upright vacuums, robovacs can be a complementary machine, maneuvering around and under furniture more easily.

We had real pet owners test six popular robot vacuums over two weeks, comparing their ease of setup and use, features, and overall performance. All of the robot vacuums produced a noticeably cleaner environment, but a few came out ahead.

Our Top PicksBest Overall:SALEEufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Max at Amazon$250$170Jump to ReviewBest Overall, Runner-Up:roborock Robot Vacuum at Amazon$600Jump to ReviewBest Budget:Shark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum at Target$260Jump to ReviewBest Investment:Ecovacs T20 Robot Vacuum and Mop at Amazon$1,100Jump to Review

Best Overall:SALEEufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Max at Amazon$250$170Jump to ReviewBest Overall, Runner-Up:roborock Robot Vacuum at Amazon$600Jump to ReviewBest Budget:Shark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum at Target$260Jump to ReviewBest Investment:Ecovacs T20 Robot Vacuum and Mop at Amazon$1,100Jump to Review

Best Overall:SALEEufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Max at Amazon$250$170Jump to Review

Best Overall:SALEEufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Max at Amazon$250$170

Best Overall:

SALE

Best Overall, Runner-Up:roborock Robot Vacuum at Amazon$600Jump to Review

Best Overall, Runner-Up:roborock Robot Vacuum at Amazon$600

Best Overall, Runner-Up:

Best Budget:Shark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum at Target$260Jump to Review

Best Budget:Shark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum at Target$260

Best Budget:

Best Investment:Ecovacs T20 Robot Vacuum and Mop at Amazon$1,100Jump to Review

Best Investment:Ecovacs T20 Robot Vacuum and Mop at Amazon$1,100

Best Investment:

Best OverallEufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S MaxPHOTO: Amazon$250$200 at Amazon$200 at WalmartView on Eufy.com

Best OverallEufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Max

Best Overall

Eufy BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Max

PHOTO: Amazon

$250$200 at Amazon$200 at WalmartView on Eufy.com

Star QualitiesEasy, intuitive setupAutomatically adjusts suction strength as neededSeamlessly transitions between floor typesRed FlagsNo integrated mobile appOnly runs a once-a-day cleaning schedule

Star QualitiesEasy, intuitive setupAutomatically adjusts suction strength as neededSeamlessly transitions between floor types

Easy, intuitive setup

Automatically adjusts suction strength as needed

Seamlessly transitions between floor types

Red FlagsNo integrated mobile appOnly runs a once-a-day cleaning schedule

No integrated mobile app

Only runs a once-a-day cleaning schedule

This robovac automatically detects the necessary suction power for each floor and debris type and adjusts accordingly while cleaning. It had no issues moving between ceramic tile and medium-pile carpeting, and it picked up pet hair and surface dust with ease. Since robovacs can be clunky, we appreciated the small profile and quietly efficient operation of this vacuum. Plus, simple directions made the setup a breeze.

A few notable features: the edge-only cleaning mode which focuses on tracing the space perimeter, the manual suction power adjustment, and the spot clean function which allows you to clean a specific area using the highest suction level. This was particularly ideal for removing “tumbleweeds” of dog hair on the floor immediately after a petting session.

However, the lack of an integrated app (often a standard feature) felt limiting, especially when setting up the cleaning schedule. It only allows you to schedule one automatic cleaning per day, at the same time each day.

Dimensions:12.79 x 12.79 x 2.85 inches |Weight:5.95 pounds |Recommend Floor Type:Hard surfaces, medium-pile carpeting |Controller:Remote, manual buttons |Decibels:low,55

Meet Our Furry Testers

PHOTO: People / Julee EvansPHOTO: People / Julee EvansPHOTO: People / Julee EvansPHOTO: People / Julee EvansPHOTO: People / Julee Evans

Best Overall, Runner-Uproborock Robot VacuumPHOTO: Amazon$600 at AmazonStar QualitiesImpressive lidar sensor mapping and object avoidanceAbility to set up no-go spaces, create rooms, and draw invisible wallsSuperb app functionality with flexible options for scheduling cleaningsRed FlagsTricky app connectivity with iOS devicesThis vacuum’s lidar (light detection and radar) sensor technology stood out for its accurate room mapping and object avoidance — and pet hair, dust, and even paper scraps from kids’ art projects were effectively cleaned up.Customized scheduling lets you choose times, days, rooms, and even noise levels. And while the suction power trails behind standard vacuums, this little device made a visible difference with just a few weekly cleanings and spot treatments. Plus, the unit’s dustbin empties into a larger bin in the charging station, so you don’t have to manually empty the bin as often.The physical setup and maneuverability was seamless, but the vacuum struggled with electrical cords strewn across the floor as well as app connectivity, so we couldn’t place it in our top spot.Dimensions:13.78 x 13.78 x 3.8 inches |Weight:15.4 pounds |Dustbin Capacity:470 millilitersin unit, 2.5 liters in charging station |Recommend Floor Type:Hard surfaces, carpet, wood, tile |Controller:App, voice, manual buttonsMeet Our Furry TestersSadie is a 1.5-year-old, short-haired cat who “sheds constantly.”Samantha is also a 1.5-year-old, short-haired cat with frequent shedding.PHOTO: People / Henry YungPHOTO: People / Henry YungPHOTO: People / Henry YungPHOTO: People / Henry YungPHOTO: People / Henry Yung

Best Overall, Runner-Uproborock Robot VacuumPHOTO: Amazon$600 at Amazon

Best Overall, Runner-Uproborock Robot Vacuum

Best Overall, Runner-Up

roborock Robot Vacuum

$600 at Amazon

Star QualitiesImpressive lidar sensor mapping and object avoidanceAbility to set up no-go spaces, create rooms, and draw invisible wallsSuperb app functionality with flexible options for scheduling cleaningsRed FlagsTricky app connectivity with iOS devices

Star QualitiesImpressive lidar sensor mapping and object avoidanceAbility to set up no-go spaces, create rooms, and draw invisible wallsSuperb app functionality with flexible options for scheduling cleanings

Impressive lidar sensor mapping and object avoidance

Ability to set up no-go spaces, create rooms, and draw invisible walls

Superb app functionality with flexible options for scheduling cleanings

Red FlagsTricky app connectivity with iOS devices

Tricky app connectivity with iOS devices

This vacuum’s lidar (light detection and radar) sensor technology stood out for its accurate room mapping and object avoidance — and pet hair, dust, and even paper scraps from kids’ art projects were effectively cleaned up.

Customized scheduling lets you choose times, days, rooms, and even noise levels. And while the suction power trails behind standard vacuums, this little device made a visible difference with just a few weekly cleanings and spot treatments. Plus, the unit’s dustbin empties into a larger bin in the charging station, so you don’t have to manually empty the bin as often.

The physical setup and maneuverability was seamless, but the vacuum struggled with electrical cords strewn across the floor as well as app connectivity, so we couldn’t place it in our top spot.

Dimensions:13.78 x 13.78 x 3.8 inches |Weight:15.4 pounds |Dustbin Capacity:470 millilitersin unit, 2.5 liters in charging station |Recommend Floor Type:Hard surfaces, carpet, wood, tile |Controller:App, voice, manual buttons

Meet Our Furry TestersSadie is a 1.5-year-old, short-haired cat who “sheds constantly.”Samantha is also a 1.5-year-old, short-haired cat with frequent shedding.

Sadie is a 1.5-year-old, short-haired cat who “sheds constantly.”Samantha is also a 1.5-year-old, short-haired cat with frequent shedding.

PHOTO: People / Henry YungPHOTO: People / Henry YungPHOTO: People / Henry YungPHOTO: People / Henry YungPHOTO: People / Henry Yung

Best BudgetShark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robot VacuumPHOTO: Target$260 at Target$250 at Lowe’s$340$270 at Jcpenney.comStar QualitiesComes ready to plug in, charge, and useStraightforward and simple app sync with no unnecessary stepsUtilizes three brushes and a HEPA filterRed FlagsNo mapping optionNoisy operationDue to the price and performance, we’d recommend this device for novicerobot vacuumusers. The Shark robot vacuum was ready to go right out of the box — we only needed to sync the app.Our tester previously had an iRobot vacuum but was impressed with this Shark device’s ability to navigate their house despite not having a physical mapping feature: It avoided precarious stairs and other obstacles and found its way back to the charging base with ease. Plus, the low profile fits under furniture more deftly than other models, and the Tri-Brush system (a main brush roller, channel brushes, and side brushes) helps streamline debris cleanup. It’s a little noisy, but everything else exceeded our expectations.Dimensions:12.4 x 12.6 x 3.54 inches |Weight:9.92 pounds |Dustbin Capacity:425ml |Recommend Floor Type:Hard surfaces, low-pile carpet, tile |Controller:App, voice, manual buttonsMeet Our Furry TestersMaebel is a 4-year-old, black Labradoodle with short, soft hair, and whose fur is hypoallergenic (though it does shed).Polkadot is a 10-year-old, white mini Goldendoodle (who was a little camera shy during testing).PHOTO: People / Kelly LewisPHOTO: People / Kelly LewisPHOTO: People / Kelly LewisPHOTO: People / Kelly LewisPHOTO: People / Kelly Lewis

Best BudgetShark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robot VacuumPHOTO: Target$260 at Target$250 at Lowe’s$340$270 at Jcpenney.com

Best BudgetShark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum

Best Budget

Shark ION Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum

PHOTO: Target

$260 at Target$250 at Lowe’s$340$270 at Jcpenney.com

Star QualitiesComes ready to plug in, charge, and useStraightforward and simple app sync with no unnecessary stepsUtilizes three brushes and a HEPA filterRed FlagsNo mapping optionNoisy operation

Star QualitiesComes ready to plug in, charge, and useStraightforward and simple app sync with no unnecessary stepsUtilizes three brushes and a HEPA filter

Comes ready to plug in, charge, and use

Straightforward and simple app sync with no unnecessary steps

Utilizes three brushes and a HEPA filter

Red FlagsNo mapping optionNoisy operation

No mapping option

Noisy operation

Due to the price and performance, we’d recommend this device for novicerobot vacuumusers. The Shark robot vacuum was ready to go right out of the box — we only needed to sync the app.

Our tester previously had an iRobot vacuum but was impressed with this Shark device’s ability to navigate their house despite not having a physical mapping feature: It avoided precarious stairs and other obstacles and found its way back to the charging base with ease. Plus, the low profile fits under furniture more deftly than other models, and the Tri-Brush system (a main brush roller, channel brushes, and side brushes) helps streamline debris cleanup. It’s a little noisy, but everything else exceeded our expectations.

Dimensions:12.4 x 12.6 x 3.54 inches |Weight:9.92 pounds |Dustbin Capacity:425ml |Recommend Floor Type:Hard surfaces, low-pile carpet, tile |Controller:App, voice, manual buttons

Meet Our Furry TestersMaebel is a 4-year-old, black Labradoodle with short, soft hair, and whose fur is hypoallergenic (though it does shed).Polkadot is a 10-year-old, white mini Goldendoodle (who was a little camera shy during testing).

Maebel is a 4-year-old, black Labradoodle with short, soft hair, and whose fur is hypoallergenic (though it does shed).Polkadot is a 10-year-old, white mini Goldendoodle (who was a little camera shy during testing).

PHOTO: People / Kelly LewisPHOTO: People / Kelly LewisPHOTO: People / Kelly LewisPHOTO: People / Kelly LewisPHOTO: People / Kelly Lewis

Best InvestmentEcovacs T20 Robot Vacuum and MopPHOTO: Amazon$1,100 at Amazon

Best InvestmentEcovacs T20 Robot Vacuum and Mop

Best Investment

Ecovacs T20 Robot Vacuum and Mop

$1,100 at Amazon

Star QualitiesCustomizable cleaning options and built-in virtual assistantMulti-floor mapping and floor type detectionSelf-cleaning mop and dustbin featuresRed FlagsNoisy self-emptying and self-cleaning processesMop may leave streaks on certain floor types

Star QualitiesCustomizable cleaning options and built-in virtual assistantMulti-floor mapping and floor type detectionSelf-cleaning mop and dustbin features

Customizable cleaning options and built-in virtual assistant

Multi-floor mapping and floor type detection

Self-cleaning mop and dustbin features

Red FlagsNoisy self-emptying and self-cleaning processesMop may leave streaks on certain floor types

Noisy self-emptying and self-cleaning processes

Mop may leave streaks on certain floor types

This vacuum-mop combo is worth the investment for those willing to spend — having earned the highest score in our test. It skilfully cleaned all traces of pet hair across three different flooring types: carpet, natural stone, and luxury vinyl plank. The 6000 Pa suction lifted this debris, while the hot water mop function worked in its wake (though it left streaks on the vinyl flooring).

It also comes with a handy built-in voice assistant and uses 3D multi-floor mapping technology to avoid obstacles and falls. It can detect floor surfaces and lifts the mop when moving over carpet. Plus, the operation is fairly quiet and the self-cleaning mop and dustbin features limit maintenance on your part. At the end of testing, we were still uncovering new features and settings on the app, including a child-lock and customized cleaning modes for scheduled runs.

Dimensions:19.13 x 24.99 x 20.98 inches |Weight:51 pounds |Dustbin Capacity:3 liters |Recommend Floor Type:Carpet, hard surfaces |Controller:App, voice, manual buttons

PHOTO: People / Sarah RobertsPHOTO: People / Sarah RobertsPHOTO: People / Sarah RobertsPHOTO: People / Sarah RobertsPHOTO: People / Sarah Roberts

Bobsweep Pet Hair Slam Robotic Vacuum Cleaner and Mop: This vacuum was ultimately no match for Rexford, a heavy shedding, part-Maine Coon cat. The physical setup was easy enough, but the app proved a challenge to sync to. It picked up pet hair on carpet better than hard surfaces but pushed larger pieces of debris around before sucking them up. It was just unnecessarily complicated to use and didn’t have the intuitive features of our other picks.

iRobot Roomba Combo i5 Robot Vacuum and Mop- Woven Neutral: We ran into trouble with this robovac immediately with app-syncing and mapping. Once it finally worked, it picked up pet hair (our tester’s dog Pup is a short-hair, super-shedder Chihuahua) and even kibble pretty well, but human hair kept clogging the brush roll. The mop feature was also frustrating to use.

People / Erin Johnson

What To Know About Robot Vacuums

Scheduling Capabilities

With scheduling, you can pre-program when your robot vacuum will automatically clean a selected area. Most robot vacuums can schedule at least one cleaning per day at a specified time, while others, like theEcovacs Deebot T20 Omni Robot Vacuum and Mop, allow multiple cleaning schedules on specific days and times with designated areas, rooms, cleaning modes, and suction levels.

Noise and Suction Levels

Though not as powerful as upright vacuums, robot vacuums are comparable with somehandheld vacuums. Their noise levels correlate with their suction levels (usually 2,000 Pa to 8,000 Pa). Keep this in mind when a vacuum claims to have a quiet operation (most clock in between 50 to 80 decibels) — as it often means when it’s operated on the lowest suction level.

Control Options

Control your robot vacuum with manual buttons on the unit itself, voice control through a synced home device like Alexa or Google Assistant, or via your phone on an integrated app. App-based controls — like those on theShark Ion Robo Vacuum— are usually the most convenient since you can operate them from anywhere. They also tend to offer more features.

Dustbin Size

Don’t overlook dustbin size: The larger the dustbin, the longer you can go without having to empty it. Smaller dustbins may need to be manually emptied after each vacuum, or even in the middle of a cleaning cycle, depending on the size of your space and how much pet hair, dirt, and debris is on the floor. Many robot vacuums have automatic dustbin emptying, or a smaller dustbin on the unit itself that automatically empties into a larger dustbin receptacle in the dock — like theRoborock Q5+ Robot Vacuum.

Additional Features

Robot vacuums come with a huge range of features these days, from 3D room mapping to built-in mops. Prioritize features like object avoidance, creating no-go zones, and highly customizable scheduling as these are the most convenient and greatly extend the value of your robot vacuum.

People / Sarah Roberts

We selected six of the highest-rated robot vacuums for at-home testing, paying specific attention tohow well they picked up pet hair. Over a two week period, we evaluated each robot vacuum across a handful of categories and used our tester insights to bring you our top picks. We collectedover 1,050 fur dust bunniesthroughout85 hours of testing.

We will continue to test these products and update our findings.

K. Alex Beavenis a writer for PEOPLE. In compiling this list of the best robot vacuums for pet hair, she relied on the reported and scored experiences of PEOPLE’s team of product testers. Overall, PEOPLE has tested over 300 vacuums, from robot vacuums and handheld vacuums tocanister vacuumsand upright vacuums. For this story, we put our top robot vacuums for pet hair through multiple rounds of testing in our homes and the lab for a total of 85 hours. We will continue to test these products over time and update this piece to reflect our experience.

We created thePEOPLE Tested seal of approvalto help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.

In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.

source: people.com