Best Robot Vacuum for Pet Hair: Get Away From Hairy Problem

Cleaning up of our spaces is an unavoidable task especially as a pet owner, we do it every now and then to stay healthy. Day by day, more and more people are purchasing robot vacuum cleaners to do their daily vacuuming job for them and it becoming more difficult to know which robot cleaner is the most suitable for our needs especially when you have a dog that shed a ton of hair.

Before you join the trend and trade off the traditional vacuum cleaner for the robot vacuum cleaner here are things you should know. In this article, we will be reviewing some robot vacuum cleaner with great suction power, from the low end to high end that does a fantastic job in vacuuming pet hairs, allergens, dirt, dust including bad odors. Let’s get started.

iRobot Roomba i7+

What’s in the Box?

• iRobot Roomba i7+ X 1
• Clean Base, Automatic Dirt Disposal X 1
• Line cord X 1
• Dual Mode Virtual Wall barrier X 1
• Extra High-Efficiency Filter X 1
• Extra Side Brush X 1

The Roomba i7+ was built to impress, it is the first robot vacuum that can empty its own dustbin by itself which makes household cleaning a lot easier, especially to pet owners because it works perfectly on all floor types, its disposal bag can hold up to 30 dustbins worth of debris, cleans up your floor without you doing anything.

In comparison to other average cleaners, the i7+ suction is 10 times more powerful and with the help of the iAdapt 3.0 and the VSLAM technology this robot has a superior advantage in mapping out your home at a go and it can also learn, remember and recognize all locations in your home and objects like furniture’s which is necessary for the robot not to clean a spot twice.

The Roomba i7+ app can manage up to 10 different floor plans while it displays its cleaning routes on the smartphone app which is compatible with both iOS and Android.

Major features of the Roomba i7+ include

• Dimension: 13.3 x 13.3 x 3.6 inches
• Weight: 7.4 pounds
• iAdapt 3.0 with VSLAM technology
• Automatically empty dust

Pros

• It is an excellent cleaning robot for all floor types.
• It is compatible with Alexa and Google’s assistant which means it can be easily controlled using voice command.
• It can map multiple floor plans in your home.

Cons

• It’s quite expensive compared to other high-end robots in the market.
• The dust bag is an extra cost and you will periodically replace the dust bags from time to time.
• The cleaning base requires more space than the regular robot cleaner.

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iRobot Roomba 960

What’s in the Box?

• iRobot Roomba 960 X 1
• Home Base Charging Station X 1
• Line Cord X 1
• Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier X 1
• 2AA Batteries
• Extra Filter X 1
• Flat Cleaning Tool X 1
• Owners Guide X 1

The Roomba 960 is a high-end cleaning robot from iRobot. It is by far one of the most sophisticated and the smartest cleaning robot released by the iRobot. The Roomba 960 is fortified with a camera and an advanced location technology, its Dirt Detect™ sensors makes it easy for the robot to detect dirt, dust and even the smallest pet hairs in those “high-traffic zones”. Its extra refined design means it can get in hard to reach places. It can also map out the area in which it is to work one and see an obstacle ahead, all thanks to the iAdapt 2.0 which guarantees adequate multi-room coverage.

What is nice about this Cleaning robot is that you can tell it where to clean and where not to clean and even customize your cleaning preferences, all from your smartphone.

Major features of the Roomba 960 include:

• Dimension: 13.8 x 13.8 x 3.6 inches
• Weight: 8.6 pounds
• VSLAM and Camera technology
• Navigation level: up to 2000 ft² (185m²)
• Cliff detection

Pros

• Compatible with Alexa and Google Home and can be managed by voice commands.
• Anti-tangle technology, that keeps it from getting stuck.
• It has the full bin indicator to let you know when it’s time to empty the bin.
• It has a “carpet boost” which can increase the power 10 times while on rugs and carpets.

Cons

• It has a very small dustbin.
• Very loud and noisy.

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iRobot Roomba 890

What’s in the Box?

• iRobot Roomba 960 X 1
• Home Base Charging Station X 1
• Line Cord X 1
• Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barrier X 1
• 2AA Batteries
• Extra Filter X 1
• Flat Cleaning Tool X 1
• Owners Guide X 1

The Roomba 890 is a mid-ranged robot vacuum cleaner produced by iRobot. Compared to the Roombas in the 600 and 700 series, the 890 is very easy to use and it has a better cleaning power with its AeroForce vacuuming technology

AeroForce vacuuming technology. The Roomba 890 features Wi-Fi connectivity allowing it to be controlled using the smartphone app which compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

The compatibility of the smartphone app also makes it possible to create a schedule cleaning for up to 7 days. The Roomba 890 has an iAdapt technology that allows a definite cleaning pattern while making several passes over the same area but if you want to restrict the robot from going to an unwanted area, you are covered with the Roomba 890 comes with dual-mode virtual wall barriers. It is a good debris extractor to owners of pets.

Major features of the Roomba 890 include:

• Dimension: 13 X 3.6 inches
• Weight: 8.4 pounds
• AeroForce Vacuuming technology.
• Dual Mode Virtual Wall Barriers.

Pros

• It doesn’t cost much, the Roomba 890 is a very affordable robot cleaner
• It Wi-Fi, Google Home and Alexa compatible.
• The 890 can be scheduled using the app.
• It has the full bin indicator to let you know when it’s time to empty the bin.

Cons

• Its navigation system is very old and inefficient.
• The Roomba 890 can only run for about 60 minutes.

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Ecovacs Deebot N79s

What’s in the Box?

• Robot DEEBOT N79s X1
• Remote Control X1
• Side Brushes X2
• High-Efficiency Filter X2
• Charging Station X1
• User Manual X1

The Ecovacs Deebot N79s is a budget-friendly vacuum cleaner that is constructed in a circular design with two separate bumper walls that makes the exterior perimeter of the unit. It is surprisingly powerful and it performs well on all floor types, it easily sucks up pet hair, crumbs, and dust.

The N79s is Wi-Fi enabled and can be controlled in many different ways, including the smartphone app, Alexa and also with remote control. The N79s has 3 cleaning modes, the Auto mode that sends the robot cleaning around your home until it needs to charge again, the spot mode which cleans up a specific spill and the edge cleaning that takes the robot cleaning around the edge of the room.

Major features of the Deebot N79s include:

• Dimension: 13 X 13 X 3.1 inches.
• Weight: 6.7 pounds.
• Wifi-enabled, remote control by app or Alexa.

Pros

• It can be controlled with Alexa, a smartphone app, a remote and an onboard button.
• Budget-friendly price, one of the cheapest robot vacuum cleaner with Wi-Fi connectivity.
• The Ecovacs Deebot N79s offers Strong suction and quiet operation

Cons

• The N79s is not compatible with all smart home services.
• Minor navigation issues.
• Suction power on high pile carpets is below average.

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Neato Botvac D7

What’s in the Box?

• Neato Botvac D7 X 1
• Charge Base X 1
• Power Cord X 1
• Boundary Markers (2M)
• Spiral Combo Brush
• Ultra-Performance Filter
• Brush and Filter cleaning tool

Neato Botvac D7 is one of the latest robotic vacuums from Neato, it has a D shaped body with black and silver aesthetics while the Neato logo sits on top of the round protrusion containing the scanning infrared laser system.

The silver panel toward the front of the Neato D7 has a manual start button and four LED icons that shine through the plastic which indicate various control modes which are House clean mode, Spot clean mode, Wi-Fi status, and battery status. It is a highly developed vacuuming system with Laser Smart Mapping and navigation system which can map out rooms even in complete darkness and a cliff detection sensor that enables it to avoid stairs.

Possibly one of the most advanced features the Neato D7 has is the inclusion of the NO-GO lines, the NO-GO are digital lines you can draw on the Neato app on your smartphone after the Neato D7 have mapped out your home.

With these lines, you can easily mark off areas that you don’t want the robot cleaner to clean. Its biggest advantage is the D-shaped design, allowing the vacuum to clean more professionally, reaching difficult places easily.

Major features of the Botvac D7 include:

• Dimension: 12.5 X 13.2 X 3.9 inches
• Weight: 7.7 pounds
• Laser Smart Mapping and Navigating System – No Go Area.
• Digital Memory Mapping
• Wireless Connectivity
• Ultra High-Performance filter

Pros

• Programmable No-Go areas that allow you to block off limited areas without having the need to buy magnetic strips of tape.
• Laser Navigation will work even when there are no lights on and its low-profile design means it will go under furniture without having problems.
• Extended 90 minutes run time with recharge and resume function allows the robot cleaner to clean for a longer period till the job is done.
• It has a dirt bin that can hold 0.7 liters of dry dirt, which allows multiple cleaning sessions.

Cons

• It doesn’t have mopping features.
• Higher price tag than most robot vacuum cleaners on today which makes it a tougher sell.
• A large footprint makes narrow gaps hard to navigate.
• Its D style shaped body doesn’t really allow the cleaner to turn well in a tight corner as a circular robot vacuum cleaner would.
• It has a wide cleaning path which means it sometimes doesn’t go in to clean narrow areas and between the furniture and always concentrates on the wide-area.

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Shark ION R85

What’s in the Box?

• The Shark ION R85 robot vacuum X 1
• Side brushes X 2
• HEPA filter X 1
• Lithium-ion Battery
• Remote Control X 1
• Charging Dock X 1
• 8 feet Bot Boundary Strip X 1
• Bot Boundary Connector X 2
• Cleaning tool

Shark ION R85 is designed for pet hair. With 3X more suction power in Max Mode than the Shark ION™ Robot R75. it is also a Wi-Fi enabled, self-charging robot vacuum cleaner. Its innovative self-grooming system will untangle hairs from the brush roll itself. The Shark ION R85 does come with remote control and it is very easy to control, it is compatible with Google voice and Alexa, and it can also be controlled on both iOS and Android-enabled smartphones.

It has a slick design with three control buttons on top of it, one for general cleaning, one for spot cleaning and the last button is to send the robot back to its charging station for a recharge.

The Shark ION R85 is equipped with the number of proximity sensors which allows it to avoid hitting furniture and other things that comes in the way. It also has a dual multi-surface brush, each brush is uniquely designed with rubber treads that stay in constant contact with different floor surfaces, from hard floors to carpets, adjusting and flexing, to get everything from small particles like dust and dirt to hair and large debris.

Major features of the ION R85 include:

• Dimension: 12.8 x 12.5 x 3.4 inches
• Weight: 5.5 pounds
• Smart Sensor Navigation 2.0
• Powerful Suction and Large dust cup capacity
• Wifi Connectivity with the smartphone app, google voice and Alexa
• Multi-surface brush and Self-Cleaning Brushroll

Pros

• Works well on hard floors and thin carpets.
• It is compatible with virtual assistants, it supports Google Home and Alexa Voice commands.
• It uses a twin brush system that does a great job in cleaning edges and corners.

Cons

• It doesn’t have the virtual walls and the Bot boundary strips are difficult to use.
• Lack of the path planning feature, it uses a random cleaning pattern.

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Our Side to side comparison

Below chart outlines the comparison of four models from functions to features

What makes the difference?

• Cost-Effectiveness The Ecovacs Deebot N79s has the biggest price advantage it cost around $140 which is very cheap for a robot that performs well, followed by the shark ION R85 which costs around $248 while the Roomba 890 cost $890 and the Roomba 960 cost $418 respectively. The Neato D7 is priced at $829.99 and the most expensive of them all is Roomba i7+ which cost $1,099.99
• Dirt Disposal  The Roomba i7+ is the only robot on this list that takes care of cleaning from start to finish. It automatically empties the bin into a disposable bag that holds up to 30 bins of dirt, dust, and hair. But for all the other robot cleaners, you still need to take out the bin and empty it from time to time.
• Powerful Filtration System The Roomba i7+ in no doubt comes with the most powerful filtration system, which is the High-Efficiency filtration system. Not far behind is the Neato D7 which has the High-performance filter, both do an excellent job on all floor types from carpets to rugs to tiles to wood and to concrete.  Both the Roomba 890 and Roomba 960 filtration system do a good job too. The Shark ION R85 and the Deebot N79s use the HEPA filter which sometimes has problems cleaning a pile of rugs.
• Run Time / Battery Life The Neato D7 is a perfect robot cleaner for large homes, it can run for 120 minutes before it will need to juice upcharge to continue its cleaning thanks to its 4,200 mAh battery, not far behind is the Deebot N79s which runs for about 90 minutes with 2,600 mAh battery. Both the Roomba i7+ and the Roomba 960 will continuously clean your floor for about 75 minutes with 3,300 mAh and 2600 mAh battery respectively, while the Shark ION R85 2,550 mAh battery and the Roomba 890 1,600 mAh battery can only run for 60 minutes which is half the time of the Neato D7.
• Noise Level The shark ION R85 is not a saint when it comes to noise it is the noisiest cleaner on this list at 69dB, closely followed by the Roomba 890 with 68dB. The Neato D7 and Roomba 960 operates while making a quite reasonable noise measuring at 64dB. The Roomba i7+ and Deebot N79s are not totally quiet but they are quiet enough not to disturb you and your pets while operating even if you are reading, they both measure at 62dB.
• Navigation The Roomba i7+ features the iAdapt 3.0 with Visual Localization which is clearly the best navigation system which allows the robot to map out it’s surrounding to effectively and efficiently clean your home while also keeping track of where it’s been and where it has yet to clean. The Roomba 960 uses the iAdapt 2.0 and a camera technology which helps it to move around without bumping into objects. Neato D7 has a LaserSmart technology that scans and maps your entire home, creating a floor plan for the robot to follow while the Shark ION R85 doesn’t create a floor plan and both Roomba 890 and Deebot N79s gets lost most often.
• Control and Scheduling  All the robot reviewed can be controlled using an app that is compatible with both iOS and Android devices. They all have Wi-Fi and support both google home and Alexa except for Deebot N79s which doesn’t support google home. The Shark ION R85 has an added advantage here because it comes with a remote control

Considerations and conclusions for choosing a Vacuum for pets

• The Roomba i7+ is no doubt the most advanced robot cleaner on this list, its automatic dirt disposal takes continence to a new level. It is reasonably quiet with 62dB when cleaning at 1,800 Pa suction power, no matter how much your pets’ shred, you are guaranteed to always come back to a clean home.
• The Shark ION R85 Designed for pet hair, with 3X more suction power in Max Mode. it has a dual multi-surface brush, each brush is uniquely designed with rubber treads that stay in constant contact with different floor surfaces, from hard floors to carpets, adjusting to get everything from small particles like dust and dirt to hair and large debris.

• The Ecovacs Deebot N79s biggest advantage is its low price if you own a pet and you are on a budget. This robot will make your home free from pet hairs and allergens. HEPA Filter captures 99% of cat and dog allergens.
• The Botvac D7 is superior in the amount of time it can run for. It can clean your home for 120 minutes before it needs to recharge for another cleaning session which is ideal for large homes with pets. The cleaning system cleans the dirt and pet hair you see, and the allergens and dust you don’t.
• The Roomba 960 has a VSLAM and a camera technology that helps it to easily clean around your home and eradicate pet hairs, dirt, dust, and bad odors while it efficiently avoids furniture and bumping into you and your pets. Once the robot recognizes carpeted flooring, it boosts air power to its max level for efficient cleaning which measures at 900 Pa.
• The Roomba 890 has an AeroForce High-Efficiency Filter which can deliver high-quality functionality thorough cleaning. it captures 99% of allergens, pollen, and particles as small as 10 microns which is good enough for homes with pets.

In conclusion, all the robot does a good job in making sure that your home is if free from pet hairs, dirt and dust although some do it better than the other. From the low end to the mid-range to the high end, if you want a cleaning robot, you should definitely consider one of these robot cleaners.