The pet father or mother contract comes with sure phrases and situations, and that features a tolerance for omnipresent pet hair. You are additionally signing off on a variety of stains, paranoia about your pet’s actions while you’re not residence, and the slim (however by no means zero) probability that you’re going to come residence to an accident on the ground. The very best vacuum for pets will help mitigate these issues. How do I do know? As a result of I’ve spent years testing vacuums in my very own residence (not a lab), cleansing up after my very own cats.
Whereas each pet father or mother wants a vacuum to quell the pet hair state of affairs, some vacuums can tackle much more pet-related duties. There are robotic vacuums that may keep away from pet waste, robotic vacuums with livestream pet cameras, and a robotic vacuum that comes with its personal moveable carpet cleaner — now we simply want Roborock to broaden the Saros Z70’s robotic arm capabilities to pet toy cleanup. Handbook cordless vacuums include their very own advantageous flexibility, like the choice to go handheld and prolong cleansing to furry furnishings and staircases. I exploit each sorts of vacuums each day and wrote an entire shopping for information for anybody stumped between a robotic vacuum and a stick vacuum.
How lengthy ought to a vacuum final? The lifespan to anticipate from corded, cordless, and robotic vacuums.
Black Friday is certainly top-of-the-line instances of yr to purchase a vacuum. Whereas all of my favourite stick and robotic vacuums have already been on sale sooner or later in 2025, Black Friday vacuum offers are sometimes probably the most drastic reductions of the yr. Each the costly, high-power flagship vacuums and the already budget-friendly vacuums may simply be half off in November.
So, which vacuum could be probably the most useful in your family? I am repeatedly testing the highest robotic vacuums and cordless stick vacuums in my two-cat residence, and I am prepared to call the very best vacuums for pet house owners as of late 2025.
How to decide on a robotic vacuum for pet hair
For a full breakdown of those options, try my information to every thing you must know earlier than shopping for a robotic vacuum.
Suction energy and brush rolls
I like to recommend vacuums with a minimum of 6,000 Pa suction energy for efficient pet hair pickup, although houses with heavy carpeting and greater than two pets ought to contemplate suction energy of a minimum of 12,000 Pa. However the brush roll system is sort of simply as vital when selecting a vacuum for pet fur. In my testing, vacuums with twin brush rolls are far simpler.
I additionally advocate protecting a very good cordless stick vacuum available — stick vacuums are simply extra highly effective than robotic vacuums normally. Shark, Dyson, and Dreame all make highly effective stick vacuums with sufficient energy to make pet hair disappear.
Automated emptying
Pet mother and father ought to positively go for a self-emptying robotic vacuum — a lot fur being sucked up will result in a full dustbin quicker, and you will not really feel like emptying it your self day-after-day. Even with each day utilization, an auto-empty robotic vacuum can final between one and three months earlier than you must empty the dustbin.
Mopping
If hardwood or tile is prevalent in your house, the very best robotic vacuum and mop combo for pet hair will be capable of sanitize the ground whereas mopping after which wash its personal mops to rinse off any lingering hair. Mopping can also be more likely to successfully wipe up different minuscule pet-related particles, like pet dander and kitty litter mud, which are too small to be inhaled by a vacuum’s suction energy.
Good mapping
Some rooms or spots on the ground inside these rooms get furrier than others. A sensible mapping robotic vacuum learns the structure of your private home and may head to particular zones on command, which you’ll be able to queue up proper from the app. In my view, sensible mapping is probably the most worthwhile robotic vacuum characteristic, and ought to be a baseline even when looking out for an inexpensive mannequin — cleansing efficiency is a moot level if the vacuum cannot get the place it must go within the first place.
Small impediment avoidance
Some superior robotic vacuums use cameras and 3D sensors to pinpoint any small roadblocks within the cleansing path in entrance of them. When profitable, these vacuums save themselves from consuming most pet toys, cords, laundry, or socks or footwear, keep away from ramming into pet bowls, and even dodge pet waste.
Different robotic vacuums I’ve examined not too long ago
I examined a number of different high robotic vacuums previously that did not make the latest minimize for this listing. Some, just like the Roborock S8 MaxV Extremely, Roborock Qrevo Grasp, Narwal Freo X Extremely, and numerous variations of the Roomba j7, had been my high suggestions at one level, however have since been overshadowed by newer, extra highly effective fashions which are a greater bang in your buck. Most not too long ago, I used to be impressed by the Roomba Plus 505 Combo, Plus 405 Combo, and Narwal Freo Z10 Extremely, however they in the end simply weren’t probably the most thorough vacuum cleaners of their value vary.
Vacuums I am testing quickly
The subsequent vacuums slated for at-home testing are the Shark Stratos 2-in-1 NeverTouch, the Roborock H60 Hub Extremely, and finally, the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai. I will be getting my arms on these as quickly as potential and updating my high picks for pet house owners accordingly.
