Best Roomba For Dog Hair

When you have a canine companion in your life, you will often find their hair all over your floor, your clothes and your furniture and it can be a total nightmare to clean up!

Especially, when you have a shedding breed like a German Shepherd; they shed year-round and they are very active. This means they are probably in and out of every room of the house, leaving behind a trail of hair for you to clean up!

A robotic vacuum cleaner is a total life-saver; it will clean in those unreachable places, and remove the dirt and fur from your house without you having to do a thing! For those looking to make their lives just a little bit easier, we will discuss the best Roomba for dog hair, or any other pet for that matter!

*This article may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of the links I get a small commission at no additional cost to you 🙂 .

Things to Look for When Selecting a Roomba Vacuum

When you are selecting the perfect Roomba for you, there are a few things that you need to look into to determine which one fits your home and family best. Here is a list of a few things you should take into consideration before purchasing a Roomba.

Floor Surface

Though most Roombas claim to work on all surfaces, some work better on carpets than others. Hardwood and vinyl flooring is not a problem for the robotic vacuum cleaner. However, if your home has a lot of rugs and fluffier carpets, it is wiser to look into newer models that will work better on carpeted flooring.

Suction Power

If you have thicker carpets, or surfaces that need a deeper clean, more suction will be required to make sure you get a properly clean living space. Roombas can vary from 5x, the suction of their original all the way up to 40x the suction power.

Your Living Space

Investing in a Roomba is only worth it if it works with your space. You should consider the size of your house, apartment or condo, as well as if the Roomba will be able to clean around and under your furniture.

Many Roombas have room and house floor mapping; it will detect what your space looks like and you can program it to clean where you want it to clean within the house.

Number of Pets in Your Household

The number of pets your household has will help determine which Roomba you should invest in. If you have 5 shedding dogs in your house you will likely need a more robust Roomba than the person who has only one shedding dog.

Running Time

You should also consider what the run time is on a Roomba. There are some that will run for 90 minutes nonstop, while others run for 120 minutes, and others will automatically charge and resume working.

Deciding what run time you require depends on the size of the space your Roomba is working with and how often it needs to clean.

Smart Features

Roombas can have many smart features, depending on the model you purchase. From floor mapping to voice activation, these features help make your life easier.

All newer models of the device come with a phone app, which lets you control it and schedule when and where you want it to clean. Higher-end models also empty the bin automatically and continue cleaning.

Cost

The cost of the Roomba is a major factor in helping you decide whether you want to invest or not. Roombas can get expensive, but it is worth the cost in many households.

The price of the Roomba also varies drastically over the different models, so you need to decide which features you really need before purchasing a model with too many or too little features.

The prices can range from roughly $300 to over $1000 – that jump in price exists because of the different features each model offers.

iRobot Roomba E5

The Roomba E5 is a great entry-level option for those who don’t want to part with too much money but still want a spotless home.

This iRobot Roomba works with WiFi, allowing you to control it through your phone, with Alexa or the Google Assistant.

It has an auto-adjusting cleaning head, which adjusts the height of the dual multi-surface rubber brushes, depending on the kind of surface it is cleaning to ensure that it is doing the best cleaning job for the material of the surface it is on.

What I Love:

• Reasonably priced
• Highly effective (claims to trap 99% of dog allergens)
• Auto-docking
• Connects to WiFi
• Cleans edges using Edge Sweeping Brush

Possible Downsides: 

• Not great for thicker carpets
• The battery has a short lifetime
• Can be loud

And the verdict is…

This Roomba is a great purchase for smaller living spaces with pets. The lower price point will get you a great device but also help you decide if you want to purchase one of the higher-end models in the future.

iRobot Roomba 891

This Roomba 891 works by loosening, lifting and then suctioning dirt up with 5x the power of the previous models.

This vacuum runs for a total of 90 minutes before docking and recharging. It works with WiFi; it connects to an app on your phone, Alexa or Google Assistant, and responds to voice commands given to these devices.

The main difference between this model and the E5, apart from the slight jump in price, is the material of the brushes used as well as the ability to work harder in high traffic zones. The brushes on this Roomba are “tangle-free”, making it easier to pick up pet hair and debris without having to tangle; this, in the long run, means that your brushes will require less cleaning and maintenance while working for longer. 

What I Love:

• Reasonably priced
• Auto-docking and charging
• Connects to WiFi
• Works more efficiently and effectively in dirtier areas
• “Cliff Detecting” keeps it from falling off surfaces and stairs
• Can be scheduled to clean at specific times

Possible Downsides: 

• Might detect darker spots on printed rugs as “cliffs”
• If you have a lot of pet hair, you might have to empty it quite often

And the verdict is…

This is a great purchase for anyone just getting into Roombas. It still has some of the higher-tech features the higher-end Roomba models have, but it doesn’t have the slightly off-putting price tag. If you have a dog or a cat that sheds, but not too much, this could be a great addition to your home.

iRobot Roomba 980

This efficient little Roomba 980 can clean an entire floor of your home.

The filter in the vacuum catches pollen, dust, and allergens as small as 10 microns. The Roomba 980 will work harder in spots that it thinks are dirtier or have higher foot traffic.

The charge on this Roomba lasts up to 120 minutes, after which it docks and recharges. However, once it has recharged, it resumes its job if it has any cleaning left to do.

The Roomba 980 connects to your phone through an app; it is both iOS and Android compatible. It also connects to Alexa and Google Assistant, allowing you to control it through voice activation, and schedule future cleanings.     

What I Love:

• Recharges and resumes
• Works more efficiently and effectively in dirtier areas
• Can be scheduled to clean at specific times
• Visual navigation and floor mapping
• Power Boost technology cleans carpets more thoroughly
• Quiet

Possible Downsides: 

• Expensive
• Can have problems finding its home base
• Darker carpets can be detected as “cliffs”

And the verdict is…

If you have purchased a Roomba before and are happy with the results, you will love this upgrade! This one works especially well for customers with thicker carpets or with bigger dogs like GSDs or Golden Retrievers that tend to shed a lot. This vacuum will have no problem picking up all their fur-balls.

iRobot Roomba s9+

The Roomba s9+ is the most advanced robotic vacuum of the lot. It boasts a whopping 40x the suction power of previous models with Power Boost technology, which means it works virtually flawlessly on carpets and hardwood floors.

Roomba s9+ has an advanced mapping system that detects all surfaces the Roomba needs to clean. Once it gathers this information, it sends it back to your phone using WiFi, and through the app, Alexa or Google Assistant, it allows you to schedule specific rooms to clean at specific times.

It has a soft-touch bumper, which allows it to get near your furniture without scuffing it, but still letting it go under curtains and sofa and bed skirts without detecting them as barriers. This high-tech vacuum also docks for automatic charging and resumes its work once it is done.   

What I Love:

• Amazingly effective home mapping
• Recharge and resume
• Powerful suction
• Self-emptying bin
• Thorough cleaning

Possible Downsides: 

• Very expensive
• Requires multiple mapping sessions, but once it gets it right it is great
• Pet hair needs to be cleaned out of it, at least once a week

And the verdict is…

If you are willing to put down this kind of money for a vacuum cleaner, you will not be disappointed! It has powerful suction and will keep your environment allergen-free.

It also makes it under your bed and couches with no problem. This is an absolute must-buy for shedding-pet owners who are sick of cleaning up fur tumbleweed.

Final Thoughts

All in all, a Roomba is a great addition to anyone’s home with pets that shed or drag in dirt from the outside. You just need to figure out which one is right for you to purchase!

If you decide to get a non-robot vacuum cleaner instead – check out this article on the best regular vacuums.