These robot vacuums make keeping up with pet hair a much more bearable chore

Read our full review of the Roomba s9+.

A robot vacuum priced like a MacBook Pro had better do some serious sucking. Despite serious competition for the title of Best Roomba from the newer j7+, the s9+ still does one thing better: clean thick carpets. iRobot's D-shaped botvac reaches deep into carpets with 40 times the suction of 600 Series Roombas (the j7+ offers 10 times the suction). Such intense cyclonic power does create more noise than other robot vacuums I've tested, so keep that in mind if your pets are skittish.

After gathering corner-bound hairballs with its flat edge, the s9+ makes a lot of passes across a room to ensure thorough cleaning. It uses iRobot Imprint tech to make a map of each floor in your home and is able to target specific rooms or zones. The s9+ then empties itself into a Clean Base that, in my experience, holds debris for weeks past the 60-day threshold stated by iRobot.

If you're set on a Roomba as your first robot vacuum, the 694 is a budget-friendly model to get your toes in the water. Despite being the cheapest Roomba in the current lineup, it's still armed with iRobot's tangle-free extractors (great for pet hair) and Roomba’s patented high-efficiency AeroForce filter.

The Roomba 694 relies on adaptive navigation to safely roam while unleashing a three-stage cleaning system to expertly loosen, lift, and sucks up dirt and debris. Advanced dirt detection sensors tell the Roomba to work harder on certain areas, like near the litter box or the designated belly rub spot on the carpet. Every Roomba has also received the iRobot Genius app, offering personalized suggestions for recurring schedules.

The j7+ uses a new camera that helps it to avoid smaller obstacles that are typically blind spots for robot vacuums. Though it can't recognize everything (like feathers on the end of wand toys), it's definitely the botvac to get if you're nervous about pet waste being smeared or about a toy clogging the machine. Its broader navigation in terms of mapping and avoiding obstacles like furniture is even more meticulous. The j7+ rarely gets stuck or requires a human's help, so I felt super confident sending it on a cleaning run when I wasn't home.

The j7+ showcases other iRobot glow-ups, too. It empties debris into a more compact auto-empty dock without sacrificing capacity, which typically extends past the official 60-day mark. The revitalized iRobot Genius app whips up custom cleaning suggestions based on earlier rounds, like offering to schedule a kitchen cleaning after dinner each night.

Read our full review of the Roborock S7+.

Between strong suction, LiDAR, and mopping that doesn't soak carpets, the Roborock S7 is already major for folks dealing with both carpet and hard floors. With its self-empty dock (a wise bundle for people with shedding pets), the S7+ is triple threat under $1,000.

Roborock's obstacle recognition can't detect cords or pet poop. However, I didn't have to babysit otherwise. The S7+ can be trusted to find your selected zones, decipher between floor type, and get back to its dock (though its three-hour battery life rarely dies mid-cleaning).

3,000 Pa of suction is a bold claim that'd top Roomba's best — and at a price point that's almost always under $400 on sale, skepticism is valid. But the suction power on this budget vac is palpable — especially with the automatic carpet boost. Plus, mopping and automatic emptying makes it almost impossible to question whether this Yeedi could lighten your chore load.

The presence of room mapping is also impressive at such a practical price point, despite undercooked quirks like only having the capacity to hold a map of one story at a time. Shaky furniture avoidance isn't so annoying when you can still enjoy the convenience of virtual boundaries in the app.

Read our full review of the Neato D8.

D-shaped vacuums were Neato's thing far before Roomba caught word of that diligent edge cleaning. Amidst the seemingly-discontinued D7 and the D6 that doesn't offer zone cleaning (kind of a must for homes with pets), the Botvac D8 oozes with value. Compared to the similarly-shaped Roomba s9+, the slim build, its compact dock, and whisper-quiet suction make the D8 a solid budget-friendly choice for apartments.

For up to two hours at a time, the D8 uses laser navigation to (slowly but surely) to remember your home's layout. Though the mapping isn't immediately as accurate as more advanced vacs we've tested, the D8 learns rooms over time. Its ability to mediate those maps with virtual no-go zones is also a game changer. Additionally, the phone app can be used to start a cleaning even if you're not home.

This mid-range Shark checks the basic boxes and gets you off the hook from emptying a dustbin for at least 45 days at a time. It provides impressive, methodical coverage through maps it makes of your home (when it actually listens to them, that is).

The 2,000 Pa suction is typically powerful enough to really clean your carpets, and will pick up surface-level debris on the first run. A self-cleaning brushroll is particularly helpful for carpets topped with a layer of shedding. The multi-stage filtration system that traps dust and dander is another added bonus for pet parents or indoor allergy sufferers.