Another important factor is suction power. You want a vacuum cleaner that can pick up all of the dirt and debris on your floors. Be sure to check the specs to see how much suction power the vacuum cleaner has.

For our straight-line pickup tests on hard flooring, we spread large and small debris within a marked area proportional to the width of each robot vacuum’s nozzle. Each robot vacuum is given 10 minutes to clean and the debris collected is weighed to determine how much was picked up.

The All-Rubber Brush floats on a multi-directional frame for effective cleaning and easily clears away pet hair with fewer hair tangles.

There are some downsides, though. The suction power is low for the price bracket – in fact, generally, you're paying a premium for the small size here.

Thankfully, many manufacturers make robot vacuums that are suited for cleaning up after pets. Models like the iLife V3s Pro and the Roomba S9, scored the best in our robot vacuum lab tests, picking up nearly all pet hair on both hardwood and carpeting, and making our list of the best robot vacuums for pet hair.

The list of reputable brands making high-quality robot vacuums doesn’t stretch long, but CR evaluates all of the mainstays, which run the spectrum between inexpensive and luxury.

Plus, we liked its superior mop powers to tackle stubborn stains. But if you're looking for a more affordable robot vac, we would suggest our best budget pick iLife V3S Pro, which cleans even tricky materials such as pet hair like a champ without breaking the bank.

While it doesn’t have a self-emptying base, we found maintenance to be simple. The dustbin detaches easily, and a one-touch ejection button lets you quickly dispose of debris directly into the trash.

Tip: Easy maintenance, empty dustbin and clean the filter after each use. Replace filter every month.

Human hair is embedded into the same section of the test carpet. Technicians time how long it takes for the vacuum to pick up the hair and weigh the amount that’s in the dustbin and the brush roll.

If you have a bit more cash to play with, the s9+ can also talk with the company's Braava jet m6 robot mop, with the two working as a team, vacuuming floors, followed by a mop. Ultimately, this robot vacuum comes at a steep price, but it leaves little room for improvement.

AR Score is a scoring system developed by our experts. The score is from 0 to 10 based on the data collected by the Appliances Radar tool. This score doesn't impact from any manufacturer or sales agent websites. Learn more

Not all robovacs can handle the Em excesso challenge posed by lots of pet hair, but one that really impressed on this front was the Dreame L40 Ultra. This bot was put through its paces in a home filled with furry, four-legged friends, and really rose to the occasion.

Noah works as a product Top 3 Automatic Vacuum Cleaners reviews analyst in the Home Care & Cleaning Lab where he helps design and perform tests on various product categories. He draws on scientific expertise garnered during his time as an environmental researcher, where he managed environmental monitoring equipment, analyzed water samples in a lab and developed protocols for restoration projects. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in environmental science from the University of Wisconsin-Superior.