It may not be able to handle all the cleaning for you, but these smart devices are excellent at helping to clean up after pets and generally keeping pet hair down to a minimum — all while self-charging. Check out our favourite options below.

Note: Robotic vacuums may have trouble with especially thick rugs (which are tough to climb over) or dark carpet (which can confuse their sensors). If that raises some concerns, try to rent or borrow a model to see how it performs in your house before making your purchase.

Clingy pet hair is no match for eufy’s RoboVac. Don’t let the small, 2.85-inch frame fool you; the 1500Pa suction will clear out any dirt, debris and wayward pet hair on your floor. The three-point cleaning system dislodges every piece of dust and dirt it encounters. When the cleaning gets tough, this vacuum’s BoostIQ powers up the suction power within 1.5-seconds to clean any surface. The 100-minute runtime ensures proper floor cleaning while the quiet operation keeps everyone undisturbed. Nine anti-collision sensors and drop-sensing technology guide the vacuum away from dangerous situations. You can control the vacuum with your phone through eufy’s app. You can also pair it up with your Alexa or Google Assistant to enable voice control.

Why we love it:

— Comes with border strips — Cleans hard floors and carpets — Remote control

The Coredy robot vacuum’s suction power maxes out at 2000Pa, ensuring that it’ll suck up even stubborn pieces of debris. It also comes equipped with tangle-free roll brushes that make quick work of any pet hair or dander on your floor. The slim, 7.2-centimetre vacuum gets right under hard to reach areas to ensure that it cleans every square inch. Aside from general cleaning, the vacuum also has five specialised modes when you only want to clean specific spots. The vacuum can clean up a large area thanks to its 2600mAh lithium-ion battery that offers a 140-minute runtime once fully charged. Once the vacuum has done its job, the self-charging feature guides it back to the charging base, so it can power up.

Why we love it:

— Anti-drop and anti-collision detectors — Low, 60-decibel noise level — Cleans hard floors and carpets

When you have multiple fur babies running around, Ecovac’s N79S versatility provides you with a reliable way to clean all the pet hair that’ll be left behind. The four specialized modes let you spot clean areas or floor edges. It also has a Max mode that doubles the cleaning power to clean all the clumped up dirt and pet hair. The three-stage cleaning system ensures a deep clean for any surface. The deep reach helix brush works with the dual wide-reach side brushes to dislodge dirt from every nook and cranny. The strong suction power then clears them away to leave a clean floor. The vacuum’s 100-minute runtime ensures that it has enough juice to clean up every square inch of your carpet and floors. The anti-drop and anti-collision sensors keep it and the surroundings safe as it cleans up.

Why we love it:

— Controllable through the app — Works with Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant — Slim-profile lets it reach under furniture

The cleaning head on iRobot’s Roomba identifies the kind of surface it’s on so it can adjust its brushes for better cleaning. It comes equipped with two multi-surface rubber brushes that easily remove dirt and debris on a surface. They also clear away pet fur without tangling them together. The three-stage cleaning system ensures that the vacuum pulls in and cleans away every piece of dirt, dust, and pet hair. The detection system also notifies the robot vacuum when there’s a substantial amount of debris in an area and tells it to clean it thoroughly. The sensors also keep it from crashing into furniture, keeping itself and others safe as it leaves your carpets and floors spotless.

Why we love it:

— Adaptive cleaning — Can reach under furniture — Control it through the app

For households with one pet or many these robotic vacuums are designed to take on the job. With smart sensors and room mapping technology, they get under and around furniture with ease. With automatic charging and self-emptying mechanisms, they take the burden of the chore away, and with app, Wifi and voice integration, you’ll hardly have to lift a finger. Maybe just to pet the dog.