A robot vacuum can be a great cleaning tool in any home – but does it pick up hair? Hair can be one of the hardest things to keep clean, especially if you have pets. A robot vacuum can help with that, but it’s important to know how well it picks up hair before you buy one.
In this article, we will tell you what to look for in a robot vacuum that picks up hair. We will also tell you what factors affect how well the device picks up hair, so you can make an informed purchase.
Keep reading and at the end of this article, we will also show you a list of our top robot vacuums that do a great job picking up hair!
What Factors Affect How Well a Robot Vacuum Picks Up Hair?
There are several factors that affect how well a robot vacuum picks up hair. These factors include:
Type of Hair
How well a robot vacuum picks up hair depends on the type of hair. Some types of hair, such as synthetic hair, are easier to pick up than others, such as natural hair. While many robots do a decent job picking up short natural hair, they have more difficulty with long natural hair.
Type of Surface
How well a robot vacuum picks up hair also depends on the type of surface it’s on. Hairs get tangled in the brush and wheels of the vacuum, so picking up hair means picking up debris from different surfaces. Robotic vacuums are great at navigating different surfaces, but certain types of surfaces are harder for the vacuum to navigate than others. Hard surfaces such as wood, laminate, and tile are easier for the vacuum to move across than soft surfaces like carpet. Wood and laminate tend to have less hair clinging to them, so this might not be as much of a problem on these surfaces. Tile can be a bit of a toss-up; while some tiles have more hair clinging to them than others, the stiffness of the tiles can make it hard for the robot vacuum to get the right angle to pick up hair on them. On the other hand, carpet presents a real challenge for robot vacuums that pick up hair. Because of the way hair gets tangled on the wheels and brush of the vacuum, this type of hair can be hard to pick up.
How Much Hair the Robot Vacuum Picks Up
Another factor that affects how well a robot vacuum picks up hair is how much hair is present. If there’s a large amount of hair on the floor, even a robot vacuum with good hair-picking capabilities is not going to pick it all up. A traditional vacuum would be able to collect more hair than the robot vacuum, simply because a human can get closer to every bit of hair on the floor. That said, there is a limit to how much hair a human can pick up, and it’s not reasonable to expect a human to meet — or exceed — that limit. A robot vacuum that can collect 95 percent of the hair on a floor is excellent, given its functionality and limitations.
How Long Hair Needs to Be to Get Trapped
Not all hair gets trapped by robot vacuums that pick up hair. The length of the hair doesn’t matter — even short hair can cause issues for the robot vacuum. Human hair varies in length, but most people have hair that’s at least 1 cm (0.4 inches) long. Even something as short as 1 cm can cause problems for the robot vacuum, especially on carpets. Dog and cat hair also tends to be a bit longer than human hair, on average. The length of the hair that gets trapped depends more on how the hair interacts with the wheels, brush, and floor than it does on how long your hair is.
How Soft or Hard your Hair is Doesn’t Matter
Human hair varies in texture, but regardless of whether it’s soft, hard, coarse, or wavy, it gets trapped by robot vacuums that pick up hair. Hair can’t be too soft or too hard for a robot vacuum to pick up; whatever hair type you have, you can expect a robot vacuum that can pick up hair to trap some of it.
How Much Hair the Robot Vacuum Picks Up
How much hair a robot vacuum picks up depends on a number of factors, including the size of the piles it creates and how often it runs its cycle. A robot vacuum that can pick up hair will collect more hair the more it runs its cycle and the larger the piles it creates. Human hair tends to get trapped in the piles, along with other debris.
Does Robot Vacuum Work On Saloon Hair?
It’s not a good idea to bring a robot vacuum into a salon floor. Thinning hair and hair that’s recently been cut or shaved is more likely to tangle in the wheels, brush, and other parts of the robot vacuum. Those tangles can become very difficult to remove. Especially during shedding season, when hair is at its shortest, hair can get caught easily. Even when it’s at its shortest, human hair is still too thick for a robot vacuum to pass through the gaps in its flooring. Though, we have another article where we reviewed different vacuums that are good for barber shops and salons.
What Causes Hair to Stick to a Robot Vacuum?
Hair sticks to a robot vacuum when it tangles with the wheels, brush, or floor of the machine. Loose hair can slide between the wheels and other parts of the vacuum and get trapped that way. The shorter the hair, the more likely this is to happen.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Robot Vacuum For Hair Cleaning
Methods of vacuuming vary by model and brand, but most autonomous vacuum cleaners use brushes, plastic bristles, or rotating brushes to draw dirt and debris into their holding tanks. Some models use suction to suck up loose particles.
Robotic vacuums that are self-sufficient typically have difficulty dealing with long hair. The fibers get tangled in the brushes or other mechanisms and the machine gets stuck.
If you are considering a robot vacuum for your home but need to know if it will pick up hair, consider these recommendations when shopping:
- Look for a higher torque motor. This will help the machine get through tangled hair.
- Avoid models with rotating brushes. This technique is prone to get tangled up in hair.
- Choose a self-charging model. Some models will stop to charge their batteries and this gives tangled hair more time to mess with the mechanics.
Keep these tips in mind, and you should be able to find a robot vacuum that will do a good job of picking up hair without getting stuck.
Here are a few recommended robot vacuums that do a great job of general floor cleaning, and don’t have issues with hair tangling:
Final Thought:
The hard truth is that no robot vacuum does a great job of cleaning up hair. They work best on floors with typical dirt and debris. However, if you have short hair in your home, the hairs that do get stuck may only end up tangled around the wheels and brushes. So, these machines may be sufficient for your needs.
