Robot vacuum vs upright vacuum: Upright wins for pet owners, robot is a helper not a hero

Robot vacuums (like Roomba j7+ or Roborock S8) handle surface pet hair well on hardwood and low-pile carpet if run daily, but struggle with embedded hair in medium-to-high pile carpets from long-haired pets. Uprights (like Miele or Dyson V15) are needed for proper weekly deep cleaning. If you can only have one, get the upright — the robot is a helper, not a hero.