Best Vacuums for Pet Hair (2018): Buyers Guide, Comparison & Review

Nothing beats a dog’s loyalty.

When it comes to unconditional love, you can count on these wonderful creatures.

But there is one problem (very few actually) – pet hair and a lot of it.

Any pet owner will tell you that the biggest challenge of owning a pet is brushing the pet’s hair.

So we will talk about the best vacuums for pet hair.

In a previous article, I have already discussed the best cordless pet hair cleaners. But I just realized that the menu was lacking in other great options.

So I decided to create a new one just to give you more options.

You’ll find a list of different types of vacuum cleaners from rolls, and handheld vacuums, all of which are capable of cleaning pet hair.

Dog owners in particular will struggle with hair loss in various parts of their homes.

I love dogs but I don’t like pet hair. Wherever they go, there will be a trail of pet hair that needs to be cleaned.

If you have an army of them running around, you’ll need a tool to keep the hair in check.

A vacuum cleaner is one of the best tools for this job. And I’ll show you the best of each category.

You will keep your family healthy and safe because you will be cleaned regularly and your home will be cleaner.

This guide will help you buy a vacuum cleaner that meets your specific needs.

Best Upright Pet Hair Vacuum Cleaner

Upright vacuums provide the greatest amount of power and therefore will be able to deep clean carpets. If your home has rugs and a lot of it, this is a logical choice. You’ll want to go for something that not only has great suction but also has enough agitation to pick up dirt and grime deep under the carpet threads.

Dyson Ball Animal 2 is a better choice than vertical Cinetic for a lot of reasons.

First, and maybe the deal for me is strength.

The Cinetic Column has only 180 watts of antenna while the Ball Animal 2 has more than 300 watts of antenna.

That’s a big difference and given the higher-priced Cinetic is near $600, I’d rather have it at around $500.

Strong suction makes this a no-brainer if you need a pole that can clean pet hair on the carpet.

What makes this a good choice

The biggest difference will be the filtration system. This version uses old radial root vortex cyclones and a pre-engine filter.

Both contain washable HEPA filters that are AAFA approved for Asthma and Allergy.

Between the two, I’ll go with this one on Cinetic because I still caution about the long-term viability of Cinetic Science filters. But you will have to wash the engine pre-filter at least once a month if you use this every day.

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Dyson Ball Animal 2 is your best choice for cleaning pet hair at home. They are not cheap but if you have a lot of rugs and a large house, buying them will help you keep them clean and free of allergens.

However, it’s about $200 cheaper than the #1 vacuum cleaner for uprights.

Spending a lot of money on a vacuum cleaner but for deep cleaning it’s hard to beat this in a vertical position.

Unfortunately, you won’t get the same amount of power as Animal 2. This machine produces only 250 watts of air which is still a high number.

The stiff bristles clean pet hair on the rug but it doesn’t come with any small turbo brush for upholstery.

So you will have to pair this with a suitable handheld vacuum cleaner. But it is more than capable of deep cleaning floors.

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Bissell recently introduced its new product line called “Pet Hair Eraser”.

1650A is the vertical version that now comes with a tangle-free brush roller.

If both of the aforementioned Dyson struts are too pricey for you, this is a good alternative for under $200.

One of the biggest problems with a traditional roll brush is the hair’s tendency to curl up.

This new feature prevents hair from getting wrapped around the brush.

The bristles are very hard and thick which is great for stirring pet hair on the mat.

It has a “SmartSeal Allergen” system that keeps dirt inside the container. To remove the smell, you can connect a Fabriz pet odor eliminator.

Quite simply, it has a HEPA filter but this vacuum cleaner is bagless so there is still exposure to dust.

It has a detachable wand and an 8-foot hose to which you can attach a crevice tool, an assembly tool, and a Pet TurboEraser.

Just watch the video below and see how this Bissell works on a big pile of clutter…

Big lint is an understatement when you see all the pet hair, dander and dander on the carpet.

This vacuum did a really good job of picking up those messes from a relatively low profile rug. When you look at the brush roll after the brushing cycle, it doesn’t have a tuft of hair wrapped.

It has an 8-foot hose – long enough to clean stairs.

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Bissell is working on something here with the 1650A Pet Hair Eraser. The tangle-free system is truly tangle-free. This would cost less than each of the Dyson’s at just $200. It’s a deal in our book.

Miele does not get the love it deserves because its products are so expensive.

But when it comes to filtration and cleaning performance, this brand should be on your list.

In terms of filtration, it is one of the best. Their bags and filtration system will filter up to 0.1 microns – that’s 99.95% filtration.

So this meets the HEPA 13 standard in Europe. And if you’re aware of how Europeans set the standards, they’re usually higher than the US.

The C3 Cat & Dog uses a bag that holds approximately 4.76 liters of dry dirt (or 1.19 gallons) which is larger than the Dyson Cinetic Vertical.

The bag remains closed even after removal thanks to the self-sealing spring.

Prevents allergens from being released when you pick up the bag from the trash.

For cleaning pet hair on carpet floors and stairs, the Cat & Dog comes with a motorized SEB228 Electro Plus brush with five-level height adjustment that you can adjust for a different type of carpet.

It also has Hurricane Parquet SBB300-3 for exposed floors. The STB 101 Mini Turbine Brush will work great for cleaning pet hair on upholstery.

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If you don’t mind paying close to a thousand dollars for a vacuum cleaner, this is a very good option. It probably has the best filtration system that keeps allergens down to 0.1 microns inside the bag. A great option for medium and even.

Shark has another potential Lift Away NR96 winner.

This is the main enclosure vacuum that has the same “Lift Away” system as the Shark upright NV803.

What’s missing is DuoClean which should be available in future releases.

Equipped with a motorized main cleaning head, this lightweight canister is able to clean pet hair on various surfaces such as the floor and carpet.

With the flexible hose, detachable wand, and interchangeable tools, you can use this to clean carpeted stairs.

You can attach the power head directly to the handle which makes cleaning the drawer a breeze.

The stick itself is adjustable so tall people can use it.

Shark has also added a “Lift Away” feature that separates the capsule from the body. It’s liberating makes the vacuum cleaner much lighter because you don’t need to carry the capsule. You will be able to move this around easily.

It won’t be as good as Miele in terms of deep cleaning but it’s a much cheaper option.

Don’t expect the same filtration although this is bagless.

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This is another viable option if Miele is expensive. It will do a good job of cleaning carpets and upholstery because of the motorized brush brush provided in the Home Cleaner and Upholstery Tool. But it lacks HEPA filtration, so it wouldn’t be a good choice if you have asthma.

Best pet hair vacuum cleaner

Portable vacuum cleaners are the great spot cleaners that every home with a pet needs. You can use these tools to pick up not only pet hair but also litter. Since these brooms are lightweight, it is easy to move them around your home. You can even use it inside your car if you often travel with your pets.

In very small homes where space is at a premium, a good portable walkie-talkie is an invaluable tool.

The absence of any wires will allow you to clean on the go.

Will the guests come in just 15 minutes? Simply get cordless and quickly pick up any pet hair that’s on the couch.

The Black & Decker BDH2020FLFH is one of the best devices because it has two really useful features that pet owners will love.

The first is the 4-foot flexible hose that extends from the reach of this product and a dedicated pet hair tool that works well on fabric upholstery.

It also comes with an extension wand with a floor tool at the end that will help you clean hard floors without bending over.

To complete the list of tools, it also comes with a brush/nozzle and a crevice tool.

A 20V lithium ion battery will take about 3 hours to charge and operate for about 15 minutes.

If you can’t buy a Dyson, this is a cheaper and cheaper alternative.

By the way, I also collected 5 of the best cordless pet hair vacuums in another article, please check it out.

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If you need something compact, lightweight, and wireless, this is a great option. The power is great for wireless. Runtime is also great at 30 minutes max. You’ll love using this to catch pet hair in areas like the sofa, chairs, and even stairs. The flexible hose also makes it great for use in confined spaces.

Best stick vacuums for pet hair

A stick vacuum cleaner is a good compromise if the canister or upright is too bulky for your needs. This is best suited inside small homes where space is a premium. The latest variants on the market are now versatile enough and have a runtime long enough to clean your entire home without the need for recharging. This is the battery technology we now have thanks to brands like Dyson and Shark.

If you own a small home with an equal mix of carpet and bare floor, then you should take a closer look at the Dyson V8.

Possibly the most versatile cordless vacuum cleaner. And it has enough power and a long enough runtime to clean a small apartment.

Two main tools are the fine cylinder cleaning head and the direct engine cleaning tool which provides ample variability.

The soft roller head will work great on a bare floor and pull dirt toward the suction chamber, while the direct drive motor cleaning head does a good job on carpets.

It won’t clean as deeply as corded but at least it won’t build up pet hair. The post-motor HEPA filter will keep allergens down to 0.5 microns inside the container.

In maximum mode, the V8 has about 115 aerodynamic watts, so the power is adequate. But it will only last for 7 minutes when the sermon.

If you find paying $400 too much, go for the Dyson V7 or any of the V6 variants.

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The Dyson V8 is a great choice for small to medium sized homes due to its versatility. You can use it as a vacuum cleaner to clean floors or as a hand-held vacuum to clean various corners and crevices. It’s not the strongest cleaner but if you need a lightweight and effective pet hair cleaning tool, take a look at this one.

Despite being an older model, the Hoover Linx Stick is still a great choice for cleaning pet hair on floors.

It has decent power and light and doesn’t need a lot of space to store this. Over 8000 people have left reviews, so Hoover must be doing something right.

But this product is purely a vacuum cleaner and will only clean floors. No hose or tools allow this to be cleaned above ground.

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This is a nice and cheap wireless stick option for people who live inside apartments. It is light and compact and will do a decent job of picking up pet hair on carpet or hard floors. Keep in mind that it does not have any possibility to clean upholstery or stairs, so pair it with a handheld device.

How to choose a vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

You cannot use any vacuum cleaner to clean pet hair. You will get stuck and spend more time cleaning the brush roll instead focusing on the task at hand.

Most “standard” vacuums have a brush roller and hose and enough power to pick up loose dirt. But when cleaning pet hair, you’ll need something with specialized tools and enough strength to suck the hairs off fabric upholstery or carpeting which is often the hardest area to clean.

Powerful motor and stiff bristles

The default option recommended by the seller is a motorized brush vacuum cleaner.

Examine this part carefully and make sure that the bristles are very stiff.

The soft bristles will not provide enough excitement to completely pick up pet hair in areas such as carpet.

You’ll just push it aside and you won’t choose anything at all.

Or you’ll lack suction to pull hairs from a motorized brush and you’ll spend more time brushing than a vacuum cleaner.

Hard bristles will do better at picking them up.

Pair this with a powerful motor and it will go inside the container and won’t stay on the brush roll.

HEPA filter

Another feature to look at is HEPA filtration. These filters have smaller holes that trap fine bits of dirt such as allergens.

This feature is essential if you suffer from any type of condition such as asthma.

The downside to these filters is that you will have to replace them once or twice a year depending on the number of pets you have.

Some manufacturers like Dyson have washable HEPA filters that will last the life of the appliance.

Packed or without bags

Whether or not to buy something with a bag depends on your sensitivity to dust and pollen. Bags vacuum cleaners are great because they never make a mess of emptying the bag.

When it’s full, just open the box, pull the bag out, and throw it away.

No mess, no fuss. But bags cost money and increase over time. The cost of these bags depends on the brand you choose.

If you want to know more about the difference between these two features, I have written a comprehensive guide, so please take some time and read it.

hose length

The hose helps extend the functionality of the vacuum cleaner to areas above the floor. Most new rolls have hoses that detach from the housing. The longer the hose, the better access it has and the more space it can clean.

Weight

Full-size rolls weigh between 15 and 20 pounds.

If you are weak or have mobility issues, a heavy vacuum is not an option. A lightweight vacuum cleaner would be a better choice.

durability

It’s hard to gauge durability just by reading the features. A good indicator would be consumer reviews.

If you see a lot of complaints about major consistent issues, you may want to avoid this product.

Guarantee

The warranty would be another overlooked feature. The longer warranty gives you peace of mind because if something goes wrong, just send it back in.

Miele has a 7-year warranty on most of its upright vacuums. While Dyson and Shark back their products with a 5-year warranty.

Newer Bissell slates (particularly pet hair chain vacuums) have a 5-year warranty.

If you’re buying from Amazon, you can also buy an extended warranty on top of that.

Trademarks

There are plenty of brands on the market that claim to deal with pet hair. Most of them claim that their products will clean pet hair and make your life easier. But the truth is that a lot of this is just marketing bullshit and what they claim won’t match real world performance.

While I wouldn’t recommend just looking at the brand alone, here are some of the best…

Bissell

Bissell is one of the leading companies in the vacuum industry and has been in the field for over 100 years.

If you are considering this brand, check out the “Pet Hair Eraser” series. They have a full range of products that range from rolls, handheld devices to carpet cleaners. All of these products will work well for picking up pet hair.

Dyson

James Dyson invented the bagless vacuum cleaner that took him over 5,000 tries.

Now they have started a new direction – the use of Cinetic technology. These are available in their vertical and canister vacuum line.

Milli

Miele comes from the same country that produced Mercedes-Benz, which is Germany. Are they over-engineered like Mercedes? Perhaps but its name is synonymous with high quality products and great filtration. They’ve specialized in packaged vacuum cleaners with careful thought about how they filter out allergens.

They have a “Cat and Dog” series line designed specifically for cleaning pet hair. Don’t limit yourself to this but it’s a good starting point if you choose to take a closer look.

Hoover

Don’t sleep on Hoover. They offer great options with this multifunctional cordless vacuum cleaner. Hoover recently launched its REACT series – a line of upright vacuums that deeply clean pet hair from carpets.

shark

Shark is one of my favorite brands because of its innovative “Lift Away” and “DuoClean” features that extend the functionality of their menus without sacrificing cleaning performance.

How big is your house?

It is important to match the type of vacuum cleaner you buy to the size of your home.

For big homes You’ll need a large vacuum cleaner with a container large enough to store dirt without having to constantly make trips to the trash.

Portrait mode would be an ideal choice because these machines have the most power and excitement. Modern rolls like the Shark DuoClean NV803 cover a can of floor cleaning above.

Also try to get something with a power cord of at least 30 feet so you don’t have to constantly look for an outlet to plug in.

Size won’t be an issue because you have plenty of storage space anyway.

For smaller homes Like an apartment, you’ll obviously need something more compact for storage reasons. A sticky vacuum cleaner would be a good choice because it wouldn’t require a lot of storage space. But you still have enough power to pick up pet hair.

Some cordless vacuums may be useful in these situations like the Dyson V8 because they will not only do floors but upholstery, stairs, and everything in between. At over $500, it’s not cheap but it’s a good investment if you can buy one.

Handheld devices also come in handy inside really small homes or as a tool for cleaning upholstery or stairs.

Are you going to vacuum carpets, hard floors, stairs or upholstery?

The type of surface you will be cleaning will help determine the type of vacuum cleaner you will choose.

For example, if your home has wall-to-wall carpeting, the ideal option would be to have enough power and excitement for a deep cleaning.

Hardwood won’t require as much stirring because there are no fibers that get in the way of dirt. But old hardwood homes with deep cracks will need something with good strength to pick up the dirt trapped under those cracks.

Don’t forget the “extras” to clean upholstery, vents, blinds or the interior of your car

High-end brands like Shark and Dyson have plenty of tools specifically designed to clean certain parts of your home and even the interior of your car.

Do you have any preference?

Do you prefer portrait, canister, stick or handheld mode?

Vertical menus by default have the most power but these are often the heaviest, so they won’t always be the best choice for the job.

A good rule of thumb is to choose vertical for larger homes and canister, stick or handheld for smaller homes. But like what I said, there are supports that can act as a tray, so don’t forget about these options.

Upright brooms They are ideal for larger homes because they have the longest electrical wires and the largest boxes.

Good brands like Dyson, Shark and Miele offer the best power and excitement that can deeply clean carpets.

cylinder vacuum cleaner It offers better versatility and maneuverability because it has interchangeable hoses and tools but at the cost of a shorter power cord and smaller enclosure. So it may not be a good choice for larger homes.

It can be a secondary machine for cleaning stairs and upholstery. You can also use it as a basic cleaner inside smaller homes such as condominiums or apartments.

Stick Vacuum Cleaner Offers the same functionality as Stand Mode but with less power and less excitement. It also has a smaller sized bin that won’t hold much dirt.

Some brands like Bissell have a 2-in-1 functionality that turns the wand into a handheld device. But these times are often lacking in strength.

hand brooms It is the lightest and most maneuverable. Wireless mobile devices are the most portable because you can take them anywhere.

Look for these different attachments

Most people overlook these tools, but they are very important for cleaning tight areas or on floor surfaces.

These expand the functionality of the vacuum cleaner and make life a lot easier in terms of cleaning.

upholstery tool

Source: www.dustbag.co.uk

The upholstery tool has a motorized brush designed to deeply clean upholstery and carpets. Some use a different form of agitation such as ribbed rubber heads or velco strips.

Most brands use the same design but there are brands like Dyson that use a different, more effective solution.

slit tool

Source: Lowes.com

It helps you clean tight spaces such as crevices thanks to the slim design. These are great for cleaning areas between pillows or panels.

extension stick

You’ll find this tool in a drum vacuum cleaner and some stick vacuums like the Dyson V6 or Shark Rocket. This device extends how far you can use a different attachment on it as needed.

dust tool

Source: Dyson.com

This helps clean dust from flat surfaces or areas with a lot of confined spaces such as a keyboard or air vent.

Automatic brush/roll brush

A motorized brush refers to a device with bristles whose main purpose is to stir up dirt on carpets.

It will not be effective on hard floors because dirt is already exposed on that surface. So some manufacturers like Dyson and Shark now use a soft roller brush.

Hard Floor Brush Tool

Source: merseyspares.co.uk

These tools are useful on tile or hardwood surfaces to clean fine dust particles. You can find this mostly on vacuum cleaners and some listings.

Motorized mini brush / electric nozzle / electric brush

Whatever term manufacturers use, these tools have the same function – for cleaning fabric upholstery or stairs. Some have their own motor that provides better agitation while others rely only on air for the brush to spin.

mattress tool

Mattress tools may vary. Some have motorized brushes while others have a wide base with textured surfaces for excitement.

Angled brush tool

The angled brush tool has focal points that bend at different angles. These help clean high areas such as ceiling fans or tall cabinets.

How much are you willing to spend?

This should be one of the first considerations when cleaning pet hair. Remember not to skimp here because we are talking about a tool that will help keep the environment in which you live clean.

You can set a maximum (eg you don’t want to go over $150) or a more flexible range (eg between $50 and $100).

A suitable vacuum cleaner for carpets can cost anywhere between $120 and $350. These include wireless options. Anything over $350 would be a luxury in my opinion.

Consider this an investment, not an expense

Spending more is not a bad thing because high-end brands use better quality materials.

Better raw materials mean a long lasting product. This will be the best performance and the bottom line is why buy these products.

If you buy a cheap product, what happens is that it breaks prematurely. In the long run, you’ll spend more buying cheap products over and over again.

to finish

I hope this lengthy article will help you narrow down your pet hair vacuuming options.

Choosing the right type depends on the size of your home, flooring type, and budget.

Small homes will benefit from a cordless, handheld, or stick vacuum cleaner. If you don’t have any carpet, a cheaper vacuum cleaner like the Shark Rocket HV 302 will work.

But larger homes with a lot of carpet will need a full-size stand for deep cleaning.

People with asthma would benefit from a vacuum cleaner with a prefilled HEPA filter and I have recommended some of the above like the Miele C3 Cat & Dog. One brand that I didn’t mention on the list but should be on your shortlist is Oreck Magnesium.

LIke Miele has a bag but it only weighs 8 lbs. If you have trouble carrying heavy rolls, this is a great option.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me below.