The best vacuums to remove the pesky pet hair
They're our cutest, most entertaining family members but boy can they cause a mess. If you're sick of being a magnet for your cat's hair, or your couch looks like it's made of your dog's fur it might be time to invest in a vacuum cleaner that specialises in sucking up pesky pet hair.
Is there a difference between a vacuum that specialises in picking up pet hair and a regular vacuum?
While regular vacuums are designed to pick up all debris lying on your floors, their head and bristles can often become tangled and clogged with hair or fur, making them less effective overall.
Vacuum cleaners that specialise in picking up pet hair are typically built with comb-like bristles to lift the hair in combination with high-powered suction to pick it all up. The filter inside the vacuum works extra hard to capture dander and allergens. Many come with additional accessories to clean areas like upholstery, pet beds and rugs.
What to look out for when buying a vacuum cleaner for pet hair
With so many vacuums on the market, it can be overwhelming deciding on the right one. Look for super-powered suction, tough bristles and brush heads, and accessories that suit your needs – often they come with a crevice, upholstery, and dusting tool.
As well as the price, the size of the unit is also worth factoring in. Typically, stick and handheld vacs can fit nicely into smaller spaces but consider the weight too. When sucking up pesky pet hair you could be there for a while, think of your arms and how long you can stand vacuuming the one spot for.
Now you know what you're looking for, it's time to choose the one that's perfect for you, your pets, and your home.
NOTE: Prices are accurate at time of publishing.
Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair removal
Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog Vacuum Cleaner
While the Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog Vacuum Cleaner may look old school, it can do everything you want it to when cleaning up after your shedding pet. Built with a 2000W motor and a TurboBrush brush head for a deeper clean on short-pile carpet, it also features six cleaning modes which you can switch between with the tap of your foot. Conveniently, the attachments and accessories pack away inside the vacuum to save space. With an Active AirClean filter, it reduces smells as you clean.
Best stick vacuum for pet hair
Dyson V15 Detect Absolute Cordless Vacuum
The Dyson V15 Detect Absolute Cordless Vacuum has a motorised Digital Motorbar vacuum head that prevents hair tangling. This brush head also uses Dyson DLS technology to monitor the resistance of the debris and adapt the power needed to remove it from your flooring. It also comes with an anti-tangle conical brush that spirals hair off items like pet beds, cushions and more.
Making it the ultimate home vacuum, it can reveal microscopic dust using its fluffy optic cleaner head, monitoring the number and size of the particles it sucks up. It is built with the Dyson Hyperdymium digital motor that can spin 125,000 revolutions per minute (RPM) and uses Radial Cyclone technology to suck up debris without clogging the filter and losing power.
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Best upright vacuum for pet hair
Shark Navigator Pet with Self-Cleaning Brushroll
Designed for both carpet and hard floors, the Shark Navigator Pet bagless vacuum cleaner is built with a self-cleaning hair wrap brush head to prevent clogging when cleaning hair and fur. It works by sucking the hairs and furs up through the vacuum, combing through any left to remove them from the brush, and then sucking those remaining into the dust cap. On top of this, it can capture up to 99.9 per cent of dust and allergens on your floor with its HEPA filter, has swivel head steering and also comes with a crevice tool, upholstery tool and dusting brush.
Best handheld vacuum cleaner for pet hair
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Pet Vacuum
The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Pet Vacuum is made for spot cleaning like pet beds, and lounges. Included is a motorised brush head, a crevice tool and an upholstery tool. It also has up to 17 minutes of power per charge and a triple filtration system.
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Best robot vacuum for pet hair
iRobot Roomba j7+
The iRobot Roomba j7+ is built with flexible rubber brushes and an edge-sweeping brush to collect hidden debris. It also has 'power-lifting' suction power to ensure everything is collected. It uses a PrecisionVision Navigation system, which is a great feature for cat owners specifically as it won't go near any litter boxes and (God forbid) spread any waste while it cleans.
Not only is it Google Home and Alexa compatible, but you can also control it using your smartphone and receive notifications and recommendations for cleaning at different times of the year. This includes when pets are shedding, so you'll be ahead of the game for cleaning up the fur before it builds up. It also self-empties after 60 days of use into an enclosed cleaning bag so dirt and debris won't spread.
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Best bagless vacuum for pet hair
Shark Stratos Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum
The Shark Stratos Pet Pro Cordless Vacuum has a self-cleaning brush head with DuoClean Powerfins technology designed for picking up hairs from your floors and can pick up more hair than any other Shark cordless stick vacuum to date. It has a HEPA filter, up to 60 minutes of battery power, and uses odour-neutralising technology to prevent bad smells from spreading throughout your home when cleaning.
It is also built with Clean Sense IQ technology that can detect dirt and debris and will boost the power needed to clean it up.
Best wet and dry vacuum for pet hair
Bissell 2225F Crosswave Pet All-in-One Wet /Dry Vacuum Cleaner and Mop
Using the Bissell 2225F Crosswave, you can vacuum and wash your floors simultaneously. You can choose your clean using the smart-touch controls on the handle and switch between cleaning hard floors and carpets. Great for pet owners, it has a built-in hair strainer when using the mop function and a multi-purpose pet brush roll that can suck up hairs up to 20cm long. It also uses a two-tank system that separates clean and dirty water so your floors aren't being cleaned with used water.
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Best vacuum with the biggest battery life
Bosch Unlimited 7 ProAnimal Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Made in Germany, the Bosch Unlimited 7 ProAnimal Cordless Vacuum Cleaner comes with two interchangeable 3.0AH battery packs that can last up to 80 minutes on the go. It is built with the ProAnimal brush with LED lights to see hidden dirt, dust and fur living on your floors, a bendable flex tube that can bend to a 90-degree angle to clean hard-to-reach places. It also has a HEPA filter, three power modes and all the accessories needed for a full home clean: a furniture brush, an upholstery nozzle, a flexible crevice nozzle and a flexible extension hose.
Best budget-friendly vacuum
BLACK+DECKER 18V Lithium-Ion 2-in-1 Pet Stick Vacuum
The BLACK+DECKER 18V Lithium-Ion 2-in-1 Pet Stick Vacuum uses a power sensor that will automatically adjust its suction power when switching from hard floors to carpet. The brush head is built with a beater bar – this is a metal bar that rotates in the brush head to comb away built-up debris from the suction inlets to maintain power. It also has a HEPA filter, a 20-minute battery life and will alert you if the filter needs cleaning or the battery power is running low.
Best big brand vacuum for pet hair
Samsung Jet 60 Pet Cordless Vacuum
Designed for carpets, the Samsung Jet 60 Pet Cordless Vacuum has a multi-purpose 180-degree swivel brush head to dig deep into the carpets and uses the Jet Cyclone System with nine cyclones and 27 air inlets to produce high suction without loss of power.
Its five-layer filtration system separates debris based on size to ensure all particles large and small are cleaned. It weighs just 2.3kg, has up to 40 minutes of power per charge, and comes with three cleaning tools – a mini-motorised tool, a combination cleaning tool and an extension crevice tool.
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