The best vacuum for pet hair is an invaluable weapon in the day-to-day struggle to keep your floors and furniture fur-free. Whether you’re dealing with shedding dogs, fluffy cats, or other animal companions, the right device can make all the difference in maintaining a clean home.
To help you out, we’ve put our experts to work, to uncover the best vacuum for pet hair available today. They’ve got years of experience reviewing, testing and using a huge of vacuums. And they’ve drawn on this knowledge and expertise to draw up our list below, based on factors including suction strength, filtration systems and pet-specific features.
From the best cordless vacuum to clever robots, budget-friendly options to premium powerhouses, these vacuums are designed to efficiently suck up pet hair, dander and allergens, ensuring a cleaner, fresher living space for both you and your pets. So read on to discover the best vacuum cleaner that can help you tackle your furry friends’ shedding and make pet hair cleanup a breeze.
The quick list
1. Shark Stratos Cordless
Best overall
The Shark Stratos Cordless is an excellent choice for pet owners. It boasts plenty of suction that it’ll adjust as needed, it’s great at hair removal, and its can clean anywhere thanks to its flexible wand.
2. Halo Capsule X Pet Max
Best capacity
Great suction and a huge bag means this vac can collect more pet hair than you ever know you had, and it comes with a specialized bristle head for de-furring furniture, dog beds and car interiors.
Best premium
If money’s no object this Dyson’s a winner for dealing with pet hair. It delivers loads of suction and can tackle hair without getting clogged up, and whole-machine HEPA filtration makes it allergy-friendly.
4. Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum
Best upright
This powerful corded upright features Shark’s anti-hair wrap technology, and its DuoClean floorhead is brilliant at picking up pet hair. It also features anti-odor tech to keep things smelling sweet.
5. iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus
Best robot
Hair isn’t the worst thing you might have to deal with if you have pets, and while this Roomba won’t scoop poop it’ll at least spot it and avoid spreading it everywhere. It’ll mop as well as vacuuming, too.
The best vacuum for pet hair in 2024: picked by experts
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Best vacuum for pet hair overall
If you’re in a hurry and need to know about the absolute best vacuum for pet hair, we think it’s the Shark Stratos Cordless. Our reviewer was particularly taken by its impressive amount of suction power for a relatively lightweight cordless, and that’s combined with Shark’s Clean Sense IQ technology, which means it’ll automatically turn up the power when it detects large amount of dirt, debris or pet hair. She also had plenty of praise for its flexible rotating head that’s great for corners and working around awkward pieces of furniture.
The floorhead uses Shark’s anti-hair wrap tech, so if you have particularly furry pets that shed everywhere you won’t have to spend ages picking hair off the brushrolls every time you clean. As an added bonus, this one also features an odor neutralizer, so not only will your home look cleaner when you’ve been around with it, it’ll smell fresher too. And because pet hair doesn’t just get to places where you can see it, the Stratos Cordless has a flexible hose that can reach under furniture without you having to get down on your hands and knees; it also doubles up as a handheld for getting the fur out of furnishings.
The Shark Stratos Cordless has a decent-sized dust cup so you won’t have to constantly stop to empty it, and its battery can keep on going for up to an hour on a single charge. If you need a versatile and capable vacuum that’s a winner on pet hair, this is the one to go for.
Read our full Shark Stratos Cordless review
Best vacuum for pet hair with a bag
The Halo Capsule X Pet Max is a great choice if you have a lot of fur to deal with and don’t want to spend forever emptying a dust canister. Unlike many of the latest vacs it’s not bagless, and its large two-liter dust bag capacity was a hit with our reviewer, as it can contain a substantial amount of hair and dander before needing to be emptied. The bagged system also makes emptying the vacuum a breeze, with no dust clouds to worry about: a significant advantage for those with pet allergies.
The vacuum’s HEPA filtration system helps trap fine pet dander and allergens, improving air quality in the home. With two batteries included in the Pet Max bundle, you get up to 50 minutes to tackle larger areas or multiple-pet spaces without interruption. And its lightweight design and excellent maneuverability make it easy to navigate around pet beds, toys and other obstacles.
The Halo Capsule X Pet Max comes with a dedicated small motorized bristle head specifically designed for removing pet hair from furniture, dog beds and car interiors. And in practice, our reviewer found that its powerful suction effectively collects more pet hair than you realized you had, even from deep pile carpets.
Read our full Halo Capsule X Pet Max review
Best premium vacuum for pet hair
The Dyson Gen5detect is very expensive, but in return for all that cash you’ll get a powerful Hyperdymium motor, which delivers an impressive 262 air watts of suction, effectively tackling pet hair and dander on various surfaces. It also features a Motorbar cleaner head with 56 detangling vanes, which prevents hair from wrapping around the brush roll; a common issue when dealing with pet hair. And its whole-machine HEPA filtration system is particularly beneficial for pet owners, as it can capture particles as small as 0.1 microns, trapping 99.9% of dust, allergens, and pet dander inside the vacuum. That’s particularly important for those sensitive to pet-related allergens.
Battery life of 70 minutes allows for thorough cleaning of larger homes with pets without interruption. The vacuum’s dynamic suction automatically adjusts power based on the amount of dirt detected, ensuring efficient cleaning of both light pet hair and heavier pet-related messes.
The laser on the Fluffy Optic floor head helps illuminate pet hair and dander on hard floors, even in well-lit rooms, making it easier to spot and clean up after pets. Additionally, the integrated crevice tool provides quick access for cleaning pet hair from tight spaces and furniture without needing to switch attachments. All of which makes this add up to an excellent, albeit premium-priced, option for households with pets that require thorough and frequent cleaning.
Read our full Dyson Gen5detect review
Best upright vacuum for pet hair
Prefer an upright vacuum? Then here’s our top choice for pet owners grappling with pet hair. Our tester found that the Shark Stratos Upright’s upgraded Anti Hair Wrap Plus technology effectively collects hair from floors without tangling around the brush rolls, eliminating the need for tedious manual cleaning. As a corded upright vacuum, it also delivered powerful suction to thoroughly clean carpets and hard floors of pet hair and dander. And the DuoClean floorhead, featuring dual motorized brush-rolls, excelled at picking up pet hair from a variety of floor types.
And there’s more. A unique feature that sets this vacuum apart is its anti-odor technology, which helps neutralize pet scents and leaves the home smelling fresh after cleaning. For those sensitive to pet dander, the anti-allergen complete seal is particularly beneficial, trapping 99.9% of dust and allergens inside the vacuum. The 1.3-liter dust cup capacity allows for cleaning large areas without frequent emptying, which is especially helpful when dealing with high volumes of pet hair.
Adding to its pet-friendly credentials, the Shark Stratos can transform into a portable unit, making it easy to clean stairs and furniture where animals often lounge. This versatility, combined with its powerful performance and pet-specific features, makes the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum particularly well-suited for tackling pet hair along with related issues like odors and allergens.
Read our full Shark Stratos Upright review
Best robot vacuum for pet hair
Want your vacuum to do all the work for you? Then you’ll want the best robot vacuum for pet hair, and right now, that’s the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus. We’ve picked this model due to its combination of powerful suction, intelligent features and pet-specific design elements. Its ability to pick up particles as small as 0.7 microns ensures thorough removal of pet hair and dander from both carpets and hard floors.
The vacuum’s object detection system and Pet Owner Official Promise (P.O.O.P) allow it to recognize and avoid pet messes, preventing the spread of accidents throughout the home. The dual rubber brush rolls are designed to prevent hair tangling, a common issue with pet hair.
Additionally, the vacuum’s mopping functionality helps clean up muddy paw prints on hard floors, making it a versatile solution for pet owners. Our reviewer found that it mopped better than any other robot vacuum and mop she’d seen before, and that it left her floors shiny and free of marks.
The smart mapping and zoning features in the app allow users to designate specific areas for cleaning or avoidance, which is particularly useful for pet owners who want to keep the vacuum away from pet beds or feeding areas. The self-emptying base reduces the frequency of manual emptying, which is beneficial when dealing with large amounts of pet hair.
Overall, the combination of powerful cleaning performance, pet-specific features, and intelligent navigation make the Roomba Combo J7 Plus an ideal choice for pet owners seeking an efficient and low-maintenance solution for managing hair and related messes.
Read our full iRobot Roomba Combo J7 plus review
Best vacuum for pet hair FAQs
What is the difference between a pet hair vacuum and a regular vacuum?
While regular vacuums can clean up pet hair, they may not be as effective or efficient, especially in homes with multiple pets or heavy shedding. Vacuums that specialize in pet hair are specifically optimized to handle these challenges.
This typically means they feature specialized brushes, such as tangle-free brush rolls or rubber bristles, designed to attract and capture pet hair more efficiently. The filtration systems in pet vacuums are also usually more advanced, helping to trap dander and allergens, which is particularly beneficial for pet owners with allergies.
Pet-specific vacuums often come with specialized attachments like upholstery brushes or crevice tools tailored for removing pet hair from different surfaces. They may also have larger dust bins to accommodate the extra hair and debris collected. Some models include anti-odor features such as carbon filters or other odor-neutralizing technologies to combat pet-related smells.
What to look for in a pet hair vacuum
When searching for a pet hair vacuum, your most important priority will be suction power, which will help effectively remove embedded hair from carpets and upholstery. Beyond that, look for specialized brush rolls designed to prevent hair tangling and efficiently collect pet fur. If you suffer from allergies, a high-quality filtration system is also crucial to trap dander and allergens.
Consider vacuums with versatile attachments such as upholstery tools and crevice nozzles to tackle hair on various surfaces. Opt for models with larger dust bins to reduce the frequency of emptying, especially if you have multiple pets or deal with heavy shedding.
Maneuverability is important, so choose a vacuum that’s easy to handle and can reach under furniture, especially if that’s where your furry friends spend a lot of their day. Cordless and handheld models are strong on this kind of flexibility, but make sure they provide sufficient battery life for your needs.
Noise level is another factor to consider, especially if your pets are sensitive to loud sounds. Finally, check for additional features like HEPA filters, odor control, and tangle-free technology.
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