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Do you need a better way to tame those tumbleweeds of pet hair rolling around your home? Is your current vacuum not cutting it? The best vacuum for pet hair will get rid that pesky flyaway fur.
Article Overview
Pet Vacuums vs Regular Vacuums
Why is a pet vacuum better than a regular vacuum? Pet hair vacuums boast enhanced features that make them more capable of handling a higher volume of hair and dander.
Three things that make them more suited for handling your household are:
- Enhanced suction.
- Tailored tools and accessories.
- High-performing filtration systems.
Best Vacuums For Dog Hair
Just like regular vacuums, there are different sizes, styles, and performing powers for pet hair picker-uppers. The style you choose will depend on the size of your living space, how much hair and dander you’re dealing with (and where), and what you’re willing and able to pay.
We’ve broken down our best pics by vacuum type to help you narrow down your choices.
Canister | Stick | Upright| Robotic |Handheld
Best Canister Vacuum: Eureka 3684F Mighty Mite Review
The Eureka 3684F canister vacuum has a powerful brush roll to help deep clean your carpets and get every strand of pet hair. A set of tools is also provided for places like stairs and upholstery. This reasonably priced vacuum is great for cleaning your home and a deep clean inside of your car.
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Price & Specs
- Check Amazon for availability.
- Weight: 9 lbs
- Cord length: 20 ft
- Size: 9″ x 17-1/2″ x 11-1/3″
Best Stick Vacuum: Bissell 1954 Bolt Lithium Ion Pet Review
This vacuum does a great job of sucking things up that normally you can only get with a broom and dustpan. And, like other stick vacs, this little guy is a grab and go convenient picker-upper.
The vacuum includes attachments and even separates into a hand-vac option. The structure bends in the middle to make it easy to vacuum in between tables and chairs. It also has a two-way folding handle for compact storage.
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Price & Specs
- Check Amazon for availability.
- Weight: 5.8 lbs
- Size: 6″ x 10″ x 44″
Best Upright Vacuum: Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal 2
This powerful Dyson vacuum not only helps with pet hair but is also great for those of you with allergies with a whole-machine HEPA filtration system. It has strong suction, and there is no filter to wash or replace. It has many adjustments to get pet hair out of corners and other difficult to reach places and you can empty the bin with the push of a button. The downside? The price is pretty hefty.
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Price & Specs
- $594.99
- Weight: 19.2 lbs
- Cord length: 35 ft
- Size: 42.1″ x 13.4″ x 15.3″
Upright Honorable Mention: Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 Review
For a vacuum that delivers on both price and performance, you can’t go wrong with the Shark Navigator Lift-Away. This upright is actually not designed as a pet-specific vacuum, yet its features put it right up there with some of the best for the hairiest jobs as well as the “normal” messes.
Portable, lightweight, and affordable, this vac is a serious contender for your pet-cleaning needs. The biggest complaints with this machine are mainly construction-based; when it comes to the Shark Rotator’s performance, however, the results are unquestionable.
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Price & Specs
- Check Amazon for availability.
- Weight: 12.5 lbs
- Cord length: 25 ft
- Size: 15″ x 11.4″ x 45.5″
Best Robotic Vacuum: bObsweep PetHair Robotic Vacuum Cleaner and Mop Review
Looking for a robotic way to clean up unwanted pet hair? The bobsweet PetHair Robotic Vacuum is a sweeper and mop in one. In addition to sucking up debris and hair, it will also wipe paw prints and slobber from the floor.
It works on all floor types and comes with a 1-liter dustbin (which is relatively small compared to traditional vacuums but large for a robotic cleaner). You can even set it on a schedule to auto clean while you’re away — a bonus if your dog barks or plays with it. Read more reviews on robot vacuums for pet hair.
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Price & Specs
- Check Amazon for availability.
- Weight: 7.7 lbs
- Size: 13.8″ x 13.8″ x 3.9″
Best Handheld: Black+Decker Lithium Pet Hand Vacuum Review
Need a quick and easy way to vacuum all the hair off your furniture or your car seats? The Black+Decker HLVA325JP07 Lithium Pet Hand Vac is a fantastic solution. Unlike other hand vacs, this model packs a surprisingly strong suction.
It comes with a pull-out crevice tool for hard to reach areas and a push-in brush for dusting and cleaning upholstery. It also includes a wall mount charger for space-saving storage.
First-Hand Experience
Someone on our team has the Black+Decker Pet Hand Vac and says it’s super powerful to suck up hair off places you can’t use with the vacuum like the sofa and car. For being powerless, it’s extremely loud and strong and gets the job done. The debris is easy to empty and the attachments come in handy. She noticed it stopped working as well over time, but ordered new filters and it was like brand new again.
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Price & Specs
- Check Amazon for availability.
- Weight: 3 lbs
- Size: 15.88″ x 5.75″ x 7.5″
Vacuum Alternative: ChomChom Roller
Vacuums are a powerful tool for sucking up fur from the floor. However, you may want a more gentle yet effective tool when it comes to your clothing, upholstery and other hard to clean spots.
Unlike traditional lint rollers that use wasteful, refillable sticky pads, the ChomChom Roller picks up pesky hairs with static electricity. It is similar to a lint roller brush in that you roll it over the surface. It traps fur in a reservoir that you empty once it’s full. Roll the ChomChom over the surface in a back and forth motion to clean. Then push the lever in the middle to open the chamber and remove the hair and other debris.
We recently received a free ChomChom to test in exchange for an honest review. After trying other pet brush alternatives and lint rollers, we were a bit skeptical. But this product exceeded our expectations. We tested it on several fur-covered surfaces including a sofa, footstool and bedding. Every time it removed the pet hair extremely well. It was also easy to use and clean. The ChomChom Roller is a must-have for pet owners who live with animals who shed a lot.
Price
Bag vs Bagless Vacs
No matter which vacuum you go with, you will consider whether you want a vacuum that requires a bag, or one that is bagless. While bag vacs contain the dirt, hair, and dander more efficiently, they also add an increased expense and aggravation to the cleaning process. A few pros of most bagless vacuums include:
- Saving money: With bagless options there are no bags to buy.
- Eco-friendly: Bagless vacs are easier on the environment as they don’t put another unnecessary bag in the landfill.
- Easy to empty: Today’s canisters are so easy to empty that you won’t even miss the bag.
- Transparency: You’ll know when your vacuum isn’t doing its job because you can see what it’s picking up (or not capturing at all).
Need Some Vacuuming Tips?
Did you know there’s a proper way to vacuum? Watch this video to learn how to get your floors even cleaner, especially if you pair these tips with a pet hair cleaning machine like those we recommend above.
Need A Good Grooming Brush?
Regular grooming is another fantastic way to control pet hair around your house. Read our review about the Best Dog Shedding Brushes that can help you keep those troublesome tumbleweeds at bay.
What tips do you have for keeping your home fur-free?
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Thank you for sharing the tips for getting best vacuum cleaner for pet hair.
You’re welcome!
Thanks so much. The Dyson DC65 is my main choice for pet hair as it has stellar power and is also quite maneuverable.
I have a Dyson DC39 which I purchased after my original Dyson died after 10 years. Well this new one has put me off Dyson for life. It’s barely lasted 3 years and it’s on its last legs. I have one hairy dog (sheltie) and I find it doesn’t pick up the fur especially on carpet. It just kind of moves it around, then you have to physically lift the head of the vacuum and place it directly above the little pile you’ve made, and even then it doesn’t always lift it. I’ve cleaned the filters, even bought a new filter and it hasn’t helped. It’s now emitting a burning smell when I use it, so I’m wondering if there’s a vacuum out there that is really good without costing an arm and a leg!
Sorry your Dyson doesn’t work well. We have a Shark vacuum and are super pleased with it. Perhaps you could look into that brand of vacuum? Best of luck!!
Hello, do you mind me asking which model you bought? Are there any cons to buying this?
We own the Shark NV450 . I have no complaints about the vacuum. We’ve owned it for 5 years and it still works great.
Please help! We have carpet, 2-3″ long hair on dogs, and rake daily prior to vacuuming. Our Dyson DC39 Animal lasted a record 4 years (with one $150 replacement powerhead) only because I disassembled it every 4-5 1400 sq ft uses to clean the beater bar/motor. When the 2nd powerhead died I bought the $450 Dyson Cinetic – dead and returned in 1 month – friction between spinning motor output and stationary beater motor housing actually started melting the plastic! Bought the $300 Shark Liftaway. This one cannot be disassembled and is junk after 6 weeks.
Hoping to avoid the $1100 Miele. Anyone out there vacuum 2+” pet hair for a few years without failure?
My brother, sister and soon to be in-laws all have Shark vacuums. They all have inside dogs (two of which are labs so they shed a lot). My sister has had her vacuum for 4+ years, my brother 3+ years and my in-laws about 2 years. They’ve had no problems with them and have been pleased. I also have a Shark vacuum but we do not have a dog at the moment (hoping to get one soon!), but I’m sure it would perform well if we did. Hope this helps!
Which model do they have?
I’m not sure which models they have, they all vary.
Great! I use Dyson V6 Trigger. Should I use it for my cat?
If you already own the vacuum then yes, you should use it to clean up the cat hair in your home. We do not suggest using the vacuum directly on your cat though.
I have had an old Dyson DC65 (that was made with metal parts, no ball, and easy to operate) for years. When it died I purchased top of the line new DC65 just out that day (February 2015). I returned it March 2015 because it is totally cheap plastic, could not stand up without a very hard jerk upwards, taking the wand off or on took at least 10 minutes and its ball caused my and my husbands arms to hurt. When I took back the vacuum the manager said I had the same complaints as some others returning the vacuum. I am now going to try a Shark NV552 Rotator pro complete lift away. I hope this works with 5 dogs and 3 cats. I need a good vacuum.
Hello! Any updates on the Shark?
I have had a Shark Navigator Lift Away for while. I have never had a Dyson but I can say the following:
1) Suction is strong
2) Canister looks bigger than you should use – dirt starts going into the area it should not be in.
3) The “sponge” filter does get dirty rather quickly. I have not found them in stores I can conveniently access so I usually clean them and found that I have to vacuum the filter after every vacuuming session … or risk literally smelling the outgoing air from there. I am not too happy about this – never had this problem with “bagged” vacuums I had before… starting to wonder whether there is any advantage to bagless considering the effort and energy going into maintaining the filters.
4) In a few years I had this the short hose connecting the bottom brush part to the main body of the vacuum literally broke TWICE. It can’t keep up with normal and to-be-expected twisting as it should. We vacuum about once a week, sometimes more…
Wondering if anyone could bring some light into whether Dyson would be any better in this respect…
I wondered what other vacuums you tested. It might be helpful to some if you mentioned the “losers”. Did you test the Shark “Rocket” vacuum? Would you consider it an upright or a stick? It would have many of the same “Cons” that the Navigator has, except it has a nice, long cord. But it would also have many good “Pros”, too, and it’s a bit less expensive than the Navigator. Thanks for your great research and article.
All good points. Thanks Janis for your input.
I use the Dyson DC19 Animal and I am quite happy with it.
I always tell people there are three categories that one needs to consider in order to reduce shedding:
1. Food – A proper diet will make a world of difference
2. Supplements – Proper supplements (which can be taken care of with a healthy diet) such as oils and fatty acids will improve the coat and reduce shedding.
3. Mechanical – This is most important during spring and fall, but brushes (like Furminators) and vacuums will help reduce the amount of hair during shedding seasons.
Great article Sara!
I love my Dyson Animal too!