Best vacuum for pet hair 2024: tested by experts

Cleaning up after dogs and cats is easy with the best vacuum for pet hair. Designed to capture hair, dust, dirt, and dander, a specialized vacuum is a must-have for pet owners. A dedicated pet hair vacuum can help to make your home hypoallergenic and freshen up those animal odors. 

There are cordless vacuums to navigate tight corners, as well as handheld models to pick up pet hair from the couch and car. A little robot vacuum could help with light maintenance, but a heavy-duty upright number could dig up more dirt and dander. With so many pet hair vacuums on the market, it's easy to feel spoiled for choice.

As a team of product experts, we've tried out the best vacuums in our own homes, as well as in our standardized testing studio. So, naturally, we know exactly which features go further to pick up after your pet. 

After dozens of tests on pet hair vacuums, we've narrowed it down to the top nine. The Dyson V15 Detect might be the best vacuum for pet hair, but there are plenty of worthy competitors from Shark, Samsung, Miele, and more. Our guide is here to help you split the difference, assessing each vacuum on its general performance, power on pet hair, any added features, and the all-important price. 

The Quick List

Here's a quick overview of our best. If any stand out, click on the jump links to take you to the more in-depth details below.

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Best vacuum for pet hair 2024

For more detail, here's our rundown of the very best vacuums for pet hair. We've personally tested every single one to see how they fared with fur. 

The best vacuum for pet hair

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This is the best vacuum cleaner in the world on every surface, and it particularly shines on pet hair. When we tested the anti-tangle hair screw on an old dog bed, it not only picked up all of the hair but restored the color from a faded gray to a bright blue. It also has an an effective anti-tangle brush bar that will save you the horrible job of picking hair out of the vacuum.

The Dyson V15 Detect also leads the line up of best vacuums and the best Dysons for its diode laser, which illuminates dust and particles the naked eye can't see. This couples with a sensor which measures microscopic dust particles in real time. We were prepared for these to be useless gimmicks but they genuinely improve performance, as the laser helps you clean more deeply and the sensor adjusts the suction power depending on how dirty your floors are. 

But like most Dyson products, this quality comes at a cost. This is the best vacuum you can possibly buy, but it will set you back more than $700. We also aren't fans of the fact that dust occasionally gets stuck in the dust bin, and that you have to hold down the trigger to keep it running, which might become uncomfortable if you have mobility issues with your hands. 

You can find more detail in our Dyson V15 Detect cordless vacuum review.

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Best value vacuum for pet hair

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Our expert tester Camryn Rabideau loved this vacuum after testing it in a house with two long-haired dogs. It does almost as good a job as the Dyson above despite costing half as much. Like many Shark vacuums, it stops hair wrapping around the floor brush and saves you the gross job of detangling your vacuum. 

Upright vacuums can be too bulky for delicate jobs, but the Shark Stratos comes with a Powered Lift-Away mode. Camryn said that 'This allowed me to pop out the main cylinder and bin, leaving me with a smaller, more nimble hand held cleaner and hose for getting under furniture and into tight spaces'. We also love the Odor Neutralizer Technology, a cartridge which releases a 'light, fresh scent that makes the room feel cleaner', which is especially welcome in homes with pets. 

But while Power Lift-Away makes it a little lighter to hold, this vacuum weighs 17lbs, so it might not suit people with mobility problems, and it's tricky to store. You should also watch out for the two different versions. It seems pedantic, but the AZ3000 is just a vacuum, whereas the AZ3002 comes with an effective motorized HairPro Pet Power Brush, a duster-crevice combination tool, a multi-angle dust brush, an anti-allergen dust brush, an accessory bag, and two extra odor cartridges.

You can find more detail in our Shark Stratos upright vacuum review.

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Best pet hair vacuum for allergies

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Like other vacuums, the Samsung Bespoke Jet has 5-layer HEPA filtration system to trap allergen particles inside the dustbin. However, it goes even further. The Bespoke is charged on a 'clean station', which not only powers the vacuum but sucks out any collected dust from the 0.5 liter dust bin. It's a small capacity for a big house, but this charging system means that you can regularly empty your dust into a sealed bag without lifting a finger. When the clean station is full, you can lift out a sealed bag, removing the chance of breathing in any allergens.

On test we found it easy to maneuver, with a good 60 minute runtime. We also appreciated the handy digital screen, which displays notifications of the power level and alerts about airflow issues, clogs, missing filters, and more. 

A word of warning, however: don't buy Samsung's latest update to this vacuum. Though it comes with a longer run time, it didn't perform as well in our tests. The AI - which claims to adjust to different floors automatically - isn't particularly useful, as you have to change the floorheads yourself. It's also $900, so you can save money and get a better vacuum if you stick with this older model.

You can find more detail in our Samsung Bespoke Jet Pro Extra review.

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Best upright vacuum for pet hair

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Dyson's Ball Animal 2 is an older release than the Ball Animal 3, but we actually think it's better than its successor. Though not as powerful as the Ball Animal 3, it's incredibly effective on all floor types, and particularly good at getting pet hair up from carpets. When we rolled it down a carpeted hallway, the big half-gallon dust bin filled up with hair and fur which other vacuums in the same test had missed. 

A 35-foot cord means you cover whole rooms without needing to unplug and replug, which means that in some single-story homes you can clean the entire place in one go. The hose has an enormous 40-foot reach, making it easy to clean stairs and catch cobwebs in the corner of your rooms.  Despite the size, Dyson's famous ball design makes it nimble when moving around furniture. 

Like most uprights, it weighs in at 17lbs, so while it's great at moving around furniture, it can be awkward to carry up and down stairs. It's also so powerful that it can be hard to push across some surfaces, and while it will pick up almost every hair in your house, a lot of them will get stuck in the brush roll. 

You can find more detail in our Dyson Ball Animal 2 vacuum review.

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Best budget pet hair vacuum

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Inexpensive but effective, this vacuum cleaner performed excellently on all the debris we tested it on, including our pet hair test. It's also the vacuum I have in my own place. On occasion it pushed at the pet hair, but quickly removed it when it was passed over with more pressure. It's nowhere near as good as the Dyson V15, but when you consider that this is five times cheaper this isn't surprising, and it still does a fairly good job.  

We loved the digital display and the specialised settings for different surfaces are effective. It's also incredibly agile, gliding smoothly across all surfaces and turning quickly on its wheels. It's a good choice for small apartments and weaving around furniture. We also appreciated the wide range of accessorises for precise vacuuming. 

This vacuum falls down on small but mildly infuriating issues. It isn't free-standing, so you'll need to lean it up against furniture or a wall if you need to move cables out of the way as you vacuum. This always worries me; as a renter, I don't want it to leave a mark on a wall. After a few minutes of use, it can feel a bit heavy, especially if you're holding it aloft. The worst feature is the bin, which is unintuitive to open and can be messy. The battery is pretty poor on max, and if you or your partner have long hair, be prepared to pick it out of the brush roll. 

You can find more detail in our Hoover ONEPWR Pet Max review.

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Best robot vacuum for pet hair

An update to the j7+, the latest Roomba is a huge step up. It's great at spotting obstacles, and like other iRobot products, this Roomba has a P.O.O.P. (Pet Owner Official Promise) that your vacuum won't run through any pet messes, and if it does then you can get a replacement free of charge. 

That's all before you get to its performance on hair. This robot has excellent anti-hair wrap. Unlike other robots I've tested, it's never gummed up with hair, and does an excellent job at removing it from carpets.

Where we found the app for the j7+ a little glitchy, I found the j9+ app simple and easy to use, with a clear map and the ability to mark out keep-out zones, as well as automatic room detection.

We also loved the self-emptying base. When it detects that it is full, it automatically goes to eject into the Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal, a sealed system that can hold up to 60 days of debris. It also auto-fills its water tank for the mop, and this mop automatically flips down, so you don't have to swap out parts. It's as automatic as possibly could be.

However, while largely quiet, the clean base makes an incredibly loud noise as it empties the vacuum, which I think is this vacuum's single biggest drawback. It occasionally leaves single crumbs, and struggles to clean around round-shaped objects like trash cans. Finally, it's very expensive, and will cost you nearly $1400 outside of sales periods. 

You can find more detail in our iRobot Roomba j9+.

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Best pet hair vacuum for apartments

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The Ultenic 12 promises all of the features you'll find in the best vacuums on the market: cordless cleaning, useful cleaning monitoring, a tangle free brush, a lazer sensor, and plenty of cleaning accessories. The one thing it doesn't share with out top performers is the price tag. This is under $200 and that's before you bag a discount on top too.

Our experts were pleasantly surprised with every aspect of the Ultenic 12. It comes in a box smaller than some that I've received shoes in. It's quick to assemble and lightweight to use. There are buttons for every feature you could possibly need and you don't need to constantly depress a trigger to use it. 

The LED screen, which looks a lot like a dashboard, provides a countdown of how long you have vacuuming alongside the range of power options, which you can adjust at the touch of a button. 

As you can see, there's a lot to love and at $200, there's even more to love. However, there's a few things you should know before jumping in to a purchase. As is inevitable, this feels cheaper than models which are five times the price. If you haven't got money to spare, this is a great option, but if you're looking for luxurious, you should know that there are more premium options available. This also won't stand up on its own, so if you're used to vacuums which can, expect a few surprising drops.

You can find more detail in our Ultenic U12 Vesla review.

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Best cylinder pet hair vacuum

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The Miele C3 Cat and Dog Canister vacuum has spacious 4.5qt bags that self-seal on removal and provide extra filtration on top of a HEPA filter. Miele's models for pets use a special charcoal filter called Active AirClean filter that captures and retains over 99.9% of lung-damaging particles as well as hair and fur. Not only is this great for allergy suffers, catching and sealing fur, dirt and dander, but on test we found that it prevents odors too. 

The hose and wand come off the back, so you can use the crevice tool and small turbo brush for smaller areas. The latter is particularly effective for tackling pet beds and upholstery. There’s a 29ft cleaning radius with this model, so you won’t need to keep swapping power sockets as you make your way around the house. We found that the suction power is incredible, so cleaning across the board, not just for pet hair, is mostly exceptional.

The obvious downside to this vacuum is that it's the most expensive vacuum we've ever tested, costing up to $1200. Not only that, but the self-sealing bags are a recurring cost. When we tested this on larger debris, we found that it is poor at taking on bigger crumbs, so it might not be great if you have young kids causing lots of mess.  

You can find more detail in our Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog review. 

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Best handheld vacuum for pet hair

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This is no bigger than a rolling pin or water bottle and it’s totally cordless. If you want a vacuum that you can easily pick up and have with you around the house, this is perfect. When kibble, leaves, or dirt get tracked into the carpet, this can pick them up in an instant. If your furry friend unfurls themselves from a pillow, and leaves lots of hair behind, the Brigii can collect it all up in an instant: it’s perfect for short bursts and spot cleaning.

As I set out at the beginning, the nature of this handheld model means that it has limited in capacity. The maximum battery life is just 20 minutes, which is very short for properly cleaning a car. What's more, your back will ache much sooner than that, because stooping down to use this is pretty uncomfortable. We tested this across a range of floor types (hard wood, linoleum and carpet) on a range of debris (cereal, flour, and hair) and this excelled generally. The one place it struggled was picking up fine flour on a carpet, but we found that it was more than up to the job once we attached extra accessories. 

You can find more detail in our Brigii Cordless Handheld Vacuum review.

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Bissell ICONpet Edge Cordless Vacuum | $396  $247.77 at Amazon
We've reviewed and very much enjoyed the base version of The Bissell ICONpet, but the Edge takes it a step further superior edge and corner cleaning. Nothing like little crevices covered with dust to really muck up how you feel about the efficiency of your vacuum.

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Shark NV352 Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum| $199.99 $119.99 at Amazon (save $80)
While not positioned as a vacuum for pets, the Shark Navigator is still extremely reliable at culling out all the collected hair and dander that settles into carpets and has incredible suction power, HEPA filtration and an amply sized dust bin.

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Tineco A11 Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum| $289.99 $199.90 at Amazon (save $90)

With up to 35 minutes of runtime, the A11 comes with a variety of tools that make cleaning pet hair easier, including a mini-motorized tool and crevice tool. The floorhead is loaded with headlights and an anti-hair wrap brush roll design. 

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How to choose the best vacuum for pet hair

Pet hair is a challenge for vacuums to pick up, and you also need to contain fur and dander to prevent allergies. You need a cleaner with good suction, the right types of accessories, and HEPA filters.

For dealing with carpets or rugs, this means a motorized brush bar, which uses rigid bristles to agitate and loosen hair so that it can be sucked up into the bin. 

For hard floors, having pure suction flow through the cleaner makes more sense for hair, but look out for a cleaner that has a soft brush, designed to pick up pet dander and microscopic bits of dust first.

Tools for dealing with pet hair around the house are just as important. A mini motorized brush can be your best friend, giving you the same qualities as a floor brush in a smaller package that can help clean up pet beds and upholstery with ease.

Any motorized tool with tangle-free technology is worth looking for, as you won’t have to worry about cleaning the tools so often.

Otherwise, look out for regular accessories (dusting brushes, crevice tools and so on) for getting into those hard-to-reach areas and removing all traces of pet hair from your home.

How we test vacuum cleaners for pet hair

At Homes & Gardens we like to get hands-on experience with all the products we feature. You can learn more how we test products in our dedicated guide, and there's a more specific rundown of our vacuum test process in how we test vacuums.

Each new vacuum we get the opportunity to review is tried and tested in our test center and in our own homes. In the test centre, we test each vacuum on carpet, linoleum and wood flooring. We test them with flour and sugar, which is a common kitchen spill but also tests dust and dead skin; cereal, which shows how well it picks up larger debris like crumbs; and most of all on old hair extensions, which demonstrates how well a vacuum can pick up hair, and whether or not hair gets stuck in its rollers. 

Most importantly, we've also tested these vacuums in homes with pets, so we know exactly how well each vacuum can pick up pet fur, how the pets reacted, and how well the remove any lingering pet smells. 

We test the vacuum cleaners for a number of weeks (sometimes months) so we get a feel for the longevity and durability of each model. In some instances, we are also fortunate enough to keep the vacuum cleaners after writing up the review so we can continue to learn about them and share our findings with you.

In every test we look out for factors such as maneuverability, run-time, emptying of the dust bin (or bag), and general controls so you know exactly what you are getting for your money. We assess feedback from customer reviews too, so we know how it performs on average across thousands of users, as well as compare the vacuums we test against predecessors. 

Meet our expert testers

Dan Fauzi

Dan is our home tech editor, covering everything from vacuums and floor care to sound and air purifiers. They've been testing and reviewing home products for years now, and can offer expert insight into what makes a product great.

Alex David

Alex is our expert Head of eCommerce and has years of experience as a product tester. He's especially knowledgeable with vacuum cleaners, and after first-hand experience of dozens of vacuum cleaners he knows exactly what makes for a good product.

Laura Honey

Laura is our eCommerce editor. Before Homes & Gardens she studied English at Oxford University. Alongside her studies, she qualified as a barista and trained as a master perfumer. This makes her our certified expert for all things coffee, candles, and fragrance. Laura has worked for luxury retail brands, reinforcing the importance of quality and style over quantity and fads. She recently tested several vacuums for this list, including the Hoover ONEPWR Pet Max and the SEBO X4 Automatic Boost. 

Jaclyn Turner

Jaclyn is the US eCommerce editor for Homes & Gardens, where she oversees sleep content including mattresses and bedding. She tested a number of vacuums within this list, including our standout top pick, the Dyson Outsize, the Shark Vertex, Tineco Pure One S15, the Dyson Ball Animal 2 and the iRobot Roomba j7+ robot vacuum, so she's well informed to tell you which one to invest in for your home.

Jen Oksien

Jen is the editor of Top Ten Reviews. Previously she has written for Tech Radar, Ideal Home, Real Homes and Homes & Gardens as our Appliances Editor. She has tested out a number of vacuums in this guide, including the Shark Vertex Upright Vacuum with Powered Lift-away, and the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog Vacuum Cleaner.

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer who has been testing home goods, including cleaning tools, for several years. She tested the Shark Stratos Upright from her small homestead in Rhode Island. As the owner of two dogs and a cat, she’s always looking for the best products to help keep her home (at least somewhat) free of pet hair.  

Courtney Irwin

Midwestern product tester and writer Courtney Irwin is a working mom of three who loves nothing more than a good deal. Courtney has spent years curating home renovation and appliance content, and has tested a range of products for Homes & Gardens, including mattresses, kitchen appliances and vacuums.

Vacuum cleaner for pet hair FAQs

What's the best cordless vacuum for pet hair?

The Dyson V15 Detect is one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners on the market, and it's particularly adept at picking up pet hair, dust and dander. The V15 Detect comes equipped with a Piezo sensor, which is powerful enough to locate and capture particles and pathogens as small as 10 microns for a quick deep clean. There's also an anti-tangle conical bar brush to save you from picking out the pet hairs with your fingers. Retailing for around $800, the V15 Detect is expensive, but it's the best in the business.

Our runner up is the Hoover ONEPWR Pet Max. This cordless cleaner could give the Dyson a run for its money. It comes with an antimicrobial brush roll to bust bacteria and keep your home smelling fresh. Even at full price, it's more than $500 cheaper than the V15 Detect, and offers comparable performance.

What's the best vacuum for picking up pet hair on carpets?

When it comes to homes with ample carpet, we continue to love Dyson upright models, particularly the Dyson Ball Animal 2. Both offer tremendous suction power and cull out the most embedded dust and dander from carpets. 

We were also impressed with Shark's corded offerings, be it the Shark Stratos or the Shark Vertex, which are slightly easier to push or maneuver over the carpet as they have a built-in propellant. 

What's the best vacuum for pet hair on hardwood floors?

The Dyson Outsize + is one of the best vacuums for hard floors, especially with the addition of the Laser Slim Fluffy Cleaner Head, which is specifically built for cleaning on wood, linoleum, and vinyl. 

We also like the design of the Shark Stratos and the Shark Vertex collection. Shark's Duo Clean Power Fins Technology incorporates a silicone PowerFins roller and a soft roller to swiftly suction dust and debris, even larger pieces, and stays well-engaged with floors. 

What's the best robot vacuum for pet hair?

The best robot vacuum for pet hair is without a doubt the iRobot Roomba j9+. Not only does it have good pickup performance, an auto-emptying bin so you can basically set it and forget it, and amazing navigating skills, but it also has features designed specifically for pet parents, including the ability to avoid pet accidents, pet toys, food bowls, cords, and many others. 

What's the best vacuum for picking up pet hair on a couch?

For removing pet hair from a couch or other upholstery, you'll want to select a vacuum that comes with attachments such as a mini-upholstery tool that make it easy to vacuum across delicate fabrics. Most cordless and handheld vacuum styles will be sufficient for removing pet hair and dander from upholstery. 

The Dyson Outsize +comes with a mini-powered tool, and many of the best Dyson vacuums come with one as well. As the base model, the Dyson Ball Animal 3 does not come with the hair turbine tool that can be found on upgraded models like the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra or the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Complete 

Which is the best vacuum for picking up pet hair from the car?

For removing pet hair from places like the car, we recommend one of the best handheld vacuums, such as the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Lithium Ion Hand Vacuum, which has a built-in hair tool attachment that's easy to slide across upholstered seats. It's compact enough to stay in your trunk, too.

Do HEPA filters help to pick up pet hair and dander?

When sucking up dust and pet hair, it’s often not what you can see that causes irritation and allergic reactions, but the microscopic dust that you can’t. 

Pet dander, for example, are microscopic skin cells shed from animals that cause reactions in people with allergies.

HEPA filters are designed and rated to prevent these particles from escaping the vacuum cleaner, sealing in the dirt that’s collected. This is very important in a pet vacuum cleaner, particularly if anyone in the house (or a regular visitor) has sensitivities to your animals.

Is a bagless or bagged vacuum better for picking up pet hair?

As discussed above, a vacuum cleaner with HEPA filters is what you need if you suffer from allergies, keeping the microscopic irritants sealed inside the dust bin. However, the big issue is what happens when you empty a vacuum.

For bagless cleaners, emptying has to be done with care, as opening the bin can create a cloud of dust, releasing smaller particles back into the air, causing issues for those with allergies.

Bagged vacuum cleaners have an extra level of protection, as the bags act as both additional filters to prevent particle escape, but you also remove and throw away the dirt without exposing it to fresh air. Look for a cleaner that has self-sealing bags for the best results.

As such, bagged vacuum cleaners are often easier to deal with for households where members are very sensitive to allergens. 

That doesn’t make bagless cleaners a poor choice, though: just be careful how and where you empty the vacuum’s bin. To prevent the spreading of allergens, a vacuum bin should be ejected either down, directly into a larger internal bin or, for additional safety, emptied in the same way into an outside bin.

It's crucial to bear in mind that these are just the best vacuums for pet hair. Other vacuums have different qualities that are worth considering. For example, we've also covered the best vacuums for hard floors, all of which have different qualities than these dedicated pet hair vacuums.