Best vacuum for pet hair 2024: tested by experts

The best vacuum for pet hair will do more than pick up fur. It'll remove pet odors from your home, capture the allergenic pet dander, and clean up all other at-home messes like dust and dirt.

Not only that, pet hair vacuums should be able to be picked up at a moment's notice, get under furniture and into crevices, and be easy to clean and store.

These days, the best cordless vacuums are the popular choice: their suction power rivals upright vacuums, they're easily maneuverable and they take up much less space in the house.

But the best upright vacuums aren't limited by their battery life. Robot vacuums are perfect for regular, light maintenance, and handheld vacuums are great at spot cleaning tight spaces when needed. There's value in all types of vacuum cleaners.

As Homes & Gardens' home tech editor, myself and a team of dedicated product experts spend hours testing and reviewing the best vacuum cleaners in our homes and in our test center.

After dozens of tests, I've compiled this list of the 12 best vacuums for pet hair. The Dyson V15 Detect is the strongest choice, but there are still worthy competitors from Shark, Ultenic, Samsung, iRobot and more, each with their own sets of advantages.

Our guide is here to help you split the difference, assessing each vacuum on pet hair pickup, odor/allergen capturing, ease of use, cleaning, price, and everything else that can make life easier as a pet owner.

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 for pet hair, and one of the best in the world on every surface. 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, along with the newer Gen5detect, lead the line up of the best vacuums and the best Dysons for the 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 for pet hair, with the best suction we've ever seen in a vacuum cleaner, 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 (if that's off-putting, the Gen5detect and the V12 Detect Slim have a single power button instead).

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

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Best vacuum for pet hair & odors

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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 value vacuum for pet hair

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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 left to vacuum 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. While the suction on debris and hair was 'brilliant,' the anti-hair wrap isn't quite as impressive, and might need a bit of DIY to remove the hair from the brusholl. That being said, no hair was left on the floors during our tests.

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 carpet cleaner for pet hair & messes

Resembling an upright vacuum, the Shark CarpetXpert is a full-sized carpet cleaner that's able to deep-clean carpets, rugs and furniture. Using clean and dirty water tanks, as well as an oxy-powered cleaning formula, the CarpetXpert can remove stains and clean up pet messes.

After weeks of testing, our expert reviewer Camryn was so impressed that she awarded it a rare 5 stars thanks to its cleaning power and thoughtfully-designed features. It was able to deep clean a rug that she didn't even think was dirty, reviving the feel and color while then being dry to touch after one hour. She also cleaned a 6 month-old stain from a lounge chair using the included Shark StainStriker formula.

The true saving grace for pet owners is the dedicated pet accident tool, that has a 'small, self-contained dirty water tank that captures everything you suck up, stopping pet waste from getting into the main body of the cleaner.' The CarpetXpert was able to completely clean a vomit stain caused by our tester's cat while removing other old stains and discoloration in the process.

Thanks to all the removable parts, Camryn also found it surprisingly easy to clean (considering how dirty these components are getting), and they all store neatly onto the appliance. She did note that the water tanks could be bigger, but it's a small critique when compared to the CarpetXpert's deep cleaning capabilities.

You can find more detail in our Shark CarpetXpert 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 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 robot vacuum for pet hair

An update to the iRobot 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+ review.

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Best pet hair vacuum for apartments

The V12 Detect Slim is Dyson's smaller, lighter and more affordable alternative to their market-leading V15 Detect and Gen5detect. It carries many of the same features; the laser that illuminates hidden dust, the accurate particle sensors, and automatic power adjustment are still just as useful.

Unlike the Dyson V15 Detect, the V12 Detect Slim also has a single power button creating less of a strain on your hands while vacuuming. This goes well with the lighter weight: the cordless vacuum is agile, smooth and very easy to use.

But the smaller size does bring its downsides, like a smaller dustbin and shorter battery life. Both of these are certainly noticeable, which is why the Dyson V12 Detect Slim might be better suited to smaller homes and apartments. When testing, I found the battery couldn't make it to the end of a whole-house deep clean, so it could also be more ideal for those who clean more frequently.

Regardless, its cleaning power shouldn't be ignored. Like we've come to expect from recent Dyson releases, its powerful suction is unrivalled by other brands; I tested it alongside four other vacuums at our test center (including the Henry Quick in this guide), and the V12 Detect Slim was always the vacuum I'd turn to when the others couldn't finish the job.

You can find more detail in our Dyson V12 Detect Slim review.

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Best dust-free vacuum for pet hair

Famous in the UK for the classic, canister-style Henry vacuums, the Henry Quick is the brand's first cordless stick. A key pillar of Henry's vacuums is affordability, and the Henry Quick is no different, coming up at under £300 in the UK. At this price point, the cordless vacuum offers truly impressive suction power.

It sells for over $500 in the US and, while that's a sharp hike, the vacuum still holds up at that price. The floorhead has a strong brushroll that easily crushes large debris and avoids anything getting stuck inside it.

The Henry Quick uses a dust pod system rather than having a dust bin that you empty. This creates a completely dust-free and odorless vacuuming experience and avoids any filter maintenance, as each pod is the filter. It does, however, demand recurring costs and more waste, but the Henry Quick pods are modest at £12.99 for a pack of 10 (with each lasting around 3 weeks). They're also made of 65% recycled material and Henry carbon offset them globally.

At our test center, it wasn't too far off from the cleaning power seen in the Dyson V12 Detect Slim. Dyson aside, I tested it alongside other, more expensive vacuums like the Shark Detect Pro Cordless, and it proved more effective in every way - particularly on carpets, where it didn't struggle to pick up any dust, debris or hair.

You can find more detail in our Henry Quick 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 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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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 that can pick up all pet hair without any shaking loose. You'll also benefit from dedicated pet tools and anti-hair 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.

As pet hair comes with allergenic pet dander and odors, look for vacuums with dust-free or self-emptying, as well as a tight seal around the dustbin.

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 or crushes larger debris like crumbs; and most of all 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 they 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 spent hours testing vacuums for this guide both at home and in the test center, including the Dyson V12 Detect Slim & the Henry Quick.

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 an eCommerce editor for Homes & Gardens, and she recently tested several vacuums for this list including the Hoover ONEPWR Pet Max.

Jaclyn Turner

Previously the US eCommerce editor for Homes & Gardens, Jaclyn is well-informed on products for the home. She's tested a number of vacuum cleaners in this guide including the Dyson Ball Animal 2.

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, like the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog Vacuum Cleaner.

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer who expertly tested dozens of vacuum cleaners. 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.

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.

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.

The best Dyson vacuums, like the V15 Detect, V12 Detect Slim and Ball Animal 2, tend to come with these attachments. Most cordless and handheld vacuum styles will be sufficient for removing pet hair and dander from upholstery.

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 Brigii Cordless Handheld and 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.

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.