Cleaning up after dogs or cats is easy with the best vacuum for pet hair. Designed to capture hair, dust, dirt, and dander, these vacuums are a must-have for pet owners. Using a pet vacuum can also make your home hypoallergenic, which works wonders when seasonal allergies hit.
Our panel of expert reviewers meticulously tested the best vacuums for pet hair, so you can trust our judgement on what's best to buy. Thanks to our hands-on experience of trialling these vacuums in our homes, I'm certain that every single one of them is a good buy.
The specialized models from household names like Dyson, Shark and Bissell all have features that go further to clean up after your pet, which puts them among the best vacuum cleaners.
Best vacuum for pet hair 2023
Why you can trust Homes & Gardens Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Why you should buy it
It's the best vacuum for pet hair you can buy.
Why I love it
Nothing comes close to the Dyson Outsize +. With 220 AW, this cordless vacuum packs all the power of a plug-in model. Loaded with all of Dyson's most exciting technology, the newly revamped detangling brush bar means that hair doesn't get tangled, and sensors that automatically adjust the suction power to each floor type. Even better, there’s an LCD screen at the rear that gives you the current battery life in minutes and even shows you handy how-to videos to keep the vacuum running its best. The most notable feature is - unbelievably - a laser. Mounted on the hard floor head, it's more than just a gimmick, revealing all the dust and dirt the eye can't see.
I love the enormous half-gallon dust bin, which holds plenty of dirt and keeps you from going to the trash too often. The attachments are fantastic too, especially if you have pets. The most useful for pet hair is the mini motorized tool, which is great for pet hair on stairs and upholstery, but you also get a combination tool, a crevice tool, and a stubborn dirt tool with plenty of storage on the charging dock and the vacuum itself.
Good to know
The enormous half-gallon capacity makes the Outsize a lot bulkier than other cordless vacuums, so it's noticeably heavy when cleaning moldings and stairs. The eject system on the dust bin is usually effective, but if you overfill the bin you'll have to reach in to pull out clumps of dust. Like all Dysons, it comes with a considerable price tag.
Find out more in my Dyson Outsize review.
Why you should buy it
Exceptional suction and an odor neutralizer that banishes pet smells.
Why we love it
Our expert tester Camryn Rabideau loved this vacuum after testing it in a house with two long-haired dogs. It has two hard and soft rollers that work together to uncover dust and debris from carpets and hard floors alike. 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, an innovation we've never seen before. It's a cartridge that releases a 'light, fresh scent that makes the room feel cleaner', which is especially welcome in homes with pets.
Camryn found that the bin, which lifts out the front, could be cleanly emptied via the flap at the bottom. She also liked that you can clean the whole bin out too, too, once it gets dirty. It’s just as simple to clean the two HEPA filters.
Good to know
While Power Lift-Away makes it a little lighter to hold, this vacuum typically weighs 17lbs, so it might not suit people with mobility problems. You should also watch out for the two different versions. It seems pedantic, but the AZ3000 is just a vacuum, whereas the AZ3002 (opens in new tab) 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.
Camryn's Shark Stratos upright vacuum review has more details.
(opens in new tab)
Why you should buy it
The best cordless vacuum for allergies.
Why we love it
Much as we adore them, pets can cause a lot of problems if you suffer from allergies. This is especially true when vacuuming, which lifts up pet hair and dander and increases the chance of irritated sinuses. However, the Samsung Bespoke could be the solution. Like other vacuums, it 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 into a sealed bag. That means that 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.
Good to know
The powerful Jet mode is incredibly effective but the payoff is that it's very loud. Our 5"9 tester also found that the telescopic shaft is a little short, so it might not suit taller readers.
Our full Samsung Bespoke Jet Pro Extra review has more detail.
(opens in new tab)
Why you should buy it
The best upright Dyson
Why we love it
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. 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.
Good to know
Like most uprights, it weighs in at 17lbs, so while it's nimble at moving around furniture, it can be awkward to carry up and down stairs.
There's more detail in our full Dyson Ball Animal 2 vacuum review.
(opens in new tab)
Why you should buy it
The best suction on carpets and area rugs; great for large homes.
Why we love it
Dyson's latest upright, Camryn's tests of the Ball Animal 3 found that iconic ball design of the Animal range means it easily steers around furniture and between chair legs. It's powered by a mighty 290 AW, and has three suction settings with settings for high and low pile carpets and bare floors. Though it has great performance on hard floors, this vacuum truly shines on carpets and rugs. Camryn found that it does 'an unbelievable job pulling dirt and dog hair out of the fibers', lifting up pet hair and dust she couldn't even notice with the naked eye.
The Ball Animal 3 also has a newly designed brush head. It incorporates “hair removal vanes” to prevent long hair from getting wrapped around the brush roll, saving you from detangling it.
For detail work, the hose removes for use with the combination tool (crevice tool and brush), and stair tool. Additional variations are available too that include the likes of a pet grooming tool, a mini-motorized tool for cleaning upholstery, and even a mattress cleaning attachment.
The bin removes easily from the front, letting you eject dust without making a mess. And, thanks to the washable HEPA filter, the Animal 3 is certified asthma and allergy-friendly, too.
Good to know
Like the Shark Stratos and Ball Animal 2, this vacuum weighs in at 17lbs. It might not suit people with mobility problems or homes with several floors. This is made worse by the fact the three suction settings are changed by a button on the floorhead, so if you struggle to bend over it can be frustrating to use.
In some ways it struggles from success — while not a problem Camryn faced, some users complain that the suction power makes this vacuum hard to push on the carpet.
Camryn's full Dyson Ball Animal 3 review goes into more detail
(opens in new tab)
Why you should buy it
The best robot vacuum, effective pet hair
Why I love it
I adore the iRobot Roomba j7+. It's the first iRobot to use PrecisionVision Navigation to recognize objects and avoid obstacles like pet waste and charging cords. It operates in clean, methodical lines and spots any obstacles in its path. On test, it flagged everything from dog toys to shoes and even thin power cords, with a photo of the obstacle so you can mark out no-go areas if needed.
My new favorite standard in robot cleaning is the self-emptying base. When the iRobot Roomba j7 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. The j7+ comes with a bag pre-installed, and an extra one.
I found this vac incredibly effective at pulling up pet hair, eradicating crumbs, and navigating throughout the home. The only reason I haven't placed it at the very top of this ranking because not all of you will be looking to buy one of the best robot vacuum cleaners.
Good to know
You can't set Keep Out zones until after a map is finished, which is a little counterintuitive. The app can also be a little glitchy, and like all robot vacs, it's not always effective when cleaning tight corners.
There's more detail in my full iRobot Roomba j7+ review.
Why you should buy it
Good for allergy sufferers, hard floors and low pile carpet
Why we love it
Expert tester and pet owner Courtney Irwin found that the Bissell ICONPet's 'powerful suction traps pet hair and dander', and it's great for those with allergies. It also swivels for fantastic maneuverability, and Courtney reports that the tangle-free brush roll is the real deal when dealing with accumulated strands of hair from humans and pets. This cordless vacuum is perfect for hardwood and area rugs.
At the center of the ICONPet is a 22V Lithium-Ion battery which gives you up to 50 minutes of fade-free suction, ample time to do a thorough cleaning job of an average sized house. The Clean Slide technology makes for easy dust bin removal with as little contact with dirt as possible. This a major moment for anyone who hates dealing with cleaning out the vacuum. Courtney also enjoyed the small design details like the LED crevice tool, which lights up nooks and crannies as you clean, as well as the handy progress indicator on the inside of the charging dock
Good to know
If you've got high-pile rugs and carpets, look elsewhere. Courtney found that 'it didn’t live up to my expectations on the plush carpet in my bedroom', struggling to perform on even the strongest setting.
We tested the original ICONPet, but Bissell has since released Edge and Turbo editions. Everything we've seen so far indicates an improvement on the original, with the Edge promising better edge cleaning and the Turbo offering more powerful suction.
Courtney's Bissell ICONpet review has more details.
Why you should buy it
A sealed bag system makes this great for allergy sufferers.
Why we love it
The Miele C1 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 it prevent 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. Suction power is incredible, thanks to the 1500W motor, so cleaning across the board, not just for pet hair, is exceptional.
Good to know
The obvious downside to these self-sealing bags is that they're a recurring cost. Miele only make high-end products, so this recurring cost is on top of an already high price.
This vacuum has been reviewed by one of our editors and the full review will be available shortly.
Why you should buy
Smart features, deep cleaning, and quick pick ups.
Why I love it
The Tineco Pure One S15 Pet Smart Cordless Vacuum adjusts power on the fly for different surfaces and levels of dirt. I love the neat screen at the back which shows you battery life, and has a colored progress ring around the outside: it’s red when there’s dirt and turns blue to show you when you’ve finished cleaning. The battery lasts up to 40 minutes when you use the auto-suction feature – not the longest I've tried but good enough to whizz around an average-sized house.
The Pure One S15 comes with tons of accessories: a 2-in-1 dusting brush, a crevice tool, a soft dusting brush, and it all conveniently stores on the included Floor Dock. The stand out is the mini power brush, which is great for cleaning pet beds.
If you struggle with mobility, this vacuum is one of the lightest in this feature, weighing in at just 6.8lbs.
Good to know
While it's great for deep cleaning of pet hair and dander, it struggled to pick up larger debris like rice and cereal, requiring extra passes. The only way to charge this vacuum is through the dock, which takes up floor space.
Our Tineco Pure One S15 review has more details
How we test the best 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, but the reason for this is to simply help you: we share our testing experiences so you can be confident in what you are buying.
Each new vacuum we get the opportunity to review is tried and tested in our own homes, undergoing rigorous testing on a range of flooring and household challenges (cereal on hard floors, pet hair on the sofa, debris on carpet, and more).
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. 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, and whether or not it is worth it for what you need it for. The feedback from other users is also something we look out for, especially if we are in the process of reviewing a product and we felt it was (already) a good enough product to feature in our round-ups of the "best of" guides.
Below, you can discover more about the team responsible for testing these vacuums.
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 is Homes Editor on TechRadar. Previously she has written for 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 is a freelance writer and product reviewer who has been testing home goods, including cleaning tools, for several years. She tested the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Vacuum and 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.
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
How do I choose a vacuum cleaner for pet hair?
How do I choose a vacuum cleaner 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.
Bissell IconPet tested on hard floor
What's the best cordless vacuum for pet hair?
Our top pick, the Dyson Outsize+ (opens in new tab) is a great option if you're after a powerful design with all the bells and whistles, and several attachments to make cleaning up after pets a lot easier. Its power replicates that of a corded design and offers up to two hours of battery life, more than enough time to clean. The half-gallon dust bin is the largest dust bin available on a cordless, so if your pet sheds excessively, you won't have to empty the dust bin every five minutes. However, it costs nearly $1000
Our runner up is the Shark Stratos Upright (opens in new tab). It's hundreds of dollars cheaper, and offers anti-hair wrap technology that will save you picking pet fur out of your vacuum, and an odor neutralizer that banishes pet smells.
What's the best vacuum for pet hair on a carpet?
When it comes to homes with ample carpet, we continue to love Dyson upright models, including the newly upgraded Dyson Ball Animal 3 (opens in new tab) or its predecessor, the Dyson Ball Animal 2 (opens in new tab). 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 (opens in new tab) or the Shark Vertex (opens in new tab), 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?
Again, the Dyson Outsize + (opens in new tab) is a great option for cleaning on hard floors, especially with the addition of the Laser Slim Fluffy Cleaner Head, which is specifically built for cleaning on hard floors.
We also like the design of the Shark Stratos (opens in new tab) and the Shark Vertex (opens in new tab) collection, both upright and cordless models with its Duo Clean Power Fins Technology that 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 j7+ (opens in new tab). Not only does it have decent 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, among others. They also offer this very unique proposition: the Pet Owner Official Promise (P.O.O.P) where iRobot will replace your j7+ if the accident turns gets dragged into a larger one.
What's the best vacuum for 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 + (opens in new tab)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 (opens in new tab) does not come with a hair turbine tool, but it can be found on upgraded models like the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra (opens in new tab) or the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Complete (opens in new tab)
However, the Shark Stratos (opens in new tab) base model does indeed come with its own non-motorized tool which is just OK, but its upgraded model comes with the HairPro Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush, a motorized tool for furniture.
Which is the best vacuum for pet hair from the car?
For removing pet hair from places like the car, we recommend one of the best handheld vacuums like the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Lithium Ion Hand Vacuum (opens in new tab) 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 if you want a dedicated product. otherwise, you'll get on with one of our other cordless options that also have a hair tool attachment.
Are HEPA filter vacuums worth it?
When sucking up dust and pet hair, it’s not what you can see that can cause 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.
Are bagless or bagged vacuums better for allergies?
As discussed above, a vacuum cleaner with HEPA filters is what you need if you have allergy sufferers, 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.
-
-
'These indoor plants will thrive in direct sunlight' – 7 top choices for sunny spots in your home
These sun-loving indoor plants are just the thing for greening up any bright interior spaces
-
Should you paint trim or walls first? Professional painters advise for an expert finish
Painting experts explain whether you should paint your trim or walls first for a perfect painting process
