After 50+ hours testing vacuums at a pet shelter, these 3 surprising tricks for beating pet fur and mess can be harnessed at home

Living with pets is a dream, until you have to clean up after them. Our furry friends can't help but leave their fur and mess scattered around the house, and vacuuming it can be a harder task than it sounds.

In our mission to find the best vacuum for pet hair, we've spent more than 1,000+ hours testing 75 vacuum cleaners. As Homes & Gardens' home tech editor and resident vacuum expert, I've been testing the best models at a local pet shelter to see what works against pet hair mess once and for all.

Cats and dogs walk through the pet shelter I test at all day, along with employees and customers, resulting in the ideal vacuum test environment for pet hair and mess. Here's what I've learned about getting rid of it properly.

Tricks I've learned from 50+ hours testing vacuums at a pet shelter

I've spent more than 50 hours testing cordless, corded, canister, handheld and carpet vacuum cleaners at the lovely Bristol Animal Rescue Centre, during which, I've discovered exactly what the right pet hair vacuum is capable of and how to get the best out of these essential cleaning tools.

1. Vacuum slowly and often

One thing I've learned from vacuuming fur from carpets is to stop vacuuming in quick motions. Slowing down helps the vacuum pull up more hair as the spinning brushroll spends more time impacting the floor (my vacuum jargon buster further explains these terms).

A vacuum's brushroll can spin anywhere from 1,000 to 7,000+ revolutions per minute – and the longer it's in contact with your floor, the more it's agitating your carpets.

This is how the best vacuums for carpet work. Debris easily becomes trapped within the carpet fibers, so it's up to the brushroll's bristles to dig between them and dislodge any dirt or hair. Whenever I use these slow passes (as captured in my video above), more hair has been vacuumed compared to when I've done quicker passes.

I've also noticed that most vacuums work more effectively when pulling backwards rather than pushing forwards. I imagine this is because the roller is moving in an opposing direction to the floor, and therefore scraping away hair more forcefully. This varies from vacuum to vacuum, though.

And after vacuuming fur on everything from low-pile carpets to thick rugs, it's always the hairs that have been there longer that are the most difficult to clean. The entrance mat that rarely gets cleaned is consistently the trickiest for me to vacuum.

So, when thinking about how often you should vacuum if you have pets, consider how many times somebody might step or sit on the spot of hair. Every time someone does, the hair gets embedded further into the fabric, making it harder to remove.

2. You can't vacuum everything

Bristol Animal Rescue Centre has a mix of smooth floors, carpets, rugs, entrance mats, sofas and chairs – all of which get covered in pet hair every day. And even the most expensive, high-tech vacuum cleaners I've tested there can't vacuum everything.

Removing pet hair from fabric can be an arduous task, and one that can't always be handled by a vacuum cleaner alone. For the super stubborn hairs that won't budge, for example, those on a soft padded chair or a bumpy entrance mat – I often have to pull them out by hand or use a manual pet hair remover.

A classic lint roller usually does the trick, whether it's a sticky roller like the True & Tidy StickyPro XL at QVC, or a reusable one such as the best-selling Chom Chom Roller at Walmart.

Another fool-proof trick we've learned is to invest in one of the best robot vacuums for pet hair. After speaking with dozens of consumers and learning the ins and outs from the pet shelter staff, one of the biggest challenges is vacuuming often enough to avoid hair from building up.

A robot vacuum does that work for you, and from our extensive tests, we can confirm that using eufy robot vacuums is a game-changer for pet hair cleanup.

3. You do, in fact, need the right vacuum

Aside from the rotating brushroll, suction power is key when vacuuming pet hair. It's how the vacuum can yank such stubborn strands of fur that have stuck to the floor.

I always urge caution around budget vacuums offering strong pet hair pickup and anti-tangle brushrolls, as these cheap appliances don't have the high-performing motors required to actually pull hair from difficult surfaces, contributing to why pet hair is so hard to vacuum.

Almost every sub-$300 cordless vacuum I've tested has struggled to vacuum hair. These models are great for homes with hard floors such as tile and hardwood, but when it comes to rugs, carpets and furniture, you need something more robust. It's a key difference when comparing pet vacuums and regular vacuums.

More often than not, it's the best upright vacuums that vacuum pet hair most effectively. Their larger motors and lack of reliance on a rechargeable battery gives them more oomph.

But that's not to say you should write off cordless sticks completely; you just have to pay extra for the convenience. The best Dyson vacuums, most notably the Dyson V15 Detect, are some of the only cordless vacuums we've tested with suction that's as strong as a corded upright. And as they're much smaller and lighter, you'll find it easier to grab them whenever you spot fur building up.

Look for vacuums with suction power of 200 air watts or higher. Unfortunately, most brands don't list this information, so it's best to read thoroughly tested reviews, such as our guide to the best vacuum cleaners.

And make sure you're equipped with the best vacuum attachments for pet hair. It can be tricky cleaning fur from upholstery without them.

What to shop

These are three of our favorite pet hair vacuums with strong suction and agitating brushrolls that can clean fur from even the most stubborn surfaces. All prices correct at time of publication.

Next, learn how to maintain your vacuum when you have pets to keep it in its best shape for years.