Best Vacuum for Pet Hair

Best Vacuum for Pet Hair

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Corded | Battery Corded | 30 ft
Bagless
Filter Washable Foam
Weight 8.6 lbs
Hose X
Brush Roll ✓ on/off

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Corded | Battery Corded | 25 ft
Bagless
Filter HEPA
Weight 15.2 lbs
Hose 6 ft
Brush Roll ✓ on/off

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Corded | Battery Corded | 18 ft
Bagless X
Filter HEPA
Weight 18.7 lbs
Hose 7 ft
Brush Roll

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Corded | Battery Battery | 15 min
Bagless
Filter Corrugated
Weight 3.2 lbs
Hose 4 ft
Brush Roll X

Overview

Finding the right pet can be a challenge, but finding the right vacuum to manage pet hair in your home can be even more difficult. Many companies have tried to capitalize on this market by modifying the attachments for their standard vacuums and then calling their product pet-friendly, but simply changing the attachments is not going to cut it when it comes to cleaning up pet hair.

This article showcases our four best picks for pet hair vacuum cleaners that are available on today’s market. Regardless of their type or style, each of this selection has raw power, brush rolls and attachments to tackle hair from the largest dog to the smallest furry friend. After our overview, we’ll also be going over what you need to know about a pet vacuum cleaner before committing to one of our four choices. We’ll also crown our best overall and best budget pet hair vacuum cleaner.

Stick | 30ft cord | Bagless | Foam filtration | 8.6 lbs | X Hose |  ✓ Brush Roll (on/off)


Shark knocks it out of the park with their modified Rocket, the TruePet HV322. Featuring the attachments to pick up pet hair and the power to back it up, this Shark vacuum boasts nifty features at a price and weight that falls well below average. While the weight may be a bit much for handheld mode, there’s little else we could ask for from a stick vacuum cleaner for pet hair.

Pros

  • LED lights make dirt detection easy
  • XL-Capacity Dust Cup great for pet hair
  • Versatile and comes with lots of attachments

Cons

  • Can be heavy in handheld mode
  • No HEPA filtration
  • No hose

Features

  • Advances swivel steering for greater control around furniture
  • Pet multi-tool for furniture and upholstery
  • Attachments: Hard floor hero tool, pet multi-tool
  • Warranty: 5-year Limited

Shark’s stick vacuum cleaners regularly swing above their pay grade when it comes to comparison to high-end stick vacuum cleaners from companies like Dyson. The larger capacity and ease of use usually make them easy sells, but the Shark Rocket TruePet, Shark’s pet hair variant, just might take the cake for the best all-around product.

Despite our earlier fears about the names, this Shark product is more than capable of picking up after animals. The included Hard Floor Hero makes protecting your hardwood floors from brush rolls easy and simple, and the pet multi-tool covers everything you’d need above ground. The powerful brush roll is equipped with LED lights on the top of the casing, so you can easily see around dark corners while using the vacuum. With its extra large capacity, this Shark sidesteps the typical limitation of a stick vacuum cleaner.

Of course, stick vacuum cleaners tend to perform less admirably than their canister and upright counterparts, so if raw suction or features like a hose are important to you, you may find yourself a little disappointed. Still, the no-frills approach to this Shark product has more than paid off for the company.

Upright | 25ft cord | Bagless | HEPA filtration | 15.2 lbs | 6 ft hose | ✓ Brush Roll (on/off)


This upright Shark vacuum can succeed where the Rocket TruePet cannot and comes with a lengthy hose as well as a powerful upholstery tool. Like other uprights, this won’t be your first pick for multilevel homes and stair cleanings, but the incredible capacity will ensure you’re not carrying this product around to excess.

Pros

  • Anti-Allergen Seal technology great for sensitive noses
  • Brushroll on/off protects your hardwood floors
  • Extra large bin capacity helps for hair and larger homes

Cons

  • No motorized pet attachment
  • Bulky for stairs and tight corners

Features

  • Swivel steering for better control
  • Brushroll shutoff
  • Attachments: Crevice tool, dusting brush, wide pet upholstery tool
  • Warranty: 1-year Limited

The Shark Navigator Professional is ideal for who might want a little more power and capacity than a stick vacuum can present for pet cleaning solutions. This Shark model is the larger, and also heavier, version of the standard Navigation Professional. These Shark uprights have become commonplace in homes for their ease of use and simple cleaning methods, and this NV70 model doesn’t disappoint.

The massive 3.5 dry quart capacity makes this perfect for larger ranch homes or multistory homes, provided you’re comfortable carrying this heavy product up and down your staircases. And speaking of staircases, you’ll be a big fan of the wide pet upholstery tool, which is reportedly this product’s best feature for stairs and corners. Still, this tool isn’t motorized, with is somewhat of a drawback, despite the products low asking price. At the same time, the larger bin is going to hurt maneuverability somewhat.

Those issues aside, the Shark does a great job with one thing many bagless products don’t: filtration. Shark’s anti-allergen seal technology lives up to the name and ensures that what you pick up stays in the vacuum and out of the air. Provided upright vacuums are more your style, this Shark product has everything you need to tackle carpets as well as hardwood.

Canister | 18ft cord | Bagged | HEPA filtration | 18.7 lbs | 7 ft hose |  ✓ Brush Roll


This bagged canister vacuum boasts our heaviest price tag but comes with enough to justify a higher cost. Strong filtration, lots of attachments, and the most powerful suction yet make the Miele Compact C2 Electro+ a prime choice for those who still prefer bagged vacuums to pick up pet hair.

Pros

  • Bagged design and HEPA filtration great for sensitive noses
  • Powerful suction and lots of attachments
  • Different suction settings for precision cleaning

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Canister design too heavy for some
  • Running operation costs with bags

Features

  • 6 stage variable speed motor
  • Electrobrush for intensive deep cleaning
  • Attachments: Soft parquet brush, hard floor nozzle, Electro plus floorhead, dusting brush, upholstery tool, crevice nozzle
  • Warranty: 1-year Limited

Miele might be the reigning king of canister vacuum cleaners as they constantly producing products built for hard use and for years to come. Their C2 Electro + model is no different and has the most attachments out of any of our products designed to aid in pet hair cleaning.

The Miele C2 Electro+ is a classic bagged canister vacuum, which means bag replacement and the use of attachments are necessary for long-term use. The detached canister design, however, means your back is saved as you maneuver the floor head and parquet brush throughout your home. This Miele product is also the only one on our list to come with a variable speed motor, which combined with the litany of attachments makes this perfect for just about any place your pet might roam.

Still, the Miele is not without its issues. It’s large and stands as the heaviest product on our list, so multi-floor cleaning won’t be easy. It is also the most expensive model on our list—in one case, by a factor of 5 or more. This product will be outside of the financial comfort zone of many. If cost is not an issue for you, or if you want a machine that can really minimize allergens in the atmosphere using HEPA filtration, the Miele C2 Electro+ is a perfect product for you.

Handheld | 15 min Battery | Bagless | Corrugated Filter | 3.2 lbs | 4 ft hose |  X Brush Roll


This small, unassuming handheld vacuum cleaner from Black & Decker is remarkably tough on pet hair in small, confined locations. The Lithium Flex is perfect for small apartment and cars, and the battery and size combination makes it the most portable pet hair vacuum yet.

Pros

  • Small and cordless design makes this product easy to handle
  • Floor head attachment aids in versatility
  • Pet brush great for furniture
  • Affordable

Cons

  • No motorized brush roll or effective carpet-cleaning solution
  • Battery life can be short
  • Small bin means lots of stops to the trash can

Features

  • 4ft flexible hose
  • Quick charging base
  • Attachments: Stick vac floor head, pet hair brush, 2-in-1 nozzle/brush tool, long crevice tool, charging base
  • Warranty: 2-year Limited

Black & Decker have impressed us before with their handheld vacuum cleaner for the car. This domestic solution proves perfect for budget-conscious homeowners as well as those without a lot of space for a vacuum cleaner.

The Back & Decker Lithium Flex is the lightest and the only cordless vacuum cleaner on our list. It boasts 15 minutes of cleaning time, and while that is not enough for a bigger home, it’s great for smaller apartments. This size and weight mean that cleaning pet hair on countertops, near furniture, and in hard-to-reach places is easier than ever. The included stick vac floor head is also great for hardwood, but the lack of brush roll means that carpets might feel a little left out.

The other included attachments, like the pet hair brush, are fairly unique to this product and help to distinguish it from other handheld vacuums of this type. Pet hair might not be in the name, but if you’re looking for a small solution, this might be your best pet to pick up after your furry friends.

Vacuum for Pet Hair Buyers Guide


As you can see, our picks for best pet hair vacuum vary wildly in features and cost. This is intentional, as not every home is the same and not every home deals with the same types of pets. Before purchasing any vacuum for pet hair, consider the following when trying to figure out which product best matches your home as well as your pet.

Noise & Size

While noise may not be something you would consider for yourself, particularly skittish animals don’t do well around the constant, loud drone of a vacuum cleaner. Generally speaking, larger vacuums are going to be louder than their smaller counterparts. You can safely assume, for instance, that the Back & Decker Lithium Flex will have a smaller audible impact than the Miele Compact C2 Electro+.

The best pet hair vacuum for you will also be the vacuum that’s best for your pets. Consider the temperament and size of your animals, as well as whether or not you can move them into a different room while you perform your weekly or periodic cleaning duties.

Pet Attachments & Brush Rolls

Like we’ve mentioned, the label “pet hair friendly” doesn’t do much when it comes to purchasing a pet hair vacuum. Only personal experience and hearing from actual consumers can enlighten you as to whether or not a vacuum is good for both two legs and four.

There are, however, required attachments on a vacuum for it to be considered friendly for pet hair. For example, if your home has lots of carpeting, a brush roll is a must-have to pick up those longer or thinner hairs. If you have lots of furniture or own a pet that tends to roll around on couches, a good pet attachment and upholstery tool will serve you well. A brush roll won’t be necessary for all homes, but in general, you’ll need attachments that match the kind of pet you’re purchasing the vacuum for.

Grooming with a Vacuum

Finally, there is the option of grooming your pet directly, as opposed to waiting until they shed before picking up after them. Pet grooming attachments can be somewhat controversial, but for larger animals, you could easily seek out a third-party attachment that will allow you to groom your animal directly. This functionality will only work on vacuums with a hose and will require a pet that isn’t scared of the loud noise of a vacuum.

Variable speeds and power settings, like on the Miele Compact C2 Electro+, are great for such a situation as that, but if you’ve never used a grooming attachment, we wouldn’t recommend hedging bets on your pet enjoying the experience. Be sure to consider whether or not your pet can safely be groomed with any attachment before going out to purchase one.

Final Thoughts

Since every home and apartment is different, there’s no singular product we’d recommend for all solutions. It’s hard to pass up on the Miele Compact C2 Electro+ for carpeting homes, as well as pass up on the Back and Decker Lithium Flex for studio apartments and the occasional car cleaning.

Still, one product rises above the rest as a good all-around solution for the home. The Shark Rocket TruePet HV322 is one of the best stick vacuums on the market, and with its extra-large bin capacity and pet attachment, it’s a no-brainer for the best all around pet vacuum on the market today. If you’re unsure of which other product fits your home, or you’re considering a relocation soon, the Shark Rocket series is a safe and powerful bet.

We hope you think about all of your options before making a purchase and especially consider which products cause the least stress and hard for your pets. As always, proper research and consideration will lead you to the vacuum that will make clumps of pet hair a thing of the past in your home.