7 Best Vacuums for Pet Hair of 2024

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Not every vacuum cleaner can handle pet hair effectively. Even vacuums with very powerful suction can struggle with hair because of the nasty knots it can create in vacuum rolling brushes.

The best vacuums for pet hair have strong suction and rotating brushes designed to better pick up hair while minimizing tangles. They also usually come with extra attachments designed to clean fur from sofas, carpets, curtains and other hard-to-reach places, plus sealed filtration systems that trap dander and other allergens.

There are tons of good vacuum cleaners available — including stick, canister, handheld and robot vacuums — but finding the ideal model as a pet owner can be tricky.

That's why we put together this buying guide on the top vacuums for pet hair on the market.

Best Vacuums For Pet Hair Reviews

Best overall: Shark AZ2002 Vertex DuoClean

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The Vertex DuoClean is one of the most powerful upright corded vacuums around, offering three strong suction levels that can clean pet hair with ease.

The vacuum features a dual-roller system designed to clean all types of flooring in a single pass. One of its rotating rollers creates an excellent seal on hard floors while the second roller has what Shark calls PowerFins, which are silicone wipers that can dig deep into carpets and prevent pet and human hair from tangling.

The Vertex includes a dusting brush, a crevice tool and a pet power brush. The pet power brush easily removes embedded pet hair and dander from upholstery, curtains, car interiors and more. To use it, just press a button on the dust bin to turn the Vertex into a handheld unit with a 5.5-foot flexible hose perfect for cleaning higher areas or tight spaces like stairs.

The Vertex is also an excellent option for allergy sufferers — its dust bin has HEPA filtration and is completely sealed to keep allergens and dust from spilling back into the air.

Editor’s pick: Shark ZU62 Navigator Zero-M Pet Pro

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Although not quite as powerful as the Shark Vertex DuoClean, Shark’s upright corded Navigator Zero-M Pet Pro still delivers excellent suction — and, at around $250, it costs about $180 less.

The Navigator has just enough power to deep-clean pet hair, even from thick carpets. It also features Shark’s Zero-M, a comb-like structure between the rotating roller and the vacuum’s airway that separates hairs as they’re picked up, preventing strands from wrapping around the roller.

Like the Vertex, the Navigator offers a sealed HEPA filtration system. It also brings a 12’ extendable hose for cleaning attachments and, while it doesn’t include a pet hair tool for upholstery, you can buy one for around $30 from Shark.

Although not quite as powerful as the Shark Vertex DuoClean, Shark’s upright corded Navigator Zero-M Pet Pro still delivers excellent suction — and, at around $250, it costs about $180 less.

The Navigator has just enough power to deep-clean pet hair, even from thick carpets. It also features Shark’s Zero-M, a comb-like structure between the rotating roller and the vacuum’s airway that separates hairs as they’re picked up, preventing strands from wrapping around the roller.

Like the Vertex, the Navigator offers a sealed HEPA filtration system. It also brings a 12’ extendable hose for cleaning attachments and, while it doesn’t include a pet hair tool for upholstery, you can buy one for around $30 from Shark.

Best for low prices: Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus

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These are some of the factors to consider when shopping for the best vacuum for pet-parent needs:

Vacuums under $250 usually don’t have the strongest suction. But for just under this price, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus does a pretty good job of picking up pet hair without it getting knotted up in the roller.

This vacuum comes with specialized pet attachments like an LED crevice tool and a dusting brush. Also, you can equip the vacuum with Febreze-infused filters (sold separately) that help eliminate pet odors.

Additionally, it includes a turbo pet hair tool that resists hair tangles and attaches to the vacuum's extendable hose to clean upholstery. It handles long human hair fairly well too.

The filtration system on this upright corded vacuum isn’t HEPA-grade, so some microscopic dust could seep back into the room as you vacuum. However, if you don’t have allergies or asthma, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Best cordless vacuum for pet hair: Dyson V15 Detect

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Dyson is known to make some of the most powerful cordless vacuums on the market, and the V15 is one of the company's best.

While plug-in upright vacuums typically have stronger suction and can provide a deeper clean (especially on carpets), the V15 easily matches or outperforms some. It also comes with 10 cleaning attachments, including an anti-tangle brush for pet hair, a soft dusting brush and a crevice tool.

This model offers three suction settings: Eco, Auto and Boost. In Auto mode, the vacuum uses a built-in sensor to detect how much dirt it picks up and the particles' size. The vacuum then adjusts its suction based on how dirty the area is. This self-adjustment guarantees the deepest clean possible while optimizing battery life.

Best cordless vacuum for pet hair runner-up: Dyson V11 Animal

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In terms of suction power, the Dyson V11 is a smidge under the V15 but still well above other cordless vacuums under $400.

Like the V15, this pet hair vacuum cleaner has three suction settings: Eco, Auto and Boost. The Auto mode allows the V11 to self-adjust suction as you clean. However, instead of using a dust-particle sensor like the Dyson V15, the V11 detects the type of floor (hard or carpet) it's gliding on to adjust suction accordingly.

The V11 retails for under $600 (around $200 less than the V15), and aside from how they adjust suction, both models have a similar design, weight and battery life. While it doesn't include Dyson's anti-tangle hair tool, it does have a mini motorized tool that's ideal for removing deeply embedded pet hair.

Best budget cordless vacuum for pet hair: Tineco A11 Hero

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Dyson cordless vacuums may be impressive, but their prices are definitely steep. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, the Tineco A11 Hero is an excellent choice.

For around $220, the A11 Hero runs more quietly than other vacuums in this price range and packs plenty of power in its three suction settings. It includes several cleaning attachments like a dusting brush, a crevice tool, a hair cleaning tool and a mini power brush to remove pet hair from furniture.

Although the battery on the A11 Hero lasts only about 30 minutes, it comes with a second battery pack so you can switch between them and avoid running out of power in the middle of a cleaning session. The vacuum’s base can store the unit and cleaning attachments and charge both batteries at the same time.

Best robot vacuum for pet hair: iRobot Roomba i7+

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The iRobot Roomba i7+ has impressive suction that can handle even hair embedded in carpet floors. Better yet, it includes Roomba's Clean Base system, a charging dock that doubles as a dirt bin.

Every time the robot's dust bin fills, the i7+ automatically makes its way to the base, where its contents get sucked into a disposable vacuum bag. Once its dust bin is empty, the i7+ will continue cleaning where it left off. This system is ideal for people with allergies or asthma since you don’t need to empty the robot daily, so there's minimal contact with allergens.

The i7+ also has smart mapping features that use a camera to scan your home and learn the surroundings. Once the robot has learned your floor plan and furniture placement, you can use the iRobot Home app to tell it which rooms to clean or even use voice commands through Alexa or Google Assistant.

Pet Vacuum Buying Guide

How to choose a vacuum cleaner for pet hair

These are some of the factors to consider when shopping for the best vacuum for pet hair:

Price

A vacuum's cost depends largely on its suction power, filter quality and included attachments. Prices also vary widely from brand to brand, so you'll find options ranging from around $100 to over $900.

Pet-specific vacuums

Some vacuums include the term "pet" in their name — like the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus, our pick for Best for Low Prices. These pet-specific models typically include cleaning attachments, like brushes or mini motorized tools, to help get hair off upholstery. But these vacuums don't necessarily offer more suction or higher-quality filters.

Other models — like our Best Overall pick, the Shark Vertex DuoClean — aren't branded as pet-specific yet have strong suction, anti-tangle brushes and even cleaning attachments for pet hair.

Rolling brush design

All vacuums have a rolling brush with bristles or rubber wipers that pick up dirt as it zooms around your home. The problem is that hairs, especially long ones, can easily tangle around this brush (or around the wheels near it). These knots are hard to remove and can cause blockages that weaken suction and prevent debris from passing through.

To solve this issue, some manufacturers have designed their brushes to resist tangles, even from human hair. These rollers are typically described as "self-cleaning," "anti-tangle" or "tangle-free" in product descriptions, and they are better at preventing knots than the ones on other vacuums.

Vacuum type

The most popular vacuums for cleaning pet hair are upright, cordless and robot models.

• Upright vacuum cleaners. Upright corded vacuums are excellent for homes with carpeting. They tend to offer more suction power compared to cordless models, hence a deeper clean. However, corded vacuums can weigh around 15 pounds, making them harder to carry up flights of stairs.

• Cordless vacuum cleaners. Cordless vacuums used to fall short in terms of suction capacity when compared to upright models. However, nowadays, some models can deep clean any floor in a single pass — even thick carpets. They're lightweight too, usually weighing between 3 and 10 pounds, making them easier to carry, store and maneuver than corded models.

Although cordless vacuums have improved, only the really top-of-the-line models — those in the $400 and higher price range — offer the same suction power you would get from a much cheaper upright vacuum that costs $300 or less.

• Robot vacuum cleaners. Roombas and other robot vacuums cruise around your home with the press of a button, helping you keep up with the never-ending shedding of pet hair. Although convenient, these probably won't clean as deeply as upright or cordless models.

Their dustbins can fill up quite quickly, especially when picking up pet hair. And if the robot keeps running with a full dust bin, its suction weakens. In homes with mostly carpeted floors, they can have some trouble cleaning embedded hair and dust.

Then there are the self-emptying robot models, which are more convenient for truly painless vacuuming. These come with a docking/cleaning station where the vacuum automatically returns and empties its dust bin. Unsurprisingly, these are among the most expensive vacuums, costing upwards of $600.

Adjustable suction

Vacuums with different suction settings are a must for pet owners with different types of flooring in their home. Increasing the power on carpeted areas, for example, guarantees a deeper clean, necessary when picking up embedded hair.

Some high-end vacuums self-adjust their suction by gauging just how dirty the floor is or whether they’re gliding over hard floors or carpets. These usually cost close to $500 or more.

Cheaper models also feature two or three suction settings for bare floors and low- or high-pile carpets, which you can change with a button located near the vacuum’s handle.

Some models also include a boost trigger, perfect for when you need some extra power on tough spots.

Dust bin

If you have a big home and multiple pets (or ones that shed a lot), you should consider the size of the vacuum’s dust bin. A small dust bin can fill up quickly, which can in turn cause clogs and reduce the vacuum’s suction power.

Upright models typically have a larger dust bin (also called dust canister) than portable vacuums. The bins on upright models average a capacity of around 0.5 gallons while cordless vacuums’ are mostly between 0.1 to 0.2 gallons.

Filter

Besides the dust bin, consider the quality of the filter. Pet hair and dander can cause sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes, even for people who don't suffer from allergies.

Pet owners can benefit from models with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. These models are completely sealed and prevent allergens from spilling into the room once they enter the dust bin.

How We Chose the Best Vacuums for Pet Hair

We carefully vetted dozens of pet hair vacuums, analyzing each vacuum's features. We compared their suction power, dimensions, cord length and weight.

We also considered extra attachments they included, such as tangle-free brush rolls and pet upholstery tools. Additionally, we evaluated each vacuum's filtration system, preferring models with HEPA filters that capture allergens and airborne particles released by pets.

Finally, we considered consumer reviews to compare firsthand experiences and gain insight into the vacuums' overall performance and reliability.