The Best Vacuums for Pet Hair

It goes without saying that we all love our pets, but what many of us don’t love is the accumulation of pet hair in our homes. The majority of traditional vacuums aren’t necessarily up to the job of removing large amount of pet hair though. So if yours is having trouble, then it might be time to consider investing in a vacuum specifically designed to make the job of removing pet hair from your home easier and quicker.

We reviewed dozens of vacuums designed to deal  with pet hair in order to identify the best of the best. Features we considered included filters designed to remove allergens, specific attachments for cleaning pet hair from upholstery as well as how maneuverable and efficient each vacuum is. We also looked at whether a vacuum was bagless, or used bags. We looked at a range of vacuum styles including upright, canister, handheld, and cordless. We narrowed down our search to 5 of the top-rated vacuums for pet hair you can buy, depending on your individual needs.

Best Vacuum for Pet Hair Overall

Shark Navigator Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Pet Pro (ZU62) Upright Vacuum

Specially designed to remove even the most stubborn of pet hair, this versatile upright vacuum will ensure your entire home ends up sparkling clean.

During our research, one vacuum stood out as being a clear winner. The Shark Navigator Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Pet Pro (ZU62) Upright Vacuum offers power, versatility and efficient removal of pet hair. The 4.5 out of 5 star rating from 1100+ Amazon customer users is another reason this vacuum takes our top position.

The 5 Top-Rated Vacuums for Pet Hair

Editor’s Picks Brand Rating
Best Vacuum for Pet Hair Overall Shark Navigator Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Pet Pro (ZU62) Upright Vacuum 4.5
Runner Up NEQUARE Cordless Vacuum Cleaner 4.8
Best Budget Buy Bissell PowerEdge Pet Hardwood Floor Stick Vacuum 4.1
Best Canister Vacuum Eureka Mighty Mite Canister Vacuum 3.8
Best Upright Vacuum Dyson DC65 Animal Upright Vacuum
4.3

*Ratings are from Amazon at the time of publication and can change.

Best Vacuum for Pet Hair Overall: Shark Navigator Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Pet Pro (ZU62) Upright Vacuum

The Shark Navigator Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Pet Pro (ZU62) Upright Vacuum is all you need to keep your home free of pet hairs. The vacuum features a unique Zero-M self-cleaning brush that’s specially designed to remove even the most stubborn of pet hairs. Yes you read that right, the brush deep cleans itself! The vacuum’s lightweight design, 12 foot hose, and swivel steering all work together to offer the maneuverability and portability you need to give your home a thorough clean each and every time.

The Shark Navigator Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Pet Pro (ZU62) Upright Vacuum truly ticks all of the boxes you could hope for in a vacuum. Thanks to its 3XL dust cup, it boasts a dust cup capacity of 2.8 quarts. This means you’ll be able to use it for longer than many other models without needing to perform the dreaded task of emptying the dust cup. Yet another handy feature is its 12 feet hose, which allows for no-fuss.

As well as providing impressive cleaning capabilities for pet hair, this vacuum also uses Complete Seal Technology combined with HEPA filter. This means that 99.9% of allergens, such as pet dander, dust, and dirt, will be effectively trapped.

Shark Navigator Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Pet Pro (ZU62) Upright Vacuum Key Features:

  • Self-cleaning brush designed to remove stubborn pet hairs
  • 3XL dust cup with a capacity of 2.8 quarts
  • HEPA filter  traps 99.9% of allergens including pet dander

Our Runner Up Pick: NEQUARE Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Our Runner Up Pick

NEQUARE Cordless Vacuum Cleane

This powerful cordless vacuum provides excellent cleaning plus easy waste disposal, among a hoard of other features

The NEQUARE Cordless Vacuum Cleaner takes our runner up spot due to the combination of quality features that make it an exceptional choice. For starters, it’s one of the most highly-rated options on the market, with a mind-boggling 4.8 out of 5 star rating on Amazon. Customers have given it such a phenomenal rating thanks to stand out features such as its powerful but noise-free 200W brushless motor and excellent suction.

Personally, we particularly love the fact that its cord-free, as this makes it easy to maneuver all around the house. We also appreciate that it comes with not just one, but three different brushes. Whether you use the full-size multi-tasker LED power brush, mini power brush, or 2-in-1 dusting brush—or a combination of all three—once you start vacuuming with this cleaner, you’ll soon find that lingering pet hairs around your house become a thing of the past.

NEQUARE Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Key Features:

  • Cord-free for easy maneuvering
  • Lightweight
  • Quick and easy waste disposal

Best Budget Pick: Bissell PowerEdge Hardwood Floor Bagless Stick Vacuum

Best Budget Pick

Bissell PowerEdge Hardwood Floor Bagless Stick Vacuum

The perfect vacuum for hardwood floors in an affordable and lightweight format

If you’re looking for an affordable vacuum that’s well suited to cleaning pet hairs from hard floors, then the Bissell PowerEdge Hardwood Floor Bagless Stick Vacuum is the one for you. The unique V shaped head helps to move large debris into the center of the vacuum head where the strong suction easily removes them, while the sides capture finer particles. This head shape also comes into its own when cleaning around furniture legs as you can get a really accurate clean.

The wipers along the base of the cleaning head are manufactured from a rubber material which is specifically designed to capture pet hairs. The hairs are then suctioned into the easy to empty dirt cup through a filter designed to help remove allergens. The lightweight design of the Bissell PowerEdge Hardwood Floor Vacuum means it is quick and easy to clean your home of pet hairs in no time.

Bissell Poweredge Hardwood Floor Bagless Stick Vacuum Key Features:

  • Shaped head designed to clean tight spaces, around furniture legs and along walls with ease
  • Easy to empty dirt cup with in-built filter
  • Lightweight and easy to maneuver around your whole house

Best Canister Vacuum for Pet Hair

Best Canister Vacuum

Eureka Mighty Mite Corded Canister Vacuum Cleaner

This lightweight and affordable vacuum makes cleaning pet hairs from around your house quick and easy

If you’re looking for a canister vacuum cleaner that combines efficiency and value for money, the Eureka Mighty Mite Corded Canister Vacuum Cleaner ticks all the boxes. While this canister vacuum cleans carpets and rugs efficiently, it is ideally suited to wood and tile floors. This is due to the combination of the specialized bare floor brush and nozzle which provide a powerful and efficient clean.

The Eureka Might Mite uses vacuum bags to effectively contain the allergens filtered through the HEPA filter, with none escaping when the canister is emptied.  The 20 foot power cord of the Eureka Mighty Mite means that you can clean a whole room, set of stairs or a long hallway before you need to unplug. The fingertip controls allow for easy cleaning of all surfaces in your home, including upholstery and drapes. Due to its small size and long power cord, this canister vacuum is also perfect for cleaning car interiors or outdoor soft furnishings which your dogs may lie on.

Eureka Might Mite Corded Canister Vacuum Cleaner Key Features:

  • Complete accessories package for easy cleaning of stairs, upholstery, car interiors and drapes
  • Small canister size makes for easy maneuverability and storage
  • The in-built HEPA filter captures the majority of airborne allergens, including pet dander

Best Upright Vacuum for Pet Hair

Best Upright Vacuum

Dyson DC65 Animal Upright Vacuum Cleaner

Power and efficiency combine in this upright vacuum which self-adjusts to clean pet hair from all floor types

If your home includes a range of different floor surfaces, you’ll appreciate the Dyson DC65 Animal Upright Vacuum Cleaner. The DC65 is packed full of Dyson’s patented technology. This vacuum uses a brush bar with 25% more power, designed to remove more dirt from your carpets by giving them a deep clean. For other surfaces, the self-adjusting head automatically seals in the powerful suction across all floor types. The DC65 has the best pickup of any Dyson vacuum, so you can be assured this vacuum will perform.

The eye-catching ball design of the DC65 not only makes steering this vacuum around and under furniture a breeze, it also contains all the technology which makes this vacuum so efficient. This results in a much lower center of gravity than a traditional upright vacuum, meaning that the DC65 is easy and light to steer. This vacuum comes with Dyson’s five year warranty on parts and labor, meaning you can buy with confidence.

Dyson DC65 Animal Upright Vacuum Cleaner Key Features:

  • Easy manuverability thanks to the Dyson Ball technology
  • Radial Root Cyclone technology to remove the microscopic particles responsible for allergies
  • Turbines enhanced by Dyson’s Tangle-free Turbine Tool which easily removes hair from all surfaces without them getting stuck in the turbine mechanism

Who Should Buy a Vacuum for Pet Hair

If your family includes pets of any kind, then you should definitely consider investing in a vacuum for pet hair. Even though certain breeds of cat and dog shed less than others, they will all lose hair or fur to a certain degree. Vacuum cleaners which aren’t designed to be powerful enough to cope with the level of hair lost by high shedding pets will never get rid of all the pet hair in your house.

Families with allergy sufferers and pets will also definitely want to consider a vacuum specifically designed to deal with pet hair. Interestingly, pet hair isn’t the main cause of allergies – it’s actually the dander shed by pets which causes the majority of allergies. This dander is made up of microscopic particles of skin which left to build up in your house can cause allergies to flare up. Luckily, many vacuums designed to remove pet hair also contain filters designed to remove dander as well.

Best Vacuum for Pet Hair Overall

Shark Navigator Zero-M Self-Cleaning Brushroll Pet Pro (ZU62) Upright Vacuum

Specially designed to remove even the most stubborn of pet hair, this versatile upright vacuum will ensure your entire home ends up sparkling clean.

Important Features to Consider

A vacuum for pet hair should have a few important features. Here’s what to consider when selecting a vacuum to help clean pet hair in your home:

  • Pet specific attachments. This is a great feature, with these attachments designed to help you efficiently remove pet hair from a variety of surfaces in your home. Many vacuums designed to deal specifically with pet hair will include crevice tools, dusting brushes and upholstery tools. Many brands include these as standard, while others offer them as additional extras available for purchase separately.
  • A HEPA filter. Many vacuums for pet hair come with a HEPA filter. This stands for High-Efficiency Particulate Air, and helps to remove microscopic particles of dust and dander. This dander is often what causes allergies to dogs and cats, so choosing a vacuum with a HEPA filter will keep your home as allergen free as possible. Depending on what model vacuum you choose, some filters are washable and others are replaced on a regular basis.
  • Suction power. Vacuums for pet hair will generally offer a higher amount of suction power than a regular vacuum. The extra power is important in order for the vacuum to effectively lift pet hair out of carpets and upholstery. The key terms to look out for are AW (air watts) and CFM (cubic feet per minute). AW measures how much power, or suction, a vacuum has. CFM tells you the amount of air (and therefore dirt) a vacuum pulls in over a minute.  You’re looking for high numbers for both these measurements.
  • Type of vacuum. Depending on how you plan to use your vacuum the most, there are a number of different types of vacuums available. Upright vacuums are best if you have large floor spaces that need cleaning regularly. Canister vacuums have a longer hose and are generally more powerful and maneuverable than uprights. Canister vacuums can easily clean floors and furniture. Handheld vacuums are smaller, and perfect for cleaning upholstery and other small areas. As many of these are cordless, they’re great for cleaning your car too. Cordless vacuums are a great way to clean your house without worrying about power cords getting in the way. These vacuums come with a charging station and will provide around 40 minutes of cleaning time before you need to recharge.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a vacuum for pet hair and how does it work?

Vacuums designed specifically for pet hair tend to differ in a number of ways from a normal vacuum cleaner. Vacuums designed  to deal with pet hair tend to provide a higher level of suction in order to clean pet hair from a range of surfaces. They also often come with a filter which helps to remove dander, dust and other allergens. Vacuums for pet hair will also often come with specific tools to help remove hairs from upholstery as well.

Is a Roomba good for pet hair?

Roombas are robotic vacuum cleaners which are designed to clean your house without you needing to lift a finger. Sounds perfect, right? Well, if you’re looking for a vacuum to specifically tackle pet hair within your home, then it will pay to do a little bit of research into this type of vacuum cleaner before you rush out and buy one.

Depending on the model, some Roombas don’t fit under cabinets or other furniture, so if that’s somewhere that you pet likes to hang out, then this area won’t get cleaned of hairs and dander. While some of the Pet Series models do offer features such as HEPA filtration and tangle-free brushes, you’ll still have to tackle cleaning upholstery and stairs with a different vacuum cleaner.

How do I remove dog hair from car upholstery?

The majority of vacuums designed to remove pet hair come with specific tools to help remove hairs from upholstery in your house, including crevice tools and small brush head attachments. These will work just as well on your car upholstery, so if your vacuum is cordless or handheld, simply use the pet specific attachments to give your car upholstery a good going over. If you have a corded vacuum cleaner, using an extension lead means you can give your car upholstery a good clean too.

How do I get dog hair out of my carpet? 

The key here is frequent cleaning. If you allow the dog hair to build up, then it will become a much harder job to remove it all. Using a vacuum designed specifically for pet hair is recommended, as the increased suction will make it easier to lift and remove hair.

Make sure you go over each area a few times, which will remove the maximum amount of hair. If there are any areas where the dog hair is particularly built up, such as if your dog likes to sleep in a sunny spot on the stairs, then use the upholstery attachments to give these areas a deeper clean.