Best Vacuum Cleaner for Pet Hair (Cat and Dog Hair)

Fabric furniture and carpets can be riddled with dog and cat hair. Removing pet hair can be a difficult job, provided you have a vacuum cleaner with an attachment that is specially made for vacuuming pet hair.

In my reviews I test every vacuum cleaner how easily these pet hairs can be removed. I examine the brushes provided, the filters under the hood, the vacuum's suction power and even the noise level. These specifications play an important role in characterizing a vacuum cleaner as the best vacuum cleaner for pet hair.

Index

Best vacuum cleaners for pet hair

At Vacuumtester.com I test different types of vacuum cleaners. From powerful canister vacuums to compact handheld vacuums. Any type of vacuum cleaner can be interesting for pet hair: for example, you can tackle the entire floor with a canister vacuum cleaner, while you can make the furniture hair-free with a compact hand vacuum cleaner.

I have therefore investigated the suitability for pet hair for each type of vacuum cleaner. View the best vacuum cleaner by type right now.

Best bagged canister vacuum cleaner for pet hair

The Philips Performer Silent FC8784/09 is the best vacuum cleaner with bag for pet hair. This bagged vacuum cleaner has tremendous suction power and comes with a motorized pet hair brush. This type of brush is quite unique for a vacuum cleaner on wheels.

Philips FC8784/09

One of the few wheeled vacuum cleaners with a motorized mini brush.

View at Amazon Read my review

🇺🇸 Available in the United States at Amazon.com and Ebay

This Philips FC8784/09 is also equipped with an anti-allergy filter, which can be useful for people who quickly suffer from an allergic reaction. In addition to these great advantages for households with pets, you also enjoy the following advantages with this vacuum cleaner:

• Lots of extra suction nozzles, including a crevice tool
• Vacuum cleaner has a large capacity
• There is a low noise level

What you should keep in mind is that the vacuum cleaner does not offer storage options for the different suction nozzles. It is also not a cheap choice.

Best stick vacuum for pet hair

Prefer a cordless vacuum cleaner? Then it is better to opt for a stick vacuum cleaner. The Dyson V15 Detect is currently the best stick vacuum for pet hair. The vacuum cleaner comes with several motorized brushes, including the new tangle-free mini brush for removing pet hair from furniture. No tangles can form in this brush, which benefits the maintenance of the vacuum cleaner.

Dyson V15 Detect

The Dyson V15 comes with several motorized brushes, which make removing pet hair easy.

View at Amazon Read my review

🇺🇸 Available in the United States at Amazon.com and Dyson

The Dyson V15 Detect is also known as ‘The Dyson with the green laser'. Thanks to this green laser, dirt – and therefore also hair of dogs and cats – becomes more visible. In addition, I speak of the following advantages:

• It is suitable for all floor types
• You get several motorized brushes with it
• The suction power is automatically adjusted based on the type of dirt

The Dyson V15 is a vacuum cleaner from the more expensive segment. In addition, with a bagless stick vacuum, you have to take into account a somewhat higher noise level than canister vacuums with a bag.

Best handheld vacuum cleaner for pet hair

Do you want to remove pet hair from furniture or the mattress in particular? Then it is best to opt for a handheld vacuum cleaner. And these are also very suitable for animal hair in some cases. In fact, the Black+Decker BHHV520BFP is specially made for this. It is therefore the best handheld vacuum cleaner for animals at the moment.

Black+Decker BHHV520BFP

The Black+Decker is one of the few handheld vacuums with a motorized mini brush.

View at Amazon Read my review

🇺🇸 Available in the United States at Amazon.com and Ebay

The Black+Decker BHHV520BFP is one of the few hand vacuum cleaners supplied with a motorized mini brush. This brush is very powerful and makes removing pet hair very easy. In addition, enjoy the following benefits:

• Long battery life of 20 minutes
• Weighs only 1.2 kilograms
• Large dust container

This hand vacuum cleaner only comes with a motorized brush: you don't get any more accessories with it. There is, however, an extendable crevice tool.

How I research the best vacuum cleaner for pet hair

In all my vacuum cleaner reviews I always check how suitable a vacuum cleaner is for removing pet hair. Whether it is a stick vacuum cleaner or a hand vacuum cleaner. But, what requirements should a good vacuum cleaner for pet hair meet?

In my opinion, the best vacuum cleaner for pet hair is at least equipped with a motorized brush. Such a brush is also called a motorized turbo brush and consists of a roller brush that rotates quickly. In this way, animal hairs are actually pulled along and sucked in.

In my opinion, the best vacuum cleaner for pet hair is at least equipped with a motorized brush.

I'm testing how well these brushes can remove pet hair. And yes: of course I use real animal hair.

However, with only such a pet hair brush, a vacuum cleaner does not necessarily have to be suitable for pet hair. Of course, there must also be good suction. I always measure this: I do this with the help of a custom-made vacuum tester.

I also check the filters under the hood. For example, some filters are equipped with an anti-allergy filter, which can be very interesting in a household with a pet. The same applies to an odor filter: with this a vacuum cleaner that smells can be prevented.

Finally, I also measure the noise level of a vacuum cleaner. For example, a dog may be scared of vacuums, which is mainly due to the sound of the device. If a vacuum cleaner makes an incredible amount of noise, this is a less suitable choice.

All the pet hair suction performance of tested vacuum cleaners

I rate every factor that I have just mentioned. The performance of all factors together provides a final score. In the overview below I have listed the final scores of the best vacuum cleaners for pet hair at the moment.

Why research the best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

When someone asks me what the best vacuum cleaner is, I always ask what they want to vacuum in particular. Animal hair is one of the frequently mentioned answers. When you bring a vacuum cleaner into your home without the right specifications, removing pet hair can be impossible.

By also testing how well it removes pet hair in every vacuum cleaner review, I can help you make the best choice. By the way, I'm not doing these investigations alone: I get help from Caesar, a nice furry cat!

Different pet hair vacuum cleaners

In this research, I researched the best choice for pet hair for each type of vacuum cleaner. It's just a question of which vacuum cleaner you want. The canister vacuum is very powerful and I would especially recommend it for households with a lot of carpet.

Do you want to vacuum wirelessly and are you looking for a vacuum cleaner that you can quickly reach? Then a stick vacuum for pet hair can be an interesting choice. These vacuum cleaners are wireless and often very light, so you can quickly grab it if you see a tuft of animal hair.

If you mainly want to vacuum fabric furniture or, for example, the mattress, it is best in my opinion to choose a hand vacuum cleaner. This makes it nice and mobile and makes it easier to vacuum.

Robbert Tigchelaar

Robbert Tigchelaar is the founder of Vacuumtester.com and is a true vacuum cleaner guru. With more than 10 years of experience in the world of electronic devices, he knows better than anyone what is important in a vacuum cleaner. When a new vacuum cleaner appears, he is eager to test it extensively.