Be Free of Fur With These Highly-Rated Vacuums for Pet Hair
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Pet owners (us included) have a bad habit of developing fur blindness, whereby we become so accustomed to that layer of pet hair that we stop noticing it. But other people certainly do notice that hair, whether they’re sitting on a fur-covered couch, having an allergic reaction, or looking too closely at our black pants.
Related: The Best Wet/Dry Vacuums
And one cause of fur blindness is obvious: Cleaning pet hair sucks. It sticks to everything and doesn’t lift away like other debris. Luckily, there’s hope in the vacuums below. We’ve rounded up some of the best vacuums for pet hair that actually do make it possible to control fur, letting you keep a cleaner home for yourself, your guests, and, of course, your pets.
In This Article
What Are the Best Vacuums for Pet Hair?
Vacuum Buying Guide
What Are the Best Vacuums for Pet Hair?
Pet hair presents a unique and especially difficult challenge for vacuums. Here are five vacuums that are up for the challenge, including stick vacuums for pet hair, a robot option, and a handheld vacuum for furniture.
Editor’s Pick: Dyson V15 Detect
Best Reviews: Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless
Best Stick Vacuum: LG CordZero A907GMS
Best Upright Vacuum: Kenmore Elite Pet-Friendly Upright
Best Robot Vacuum: iRobot Roomba j7+
1. Dyson V15 Detect
Editor’s Pick
It’s no secret: The Dyson V15 Detect is one of the best vacuums around — especially if you have to deal with fur. Besides gobs of power to lift hair, the vacuum has a Digital Motorbar head that helps pick up fur off carpet or hardwood and detangles long strands. You also get a hair screw tool attachment that helps clean hair from tight spaces. Plus, because the vacuum is handheld and cordless, you can easily use it to clean furniture as well as floors.
2. Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless
Best Reviews
Amazon
Sometimes handhelds are the best vacuums for pet hair, letting you quickly touch up furniture and rugs (say, before people come over). We like this one from Bissell, which is specifically designed to tackle fur — and comes with an affordable price tag. It has a motorized brush tool to dislodge and lift hair, as well as a variety of heads to clean all types of surfaces. Still not convinced? Check the reviews; the Bissel has a 4.6/5-star rating with over 30,000 reviews on Amazon.
Buy Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand… $79.39
3. LG CordZero A907GMS
Best Stick Vacuum
Amazon
Another great stick vacuum is this LG CordZero (model A907GMS). The lightweight, handheld cleaner has a long neck for cleaning floors and two short-neck attachments for getting furniture. It also comes with two batteries that provide a total of 80 minutes of run time. Inside is a powerful Smart Inverter Motor and a HEPA filter to remove most allergens in the air.
Buy LG CordZero A907GMS $469.99
4. Kenmore Elite Pet-Friendly Vacuum
Best Upright Vacuum
Amazon
If you’re looking to remove pet hair from carpets and upholstery, this Kenmore Elite upright vacuum is a great choice. The vacuum is corded, but you get gobs of power from a two-motor system, and you don’t have to worry about the charge running out. You also get a HEPA filter system and a specialized Pet Powermate attachment that easily lifts hair from furniture and carpets.
Buy Kenmore Elite Pet-Friendly Vacuum $399.99
5. iRobot Roomba j7+
Best Robot Vacuum
Amazon
Don’t want to clean up pet hair all the time? Leave it to an iRobot Roomba. The brand’s high-end j7+ is more than capable of picking up pet hair, and of course, barely requires any work on your end. And don’t worry: iRobot also guarantees that the vacuum will avoid any pet accidents, whereas some lesser robot vacuums will run through it and make more of a mess.
Vacuum Buying Guide
Vacuums have become high-tech pieces of equipment with a wide variety of specs and features. If you’re buying your first vacuum, or haven’t bought one in a while, consider brushing up on some key specifications below before shopping.
Filter Type: Vacuum filters are responsible for trapping any airborne particles that get tossed up while you clean, including dust, mold, bacteria, and — crucially — allergens from pets. If you’re buying a vacuum and own a pet, be sure to get a vacuum with a HEPA filter. These are the most effective type of filter, trapping 99.97% of airborne particles with a minimum size of 0.3 microns.
Size & Weight: Vacuum weights are currently all over the place, with some high-end stick vacuums at under ten pounds (like the seven-pound Dyson V15) and some great bagged vacuums over 20 pounds (like the Kenmore Elite). If you don’t mind the weight, your option pool is bigger, but the lightweight stick vacuums are very convenient (although they hit your wallet a little harder). Also consider the size of your vacuum, especially if you need to clean between tight spaces or have limited storage room.
Attachments: Good attachments are key when it comes to the best vacuums for pet hair. Rubberized nozzle attachments and tangle-free brush rolls are both good examples of vacuum attachments that help unstick and lift pet fur.
Corded vs. Cordless: Many new vacuums have shed their cord, switching to a built-in battery that you charge before using. These are obviously a big upgrade, letting you flow from space to space without catching the cord on furniture or finding a new plug in every room.
