The best vacuums for pet hair

Most vacuums can't handle pet hair. It wraps around brush rolls, clogs filters, and gets blown back into the air, especially in homes with heavy shedders. Over time, that means weaker suction, more maintenance, and a vacuum that stops doing its job. You need the best vacuum for pet hair.

After testing over 30 of the best vacuums on real pet hair, litter, and fine debris, a clear pattern emerged. Many models can handle surface-level messes but struggle when hair is embedded in carpet or mixed with fine particles like dust and dander, leading to a drop in performance. Our picks for the best vacuums for pet hair held up to repeated use without becoming a maintenance headache.

Read more about how Insider Reviewstests and researches home products here.

Our top picks for the best vacuums for pet hair

Best overall vacuum for pet hair: Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush Upright Vacuum - See at Amazon

Best cordless vacuum for pet hair: Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty - See at Amazon

Best budget vacuum for pet hair: Bissell CleanView Swivel Upright Pet Vacuum Cleaner - See at Amazon

Best upgrade vacuum for pet hair: Dyson V15 Detect - See at Dyson

Most powerful vacuum for pet hair: Dyson Ball Animal 3 Upright Vacuum Cleaner- See at Dyson

Best vacuum for pet hair and allergies: Miele Guard L1 Cat & Dog Vacuum - See at Amazon

Best robot vacuum for pet hair: eufy E25 Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo - See at Amazon

Best handheld vacuum for pet hair: Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean Cordless Handheld Vacuum (model CHV1410L) - See at Amazon

How to choose the right pet vacuum

Start here to match your home and pet to the right vacuum.

Best overall

A thoughtfully designed powerhouse. The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush Upright Vacuum is a new launch from Bissell, which features a dual-brush roll design — a first for the brand. It is designed to capture both large and small debris and effectively reduces hair wrap. At $300, it's the soft spot between performance and value with a high-quality build. The vacuum also utilizes a HEPA Sealed Allergen System that captures 99.97% of pet dander and dust allergens and expertly picked up all pet hair without tangling, a pre-req for the best overall pet vacuum.

Strong suction and pick up performance. It delivered solid performance across a range of everyday debris on carpets and hard floors, ensuring comprehensive performance where it matters most, and it easily adjusts suction based on floor type. The vacuum handled fine materials like baking soda and coffee grounds well, particularly on carpet, and fully picked up mid-size and larger debris like rice and cereal — good stand-ins for litter or kibble— in our tests. Despite a slightly raised lip on the floor head, the Pet Hair Eraser Dual Brush scattered light debris like rice on hard floors, requiring a few extra passes, but it still removed most messes effectively without leaving major residue.

Unique attachments add to the versatility. The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush has a lift-off function and an extending handle, making it easier to take the main unit along for above-floor cleaning or stairs. The bright "Fur Finder" headlights on the cleanerhead illuminate the dust bunnies ahead of you, and Bissell added LED lights to the crevice and TurboBrush tool attachments for added utility. Our tester found the vacuum smooth and comfortable to push, and the swivel steering made it easy to reach under furniture or around corners. The maneuverability seemed to offset the weight, especially on laminate floors. The weight becomes more noticeable as the vacuum encounters greater resistance, and the suction lifts debris from the carpet fibers.

Read our Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush review.

Best cordless

Shark's anti-hair wrap technology delivers. In fact, we're pretty confident in every Shark vacuum we've tested. The Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean and Empty takes things a step further with excellent pickup across particle sizes, automatic suction adjustment, and a self-emptying base. In our tests, it handled everything from fine dust to clumps of pet hair with ease.

• See more of the best cordless vacuums

It aced our standardized hardwood and carpet tests. The Shark PowerDetect easily picked up kibble, ground coffee, flour, dog hair, and everyday household dirt. A dual brush-roll system does the heavy lifting: a soft front roll captures fine debris and prevents scatter, while a rear brush with stiff bristles digs deep into carpets. Larger debris was no problem, though very fine particles like flour took a few extra passes. The vacuum automatically adjusts power based on floor type, dust levels, and edge detection, with visual cues from purple LEDs and an audible (but not overly loud) boost in suction. LED headlights illuminate the cleaning path, and an onboard display shows remaining battery life.

The cordless stick design is easy to maneuver. A bendable wand and swivel head enable it to slide under furniture and into corners. That said, it's slightly top-heavy and can't stand upright on its own. The attachments, a crevice, and a pet multi-tool store neatly on the dock. They're fine, but not as effective as the mini-motorized attachments offered with many of the best Dyson vacuums, like the splurgy Dyson V15 Detect.

The auto-empty dust bin is a standout. Instead of stopping to empty a small dustbin every few minutes, we went up to two months before needing to empty the base, and the on-board dustbin is sizable enough to get through cleaning my floors. The emptying process is loud but brief and effectively clears even compacted debris. Manually removing the onboard bin is possible, though a bit clunky. The base also supports Shark's optional odor-neutralizing puck, though testers were largely indifferent and didn't miss it when it wasn't in use.

If you want the power and performance of the PowerDetect, but don't care for the auto-empty base station or have the space to dedicate to a dock, PowerDetect Essential shaves a $100 off the retail price. It has a standard bin while keeping all the power and performance.

See how the Shark compares to Dyson's flagship model.

Best budget

For under $150, the Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet 2252 has powerful suction and good performance at a value price. The extra attachments are also very effective on pet hair. The 25-foot cord is long enough to cover most rooms, but winding it back up can be a little annoying. If you like the convenience of a retractable cord, we also like the Bissell CleanView Swivel Rewind Pet Vacuum Cleaner (model 2254). It picked up all the pet hair on all surfaces in our tests, and hair didn't get tangled in the brush. The four vacuums we tested that cost less than the Bissell CleanView performed so poorly that we can't recommend any of them.

• See the best cheap vacuum cleaners

Compared to other budget models, it covers the basics in terms of cleaning performance. It has just one suction setting, but it does have five height settings to accommodate different types of carpet. It was average at picking up finer particles on hard floors, leaving the floor feeling a little gritty. It performed better on carpet, though it still wasn't perfect. It picked up all of the rice and Cheerios on every surface. A small amount of hair wrapped around the brush roll, but it didn't clog or interfere with cleaning.

We appreciated how simple it was to use. The swivel head makes it easy to maneuver with one hand, and the hose detaches effortlessly for access to elevated areas. We just guided it as it made quick work of messes. We particularly liked how it has tiny side brushes at the edge of the brush roll to clean along baseboards. It does, however, only have one suction setting. Aesthetically, our tester felt a bit like she was using a vacuum from the 2000s — it worked well, but doesn't feel as refined or fancy as other options.

The dustbin is large but sometimes requires reaching in. "It does a remarkable thing with long hair... it basically makes a hair pancake," notes our tester. "It's not just interesting, it's functional. It doesn't get caught around the vacuum filter and neatly slides out into the trash." To avoid any gunk flying out, you'll want to release the trap-door mechanism with the bottom inside a trash receptacle. The vacuum is also not HEPA-rated; it uses a multi-layer filtration system of carbon and foam filters and is not sealed to prevent particles from escaping back into the air. Most people will do just fine, but if you do have serious allergy sensitivities, you may want to consider a different model. Additionally, while it has a decibel output on par with the Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush, it was noticeably shriller.

Best upgrade

A dust- and hair-hunting powerhouse. Dyson is one of the brands I trust to rid my home of the smallest dust particles. The Dyson V15 Detect has essentially gamified cleaning with a piezo sensor that tells you just how many particles it's scooped up (and we're talking billions). The real standout is the green laser headlights on the dedicated hard-floor cleaner head, which illuminate the floor to reveal what the eye can't see. It's like turning on the lights to see just how much my blonde-dog sheds on my wood floors, making it my pick as the pet vacuum for hardwood floors

It's expertly designed. The V15 automatically adjusts suction based on floor type and debris, helping preserve battery life (up to 60 minutes). An LCD shows remaining runtime, and the lightweight design is easy to maneuver, thanks to a spherical wheel that allows smooth side-to-side movement. It also includes a strong lineup of attachments for whole-home cleaning. My main gripe is the trigger-style power button; if that's a dealbreaker, the Gen5Detect adds a power button but usually isn't worth the $200 premium, unless it's on sale.

This Dyson vacuum was the best vacuum for pet hair on every surface in our tests without getting tangled. This is thanks to the Digital Motorbar cleaner head (found on many of the best Dyson vacuums) that has plastic detangling vanes to keep hair from wrapping. It works on both hardwood and carpets, which it was great on both surfaces, picking up all debris except a trace of coffee grounds on carpets and nominal amounts of flour on both surfaces. The Fluffy Optic Cleaner head with the green laser is for hard floors only; you will need to switch between the two if you have rugs or carpet. I also like converting the V15 Detect into a handheld and using the hair screw tool to lift embedded hair from pet beds and upholstery, making them look like new.

The Dyson has a trapdoor mechanism for emptying the dustbin, so you can avoid coming into contact with debris. However, though attachments must be removed first, and overfilling can make emptying messier than expected.

Most powerful

Unrelenting, powerful suction is what you need to keep your home dust- and dander-free, even with shedding fur or kitty litter. The Dyson Ball Animal 3 is particularly effective on thick carpeting, with stiff bristles that dig deep into the fibers to pull out hair and dirt and resist hair wrapping around the brush roll. It also performed well on hard floors, picking up both large pieces of debris, like cereal, and fine particles of flour.

• See more of the best upright vacuums.

Despite being bulky, it is still easy to use. At 17 pounds, this upright vacuum isn't necessarily lightweight to carry up and down stairs, but its unique ball design at the base swivels to improve maneuverability. It has three suction settings that you can adjust via a slider on the floorhead. If you have trouble pushing the vacuum, adjusting the suction settings will typically get you going again. The spacious 0.45-gallon dust bin can handle large amounts of pet hair and empties via a button on the handle. The Dyson's washable post-motor filter traps allergens as small as 0.3 microns and should be cleaned once a month.

Multiple versions are available with varying attachments. The basic version of this vacuum comes with two tools: a combo crevice and dusting brush, and a stair tool. Models like Extra and Complete offer a more comprehensive accessory package with pet-specific options such as a tangle-free turbine tool, a carbon fiber dusting brush, and even a pet grooming brush. These accessories connect with the hose, which stretches to 15 feet. However, our reviewer found it stiff, requiring extra effort to keep it extended while the vacuum was running.

Best for allergies

If you have severe allergies, a bagged vacuum is your best option for limiting dust exposure. Our top pick, the Miele Guard L1 Cat & Dog, is a powerful yet quiet canister vacuum that keeps cleanup contained and mess-free.

The Guard L1 was among the best overall at picking up debris. In testing, it delivered the strongest overall pickup, including some of the best fine-particle pickup on carpet of any machine. It has two cleaning heads: one for carpets and one for hard floors. We noticed long hair wrapped around after using the carpet head attachment, but none on the hard floor attachment. The attachments are stored on board, but the upholstery tool falls short compared to motorized hand tools found on other pet vacuums.

Bagged dustbins and advanced filtration are appealing features for allergy sufferers. Its 3.5-liter bag holds a large amount of debris while maintaining an air-tight seal to keep particles sealed inside, and we didn't come close to filling it even after extensive testing. Replacement bags do add ongoing cost and waste, however. Replacement bags cost $55 for eight replacement bags and two filters. Though if limiting dust exposure is your top priority, this is one of the best options available.

The Miele has a great form factor. It's compact, rolls along nicely as you vacuum, and is small enough to easily grab by the handle and move from room to room or carry up a flight of stairs. Everything about the build quality feels premium, and it has built-in storage for the attachments. The design incorporates a side-ventilation system to channel exhaust away from you and your pets and to help reduce lingering pet odors. An LCD screen also lets you select one of four cleaning modes, the vacuum bag fill level, and the exhaust filter saturation. The new Guard L1 is five pounds lighter than the Classic C1 we previously recommended, which was heavy and not particularly nimble.

However, some features make it less user-friendly. All the suction settings are on the canister itself, so you'll need to be within arm's reach to adjust them during cleaning. You can adjust with your foot without having to reach down. Though a Kenmore model we tested has suction control on the handle. It also takes two hands to swap tools, rather than a single button press or lift-off. Regardless, these are small drawbacks if containing dust is your primary concern.

Best robot vacuum

Automate routine floor maintenance. A robot vacuum, like the eufy E25, is helpful for a daily sweep of any accumulated pet hair. In addition to excellent pickup performance on hair and fine and coarse debris, it also has essential obstacle-avoidance features that give you peace of mind. It was one of two robot vacuums we've tested that completely avoided a pet accident, and also had the ability to identify other smaller items that could be strewn about, like phone cords, socks, or pet toys. It was also surprisingly quiet in operation, making it a decent choice for pets who are sensitive to loud noises.

Mops too, with a fully automated self-cleaning system. Robot vacuums are becoming increasingly more automated, and this one incorporates a roller mop to polish and refresh hard floors. When transitioning to rugs, the mop automatically lifts to keep carpets dry while boosting suction to pull embedded fur out of carpet fibers. The docking station auto-empties dust, cleans, and dries the roller mop with hot water and air to minimize how often you need to tend to the machine. The app also features customizable cleaning settings for water output and suction levels, as well as mapping options to specify which rooms to clean and when.

See more of the best robot vacuums.

Best handheld

It outperformed other handhelds at cleaning up pet hair. In fact, the Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean Cordless Handheld Vacuum was the only handheld to clean up all pet hair on every surface — hardwood, carpet, and the car.

It's well-balanced and weighs just 2.6 pounds. I didn't experience arm fatigue when cleaning with the Black+Decker Dustbuster AdvancedClean Cordless Handheld Vacuum. You can quickly flip the brush in place as it's attached to the head, a feature I liked because I tend to lose attachments when they aren't connected.

The charging station is also simple and intuitive. Just place the Dustbuster on it. The charging indicator light turns off once the vacuum is fully charged, and the vacuum then runs for 14 minutes.

Emptying the big dust bin without getting dirty is simple. You remove the forward section and shake the debris out, or remove the entire dust bin and pull out the filter. Regardless of how you empty it, the vacuum takes some finessing to snap back together.

The Dustbuster AdvancedClean vacuum is about as loud as a hairdryer, making it louder than most.

Read our guide to the best handheld vacuums.

Our top picks compared

What else we tested

Here are some other popular vacuums we tested that just fell short of being the best, but could be good for your needs and budget.

• Bissell PowerClean DualBrush ($360): This cordless was released alongside the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser DualBrush, which has a similarly designed dual-brush roll, and is Bissell's first cordless with automatically adjusting suction. It failed our large debris test and had so-so results with fine particles, which echoes our experience with the Bissell PowerClean FurFinder. The DualBrush fared better in terms of hair wrap than the Fur Finder, as well. We liked that both offer bright LED lights and a self-standing design. The FurFinder is far less expensive, however, and we suggest it when it's on sale.
• Bosch Unlimited 10 Black ($699):Bosch's first vacuum in North America is loaded with premium design elements like dirt detection, compacting dustbin, bendable tube, multiple cleaning settings, and a lengthy 10-year warranty on the motor. It has auto-adjusting suction power and held its own with general cleaning, but its shorter-than-expected battery life (despite promising up to 80 minutes) and some hair wrap kept it from disrupting the current top picks.
• Dyson V8 ($389): If you want Dyson performance at its most basic level, the Dyson V8 features the same anti-hair-tangle technology in the cleaner head as the V15 Detect and Ball Animal 3. With up to 40 minutes of battery across two cleaning modes, it's reliable and passed most of our cleaning tests, but others surpass it with newer features. It's sold in a couple of variations like Absolute and Plus, which reflect varying attachments, but all have the same cleaning performance. Consider the upgrades if you want the mini-motorized tool, which is great for cleaning upholstery and pet beds. Read our Dyson V8 review.

• Shark Cordless Pet Vacuum ($169): This affordable Shark vacuum is one of the most popular Shark cordless vacuums on Amazon. While it's marketed as a "pet vacuum," we found that long strands of hair wrapped around the brush roll and that it struggled with fine particles. It's often on sale for as low as $150, making it a good budget option if you're OK with a few compromises. Read our Shark Cordless Pet Vacuum review.
• Shark Stratos Cordless vacuum ($299):Our previous best pick for pet hair has great pickup performance, and hair doesn't wrap around the brush roll. The next-gen PowerDetect has more advanced features, like automatic suction adjustment and an auto-empty dustbin, at a comparable price. Read our Shark Stratos cordless review.
• Kenmore 600 Series Pop-N-Go BC4030 Canister Vacuum ($350): At about half the price of our Miele Canister pick, the Kenmore offers strong cleaning performance, easily user-friendly controls, an Allergen Seal HEPA system, and genuinely useful attachments that store on board.

• Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog Bagged Canister Vacuum ($829): This is a slightly older edition of our current pick for allergies; it offers some of the best pickup performance in our test but is heavier and less maneuverable than the Guard L1, making it less user-friendly.

What to look for in a vacuum for pet hair

Anti-tangle brush rolls: Whether dealing with clumps of fur or long strands of hair, the last thing you want is for the vacuum to clog or stop working because hair gets wrapped around the brushroll. Not to forget how gross it can be to have to cut hair out of the brushroll. Brands like Dyson and Shark have pioneered technology to combat hair wrap and direct it straight to the dustbin, where it belongs, with features such as detangling vanes, rubberized rollers, or dual brush rolls.

Sealed HEPA filtration: Pet fur carries dander, dust mites, and microscopic allergens. All vacuums will feature a filtration system, but the golden standard is HEPA, which stands for "High-Efficiency Particulate Air" and, as defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency, traps and removes at least 99.97% of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns. Know that models marketed as HEPA-style or HEPA-like, or anti-allergen, are not True HEPA, and may not have been put through the same standards as those labeled as HEPA. Most filters are washable, though some designs may require replacements.

Specialized pet attachments: Most vacuums come with a crevice tool and dusting brush, but when it comes to vacuums for pet hair, a pet tool or upholstery tool, which typically have a bristled or motorized design, is incredibly useful for cleaning sofas, pet beds, or other surfaces that need a close clean.It's also becoming common for brands to offer grooming tools alongside their vacuums, like Dyson's $90 pet grooming attachment, which includes a slicker brush that suctions away loose fur.

Dust bin and hands-free disposal: Pet hair takes up more volume in the bin than regular dust, requiring more frequent emptying. We prefer bins that are at least 0.2 gallons (0.75 liters). They also need to be easy to open and direct into the trash can, and don't require too much reaching up into the bin to cull out collected hair and dust. If you suffer from allergies, you may want to consider a bagged model or one with an auto-emptying base station to reduce how often you come into contact with debris.

Weight and maneuverability: The best vacuum for pet hair needs to be comfortable to hold for extended cleaning sessions and easy enough to push around your floors. If weight is a concern, consider size and opt for something lighter and smaller.Cordless stick vacuums are by default lighter than upright vacuums, which can offer stability but can be harder to carry between floors if your home has stairs. If you have multiple floors or stairs, target a cordless stick vacuum under 8 pounds (like the Shark PowerDetect). Traditional uprights and high-power pet vacuums weigh 15 to 18 pounds, which provides stability and deeper suction on plush carpet, but can be exhausting during multi-story cleaning sessions.

Battery Runtime (cordless): Ensure cordless models offer at least 40 minutes of runtime on standard modes. Keep in mind that running high-suction or turbo modes on thick pet carpets will drain most batteries in under 15 minutes.

Noise level: Some animals may be sensitive to the noise a vacuum emits. If you have a skittish animal in your household, a quiet vacuum will minimize disruptions.Standard vacuums run at 75–80+ decibels (dB), which can easily distress pets. If your pet is skittish, look for models operating at or below 70 dB—such as bagged canisters like theMiele Guard L1 Cat & Dog, which muffle noise.

How we tested vacuums for pet hair

We put all the best vacuums for pet hair through several tests that evaluate pickup performance and ease of use, including emptying and maintenance. Erica Puisis and James Brains contributed to testing insights.

Here's a breakdown of how much of each material the top picks cleaned up on each surface in our tests:

Floor cleaning: We poured different substances onto a patch of area rug, then onto the hardwood flooring, one at a time. We used 30 grams of baking soda, sugar (or coffee grounds), and rice (or cat litter); 15 grams of Cheerios; and a 1-gram mix of cat and dog fur of varying lengths. Then, we vacuumed up as much of each substance as possible in 30 seconds. We compared the dustbin's weight after vacuuming with its starting weight to determine how much of each material the vacuum collected. Previous iterations of testing entailed using flour instead of baking soda.

Battery (if applicable): We fully charged the vacuum and timed how long it could run on top power until the battery died. We also timed how long it took the battery to fully charge.

Ease of use: This is a somewhat subjective measure of experience. As I used each vacuum, we observed what made it difficult or easy to use. For example, the Dyson V15 Detect requires you to keep your finger on the trigger to keep the vacuum running and is heavy in the handheld configuration, making it harder to use. The cord got in the way with some of the corded vacuums we tested. The Miele lost points because of its suboptimal maneuverability.

Disposal: Aside from the Miele, which has a disposable vacuum bag, we emptied the dust bins of the vacuums at least a dozen times each and noted how messy the process was, and if we came into contact with the debris. Preference was given to vacuums that were easy to empty and didn't send dust flying outside the trash bin.

Meet the expert behind this guide

Jaclyn Turner, senior home editor: I've been testing the latest vacuum releases over the last five years, to the chagrin of my reactive cavapoo, who is sensitive to the noise. He doesn't shed that much, but I sure do, so I pay particular attention to how my hair wraps around the brushroll. The vacuums I use on repeat are the Shark Cordless Power Detect Clean and Empty and the Dyson V15 Detect.

Pet vacuum FAQs

What is the difference between a pet vacuum and a regular vacuum?

Many regular vacuums that aren't specifically marketed for pet hair work just fine for surface dirt, but dedicated pet vacuums are typically engineered with anti-tangle brush rolls that prevent hair from wrapping around the brush roll,sealed HEPA filtrationto lock in dander and airborne allergens, andmotorized pet toolsdesigned to pull deeply embedded fur from upholstery and carpets.

Should I get a corded or cordless vacuum for pet hair?

Today's cordless stick vacuum performance is on par with that of their corded upright counterparts. Corded vacuums offer unlimited runtime and consistent high suction power, making them ideal for heavy shedders and wall-to-wall carpet. Cordless stick vacuums offer quick grab-and-go convenience for daily shed control, but high-suction modes drain batteries quickly (usually 10 to 15 minutes at max power).

Are robot vacuums good for pet hair?

Robot vacs are a great way to pick up loose pet hair before it becomes embedded in carpets. Run them daily or every other day for the best results, helping capture shed hair and whatever dirt and debris our favorite furry friends track in. However, they don't work on stairs or elevated surfaces. With pets around, you'll also want to consider options with advanced obstacle detection for the errant toy or worse, accident, sprinkled about the house. Auto-empty stations also help automate the cleaning task, so you'll only need to clean out the collected debris, for one less thing to have to babysit-we mean, pet-sit.

What are the best attachments for pet hair?

Brushrolls on the main head of most vacuum cleaners loosen pet hair enough for the vac to suck it up. But for furniture, cat trees, and dog beds, look for attachments with mini-motorized brush rolls or bristles that loosen fur. Also consider one of the best pet hair removers for quickly lifting embedded hair from furniture, carpets, and even clothing.

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