Dyson V15 Detect
Style: Stick | Bin size: 0.2 gallons | Battery life: 60 minutes | Weight: 6.8 pounds | HEPA filter: Yes | Attachments included: 2 laser cleaner heads, hair screw tool, combination tool, stubborn dirt brush, docking station, crevice tool, mini soft dusting brush, wand clip, wand charger
Best for:
- Cord-free convenience for vacuuming at a single go
- Easily switching between a stick and handheld vacuum
- Dark corners where a laser light would be helpful
Skip if:
- You’re shopping on a budget
The Dyson V15 Detect was lightweight and easy to use, and the suction remained strong on every surface I tested it on. Better yet, it has performed just as effectively after a year of daily use. One of this cordless stick vacuum’s highlights is the anti-tangle and laser brush heads that make cleaning pet hair easier. The laser brush head illuminates microscopic dirt and debris—a feature I found to be particularly helpful when cleaning up my dog’s hair (which is a light tan) from my light-brown hardwood floors.
This laser brush head also projected a laser light at a specific angle to illuminate microscopic particles I didn’t know I was missing—the only vacuum I tested that had this feature. Additionally, the hair screw tool worked well on all surfaces for both natural hair and longer, artificial hair. During my testing, a lot of the vacuums struggled to pick up the longer hair (most got it stuck in their bristles); the V15 Detect’s cone-shaped screw tool, however, effortlessly sucked it up. Plus, nothing got stuck in the brush head, and the attachment was easy to click on and off with one hand.
The Dyson v15 Detect’s laser brush head illuminates even microscopic dirt and debris, so you easily see what you’re sucking up.
This vacuum proved to have some of the strongest suction power of all the models that I tested—particularly evident when it was able to pick up even the tiniest of particles. Unlike my normal vacuum, the Dyson V15 Detect was able to easily suck up tiny bits of glitter from my daughter’s Halloween costume from in between the floorboard cracks.
While other vacuums that I tested couldn’t handle the amount of hair I was sucking up, this one had no issue with both the natural and artificial hair, whether on hardwood floors, low-pile carpet or upholstered furniture; when it came to the latter, the V15 Detect performed particularly well when I used the standard brush head, the crevice tool and the upholstery attachment. And it didn’t hurt that the digital motorbar brush head had an anti-tangle comb that helped clear hair.
Its cordless functionality and under–7-pound weight make the V15 Detect the most convenient vacuum I tested. Plus, after initially charging it for four hours, the battery lasted for up to 60 minutes. (I was able to vacuum the entire downstairs of my house—about seven rooms and two long hallways—twice before I ran out of battery life.) Because of its long run time, cordless functionality and lightweight body, this is a vacuum I wouldn’t mind using daily. Bonus: The bin, which holds 0.2 gallons, was easy to empty and clean.
I also loved how this vacuum easily converted to a handheld machine simply by unplugging the arm and plugging attachments directly into the head; I could dust my crown moldings and vacuum my upholstered couch with the convenience of a handheld vacuum. (To learn more about my findings, check out my full Dyson V15 Detect review.)
Best Value Vacuum For Pet Hair
Corded, But With A Portable Option
Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352
Style: Upright | Bin size: 0.25 gallons | Battery life: Corded | Weight: 12.5 pounds | HEPA filter: Yes | Attachments included: Upholstery tool, crevice tool
Best for:
- Vacuuming under furniture
- Carrying to different rooms
- Vacuuming stairs
Skip if:
- You’re looking for a cord-free option
While many of the vacuums I tested come with a high price tag, the Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away Upright Vacuum is surprisingly affordable. This corded upright vacuum, which comes with two attachments, is specifically designed to suck up pet hair from carpet, wood floors and furniture. Throughout my testing, it proved to be efficient, functional and strong—in fact, it was the strongest and most efficient vacuum of all the affordable models I tested.
The body and bin of the Shark NV352 vacuum conveniently lift away from the base; this pod transforms the larger vacuum into a portable one, taking the cord and accessory arm with it. I found this feature to be particularly useful when vacuuming my stairs—my dog’s hair always accumulates in the corners of the stairs and around the spindles of my banister, and being able to lift and tote the vacuum with me while the base stays in place was very convenient.
When the body of the vacuum clicks into the base, it swivels from side to side—while the head of the vacuum stays flat on the floor—so you can effortlessly vacuum underneath furniture. Plus, for a corded vacuum, it’s lightweight and easy to push and carry around. I found the vacuum to have strong suction on all surfaces, and it efficiently picked up various types of hair without any of it getting tangled in the brush head.
Eddie, my German Shepherd and Hound mix stands with the Shark NV352 Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum that’s specifically designed to vacuum pet hair from carpet, wood floors and furniture.
This vacuum has a large bin size, which means you don’t have to empty it as frequently. Both the crevice tool and the upholstery tool worked perfectly well on all surfaces; I found the latter to be particularly good at cleaning out pet hair stuck in the stitching on my couch. Although I loved how efficiently each attachment worked, I felt that the extendable, accordion-style attachment arm could have been longer (it measures between 20 to 42 inches). Given my height, I found myself hunching over a lot while using the accessory arm, which eventually put a strain on my back.
Shark offers a five-year limited warranty for this vacuum, though it must be purchased through an authorized retailer—like Amazon or Target—in order to qualify for it. (To learn more about why I think it’s the best value vacuum for pet hair, check out my full Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 review.)
Best Vacuum For Pet Hair On Hardwood Floors
Allergen-Sealed, With A Padded Hardwood Attachment
Kenmore Pet Friendly Pop-N-Go Bagged Canister Vacuum
Style: Canister | Bin size: 0.3 gallons | Battery life: Corded | Weight: 22.6 pounds | HEPA filter: Yes | Attachments included: Dusting brush, Pet PowerMate attachment, long crevice tool, bare floor brush
Best for:
- Efficiently vacuuming large surfaces
- Homes with a lot of hardwood flooring
- Those with pet allergies
Skip if:
- You will be carrying it up and down many flights of stairs
Though the Kenmore Pet Friendly Pop-N-Go Bagged Canister Vacuum is a corded model, all of the attachments are stored within the body of the vacuum, with the cord easily retracting for simple storage. Its wide, sturdy wheels make it easy to tote around, and the extendable arm let me reach under furniture and deep into corners without hunching over. I appreciated that the vacuum has four height options to help make the cleaning experience more comfortable.
The Kenmore BC4026 Pet Friendly Pop-N-Go Bagged Canister Vacuum has vacuum has a manual adjust option to increase and decrease suction as needed, a particularly useful feature when you want to increase suction to specifically target that one spot when needed.
I also found that I didn’t have to make as many passes over my carpet with this vacuum because its standard brush head is larger than most—it measures almost 15 inches wide, compared with the Shark Navigator Lift-Away’s 11 inches and the Dyson v15 Detect’s 9.8 inches. The suction is strong (and manually adjustable to increase or decrease) and performed well on all surfaces. This was particularly useful when tackling smaller spots around my home, like the piece of carpet right in front of the back door that’s always covered in dog hair (it’s where my dog normally lies).
I loved that this vacuum has a designated hardwood mode for vacuuming bare floors, which I found incredibly efficient for picking up both natural and artificial dog hair. The hard floor attachment is flat and stays flush against the ground to more easily clean up hairs; it’s also cushioned to help prevent scratching and gave my floors a buffed, shiny look.
The other attachments worked exceptionally well, too. The specially designed pet hair attachment is a smaller, motorized brush roll made to resist tangling and clogging. While I noticed that artificial dog hair got a bit tangled in the standard brush head, the pet hair attachment sucked the same hair up with no issue and also got difficult hair out of my upholstered furniture. Meanwhile, the dusting brush helped me get tricky dust and dog hair out of the crevices in my crown molding.
Unlike many bagged vacuums, the brand claims this one is allergen sealed, which means the air path is completely sealed so it won’t erupt in a puff of dust when you need to change the bag. “An anti-allergen seal is helpful for those with allergies to pets because it can remove the dander that can make allergy sufferers miserable,” says Julie Burgess, a veterinary technician and certified dog trainer at Senior Tail Waggers. Plus, the Kenmore Pet Friendly Pop-N-Go is equipped with a HEPA filtration system to help keep the air allergen free. Although it comes with a bag, additional HEPA bags can be purchased online as well.
Best Robot Vacuum For Pet Hair
Intelligent And Efficient Hands-Free Cleaning
iRobot Roomba j7+
Style: Robot | Bin size: 0.1 gallons | Battery life: Up to 60 minutes | Weight: 7.5 pounds | HEPA filter: No | Attachments included: None
Best for:
- Hands-free daily maintenance cleaning
- Large, open surfaces
- Intelligently identifying pet messes and avoiding them
Skip if:
- You want to target specific messes
- Your home has multiple stories
“The vacuums my clients seem to like the most are robotic vacuums, especially if they have multiple pets, because the vacuum keeps up with the fur every day,” explains Dr. Nicole Savageau, a veterinarian with The Vets, an mobile pet care service based in Austin, Texas. After testing the Roomba j7+, I could see what she meant: It was by far the most intelligent and efficient of the robot vacuums I tested. (And I’m not alone—it’s worth mentioning that our home editors awarded it the best robot vacuum for pet hair overall and the best Roomba for pet owners.)
Once I charged the vacuum and downloaded the corresponding app, I started by thoroughly testing its home-mapping functionality. The robot worked its way through the downstairs of my home, getting to know the space and developing a map. From there, I created specific cleaning projects (e.g., “clean the dining room” and “clean the playroom”) on my smartphone. The vacuum effectively found the rooms I remotely told it to clean and proceeded to vacuum them efficiently. It sucked up natural and artificial dog hair on both carpet and hardwood without any issue. I didn’t notice any tangling in the brush head, and it had the battery life to clean the entire downstairs of my home without needing to charge or empty the bin.
The iRobot Roomba j7+ has the ability to spot and avoid obstacles, which is particularly useful in homes with dog toys or bed.
Unlike some other robot vacuums, this model also has the ability to spot and avoid obstacles. I found this particularly useful in my home, because it meant I didn’t have to pick up any cords or my dog’s toys or bed—the vacuum spotted each obstacle and vacuumed around it with no problem. Additionally, it was able to self-empty the contents of the bin after each cleaning cycle. Once it returned to its charging port, the vacuum automatically emptied debris into an enclosed bag (this should be switched out every 60 days). In my opinion, this is a fantastic feature for busy households looking for a hands-off way to clean their home every day.
Keep in mind that because this is a robot vacuum, it doesn’t come with any attachments and it can’t climb up stairs or vacuum on top of furniture. The suction also isn’t as strong as some of the other vacuums I tested, so this vacuum is better for daily maintenance rather than deep cleaning.
Best Vacuum For Pet Hair On Furniture
Removes Stubborn Hairs On Upholstery
Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand Vacuum
Style: Handheld | Bin size: 0.2 gallons | Battery life: 17 minutes | Weight: 3 pounds | HEPA filter: No | Attachments included: Motorized brush tool, crevice tool, upholstery tool
Best for:
- Small carpets or rugs and upholstered furniture
- Vacuuming small messes quickly
Skip if:
- You want a vacuum with a long runtime
Of all the vacuums I tested, this one was the best at tackling pet hair on various furniture types. This proved indispensable in my home, where I have velvet couches, upholstered pieces with intricate stitching and a sherpa-like chair. These pieces are often covered in my dog’s hair; while standard stick vacuums often struggle to remove it effectively, this smaller vacuum shines, thanks to its powerful suction and anti-tangle brush head.
The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser’s accuracy, light weight and effortlessly maneuverable cordless body made it my go-to vacuum for times when my dog moves from one piece of furniture to the next. I found the vacuum’s large dustbin easy to empty. Plus, the included attachments, particularly the crevice tool, made cleaning up after pets even easier.
While this vacuum excels on upholstery, it’s not as effective on surfaces like wood or tile floors. It eventually does pick up debris, but requires more passes compared with a standard stick vacuum. Plus, I found that I had to wipe the vacuum between uses to help make my cleaning more thorough. Despite these limitations, its superior performance on upholstered furniture makes it a valuable tool for pet owners.
Best Cordless Vacuum For Pet Hair
Lightweight And Wall-Mountable
Dyson Cyclone V10 Animal
Style: Stick | Bin Size: 0.2 gallons | Battery life: Up to 60 minutes | Weight: 5.7 pounds | HEPA filter: Yes | Attachments included: Motorbar cleaner head, docking station, combination tool, crevice tool, mini soft dusting brush, hair screw tool, charger
Best for:
- Multi-story homes
- Vacuuming different types of surfaces
- Vacuuming multiple rooms on a single charge
Skip if:
- You’re shopping on a budget
The Dyson Animal V10 exceeded all my expectations during testing. It’s powerful, convenient, portable and versatile. With a dog and toddler at home, my floors are constantly littered with crushed snacks and dog hair, and this vacuum’s lightweight design makes it incredibly easy to grab multiple times a day.
For starters, its 180-degree rotating brush head allowed me to more easily reach every nook and cranny. It adeptly picked up dog hair trapped between floorboards, and its slim profile let me vacuum under low-lying furniture such as my bedroom dresser and my daughter’s toy shelf. Its cordless design also allowed me to navigate throughout my entire house without interruption.
I found the Dyson Cyclone V10 to be the ideal choice for daily use among all the vacuums I tested due to its lightweight build and minimal footprint (which also made it easy to store). Additionally, the vacuum’s wall-mountable design ensures it’s always charged and ready for use. (I mount mine behind a hallway door, where it remains sleekly concealed from view.) Each attachment worked seamlessly, and the vacuum’s design made attachment and detachment simple whenever they were needed.
Other Products I Tested
I tested three other vacuums designed for pet hair that didn’t make my final list, but they did excel in certain areas that may make them worth a second look:
Shark HV322 Rocket Deluxe Pro: This is an efficient corded stick vacuum that’s lightweight and convenient to use. Overall, the suction isn’t as strong as some of the other models (specifically, the Dyson V15 Detect and the Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352), and the cord means it’s not as portable as some of the others. It’s a basic stick vacuum that can help clean up after pets, but overall, I found that it lacked the strength and functionality of other models.
Bissell Icon Pet Turbo Edge: I like how lightweight, convenient and portable this product is, but I noticed that the suction isn’t as strong as the other stick vacuums I tested it against. While it has convenient and functional attachments that are easy to use, the suction just wasn’t as powerful as the Dyson V15 Detect—my top choice when it comes to stick vacuums.
Dyson Ball Animal 2 Upright: This machine was by far the most powerful of all I tested. However, I felt that this product was a bit too large, heavy and cumbersome, especially compared with the other upright vacuum I tested (the Shark Navigator Lift-Away, which rings up at just over 12 pounds). I was exhausted after vacuuming just one room; I just didn’t find it as portable or convenient as the Shark.
How I Tested The Best Vacuums For Pet Hair
I selected eight of the leading vacuums for pet hair—including stick, canister, handheld and robot vacuums—to test in my two-story, 2,500 square foot home. (I share this home with a German Shepherd mix and a 16-month-old toddler.) I used both natural dog hair (straight, coarse and tan-colored) and artificial rayon fibers that mimic the texture and appearance of dogs with softer hair, like poodles. I tested each vacuum using the following testing rubric:
- I assessed how comfortable it was to tote each vacuum around, taking its dimensions and cord length (if it had one) into account.
- I carried each vacuum up and down my staircase twice to evaluate how manageable its weight was and how comfortable it was to grip.
- I considered the height of the vacuum and the length of its extendable arm (if any). I’m 5-f00t-10, so an extendable arm means I wouldn’t have to hunch over as much when vacuuming under furniture or in hard-to-reach places.
I ran each vacuum over my hardwood floor, shag carpet, low-pile carpet and upholstered furniture, assessing the following:
- I listened for stops or sputters.
- I checked if the vacuum was strong enough to suck up dirt from the cracks in my hardwood floors.
- I observed how well it sucked up both natural dog hair and the rayon fibers to that I had scattered around the different surfaces of my home.
- For the standard stick or canister vacuums, I tested each included attachment and recorded its performance.
- For the robot vacuums, I tested each vacuum along with the accompanying app to determine how easy or complicated they are to use.
- I tested each vacuum’s anti-tangle brush head, long bristles and/or any other convenient attachments for dealing with pet hair.
- For the vacuums that included special features (like the Dyson V15 Detect’s Laser Detect brush head), I tested each to determine how they impacted the machine’s overall performance.
- I continued to test the special features of the top five best-performing vacuums throughout my home over the course of a year.
In addition to assessing the comfort and portability of each vacuum, I also put them to the test vacuuming both natural dog hair and artificial rayon fibers.
- If a vacuum was corded, I considered how long the cord was and how easily it recoiled so that it could be put away for storage.
- If a vacuum was cordless, I considered how long it took to charge and how many minutes of run time were possible between each charge.
- I considered how intuitive and comfortable each machine was to use, as well as how easy the bin or bag was to empty.
How To Pick A Vacuum For Pet Hair
I spoke with several pet and home cleaning experts to determine the most important characteristics to consider when shopping for a vacuum for pet hair:
Michael Silva-Nash, executive vice president of cleaning company Molly Maid of Greater Little Rock, tells me that when shopping for a good vacuum for pet hair, “opt for one with a furniture attachment, since this is where the pet hair collects most often.” He adds, “If you are dealing with a lot of pet hair, it’s important to look for a model with heavy-duty brushes designed to pick up hair and dander from carpets, furniture and hard-to-reach spots.”
Furniture attachments typically have long bristles meant for getting hair out of upholstery. Other vacuums also come with a narrow crevice tool that can get pet hair out of cracks in molding or underneath furniture. The type of hair or fur you’re dealing with—whether its short cat hair that gets embedded in upholstery or coarse canine hair that creates “dust bunnies”—should also inform what type of attachments you prioritize.
Just like with regular vacuums, you can opt for a handheld, stick, bagged canister or robot vacuum specifically designed for pet hair. For a hands-off way to achieve daily household maintenance, a robot vacuum like iRobot’s Roomba J7+ will be your best bet. If you have a dog or cat who loves lounging on all your furniture, a handheld pet hair vacuum like the maneuverable Bissell Pet Hair Eraser would work nicely. If you’re looking for a portable machine you can take up and down the stairs, seek out a cordless stick vacuum like the under–7-pound Dyson V15 Detect.
“The style of vacuum you choose really depends on the type of flooring you have in your home and the areas you’re trying to reach. An upright does best on carpets, a handheld does great on furniture, and canister vacuums are best for tile and wood floors,” says Silva-Nash. Determining how you plan to use it and how often will help you narrow down the options.
The vacuum should be strong enough to suck up all kinds of pet hair and fur: long, short, curly or straight. Pet hair is notorious for embedding into upholstered furniture and carpeting, so the vacuum should ideally be strong enough to suck hair up on the first pass.
“It’s very easy for dirt and hair to wind up between couch cushions making it more challenging to keep your space tidy. Powerful suction can remove embedded dirt and dander from carpets and furniture, which can help keep your home cleaner,” explains Burgess.
Consider where and when you plan to use your new vacuum. If you live in a multi-story home with sets of stairs, you’ll want to select a vacuum that’s easy to carry, like Dyson’s Cyclone V10 Animal. If you plan to vacuum the tops of furniture, under beds or high up on curtains, you’ll also want a vacuum that’s lightweight with an extendable arm that can access hard-to-reach places (see Kenmore’s Pet Friendly Pop-N-Go vacuum). If portability is particularly important to you, consider cordless vacuums; you can charge the vacuum while not in use, then carry it around your house without it being tethered to a wall.
If you’re prone to pet allergies, opting for a vacuum equipped with a HEPA filter can be highly beneficial. HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are exceptionally efficient at capturing microscopic dust, dirt and dander. They move air through a fine mesh filter, effectively capturing and removing minuscule particles of dander that can exacerbate allergy symptoms.
My Expertise
As a full-time product reviewer in the home, kitchen and parenting space, I’m always looking for products that help readers run a more efficient, comfortable and clean home. Over the past five years, I’ve tested hundreds of home and cooking tools including air fryers and robot vacuums for Forbes Vetted, and many more for publications including Food Network, Food & Wine and Taste of Home.
In addition to my professional and personal experience, I also consulted a few animal experts for this piece:
What Is The Best Vacuum For Pet Hair?
Based on our rigorous testing process, the Dyson V15 Detect vacuum stood out as the best for trapping pet hair on a variety of different surfaces, including carpet and hardwood floors. Plus, the cordless vacuum has supremely strong suction, an anti-tangle brush and a laser light that lets you spot and detect even the most dug-in, camouflaged hairs. As an added bonus, it’s easy to clean the vacuums and empty the bin once you’re done vacuuming.
Do I Need A Special Vacuum For Pet Hair?
Although many vacuums are capable of the task, having a vacuum that’s specifically designed to clean up pet hair can be helpful. Vacuums for pet hair often have special features—like an anti-tangle brush head, HEPA filter or laser light—that help target and remove pet hair, debris and dander from your home. Many vacuums for pet hair also come with attachments designed to clean fur from heavily trafficked areas where pets shed the most, like upholstered furniture. Although it’s not completely essential to have a dedicated vacuum for pet hair, these features certainly make cleaning up after pets much more efficient.
