There are many reasons to love pets, but shedding isn't one of them! Pet fur has a bad habit of getting everywhere, so a portable vacuum that allows you to cover every square inch of your home, not to mention the inside of your car, is an invaluable asset to your cleaning arsenal. Thankfully, there's no shortage of cordless vacuum cleaners on the market that do an outstanding job of dealing with hair on different surfaces.
We've tested over 105 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best cordless vacuums for pet hair. These recommendations are based not only on their pet hair cleaning performance on different surface types but also on their feature set and price. For more buying recommendations, look at our list of the best cordless vacuums, the best vacuums for pet hair, the best vacuums for long hair, and the best robot vacuums for pet hair.
Quick Look
We've independently bought and tested over 105 vacuums with no cherry-picked manufacturer samples. We run each vacuum through a gauntlet of tests whose results are validated by multiple teams to ensure you get an accurate picture of how each model will perform and can easily compare them. We keep the products in our lab so we can periodically go back and see how they stack up to the newest competition.
Want to learn more about our testing and review pipeline? Check out our How We Test Vacuums article for insight into our lab and writing processes.
-
Best Cordless Vacuum For Pet Hair
Pets7.9Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesBare Floor7.8Low-Pile Carpet7.8See all our test resultsHigh-Pile Carpet8.0The best cordless vacuum for pet hair we've tested is the Dyson V15 Detect. This high-end stick vacuum isn't the newest model on the market, but it remains a compelling option due to its blend of performance and portability. It does a fantastic job of handling pet hair on bare floors and low- and high-pile carpets. It comes with two floorheads: one features a bristled multi-surface roller with built-in vanes to trap pet hair, and the other has a soft nylon roller. Additionally, it includes a laser light to help you see fine strands of hair or small debris on hard floors. There are a few other handy attachments, like a miniature turbo brush and a combo upholstery tool/soft bristle brush, which are effective for tackling pet hair on cloth couches or chairs. It also features a built-in particle sensor that allows you to monitor allergen levels inside your home.
On the downside, battery life is just alright, and it takes quite a while to recharge. This unit doesn't feel very sturdy, either, which is especially disappointing for a vacuum at this price point. Consider the Miele Duoflex HX1 if you're looking for a more solid-feeling vacuum that still offers great overall pet hair pickup performance. That said, you'll also need to put up with a smaller dustbin and weaker overall suction.
-
Best Upper Mid-Range Cordless Vacuum For Pet Hair
Pets7.8Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesBare Floor7.6Low-Pile Carpet7.9See all our test resultsHigh-Pile Carpet7.6If you want similar performance but don't mind sacrificing quality-of-life features to save a bit of money, consider the Dyson V11. Like the Dyson V15 Detect, it provides excellent pet hair pickup and offers nearly as good performance across a variety of surface types. Its brushroll also contains anti-tangle vanes, which are pretty effective at catching longer strands of pet hair. While it doesn't include as many attachments as the V15, it does come with a miniature turbo brush and upholstery brush, making it easy to keep your fabric couch free of pet hair. It also features the same automatic power adjustment, but it lacks the pricier model's particle sensor and laser light, which are nice extras but don't affect performance.
Again, like the V15, this model doesn't have a great build quality, but while the plasticky feeling is still disappointing, it's slightly easier to accept at this price point. Its battery life is similarly underwhelming, so you'll have to work fast when dealing with stubborn messes.
-
Best Mid-Range Cordless Vacuum For Pet Hair
Pets7.5Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesBare Floor7.2Low-Pile Carpet7.4See all our test resultsHigh-Pile Carpet7.6For those seeking to strike a balance between budget and performance, the Dyson V8 is a great choice. It can't quite compete with our top models when it comes to pet hair pickup, but its performance is still excellent in this regard, and you'll still find a couple of quality-of-life features, such as the brushroll's anti-tangle technology. It struggles a little more on bare floors and low-pile carpets, but still offers reasonable pickup performance on most surfaces. Of course, there are a few additional compromises at this price point. This model lacks the particle sensor and laser light of the Dyson V15 Detect, as well as the automatic power adjustment feature of the Dyson V11, making it less convenient to use.
It shares the same plasticky build quality as the pricier Dysons, and its maximum battery life is shorter, topping out at 40 minutes, but if you're looking for a way to stay on top of pet hair without spending a small fortune, the V8 is still a great choice.
-
Best Budget Cordless Vacuum For Pet Hair
Pets6.3Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldAnti-Allergy Filter (HEPA)YesBare Floor6.9Low-Pile Carpet7.3See all our test resultsHigh-Pile Carpet6.6The best cordless stick vacuum for pet hair at a budget-friendly price that we've tested is the Wyze Cordless Vacuum S. This replaces our previous budget recommendation, the Wyze Cordless Vacuum, which is now discontinued. Right off the bat, the Wyze S has the least powerful suction of our picks, so a second pass will likely be needed to get everything. Nevertheless, it does a decent job of handling pet hair on hard-to-clean surfaces, such as low-pile carpets. Although long hair can also get tangled around its bristled brushroll, the roll is fully removable, allowing you to clean it with minimal effort.
Another standout feature of this vacuum is its battery life, which is better than that of the Dyson V8. Unfortunately, it only comes with a crevice tool, which is too small to be practical for cleaning things like couch cushions. A turbo brush or motorized tool would help clean pet hair from furniture, but none are available for this vacuum.
Notable Mentions
-
Dyson Gen5detect:
The Dyson Gen5detect/Gen5detect Absolute is a newer model from the manufacturer.
While it does have a few minor quality-of-life upgrades compared to the Dyson V15 Detect, overall performance is virtually neck and neck, and the small upgrades don't justify the substantial price premium.
See our review - Dyson Gen5outsize: The Dyson Gen5outsize/Gen5outsize Absolute is an enlarged, pricier version of the Dyson Gen5detect/Gen5detect Absolute with similar strengths and weaknesses. It does a fantastic job of handling pet hair. Still, it's also hugely expensive compared to the Dyson V15 Detect, which offers similarly strong performance. Its bulkier form factor also makes it more of a hassle to maneuver. See our review
- Miele Triflex HX2 Pro/Cat & Dog: The Miele Triflex HX2 Pro/Cat & Dog is a high-end cordless stick vacuum that does an excellent job of handling pet hair and feels well-built. However, it has a smaller dustbin and a more limited set of attachments than the Dyson V15 Detect. See our review
-
Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra:
The Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra is a good alternative to the Dyson V15 Detect. It's not as effective at picking up pet hair, but it still does an impressive job. Additionally, it comes with a docking station that automatically empties the dustbin, which is a huge plus if you have allergies. Unfortunately, it's more expensive than the V15, and its floorhead struggles more with debris pickup.
See our review -
Shark IZ662H:
The Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight IZ662H is a good alternative to the Dyson V8, and it does a good job of removing pet hair. It's lighter, easier to maneuver, and has a larger dirt compartment. However, it doesn't come with as many tools as the Dyson and doesn't perform as well on high-pile carpet.
See our review
Recent Updates
Nov 13, 2025:
We replaced the LG CordZero A9 [A916, A916BM] with the Dyson V11 and the Samsung Jet 60 with the Dyson V8, since the Dyson models offer better performance for pet hair. We also made small edits for clarity.
May 02, 2025:
We've reviewed our picks to make sure they're available and still represent the best options for most people, and made small updates to the text for readability.
Mar 19, 2025:
Due to availability, we replaced the discontinued Wyze Cordless Vacuum with the Wyze Cordless Vacuum S. We also replaced the Shark Stratos Cordless Notable Mention with the Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight. We made some minor text changes.
Jan 30, 2025:
Ensured all main picks are still available and represent the best fit for user needs.
Dec 03, 2024:
Removed less relevant Notable Mentions picks. Added the Miele Duoflex HX1 to the Notable Mentions. Minor in-text adjustments to ensure all main picks are still available and represent the best choice for user needs.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are currently the options for most people. We factor in a fairly wide range of factors, including availability, price, and reader feedback.
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our cordless vacuum reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no vacuum is perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.