For many households, pets are a limitless source of joy, comfort, and laughter. Unfortunately, they can also be limitless sources of hair, fur, and dander, which have a nasty tendency to get everywhere. Having a lightweight vacuum that can cover almost every part of a home is invaluable for owners of heavily shedding animals. The handheld vacuums best suited for dealing with pet hair should not only be easy to carry around but also have a variety of tools to tackle small, closed-off areas. A HEPA filter is also handy since it can trap allergens as you clean.
We've tested over 105 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best hand vacuums for pet hair to buy. We've chosen our recommendations not only for their pet performance on different types of surfaces but also for their feature set and price. For more buying recommendations, look at our lists for the best cordless vacuums for pet hair and the best vacuums for pet hair. Or, if you decide to swap the handheld vacuum for a hands-free one, check out our recommendations for 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.
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Best Handheld Vacuum For Pet Hair
Pets6.5Portability9.4Total Weight1.37 lbs (0.62 kg)Pet Hair Pickup6.0See all our test resultsPet Hair Furniture Performance7.0The best handheld vacuum for pet hair we've tested is the Shark WANDVAC. Right off the bat, it's worth noting that this vacuum sees the occasional price drop to around the price of our best mid-range pick below, so it's worth watching for a sale. This cordless handheld vacuum does a fantastic job of handling pet hair on hard surfaces like countertops and shelves, not to mention bare floors and carpets. While it doesn't come with a turbo brush tool for cleaning furniture, it has an upholstery tool that does a decent job of clearing away pet hair on upholstered couches and chairs.
The vacuum feels decently well-built, is lightweight, and has a user-friendly design that makes it easy to maintain. Though not HEPA-rated, its post-motor filter still does a good job of trapping fine allergens like pet dander. You can get third-party compatible HEPA filters if you want to further improve the vacuum's allergen-trapping performance. Like any bagless vacuum, you must be careful when emptying its dustbin, as shaking it out can release a cloud of fine grit and dust. Unfortunately (though unsurprisingly for its size), the dirt compartment is tiny and needs frequent emptying. Bulky debris can also clog the entry to its dirt compartment. Its battery life of a little over 10 minutes is also short, even for a handheld model, so it's best suited for quick clean-ups.
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Best Mid-Range Handheld Vacuum For Pet Hair
Pets7.4Portability8.9Total Weight2.78 lbs (1.26 kg)Pet Hair Pickup9.5See all our test resultsPet Hair Furniture Performance6.5If you want a handheld vacuum that costs a little less and can hold a relatively large amount of hair, the Black+Decker dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Pet is worth a look. This handheld vacuum feels less sturdy than the Shark WANDVAC, and its larger body is heavy and makes it more difficult to store when it's not in use. Still, its bigger dimensions come with a higher-capacity dustbin, so you won't have to empty it as frequently. It does a fantastic job of sucking up pet hair on bare surfaces and carpets, and performs quite well in clearing away hair on furniture. There's also a built-in crevice tool/extension wand to give you a bit of added reach when cleaning pet hair and other debris in awkward spaces. It can run for about 30 minutes in its default power mode, which is pretty long for a vacuum of this type.
Unfortunately, the battery isn't removable, so you can't just buy another battery and swap it in if the original battery loses its ability to hold a charge over time. This vacuum also does a terrible job of sealing in fine particles like pet dander, so it isn't the best option if you suffer from allergies.
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Best Budget Handheld Vacuum For Pet Hair
Pets7.0Portability9.5Total Weight1.23 lbs (0.56 kg)See all our test resultsPet Hair Furniture Performance6.0If you want to spend as little as possible on a handheld vacuum for cleaning up pet hair, look at the BISSELL AeroSlim/TurboSlim. It has a shorter battery life than the Black+Decker dustbuster AdvancedClean+ Pet and a less powerful suction motor, but it's a good choice if you're looking for a cheaper, smaller option for pet hair. It does a fantastic job of dealing with pet hair on rugs as well as bare surfaces like hardwood floors, shelves, and tables. Unlike the Black+Decker, there's no included miniature turbo brush for cleaning fabric surfaces; however, it has a crevice tool/extension wand to help you clean tight spots and a slip-on soft-bristle tool for cleaning surfaces that scratch easily.
This handheld vacuum is remarkably compact, taking up roughly the same amount of space as a bottle of wine, allowing you to store it in a large drawer or at the back of a cupboard or cabinet. Its simple design makes it easy to maintain, and despite its affordable price point, the dense plastic body feels reasonably solid. Unfortunately, and unsurprisingly, given its size, its small dustbin will need emptying after almost every cleaning session.
Recent Updates
Nov 19, 2025:
We removed the Dyson Humdinger and the Notable Mention Wyze Handheld Vacuum, both discontinued. We removed the Notable Mention Black+Decker 16V MAX dustbuster Cordless Hand Vacuum due to its poor performance on pet hair. We made other minor text changes.
Apr 17, 2025:
We've made minor updates to the text and checked that the products are in stock, but haven't made any changes to our recommendations.
Jan 09, 2025:
We've replaced the Wyze Handheld Vacuum with the Dyson Humdinger as our recommendation for the 'Best Handheld Pet Vacuum for Allergies,' as the Wyze is often out of stock, moving it to the Notable Mentions section instead. We also made small edits throughout for clarity.
Sep 30, 2024: We've verified that our recommendations are all in stock and represent the best choices available. We've also made edits for clarity.
Jun 20, 2024: Small text edits for clarity. No change in recommendations.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are currently the best handheld vacuums for dealing with pet hair to buy. 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 handheld vacuum reviews, ranked by their performance in picking up pet hair. 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.