Hair can be somewhat challenging for some vacuums. Long strands of hair can get caught in brushrolls or clog various components, compromising overall suction performance. Vacuums that are well-suited to deal with this kind of debris should excel in cleaning pet hair while also having removable brushrolls for easy cleaning of hair wraps or vacuum heads with some anti-tangling function.
We've tested over 105 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best vacuums for long hair. These recommendations are based on their hair cleaning performance on different types of surfaces, their design, and their price. If you're looking for alternatives, look at our list of the best vacuums for pet hair, the best cordless vacuums for pet hair, and the best handheld vacuums for pet hair. If you prefer a more hands-off approach, 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 Vacuum For Long Hair
Pets7.9Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldBuild Quality6.5User Maintenance7.0Recurring Cost10Portability8.0See all our test resultsPet Hair Furniture Performance8.0The best vacuum for long hair we've tested is the Dyson V15 Detect. This cordless stick vacuum comes with separate floorheads for bare floors and carpets, each of which has removable brushrolls for easier cleaning, as well as built-in anti-tangle combs that can help trap any pet hair. The V15 has no trouble dealing with hair strands on floors and carpeting, while its surface detection system allows it to automatically increase its suction power on carpeted surfaces. It also features an onboard particle sensor, which allows you to estimate allergen quantities within your home.
Unfortunately, this vacuum's all-plastic construction feels flimsy in places, which is a real disappointment for something this expensive. Consider the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra if you're looking for a more durable cordless stick vacuum. The Samsung also comes with a stand-up charging rack/base station that sucks debris from the vacuum's dustbin into an internal dirtbag, so there's no release of dust and debris when emptying the vacuum. That said, compared to the Dyson model's single roller floorhead, the Samsung vacuum's dual-brushroll head is bulky and tangle-prone; the Samsung is also more expensive.
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Best Mid-Range Vacuum For Long Hair
Pets7.5Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldBuild Quality6.5User Maintenance7.0Recurring Cost10Portability8.2See all our test resultsPet Hair Furniture Performance7.5The best vacuum cleaner for long hair we've tested in the mid-range price bracket is the Dyson V8. This cordless stick vacuum doesn't have the automatic power adjustment feature found on the Dyson V15 Detect or an onboard particle sensor. Still, it's much cheaper and just as effective when handling hair on various surface types. Its brushroll is easy to remove and clean, and not much hair gets trapped in its floorhead thanks to its built-in hair-trapping vanes.
The vacuum's multi-stage filtration system also does a great job of sealing fine allergens like dust or pet dander, though you will still have to be careful when emptying out its dustbin, which can make a mess. Unfortunately, battery performance lags far behind that of the newer V15. Its suction motor isn't nearly as powerful, and it'll have a harder time dealing with embedded debris, though it's still far from terrible in this regard.
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Best Budget Vacuum For Long Hair
Pets6.3Vacuum TypeStick/HandheldBuild Quality6.5User Maintenance7.5Recurring Cost8.0Portability8.5See all our test resultsPet Hair Furniture Performance6.0Consider the Wyze Cordless Vacuum S if you're after one of the best vacuums for hair at a budget price point that we've tested. It isn't nearly as effective at dealing with pet hair on carpets as the Dyson V8, and its floorhead lacks built-in anti-tangle vanes. That said, it's also much cheaper and still quite easy to maintain, especially when it comes to clearing out hair wraps. The included HEPA filter is effective in trapping allergens, a rare inclusion for a vacuum at this price point. Its max battery life of a little under 45 minutes isn't necessarily class-leading, but it still compares favorably to many other pricier models and is better than most other budget-friendly cordless stick vacuums. Unfortunately, its selection of attachments is pretty limited, as it only comes bundled with a crevice tool.
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Best Upright Vacuum For Long Hair
Pets8.3Vacuum TypeUprightBuild Quality6.5User Maintenance7.5Recurring Cost10Portability6.7See all our test resultsPet Hair Furniture Performance9.0The Dyson Ball Animal 3 is the best vacuum for hair if you prefer using an upright. You don't have the grab-and-go convenience of a cordless model like the Dyson V8 or the go-anywhere range, but it's a much better option for long cleaning sessions that require a lot of power. Its floorhead features a set of built-in plastic vanes that are highly effective in capturing hair before it can get tangled around the brushroll and jam the mechanism. The Extra variant, which sits at the top of the model lineup, even comes with a dedicated pet grooming tool for heavily shedding pets, not to mention a miniature turbo brush for cleaning couches and chairs.
As a bagless vacuum, emptying out this vacuum's dustbin can release a cloud of dust and debris. If you prioritize the more hygienic means of debris disposal that come with a bagged vacuum, check out the SEBO FELIX. While its ET-1 powerhead doesn't have a set of anti-tangle vanes, it's still remarkably easy to take apart and clean as needed.
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Best Canister Vacuum For Long Hair
Pets7.9Vacuum TypeCanisterBuild Quality8.5User Maintenance9.5Recurring Cost6.0Portability7.0See all our test resultsPet Hair Furniture Performance8.0If you want to go corded but prefer the more maneuverability of a canister design over an upright vacuum, the SEBO Airbelt D4 Premium is a great choice. Its ET-1 powerhead not only provides superb pet hair pickup performance on carpeted surfaces, but it's also remarkably easy to clean, with an easily accessible brushroll that makes it a cinch to unwind any tangled hair. As a whole, the vacuum feels incredibly robust, with a canister body made of high-grade plastic surrounded by a fabric-lined cushion so that it won't mark up your walls if you bump into them. It's also very easy to maintain, with large, easily removable dirtbags and filters that can last for years before you replace them. It's a good option if you're sensitive to allergens, with a multi-stage S-Class filtration system that does a good job of locking in allergens.
On the downside, while this vacuum is very powerful, its standard multi-surface floorhead can struggle with large amounts of bulky debris; you'll need to lift the head and let the vacuum's powerful motor do the work in this kind of situation. There's also no getting around the fact that this is a bulky, heavy machine. Finally, it can be hard to find from major retailers; thankfully, you can find it directly on SEBO's website.
Notable Mentions
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Miele Duoflex HX1:
The Miele Duoflex HX1 is a premium cordless vacuum that delivers good hair-pickup performance and has an easily removable brushroll. Its long hair pickup performance is worse than the Dyson V15 Detect, though.
See our review - Dyson Gen5detect: The Dyson Gen5detect/Gen5detect Absolute is effectively a replacement for the Dyson V15 Detect, with a slightly more potent suction motor and a built-in crevice tool. It's great for dealing with long hair, but it isn't any more effective than the V15 in this regard, and it does little to justify its much higher price. See our review
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Shark Stratos Upright AZ3002:
The Shark Stratos Upright is Shark's flagship corded upright vacuum. It performs well cleaning up long hair, and its brushroll is self-cleaning, resisting hair tangles. However, it doesn't perform quite as well as the Dyson Ball Animal 3 in picking up long hair, and its brushroll isn't removable.
See our review -
Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog:
The Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog is a good alternative to the SEBO Airbelt D4 if you're looking for something a little smaller and lighter that offers comparable overall performance. That said, its powerhead's brushroll is a little less accessible for maintenance tasks than the one in the SEBO's ET-1 head.
See our review
Recent Updates
Nov 19, 2025:
We changed a reference from the discontinued Samsung Bespoke Jet to the Samsung Bespoke AI Jet Ultra. We've updated the Notable Mentions, replacing the Miele Triflex HX1 with the better-performing Miele Duoflex HX1.
Jul 14, 2025:
We changed the discontinued Wyze Cordless Vacuum to the Wyze Cordless Vacuum S. We swapped the Notable Mention Miele HX2 Cat & Dog with the better-performing Miele HX1. We also changed the Notable Mention BISSELL CleanView/CleanView Swivel Pet Rewind to the Shark Stratos Upright since it's much more comparable to the Dyson Ball Animal 3.
Feb 17, 2025:
Added the Wyze Cordless Vacuum S to the Notable Mentions. Added the SEBO Felix as an alternative to the Dyson Ball Animal 3.
Nov 19, 2024:
We've removed the Samsung Jet 90 from the Notable Mentions since we provide a better alternative in the product category itself, and made edits throughout for clarity.
Aug 22, 2024: Replaced the Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog PowerLine with the SEBO Airbelt D4 as the 'Best Canister Vacuum For Long Hair' and replaced the Samsung Jet 75 Pet with the Dyson V8 as the 'Best Mid-Range Vacuum For Long Hair' due to the new performance data obtained from Test Bench 1.3. Removed the 'Best Upper Mid-Range Vacuum For Long Hair' category. Added the Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog to the Notable Mentions.
All Reviews
Our recommendations are based on what we think are currently the best vacuums for dealing with long 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 vacuum reviews ranked by their pet hair cleaning performance. 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.