The 7 Best Vacuums For Pet Hair - Spring 2021 Reviews

The Shark Rocket Pet Pro with MultiFlex IZ163H is the best vacuum for pet hair on bare floors that we've tested. This cordless stick/handheld model delivers an incredible performance on bare surfaces, where it easily clears pet hair as well as debris. It's equipped with a HEPA filter, which is great if you're concerned about allergens.

The brushroll can't be removed, but it's self-cleaning, so it should take care of hair tangles on its own as you clean. The vacuum can be switched into a handheld mode if you want to vacuum out-of-reach areas like your car, stairs, or even your pet's bed. It comes with some tools and brushes, including an upholstery tool for cleaning fabric-covered furniture, and it's very maneuverable, thanks to its slim design and rotating head.

Unfortunately, it doesn't have the best battery performance since it only provides roughly 10 minutes of continuous cleaning time if you use the most powerful suction setting. Luckily, that stretches to more than 40 minutes if you use it in its handheld configuration. Otherwise, it's one of the best cordless stick vacuums that we've tested and a great choice for cleaning up pet hair on surfaces like linoleum and hardwood.

The Dyson Ball Animal 2 is the best vacuum for pet hair on carpet that we've tested. This upright model has a distinctive design, with one big ball-like wheel that helps it maneuver in tight spots. It delivers a fantastic performance on low and high-pile carpets, where it clears pet hair very effectively.

The head automatically adjusts itself to whatever surface it's cleaning, so you can easily move from bare floors to shaggy carpets. The vacuum can be used in a semi-handheld configuration, which is useful if you're cleaning stairs or your car. It comes with a wide variety of tools and brushes, including a turbo brush for dislodging dirt from fabric-covered furniture, a crevice tool for getting into tight corners, and even a pet grooming tool. Also, it incurs virtually no recurring costs, thanks to its bagless design and washable filters.

Unfortunately, it lacks the easy-clip mechanisms that some Dyson vacuums have, and so it can be a bit tricky to assemble and attach tools. It also has a plasticky build quality that feels a bit flimsy. Otherwise, its outstanding performance and a wide variety of accessories make it a great choice for pet owners with carpeted homes. It's even one of the best upright vacuums we've tested.

The best vacuum for pet hair with a handheld design that we've tested is the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. This cordless handheld is small and light enough to be easily carried to far-off places to clean pet hair, which it cleans from a wide variety of surface types without too much difficulty. It even comes with a turbo brush fitted with a self-cleaning brushroll that clears hair wraps by itself.

It's well-built, with a fairly high-grade plastic construction and an easy-to-maintain design. Recurring costs are also fairly low, requiring only that you replace its dust cup filter every six to nine months, depending on your usage habits. Its dirt compartment is also relatively spacious for a handheld, so you shouldn't need to empty it too often.

Unfortunately, it only supplies just over 10 minutes of continuous runtime, which may not be enough to deal with particularly stubborn messes, though battery consumption can vary drastically depending on your own usage habits. It also lacks an allergen-trapping HEPA filter. Still, its versatile overall performance and lightweight design help make it one of the best multi-surface vacuum cleaners that we've tested.

The best robot vacuum for pet hair that we've tested is the iRobot Roomba S9. This robot model has a self-adjusting brushroll and can easily handle pet hair on a wide variety of surface types, ranging from bare hardwood floors to shag carpeting. Thanks to its smoothly-rolling wheels, it can maneuver effectively on uneven surfaces without getting stuck.

Its battery life is outstanding, as it should provide roughly between 50 and 155 minutes of continuous runtime. Its iAdapt 3.0 navigation system allows it to spot hard-to-see obstructions, plot out battery-efficient cleaning routes, or identify areas that require extra cleaning. You can use its companion app to set virtual boundary markers or schedule cleaning times for individual rooms. It's equipped with a HEPA filter, so you shouldn't have to worry about the spread of allergens as it cleans.

Unfortunately, there are quite a few parts that need to be replaced regularly, so recurring costs can add up. Due to the number of components that need to be serviced, user maintenance can be somewhat tricky. Still, its impressive pet hair-cleaning performance helps make it one of the best cordless vacuums we've tested.

The best vacuum for pet hair that we've tested in the budget category is the BISSELL CleanView Swivel Pet. This corded upright does a superb job of cleaning pet hair from a multitude of surface types, from bare floors to high-pile carpet. It also comes with a multitude of brushes and tools, including a turbo brush and a triangle-shaped upholstery tool that lets you clean messes in tight corners.

It can be used in a semi-handheld configuration with its wand and crevice cleaner attached, which helps let you clean pet hair between couch cushions or under furniture. Its dirt compartment is quite spacious too, and it shouldn't need to be emptied very often. It also has a decently long power cord, which should let you clean somewhat large or far-off spaces without swapping outlets. Despite its bulky size, it's reasonably easy to store thanks to its onboard tool storage.

Unfortunately, it lacks an allergen-trapping HEPA filter and feels rather cheaply made, with an all-plastic construction. There are also quite a few parts that need to be regularly serviced, though they're quite easy to access. Also, its large size can make cleaning small or cramped rooms difficult. Still, if you're looking for a budget-friendly upright vacuum that can clean pet hair without a hassle, this is a solid choice.