We talked to experts about how to shop for vacuums when getting rid of pet hair is your main concern. They shared tips for narrowing down your options, which we used to recommend a handful of corded vacuums, cordless vacuums, handheld vacuums and robot vacuums across budgets. Neumann also recommends purchasing a vacuum with an automated brush roll. Automated brush rolls spin while you’re vacuuming to pick up pet hair quickly on fabrics, while no-spin brushes only rotate as you manually push your vacuum along the floor. The benefit of automated brush rolls is their ability to pick up pet hair quickly on fabrics, but they can be too harsh for hardwood or tile floors, he says.
Kenmore’s canister vacuum has a two motor system to provide extra powerful suction, according to the brand. Its swivel head helps you maneuver around furniture and it has a built-in telescoping wand that extends up to 10 feet to help you clean small spaces. bissell vacuum cleaner The vacuum has a 28-foot cord and the motorized brush head lifts grime off surfaces while preventing hair from tangling around it. You can turn the rotating brush head off while cleaning hard floors and store the included attachments inside the vacuum.
We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. bissell handheld vacuum And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
From Dyson and Samsung to Tineco and Shark, here are the top models that cleaned up in our tests. It’s usually on the lower back or bottom of the machine (for Lift-Off® models, remove the Lift-Off pod to find label) or behind the cleaning tanks. Depending on the issue, having your vacuum serviced after the warranty has expired might not be worth the cash. To suss out any potential lemons, we dig through buyer reviews on multiple retailers to see if any vacuum brands or models have consistent breakage issues, either with the motor or external parts.
Experts say the following four are particularly useful, although “any attachment can do a good job of picking up pet hair, as long as the vacuum’s motor is powerful enough,” Prouty says. Credit to Dyson for pioneering the cordless vacuum category with a series of capable — yet pricey — Cyclone V series stick vacs. Many years and many models later, Dyson remains a fixture of the category in 2023, but it’s not quite as dominant in our cleaning tests as it was five or 10 years ago. At this point, there are multiple competitors with top models that can go toe to toe with Dyson on our test floors.
To simulate small particle size, we use a mix of play sand and landscaping sand. To see how vacuums deal with pet hair, we use a mixture of clippings sourced to us through our local pet groomer. To get started, we hauled in 15 of the latest models from leading vacuum brands with high user ratings and reviews, and ran them through a series of tests designed to measure overall proficiency. We also tested cordless vacuums in a range of prices to see how much of a difference you can expect when you opt for a pricier model over a budget pick.
As you can see, the Dyson V15 Detect is our top overall cleaner in these sand tests, but note that the Samsung Jet 90 actually outperformed it by a considerable margin on thick, plushy mid-pile carpet. Consistently cleaning your vacuum is important to maintain its performance over time, and that’s even more the case when dealing with pet hair, Mock says. Doing so helps prevent clogs and ensures that the vacuum is working at its maximum capacity. She recommends cleaning the vacuum’s filter and brush rolls after every use, and emptying the dustbin or bag as soon as it gets full — not doing so weakens suction power. Be sure to read the manufacturer directions on cleaning your specific model, too.