Best Vacuums for Pet Hair

The upright, canister, handheld, robotic and stick vacs that effectively pick up the fur your pet leaves behind

By Mary H.J. Farrell

As far as we know there’s no vacuum called the Golden Retriever Fur Reliever, but there are a lot of vacuums sold with fuzzy claims and “pet” in the model name. But do they work?

Well, some are capable vacuums overall, but others are good at pet-hair pickup and little else. To test such claims, Consumer Reports devised a very tough pet-hair test for full-sized upright and canister vacuums.

First, technicians take 5 grams of long, feathery fur from Maine Coon cats and scatter, stomp, and smash it into medium-pile carpet. Then they make multiple passes with the test vacuum to see how much of the hair it picks up. Vacuums that rate an Excellent collect all the fur in a bag or bin. Average vacs leave behind visible patches, or fur becomes entangled in the brush.

We also test smaller vacuums like robotic, stick and handheld models for pet-hair pickup. But because we don’t expect them to accomplish the deep cleaning of a full-sized vacuum, we use less cat hair. In other words, we design our tests to challenge the cleaning capabilities of each type of vacuum we rate.

“Typically, a vacuum that does well in our carpet and bare-floor tests will also do pretty well in our pet-hair test,” says Susan Booth, who oversees our vacuum testing. “Although we do see some exceptions, so if you have a pet that sheds a lot, look for models that get our top score in that test."

Our testers have another tip for pet owners: Consider a bagged vacuum over a bagless model, because every time you empty a bagless bin, the fur can fly.

Here, listed alphabetically by type, are some of the best in show for pet hair from our tests of upright, canister, robotic, stick, and handheld vacuums—all earn an Excellent rating in that test. For more choices, see our full vacuum ratings and recommendations.

Uprights

Upright vacuums are a good choice if you have a lot of carpet and area rugs in your home, because they tend to be better than canisters at carpet cleaning.

Hoover WindTunnel Max UH30600

This sturdy upright vacuum excels at cleaning bare floors and pet hair, earning top marks on both of those tests. It does almost as well on carpet, so if you have mixed floors, it could be a good choice for your cleaning collection. Airflow gets above-average marks, and its emissions are fairly clean. The brand earns a middle-of-the-road rating for predicted reliability but less-than-average scores for owner satisfaction.

Kenmore Pet Friendly 31140

If you have a pet that sheds and hardwood or tile floors, the bagged Kenmore Pet Friendly 31140 will serve you well because it earns Excellent ratings on both of those tests. It also earns a Very Good for cleaning carpet. Suction through the hose is impressive, so if you use the attachments to clean curtains or upholstery, you won’t be disappointed. Emissions are clean, meaning this bagged vacuum retains what it sucks up. It comes with a HEPA filter, which is designed to capture more dirt particles, and a light that indicates when the bag is full so that you know when it’s time to change it—two pluses if you’re sensitive to dust.

Miele Dynamic U1 Cat & Dog

With a rating of Excellent for cleaning carpet, bare floors, and pet hair, the bagged Miele Dynamic U1 Cat & Dog lives up to its name and is a good choice if you have pets. Emissions are clean, and suction through the hose rates Very Good, so you’ll get good performance using the hose and attachments. It’s only so-so at handling, however, meaning it could be easier to push and pull. A light indicates when the bag is full.

Canisters

If you have stairs in your home, a canister may be a good solution. This configuration is easier to use on stairs because the weight is distributed between the powerhead and the canister, and it’s convenient to carry from one level to another.

Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly UltraPlush 81714

You can’t go wrong with the bagged Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly UltraPlush 81714. It’s indeed friendly for pet owners and rates an Excellent on that test. It’s also a champ at cleaning bare floors and rates Very Good at cleaning carpet, making it a smart choice if you have a combination of flooring. Hose suction rates Very Good, which means the attachments should be effective. It doesn’t do particularly well in our noise test, so there are quieter choices.

Kenmore Pop-N-Go BC4026

The versatile Kenmore Pop-N-Go BC4026 makes an impressive showing on both our bare floor and pet hair tests, leaving little to nothing behind. It also earns a Very Good rating for carpet cleaning. The Pop-N-Go name refers to how easy it is to attach the floor brush, and our testers like the way this vacuum maneuvers around and under furniture. Emissions are clean, and this vacuum has robust airflow, making it a good choice if you often use your attachments to clean upholstery.

Miele Complete C3 Marin

Admittedly, the bagged Miele Complete C3 Marin is a bit pricey, but its Excellent rating for bare floors and pet hair, and Very Good rating for cleaning carpet, make it a solid choice. Suction through the hose is top-notch, and it’s quieter than many vacuums. It gets good marks in our clean emissions test, and a full-bag indicator warns you when you need a fresh bag. And like most canisters, it has a retractable cord.

Stick Vacs

Stick vacuums are great for quick messes, and their cleaning power has been improving in recent years. They’re lightweight and easy to pull out of a closet. Some also ace our pet-hair test. Here are some top stick vacs picks.

Dirt Devil Power Stick SD12530

REPLACE The well-priced slim Dirt Devil Power Stick SD12530 is no slouch when it comes to cleaning carpet and bare floors, and picking up pet hair, earning an Excellent rating in all three tasks. The corded model gracefully glides along edges, picking up dust as it goes, and it operates quietly. But its emissions aren’t as clean as some of the other stick vacuums we’ve tested, something to keep in mind if anyone in your household suffers from allergies.

Dyson V11 Outsize

REPLACE The powerful cordless Dyson V11 Outsize aces all of CR’s performance tests, but at almost 8 pounds, it’s a bit heavier than many stick vacuums. Testers especially like the LED screen that shows how much cleaning time you have left. An auto mode changes the vac’s suction according to floor type. Other pluses: a wider powerhead for more coverage, a big dirt bin, and two replaceable batteries. In CR’s tests, one battery runs for about 72 minutes per charge on low and 8 minutes on high.

Shark APEX UpLight Lift-Away DuoClean LZ601

REPLACE A newcomer to our ratings, the corded Shark Apex UpLight Lift-Away is a winner. It aces all of our key cleaning tests—carpet, bare floors, and pet hair—and operates quietly and cleanly. It also cleans along the edges of the wall without leaving any debris behind. This vacuum is self-standing, making it easy to store, and it has a self-cleaning brush roll so that you can avoid messy hair entanglements. It comes with several attachments that you can store onboard. This Shark is quieter than some of its brandmates and its emissions are clean, so it’s a good choice if someone in your home has allergies.

Tineco Pure One S11

OK The cordless Tineco Pure One S11 cleans impressively in all our major tests and has many features to boot. An LED panel shows how much battery life you have left, as well as the suction level, which varies when you switch from bare floors to carpet. A sensor detects the amount of debris and adapts the suction power accordingly. If you’re so inclined, you can connect to a Tineco app that indicates cleaning performance, such as battery life, on your smartphone. In CR’s tests, it runs for about 30 minutes per charge on low and 10 minutes on high.

Handheld

Handheld vacuums aren’t designed for heavy cleaning, but they’re a good choice if you’re whisking up cereal from under a highchair or off the floor mats in your car. Few can tackle pet hair, but there are some notable exceptions.

Shark Ion W1 WV201

OK The cordless Shark Ion W1 WV201 rates Excellent at removing pet hair and cleaning bare floors, and Very Good for carpet. Cleaning edges is top-notch, and the slim vacuum comes with a few attachments that store nicely in the same base as the vacuum. Other pluses: It’s very lightweight and operates quietly.

Robotic

Robovacs have gotten better and cheaper since we first began testing them several years ago. And they’re fun. Put your feet up and watch them scoot around.

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