To remove pet hair from floors, carpets and upholstery, choose your vacuum based on the surfaces you need to clean, its performance on fibres and the accessories supplied, rather than motor power alone. A cylinder vacuum is well suited to a thorough clean, with a choice between a bagged or bagless model. A cordless stick vacuum makes quick clean-ups easier, while a robot vacuum is mainly a handy extra for accessible floors.
If pet hair clings to several types of flooring, compare performance on carpets and fibres, along with the accessories supplied for cushions and furniture. For this choice, a suitable floorhead matters more than the motor power alone.
For quick clean-ups on floors, the sofa or stairs, a stick vacuum can be easier to grab. Before choosing it as your only vacuum, check its run time in the mode you need, its bin capacity and how to maintain the brush.
Choosing between a bag and a bin affects what you’ll need to do: replace a compatible bag, or empty a bin and clean the filters. Also check how to remove pet hair from the brush on the model you’re considering.
The type of vacuum mainly determines how you clean. Then compare each model on the surfaces you have and the tasks you’ll do most often.
Consider it: for deep cleaning several rooms while limiting contact with dust when emptying.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to manage a cable, move the vacuum around and replace compatible bags.
Consider it: if you want a corded vacuum but don’t want to use bags.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to empty the bin and regularly maintain the filters and brushes.
Consider it: for quickly picking up visible pet hair, particularly on stairs or furniture when using a suitable accessory.
Bear in mind: check that the run time and bin capacity suit the amount of cleaning you expect to do.
Consider it: for keeping accessible floors clean between manual cleaning sessions.
Bear in mind: you’ll still need a vacuum for upholstery, stairs and corners, and you’ll need to clean the robot’s brushes.
| What matters to you | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Embedded pet hair on several surfaces | Look for tests on hard floors, carpets and fibres; check whether a carpet brush and upholstery tool are included. | When pet hair gets trapped in carpets and cushions, I want to be able to clean these surfaces thoroughly. This would be a priority for around 36% of consumers. |
| Quick, frequent clean-ups | Check how heavy it feels to use and, for a stick vacuum, the run time in the mode you need and whether it has an upholstery tool. | If I often pick up a little pet hair from the floor or sofa, I want to be able to grab the vacuum without preparing for a big clean; around 29% of consumers would make this convenience their priority. |
| Emptying and maintenance | Compare access to the bag or bin, filter care instructions and the reference for compatible consumables. | I’d rather know what I’ll need to handle and replace after vacuuming up pet hair and dust. For around 21% of consumers, this would be the main deciding factor. |
| Keeping floors clean between deep cleans | For a robot vacuum as an extra, check how easy it is to access the brushes and filter, as well as whether it can move around your home. | Between deep cleans, I’d like to keep the floors clean without always reaching for my manual vacuum. Around 14% of consumers would prioritise this. |
Motor power alone doesn’t tell you how well a vacuum will remove pet hair from carpets or upholstery. UFC-Que Choisir also recommends considering the design of the floorhead and performance on different types of flooring.
Look for tests on the surfaces in your home, then check which brushes and nozzles come with the vacuum.
The maximum run time quoted at low power won’t necessarily reflect how long the vacuum lasts with a motorised brush or in a high-power mode.
Check the run time in the mode you’ll use, how long it takes to charge and whether the battery can be replaced.
If your cleaning sessions last longer than a single charge, you may want to factor in a second compatible battery.
A bagless model saves you from replacing bags, but you’ll still need to regularly clean the bin, filters and brush.
Before you buy, check the manual to see how to access these parts and how often the manufacturer recommends maintaining them.
A robot vacuum mainly cleans the floors it can reach; it won’t replace targeted vacuuming of sofas, stairs and corners. Its brushes also need cleaning.
Use it to keep floors clean between deeper cleans, and keep a suitable manual vacuum for other surfaces.
The features and maintenance requirements mentioned here apply to the models listed, not every product from each brand.
The ProAnimal range includes cylinder and stick vacuums to compare, depending on the surfaces you need to clean.
The Silence Force Cyclonic Animal Care Pro RO7691EA is a bagless cylinder vacuum to consider for homes with a mix of flooring.
The Guard L1 Cat & Dog Flex is a bagged cylinder vacuum to consider if accessories for carpets and cushions are among your priorities.
The V16 Piston Animal is a cordless stick vacuum to consider for frequent clean-ups on floors and upholstery.
A Roomba can complement manual cleaning by keeping accessible floors clean between sessions.
These models let you compare cordless stick vacuums for frequent clean-ups with a bagged cylinder vacuum for mixed flooring. For each one, check that the accessories and maintenance requirements suit your carpets, upholstery and cleaning habits.
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Worth considering for cleaning hard floors and carpets, as well as upholstery using the accessories listed on the product page.
The title mentions an anti-tangle brush and up to 55 minutes of run time; this applies to hard-floor mode. Check the run time in the mode you’ll use on your carpets.
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Worth comparing if you also want to clean upholstery and corners: the product page describes an upholstery tool and handheld use.
The title mentions an anti-tangle brush and up to 65 minutes of run time. Check the run time in the mode you’ll use on carpets.
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Worth considering if you need to clean stairs and upholstery: the product page lists an accessory for these tasks.
Check whether the bin capacity suits the amount of pet hair you need to pick up, and what run time is quoted with the brush and mode you’ll use.
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Worth comparing if you want to switch between floors, carpets and upholstery: the product page describes floor-specific modes and accessories for corners.
The title mentions an anti-tangle brush and up to 45 minutes of run time. Check how long it lasts for the way you’ll use it on carpets.
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Worth considering for a home with hard floors and carpets: the product page mentions a parquet floorhead and an included turbo brush.
The inclusion of this brush alone doesn’t prove how well it removes embedded pet hair. Check test results on your flooring and find out which compatible bags you’ll need.
No. For cylinder vacuums, UFC-Que Choisir points out that motor power alone doesn’t tell you how effective a model is. Compare results on your types of flooring and fibres, then check the floorhead and accessories supplied.
Choose based on which way of emptying you’d rather deal with: a bag needs replacing, while a bagless vacuum’s bin needs emptying and its filters need maintaining. To compare two vacuums, also check their performance on your carpets and floors rather than judging by the collection system alone.
It could work if its run time in the mode you need, bin capacity and accessories cover all your surfaces and cleaning sessions. However, UFC-Que Choisir mainly describes stick vacuums as extra appliances. If you have lots of carpets or embedded pet hair, compare one with a cylinder vacuum before replacing it.
iRobot recommends cleaning the main brushes on its Roomba models up to twice a week in homes with pets. Check the manual for the model you buy for information on its parts and other maintenance tasks.