For regular cleaning in a home with pets, start by choosing a style to suit how you clean: a robot for accessible floors, a cordless stick vacuum for frequent touch-ups or a cylinder vacuum for more thorough sessions. If pet hair also gathers on rugs and furniture, check the brushes and attachments supplied with the exact model. Consider how much maintenance they need and, for a vacuum sold in France, its repairability rating.
If you do short, regular cleaning sessions, compare how quickly you can get a stick vacuum going with how easily a robot can reach the rooms that need cleaning. Battery life, the dust container and brush maintenance also matter when you use it this often.
If pet hair also collects on sofas and cushions, look for an attachment designed for those surfaces. Check whether it comes with the vacuum or is compatible with its exact model number.
If cleaning a roller or emptying a dust container might put you off vacuuming, check the model’s care instructions before you buy. For a vacuum sold in France, its repairability rating provides separate information about how easy it is to repair.
Best for: everyday cleaning on accessible floors when you want to cut down on manual vacuuming.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to prepare the areas to be cleaned and maintain the brush. A robot on its own won’t replace an attachment for furniture.
Best for: quick, frequent clean-ups, as long as the supplied brushes suit your surfaces.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to plan for recharging and check that the advertised battery life for the model is long enough for your cleaning sessions.
Best for: more thorough cleaning sessions that include rugs or carpets, with attachments suited to the surfaces you need to clean.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to account for the cable, moving the vacuum around and the space needed to store it.
| Feature | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning routine | Depending on the style, check battery life and charging, or the cable and storage requirements. | If I vacuum often, I want to be able to get started without turning every quick clean into a major job. Around 31% of consumers would prioritise this ease of use. |
| Floors and soft furnishings | Check that the supplied brushes and attachments suit your floor coverings, and that any extra accessories are compatible. | If pet hair clings to rugs, the sofa or cushions, being able to clean these surfaces matters more to me than quickly vacuuming a clear floor. Around 31% of consumers would make this their priority. |
| Maintenance and repairability | Check how easily you can access the brush and dust container. For a model sold in France, look up its repairability rating out of 10. | I prefer a vacuum with care instructions I can follow as I use it, while also taking its repairability into account. Around 23% of consumers would put these considerations first. |
| Storage and manoeuvrability | Check the weight and dimensions, and whether the model can reach under furniture. | In a home where moving and storing the vacuum is a challenge, I want it to be practical to use. Manoeuvrability would be the main consideration for around 15% of consumers. |
This label doesn’t tell you whether the brush suits your floors or whether an attachment is included for cleaning rugs and furniture.
Make a note of the surfaces you need to clean each week, then check the accessories included with the exact model number.
Miele states that its cordless stick vacuums are not compatible with the STB 101 mini turbo brush. Rowenta lists seven specific products as compatible with its ZR720003 brush.
Before choosing an accessory, check your vacuum’s model number against its compatibility list.
A brush designed for pet hair may itself need regular maintenance. Rowenta recommends cleaning its ZR720003 brush weekly; this does not automatically apply to other models.
Check the instructions to find out how to access the roller, remove hair and clean the brush on the model you’re considering.
The repairability rating tells you how easy a vacuum sold in France is to repair, not how well it cleans a rug or sofa.
Consider this rating separately from the brushes, their suitability for your surfaces and their maintenance requirements.
Worth looking at if you’re comparing robot vacuums and brushes designed for pet hair.
Worth considering when comparing cylinder and stick vacuums, particularly Cat & Dog models with brushes designed for pet hair.
Worth looking at if you’re after a cordless stick vacuum and want to compare the brushes and battery life of specific models.
Yes. France’s Ministry of the Economy states that vacuum cleaners sold in France are covered by the repairability rating, which is scored out of 10. ADEME confirms that this includes corded, cordless and robot models. Look up the rating for the exact model with the retailer to help you make your choice.
No. The repairability rating tells you how easy or difficult the appliance is to repair; it doesn’t indicate how well it picks up hair from hard floors, rugs or sofas. Check separately which brushes are designed for your surfaces and what maintenance they need.
Follow the instructions for the brush in question rather than applying one cleaning schedule to every vacuum. Rowenta recommends cleaning its ZR720003 brush weekly; check the guidance for your specific model.
No. Compatibility depends on both the attachment and the vacuum model. Miele says the STB 101 mini turbo brush is not compatible with its cordless stick vacuums, while Rowenta lists seven products as compatible with its ZR720003 brush. Check the list for your vacuum before choosing an attachment.