To choose a vacuum cleaner that can regularly pick up pet hair, start by considering the surfaces you need to clean and how often you’ll vacuum. A cylinder vacuum cleaner with a suitable brush is a good choice for deep cleaning rugs and carpets. A stick vacuum makes quick clean-ups easier, while a robot vacuum can handle routine floor care if your home is suitable. Whichever type you choose, check the brush supplied, how it performs on your flooring and how easy it is to access the parts that need maintenance.
If pet hair sticks to rugs or carpets and also settles on hard floors and fabrics, check the floor head supplied and whether there are suitable tools for each surface. A cylinder vacuum cleaner can be a good option for deep cleaning, although it may be less manoeuvrable than a stick vacuum, according to Que Choisir.
If you regularly need to clear hair around pet beds or in busy areas, how easy the vacuum is to take out and put away matters. A stick vacuum makes quick clean-ups easy; however, Que Choisir describes it more as a supplementary cleaning appliance.
A robot vacuum can clean regularly if your room layout allows it. Before choosing one, check whether it can reach the areas you need to clean, how it handles carpets and obstacles, and how to maintain its brush and dust container.
Choose this if : your rugs, carpets and other surfaces mainly need deep cleaning with a suitable brush.
Bear in mind : it may be less manoeuvrable than a stick vacuum and needs to be plugged in. If you choose a bagged model, you’ll also need compatible bags.
Choose this if : visible pet hair calls for short, frequent clean-ups, particularly in small areas.
Bear in mind : check the battery life and dust container capacity for your needs. Que Choisir considers stick vacuums better suited to supplementary cleaning.
Choose this if : you want to schedule routine cleaning on floors that are easy for the robot to access.
Bear in mind : you’ll need to prepare the areas it will pass through and maintain the robot. Plan to clean fabrics and areas it can’t reach by hand.
If pet hair keeps coming back in a home with pets, start by choosing a vacuum to suit your main needs. Then check that its brush and maintenance requirements are right for your flooring.
| Factor | What to check | Who is it for? |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed flooring and carpets | A floor head suitable for hard floors and a brush supplied or compatible with rugs and carpets. | If pet hair gets caught in my rugs and I also need to vacuum hard floors, I look for a brush that suits each surface; around 33 % of consumers prioritise cleaning different types of flooring. |
| Frequent clean-ups | Manoeuvrability, dust container capacity and battery life in the mode you’ll use. | If pet hair keeps reappearing in small areas, I want to be able to grab the vacuum quickly rather than wait for a big clean; nearly 27 % of consumers prioritise quick, easy clean-ups. |
| Hair removal and maintenance | Access to the brush roll and filters, and the product codes for replacement bags or other parts. | When hair gets wrapped around the brush and the dust container fills up often, I mainly want to cut down on maintenance; around 20 % of consumers prioritise this aspect of upkeep. |
| Automated floor care | Navigation around obstacles, access to the areas that need cleaning, and maintenance of the dust container or docking station. | If I want a robot to handle regular floor cleaning, I need to take the furniture and carpets in my home into account; around 20 % of consumers make automation their priority. |
A power rating alone doesn’t tell you how well a vacuum picks up pet hair from carpets or hard floors. Que Choisir also highlights the importance of the floor head’s design.
Check which brush is supplied and look for tests carried out on the types of flooring in your home.
According to Que Choisir, the maximum battery life of a stick vacuum is usually measured at low power. It may not give you a realistic idea of how long it will run in a more demanding mode.
Compare the stated run times for each mode with the area you plan to clean in one go, and check whether the battery can be replaced.
Bags, filters and brushes need to match the exact vacuum model so you can keep it properly maintained.
Make a note of their product codes before you buy, and check their availability as well as how to clean or replace accessible parts.
A robot vacuum’s performance depends, among other things, on the flooring, obstacles and maintenance. Que Choisir tests its suction and navigation separately.
Use it for routine cleaning in areas it can reach, and keep a manual option for fabrics, corners or a more thorough clean when needed.
The Guard Cat & Dog range is worth considering if you’re looking for a bagged cylinder vacuum cleaner for rugs and carpets.
The V16 Piston Animal is an example of a cordless stick vacuum designed for frequent clean-ups.
The Q7 M5 is worth considering if you want to automate cleaning on accessible floors.
The X-Plorer Série 380+ is a robot vacuum with a docking station to consider for routine floor care.
Choose a cylinder vacuum with a suitable brush if your main priority is deep cleaning rugs and carpets. A stick vacuum is a better choice if you mainly need to clean small areas repeatedly. Que Choisir describes stick vacuums as better suited to supplementary cleaning. If you’re thinking of using one as your only vacuum, check how it performs on your floors, as well as its dust container capacity and battery life in the mode you’ll need.
Check whether a turbobrush or powered brush is supplied or explicitly listed as compatible with the model, then check whether it’s designed for use on rugs or carpets. For example, Miele says the turbobrush supplied with the Guard M1 Cat & Dog is designed to pick up pet hair from these surfaces. This applies to that particular model.
No. You’ll still need to check the brush roll, filters and dust container. Before you buy, find out how to access these parts and which bags or replacement parts you’ll need for the model you choose.
Look at the brush, how the robot performs on carpets, how it navigates around furniture, and how to maintain its dust container or docking station. Que Choisir assesses these aspects separately, so an advertised anti-tangle feature alone doesn’t tell you how well it will vacuum every room.