For regular cleaning of carpets, floors and fabrics, start by choosing a vacuum cleaner with brushes and accessories suited to your surfaces. A cylinder vacuum is ideal for thorough cleaning, while a cordless stick vacuum makes quick touch-ups easier. A robot vacuum can handle frequent floor cleaning, but not the manual cleaning of sofas. Whichever type you choose, also consider interruptions caused by the dust container, battery life or cable, as well as the maintenance required for filters and brushes.
If pet hair clings to your carpets, sofas or cushions, look separately at the brush for floors and the attachment designed for fabrics. UFC-Que Choisir, for example, treats fibres that simulate pet hair on carpets as a separate test criterion.
An appliance that’s easy to get out, or a programmable robot, can make frequent floor cleaning part of your routine. Your choice also depends on where pet hair builds up: a robot won’t clean cushions and seats on its own.
Before choosing a bag or bin, check what upkeep is involved: emptying or replacing the dust container, removing hair from the brush, and cleaning or changing the filters in line with the model’s instructions.
For a home with pets, start with the surfaces you need to clean and how often, then consider the interruptions and maintenance involved with each type of vacuum.
Worth considering: you clean several rooms thoroughly, particularly carpets, and are happy to use a corded appliance.
Bear in mind: the cable, storage space and, for a bagged model, replacing it with compatible bags.
Worth considering: you often clean living areas and also want to tackle fabrics with a suitable attachment.
Bear in mind: battery life depends on the mode you use, and the bin, brush and filters need regular maintenance.
Worth considering: you want to schedule frequent cleaning of your floors.
Bear in mind: you’ll need to prepare its route and keep a suitable option for sofas, cushions and other areas it can’t reach.
| Criterion | What to check before buying | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Pet hair on carpets and fabrics | A brush suited to your flooring, and an attachment compatible with cushions or sofas. | When pet hair sticks to carpets and the sofa, I want to be able to tackle both without relying on the floor head alone. Around 29% of consumers would prioritise this need. |
| Frequent cleaning | For a stick vacuum, battery life in the mode you use; for a robot, its scheduling features and the need to prepare your floors. | If pet hair quickly builds up again in living areas, I want to make quick cleans less of a chore. Around 29% of consumers would put this need first. |
| Cleaning several rooms | The cleaning range of a corded model or the battery life of a cordless one, as well as the capacity of the bag or bin. | When cleaning the whole home, I want to avoid constantly interrupting the job to change sockets, recharge or empty the vacuum. Around 21% of consumers would rank these interruptions as their main concern. |
| Component maintenance | How easy it is to access the brush, filter care instructions, and the reference numbers for compatible bags or other consumables. | Before buying, I want to know which components need cleaning or replacing so I can choose a routine I’ll stick to. Around 21% of consumers would consider this a priority. |
A single figure doesn’t tell you how well a vacuum will clean your carpets or floors. UFC-Que Choisir, for example, has a separate test for fibres that simulate pet hair on carpets.
Look for tests carried out on the types of flooring you have, and check which brushes and attachments are included rather than judging performance by one figure alone.
Scheduling floor cleaning won’t deal with pet hair on the sofa, cushions or seats.
If these surfaces are part of your routine, plan to use a manual vacuum too, and check which fabric attachment is compatible with its model number.
Pet hair can wrap around the brush, while the bag, bin and filters also need model-specific care.
Check the instructions before you buy to find out how to clean, dry and replace the components, then identify compatible consumables.
If your current vacuum has developed a fault, replacing it isn’t necessarily the only option to consider.
ADEME says repair and donation are among the options to consider, depending on the condition of the appliance. Check whether spare parts are available before deciding what to do with it.
The range includes stick and robot vacuums. Some Animal models focus on attachments designed for pet hair.
The Cat & Dog range includes bagged cylinder vacuums to consider if you regularly clean carpets and fabrics.
The brand offers cordless vacuums and accessories designed for homes with pets.
The ProAnimal range is available in several formats, with features to compare based on your surfaces and the attachments you need.
These cordless stick vacuums are suited to manual floor cleaning, with fabric attachments to check. The robot vacuums featured here are designed for regular floor cleaning. If pet hair also sticks to sofas or cushions, plan to clean those separately.
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Worth considering for quick cleans on floors and carpets if the freedom of movement offered by a cordless stick vacuum suits your routine.
The product title states that it offers up to 65 min of battery life and has an anti-tangle brush. Compare battery life in the mode you’ll use, and check the instructions for filter care.
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Its stick and handheld design may suit anyone who alternates between cleaning floors and tackling accessible areas with a handheld appliance.
The product title states 55 min of battery life, 550 W of electrical power and an anti-tangle brush. Check the battery life in your chosen mode and which fabric attachments are actually included.
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The removable battery may be worth considering if you plan to clean your home in several sessions.
The product title states that it offers up to 60 min of battery life and has an anti-tangle brush. The product information recommends washing the filter every two to three weeks and leaving it to air-dry for at least 24 h before refitting. Consider whether this routine suits your habits.
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Worth considering if you’d rather schedule floor cleaning than get out a manual vacuum each time.
The product title mentions app control and an anti-tangle brush. Check how easily it can move around your home, and plan to use another method to clean fabrics.
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Worth considering if you want to schedule floor cleaning and reduce how often you have to empty the robot’s dust container by hand.
The product title mentions LiDAR navigation, app control, a mopping function and an anti-tangle system. Check the battery life, dock capacity and care instructions for this model before choosing.
Check which attachments are designed for each surface: a floor brush for carpets won’t necessarily be suitable for cushions. UFC-Que Choisir assesses fibres that simulate pet hair on carpets as a separate criterion. For the sofa, check whether a mini brush or upholstery nozzle is included and compatible.
Follow the frequency and method set out in your model’s instructions, and remove hair when it builds up on the brush. Dyson recommends washing the filters in its cordless vacuums once a month. After washing, follow the manufacturer’s drying instructions before refitting the filter.
Find the reference number for compatible bags and check how to remove and replace them. Also consider the filters and attachments you’ll need for your carpets and fabrics: having a bag doesn’t, by itself, solve the problem of pet hair caught in fibres.
First, check whether it can be repaired or reused. ADEME lists repair, donation and dropping off the appliance among the options to consider, depending on its condition. Find out about the collection services available near you.