For regular cleaning in a large home or on carpets, a cylinder vacuum with a suitable floor head and furniture attachments is a sensible choice: Que Choisir highlights its suitability for larger areas. A stick vacuum makes quick clean-ups easier, but its runtime at high power can limit longer cleaning sessions. A robot keeps floors clean but won’t reach sofas, while a handheld vacuum with a fabric attachment is best for tackling specific areas.
If pet hair collects on different types of flooring as well as on furniture, start by choosing a vacuum that can clean all these surfaces with the right attachments. Que Choisir describes cylinder vacuums as suitable for larger areas.
If you want to clear away pet hair throughout the week, ease of use and access to the brush for cleaning both matter. Que Choisir highlights how easy cordless stick vacuums are to manoeuvre, while considering them more suitable for quick clean-ups.
For sofas, cushions or car seats, check which fabric attachments are compatible with the vacuum you choose. Rowenta, for example, includes a mini motorised brush in the kit for its X-Force Flex 13.60 Kit Animal; this doesn’t mean it’s included with other models.
Start with the surfaces you need to clean, then consider whether the vacuum’s type suits the time you can spend cleaning and maintaining it.
| What to consider | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Floors and carpets | Check which floor head is supplied for each surface, then look for tests carried out on the types of flooring in your home. Don’t judge performance by the stated motor power alone. | I have hard floors and rugs: I want to know how the vacuum performs on each, not just see a power rating. |
| Furniture and fabrics | Look for an upholstery nozzle or mini motorised brush, check whether it’s included in the kit and confirm it’s compatible with the exact model number. A robot designed for floors won’t replace these attachments. | Pet hair gathers on the sofa or seats: access to fabric-cleaning tools matters more to me than a feature designed for floors. |
| Cleaning time | For a stick vacuum, compare the runtime at the setting you plan to use and with the brush you intend to use. A mains-powered cylinder vacuum avoids interruptions for recharging, but you’ll need an accessible socket. | If I clean several rooms in one go, I need to finish without waiting for a recharge. For frequent touch-ups, ease of use may matter more. |
| Brush maintenance | Check how easy it is to reach the roller or extractors, how to remove pet hair and what the cleaning instructions say. A claimed anti-tangle feature doesn’t mean you can skip checking the brush. | With long or plentiful pet hair, I’d rather be able to reach the brush easily and clean it between uses. |
| Repairability | In France, check the repairability index for the model you’re considering and make sure compatible parts and accessories are available. ADEME says the index applies to corded, cordless and robot vacuums. | I want to be able to find the right brush, filter or battery if a part needs replacing. |
These details alone don’t tell you how well the floor head will work on your flooring or how easily it can reach pet hair on fabrics. Que Choisir recommends looking at the design of the vacuum head.
Make a list of your floor types and check which brushes and attachments are included or compatible with the exact model number.
Que Choisir reports that, in its tests of several dozen stick vacuums, average runtime at full power is around ten minutes. So a quoted maximum runtime may not reflect how long the vacuum will last on carpet at that setting.
Compare runtimes for the mode and brush you’ll use; for longer cleaning sessions, you could also consider a mains-powered vacuum.
Easy maintenance is still important, even with extractors designed for pet hair. For Roomba s Series models, iRobot recommends checking the brushes twice a week if you have pets.
Check how to access the brush and remove hair, then follow the instructions for the model you choose.
Bags, filters, brushes and batteries have different replacement requirements depending on the type and model of vacuum. The repairability index can help you compare appliances, but it doesn’t confirm that a specific part will be available when you need it.
Make a note of the compatible part numbers and check the repairability index for the model you’re considering before buying.
The brand offers stick vacuums and attachments, among other products. Check what’s included for the specific model you’re considering.
Dyson offers cordless stick vacuums designed for homes with pets.
The brand offers Roomba robots with different brush systems for keeping floors clean.
These models suit two different needs: stick vacuums let you clean floors directly, while robots can be scheduled to keep them tidy. If pet hair mainly gathers on furniture, check the fabric attachments for the stick vacuum you’re considering.
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Worth considering for frequent floor cleaning and quick fabric touch-ups with the advertised combination brush. The title lists 45 000 Pa, a removable battery and up to 60 minutes’ advertised runtime. Compare this with the setting you’ll use and check how easy it is to access the brush for cleaning.
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The stick design is handy for cleaning floors directly. For furniture, check that the advertised fabric tool suits your needs. The title lists 60 000 Pa and up to 65 minutes’ advertised runtime, but this shouldn’t be taken to mean it will run continuously at full power for that long.
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Consider this if you regularly switch between hard floors and carpets, checking which settings are available for each surface. The title lists 55 kPa, handheld use and up to 55 minutes’ advertised runtime; for fabrics, confirm which attachment is suitable for this model.
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This robot is designed to keep floors clean on a schedule, not to clean sofas or cushions. The title lists 10 000 Pa, a dual anti-tangle system and mop lifting; also check how to clean the brushes.
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The advertised automatic emptying may appeal if you schedule regular floor cleaning, but you’ll still need to check and clean the brushes. The title lists 8 000 Pa, LiDAR navigation and a dual anti-tangle system. You’ll need another attachment or appliance for furniture and fabrics.
A stick vacuum may suit frequent cleaning in a relatively small home, as long as its runtime and attachments work for your surfaces. For a large home or a thorough clean of carpets and several rooms, consider a cylinder vacuum too: Que Choisir sees stick vacuums as better suited to quick clean-ups and found an average runtime of around ten minutes at full power in its tests.
Check that an attachment designed for fabrics, such as a mini motorised brush, is included or explicitly listed as compatible with the vacuum’s model number. A motorised floor brush isn’t necessarily suitable for upholstery.
No. Check how to remove and clean the brush, even if the manufacturer advertises an anti-tangle system. For Roomba s Series models, iRobot recommends checking the brushes at least once a week, and twice a week if you have pets.
Check the repairability index for the model, then make sure the parts for its specific model number are available. ADEME says the index applies to corded, cordless and robot vacuums; it doesn’t measure how well the appliance removes pet hair.