To clean the floors, carpets and soft furnishings in a home with pets, start by choosing a manual vacuum cleaner with brushes suited to the surfaces you need to tackle. A canister vacuum is ideal for a thorough clean, while a cordless stick makes quick, targeted cleans easier, provided it has enough battery life in the mode you use. A robot can keep floors clean between these sessions, but it won’t replace a vacuum for furniture and stairs.
If your pet sheds on these surfaces, look for test results on embedded fibres in carpets rather than relying solely on results for hard floors. This is a separate criterion in UFC-Que Choisir’s testing protocol for canister vacuum cleaners.
A lightweight cordless stick is worth considering for quick, targeted cleans. Check that it comes with a brush suited to cushions and pet beds, and that its battery life in the required mode is long enough for your cleaning session.
A robot can clean your floors between manual vacuuming sessions. However, keep a vacuum that can reach upholstered furniture, stairs and skirting boards. Les Numériques also describes robot vacuums as appliances that work alongside a canister or cordless stick vacuum.
Consider it: for thorough cleaning of floors and carpets, using a brush suited to the fibres.
Bear in mind: it’s less convenient to get out for a quick touch-up. A bagged model also requires compatible vacuum bags.
Consider it: for frequent cleaning of a specific area, stairs or soft furnishings with the right attachment.
Bear in mind: battery life on a cordless model depends on the mode you choose. Check that it will last for your cleaning sessions.
Consider it: for scheduled floor cleaning between sessions with a manual vacuum.
Bear in mind: it won’t clean soft furnishings or stairs, and you’ll need to maintain its dustbin, brushes and, where applicable, docking station.
Once you’ve chosen a type, compare cleaning results and maintenance requirements for the surfaces you actually have at home. UFC-Que Choisir, for example, assesses carpet fibres and different floor types separately.
| What to consider | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Pet hair on carpets | Check test results for embedded fibres and carpets, and confirm which brush comes with the specific model. | My rugs or carpets trap pet hair, so I want to know how well the vacuum performs on these surfaces, not just on hard floors. |
| Soft furnishings and awkward areas | Check which attachments are included for cushions, pet beds, stairs and narrow spaces, and whether they’re compatible with the version on sale. | My sofa and pet bed need targeted cleaning, so a floor head alone won’t meet my needs. |
| Cleaning session length | For a cordless stick, compare battery life in different modes and charging time. For a canister vacuum, check its operating radius and the capacity of its bag or dustbin. | I sometimes do a full clean and want to know whether I’ll need to recharge or stop part-way through. |
| Emptying and brush maintenance | Check how easy it is to access the dustbin or bag, remove hair from the brush and maintain the filters. | Pet hair builds up quickly, so I want to maintain the vacuum without making every clean more complicated. |
| Bagged or bagless | Compare replacing the bag with emptying and cleaning a dustbin, and check the reference numbers for compatible consumables. | I’d rather either replace a bag or avoid this consumable and clean a dust container instead. |
| Robot and your home | Check results for different floor types, how well it cleans along edges, the routes it can take and the space needed for a docking station, if applicable. | I’d like to schedule floor cleaning while keeping a manual vacuum for furniture and stairs. |
One figure alone won’t tell you how well a vacuum lifts fibres from carpets, dust from hard floors or dirt from edges. UFC-Que Choisir tests these uses separately in its protocols.
For the models you’re considering, look for separate results on the surfaces you need to clean.
A robot looks after your floors, but you’ll still need a manual vacuum for soft furnishings, stairs and skirting boards.
If you also want to clean sofas, cushions or pet beds, make sure your manual vacuum has an upholstery attachment.
A self-emptying station takes up space and, depending on the model, may require extra consumables and maintenance.
You’ll still need to maintain the dustbin, filters and brushes, even if the vacuum has an anti-tangle feature.
Before choosing, check how to remove hair from the brush and find out which bags, filters or parts are compatible.
Battery life on a cordless stick varies depending on the mode you use. The most powerful mode may shorten your cleaning session.
Compare the stated battery life in the mode you plan to use on your carpets, and check the charging time.
These examples of product ranges highlight configurations to consider; they don’t rank the brands or their models.
The Guard M1 Cat & Dog Flex is an example of a bagged canister vacuum to consider for carpet care.
The V16 Piston Animal is an example of a cordless stick vacuum designed for quick, targeted cleans.
The Saros 10R is an example of a robot vacuum to consider for scheduled floor cleaning.
These cordless vacuums are suited to manual cleaning of areas with pet hair, while the robots can look after your floors between sessions. If you have carpets and soft furnishings, check each model’s results on your surfaces and which attachments come with the version on sale.
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This cordless stick is presented as suitable for cleaning up pet hair. If you also need to clean cushions or stairs, check which attachments come with this version and look for test results on your types of flooring.
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This cordless stick could be a good option for targeted cleans. Its product title claims up to 65 min of battery life and 60 000 Pa; these figures alone don’t tell you how long it lasts in each mode or how well it removes pet hair from carpets. Also check which attachments are included for soft furnishings.
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This cordless stick with a removable battery is an option for targeted cleans. Its product title claims 60 min of battery life, but doesn’t specify how long it lasts in the mode you’ll use. Check this, along with the included upholstery attachments and results on embedded fibres.
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This app-controlled robot is worth considering for cleaning floors between manual sessions. Its product title mentions an anti-tangle brush. Check its results on carpets and hard floors, and keep a manual vacuum for soft furnishings and stairs.
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This robot vacuum and mop is designed to clean floors. Its product title claims an anti-tangle feature and self-cleaning. Compare pet-hair pick-up test results for different floor types, and always keep a manual vacuum for furniture and stairs.
Not if you also need to clean soft furnishings, skirting boards or stairs: keep a manual vacuum for these areas. For floors, check the robot’s results on carpets, hard floors and fibres, as UFC-Que Choisir assesses performance by surface type.
Choose based on which type of maintenance you prefer: regularly replacing a bag, or emptying and cleaning a dust container. In its general comparison, UFC-Que Choisir says bagged canister vacuums pick up dirt better than their bagless counterparts. You should still compare specific models on the floors in your home.
Look for a small brush designed for soft furnishings, and confirm that it comes with the version on sale. Dyson France describes a motorised, anti-tangle brush for the V16 Piston Animal, intended for pet beds, cars and stairs. This is the manufacturer’s description.
According to the Ministry of the Economy, the statutory legal guarantee of conformity applies to new, second-hand and refurbished goods sold by a trader to a private individual. It covers a lack of conformity; don’t confuse it with the option to return an item because you’ve changed your mind.