For regular cleaning of carpets and fabrics covered in pet hair, start by choosing the right brushes for the surfaces you need to clean. A cylinder vacuum with suitable attachments works well for cleaning several rooms, while a cordless stick vacuum makes quick clean-ups easier. A robot vacuum can maintain accessible floors, but you’ll need another tool for sofas, pet beds and stairs. Check that it can also handle your carpets.
Where pet hair collects matters just as much as how often you clean.
If pet hair gets caught in the fibres, consider a cylinder vacuum with a turbo brush for floors and a smaller brush designed for sofas or pet beds. Check that both attachments are included with the exact model you’re considering.
A cordless stick vacuum can be handy for moving from room to room or cleaning the stairs. To see if it could work as your main vacuum, compare its running time with the brush and power setting you plan to use.
A robot vacuum can clean the areas it can reach. However, you’ll need another vacuum for furniture, and should check how it handles carpets and thresholds, as well as how to maintain its brush.
Start with the surfaces you need to clean, then check which accessories are included and whether the vacuum suits the way you’ll use it at home.
| What to consider | What to check | What I need |
|---|---|---|
| Pet hair caught in fibres | Look for a turbo brush suited to carpets and a mini brush designed for fabrics. Check that they’re included or compatible with the exact model. | Pet hair gets caught in my carpets, sofa or pet’s bed, so one floor brush won’t cover all these surfaces. |
| Brush maintenance | Check how to remove hair from the roller, access the brush and clean it, following the instructions. Rowenta recommends cleaning some of its robot brushes weekly. | If long hairs often get tangled around the brushes, I want to be able to reach the roller easily. |
| Filtration and emptying | Compare the filtration specified for the exact model, then check how to empty the bag or bin and maintain the filters. A HEPA claim alone doesn’t tell you everything about the filtration system. | I’d like to know how to empty the vacuum and maintain its filters, especially if I want to minimise contact with dust. |
| Area to be cleaned | For a cylinder vacuum, check its operating radius and bag or bin capacity. For a stick vacuum, compare the running time on the mode you’ll use; for a robot, check how it handles carpets and thresholds. | I need to clean several rooms without stopping, or I mainly need to do quick clean-ups. The type of vacuum I choose should suit my routine. |
This label doesn’t tell you which brushes are included or which surfaces they’re suitable for.
Compare the list of accessories for the exact model and check whether any separately sold brushes are compatible.
Buying a compatible mini brush separately may add to the equipment you need.
UFC-Que Choisir says that the maximum running time advertised for stick vacuums is measured at the lowest power setting. It may not reflect how long the vacuum runs with a powered brush on a high setting.
Compare the running time with the brush and mode you plan to use on your floors, especially if you need to clean several rooms.
A robot vacuum won’t clean sofas or stairs. Electrolux also says that one of its robot vacuums can’t clean deep-pile carpets, so check compatibility for each model.
Identify areas the robot can’t reach, measure any thresholds it needs to cross and check the brush maintenance instructions.
Replacing brushes and filters is another maintenance task to factor in, depending on the model.
You’ll need to empty the bag or bin and remove any hair caught on the brush, following the instructions.
Before choosing a vacuum for frequent use, check how easy it is to access the filters and brushes, and whether spare parts are available.
A bagged cylinder vacuum needs replacement bags; other consumables depend on the model.
These examples of ranges and models can help you identify features to compare. Accessories vary by model.
For the Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog cylinder vacuum, Miele France lists a turbo brush, a HEPA Lifetime filter and a 2 L bin.
Rowenta France offers Animal Care cylinder vacuums and accessories designed for picking up pet hair.
For the V16 Piston Animal stick vacuum, Dyson France advertises up to 70 minutes of running time and describes a motorised, anti-tangle mini brush.
Bosch Home Appliances France lists a turbo brush and a ProAnimal mini turbo brush for the Unlimited BBS81PETM stick vacuum.
The Electrolux France product details for the Pure D8 PD82-ANIMA cylinder vacuum list a 3.5 L bag, a 12 m operating radius, HEPA filtration and a mini turbo brush.
This selection includes cordless stick vacuums for regular clean-ups and a robot vacuum for maintaining accessible floors. Compare their accessories and usage requirements with the surfaces in your home.
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Its product description lists a flexible hose and a pet brush for cleaning floors and areas where your pet sleeps. The 55 kPa figure is advertised, but check which fabrics the brush is designed for and how long the vacuum runs in a mode suitable for your carpets.
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Its product description lists an anti-tangle brush and a pet brush for regular clean-ups. The advertised running time is 70 minutes, although the mode isn’t specified here. Compare the running time you can expect on your carpets and check which fabrics the pet brush is designed for.
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This stick vacuum is designed for homes with pets. If you plan to clean stairs or fabrics, check which brush is included, which surfaces it’s suitable for and how long the vacuum runs with the brush switched on.
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This robot vacuum is designed to maintain accessible floors. Its product description lists an anti-tangle brush and 8,000 Pa suction. Check whether it can cross your thresholds, handle your carpets and how to maintain the brush. You’ll need another tool for sofas and stairs.
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This stick vacuum’s product description lists an anti-tangle brush and up to 65 minutes of running time for cleaning floors. Check how long it runs with the brush on your carpets, as well as which accessories are designed for fabrics.
Not necessarily. A turbo brush designed for carpets and a mini turbo brush for furniture are suited to different surfaces. Gifam highlights the benefits of a brush designed for pet hair, while Rowenta France describes mini brushes for furniture. Check the accessories included with your exact model.
A robot vacuum can maintain accessible floors, but it won’t clean sofas or stairs. If you have challenging carpets, check the limitations of the model you’re considering. Electrolux, for example, says that one of its robot vacuums can’t clean deep-pile carpets.
Compare the running time with the brush and power setting you plan to use, rather than relying on the maximum figure alone. UFC-Que Choisir says this maximum running time is measured at the lowest power setting, so it may not reflect how you’ll use the vacuum on carpets.
No. This rating doesn’t measure how well a vacuum picks up pet hair. The Directorate-General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control describes it as a score out of 10. Check the brushes and accessories, and how to maintain them, separately.