For a home with pets, start by choosing a vacuum cleaner to suit the surfaces you need to clean and how often you’ll be using it. A cylinder vacuum with a brush designed for carpets and upholstery is a good choice for a thorough clean. A cordless stick vacuum makes quick clean-ups easier, but check the battery life for the mode you’ll use. A robot vacuum can keep accessible floors clean on a regular basis, but you’ll still need a manual vacuum for sofas, stairs and some finishing touches.
If pet hair gets caught in the fibres, check the brush designed for carpets, as well as the smaller tools for cushions and sofas. Make sure they’re included with the exact model you’re considering, even if its name includes the word ‘Animal’.
A cordless stick vacuum is easy to grab for visible pet hair between full cleans. However, Que Choisir points out that the maximum battery life quoted is usually for the lowest power setting, so compare it with the mode you’re likely to use.
A robot vacuum can take care of some of the floor cleaning if it can access the rooms. You’ll still need to clean its brushes and empty the dust box, or maintain the docking station. It won’t reach furniture or stairs.
Worth considering: for your main clean on carpets and rugs, with a brush suited to the fibres.
The trade-off: you’ll need to store the vacuum and its cord. Depending on the model, you may also need to buy bags or empty the dust box.
Worth considering: for frequent pick-ups of visible pet hair from floors and, with the right attachment, furniture.
The trade-off: how long you can clean for depends on the power setting and battery; the dust box needs regular maintenance.
Worth considering: for scheduled cleaning on accessible floors in rooms with enough clear space.
The trade-off: it won’t clean sofas or stairs, and you’ll need to maintain its brushes and dust box, as well as the docking station if there is one.
Once you’ve chosen a type, check that its attachments suit the surfaces in your home. Then consider the battery life or maintenance involved if you’ll be using it frequently.
| What to consider | What to check | To suit my needs |
|---|---|---|
| Carpets and upholstery | Check whether it comes with a turbo brush for carpets and a mini brush or upholstery tool for furniture. Make sure the attachments are included with the exact model. | Pet hair keeps coming back on my carpet and sofa, so I need tools suited to both surfaces, not just a large floor head. |
| Frequent clean-ups | Check how easy it is to take out and put away, battery life in the mode you plan to use, dust-box capacity and how easy it is to access. According to Que Choisir, a stick vacuum’s maximum battery life is generally measured on the lowest power setting. | For a few quick clean-ups throughout the day, I want a vacuum that’s easy to use, while keeping in mind how long it takes to recharge and empty. |
| Automated floor cleaning | Check how it moves around furniture, over thresholds and through the areas you want to clean. Look at scheduling, emptying the dust box and brush maintenance. Que Choisir notes that robot vacuum performance varies depending on the floor type. | I’d like to schedule cleaning for accessible floors, while keeping a manual option for cushions and stairs. |
| Maintenance and repair | Check how easy it is to access the filters and brushes, whether spare parts are available, and the model’s repairability index. The French Ministry of the Economy explains that this score out of 10 takes into account factors including documentation, disassembly and spare parts. | If I use my vacuum often, I want to be able to clean the parts that need regular care and check the repair options before buying. |
A power or suction figure on its own doesn’t tell you how well a vacuum cleans fibres or how easy its brush is to maintain. Que Choisir’s testing methods assess different floor types and materials, among other factors.
Where available, look for tests on the surfaces in your home, then check which brushes and tools come with the exact model you’re considering.
Que Choisir says that a stick vacuum’s maximum battery life is generally measured on the lowest power setting. It may not reflect how long you can clean carpets for on a more powerful setting.
Check which mode the advertised figure applies to and compare it with the length of your usual cleaning sessions.
The brushes need cleaning, and, as Que Choisir points out, you’ll need to empty the dust box regularly if there’s no emptying station. Obstacles and thresholds can also limit the areas it can reach.
Check the routes it can take through your rooms, where the station will go and what maintenance the model requires.
If you use your vacuum frequently, easy access to the filters and brushes is especially useful. For cordless models, the battery is worth considering too. The repairability index gives you information about repair-related criteria, but not how well the vacuum cleans up pet hair.
Compare the score for the exact model and check which spare parts and support are available for it.
These examples show differences in style and features. The details given apply to the models named, not to every product from each brand.
The X-Force Flex range includes cordless stick vacuums such as the X-Force Flex 13.60 Animal RH9A76E0.
The Série 6 ProAnimal BGS41PET1 is a bagless, corded cylinder vacuum.
The Guard M1 Cat & Dog is a bagged cylinder vacuum designed for carpets and rugs, among other surfaces.
The Qrevo S Pro is an example of a robot vacuum with a docking station for scheduled floor cleaning.
These models include cordless stick vacuums for cleaning floors and a robot vacuum for accessible areas. If pet hair also gathers on your furniture, check that the model you’re considering comes with tools for upholstery.
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Worth considering for frequent floor clean-ups if you’d like a cordless vacuum. The model name mentions a removable battery, a self-standing design and an anti-tangle brush. If you also want to clean cushions or your sofa, check which attachments are actually included.
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This stick vacuum could be a good choice for frequent cleaning of floors and carpets. If you also want to clean upholstery, check which tools are included. The model name mentions an anti-tangle brush, a self-standing design and an LED touchscreen. For longer cleaning sessions, check the battery life on the power setting you plan to use rather than relying on the maximum figure alone.
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The advertised charging and emptying station may appeal to homes that need to clean their floors frequently, but it doesn’t remove the need to maintain the brushes and station. The model name mentions an anti-tangle brush. Before relying on this vacuum to clean your sofa, check which attachments are included and what consumables the station needs.
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This stick vacuum is presented as suitable for hard floors and carpets; adjust the time you expect to spend cleaning to the mode you use. The model name mentions an anti-tangle brush, handheld use and a charging station. If you often clean cushions, check which small tools are included.
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Worth considering for scheduled cleaning of accessible floors, while keeping a manual vacuum for furniture and stairs. The model name mentions the OMNI station, mopping and ZeroTangle 3.0. Remember to maintain the brushes and, if you use the mop function, manage the clean and dirty water.
Not necessarily. A robot vacuum can clean accessible floors, but it won’t clean sofas, cushions or stairs. Que Choisir also says its performance varies depending on the floor type and that, without an emptying station, you’ll need to empty its dust box regularly.
Before comparing the quoted run time with your cleaning sessions, check which setting it applies to. According to Que Choisir, the maximum battery life of stick vacuums is generally measured on the lowest power setting, so it shouldn’t be taken as the run time on high power.
For sofas, look for a mini brush or an upholstery tool. For carpets and rugs, check the brush designed for those surfaces. The Miele and Rowenta product details show how the features can vary, so always check which attachments come with the exact model rather than relying on the word ‘Animal’.
No. The index tells you about repairability, not how well a vacuum cleans pet hair. The French Ministry of the Economy explains that its score out of 10 is based on factors including documentation, disassembly and spare parts. Check separately whether the brushes and attachments suit the surfaces in your home.