If you share a home with a furry friend, one of the best vacuums for pet hair is essential to help you stay on top of the build-up of fuzz. Pet hair can quickly collect on carpets and furniture, and prove a challenge for even some of the best vacuum cleaners on the market. So it pays to invest in a machine that's designed to take pet hair in its stride.
At TechRadar, we test dozens of vacuums every year, and all of the models in this list have had the stamp of approval from pet owners. Hair can be notoriously tricky to suck up, so all of these pack a punch in terms of power, as well as having floorheads and detail tools that are great at loosening hair so it can be cleaned away.
The best vacuum for pet hair in 2025: tested by experts
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The best vacuum for pet hair overall
I think the best vacuum for pet hair right now is Shark Stratos Cordless. It delivers an impressive amount of suction power for a relatively lightweight cordless vacuum, and on test it proved more than up to the task of pulling hair from carpets and furniture. There's also a useful Auto mode, where the vacuum will recognize dirt, debris and hair on the floor and boost suction to clear it.
The wand can be released to bend forwards, which is perfect for cleaning right under furniture, where hair can quickly gather unchecked. My tester also found that the floorhead, although a little bulky, has plenty of swivel for getting into corners and working around awkward pieces of furniture. As an added bonus, the Statos Cordless has an odor neutralizer on the floorhead, to keep things smelling fresh. There's a decent sized dust cup and strong runtimes, plus because this is a slightly older model, the pricing tends to be affordable too.
Alternatives
For a truly deep clean, you can't beat a corded upright. So if you have a very hairy home and can deal with the relative inconvenience, I'd suggest checking out the PowerDetect Upright at #3.
Or sticking with cordless, if you have a bigger budget check out the Dyson V15 Detect (#4) which is nimbler than the Stratos, packs more power and has a useful laser to illuminate floating fluff on hard floors.
Read our full Shark Stratos Cordless review
The best affordable vacuum for pet hair
Generally, if you want the kind of power that can cope with lots of pet hair, you need to shell out a bit more. Which is why I was so pleasantly surprised when I got my hands on the Dreame R20 – this cordless vacuum comes it at a very budget-friendly price, yet packs the kind of suction I'd associate with much more expensive vacuums. The full review was conducted in a home that houses multiples cats and dogs, and my tester was amazed at the volume of pet hair it picked up, with no tangling around the floorhead, either.
The superb suction is a major benefit for pet owners, but the Dreame R20 offers plenty more besides (in fact, it's the best cordless vacuum we've tested at TechRadar all-round). It's very easy to maneuver, with an innovative carbon fiber wand contributing to a very lightweight build, and exceptional battery life. It offers intelligent suction adjustment so you don't need to fiddle around with settings, and there's a wide range of detail tools to tackle a variety of cleaning tasks. These include two different floorheads: one for general use including carpet, and another one specifically for use on hard floor. The latter has a fluffy roller that gets close to the floor surface and should help ensure hair doesn't escape the suction path.
It doesn't pack quite the suction power of a corded, upright model (#3 and #6), nor will you find the advanced features of a more premium vacuum (#4). It's also a little less sturdy than our #1 pick, and my reviewer found hair could get caught in the dustbin, and need manually removing. However, if you have pets to clean up after and don't have tons of cash to splash, the Dreame R20 is the perfect choice.
Read our full Dreame R20 vacuum review
The best upright vacuum for pet hair
Cordless stick vacuums are nimble and convenient, but for maximum suction, you can't beat a corded upright. If you can cope with the larger, heavier form factor, the best vacuum for pet hair is the Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum. On test, it proved an absolute powerhouse when it came to deep cleaning our reviewer's parents' neglected thick carpets. And while it wasn't reviewed in a home with pets, it had no issue picking up human hair from floors and furniture – without tangling up the brushroll. You'll also benefit from the generous dust cup, which can hold much more hair and debris than any stick vacuum.
While I won't pretend it's as convenient as a cordless stick vac, Shark has gone out of its way to make this vacuum as versatile as possible. The dust cup can be removed and held in the hand, and the floorhead and detail tools used on the end of a flexible tube (with or without wand attached) for cleaning hair off stairs and furniture.
I often find that it's the cordless vacuums that tend to get the latest hi-tech features, while uprights are passed over – but that's not the case with this vacuum. The PowerDetect Upright boasts many of the same intelligent features you'll find on the best Shark vacuums, including automatic power adjustment based on floor type and dirt levels, and an EdgeDetect feature that ramps up suction on the relevant side of the floorhead when it approaches the edge of a room (where hair can collect).
In general, my testers have been very impressed with Shark's upright vacuums. We also rated the Shark Stratos Pet Pro Upright very highly – that model tends to be cheaper, although with fewer automation features. It's also worth considering the Dyson upright (#6). It's very heavy, but offers even more suction than this Shark model.
Read our full Shark PowerDetect Cordless review
The best premium vacuum for pet hair
If you have more cash to splash, the best premium cordless vacuum for pet hair is the Dyson V15 Detect. Dyson remains a cut above the competition when it comes to build quality, and this vacuum has been meticulously engineered to offer maximum suction, battery life and efficiency. It's not the newest model in the lineup, but I think it's the best Dyson vacuum for most people – including pet owners specifically.
The automation features are impressive: sensors measure the number and size of particles being picked up, and report back on real time on the vacuum's LCD screen, while also ramping up and down the suction to tackle the mess efficiently. Like the Dreame at #2, there are two floorheads included: a general one is for use on any floor type, and a soft one for hard floors. The latter comes equipped with a bright green laser to create shadows on dirt that might otherwise be missed. This ensures you won't miss any stray hairs, even in dingy corners. Other brands have LED headlights, but they're nothing like this.
Another big win for pet owners is the Hair screw tool, which is a small motorized head for use on furniture and the like. It stands out because it has a tapering roller that whisks any hair straight into the bin outlet, rather than letting it get tangled up.
It's a little heavy for a cordless stick, although pivots smoothly and feels nimble to maneuver. I also don't love the fact Dyson hasn't included a switch to activate for continuous running, so you'll need to keep the trigger compressed throughout your cleaning sessions.
The V15 Detect is not quite as advanced as the newer Gen5detect, although that model is also significantly more expensive, and for most people I think the V15 delivers the best balance of performance to price (take a look at all the differences in my Gen5detect vs V15 Detect comparison).
Read our full Dyson V15 Detect review
The best bagged vacuum for pet hair
The Halo Capsule X Pet Max is a great choice if you have a lot of fur to deal with and don't want to have to empty the bin every few minutes. Rather unusually, this is a cordless stick vacuum that collects debris into a bag, which can hold up to 2 liters of fluff and fuzz before needing to be replaced. It's good news for those with allergies, because everything is neatly contained, with little to no chance of hair or dander escaping when you come to empty it. However, do factor in the ongoing cost (and annoyance) of buying bags.
While the Halo Capsule X lacks the flashy features of some of the vacuums here, it's still a really excellent cleaner. It was tested in a home that houses several shedding pets, and my reviewer commented that it collected "more hair than [he] thought possible", even from carpets. For furniture, dog beds and car interiors, there's also an excellent small motorized bristle head.
The larger bin can make it feel slightly bulky, but otherwise it's relatively lightweight and comfortable to use, with a floorhead that can pivot around pet beds, toys and other obstacles with ease. There's also strong runtimes and, as a bonus, some bundles come with a spare battery that double your cleaning time.
Read our full Halo Capsule X Pet Max review
The most powerful vacuum for pet hair
If absolute power is your priority when you're shopping for the best vacuum for pet hair, the Dyson Ball Animal should be your first stop. It's a corded upright vacuum that's all about the power, with oodles of suction, combined with a 1.7L bin that might fill up quicker than you expected as the Dyson sucks up all that deep-down fine dust in your carpets that your previous vacuum missed.
This makes it a great option for anyone with a lot of pet hair to deal with. The Dyson Ball Animal's large floorhead easily tackles pet hair on the floor and won't get clogged up with fur. In fact, it's so sucky that it can be difficult to push on carpet – make sure you don't forget about the air inlet slider on the floorhead, which should solve the issue. For cleaning off the ground, my tester was found that the Dyson's tangle-free turbine tool made quick work of clearing pet hair from upholstery.
All this power comes at a cost, though: the Dyson Ball Animal is heavy and cumbersome, even compared to other uprights like the Shark at #3. If you're used to lightweight cordless vacuums, it'll take some adjusting to, and I wouldn't recommend it for smaller or more cramped homes, or anyone with mobility issues. Although there is a flexible hose for detail work, my tester found it awkward to use, and annoyingly stiff.
Despite all this, the Dyson Ball Animal has a lot going for it and it's much more reasonably priced than a lot of Dyson range. If you regularly have a lot of pet hair to deal with, it'll quickly prove its worth.
Read our full Dyson Ball Animal vacuum review
The best auto-empty vacuum for pet hair
If you want the convenience of a cordless stick vacuum but don't love having to empty the small onboard dustbin every 10 minutes, it's worth considering an auto-empty vacuum. These aren't super common just yet, but they're becoming more and more popular, and the best auto-empty vacuum I've tested is the Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty (a sister model to the upright at #3).
Slot the vacuum onto its charge dock and everything in the onboard bin will whoosh out, via a closed system, into a much larger dust cup hidden in the base. It's incredibly efficient and low-effort, and makes emptying much cleaner too – no clouds of dander or pet hair escaping into the air. The dock is a little bulky and not terribly attractive, but if you have space to tuck it out of the way, it's a major effort-saver.
The vacuum itself is excellent, too. The suction is strong enough to pull fur, dust and dirt from carpet, and it comes with a host of smart detection features – including the ability to recognize floor type, dirt levels, and edges, and respond by adjusting suction and roller speed for an efficient clean. If you pull the floorhead back over chunky debris, it'll suck it up rather than causing it to pool up, which sounds like a small thing but is actually mega useful if you have pets that are messy as well as hairy. However, my tester did note that the Pet Multi tool wasn't amazing at pulling her own hair from furniture.
Read our full Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty review
The best vacuum for pet hair if you have allergies
The Henry Quick Cordless is the stick sibling of the iconic (to Brits) Henry canister vacuum, and it serves up powerful cleaning with a smile... and at an extremely affordable price. It's only officially available in the UK – it can be found in the US through third-party vendors, but at such an inflated price that I can't really recommend it.
Like the Halo Capsule X Pet Max (#5), the Henry Quick has a bagged design. Its pods aren't as big as the dust bags in the Halo, but Numatic says that the Henry Quick's powerful airflow compacts dust and debris to provide more capacity. And as with the Halo, changing the pods is a dust-free experience, making this an attractive option for anyone with easily triggered allergies. In our review, my tester was impressed by the suction that the Henry Quick Cordless' suction power, which cleared dog hair from carpet and furniture with ease. It doesn't have a fancy auto mode, but the suction can be dialed up or down, and there's the option to add a scent pod to leave your home smelling fresh after you've vacuumed, too.
Battery life ranges from 14 minutes at maximum power to 70 minutes in lower power mode with the motorized brush turned off. That compares well to the other models included in my list, and gives you plenty of time for a whole-home clean.
Read our full Numatic Henry Quick review
The best robot vacuum for pet hair
Want your vacuum to do all the work for you? A robovac can help with that, and my top recommendation for pet owners is the Dreame L40 Ultra. I'll start by making it clear that even today's best robot vacuums tend to offer less suction than a manual vac, which means they aren't the ideal choice for deep cleans. Where they do excel is at keeping on top of regular, light cleans with next-to-no effort required from you. You can schedule them to clean while you're out, and then supplement their efforts with an occasional, more thorough clean with a manual vacuum.
So what makes the Dreame L40 Ultra stand out for pet owners in particular? It boasts impressive suction for a robovac, and proved capable to handling the large volumes of dog hair from my tester's many four-legged friends. It's as effective on carpet as it is on hard floor, and the larger-than-average dock dustbin means you won't be constantly replacing the dust bag. It also navigates reliably well, maps areas accurately and efficiently, and is effective at identifying and avoiding obstacles (although there's no robovac I'd trust to dodge pet poop – take note if your pet isn't fully house trained).
There are a few more advanced features worth flagging. Like many robovacs nowadays, the L40 Ultra can mop as well as vacuuming. The mopping here is a cut above average – the rotating mop pads will have no trouble cleaning away muddy pawprints. A do-it-all dock will take care of most maintenance tasks for you, too. As well as emptying the bot's small onboard dust cup, it'll also refill its water tank and wash and dry the mop pads. If you're going to be running this robovac regularly, then such advanced features should save you a lot of effort.
The L40 Ultra is the premium end of the robovac market (and significantly pricier than most manual vacuums – as I'd expect). However, deals crop up semi-regularly, and you can avoid paying full price if you're smart about when you buy. It's well worth the investment if you're feeling overwhelmed by staying on top of cleaning up after your pets.
Read our full Dreame L40 Ultra review
The best vacuum for pet hair: specs compared
Model | Type | Bagged? | Weight | Bin size | Max runtime |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shark Stratos Cordless | Cordless stick | No | 8.9lbs / 4kg | 0.8L | 60 mins |
Dreame R20 | Cordless stick | No | 6 lbs / 2.7kg | 0.6L | 90 mins |
Shark PowerDetect Upright | Corded upright | No | 17.6 lbs / 8 kg | 1.3 L | Unlimited |
Dyson V15 Detect | Cordless stick | No | 6.8 lbs / 3 kg | 0.8 L | 60 mins |
Halo Capsule X Pet Max | Cordless stick | Yes | 5.7lbs / 2.6kg | 2L | 50 mins |
Dyson Ball Animal | Corded upright | No | 17.3lbs / 7.7kg | 1.7L | Unlimited |
Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty System | Cordless stick | No | 8lbs / 3.7kg | 0.7L (vac) + 2L (dock) | 70 mins |
Numatic Henry Quick | Cordless stick | Yes | 7lbs / 3.2kg | 1L | 70 mins |
Dreame L40 Ultra | Robot vacuum | Yes (in dock) | N/A | 3.2L (dock) | N/A |
Dyson Gen5detect | Cordless stick | No | 7.6lbs / 3.5kg | 0.8L | 70 mins |
The best vacuum for pet hair: FAQs
What is the difference between a pet hair vacuum and a regular vacuum?
While regular vacuums can clean up pet hair, they may not be as effective or efficient, especially in homes with multiple pets or heavy shedding. Vacuums that specialize in pet hair are specifically optimized to handle these challenges.
This typically means they feature specialized brushes, such as tangle-free brush rolls or rubber bristles, designed to attract and capture pet hair more efficiently. The filtration systems in pet vacuums are also usually more advanced, helping to trap dander and allergens, which is particularly beneficial for pet owners with allergies.
Pet-specific vacuums often come with specialized attachments like upholstery brushes or crevice tools tailored for removing pet hair from different surfaces. They may also have larger dust bins to accommodate the extra hair and debris collected. Some models include anti-odor features such as carbon filters or other odor-neutralizing technologies to combat pet-related smells.
What to look for in a pet hair vacuum
When searching for a pet hair vacuum, your most important priority will be suction power, which will help effectively remove embedded hair from carpets and upholstery. Beyond that, look for specialized brush rolls designed to prevent hair tangling and efficiently collect pet fur. If you suffer from allergies, a high-quality filtration system is also crucial to trap dander and allergens.
Consider vacuums with versatile attachments such as upholstery tools and crevice nozzles to tackle hair on various surfaces. Opt for models with larger dust bins to reduce the frequency of emptying, especially if you have multiple pets or deal with heavy shedding.
Maneuverability is important, so choose a vacuum that's easy to handle and can reach under furniture, especially if that's where your furry friends spend a lot of their day. Cordless and handheld models are strong on this kind of flexibility, but make sure they provide sufficient battery life for your needs.
Noise level is another factor to consider, especially if your pets are sensitive to loud sounds. Finally, check for additional features like HEPA filters, odor control, and tangle-free technology.
