15 Best Pet Hair Vacuums UK 2023 Reviewed – For Dog And Cat Hair

Once again the Appliance hunter has set out to find the best of the best, this time searching down the Best Pet Hair Vacuum Cleaners.

It was a long search but victory was found! And was found again in 2023 when I updated almost every product on this page to the latest versions at the best deals.

This guide contains everything you need to know plus I’ve gathered together and reviewed the 10 best picks.

I’ve linked them all through to Amazon where you can order yours today.

Top 5 Best Vacuum Cleaners For Pet Hair

• Top Choice – Shark Upright Vacuum Cleaner [NZ850UK] with Anti Hair Wrap
• Runner Up – Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog Plus, Bagged Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner
• Best cordless vacuum for pet hair – Shark Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner [IZ300UKT] Anti Hair Wrap & Pet Tool
• Best Budget Choice – Hoover Whirlwind Pets Bagless Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner
• Best Robot Bagless vacuum for pet hair – Proscenic M7 PRO WLAN Robot Vacuum Cleaner, with Laser Navigation & Mop Function

1. Top Choice – Shark Upright Vacuum Cleaner [NZ801UK] with Anti Hair Wrap

 

This is the best of the best if you’re wanting to deal with pet hair in your home, with 25% more suction than the previous model you’re home will be the cleanest it’s ever been.

but one of the reasons I like this for pet hair so much is that it’s got anti-hair-wrap technology which stops hair getting tangled in the rotary brush, so no more periodically turning it upside down to cut all tangled the hair out. Especially good for long hair pets (and housemates).

Apart from that it’s got DUO clean technology that allows you to glide from hard floors to carpets while it automatically adjusts its height for the most effective clean on of your floors.

Where does it go wrong? All this suction power along with the technology inside make it rather heavy to push around, so not good if you’re dealing with arthritis or you need something lighter, for that you’ll be better off with either the Miele below or the cordless shark further down.

When you first use it you’ll be shocked and maybe a little disgusted at how much dirt and dust get lifted from your floors, the result is that the dust container fills up fast and needs to be emptied a lot, but as you get into a new cleaning routine it stops being a hassle.

Finally you can buy a pet hair tool accessory that allows you to deep clean upholstery, allowing for a deep clean of the dogs’ favourite chair… It’s around £20-30 at the time of writing and is available on amazon.
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Overall, a superb vacuum cleaner with deep cleaning abilities, super convenient anti-hair-wrap and Duoclean technology. An easy top choice.

2. Runner Up – Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog Plus, Bagged Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

 

I think the Shark above is the better vacuum cleaner, but it depends what you’re looking for, the Miele C3 is bagged for easier cleanup and a cylinder vacuum so much easier to move around your house.

I know some of you prefer a lighter vacuuming experience but still want a great clean so this is a perfect choice.

It’s got a strong suction on it and a universal floor head that works on hard floors and carpets. You need to turn the suction down a little to clean your carpets but this is fairly standard of all vacuum cleaners.

Whatyou will love is how tested Miele products are, they put them through crash tests and run tests to ensure that they are built to last, with the claim that this hoover will outlast your carpets.

So if you like buying for the long term this is the way to go.

3. Best Cordless Vacuum For Pet Hair – Shark Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner [IZ300UKT] Anti Hair Wrap & Pet Tool

 

This is my current favourite vacuum cleaner out there, the only reason it’s not the top choice is it doesn’t have quite as much power compared to the upright Shark vacuum above.

But what it does have is convenience, vacuuming every day is no problem when you’ve got a cordless vacuum cleaner, you can just pick it up and go. And with 60 minutes of run time, you’ll easily make round your entire house with 1 charge.

The anti-hair wrap stops hair tangling around the head so you don’t have to cut it out and the duo clean means you can glide effortlessly from hard floor to carpet without having to change the suction.

It also stands by itself thanks to the flexology which allows it to fold in half and stand alone. This also allows you to easily vacuum underneath things too. Plus the LED lights let you see exactly what you’re hoovering.

Finally you’ve got the pet tool included so you can use it as a handheld vacuum cleaner and get a deep clean of stairs or furniture with the motorized brush that beats up all the hair dust and dander from the upholstery.

A superb vacuum cleaner and the perfect choice if you’re dealing with pet hair and like convenience.

4. Best Budget Choice – Hoover Whirlwind Pets Bagless Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

With a budget model, you’re not going to get as good a clean as you will from a more expensive vacuum. But you’re a pet owner, you’re already spending enough on your pet right? So I’m sure you want to be budget aware.

Well, the hoover Whirlwind is a great balance, it’s a canister vacuum with fantastic suction and an upholstery tool to get the hair off the furniture.

It doesn’t have any sort of roller in the floor head which is great because it doesn’t get tangled up in hair you have to snip out but it means it can be tough on the carpet. It still works, you just have to open up the air vent.

But if you’ve got hard floors, lino or hardwood, then you’re on to a winner.

It’s easy to get out and use because the power cord just gets pulled out then automatically winds back in when you’re ready at the push of a button. Then you can fit it into most cupboards because of the small size.

Overall: For the low price tag, not a bad choice at all, better for hard floors but good suction and easy to use.

5. Best robot vacuum for pet hair – Proscenic M7 PRO WLAN Robot Vacuum Cleaner, with Laser Navigation & Mop Function

 

Robot vacuums can get about as expensive as you want them to be, so this is the perfect blend of power and price. With powerful suction that can deal with pet hair even in carpets.

It laser maps out the home so that it can move effectively around the house and even has a mop function for hard floors for that extra clean. The mop is just water so it’s wiping it rather than a deep clean but it’s a nice extra feature.

You’ve got 150 minutes of cleaning time which is more than enough to get even around a large house and the Prosccenic auto-detects what floor type it’s on and adjusts its cleaning power accordingly.

The app doesn’t work as well as it should, there are various problems with the interface, but once you’ve got it set up with a schedule you won’t need to deal with the app too much so it isn’t a huge deal.

I prefer a regular vacuum for dealing with pet hair but if you’re looking for a robot vacuum then this is a great choice.

Types Of Pet Hair Vacuum Cleaner

The good thing about pet hair vacuums is they come in just about every style.

The bad thing is that makes it much harder to pick which one you want!

Upright Pet Hair Vacuum Cleaners

Upright vacuums are hands down the best for pet hair.

They have the most powerful suction, the biggest canister space for collecting dust and hair and they have all the attachments so that you can clean just about everywhere.

If you have a lot of floor space to vacuum then an upright vacuum is the way to go.

The only place they fall short is on the stairs. The good ones have an extendable hose you can use to tackle the stairs but it can be a pain in the backside to try and deal with.

So if you want an easy life an upright vacuum and a powerful handheld are the best way to go.

I’ve written a separate post on upright vacuums that should consider checking out if you think it’s right for you.

Cylinder

Cylinder vacuums (or canister vacuum cleaners) are smaller and easier to manoeuvre around the house but they tend to have slightly less suction power than their upright counterparts.

They do tend to have nice big containers so you don’t have to empty them too often and they do still have good suction as long as you get the right one (like the ones recommended here).

They also tend to be cheaper than an upright (though not always) which is a plus if you’re on a budget. More bagless cylinder vacuums here.

Stick

Stick vacuums are great to pull out and use on-demand. Nice and lightweight and you can whizz them around the house in no time. The weight is at the top of the handle so you can start to get tired in your wrist and forearms if you use it for an extended time.

They tend to have pretty small containers which aren’t ideal. But emptying them more often is the price you pay for a nifty little lightweight vacuum.

They’re great if you vacuum a few times a week because there’s no fuss. You just pull them out of the cupboard and go. More great stick vacuum cleaners here.

Handheld

Handheld vacuums are great for spot cleaning or getting hair off of sofas and upholstery.

So if you have a dog who likes to sneak up on the sofa a handheld vacuum is pretty much a must.

A lot of vacuums have attachments for cleaning sofas and you can use the loose hose pipe if you have an upright but a handheld is just so much easier.

Again I’ve got a different post on handheld vacuums that’s worth checking out.

Robot

Robot vacuums don’t normally cope with pet hair, it tends to fill them up too fast or they don’t have enough suction. But, some do a great job with pet hair.

Not a must-have but great for the lazy homeowner. And if you have a cat you can try to teach them to ride it! Though that might just be one of my goals…

Corded Vs Cordless Pet Hair Vacuums

The age-old debate of corded vs cordless goes back hundreds of years.

Ok, it goes back to 2001 when the first cordless vacuum went on sale. Even then no one could afford it so there wasn’t much debate…

But this is today! And some very reasonably priced cordless vacuums are powerful.

Cordless vacuums are almost always stick vacuums, at least the ones that are any good are.

Pros Of A Cordless Vacuum For Pet Hair

• Quick and Easy To Use
• Lightweight
• Mounting Bracket For Easy Storage
• Very Powerful Suction

Cons

• Need to be Emptied More Often
• Need a long time to recharge

I’m fairly on the fence about cordless vacuums.

I love that they’re so easy to use, that you can just pick them up and go. But things that are battery powered tend to have shorter lives than corded alternatives.

According to a consumer reports survey, a vacuum will last about 8 years depending on the brand. But I can’t find any info about cordless vacuums. Generally, though the older something on the battery gets the more its battery loses power. Think of an old mobile phone that needs charge twice a day compared to a new one that can last a day and a half.

I think cordless vacuums will keep on vacuuming for many years but how long they run for might start to fade.

So if you have a big house with a lot of floor space that’ll need the full charge then go for an upright. But if you have a small house or flat then a cordless will do you just fine.

Bagged Vs Bagless Pet Hair Vacuums

Again this comes down to personal preference and what type of vacuum you want to get.

Bagged vacuums tend to be cylinder vacuums, like a Henry Hoover, where you can just lift the bag out and throw it straight in the bin.

I love this style because there’s no mess. Because you don’t want to vacuum, get everything all nice and clean than go to empty the vacuum and put hair and dust everywhere.

The downside is, you have to keep buying more bags which is an expense that can add up over time. it won’t add up to massive amounts but still something to think about.

Some bagless vacuums are great because they’re designed to minimise the mess. Stick vacuums can be great for this, they normally have a nice easy emptying mechanism so you can open it straight into the bin.

So again it’s up to you! Both are great for different reasons and both are great for dealing with pet hair.

The All-Important HEPA Filter

How have I made it this far without talking about the HEPA filter! It’s an absolute must-have for dealing with pets

What is a HEPA filter you ask?

Well.

The HEPA filter inside a vacuum cleaner that acts as an air purifier. So air gets sucked in through the hose and with it all the dirt. The dirt gets collected in the canister and then the air passes through the HEPA filter before going back into the room.

Why is it good for pets?

Because it takes all the allergens out of the air, great if you have visitors who might be allergic to cats and dogs.

It’s not as important if you have zero allergies, but it does clear the air up and leave your house smelling fresher after you vacuum.

Hepa filters are made out of fibreglass (and other things) and work by basically attracting allergens into the air to where they get stuck. And if they’re stuck on the filter they’re not in the air!

Must-haves of a vacuum for pet hair

So, we’ve made it through all the different types of vacuum for pet hair, now what about inside each of those categories? How do you know which is best!

Let’s take a look at some of the must-haves for a pet hair vacuum no matter what type.

Powerful suction

This is by far the most important.

If it doesn’t have good enough suction how are you going to pick up all that damn pet hair that’s everywhere??

Exactly, we’re not.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to define good suction, as it’s not measured. But I’ve done my very best to talk about it with each vacuum further down.

All the recommendations here are great for pet hair so good suction is kind of a given. But if you choose a different one not recommended here then make sure it says “good suction” somewhere or the reviews talk about it.

Good Container Size

Maybe not an absolute must-have but if you’re vacuuming up a lot of hair, especially around shedding time, then a big container is a must or you’re going to be emptying it after every use.

If you don’t mind emptying it then it’s not a problem of course but I know most people would rather avoid it!

Vacuum makers don’t always say but more than 1.5L is a good size that won’t need to be emptied too often whereas 0.6L might need emptied every second use. It depends on how much it’s needed.

Easy Empty

Hand and hand with a good container size are having one that’s nice and easy to empty.

Bagged vacuums are the easiest, as I talked about earlier, but you don’t want to be fiddling around with clips and spilling dust everywhere while you try to empty it!

What to watch out for When Buying A Vacuum For Pet Hair

These are the must not have. A trap to watch out for when you’re buying a pet hair vacuum cleaner.

Vacuums That Just Have A Pet Hair Attachment

Some vacuums are marketed as pet hair vacuums when in reality they’re normal vacuums with a small head attachment that’s good for pet hair.

Now, this little head attachment is nice and powerful and does a great job of vacuuming up pet hair but it’s not practical for doing the whole house.

A great vacuum made for pet hair is one that you can use normally and still make short work of hairy carpets.

F.A.Q

Are these the best hoovers for pet hair too?

Yes! These are the best hoovers for dog hair, cat hair, and all other pet hair. Hoover is the brand rather than the appliance itself so just to save confusion I’ve stuck to calling it the best vacuum cleaners for pet hair rather than the best pet hair hoovers.

Are pet vacuums worth it?

I’d say so, otherwise, you’re going to have a vacuum that either isn’t powerful enough, jams or doesn’t get rid of allergens out the air. None of which sound good to me.

Is Dyson the best vacuum for pet hair?

I’d argue they’re the best in terms of cleaning ability but not in terms of price. I think the best vacuum has to take price into account so that most people have the chance to use it. The Dyson V11, for instance, costs a fortune!

​Are shop vacs good for pet hair?

They’re not bad but not made for home use, you’re likely to damage your floor using a shop vac.

Can you vacuum your dog?

I wouldn’t recommend it, you’re going to end up hurting them or at the very least scaring the living daylights out of them! That said you do get special grooming vacuums for dogs, but I haven’t talked about them here.

Other Vacuum Cleaners For Pet Hair Reviewed

Dyson DC41 Animal Dyson Ball Upright Vacuum Cleaner

The Dyson DC41 Animal is likely one of the most popular full stops!

It has ridiculously good suction and the tangle-free turbine makes it ideal for dealing with pet hair. Nothing worse than trying to untangle a big wad of hair from the bottom of the vacuum.

The downside is, of course, the price, it’s not cheap and I won’t pretend it is. But Dyson vacuums are amongst the best and they will last you many years to come.

It also has the cool “roller-ball” technology that means it rolls around on the big ball instead of four wheels. This means it just glides around effortlessly, you don’t have to keep going back and forth over the same bit to get right up to the walls.

You’ve probably seen the adverts right? Pretty cool.

The cleaner head auto-adjusts to what type of floor it’s on too. So if you go from carpet to hard floor it knows exactly what to do. It’s genius!

Overall, A fantastic vacuum that’ll make short work of pet hair on any surface. Everything you need in a pet hair vacuum.

Hoover Freedom Pets 3in1 Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

I wasn’t sure whether to put the 25 minutes run time as a pro or a con. Because it is still quite good but compared to Dyson’s 40-minute runtime it’s not great.

So good if you normally manage to vacuum your house in 25 minutes you’ll be fine.

This is a budget alternative to a cordless pet hair vacuum. It’s got good suction but struggles on the hard floor because of the way the rollers move they blow the dust around on the hard floor rather than pick it up.

On carpet though, it does a great job with pet hair, plenty of suction to lift it out the carpet.

It’s got a mounting bracket so you can hang it up which is great because it keeps it tidy and up off the floor. Just mounting it doesn’t charge it but there’s a cable you plug into the vacuum while it’s charging that does just fine.

Overall, a great budget alternative to the Dyson V8 Animal above, good suction on carpet for dealing with Pet Hair.

Miele Complete C3 Cat and Dog PowerLine

It’s not much heavier than some of the upright pet hair vacuums but because it’s a lot smaller it feels a lot heavier. However, the good thing is that it has a massive 4.5L capacity. Ideal if you have a big dog (or dogs) who shed a lot.

All the vacuums here are good for dog hair of course but the large capacity of this one made it especially good. The same goes for cats and cat hair.

And it’s bagged which makes disposing of all the hair and dust even easier. A necessity when the capacity is this big.

It’s got really powerful suction and the head is designed with pet hair in mind so it easily lifts off the floor.

Overall, a great vacuum for dealing with dog hair, the extra-large capacity and bagged canister make cleaning up a breeze.

Vax Power 3 PET Bagless Cylinder Vacuum

The suction on this pet hair vacuum is maybe too powerful. It’s great for picking pet hair off of the thick carpet and hard floors, but it takes thin carpet with it! Which makes it quite difficult to use.

It does have an adjustable head so you can reduce the power which helps a bit but it still pulls a little while you go.

But if you have thick carpet or wood flooring you’ll get on fine. It’s got a nice big 2.2 L capacity so you don’t have to empty it too often and an attachment to get in and about furniture.

One of the annoying things about this one is because the pipe is so low down it can be quite bad for tipping over. More of a nuisance than an actual problem but worth mentioning.

Overall, a good vacuum for pet hair in shaggy carpets and lots of wood flooring, not good for thin carpets or lino.

Eufy RoboVac 11 Robotic Cleaner Designed for Hard Floor and Thin Carpet

The major drawback is that when you first use it there’s a good chance that your dog is going to bark at it and try and eat it…

Not hugely different from the normal vacuum of course but something to be aware of, best to use it when the dogs are out for a walk.

What I liked about this one is the waste bin is quite a good size so you don’t need to stop halfway through to empty it. And it has good enough suction to pick up pet hair on a thin carpet and hard floor.

What I like is that it docks itself to recharge when it starts getting low on battery. It lasts about an hour and a half and takes about 5-6 hours to charge which isn’t bad.

Overall, A great robot vacuum for pet hair, self-charging and a good waste container size.

Shark NV601UKT Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum Cleaner

What I liked about the Shark Upright True Pet Vacuum is the Powered Lift-Away feature.

This lets you lift the canister out of the body and use the hose and regular head away from the body, which is great if you’re vacuuming stairs or other hard to reach places. I’ve got a picture below to show you what I mean.

Pretty cool right?

Apart from that, it comes with a powered pet hair brush to de-hair any furniture you’ve got and plenty of power to clean up regardless of floor type. Whether you’ve got hard floors or carpet, and whether you’re dealing with dog hair or vat hair you’re going to be able to clean up effectively with the shark.

​It’s my favourite choice because it’s the perfect balance of power without being too expensive. Because Dyson are the industry leader but they are super expensive.

It’s lightweight enough to use comfortably every day and the power cord is easy to take on and off the body. Everything you need to deal with pesky pet hair.

Overall, a great pet vacuum cleaner, good on hardwood floors, carpets and dealing with stairs. Lots of suction and a turbo brush attachment for cleaning up your furniture and curtains.

Dyson Cordless V8 Animal Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

I won’t beat around the bush, it’s a Dyson so it’s quite expensive. But it is also one of the most popular vacuums for pet hair.

It’s got a charging docking station you mount on the wall so you just have to hang it up and it’ll start charging which is so handy.

You just dock it, it charges and you can take it out every day to run around the house. I know when my dog is casting I need to vacuum at least once a day if not twice, and getting the clunky upright vacuum out the cupboard is annoying, you’re messing around with the cable plug it in, you’re pulling it apart to empty it.

My life became much easier when I got the animal cordless vacuum and can just unhook it, vacuum in minutes, empty it into the outside bin and hang it up again.

It has a 40 minute run time (on the lower power setting) which is more than enough to get around even a big house. On the more powerful suction setting, it’s around 20 minutes of run time but you don’t want to be doing that all the time.

You can double it as a smaller handheld vacuum as well which is cool, it’s got a special head attachment so you can de-hair furniture and curtains easily.

And it has the all-important HEPA filtration system to clean up the air while you vacuum removing allergens and dander that might be in the air.

BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser

It’s a bit pricey but it can’t be beaten at its ability to pick up pet hair.

A special motorized brush dislodges pet hair getting an even deeper clean. It stops those annoying hairs that seem to have sewn themselves into the fabric of the sofa somehow.

It’s cordless and has a 15-minute battery life so great for going out and cleaning your car with, a couple of different nozzles that help you get in and about everything.

Great suction and a double-action filter which cleans all the germs and allergens out of the floor.

Overall, a great handheld vacuum cleaner perfect for pet hair.

Roborock E25 Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Like a Roomba, only cheaper! It works with an app and does a great job at mapping out the house so that it can make its way around using an efficient path to reduce power use and speed up cleaning.

Does a great job at picking up pet dander and hair from the ground making the room fresher for allergy sufferers with its strong suction.

You control it in an app so you can set up a schedule to use it. Once it’s set you just need to empty it once a day and you’ll be ready to go!

What I liked about this one, in particular, is that it’s got a mopping function with a built-in water tank so you can clean up the mess made by muddy paws that come in from walks. Whether that’s your muddy paws or the dogs doesn’t matter, I’m not judging!.

Make sure your furry little friend gets used to it though, otherwise, it’s a very expensive dog chew toy!

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