15 Best Pet Hair Vacuums UK 2024 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 it was found again in 2024 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 [NZ690UK] with Anti Hair Wrap
• Runner up – Shark Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner [IZ300UK] Anti Hair Wrap & Pet Tool
• Best Upright – Dyson DC41 Animal Ball Upright Vacuum Cleaner
• Best Budget Choice – Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner
• Best Robot For Pet Hair – Bagotte BG600 Robot Vacuum Cleaner

1. Top Choice – Shark Upright Vacuum Cleaner [NZ690UK] with Anti Hair Wrap

Expect a professional-level cleaning experience with the Shark bagless vacuum, it’s got superb suction, works on hard floors and carpets and it’s got the coveted anti-hair wrap that stops it from getting tangled up with hair.

Besides the excellent suction power, you get Duo Clean action from 2 roller brushes working together to battle the most stubborn pet hair. The first roller is soft and helps work dirt up from hard floors. The second roller features lots of smaller brushes to beat the carpet free of pet hair and stains.

The vacuum is a 3 in 1 tool. Its main function is a stand-up cleaner, but it can also be taken down to the canister and hose and used as a cylinder vacuum. Then it can also be transformed into a handheld vacuum for use in a car or on furniture. Even as a handheld unit, it uses a roller brush to tackle pet hair on any type of surface.

HEPA filters trap dander, dust mites and other allergens in the vacuum leaving the air clean for allergy sufferers.

2. Runner up – Shark Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner [IZ300UK] With Anti Hair Wrap

I love this vacuum, yes that’s right I love a vacuum because it’s got the feature I’ve always dreamed of, an anti-hair wrap brush head.

This means it doesn’t get tangled in long hair that you have to awkwardly try and cut off while the vacuums on the side pour dust everywhere. You can just pick it up and go time and time again only having to stop and empty it.

It’s also got Shark’s Duo Clean which is a soft brush to pick up dust off of hard floors and a beater brush to bash dust and pet hair out of carpets. Alongside Shark’s latest innovation of PowerFins which beat up even more dirt out of carpets as you move around your house for maximum cleaning power.

It’s still not as powerful as the Shark upright vacuum below but it is a close second in terms of power and because it’s cordless it’s much easier to vacuum more regularly.

You can also bring it onto the furniture by changing it down to its handheld mode and using either the smaller brush head that comes with it or the main head for powerful suction and a deep clean of stairs.

The only problem is that the canister you empty sometimes gets wrapped with hair and you have to stick your hand in and pull it out. Not the end of the world but it makes emptying a little more of a messy job.

Finally, it’s got flexology technology which means it bends in half which you can use to easily get under furniture or, and this is the bit I like, you can fold it in half and it stores upright. Wall mounts are great but I prefer just being able to stand my vacuum in a corner.

This is my top choice of cordless vacuum and my best ever pick of all the vacuum cleaners, you couldn’t ask for better out of a vacuum cleaner.

3. Best Upright – Dyson DC41 Animal 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 which 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.

4. Best Budget Choice – Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Cylinder Vacuum Cleaner

I always prefer bagless, bagged vacuum cleaners have too much of a recurring cost in bags I think.

This Eureka is a great choice, it’s easy to empty, easy to use and stores away in the cupboard easily too. Its main problem is on deep pile carpets, it’s much more suited to hard floors and tends to “stick” on carpets.

That’s the problem with budget choices, you tend to get one or the other, so this is great for hard floors and the one above is good for carpets. You need to up the price if you want to have one that’s great on both. Otherwise, go with the majority of the floors you’ll be dealing with.

Apart from that, it’s nice and lightweight to pull around the house, the cord is long enough to reach around even large rooms and for the low price it’s worth it.

Quick cleaning, is not the best for pets, but it’s a great choice of bagless vacuum.

5. Best Robot For Pet Hair – Bagotte BG600 Robot Vacuum Cleaner

The Bagotte BG600 Robot Vacuum Cleaner is an excellent alternative to the Eufy vacuum and has many of the same features.

Firstly, this vacuum has excellent suction power, which makes it great for getting up pet hair and also for cleaning short-pile carpets. It has 6 different cleaning modes including modes for single room cleaning, edge cleaning and spot cleaning amongst others. It’s also self-cleaning, which can set it to do at a certain time.

Although this has excellent suction power for a robot vacuum, it doesn’t do particularly well with long-pile carpets or rugs, so this is definitely worth bearing in mind.

It comes with everything you need to get started included in the box and it’s very easy to set up and start using right away. You get a 1 year warranty included and Prime members get free delivery.

Overall: This is a very capable and feature-rich robot vacuum that does an excellent job of cleaning short-pile and hard floors as well as getting up pet hair.

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 ways 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 charged 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 then go to empty the vacuum and put hair and dust everywhere.

The downside is, that 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, it’s 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 that 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 them!

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 in the air. None of them 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

Hoover Freedom Pets 3in1 Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

I wasn’t sure whether to put the 25-minute 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, with plenty of suction to lift it out of 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, it’s a great budget alternative to the Dyson V8 Animal above, with good suction on the 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, it’s 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 may be 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 it is worth mentioning.

Overall, it’s 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 is the industry leader, 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 of 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 could just unhook it, vacuum it 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 it’s 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!

Related Reading

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Best cordless vacuum cleaners