Best Vacuum for Pet Hair – We tested over a dozen models to find out which one works best
Others tested
Photo: Molly Higgins
Tineco Go Go Pet Cordless Vacuum, $226: Just like when I tested the Tineco Go Mini with a Handheld Vacuum Guide, I was overwhelmed by a vacuum specifically targeted at pets. If you are dealing with pets (and humans) hair, it has an easy slot to remove the brush easily. The angle of the lever and emptying the cover is counterintuitive, and the first few times I cleared the debris everywhere. It is difficult to distinguish between eco mode and power mode, and the VAC flashes red and the brush stops spinning when transitioning between surfaces. (Especially it’s hard on my thin runner carpet.) Feel heavier and clumsy than others. However, it does have convenient lighting to illuminate the debris and comes with accessories to make handheld cleaning a breeze.
Photo: Molly Higgins
Mova P50 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum $899: This robot vacuum motorcycle combination features expandable side brushes and mop pads to reach tight corners, a self-righteous dock station, emptying dust and debris, self-cleaning and dry mop. It also uses an RGB camera and a “smart dirt detection system” whose sensors identify deeper chaos and avoid objects on the ground. Robovac generates a 3D map of your house and determines things like furniture and even pets. The app allows you to customize cleaning, and also synchronized video and voice interactions to allow you to talk to your pets, arrange cleaning and more, and is compatible with smart home devices Alexa and Google Home. When I first mapped my small apartment, VAC didn’t want to pass through certain rooms and it took several days to create a complete cleaning map. It has a hard time crossing the small threshold, eventually avoiding the complete cleaning of the room and throwing itself twice from the stairs, causing the mop pad to pop out. Despite intelligent object detection, it still often tries to suck or roll small objects on the ground, such as shoes and pet toys. I like this combination of Vac-Mop self-cleaning and empty, but it costs nearly $1,000 and I want the smart features to be smarter and map more accurate.
Hoover HL4 PET Upright Vacuum Cleaner for £139: Although it is only available in the UK, Hooveƒboatr’s HL4 successfully removed a lot of cat hair from my home. I live with three cats, two of which have long hair, so a strong vacuum is essential. The HL4 is sadly wired (7.6 meters), but at about 240 watts it’s functional enough to lift dust and hair, my lightweight wireless Vac and Robot Vac missed it. The smart design is easily converted to a portable vacuum cleaner with pet tools and gap tools. It turns out that pet tools are good at lifting their hair from sofas, stairs and cat beds, although it doesn’t have a total grunt. There is a convenient vent to reduce suction from the mat and blanket. The 1.2-liter bin is easy to remove and empty, although not without the dust clouds being released, and the counter-twisting floor head seems to be much smaller than other vacuum absorbed hair. – Simon Hill
Not recommended
Photo: Molly Higgins
Eufy Robovac 11s Max, $160: Our respected competitors in places like Strategists and Wirecutter like this cheap Robovac, so I bought one for myself and brought two cats into my new apartment. I have to say, I disagree with them. Yes, this robot is much cheaper than most others and generally has high ratings, but I have nothing to say except that it can be under furniture and sucking pet hair that I could not have otherwise done. Its navigation system is random, without an app (but does have a remote to direct it to a specific location or schedule cleaning), it is big and tends to be attracted to ropes. Its height differences are even small, such as the small wood panels between the corridor and bathroom doors, which also have great difficulties. But most importantly, it is difficult to empty the bin, and it is almost impossible to wrap all the hair and fur around from the bar or the brush that rotates underneath. The hairy hair may still be wrapped around the mechanism until the day I was put into the ground. I fear that this cursed thing will surpass all of us.
Correction: 04/11/25, 3:14 PM EST: The earlier iteration of this work is incorrectly mentioned the Ryobi 18V One Advanced Stick Vacuum kit, for the Ryobi 18V One Stick Vacuum. The copy has been updated and the link has been updated to go directly to the toolkit.
I tested the vacuum of these pet hair, if not more (I’ve been using Dyson wireless and handheld for months), and I used them on almost every surface in my home – including the cat tree and behind the litter box for two cats. At the beginning of the test, I lived in a large house with three cats and a dog (hair in the larger area), and in the latter part of the test, I lived in a small apartment with two cats (slightly smaller hair in the smaller area and less hair hiding).
I also tested every attachment on the problem area, such as carpet stairs, gaps in ventilation holes, high folding carpet and hardwood floors. Not all pet hair vacuums can be created, and their effectiveness varies greatly on different surfaces and on different accessories. I set these up, charge them, and vacuum them until they die, and notice the runtime, power, effectiveness, and easy to empty the bin and clean the filter.
It seems that many brands will tweet the term “pet hair” onto the product and sell it for that without really specifying why or how it works effectively for pet hair. Of course, I tested these people to see if they put the metaphorical Vac mouth in the place of money. The other party no Sales to pets, such as the Roborock Saros 10r, an expensive Robovac that uses AI mapping that can identify nearby pets and quiet their motors.
Speaking of vacuum and pets are essentially opposite. Vacuum is a necessary evil against pet hair, but your pet may be afraid of them. If my cat basil’s thumbs are opposite, I know he’ll leave a hate comment in this post. Apart from Robovac’s choice (my cat doesn’t mind for some reason), my cat basil has mild heart events every time I test other VACS on this list. So, besides effectiveness and suction, I also considered loudness, and the product was easy to handle.
However, usually when buying a pet hair vacuum, look for suction, bins, fixatives and types of burrs or motorcycles to find out what is going to be done to actually pick up dust, sand crumbs and pet hair. I found that like the conical rods on some Dyson models, it tangles well and works together like the double brushes on Ryobi to effectively pick up more. You can also read reviews from real people who are real hairy pets, but know that no two pets are similar. Considering what type of shed you have with and what type of space you need to clean; Robovac is probably not the best place to have a house with multiple carpet stairs.
I’m currently testing the unreleased Levoit Aero, a self-issued cordless rod Vac.
Unlimited access to power wired. Getting a first-class report is too important to ignore $2.50 $1 year per month. Includes unlimited digital access and exclusive content for subscribers only. Subscribe now.
