Based on 7,882 analyzed reviews
Table of contents
NerdWallet Shopping’s rankings of the best vacuums for pet owners are based on our analysis of the opinions of experts and shoppers like you.
Picking a vacuum isn’t easy. And when you have a specific need, like expert pet cleanup, searching through all those reviews can feel like a real chore.
We researched some of the most popular models on the market to make your decision less confusing. To narrow down the field, we looked at expert opinions from review sites such as The Sweethome, CNET and Good Housekeeping. Next, we analyzed user reviews to see what shoppers were saying about the various attributes of each vacuum.
We recognize that consumers look for different qualities in vacuums, so we ranked users’ observations on multiple features of top models, including their performance on carpet and hard surfaces.
Our analysis
Our scores range from a low of 1 to a high of 10. Here’s how we devised them:
Overall score: The overall score reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with each vacuum in 10 categories, including how well it cleans across various surfaces, ease of use, durability and noise.
How well it cleans: This score reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with the vacuum’s performance on carpet and hard floors, including hardwood, bare, tile and vinyl. It also considers their satisfaction with the vacuum’s ability to clean up pet hair and debris.
Ease of use: This score reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with the vacuum’s ability to maneuver, including its weight and cord length; the process of emptying or cleaning it out; and whether it was considered easy to operate.
The rankings
1. Shark Rotator NV752
The Shark Rotator NV752 is an upright vacuum that features power-lift-away technology that allows it to deep-clean even the tightest corners. But the feature pet owners really love is the TruePet mini motorized attachment, which powers deep into carpets and upholstery, extracting dirt, dust and allergens.
| Overall score | Pet hair removal | Ease of use |
| 9.5 | 10 | 8.8 |
Buyers Like
- Thoroughly picks up all pet hair
- Its performance on stairs
- Quiet and durable
Buyers Dislike
- Heavy
2. Miele S8590 Alize
With positive reviews for performance, styling and maneuverability, the Shark Rotator NV752 vacuum’s strong suit is just about everything.
| Overall score | Pet hair removal | Ease of use |
| 9.4 | 10 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- Its ability to pick up pet hair
- Its performance on bare floors and stairs
- Easy to clean
Buyers Dislike
- Its performance on carpets and rugs
3. Dyson V6 Motorhead
Users of the Dyson V6 Motorhead could not say enough about this powerful, cordless stick vac’s cleaning power — especially the way its mini motorized tool worked its magic on wayward pet fur.
| Overall score | Pet hair removal | Ease of use |
| 9.3 | 10 | 9 |
Buyers Like
- Its ability to pick up pet hair
- Adaptable cleaning power on carpets, hard flooring and stairs
- Easy to maneuver
Buyers Dislike
- Small dust cup can be messy to empty
- Handle-motor combination is awkward for some
- Short battery life
4. Hoover Platinum UH30010COM
The ultra-light upright Hoover Platinum comes with a removable canister to clean those off-the-floor jobs, illuminated fingertip controls, two speed settings, a self-sealing HEPA bag, and the ability to extract pet hair from the deepest carpets.
| Overall score | Pet hair removal | Ease of use |
| 9.1 | 10 | 9.5 |
Buyers Like
- Expertly picks up pet hair, even out of deep-pile carpets
- Effective and easy to use on stairs
- Its performance on carpets and rugs
Buyers Dislike
- Loud
- Not as effective on hard flooring
5. Dyson V6
A light but powerful stick vacuum, the Dyson V6 has a detachable wand that makes it easy to reach difficult spaces, features whole-machine HEPA filtration, has mess-free push-button bin emptying, and offers a max power mode that will make you forget that Fido even sheds.
| Overall score | Pet hair removal | Ease of use |
| 9.0 | 10 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- The way it makes cat or dog hair disappear
- Fantastic on hard floors and stairs
- Its durability
Buyers Dislike
- Short battery life
- Noisy
6. Miele S7260 Cat and Dog
This powerful upright transitions from carpets to hard floors and back again with just the flick of a switch. And the Miele S7260 Cat and Dog’s turbo brush attachment makes cleaning up pet hair from upholstery and stairs a breeze.
| Overall score | Pet hair removal | Ease of use |
| 8.9 | 10 | 7.6 |
Buyers Like
- Thoroughly sweeps up pet hair
- Cleans carpeting and hard floors equally well
- Turbo brush attachment
Buyers Dislike
- Relatively heavy
- Attachment hose could be longer
7. Miele S7280 Jazz
Its SwivelNeck technology makes the Miele S7280 Jazz easy to maneuver, its electrobrush means the vacuum adjusts automatically to different types of flooring, and it unfolds flat to the floor for cleaning those awkward areas where pet hair tends to gather.
| Overall score | Pet hair removal | Ease of use |
| 8.8 | 10 | 7.7 |
Buyers Like
- Powerful suction makes pet hair disappear
- Excels on all types of flooring
- Easy to maneuver
Buyers Dislike
- Falls short on stairs — especially if they’re carpeted
- Its heavy weight can be a problem
8. Hoover WindTunnel Pet UH70935
This powerful upright vacuum features an 8-inch stretch hose, a foot-long extension wand, easy-to-use carpet height adjusters, and a suction-only mode. But what dog and cat owners really love are its air-powered, rubber-bladed pet hand tool, crevice tool and pet upholstery brush.
| Overall score | Pet hair removal | Ease of use |
| 8.7 | 10 | 7.7 |
Buyers Like
- Four different ways to remove pet hair
- Hand-vac works well on stairs
Buyers Dislike
- Heavy weight impedes maneuverability
9. Neato Botvac BV85
The first robot vacuum to make our list, the Neato Botvac BV85 comes equipped with a combo brush designed specifically to pick up pet hair, laser-guided technology to keep it on track, and an extra-large dust bin.
| Overall score | Pet hair removal | Ease of use |
| 8.7 | 10 | 8 |
Buyers Like
- Quiet and efficient pet-hair pickup
- Fantastic on hard flooring
Buyers Dislike
- Can become lodged under furniture
- Not great on plush rugs
10. Shark NV356
The Shark NV356’s Turbo Brush attachment was specifically designed for users with shedding pets, but even those without animals found the upright’s powerful suction and lift-away technology an effective way to clean hard floors and carpeting.
| Overall score | Pet hair removal | Ease of use |
| 8.7 | 8.8 | 8.8 |
Buyers Like
- Pet hair Turbo Brush
- Great on carpets and rugs
- Light weight
Buyers Dislike
- Difficult to maneuver into tight spaces
- Dust canister can be messy to empty
Pet hair pickup vacuum buying guide
This buying guide includes all types of vacuum cleaners — canisters, upright, stick and even a robot — but not all are created equal when it comes to picking up pet hair. Because there are so many makes, models and price points, here are some categories for your consideration:
Surface type
Sweeping up furballs from a pristine, polished cement floor is different than trying to remove embedded dog hair from a shag carpet. And while a few vacuums can do a great job on any surface, most are better at one or the other. As our research bears out, upright vacuums tend to transition from hard floors to carpeting the best, but if you live with mostly wood or tile flooring, you might be better off with a stick, canister or robot.
Special uses
Homeowners with lots of ornate mouldings might want to prioritize a model that can easily get into nooks and crannies to clean, whereas people who live in expansive, wood- or cement-floored lofts might be better suited to a robot, like the Neato Botvac BV85, with its special combo brush, designed specifically to get rid of pet hair.
Weight
Vacuums can weigh as little as 5 pounds or up to nearly 20 pounds. You can buy the best vacuum ever made, but if you aren’t able to lift it comfortably, it’s not going to do you much good. A canister vacuum carries all its weight in the canister, so the cleaning wand is extremely lightweight. On the other hand, some stick vacuums don’t weigh much in total, but their motors can be in the handle, making them awkward to lift. If this is a concern, go to a brick-and-mortar store and try before you buy.
Noise
If your cleaning schedule needs to be built around an infant’s nap time, or your dogs run screaming into hiding at the first sign of the vacuum, you’re going to want to factor noise level into your decision. But if your baby or pup can sleep through a dull roar, you can concern yourself with more important characteristics, like suction.
Cord or cordless
The benefit of a corded vacuum is that you don’t have to worry about the battery life. The downside is your cleaning area is limited by the length of the cord, which can vary a great deal. If you live in a small home, a cordless might make sense for you because you might be able to clean your entire place with one charge. Likewise, if you live in a large house and prefer to keep cleaning supplies on every floor, a cordless stick vacuum is great for quick pickups. But if you prefer to get all your cleaning done in one fell swoop, a corded upright or canister is probably the best choice.
Cleaning
Whether you switch out a bag or empty a dust cup, cleaning out the vacuum is a potentially messy job, which is why you should look for information on just how easily doing so is accomplished when you’re reading reviews.
Budget
The vacuums in this roundup span the spectrum of pricing, with two of the Mieles (No. 2 and No. 6) representing the high end at $649 apiece, while the No. 8 pick, the Hoover WindTunnel, clocked in at a fair $129.99. At the middle is our No. 1 pick, the Shark Rotator NV752, at $349.99. Note that most of these vacuums can be found for less just by shopping around.
Compare other popular vacuums here:
For more vacuum buying advice, check out:
- The best canister vacuums
- The best robot vacuums
- The best upright vacuums
- The best stick vacuums
- How to get the best deal on a vacuum
- 5 things you should know before buying a vacuum
- 3 best vacuums for pet owners
Top image via iStock.
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