Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Questions on how we spend our money and our time - consumer goods and services, home and vehicle, leisure and recreational activities
Post Reply
Topic Author
lynneny
Posts: 231
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:23 pm

Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by lynneny »

I have two cats who keep us covered in pet hair, and probably contribute to vacuum cleaners not lasting very long at our house (although I've never bought one of the really expensive ones, like a Dyson).

Any recommendations for a vacuum cleaner that copes well with cat hair?

Thanks!
FinanceGeek
Posts: 989
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 5:27 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by FinanceGeek »

About 20 years ago, I bought a Miele White Pearl canister vacuum with a motorized power head to deal with pet hair. It's needed a couple of belt changes and one replacement of the power cord winder over the years, but still works great. It wasn't cheap, and I don't think its made any more. I'd definitely look at another Miele if it ever dies.
Loik098
Posts: 687
Joined: Mon May 30, 2016 9:29 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by Loik098 »

lynneny wrote: (although I've never bought one of the really expensive ones, like a Dyson).
Time to buy a Dyson.
brennok
Posts: 320
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 10:18 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by brennok »

Budget? Upright or canister? Type of flooring? Mostly carpet or hard floors like tile or wood?

Bagged is considered better than bagless. Check out Miele. They have an upright bagged cat and dog model which is supposed to be excellent for carpet, pets, and also still doesn't break the bank. MSRP is $549 but your local vacuum store may be cheaper.

A good resource is Reddit's subcategory on vacuums.
https://www.reddit.com/r/VacuumCleaners/
2comma
Posts: 1241
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2010 11:37 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by 2comma »

I've been sold on Dyson for some time now. When my son and DIL got married I asked what they wanted for a wedding gift and she insisted on the Dyson Animal. They had 2 dogs at the time, now they have three, all shed. I asked her a few weeks ago if she still likes it, she said she loves it. We got ours from BBB with a 20% off coupon. I find it powerful, lightweight, reasonably quiet and I like not having to buy filter bags. I just take the bin to my garage trash can and empty it there and the hepa filter seems to work - I never smell the vacuum cleaner running smell I used to with our other cheapies. Worth investigating at least.
If I am stupid I will pay.
User avatar
Sheepdog
Posts: 5783
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:05 pm
Location: Indiana, retired 1998 at age 65

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by Sheepdog »

Kenmore (Sears) has "Pet Friendly" HEPA uprights. I purchased Model 31140 3 years ago especially to improve cleaning carpets covered with long black cat hair. Yes, my Old English Sheepdog hair also, but the cat hair was the reason.. It uses fabric HEPA bags. I am the one who cleans the floors and carpets in this house and I love it especially following previous makes. It even has a hose attachment (air motorized) to help clean hair on beds and furniture. The floor vacuum works very well on that black cat hair and it cost only $180. Kenmore has other {Pet Friendly) models, but I can't give you advice on them.
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Slick8503
Posts: 322
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 9:25 am

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by Slick8503 »

We have a long haired dog in the house and about 6 months ago bought a Roomba. What an amazing difference. It is by no means perfect, but it will blow you away with the amount of hair it picks up daily. We still use our hoover upright once in a while for a deeper clean, but the Roomba has been great.

We have the 650 series model, a step below the top end models.
bluejello
Posts: 461
Joined: Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:40 am

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by bluejello »

The easiest way to remove cat hair is at the source! Do you brush your cats daily? Ever since I started doing this the amount of cat hair floating around our house drastically decreased.
puravida
Posts: 59
Joined: Sun Apr 21, 2013 3:01 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by puravida »

A professional housekeeper recommended the Shark Navigator Light. So far it picks up everything well on hard floors and carpets, light, inexpensive ($118 Amazon today). https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LL ... UTF8&psc=1
Simple, passive, effective - the Bogle way...
sevenseas
Posts: 270
Joined: Tue May 28, 2013 8:44 am

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by sevenseas »

I have a dog and cat. I've had the Miele Dog and Cat canister vacuum for probably close to 10 years now. It is pricey, but the best vacuum I've ever had. Works great on hardwood floors and carpeting, powerful, lightweight, small and easy to store. Could see this thing lasting another 10 years or more.
Another tip (already mentioned by another poster): I've found that brushing the pets on a regular basis really cuts down on the amount of hair left around the apartment. Helps that they both love it and consider it part of our "bonding" time!
bloom2708
Posts: 9855
Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2014 2:08 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by bloom2708 »

I've found that the best vacuum is one you don't dread using. Complicated, heavy, painful to dump the canister, etc.

We currently have an Oreck XL. It is about as light and simple as you can get. It works and hair doesn't get wrapped around the brushes like some vacuums we have had. It is very light. Pushes easy. No frills but a good design.

https://www.amazon.com/Oreck-UK2200-Cla ... s=Oreck+xl

https://www.amazon.com/Oreck-Commercial ... s=Oreck+xl
testing321
Posts: 295
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 6:46 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by testing321 »

Last time I checked, Consumer Reports had pet hair as one of their rating items.
User avatar
Pajamas
Posts: 6015
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2012 6:32 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by Pajamas »

A canister with bags and a powered brush head and powered upholstery attachment.

Miele is reliable but expensive and the more costly models have too many gimmicks. There are less expensive brands that are also good.

Vacuums are an area where Consumer Reports is very helpful and your local library probably has it.
welx23
Posts: 35
Joined: Thu Nov 06, 2008 12:09 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by welx23 »

I'm also a big fan of the Dyson Ball Animal (canister-style upright). We have 100% hardwood + tile floors with some rugs, and it does a fantastic job of getting all of the pet fur up. It also comes with a roller attachment for upholstery, so I go around with that every month or so. My Dyson is five years old and still kicking. Worth every penny.
ROIGuy
Posts: 2444
Joined: Sun May 08, 2016 10:10 am

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by ROIGuy »

We have had the heavy duty Dyson for animals (purple color) for years. Works great..just have to remember to clean out the rolling bristles...makes a big difference when you do that.
User avatar
Thrifty Femme
Posts: 562
Joined: Sun Apr 12, 2015 1:54 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by Thrifty Femme »

Mr.BB wrote:We have had the heavy duty Dyson for animals (purple color) for years. Works great..just have to remember to clean out the rolling bristles...makes a big difference when you do that.
+1 though it's really heavy.
Topic Author
lynneny
Posts: 231
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2012 10:23 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by lynneny »

OP here. Many thanks for all the great suggestions and links! I'm going through them right now, from most affordable options like the Shark Navigator Light to higher-end Miele and Dyson models (while large, long-haired white cat who is main source of vacuuming challenges tries to swat laptop cursor with paw).

I completely forgot to say I have rugs over hardwood floors, so that was very helpful of people to mention the kind of surfaces you use vacuum for.

And so true, it does help to brush the cats. One loves it, and the other responds to bribery (in the form of catnip).
MarvinK
Posts: 108
Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2017 8:04 pm
Location: DC

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by MarvinK »

I have the Miele H1 quickstep (stick vac), 4 years, love it. I foster cats/kittens.
Second, many fosters use a swiffer in between, really grabs fur and is smaller to get under furniture.

A family member has a Rainbow (it's expensive), several are allegic to fur/dander and this vac does a great job on all around cleaning.
iamlucky13
Posts: 3511
Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2017 4:28 pm
Location: Western Washington

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by iamlucky13 »

testing321 wrote:Last time I checked, Consumer Reports had pet hair as one of their rating items.
Yes, and if I remember right, the Dysons didn't do any better with pet hair in their tests than vacuums that cost half as much. I no longer have a subscription though, so I can't doublecheck my memory.

My wife got talked into a Dyson before we had Consumer Reports. It works fine for our yellow lab's hair on carpet. I certainly can't say it's a bad vacuum. I just haven't found any reason to pay that much for a plastic vacuum.
Slick8503
Posts: 322
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 9:25 am

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by Slick8503 »

Again, the combo of the Roomba daily and a Consumer Reports recommended Hoover Wind Tunnel we registered for as a wedding gift in 2013(iirc was ~$150) has been an awesome combination for pet hair removal. I would say this combo would come in at a comparable cost to a dyson model and do a much better job, provided you empty the Roomba daily and perform the recommended hair removal on the rollers if your wife or pet has long hair that can wrap. I do this weekly. Much cleaner house daily than running a dyson every third day or week.
whitepaws
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2017 9:32 am

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by whitepaws »

We have a Miele and it is a very good vacuum but it is difficult for me to compare it to others because it is the only one we bought and kept. I have a rug on tile floor and I use this to demonstrate the power of Miele to my family, who are often rolling their eyes to my enthusiasm. I will shake it outside to show all of the dust, then vacuum the rug with Miele and then show how no dust comes out of the rug. We also have carpeting upstairs.

My husband agrees that it is an excellent vacuum but he wishes we would have stuck with the cheaper model that propelled itself. He says it was more fun to use than the Miele even though we kept it for a few hours before returning it.

As far as the tile goes, if I don't feel like busting out with the vacuum, I will use the Swiffer sweeper. However, we do not use their cloth refills. Instead, we use these dollar store clothes that pick up all the hair. Not all cloths are created equal at the dollar store though. It is a specific one.
Ron
Posts: 6972
Joined: Fri Feb 23, 2007 6:46 pm
Location: Allentown–Bethlehem–Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by Ron »

We've have a Dyson Animal and it works well with the shedding from our Shetland Sheepdogs over the years.

- Ron
maria00200
Posts: 133
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2017 2:49 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by maria00200 »

I have a Dyson Allergy and I'm very happy with it.
takeshi
Posts: 1175
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 10:02 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by takeshi »

Budget would definitely help. I'd recommend Miele without hesitation but that recommendation is meaningless if their vacuums don't fit in your budget. Our previous Dyson worked well but it was poorly constructed, especially considering the cost and eventually too many parts broke outside the warranty. While in warranty, Dyson was great about supporting it. Our Miele performs better, runs quieter and is built better.
MathWizard
Posts: 6542
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:35 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by MathWizard »

Slick8503 wrote:We have a long haired dog in the house and about 6 months ago bought a Roomba. What an amazing difference. It is by no means perfect, but it will blow you away with the amount of hair it picks up daily. We still use our hoover upright once in a while for a deeper clean, but the Roomba has been great.

We have the 650 series model, a step below the top end models.
+1

We have 2 cats, and the Roomba helps a lot.

We also have a HEPA filter.
We have cat beds with washable covers, which we wash once a week.
We still have cat hair on the bottom of our pants from cats rubbing up against us when we get home.
nwrolla
Posts: 138
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 3:52 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by nwrolla »

I would go with a Dyson. We picked up one of the Compact pet vacuums and it has been wonderful so far. Works extremely well on hardwood surfaces and carpet. We also have a carpet shampooer we run through the house 1-2 times per year.
User avatar
queso
Posts: 1340
Joined: Thu Jan 07, 2016 2:52 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by queso »

Miele C3. We upgraded from a Hoover and the difference is night and day. Carpets look much cleaner, bag system is better for our allergies and it's so quiet you can carry on a conversation while vacuuming. Expensive, but worth it, IMO.
abonder
Posts: 268
Joined: Sat Nov 03, 2012 10:52 am

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by abonder »

Another plug for Miele. Only recently acquired but the combination of suction, compact design, functional layout is amazing. I bought from a local vacuum specialist. Amazingly, the price was significantly lower than anything I found online and the proprietor helped me pick out the model which was right for our home. I hear that the service is reliable when repairs are neeeded.
runner3081
Posts: 5978
Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2016 3:22 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by runner3081 »

No matter what vacuum you use, there will still be pet hair.

Get one of these, do it once a month or so and be amazed how much comes up.

https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Rake-C ... hair+broom

It is a broom/brush for your carpet.
dc328
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Apr 25, 2017 10:31 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by dc328 »

Dyson, definitely.
User avatar
IFRider
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu Oct 10, 2013 3:40 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by IFRider »

2 cats here and I use a Dyson DC21 Animal (the purple one). My cats shed this time of year and it's amazing how much hair that
vacuum picks up.

Agree with a previous poster to brush your cats regularly. I use a Furminator on my calico cat and this reduces the amount of fur
around the house significantly. Again, this is only really required in the spring.
IHateCasinos
Posts: 72
Joined: Fri Jan 22, 2016 3:58 pm
Location: Portland, OR

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by IHateCasinos »

as good as it gets:
Furminator = just astonishing! :sharebeer
vacumn: Sweethome.com tells you what home stuff is the best.
thewirecutter.com tells you what tech stuff is the best.
User avatar
FelixTheCat
Posts: 2035
Joined: Sat Sep 24, 2011 12:39 am

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by FelixTheCat »

Roomba. I have my robotic vacuum set on an automatic schedule. 7 days a weeks it goes after Felix's fur.
Felix is a wonderful, wonderful cat.
User avatar
climber2020
Posts: 2703
Joined: Sun Mar 25, 2012 8:06 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by climber2020 »

I use a $50 Dirt Devil from Walmart. It's very effective and has a filter that needs replacing every now and then. My first one lasted 6 years, and my second one is still going strong at year 4. I thought about a Dyson but couldn't justify the cost. Even if I have to go through 4 or 5 $50 vacuum cleaners over the lifetime of my cat, it's still a fraction of the price of an expensive vacuum cleaner that I won't need anymore when the cat is gone.
nymeria.stark
Posts: 114
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2016 9:27 am

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by nymeria.stark »

Slick8503 wrote:Again, the combo of the Roomba daily and a Consumer Reports recommended Hoover Wind Tunnel we registered for as a wedding gift in 2013(iirc was ~$150) has been an awesome combination for pet hair removal. I would say this combo would come in at a comparable cost to a dyson model and do a much better job, provided you empty the Roomba daily and perform the recommended hair removal on the rollers if your wife or pet has long hair that can wrap. I do this weekly. Much cleaner house daily than running a dyson every third day or week.
I think this is the Wind Tunnel you mean: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002H ... UTF8&psc=1

We also got ours about the same time, and it's been great for our double-coated dog (fluffy fur plus guard hairs, ugh). My dream would be to combine it with a Roomba, but it gets the job done by itself if we vacuum regularly.
Just a girl, standing in front of her finances, asking them to make more sense.
Slick8503
Posts: 322
Joined: Tue Nov 16, 2010 9:25 am

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by Slick8503 »

Actually our Hoover is a bagged model. I def recommend splurging on the Roomba.
Fox
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2016 1:00 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by Fox »

We have a dog and cat.

We have a combination of linoleum, laminate and a couple rooms of carpet on the first floor.

Our Roomba 650 is one of our favorite household items. It REALLY cuts down on how much builds up, and we use it in bedrooms to collect all the hair and dust that builds up under beds.

For carpets, we use a Hoover bagless upright for Pets. It was about $90 and seems to work well. Removable upholstery attachment is helpful, but it really depends on the material.
User avatar
Sheepdog
Posts: 5783
Joined: Tue Feb 27, 2007 2:05 pm
Location: Indiana, retired 1998 at age 65

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by Sheepdog »

See a copy of the latest issue of Consumer Reports (June 2017) which has large testings of vacuums of all types (uprights, canisters, sticks, handheld and robotic vacuums). One criteria tested is for pet hair.

Top 3 ratings for each type are: (All are among the best for pet hair)

Upright bagged
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly 31150 $350
Miele Dynamic U1 Twist $450
Miele Dynamic U1 Cat and Dog $650

Upright Bagless
Sharp Navigator Powered NV586 $300
Hoover WlndTunnel T Series UH70120 $130
Shark Rotator Powerd NV755 $400

Canister Bagged
Miele Complete C3 Marin $1100
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly 21814 $500
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly 81714 $400

Stick Vacuums
Dyson V8 Absolute $600
Bissel Air Ram 1984 $200
Shark Rocket Complete HV380 $240

Robotic Vacuums

Samsung Powerbot SR20H9051 $1000
Roomba 880 $600
iClebo Arte YCR-M05 $450
Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered you will never grow. (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
lostdog
Posts: 5361
Joined: Thu Feb 04, 2016 1:15 pm

Re: Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair?

Post by lostdog »

Rainbow. They've been around for 80 years.

http://rainbowsystem.com
Stocks-80% || Bonds-20% || VTI/VXUS/AOR
Post Reply