Best vacuum cleaner for cat hair


9 Best Vacuums for Pet Hair 2022

9 Best Vacuums for Pet Hair 2022 | The Strategist

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9 items in this article 5 items on sale!

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Pet fur has the habit of clinging like glue, especially to upholstered chairs and velvety couch cushions. You could use one of those removal rollers, but the easiest solution is a fur-guzzling vacuum. In addition to sucking up any shedding, a machine should tidy up (without getting tangled with hair) and work fast, especially if you have a skittish pet who hides whenever it’s on. To find the best vacuums for pet owners, we asked trainers, veterinarians, and notable animal people for their favorites. You’ll also see a few recommendations our own Strategist staffers swear by to keep their spaces fur free (or as close to that as humanly possible).

Best overall | Best less expensive | Best for carpets and hardwood floorsBest (less expensive) pet vacuum for carpets and hardwood floors | Best cordless | Best for heavy shedders | Best robot | Best (less expensive) robot | Best handheld

Cordless versus corded: A cordless vacuum relies on a battery rather than an outlet, while one with a cord can run for longer, which is convenient for when your carpet is in need of a deep clean. You should consider the size of your space when deciding between the two. (Overall, our experts favored corded models.) Depending on the type of vacuum, we mentioned the length of the cord or the running time.

Weight: You probably don’t want to lug a heavy-duty vacuum from room to room, so it’s important to know how much it weighs. Cordless models tend to come in at less than ten pounds, while corded versions hover around the 15- to 20-pound mark.

Extras: Here, we focused on the bells and whistles, mentioning features such as LED lights to see under-the-couch dust bunnies, detachable Swiffer-like brushes, or high-powered modes for quick cleanups below.

Additionally, we included the suction strength whenever it was available. This measurement will be listed as AW, or air watts, and Jon Gibbons, a cleaning consultant for the site Smart Vacuums, recommends choosing a model that lists at least 200AW in its specifications when shopping for a pet-specific vacuum. (Since the majority of the vacuums below don’t detail this, we didn’t think it was fair to include it as its own criteria point.)

Price: As always, affordability is one of our top priorities. Each of our picks is denoted as $, $$, or $$$ for under $200, under $400, and over $400, respectively.

Dyson Ball Animal 2 Upright Vacuum

$500

30-foot cord | 17.5 pounds | High-reach wand, stair-specific tool, 227AW | $$$

Taking the Best in Show ribbon, Dyson earned high marks for its pet-hair performance and powerful motor. (It’s “undupeable,” in the words of former Strategist senior editor Margaret Rhodes.) The Ball Animal 2 is one of Dyson’s largest and heaviest models, at nearly ten pounds more than other Dysons, but it still offers industrial-strength cleaning without the size of industrial equipment. In fact, it’s a go-to for clean-ups at the George, a pet-friendly boutique hotel owned by Bobbi Brown. Compared with a cordless, this “very powerful” vacuum lasts longer, which is more practical for hotel staffers’ deeper cleans. When former Strategist senior writer Karen Iorio Adelson tested it in her home, she emphasized how easily it sucked up tufts of cat fur and “unearthed layers of dust and crumbs that had been buried in my thick living-room rug for months — if not longer.

Part of what provides that suction is Dyson’s “tangle-free turbine tool,” an attachment designed to remove pet hair without twisting it into knots. And though this vacuum is corded, Payton Cosell Turner, the founder of the home-design firm Flat Vernacular and owner of three rescue cats, is another fan, as the vacuum spruces up area rugs with “absolute dexterity.” That cord also means there’s no limit on run time, so it’ll last until you’re finished cleaning. It is an investment, but Laura Colagrande, a co-founder of the dog-treat company Chippin, assures us that the one she has owned for years has persevered (if it doesn’t, Dyson has a five-year warranty on corded machines like this one).

$500 at Dyson

Buy

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus Upright Vacuum

$230

$247 now 7% off

$230

30-foot cord | 14.2 pounds | Optional Febreze filter, LED lighted crevice tool | $$

Like our best overall pick, the Bissell Turbo Plus is specifically designed for pet owners and comes with a tangle-free brush roll. But at just under $250, it’s less than half the price of Ball Animal 2. The Turbo Plus comes highly recommended by Hadley Raysor, the founder of the Dandy Dogwalker. As the owner of a ten-pound Chihuahua and a 12-pound tabby cat, Raysor likes that the range of attachments — including a crevice tool and extension wand — can handle cleaning clusters of dander that are sometimes hidden. Former Strategist writer Chloe Anello used the Bissell on the second floor of her parents’ home, which is completely carpeted. Even though her family vacuumed weekly, she and her family were disgusted by how much dirt and fur came up, Anello says. She even spotted fur from previous pets inside the canister.

$230 at Amazon

Buy

$247 at Bissell

Buy

Shark AZ2002 Vertex DuoClean Vacuum

$450

30-foot cord | 16.38 pounds | HEPA filter, LED lights on nozzle, detachable pod | $$

If your home has a mix of flooring, you should consider this Shark model, which comes recommended by Jon Gibbons at Smart Vacuums. He describes it as a “massive bargain” for what you’re getting, including the brand’s signature DuoClean floorhead, which offers a soft roller for hard floors and a brush bar for carpets. This feature comes with an updated version of Shark’s aptly named “Power Fins” bristles, designed to give carpets an even deeper clean and hard floors a polish, Gibbons adds. He describes the Vertex as one of the most powerful Shark models for its suction. And technically, the detachable pod, which is meant for places like stairs, makes this a two in one.

$450 at Macy's

Buy

$500 at Best Buy

Buy

Shark HV322 Rocket Pet Plus Corded Stick Vacuum

$200 now 8% off

$185

30-foot cord | 8.6 pounds | Handheld-convertible, LED headlights, pet crevice tool | $

For an alternative under $200, the Shark Pet Plus comes highly recommended by Sara Ochoa, a veterinary consultant for DogLab. It has two settings to switch between different surfaces: One is designed to deep clean carpets (even the thick kind), while the hard-floor mode gets just about anything else. Ochoa likes how easy it is to toggle between the two while continuing to vacuum, so you’re not missing a spot in the process. This model has picked up after her succession of dogs, cats, and even a bunny, whose hair seemed to float around the house. Her cat now has a chair he likes to sleep in (and shed on), but the handheld function grabs the fur so well, it “looks like he has never been there.” Plus, it’s easy to clean, with a dust cup that empties out smoothly without pet hair getting stuck inside.

$185 at Amazon

Buy

$200 at Wayfair

Buy

Dyson V11 Animal Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

$550

60-minute run time | 5. 71 pounds | Handheld-convertible, hair screw tool, 150AW | $$$

Your best bet for a pet-specific cordless vacuum is the Dyson V11, which was raved about just as much as the Ball Animal 2 (remember the tie we talked about before). To help pick up the clumps of hair that her hypoallergenic goldendoodle sheds, Rebecca Fadden, founder of the dog-accessories brand Finn + Me, alternates between the head attachments so she can switch between carpet and couches without a problem. Rita Li, the founder of the pet-accessories brand Rororiri, uses her V11 inside her business, which sees a succession of different breeds every day and needs to be constantly cleaned. The vacuum is efficient and lightweight enough to maneuver around displays and underneath furniture. Zay Satchu, a co-founder and the chief veterinary officer at the start-up veterinary clinic Bond Vet, also considers it a must-have as pets come in “bringing New York City in with them. ” And because the vacuum has its own charging station, it works for the frequent cleanings the staff at Bond Vet does (rather than scheduling hours-long sessions).

Since the V11 is currently out of stock, we have two alternatives. The first is the Dyson Absolute V10, which beauty influencer Michaela Podolsky trusts to tidy up after her two shed-happy Rottweilers. With a soft brush head, the V10 keeps her floors in tip-top shape, she says. The second is the Cyclone version of the V10, which Sehaj Grewal of the Melrose Vet praises for its superior suction strength, which gives Grewal “peace of mind, knowing all pet hair is being removed.”

$550 at Target

Buy

$599 at Walmart

Buy

Shark Rocket HV302 Ultra-Light Upright Vacuum

$170 now 12% off

$150

30-foot cord | 7.5 pounds | Handheld-convertible, precision-duster tool | $

If you have a heavy shedder, we heard about two Shark models in particular. The first was the Shark Apex, which is a favorite of pet-grooming salon Canine Styles on the Upper East Side, which co-owner Mark Drendel says has depended on the brand for over 30 years. But the Shark Rocket stood out because it’s a corded stick vacuum that can handle lots of fur. “It’s the perfect industrial vacuum despite being so lightweight,” according to Tiziana Agnello, the founder of the pet-accessories label LoveThyBeast. She’s so devoted to this vacuum that she bought five of them — split between her company’s store locations and home — and she prefers it over the Dyson cordless vacuums she has used. The Rocket also transforms into a shorter, portable vacuum.

$150 at Macy's

Buy

$271 at Amazon

Buy

Neato D8 Intelligent Robot Vacuum Cleaner

$400 now 43% off

$229

100-minute run time | 8 pounds | D-shape design, laser mapping, app-controlled | $$

We named the Neato our best overall robot vacuum for pet owners, so it’s only fitting to include it here as well. The D8 is the updated version of the now discontinued D7, which was name-checked by our experts, and this new model has almost identical features. One of those functions lets you create zoning and non-zoning areas. “You can block off and control sections of a room from your phone,” explains Shelby Semel, a canine-behavior expert and trainer. This specificity is what Ryeon Kim, co-founder of pet e-commerce retailer Little Beast, likes, as you can use the app to spot clean (without having to do it yourself). The D-shaped design gets into the corners and crannies you might otherwise miss. Jamie Richardson, veterinarian and chief of staff at veterinary start-up Small Door, used hers to get all the sand up throughout her beachside Bermuda place.

Eufy Anker BoostIQ RoboVac 11S Self-Charging Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

$200

$229 now 13% off

$200

100-minute run time | 5.73 pounds | Quiet clean function, BoostIQ for carpets, remote control | $

This more affordable model from Eufy took our second-best ribbon in the aforementioned guide. Its slimness is the reason Minha Khan, an art director and owner of a longhaired cat, relies on it so much. “I love that this vacuum reaches areas that my stick vacuum can’t,” she says. The RoboVac also has the Strategist seal of approval: Senior writer Liza Corsillo describes it as the “robot vacuum that helped me avoid couples therapy.” Although it’s meant to be ignored, Corsillo couldn’t ignore how much it helped clean much-argued areas, including “devouring dust bunnies” underneath their bed.

$200 at Amazon

Buy

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Pet Vacuum

$79

17-minute run time | 3 pounds | Lithium-ion battery, upholstery tool | $

This vacuum is like a miniature version of our second-place winner. Raysor uses it whenever their Bissell Turbo misses a spot — with their two-pet household, they are constantly shifting between vacuuming and sweeping. The handheld model is strong enough to get deep-rooted dog hairs between couch cushions and the “renegade litter bits” that sometimes get stuck into corners. As a relatively new cat owner, Strategist writer Lauren Ro likewise depends on an older model of this Bissell to get what her canister vacuum can’t. When she tested out this Bissell, she was happy to find that it picks up everything from “tumbleweeds of cat hair” and dust bunnies to strands of her own long hair.

$79 at Amazon

Buy

$80 at Bissell

Buy

A handheld vacuum with a 30- to 60-minute run time

A vacuum for deep cleaning pet hair

$267

$320 now 17% off

Buy at Amazon

A lightweight but powerful German vacuum you'll enjoy using

Buy at Amazon

• Tiziana Agnello, founder of pet accessories label LoveThyBeast
• Chloe Anello, former Strategist writer
• Bobbi Brown, owner of pet-friendly boutique hotel the George
• Chelsea Brownridge, founder of DogSpot
• Laura Colagrande, co-founder of dog-treat company Chippin
• Payton Cosell Turner, founder of home-design firm Flat Vernacular
• Mark Drendel, co-owner of pet grooming salon Canine Styles
• Jon Gibbons, cleaning consultant for the site Smart Vacuums
• Sehaj Grewal, owner of the Melrose Vet
• Rebecca Fadden, founder of dog-accessories brand Finn + Me
• Minha Khan, an art director and owner of a longhaired cat
• Ryeon Kim, co-founder of pet e-commerce retailer Little Beast
• Rita Li, founder of pet-accessories brand Rororiri
• Sara Ochoa, a veterinary consultant for DogLab
• Michaela Podolsky, beauty influencer
• Hadley Raysor, founder of the Dandy Dogwalker
• Jamie Richardson, veterinarian and chief of staff at veterinary start-up Small Door
• Lauren Ro, Strategist writer
• Zay Satchu, co-founder and chief veterinary officer at Bond Vet
• Shelby Semel, a canine-behavior expert and trainer

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The 9 Very Best Vacuums for Pet Hair

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

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Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review (AZ3000)

If you share your home with a dog or cat – or multiple pets – a high-quality vacuum is an absolute must. The best vacuums for pets have powerful suction that can handle hair, dirt, and dander, and you may also want to look for things like HEPA filtration and tangle-free brushrolls, especially if your pets have long hair. 

The Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum (AZ3000) boasts all these features, as well as odor neutralization and multiple attachments. The Stratos also stands out among the best vacuums thanks to its versatile design, which has a unique LiftAway mode that makes it easier to tackle hard-to-navigate areas, like stairs and underneath furniture. There are even LED lights on the brushroll that make it easy to spot dirt and hair on your floors and in dim corners, delivering a more thorough clean. 

While the Shark Stratos sounds like a great choice for multi-pet households, we wanted to see if it lives up to the hype. I tested the vacuum for two weeks, using it to clean up after my two long-haired dogs, and I was thoroughly impressed by its suction power and ability to handle tough messes.  

Shark Stratos Special Offer| $429 $299 at Shark Cleanwith code STRATOS130

This special promotional price is available exclusively via Shark and includes a free under-appliance wand.

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About our reviewer

About our reviewer

Product Reviewer

Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer who has been testing home goods, including cleaning tools, for several years. She tested the Shark AZ3000 Stratos Upright Vacuum from her small homestead in Rhode Island. As the owner of two dogs and a cat, she’s always looking for the best products to help keep her home (at least somewhat) free of pet hair. 

When Camryn is not tinkering around with the latest home gadgets, she spends her time tending to her animals, working in her garden, or crafting.

Who will love the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum?

(Image credit: Camryn Rabideau )

The Shark AZ3000 Stratos Upright Vacuum is best for busy households with one or more pets, as it offers powerful suction and filtration, and it’s equally effective on both long and short pet hair. It’s designed to be used as a primary vacuum for deep cleaning carpeting and hard floors – because it’s a corded model and fairly bulky, it isn’t the most convenient option for picking up small messes or cleaning out your car.  

Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum: Specifications

(Image credit: Shark)

(Image credit: Camryn Rabideau )

My first impressions of the Shark Stratos were that it’s fairly heavy but easy to maneuver. It weighs a substantial 17.2 pounds, which makes it quite bulky to carry around, but its swivel steering allows you to get into corners and around obstacles. Still, I think the size and weight of this vacuum will make it hard for some people to use.

I love that this vacuum has two brushrolls on the floorhead – the PowerFins HairPro brushroll has stiff fins that dig deep into the carpeting to pull up hair and dust, while the soft brush roll does a great job picking up dust and fine particles from hard floors. Plus, if one of the brushrolls ever gets stuck, the LED lights on the front of the floorhead turn red, letting you know that you need to stop and fix the problem. I only ever had an issue with this when I was using the wrong suction setting.

The other thing I noticed right away is that the vacuum gives off a fresh odor when you’re cleaning, thanks to the “odor-neutralizing cartridge.” I can’t say whether it actually gets rid of pet odors or just covers them up, but it does leave behind a light, fresh scent that makes the room feel cleaner.

What is the Shark Vertex DuoClean PowerFin Upright Vacuum like to use?

(Image credit: Camryn Rabideau )

Unboxing the Shark Stratos

 When the Shark AZ3000 Stratos arrived on my doorstep, the packaging wasn’t in the best condition. It had gotten banged up quite a bit during shipping, and the top was partially ripped off. However, the good news is that everything inside the box was still in perfect condition. All of the different components were wrapped in styrofoam padding and plastic, and while this made for a lot of waste, it did keep the pieces from being broken or scratched during transport. 

(Image credit: Camryn Rabideau )

The vacuum was quick and easy to assemble. All the pieces clicked into place, and assembly was very intuitive, only taking me around five minutes to complete. The only time I had to consult the manual was when inserting the “odor neutralizer cartridge,” which gets installed in the top of the floorhead. It simply twists into place, and you’re able to adjust it to give off more or less scent. 

(Image credit: Camryn Rabideau )

On Carpets
While my house has mostly hardwood floors, there are area rugs in almost every room, and they collect lots of dirt, dust, and pet hair throughout the day. There’s a slider on the vacuum’s handle that adjusts the suction for different types of flooring, and I typically used it on the medium setting, as my rugs are low-pile.  

I was honestly shocked at the pure suction power that the Shark Stratos delivers, and it excelled at removing pet hair and dirt from my carpets, quickly filling up the dustbin. Even just vacuuming the 9-by-6-foot area rug in my dining room, the dustbin was full of hair and dirt and needed to be emptied before I moved on to another room. It also managed to pick up ⅛ cup of uncooked rice in a single pass, leaving the floor spotless.  

(Image credit: Camryn Rabideau)

On Hard Floors 
Upright vacuums don’t always work well on hard floors, as their powerful brushrolls can scatter debris around, but the Stratos had no problem picking up pet hair and dust from my hardwood floors. Its soft brushroll helped to capture those fine particles, and it was also able to pick up larger debris, like leaves and fuzz from dog toys, with no issues. I even spilled ⅛ cups of uncooked rice, and the vacuum picked up the pieces with no problems, pulling the rice out from between the cracks easily.

The only issue I ran into when vacuuming the hard floors in my kitchen was that the vacuum sucked up the small kitchen mat. I had the vacuum on its highest suction setting, which is meant for hard floors, and it ended up pulling the mat up into the brushroll. 

(Image credit: Camryn Rabideau )

On Stairs
The main staircase in my house often has little piles of dog hair in the corners of each step from my pets running up and down all day, and I typically use a cordless vacuum to suck them up. However, I found it to be almost as easy to use the Shark for this task thanks to its LiftAway mode. When you press the LiftAway button on top of the canister, the whole thing lifts off the base, making it much more compact and lightweight. I could easily rest the canister on the stairs as I cleaned with the crevice tool, and the suction power is much stronger than my cordless vacuum, meaning it picked up more dust and hair with each pass. 

My only complaint about this mode is that the hose itself is quite short—probably around 2. 5 or 3 feet. It’s supposed to be able to stretch out, but because the suction is so strong, it ends up shrinking back on itself when you turn the vacuum on. 

(Image credit: Camryn Rabideau )

On Furniture
I tested the Shark Stratos AZ3000, which only comes with a non-motorized upholstery tool, but if you opt for the Stratos AZ3000 (a slightly more expensive model), you’ll also get the HairPro Self-Cleaning Pet Power Brush, a motorized tool for furniture. I used the tool to clean off one of our dog beds, as well as the sofa where my dogs like to nap, and I wasn’t really wowed with its performance. 

The vacuum needed to be on its lowest suction setting, otherwise, the tool just sucked onto the fabric too hard. It did pick up most of the dirt and debris on the furniture, but it wasn’t able to pull out embedded hairs. 

(Image credit: Camryn Rabideau )

Cleaning and Maintenance
When I first looked at the Stratos vacuum, I thought it had a large dustbin—ideal for picking up lots of pet hair. However, once I started using it, I noticed that the “Max Fill” line is only about ⅓ of the way up the side of the bin, which was really disappointing. When I vacuumed my kitchen and dining room, I ended up having to stop and empty the bin two times, and even then, I usually ended up filling the bin more than I should have between empties. This is definitely one of the major downsides of this vacuum.

There are a few other maintenance tasks you’ll need to complete to keep the Stratos running in peak condition. It has a washable foam filter that needs to be rinsed once a month. Honestly, after two weeks of fairly heavy use, this filter was already starting to look quite dirty and could likely be cleaned. You’ll also need to periodically replace the odor-neutralizing cartridge—the brand recommends installing a new one every six months.

Storage
The Shark Stratos isn’t the most convenient vacuum to store. It has a fairly large footprint and is quite tall, meaning it will take up quite a bit of space in a closet or other storage space. The power cord can be wound around the cord wrap on the side of the machine, but unfortunately, there’s nowhere to store the accessories on the vacuum itself.  

How does the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum rate online?

On the Shark website, the Stratos AZ3000 has more than 300 reviews and an average rating of 4.5 stars. It gets top marks from pet owners, who agree that the suction is unbeatable, and many people also note that it works well on both fine particles and larger debris. 

Among those who weren’t totally satisfied with the vacuum, some of the most common complaints were that the vacuum is quite heavy and can tip over easily when you’re using the attachment hose. 

How does the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum compare to other models?

You may notice that there are two versions of the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum—the AZ3000 and the AZ3002 —and the main difference between the two is the included accessories. With the AZ300, you only get a crevice tool and a non-motorized upholstery tool. However, if you upgrade to the AZ3002, you’ll receive the motorized HairPro Pet Power Brush, a duster-crevice combination tool, a multi-angle dust brush, an anti-allergen dust brush, an accessory bag, and two extra odor cartridges. However, this model has a higher price tag. 

Also within the Shark lineup is the Shark Vertex Upright, which has many similar features, except it does not have the new Odor Neutralizer Technology. The Vertex has a slightly smaller dust cup, but it also weighs marginally less, while also having a larger cleaning path and a longer hose. The two are pretty comparable in terms of suction power, pick up, and maneuverability.  At it's base, the Shark Vertex comes with more accessories, but the extra Pet attachments are available with the AZ3002 version. 

In terms of price and size, the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum is quite similar to the Dyson Ball Animal 3 , which we also tested. The two offer similar suction power and weigh around the same, but the Dyson does have a larger dustbin capacity and on-board accessory storage.  

Should you buy the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum?

(Image credit: Camryn Rabideau )

This is on the higher end as upright vacuums go, but the pure suction power of this machine makes it worth it. The vacuum performs excellently on virtually all surfaces, and its detachable canister makes it more convenient to clean stairs and other hard-to-reach areas. Plus, it handles pet hair like a pro and leaves a fresh scent behind as you clean.

The main reason you might not want to buy this vacuum is its weight. At more than 17 pounds, the Stratos is quite bulky and can be somewhat hard to move around, which may not be practical for some households.  

Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum: where to buy

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Camryn Rabideau is a writer and product reviewer specializing in home, kitchen, and pet products. In her five years as a product tester, she's tested hundreds of items first-hand, including many, many kitchen appliances for Homes & Gardens. Camryn does her product testing from her small homestead in beautiful Rhode Island. 

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