Pet Hair Vacuum Cleaner 2014 Review

I love my four legged critters, but their hair? Not so much! Most pet owners are familiar with the constant battle of dealing with pet hair.

While pets can provide companionship and joy, figuring out how to deal with the pet hair can be anything but joyous. The first line of defense in that battle for many of us is a good vacuum, but finding a vacuum that works well with pet hair is not always easy.

Many vacuum manufacturers are now making vacuums that are designed particularly in dealing with pet hair in mind, but just because a vacuum claims to be made for dealing with pet hair doesn't mean that it can live up to these claims.

How do you know which ones really do what they claim, and which ones will work best in your home?

What to Look for in a Pet Vacuum Cleaner

To help you figure that out, we are going to look at some of the top-rated vacuum cleaners made specifically for dealing with pet hair now available. First, the basics of what you will want in any vacuum cleaner that will be used for pet hair: powerful suction, strong airflow, and a strong, effective roller brush.

Pet hair can get embedded into your carpet and furniture, and all of those features can help in getting it out.

A bagless vacuum can help save money by not needing to replace the bags frequently since pet hair can quickly fill a vacuum bag.

But on the other side, vacuums with bags need to be emptied less frequently since the bags usually hold more, and if you have asthma or allergies bagless vacuums are much messier to empty and will expose you to more of the dirt and dust.

Also look at the tools and accessories that come with the vacuum, as well-designed vacuum tools can make all the difference in how easy it is to pick up pet hair off of furniture and drapes. Wider tools and hose will help reduce the likelihood of clogs, which pet hair can cause.

Perhaps the most important decision of all is which style of vacuum you want - upright, canister, or a smaller, portable vacuum. I'll go over the pros and cons of each style, and we'll look at the highest rated vacuums in each category.

Types of Pet Vacuum Cleaners

If you are cleaning stairs, furniture (and under that furniture!), and in tight spaces a lot, a canister vacuum may be the best choice for you. They are often quieter then upright vacuums as well, and are typically better at cleaning bare floors, drapes and furniture.

If you live in a small apartment, or already have a large vacuum and just want something more portable for the smaller jobs and vacuuming out your car, then here are some top-rated handheld vacuums to look at.

They come in both cordless and corded models, cordless is obviously easier to maneuver, but the corded models tend to have better power and suction.

Best Vacuum Cleaner for Pet Hair

The most common vacuum type is the upright. Upright vacuums tend to do the best at deep cleaning carpets, and are generally less expensive then canister vacuums.

The Hoover WindTunnel T-Series Pet Rewind Plus Upright Vacuum is a very popular upright for pet owners. At almost 18 pounds, it is one of the heavier pet vacuums I looked at, but it's got lots of features to make up for that.

It has a 5-position height adjustment and an easy brush shut-off so it's easy to go from thick carpet to bare floor and back again. The furniture nozzle accessory is made with a special rubber specifically designed to pick up pet hair.

I really like the alerts that tell you when the filters need to be cleaned or replaced. The handle also folds down, so that you can store it in small spaces, and the 27' cord is retractable, so you don't have to fight with wrapping up the cord.

If you have a little more to spend, the Dyson DC25 Animal Ball-Technology Upright Vacuum Cleaner is designed with Dyson's innovative ball technology that make maneuvering the vacuum in tight spaces easy and smooth.

The telescoping wand can reach up to 16 feet, which makes cleaning stairs and upholstery easy. One thing I really liked about the DC25 was that when you empty the dustbin you don't have to touch the dirt, you just press a button and the dirt empties from the bottom of the bin.

If you are looking for a more lightweight pet hair vacuum cleaner, the Eureka Pet Lover Oh! Upright Bagless Vacuum is just 12 pounds.

The unique Pet Power Paw attachment is great for pulling pet hair out of carpet and furniture, it has plastic teeth to first loosen the hair and then the rubber strip grabs it so it can be suctioned up.

It also has a charcoal HEPA filter to capture dust mites and other allergens, which is great for the allergy sufferers out there.

One thing that typically makes canister vacuums less popular is a narrower suction area than canister vacuums, meaning you spend more time going back and forth to cover the same area.

To solve that problem, the LG Kompressor Canister PetCare Plus Vacuum Cleaner LcV900B has 2 additional air pathways to the sides as well as the center suction area, which gives you a wider path as you vacuum.

It also uses a second motor at the spin brush to improve cleaning performance. The dirt canister has a compression bin that compacts the dirt as you vacuum, so that it holds up to 3x as much dirt before needing to be emptied.

It also has a 21 foot retractable cord and washable filters.

Best Cannister Vacuum Cleaner for Pet Hair Review

Another feature that I liked both on the LK Kompressor and the Dyson DC39 Animal Canister Vacuum Cleaner were that unlike traditional canister vacuums, the controls are on the handle.

On both vacuums you can turn the brush roll on and off (for moving from bare floor to carpet) and turn the vacuum on and off without having to bend over to the canister.

Another thing I like about the Dyson DC39 vacuum is that they designed it without bags, filters or belts that need to be replaced, so while your upfront cost may be higher, you won't be spending more money down the road on those.

The motor of the Dyson DC39 is housed inside the large ball, which pivots and turns easily to make pulling the vacuum along behind you painless and easy. It also comes with a mini turbine head for cleaning pet hair from tighter spaces like furniture, stairs and even your car.

The clear bin makes it easy to see when its time to empty the bin, and it is much quieter and lighter than you would expect for such a powerful vacuum

The Eureka HandHeld Vacuum, 71B is a very popular handheld vacuum. At just 5 pounds, it makes those otherwise awkward to vacuum places quick and simple to clean.

My favorite feature of this vacuum is what they call the Riser Visor. The cover over the brush roll can be flipped up to vacuum vertical surfaces, like the front of your stairs or couch, areas where pet hair tends to stick but are really hard to get to with most vacuums.

You can also switch off the brush roll for quick pick-up jobs on bare floors or area rugs, and the 20 foot cord wraps around the back for easy storage.

The BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Handheld Vacuum, Corded is another great handheld vacuum.

Its very compact size makes it perfect for the tightest spaces, and the flexible rubber nozzle is great at pulling pet hair off furniture or other surfaces.

It also comes with an interchangeable hard nozzle for use on things like cat litter or other dry messes. It is on the loud side for its size, but its ease of use and how well it does at picking up pet hair make up for that.

If you are looking for a cordless portable pet hair vacuum, the Hoover Platinum LINX Pet Cordless Hand Vacuum, BH50030 has a lithium-ion interchangeable battery that will last up to 2 times as long as other batteries.

It comes with three head attachments, a brushroll with a pivoting head for reaching tight spaces, a pet upholstery tool with 3 rubber blades for grabbing the hair off furniture, and a dusting brush for use on hard floors or delicate surfaces.