Tired of stubborn pet hair? Make sure you’re using the right vacuum

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Dog and cat owners know that pet hair shows no mercy. It somehow ends up in every corner of your home and covers the floor, furniture and even your clothing. To ensure you’re always on the offensive against pet hair, experts recommend investing in a vacuum equipped to handle hair, litter and other common pet messes.

To find the best vacuums for getting pet hair out of carpet and upholstery , I talked with experts and used their guidance to compile a list of upright, cordless and handheld vacuums that work on all floor types from brands like Dyson , Bissell and Tineco . Some of my picks come recommended by NBC Selected staffers who are pet owners themselves.

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The best vacuums for pet hair

Below are the best vacuums for pet hair, all of which are either highly-rated top sellers, recommended by an expert or an NBC Selected staff favorite.

Best overall vacuum for pet hair

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Lift-Off Vacuum

The Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Lift-Off comes with a HEPA filter to trap all of the dust and pet fur laying around your home and carpets, without releasing them into the air. Its self-cleaning brushroll cleans up pet hair easily by breaking the strands apart while its LED headlights help you see small particles. The vacuum comes with a dusting brush and crevice tool for cleaning places other than the floor, like furniture and tight corners.

Best vacuum for pet hair under $200

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus

The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Turbo Plus is a relatively slender and lightweight upright vacuum, but it’s still effective on pet hair. It has an anti-tangle brush roll that’s ideal for picking up pet hair embedded in the fibers of carpet, upholstery and other fabrics . Instead of manually removing debris from the dustbin, you can empty it with the press of a button. Plus, it has a crevice tool for cleaning under furniture or elevated areas.

Best Shark upright vacuum for pet hair

Shark NV352 Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum

This vacuum is often one of the items most purchased by NBC Selected readers during sales like Amazon Prime Day , Black Friday and Cyber Monday. My family’s home has three pets — two cats and a dog — and despite us trying many cordless vacuums over the years, they just weren’t powerful enough to leave our floors spotless. But this corded model has great suction and it quickly gets hair off of carpets and hard floors, plus it cleans up litter and dirt. The detachable pod is also a bonus — it makes cleaning furniture and tight spaces super easy. However, the vacuum is on the bigger side, so if you live in a small space like an apartment, you have to be strategic about storing it.

Best Dyson upright vacuum

Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra Upright Vacuum

The Dyson Ball Animal 3 upright vacuum has a rolling brush, which makes it great for picking up hair and preventing tangles, according to the brand. Beyond cleaning your floors, this Dyson model has a dog grooming tool to remove loose hairs, dead skin and other allergens directly from long-haired pets. The vacuum has a 35-foot cord and its construction allows you to swivel around furniture easily. It offers three modes that adjust suction power for different floor types. You can also shut off the automated brush roll, which cleans itself.

Best canister vacuum for pet hair

Kenmore 600 Series Pet-Friendly Pop-N-Go Vacuum

Kenmore’s canister vacuum has a two-motor system to provide an extra powerful suction, according to the brand. Its swivel head helps you maneuver around furniture and its built-in telescoping wand extends up to 10 feet to help you clean small or elevated spaces. The vacuum has a 28-foot cord and the motorized brush head lifts grime off surfaces while preventing hair from tangling around it. You can turn the automated brush head off while cleaning hard floors and store the included attachments inside the vacuum.

Best stick vacuum for pet hair

Tineco Pure One S11 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

When I adopted my second cat, I quickly realized that my old vacuum wouldn’t cut it — double the cats means double the hair. After weeks of research, I bought this Tineco vacuum because it checked off all my boxes: lightweight, cordless and converted into a handheld vacuum. Now, I don’t know what I’d do without it. The vacuum’s headlights illuminate pet hair I’d otherwise miss and show me exactly what parts of my floor need attention most. The appliance can also sense dirt, automatically adjusting its suction power accordingly. Beyond getting rid of hair, this vacuum easily sucks up cat food crumbs and cat litter . I also appreciate that its LED screen displays a status report with information like whether the brush roll is tangled or the air channel is blocked. In my experience, one full charge offers about 40 minutes of run time.

Best self-emptying vacuum for pet hair

Shark Detect Cordless Vacuum

This lightweight cordless vacuum from Shark is ideal for cleaning up pet hair and other debris, even in small spaces. It also has an odor-neutralizing technology that prevents particles sitting in the vacuum from creating unpleasant smells when you aren’t using it, according to the brand. It also has the power to adjust its cleaning style, depending on what surface you’re using it on, such as hardwood or carpet. Rebecca Rodriguez , former NBC Selected editorial projects manager, shares her home with two cats, and ever since Shark sent her a sample of this vacuum, she says her floors have never been cleaner. It also empties itself every time you put it on the charger, so it’s prepared each time you use it, according to the brand.

Best lightweight vacuum for pet hair

Dyson V11 Vacuum

“This is the absolute, number one workhorse of my apartment,” says Nikki Brown , NBC Selected senior editor and cat parent. The vacuum helps her clean up hair and litter, and it has a similar design to the Dyson Outsize Plus with its anti-tangle brush head, LCD screen and 60-minute run time. You can also convert this appliance into a handheld vacuum, plus use the many attachments for specific jobs. ”My favorite attachments are the hair screw tool and crevice tool. Without these, I couldn’t reach those teeny tiny corners that my cat tracks mess into,” says Brown. She recommends cleaning and air-drying the vacuum’s pieces at least once a month, especially if you use it often. “I’ve had my vacuum for years and I think upkeep is part of the reason it continues to perform so well,” says Brown.

Best overall handheld vacuum for pet hair

Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand Vacuum

“Pet hair eraser” is an accurate description of Bissell’s hand vacuums. I’ve used a few different models and have always been impressed by how quickly and efficiently they get hair off surfaces like carpets, pet beds, wood floors, and car seats. This cordless handheld vacuum gives you up to 17 minutes of run time on a single charge. I find it especially useful to keep in your car if you frequently travel with pets.

Best lightweight handheld vacuum for pet hair

Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro Cordless Handheld Vacuum

This Shark handheld vacuum, another expert-recommended option, can get into tough spots; whether on your stairs, in your car or in the corners of the couch. Its versatility makes it a great product to keep in your home or car . The lightweight vacuum has a washable filter and a dirt ejector so you can toss the mess hands-free.

Best for quick cleaning

Dyson V8 Origin+ Cordless Vacuum

This cordless vacuum deep cleans both carpets and hard floors, has a run time of up to 40 minutes and uses a filtration system that captures pet allergens and dust, according to the brand. Plus, it comes with a motorbar cleaner that removes and detangles pet hair from the brush bar, which is great if you have long-haired dogs that shed often. You can also turn the vacuum into a handheld device to clean crevices and other hard-to-reach spots.

How I picked the best vacuums for pet hair

Brands often market specific vacuums as designed to clean up pet hair, but you don’t have to limit yourself to those models if you prioritize the following these expert-recommended factors while shopping. I also kept these in mind while compiling our list:

How to shop for pet hair vacuums

When considering your choices, it’s important to think about features like floor settings, size, weight and more. But when shopping with pets in mind, experts also recommend focusing on the following areas to ensure appliances are equipped to handle lots of hair, additional dust and other messes cats and dogs may create.

What is a HEPA filter?

HEPA filters capture between 99.95% and 99.99% of particles that are 0.3 microns in size, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , which makes for thorough vacuuming. A micron, or a micrometer, is 1,000 times smaller than a millimeter. It’s the standard unit for measuring particles at this scale. The filters trap particles so they’re not released back into the air, thus reducing the presence of them in your home, says Marla Mock, president of Molly Maid , a Neighborly company that offers house cleaning and maid services nationwide.

HEPA filters are a must for those who experience allergy symptoms when exposed to pet dander, dust and other microscopic allergens on cat and dog hair, says Carl Prouty, product specialist at Abt , an appliance and electronics store.