Last Updated By Matt Clayton 3 Weeks Ago
Best Canister Vacuum for Pet Hair in 2022 (Tested and reviewed)
We know pet hair can be annoying. Pets can shed hundreds of thousands of hairs every single day, so it's no wonder you feel like you're losing the battle to keep your home clean.
Not all vacuum cleaners have what it takes, but our expert team of pet owners did extensive research and tested the most popular canister vacuums in real pet homes to find the ones that really wipe out hair and dander.
Here is our the top 5 for best canister vacuum for pet hair, tried and tested:
The Top 5 Canister Vacuums for Pet Hair – Reviews
- Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog - Best overall (+ for allergies)
Innovative emptying and deep cleaning power for a clean and hygienic home - Kenmore Elite 81714 - Best for plush carpets
Powerful vacuum for stubborn pet hair on challenging surfaces - Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog Canister – Best for hardwood floors
High-quality vacuum with excellent features and good cleaning performance - Ovente Bagless Cyclonic Canister Vacuum - Best budget option
Reasonably priced vacuum with motorized brush roll and HEPA filter - BISSELL Zing Rewind Bagless Canister Vacuum – Best for a tight budget
Easy to use but doesn’t compare in cleaning performance
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1. Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog (Best Overall)
The Blizzard is perfect for those pet owners who want to ensure their home is clean and hygienic. It is powerful and simple to use, and it offers many useful features like the innovative emptying system, which prevents allergens and other small particles from being spread back in the air. Check the latest price on Amazon.
The Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog is one of our top choices in this category because it offers excellent performance combined with those essential features pet owners need in their vacuum cleaner.
High-quality German design and engineering ensure that each detail in this vacuum is smart and practical. It's a great product and a good investment if you only want to pay for something you'll use for many years to come.
Here's what you need to know about this vacuum:
Performance and Ease of use
- Excellent performance
- Powerful suction
- Moves effortlessly
- 33-foot total reach
- Many useful details
- Quiet
First of all, the Blizzard CX1 performs well on most surfaces. Only some of those thick rugs may prove a challenge for the brush roll, but the cleaning results are excellent from low to medium pile carpets.
In our tests, the brush roll head lifted up pet hair, sugar, and fine dust with ease from between the fibers leaving the carpets and rugs we tested thoroughly cleaned. The attachment is a bit bulky but will have no problem cleaning under most furniture.
For floors, you can either turn off the brush roll or change to the parquet cleaning head. This attachment is gentle on any hard floor materials, including delicate parquet. The attachment has a low profile to fit under low-built furniture, and the swivel joint makes it easy to maneuver between, around, and under furniture and appliances.
The package also comes with a few smaller attachments to enable you to clean above-floor areas efficiently. The motor creates a powerful suction of 62 miles/h, but you can use the 4 settings on the rotary selector to switch to a lower suction mode for dusting delicate surfaces.
The Blizzard comes with a handy park system for resting the wand and a cord retractor that works with a push of the foot pedal. Four rubber wheels make sure the machine moves smoothly and that it is easily maneuvered between furniture.
This Miele vacuum comes with a 21-foot power cord and stretch hose that brings the total reach to 33 feet.
Attachments
- Electro Plus Floorhead
- Flexible Parquet Twister
- Integrated dusting brush + upholstery brush and crevice tool
The Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog comes with 2 floorheads and four other attachments.
The main cleaning head is the Electro Plus Floorhead, which is the tool with a brush roll you can use for carpets and rugs. The spinning brush can be switched off, which means you won't have to change attachments if you want to clean floors with this floor head.
However, the vacuum comes with another floor head called the Flexible Parquet Twister. It has natural bristles that are gentle to any flooring material and a swivel joint that allows you to steer it between and under furniture flexibly.
The package includes three basic tools that are stored onboard to avoid losing the attachments and also to keep them at hand. The integrated dusting brush is a bit narrow, but the crevice tool and upholstery brush do a good job.
Pet owners will be happy to know that there is also a motorized brush roll tool included, which will quickly free your carpeted stairs, car seats, and furniture from that coat of fuzz.
Filtration
- Large 2-liter dirt cup
- Gore CleanStream fine dust filter
- Maintenance-free HEPA lifetime filter
This is a bagless canister vacuum with a 2-liter dirt cup. We have good news for those of you who would rather use dust bags: the new innovative emptying system prevents dust from being spread into the air when emptying the bin. You can save the cost of having to buy new dust bags while still being able to enjoy hygienic emptying.
For pet owners and anyone with allergies, the Gore CleanStream fine dust filter is a huge benefit. The system actually separates fine dust from more coarse debris, storing them separately. Bigger particles end up in the dirt cup and are easily emptied by releasing the bottom above a trash bin.
Meanwhile, the finer dust ends up in the filter, which is rinsed about twice a year. The ComfortClean self-cleaning function ensures the process is simple and sanitary, and the vacuum even lets you know when its time to do so.
The filter itself is a maintenance-free HEPA lifetime filter keeping maintenance costs low and the air you breathe clean.
If you want to prevent airborne allergens like pet dander and dust in your home, then the Miele Blizzard CX1 is an excellent choice for you.
What We Like
+ Reliable and high-quality engineering
+ Powerful motor creates a strong suction suitable for hair
+ Bagless so no need to spend on dust bags
+ Four different settings for suction power
+ 2-liter dust cup holds a lot of pet hair
+ New hygienic emptying system to prevent allergens from spreading
+ Maintenance-free HEPA filter
+ Includes a brush roll tool to keep furniture free of hair
+ Useful and convenient cleaning heads clean right up to the edge
+ Comfortable handle
+ Easily maneuvered between furniture
+ Quiet at only 76 dB
What We Dislike
- We would like a see a lower profile on the carpet head
- Thick and dense carpets may not be thoroughly cleaned
- The integrated dusting brush is quite narrow
Bottom Line
Everything adds up to that the Miele Blizzard CX1 canister vacuum is the best choice for pets and allergies. While it can remove pet hair, dander, and dust from carpets, hard floors, and above-floor surfaces with no trouble, it also effectively filters all those small particles from the air it then pushes out.
It has the new inventive Gore CleanStream fine dust HEPA filter, which ensures that allergens and other small particles are filtered thoroughly and also not wafted into the air when the dust cup is emptied. Fantastic news if you suffer from sensitivities related to airborne allergens.
The main unit moves across floors with ease and using it to vacuum your house is simple and a no-sweat job. Throw in several useful details and features, and you have yourself a top-quality vacuum cleaner to make cleaning easier. If you're looking for the best canister vacuum for pet hair, then the Blizzard is one of the best choices.
2. Kenmore Elite 81714 (Best for plush carpets)
A highly capable canister vacuum with strong suction, excellent performance –especially on high-pile carpeting, and a motorized pet hair tool to tackle your pet-related cleaning problems. This is an easily maneuvered and versatile canister vacuum cleaner you can use all-around your home. 
Check the latest price.
The new Kenmore Elite series are high-powered vacuum cleaners with excellent features that help you keep a pet home clean. It is not a high-end product, but it has all the right features to make it an adaptable and high-performing cleaning tool for houses with shedding pets.
Because it comes with many useful features, efficient tools for various challenging surfaces, and a HEPA filtration system, the Elite Pet-Friendly Ultra Plush will definitely offer value for your money if you're searching for the best canister vacuum for pet hair.
Let’s have a closer look at the incredibly practical and innovative highlights this product has to offer:
Performance and Ease of use
There is quite an impressive list of features that make this vacuum practical, easy to use, and efficient. These are the most important ones you should familiarize yourself with when considering this product:
The Kenmore Elite 81714 canister vacuum has a Dual Motor System, which generates a strong suction and an enhanced airflow for deep cleaning. In addition to the powerful suction, the Ultra Plush Nozzle uses an innovative airflow system to give carpets a deeper clean while being easy to maneuver.
The combination of suction and an efficient brush roll system is what makes this vacuum so capable on high-pile carpets. The new airflow system helps the brush roll engage the surface for a deeper clean while the design of the nozzle still allows you to move it effortlessly across the surface.
Thanks to the Crossover Nozzle, you can clean many different types of surfaces without changing the cleaning head or damaging delicate floor materials. You can easily move from carpets to bare hardwood floors or tile and just pop on and off the brush roll attachment when needed.
Variable Power Control lets you adjust the strength of the suction and enables vacuuming of both delicate items and challenging carpets. Also, the Suction Control handle means you don’t have to bend down for adjustments, making using the vacuum that much easier.
The main unit of the Elite vacuum is easily maneuvered between furniture. It’s lightweight and has a handle for carrying, and while on the floor, it rests on three wheels that glide smoothly on any surface. Also, the cleaning nozzles have a low-profile design for reaching under furniture and appliances.
When cleaning stairs, the Stair Grip feature lets you rest the vacuum on the narrow steps. You can safely concentrate on vacuuming without having to hold the vacuum or worry about it toppling down the stairs.
Kenmore has even added little useful details like LED lights that let you see what your vacuuming in dim-lit areas like under furniture. Also, the vacuum is bagged with dust bags that are hygienic and quick to change.
The fingertip controls are easy to use, as is the onboard storage that keeps all the tools at your reach while you move around your home. The vacuum also has a lengthy 26-foot cord with an automatic retraction system that makes it easy to pack up once you’re done.
As you can see, the list of great features is extensive. The list may be exhausting, but using a vacuum with such a careful design is certainly not.
Filtration
When it comes to filtration, pet owners will be happy to know that the Kenmore Elite vacuums have an enhanced HEPA certified filtration system that captures 99.97% of dirt and dust, including small particles like bacteria and allergens such as dust, dander, and pollen.
This means the exhaust air is cleaner, resulting in a cleaner environment with fewer allergy-inducing particles. The vacuum bags are also HEPA-certified, and emptying the vacuum is dust-free.
In bagged vacuums, the additional cost of dust bags is a downside. On the other hand, changing the back is easy and hygienic, and no dust is wafted back into the air.
Attachments
Attachments include
- crevice nozzle to clean hard-to-reach and tight places
- upholstery brush for furniture, curtains, and car seats
- dusting brush for corners, baseboards, and cabinets
- Pet PowerMate motorized brush roll for deep cleaning furniture, stairs, and car seats
The Motorized Pet Power Mate tool lifts dander and pet hair from all types of surfaces, including upholstered furniture, car seats, and stairs. While the sturdy brush roll efficiently picks up pet hair, it also prevents long hair from being tangled around the brush.
All the attachments are securely stored onboard for convenience when cleaning.
Combined with the 10’ aluminum telescopic extension wand, these tools allow you to reach and clean all the above-floor areas like corners of the ceiling, fans, vents, baseboards, and blinds.
What We Like
+ Powerful motor and strong suction
+ Lightweight and easily maneuvered
+ Ultra Plush Nozzle for deep cleaning carpets
+ Crossover Nozzle for easily cleaning multi-surface areas
+ Pet PowerMate motorized brush tool
+ Stair Grip feature for parking the vacuum on the steps
+ Extension wand offers you more reach
+ Onboard storage of tools for cleaning convenience
+ Easy-to-use fingertip controls on the handle
+ 26-foot cord with automatic rewind
+ Wide 14-inch cleaning path
+ LED lights for better visibility
+ HEPA filtration and HEPA-certified vacuum bags
+ Dust-free emptying
What We Dislike
- A bit bulky
- May flip onto its side if tucked on
Bottom Line
This Kenmore Elite 81714 canister vacuum is perfect for pet homes with high-pile carpeting or plush area rugs. Not only does it come with a powerful tool for removing pet hair and dust from upholstered furniture, but it also includes the Ultra Plush Nozzle for deep cleaning plush carpets from persistent pet hair.
It is lightweight and easy to use, and the excellent attachments allow you to clean not only floors but above-floor areas as well. With added details like the Stair Grip parking, LED headlights, and onboard storage for tools, using this vacuum has been made simple and convenient.
The Elite 81714 vacuum has a smart design, and it can help you keep your home pet hair-free. It is reasonably priced, and it has all the right features pet owners will find useful.
3. Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog Canister (Best for hardwood floors)
This vacuum is a top choice for pet homes with mainly hardwood floors and low-pile carpets. It has every feature you could wish for to help you keep your pet home clean, and it has actually been named the best product of the year by Reviewed.com. Read user reviews on Amazon.
The Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog is one of the most advanced canister vacuums designed for homes with pets. It is a compact yet powerful vacuum with excellent filtration and fantastic attachments. It’s Miele quality all the way.
Some people are not familiar with the Miele brand, but the company is known for its high-quality appliances that are built to last. Their products are all about highly useful features, high-quality material, and attention to detail in the design.
If you’re looking for a top-notch canister vacuum to help you get rid of all that pet hair, then keep on reading. This is everything you need to know about this product:
Performance and ease of use
Miele C1 Classic Cat & Dog has been designed specifically for pet owners, and that is why it does an excellent job at dealing with those pet-related messes. The vacuum has a powerful 1.200W motor to provide strong suction and a 6-stage rotary selector for finding the perfect suction strength for each surface type.
To make handling this vacuum easy, Miele has included an 18-foot power cord and a 7-foot crush-proof hose with a swivel handle. The design enables you to reach even the most hard-to-reach corners like under your bed and in the corners of the ceiling. The operating radius is actually just under 30 feet.
This vacuum uses an AirClean 3D Efficiency filter bag which will keep all that dust and hair inside the vacuum while clean air is blown out. The size of the dust bag is 4.5 liters which is more than enough for any household – even if you have several pets that shed heaps of hair. Also, the dust bag is designed so that even a full bag will not block the airflow and reduce suction. That means you will always have full power at your use.
To make sure the exhaust air is as clean as possible, Miele has added an Active AirClean filter that not only removes the 99,9% of lung-damaging particles before the air is blown out, but it also neutralizes nasty odors. This carbon filter is highly beneficial for pet owners, as pet hair tends to have that recognizable smell you wouldn’t want to be spread back into your indoor air.
As Miele is always about those little useful details that make an appliance stand out from the rest, there are, of course, some small but highly useful features in this vacuum as well.
The ergonomic handle is designed to offer you a more comfortable cleaning experience, and there is even a small metal strip integrated into the handle to prevent static discharge between the vacuum and the user.
The vacuum also has protection against overheating should the airflow get blocked and it even has a system that easily allows you to take a break from the vacuuming. If you want to pause, you just hook the floorhead into the rear of the vacuum, and you don’t have to crouch down to place the wand on the floor.
It’s those small additions that make vacuuming easier for you and add up to the perfect canister vacuum for people with pets.
Attachments
The C1 Cat & Dog Canister Vacuum is equipped with amazing attachments that help you keep every surface clean and free of pet hair. These attachments are high-quality tools with excellent design.
Firstly, you get three basic tools: upholstery nozzle, crevice nozzle, and dusting brush.
The upholstery nozzle is excellent for more delicate fabrics that need pet hair removal while the dusting brush allows you to easily remove dust, hair, and dander from all other above-floor surfaces. The crevice tool, on the other hand, keeps those tight hard-to-reach areas and baseboards dust-free.
To make sure these tools are always at hand, Miele has added a VarioClip system. With this handy little feature, you will have each tool at hand, and they won’t get lost while you move from one room to another.
But that’s not all. This is where we get to the stuff that pet owners really love about this vacuum – and for a very good reason.
The C1 vacuum comes with the Electro Plus floorhead with 5-level height adjustment. It is a high-power brush roll tool designed to give those thick medium to high-pile carpets a thorough cleanup. This tool will quickly pull up any pet hair, dust, or dirt embedded into your carpets and area rugs.
Although pet owners will love the powerful Electro Plus floorhead, the C1 has another tool for more delicate floors. The Parquet Twister with 180° rotation is meant for more agile cleaning of hard and delicate floor surfaces like parquet or hardwood. This tool is lightweight and easy to steer for when you just need to do some quick upkeep cleaning instead of a more thorough cleanup.
But this is where we get to the best part. For the benefit of pet owners, Miele has equipped this vacuum with a Handheld Mini Turbo Brush that will easily remove pet hair from furnishings, upholstery, and carpeted stairs.
It is a highly efficient motorized brush roll tool that gets excellent ratings from pet owners specifically. This attachment will work miracles and effortlessly remove even the most stubborn pet hair.
What We Like
+ Powerful suction with the 1,200W motor
+ Compact, lightweight, and easily maneuvered
+ Large 4.5-liter AirClean 3D Efficiency filter bag
+ Filtration removes 99.9% of lung-damaging particles
+ Active AirClean filter neutralizes pet odors
+ Upholstery nozzle, crevice nozzle, and dusting brush included
+ Ergonomic Comfort handle for more comfortable steering
+ Electro Plus floor brush for high-pile carpets
+ The Parquet Twister for delicate floor materials
+ Handheld Mini Turbo Brush for upholstery
+ 18-foot power cord and a 7-foot crush-proof hose
+ Handle prevents static discharge
+ Protection from overheating
What We Dislike
- No foot pedals
Bottom Line
The Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog Canister Vacuum is the perfect choice for homes with pets and mainly hardwood floors. It is powerful yet compact and easily operated.
The attachments do a fantastic job at removing hair, and they enable you to use the powerful suction on all surfaces from floor to ceiling. With careful attention to detail in design and many useful features, this is one of the top choices for the best canister vacuum for pet hair.
It may not be one of the most affordable vacuums on the market, but with high-quality materials and a durable build, this product will last for years. Miele vacuum cleaners are always reliable, and they get excellent ratings from users. And with this product specially designed for pet owners, it really does have all the features you need to win the battle against pet messes.
4. Ovente Bagless Cyclonic Canister Vacuum (Best Budget Option)
An excellent budget option with powerful suction, a HEPA filter, motorized pet brush, and a hygienic easy-to-empty bin. Small and compact yet powerful. Check the latest price here.
The Ovente Cyclonic vacuum is the best canister vacuum for pet hair in the lower price range.
It is not a highly advanced product, but it does have all the features you need to wipe out the pet hair invading your home. It is durable and reliable, and many satisfied users compliment how efficient it is.
Is this affordable canister vacuum the right choice for you? Continue reading, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know before deciding.
Performance and ease of use
The Ovente Bagless Cyclonic Canister Vacuum comes with a small but powerful 1200-watt motor to provide you the strong suction you need for removing pet hair. This vacuum may be compact in size, but it does hold the power that is required for excellent cleaning results.
The main cleaning head has a floor brush that is controlled with a foot pedal. With this pedal, it is easy to switch settings when moving from one surface to another. We would like to see a brush roll tool for those extra plush carpets, but at this price, it is only a small shortcoming.
This vacuum is very lightweight at only 12 pounds, which makes it effortless to maneuver and to pick up if needed. Although it is compact in size and lightweight, it is made of durable, heavy-duty plastic to ensure it lasts in daily use. Also, the wand is made of sturdy stainless steel instead of plastic that might break easily. Although this vacuum has a low price point, Ovente has not skimped in materials.
The telescopic wand allows you to clean all those areas that can be hard to get to, and the step button for turning the vacuum on and off means you don’t even have to bend down. And when you’re done the automatic rewind takes care of packing up.
This Ovente vacuum uses cyclonic technology to separate dirt and dust from the air before it is guided through the filter. This feature will ensure that all the pet hair and dirt stays in the dirt container not clogging the filter and giving it a longer life.
The vacuum also has a HEPA filter which will filter out 99.97% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 micrometers. The filter is washable to minimize your maintenance costs, and since it is a HEPA filter, it will make sure none of those allergens like dander and pollen are blown back into the air you breathe.
The full bin indicator light lets you know when it’s time to empty the bin. To do this, you simply detach the container and pop open the bottom letting the dirt fall into a trashcan.
Attachments
The Ovente Bagless Cyclonic Canister Vacuum does come with a Combination Bristle Brush/Crevice Nozzle tool that will help you dust baseboards and other above-floor areas.
But what we are delighted to see is a motorized Sofa/Pet Brush. Vacuums in this price range rarely include a motorized pet hair attachment, but Ovente has kindly added this powerful tool that pet owners will find highly useful.
This motorized brush roll tool is incredibly efficient at removing all the persistent fuzz that clings onto upholstered surfaces. With this attachment, you can quickly get rid of pet hair collecting on your furniture, car seats, and carpeted stairs. It is one of the reasons that make this canister vacuum a great vacuum for pet hair.
What We Like
+ Lightweight
+ Easy to maneuver
+ Durable materials
+ Motorized brush roll tool for pet hair
+ Washable HEPA filter for a cleaner environment
+ Easy-to-empty bin
+ A cord that retracts automatically
+ Foot pedal
+ Moderate pricing
What We Dislike
- No onboard storage
- The wand could be a bit longer
- Design of the handle is not ideal
Bottom Line
If you're looking for a moderately priced vacuum that can handle dog and cat hair, then look no further. This Ovente vacuum has all those essential features you need for wiping out pet hair, but it comes at an affordable price.
Powerful suction and a motorized pet hair brush tool will help you deal with shedding, and a HEPA filter ensures that allergens like pet dander are carefully filtered.
This vacuum is convenient, and it has many useful details like an automatic cord rewind system, bagless design, and a telescopic wand that offers you more reach. Add durable materials, and you have yourself a reliable little helper for keeping your apartment clean and free of pet hair. This vacuum is one of the best options in this category, especially if you're on a budget.
5. BISSELL Zing Rewind (Best for a tight budget)
For a tight budget, limited space, and an unlimited number of pets in your home, the Bissell Zing Rewind Vacuum is a low-budget choice that offers not only a powerful clean but can be easily stored and stowed away—even the cord is wound up at the touch of a button—quickly and quietly. Click here to see the prices.
Performance and ease of use
The Bissell Zing is packed with power with its 9-amp motor and cyclonic technology, and it sucks the pet hair up into a bagless container in no time at all. It has a dual-switch mode, and it is able to cover hard floor or lift up the embedded pet hair from your carpets.
This canister vacuum is bagless, and it has a sizeable 2-liter dustbin, which makes it extremely convenient and user-friendly, moving from room to room without the need to empty the container, which can simplify the task of cleaning up after your pet...
It also maneuvers effortlessly between furniture —especially large and heavy ones that are too bothersome to move.
The Bissell Zing Rewind has an integrated carrying handle so you can simply pick it up (it’s extremely lightweight at 9.1 lbs) and move in and out of the house. It covers enough ground to make a difference with one push. With a cleaning path of 10.1 inches, it can clean a broader space, letting you get away with less work.
Attachments
Not only is Bissell Zing compatible with multiple surfaces, which makes it extremely useful in a multi-floor house, it can also reach those hard-to-reach surfaces which makes cleaning so much more convenient and effortless on your part. It also has a multi-surface floor tool, a dusting brush, a crevice tool, an air flow regulator, and a cord rewind.
What We Like
+ Has an good suction despite its lightweight look and feel
+ Best for those on a budget
+ Weighs just 9.1 lbs., which makes maneuvering and carrying through the house less work for you
+ Works with a cyclonic cleaning system to give you the best clean
+ Attached with an automatic cord rewind system
+ Has multi-stage filtration to clean the exhaust air
What We Dislike
- The power cord is pretty short at 15 feet
- Not very efficient with heavy-set, thick carpet
Bottom Line
The Bissell Zing Rewind Canister is one of the best choices for anybody with a smaller house or apartment and a low-budget.
Even though it has an incredibly lightweight design, it still delivers powerful suction and good quality clean. The highly portable model stores easily with its cord-rewind feature, which lets you off the hook when it comes to cleaning up after you clean up. It is a perfect fit for someone living in close quarters with their furry friends.
Buying Guide – Things You Need to Consider
Choosing a capable vacuum with the right functions to help you out with pet-related messes can be difficult. You want the essential features and an efficient vacuum for pet hair without paying for an overpriced product. To help you out, we've listed 7 key elements you should keep your eye on:
1. Suction Power
This will change depending on what type of flooring you have in your house. For example,
- If you have heavy, deep-set carpets, then you'll need a high-quality suction power to get deep down into the trenches of your rug or carpet.
- If you only have a bare floor, you won’t have to worry too much about suction power and you can often bypass or settle with a vacuum with not the strongest suction.
Suction power also depends on the pets you have. If you have a short-haired chihuahua, you might not have to worry all that much about having the best suction, but if you have a long-haired golden retriever, that might be the first thing you need to consider.
2. Attachments
You don't need to opt for the vacuum with the most gizmos attached to it; you just need to make sure the appliance has what you need.
The attachments, however, can help you when trying to get into those hard-to-reach areas or sucking up every last bit of pet hair or dandruff.
- For a pet owner, the upholstery tool is something you probably need, and it should be designed to collect pet hair.
- The crevice tool is used to wedge the cleaning vacuum into tight and seemingly impossible spots, and also to clean baseboards.
- Also, you probably want a dusting tool to finish off your cleanup by dusting, for example, delicate items, shelves, and vents.
All these tools are important, but the number one attachment for pet homes is a motorized brush roll. A small handheld attachment that uses suction and a spinning brush for removing pet hair is ideal when cleaning upholstered furniture, car seats, or carpeted stairs.
The floor cleaning nozzles are important too.
- If you have high to medium-pile carpets, your vacuum should have a floor brush head with a brush roll attached.
- For delicate floors materials like parquet, the nozzle should be more gentle, or the brush should have an on-off switch.
3. Price
Just because a vacuum cleaner is cheap doesn't mean it’s going to be the best option out there for you. You should realize that price will probably be parallel with performance.
Although there are highly capable vacuum cleaners with more than affordable prices, it could be wise to possibly raise your budget a little higher to invest in a high-quality, long-lasting vacuum with better features and more attachments.
No matter what your price is, there’s a product to match it. Even though it might not be the best vacuum out there, it should get the job done—which is the critical feature here.
4. Size
Factoring in the size of the vacuum cleaner is also extremely important before you make the purchase. In this case, we aren't strictly talking about how big is it in terms of how much room it takes; it’s also important that you factor in how much it weighs.
The last thing you want to be doing, especially after pushing the vacuum cleaner to and from in one room, is lugging it down the hall to the next room. Try and pick out a vacuum cleaner with adequate size for storage and for carrying convenience. We know that choosing a vacuum is like picking your poison—so try and make it as least painful as possible.
5. Bagged/Bagless
Bagged vacuum cleaners are much quicker and easier to maintain—when it fills up, all you have to do is simply toss the dust bag out and replace it. Usually, these bags run cheap, but you do have some cases with some vacuums where they don't. They are relatively expensive and a hassle to find.
Bagless canister vacuums usually have something called a "dirt cup" where all the dust, hair, and debris are collected, and all you have to do is empty it out and wash it—then return back into the vacuum. Even though the initial investment in a bagless vacuum is a bit steeper, it will pay off in the long run—particularly if your furry roommate is especially hairy.
Bagged vacuums can be more hygienic, but there are new innovative solutions for bagless vacuums as well. In the end, it's a matter of preference. However, for environmental reasons, bagless vacuums are the trend right now.
6. Filter
The type of filter you get can play a role in your vacuum cleaning purchase. Especially if you are, or a family member or someone who lives with you is allergic or sensitive to pet dander or dust, investing in a vacuum cleaner with a high-quality filter is essential.
If you are going to go ahead and make that investment, you want to be sure you have the highest quality filter, which is assuring that the vacuum comes with one that is HEPA-standardized.
HEPA, the high-efficiency particulate absorber filter, removes 99.97 percent of dust and dandruff particles in the air and around your home. It will clean the air around you so you can rest assured that you're doing your best to fight those allergies so you and your pets can live harmoniously together.
7. Surfaces
Depending on the types of flooring you have in your house, you might have to choose a particular vacuum to match.
Although most vacuums tend to adhere to most flooring, especially with those that can switch up modes from one surface type to another, you should always aim for those particular vacuums that specialize in your type of floor—especially if you have deep-set carpet.
The bare floor like tile, hardwood, and linoleum are relatively easy to clean with a vacuum but can also be cleaned better with specific adjustments or hard-floor attachments. The same goes for the carpet.
Vacuums designed specifically for hard floors might prove a bit of a challenge to get deep into the carpet, leaving bits of pet dander and hair still lodged into the flooring.
Why Choose a Canister Vacuum for a Pet Home?
Are you looking for the best canister vacuum for a home with pets, but you're not sure whether this is the right design for your needs?
If you have a pet or two that shed, you know that you need a top vacuum cleaner to get rid of that pet hair. And not only do you need a vacuum that can deal with that persistent pet hair, but you also need something that can be used on all surfaces and even under the furniture. You need the best canister vacuum that can deal with pet-related messes.
If the vacuum cleaner is not easily operated and capable of removing pet hair, you will have wasted your money. A pet hair vacuum needs to perform well, and it needs to do an excellent job on floors, carpets, and above-floor areas. But that's not all. It needs to be something you can easily use and a product that makes your life easier. Otherwise, you'll just skip vacuuming, and all that dust and pet hair will accumulate.
A canister vacuum has the ideal design for anyone with back pains or other conditions that would prevent you from using a heavy upright vacuum. A canister has the same strong suction and excellent performance as an upright vacuum, but it's easier to maneuver.
Because a canister vacuum has the motor on wheels, you don't have to push it while you're cleaning. The hose and wand are all you need to hold while pulling the motor and filtration system behind you.
Also, having the body of the vacuum cleaner separate from the wand and hose is actually a pretty handy design. You can easily reach up high without the vacuum tipping over (like some uprights do) and also you can clean under furniture without the bulky body getting in the way. It's very convenient for getting to those furballs under the bed!
The design makes canister vacuums very versatile and adaptable – and that is why they make it easy for you to keep your house clean and free of pet hair.
The cleaning head combined with the suction will pick up and pull in all that pet hair giving your carpets a thorough cleanup. And when you want to clean above-floor areas, you can just pop on a dusting brush or crevice tool to get every last hair sucked right in.
If you think some other type of vacuum cleaner than a canister could be a better fit for your needs, you can click here to see our favorite handhelds, powerful uprights, automatic robot cleaners, and agile stick vacuums on the market.
FAQ
We know that making the choice of a specific vacuum cleaner for you, your pets, and your home can be overwhelming. First of all, you have to decide where to start—what are the most important features to you and how to check that off your list.
To help you out when choosing the best canister vacuum, here are our most frequently asked questions:
Canister vacuums are better than traditional upright vacuums because they have more powerful motors and are lighter to maneuver. Canister vacuums are also easier to use in tight spaces like under and between furniture.
For more on finding a vacuum for pet hair, check out Best vacuum for pet hair.
Yes, canister vacuums can be better for hardwood floors. This is because if you have delicate floor materials, you can easily change the motorized cleaning head to a more gentle one and prevent the vacuum from scratching the surface. Also, the motors on canister vacuums are often more powerful, making them better at picking up dust, dirt, and debris on hardwood floors.
Yes, Miele vacuums are worth the higher price. Miele vacuums are high-quality vacuum cleaners with advanced features and durable materials. Their German engineering is top-class, and the vacuums offer superb results in cleaning. Miele is definitely a brand to consider for anyone looking for the best pet hair vacuum or a high-quality vacuum cleaner of any type.
The best bagless canister vacuum cleaner is the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog. This vacuum uses an innovative Gore CleanStream fine dust filter, which separates smaller particles from more coarse dirt preventing dust from being wafted into the air when emptying the dirt cup. The Blizzard CX1 is the best canister vacuum with a bagless design because it is even more hygienic than bagged vacuums and just as easy to empty.
Our #1 Canister Vacuum for Pet Hair Is…
After testing a bunch of canister vacuums, our test team was unanimous about which one was the top dog in this category. Although all these vacuums are great choices and, of course, you need to consider your budget. Still, one vacuum stood out in particular: the best canister vacuum for pet hair is the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog.
What we learned while testing these vacuums was that there are not that many canister vacuums that have what it takes to keep a pet home clean. Although you can find a good one in any budget range, the more you invest, the better the engineering and performance are.
What our test team loved about this canister vacuum was the innovative filtration system perfectly suited for pet homes, smart German engineering, high-quality feel, and effortless maneuvering. Out of all the vacuums we tested, the Miele Blizzard was the one everyone would choose for themselves.
Miele Blizzard Cat & Dog
- High-quality engineering
- Powerful and easy to use
- Excellent cleaning performance
- Prevents allergens from spreading
- Large dirt cup
- Maintenance-free HEPA filter
