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We are all crazy about our dogs. They give us love, laughter – but also plenty of dog hairs in the home.
Of course, it wouldn’t be home if it wasn’t sprinkled with dog hair. So many of us are accustomed to wearing dog hair like it’s the latest fashion trend (me), but before you know it, those pesky hairs can take over the household.
Having a good hoover to pick up those stray dog hairs is essential. Thanks to technology, hoovers are becoming more and more tailored for the job.
We’ve picked out 8 of the best hoovers for picking up pet hair so you can live in harmony with your best pal.
Different Types of Hoovers:
Before we delve in, here’s a brief overview of the different types of hoovers out there.
Upright: Upright hoovers are usually a popular choice for dog owners with multiple dogs because they’re a powerhouse for dog hair. Their suction usually gets right into the roots of your carpet.
Cylinder: These hoovers are generally lightweight and easy to use. They tend to give you more flexibility around the home, climbing the stairs etc.
Handheld: These are great for quick clean-ups, but aren’t usually equipped to deal with removing dog hair. That being said there are a couple of gems out there.
Robots: These can be great if you’re ready to spend serious money on one, but generally the lower cost ones are not made to deep clean and pick up dog hair.
Bagged: Bagged vacuums are easy to empty and tend to accommodate the dust and debris from several cleaning sessions before they need changing. Bagged vacuums tend to be better for allergy sufferers and means you don’t have to clean dust and grime out of the vacuum itself.
Bagless: No need to worry about changing the bags which means they’re more environmentally friendly and less costly. You can see the dirt that’s been collected and can see the right time to empty it.
Do You Need a Pet Specific Hoover?
We would recommend sticking with a pet-specific hoover. Standard hoovers are not built to cope with the task at hand. They tend to get clogged much more quickly because they’re not equipped to withstand the number of hairs coming through the system.
The top features that a pet-specific hoover will have over a standard hoover are as follows:
Powerful suction particularly with carpet, you’ll want the hoover to bring up the hairs that are embedded or entwined with the fibres. The suction on standard hoovers tends to not be as strong as hoovers designed for pet hairs.
A filtration system such as HEPA. The HEPA filters can trap both microscopic and large particles, including mould and allergens. They then contain those particles so that they are not then released into the air via the exhaust. A lot of standard hoovers tend to have subpar or non-existent filtration systems.
A completely sealed unit, to ensure none of the dog hairs find their way out the hoover and back into your carpets or furniture.
Pet specific attachments, these are designed to help you efficiently remove dog hair from a variety of surfaces. You may find some hoovers claiming to be a ‘pet’ hoover because it comes with attachments. In reality, they’re not built to cope with the incoming hairs. Crevice tools, dusting brushes and upholstery tools are great. Turbo Brush is the most popular and powerful tool to get, and it often features a claw at the front to bring up tough hairs.
Best Upright Hoover For Dog Hair: Shark NZ801UKT True Pet
We have never loved a hoover so much. The Shark vacuums have been making a real name for themselves over the last few years and it’s easy to see why.
Not only is the hoover simple to use, but it has a powered lift-away feature which you can detach from the hovers body. This feature makes it perfect for hard to reach areas or vacuuming the stairs.
The hover is designed with two brush rolls, so you glide from carpet to hard floor (we’ve tested ours on carpets, laminate floor and tiled flooring all with great results).
The floorhead features two motorised brush rolls which Shark call the DuoClean feature. Not only does it draw in large debris but small particles and fine dust.
What we love the most about the hover is the ‘True Pet’ anti hair wrap pet tool. This is purposefully designed to effortlessly remove embedded pet hair from sofas and soft furnishings.
For those with allergies, it comes highly recommended as the anti-allergen HEPA filtration system traps dust and allergens in the system.
Best Budget Upright Hoover For Dog Hair: Vax UCPMSHV1 Pet Max
Another highly rated hoover that comes with a budget price tag. Many dog owners have said this vacuum is a ‘dream come true’.
The hoover has powerful suction and comes with the Turbo brush to remove embedded dirt and dog hair.
This hoover has all the power you need from an upright vacuum but with the added feature of having a lightweight, lift-out cylinder. Perfect for stair cleaning or getting into the dog’s bed.
It glides smoothly over a variety of surfaces including rugs and laminate floors. All in all, this is a handy upright hoover for those looking for a lower price tag.
Best Cylinder Hoover For Dog Hair: Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat and Dog
This hoover was created with our hairy poochies and moggies in mind.
The powerful suction from the hoover is incredible and comes in different power settings. Even the lower setting reliably removes those pesky hairs with ease.
The Turbobrush head it comes with is super effective. It attaches to the hoover and spins while sucking to draw up the hairs.
The power cord is 8.50 meters and also retracts effortlessly with one press of the button, which is always lots of fun to do.
The extra length on the telescopic tube means you can reach high places easily.
This hoover is also really quiet, perfect for dogs who scarper at the sight of a hoover.
Best Bagged Cylinder Hoover: Henry Pet PET200 Bagged
Wouldn’t be a hoover guide without our trusty friend Henry, or in this case, Henry Pet.
Henry works exceptionally well for picking up dog hair and it’s suitable for many different floor types. The HairoBrush it comes with easily picks-up stubborn dog hairs from carpets and stairs.
The Henry Hoover is bagged but the HEPA-standard dust-bags reduce the smell of the vacuum exhaust. It also features a huge capacity which is 5 x’s bigger than any standard hoover, meaning less time emptying.
Best Cordless Hoover For Dog Hair: Gtech AirRam Mk2 K9 Cordless
This hoover comes highly rated in the dog community. Gtech continually improve their products by working closely with pet owners.
This hoover is easy to put together, and it even doubles up as a small handheld cleaner. It has a powered rotating brush bar to pick up stubborn dog hairs and comes with lightly scented cartridges to keep your home feeling clean and fresh.
This cordless vacuum doesn’t require any more than 4 hours of charging for a long runtime of around 40 minutes.
It’s super light-weight and has LED lights on the front for navigating those tricky areas.
Dyson V7 Animal Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
We couldn’t pick just one cordless so we went ahead and picked two.
This cordless hoover is lightweight and great for picking up dog hairs. It’s very manoeuvrable and its Reach Under tool fits into hard to reach places (like under the bed). Cordless battery life lasts for 30 minutes and the suction comes with two different options.
The only downside to this little beauty is it doesn’t hold much dirt. The container fills up quickly, which means having to clean it regularly. It’s still a great size though considering it’s a more compact machine.
Best Robot Hoover For Dog Hair: iRobot i7156 Roomba i7 Robot
If you’re looking for an iRobot Roomba that clears up dog hairs, this model’s got your back. This nifty robot will save you so much time on hoovering jobs.
Most robots struggle with suction, but this one has up to 10 times the suction of most. It picks out hairs from the carpet, digs out dirt from the floorboards and glides under furniture.
Using the app you have to train it to understand your room, but it will save so much time in the long-run.
Best Handheld Hoover: Shark WV200 WANDVAC Handheld
We wouldn’t recommend a handheld vacuum for your big hoovering jobs. However, for quick jobs in small places, this mighty tool is a game-changer.
This cordless, handheld Shark vacuum has a powerful suction. It also comes with a multi-surface pet tool to easily tackle dog hair on carpets and upholstery.
It’s also great for cleaning the car, and spot-cleaning on road trips.
The charging dock is simple to use, and the whole system doesn’t take up much space at all.
Share Your Favourite (or Worst) Hoovers Below
Over the years, we’ve had our fair share of hoovers to try and tackle our pooches hair. Some have been great but some have been really poor.
Share your experiences below to help other dog owners avoid or make a different choice. If any come highly recommended, we’ll add it to our guide.
