5 best handheld vacuum for pet hair: reviews and buying tips
Are you in search of the best handheld vacuum for pet hair? Does going out of the house with pet hair on your clothes drive you nuts?
You’re in luck because I’ve done the necessary research to find the best handheld vacuum for pet hair. The following are the five best handheld vacuums that tackle pet hair removal currently on the market.
In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Picks…!
Our #1 Choice
Dyson V7 Trigger Cord-Free Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
Reasons to buy
- Hassle-free design that doesn’t require a cord
- Lithium ion battery power provides powerful suction
- Total 30 minutes of runtime without suction loss
- Three tools for easier cleaning in tight or difficult spaces
- Touch-free dirt ejector makes disposal easier
Reasons to avoid
- Canister may be difficult to reattach after emptying
- Does not fit all wall mounts easily
- Batteries may require replacement more often than expected
- Only the crevice tool works as well as expected
Performance/Ease of Use
This cord-free vacuum offers the performance and quality that you’ve come to expect from Dyson. One of the traits it ranks highest in its versatility, due to its lack of a cord.
The Dyson V7 Trigger is powerful as well as versatile. You can enjoy up to 30 minutes of vacuuming without suction loss thanks to its lithium batteries. Because this model operates without a cord, there are more places you can easily use the vacuum without problems.
Helpful tools include a crevice tool, motorized tool, and combination tool to make picking everything up effortless. These tools help ensure that you pick up more, without any special effort required. You can also rest easy knowing that the dirt ejector keeps you from having to handle anything inside, taking away the yuck factor.
Our Other Choices
Shark WANDVAC Handheld Vacuum
Reasons to buy
- High-speed, brushleads motor provides effective suction
- Weighs only 1.4 pounds, ultra-balanced, lightweight, and manueverable
- Have an ergonomic handle
- Filter housing and dust cup are easily removable
- Charging dock allows fast charging with LED indicator light
- Handy attachments for different surfaces
Reasons to avoid
- Motor can be loud
- Brush attchment is too thin for some jobs
- Requires frequent recharging
Performance/Ease of Use
If you’re looking for a vacuum that’s lightweight in size, but not features, this Shark model is what you need.
Fast cleanup is made easier with this Shark model’s set of features. Considering its small size, it offers powerful suction for a more effective clean. Maneuvering is easier with its compact design.
Overall performance for this Shark model is just one thing that makes it an option. Filtration features help capture both dust and larger debris as well as pet hair. When you need to empty everything out, you can do so with a single button push.
Being able to maneuver the vacuum into the areas where your pet sheds a lot of fur, like chairs, makes a difference. The attachments help you reach all the nooks and crannies more easily.
BLACK+DECKER Dustbuster Cordless Vacuum
Reasons to buy
- Lithium battery holds a long charge at 18 months
- Slim nozzle for use in tight spaces
- Removable filters make cleaning easier
- Uses cyclonic action to help keep everything working well
- Charging technology uses half the energy
Reasons to avoid
- Charge base is countertop and might not be convenient for those who prefer a wall mount
- The battery can not be user-serviced
- A full charge might not last more than five minutes
Performance/Ease of Use
The Dustbuster continues to be popular for its long battery life. Get all your small cleanup jobs done efficiently.
In addition to having a long battery life, the vacuum is also lightweight. By using less energy, the vacuum also effectively saves its battery power.
This Dustbuster has a battery life of up to 18 months, making it work for longer at a time. A bagless dirt bowl makes it easier to empty the vacuum when you’re done.
The action is cyclonic, helping the vacuum run more efficiently. With removable filters, you’ll be able to keep this little workhorse going very efficiently.
Shark Pet-Perfect II Cordless Bagless Hand Vacuum
Reasons to buy
- Attachments are suitable for both quick cleanups and deep cleaning
- Lightweight enough for car, as well as home use
- Washable filter detaches easily
- 18 volts of battery power
Reasons to avoid
- Noisy while working
- Battery might run down quickly
- Sometimes dies quickly
Performance/Ease of Use
This Shark model is one of the more powerful handheld vacuums available. One of its best features is perhaps its detachable motorized brush that lets you dig deep.
Besides a motorized brush, this vacuum also boasts direct suction, a dusting brush, and a crevice tool. Deep cleaning is much easier with these features.
With an 18-volt motor, you’ll be able to clean surfaces easily, even the ones that act as pet hair magnets. A hand-washable filter helps keep the Shark running as efficiently as possible.
The range of attachments helps you do a quick cleanup of the car. With the battery power, you can get the job done in time.
Bissell 1782 Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand and Car Vacuum
Reasons to buy
- Upholestry tool for use on furniture
- Telescoping extension wand
- Motorized foot for deep cleaning
- Dirt bin empties easily
Reasons to avoid
- Charge only lasts a few minutes sometimes
- Not as long-lived as some models
- Indicator light for charging may malfunction
Performance/Ease of Use
This handy vacuum from Bissell offers the best of easy portability and powerful suction to get the job done.
The Pet Hair Eraser provides a more effortless deep clean, as well as helpful tools for reaching those pesky, hard-to-reach areas. Your house will look neat and stay that way.
A total of 14.4 volts provide sufficient power even for deep cleaning, made easier with the help of an upholstery tool, and a dual-action filtration system.
Deep cleaning is essential for people who live with allergies, as pet hair can trigger symptoms. With a dust bin that empties quickly, you can help keep everything clean more efficiently.
Why we choose Dyson V7 Trigger
Out of all the options available, the Dyson V7 Trigger Cord-Free Handheld Vacuum Cleaner offers the best range of features for the price. You can easily clean a broader range of surfaces with the tools provided. All of the attachments are suitable for cleaning up the mess that too much pet hair can cause, keeping your house looking tidy. As a cord-free model, the Dyson V7 is ready to go wherever you need it the most, and the included attachments only help increase its reach. When you invest in this handheld vacuum, you are making a wise decision to use an efficient product that works well.
Why Consider a Pet Hair Vaccum?
You love your pet but don’t need unwanted accessories like pet hair on your clothes. Many dog and cat breeds shed heavily, with more extended periods of shedding taking place more than once a year. The hair not only ends up coating your furniture and the floor but ends up blown into the air.
Everyone with pets can relate to being embarrassed over the coating of fur their furniture wears, especially at the height of shedding season. You don’t want to deal with the fur getting all over everything, especially when you have friends over to your home. Life should be about more than managing pet hair all the time.
It’s a fact of life – some pets have epic levels of shedding like you can see in this time-lapse video demonstrating how much one dog can shed. In a word – wow!
Even though the vacuum you use for cleaning your carpet likely does a great job, it’s just a little cumbersome to get the hair off a couch or pet bed. Do you want to use a bigger vacuum when a convenient, smaller option is available?
In short, what you need the most is a handheld pet hair vacuum.
The market for handheld vacuums is one that is full of options, not all of which work as well for pet hair. These features should top your list:
- Surfaces – Every vacuum is not necessarily suited to every surface
- Filters – Filters should be washable, and HEPA filters are a necessity for people with allergies
- Cordless or corded – Is looking for a spot to plug something in a hassle, or not?
- Size – Even a handheld option requires storage, so give this a thought
- Suction power – Your vacuum needs good suction to tackle pet hair
- Price – You want to stay within budget, but don’t want to use something that doesn’t measure up
When you live with a pet, you know that feeling of having their fur turn you into a hairball all too well. Depending on what types of pets you live with, especially dogs shedding can be a fact of life. It doesn’t take long for your house to become, well, one hairy mess.
Your regular vacuuming schedule probably can’t catch all of it. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, you realize you need reinforcements.
Handheld pet vacuums make quicker daily cleanups easier. Staying on top of the cleaning is easier when you don’t need to wait until the fur is all over the house again.
You can also clean up other pet messes, too, like bits of kibble or cat litter. You won’t regret getting one of these little guys!
Even though a handheld pet hair vacuum is one of the most useful tools you can use as a pet owner, there are some significant differences between them and larger upright or canister vacuums. Understanding these differences will help you get the most out of your handheld vacuum.
Daily Upkeep
These vacuums fulfill their purpose best when used for daily, relatively quick cleanups. The areas that benefit most from one of these vacuums are furniture, stairs, narrow hallways, and other areas that are too small or narrow for a larger vacuum.
Allergy sufferers who have problems due to cat litter or dust will also want to use one of these vacuums as an alternative. Daily vacuuming is an ideal way to use one of the handheld vacuums.
Using one of the handheld vacuums before a cleanup using a full-size vacuum is ideal for grabbing pet hair and other debris that you might otherwise miss.
Your pet is likely to leave a furry coating all over your car sets. Most car washes have vacuum stations where you can clean up your seats, but you might still find a lot of hair left behind.
Handheld vacuums, especially the ones that are cordless, are perfect to use in a car. You can do a fast sweep of your seats and carpeting daily.