Best Pet Hair Vacuums for Hardwood Floors 2024

pet hair vacuum

Hardwood floors are beautiful but need a lot of special care. This gets worse if you have pets and need to clean your floors a lot. After all, you need a powerful vacuum to pick up all that pet hair while making sure to be gentle to your hardwood.

There are many great options out there, but which vacuums work well on hardwood floors and are also versatile enough for carpets, pet hair, and other situations? Ideally, we want one vacuum that does everything!

We have put together this list of the seven best vacuums for hardwood floors that can also handle difficult pet hair. Let’s dive in!

Let’s get into an overview of our top picks!

Last update on 2024-10-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

When looking for a new vacuum, keep in mind what kind of surfaces you need to clean, the length of your pet’s hair, and the price you are willing to pay for a model that lasts for a long time. Cheaper models that don’t last as long may be more expensive in the long run. On this list, you can find our current top choices!

1. SoniClean Galaxy 1150

Galaxy 1150 Canister Vacuum Cleaner - Made in Germany - Variable Speed Motor - HEPA Filtration

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The SoniClean Galaxy 1150 is a vacuum with strong suction and a powerful motor. It is skillful both for hard floors and carpets. If you have carpets, you can easily attach the carpet cleaner to get all the pet hair, fleas, powders, and dander you may need to clean up. A plus with this vacuum is that its bags have modern HEPA seals to make sure not even small particles escape back into the air. The sealed bags help trap allergens, making this a good vacuum if you have allergies.

If you ever need to replace any parts of this vacuum, know they are a little more pricey than other models, but they come from Germany, so they are of high-quality. Replacing parts won’t be needed, however, unless you regularly deep clean your carpets. Given the lower cost of this model from the start, the Galaxy 1150 is much less expensive than your typical Dyson models.

The Galaxy 1150 has a small head that is lightweight and swivels around as you move. Because of this, it won’t scratch your floors, making it perfect for hardwood. The body of the vacuum is a little heavy so it can be tiring to move around for long periods of time.

Pros

  • Great performance on hardwood and carpets
  • Adjustable sucktion strength
  • Cord automatically retracts
  • High quality german engineering
  • 5 Year warranty for the motor

Cons

  • Replacement parts can be pricier than with other models.
  • Canister vacuums are less convenient than stick vacuums

2. Bissell 1819 CleanView Rewind Deluxe

Bissell Rewind Upright Bagless Vacuum, Purple Cleanview Deluxe

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We consider the 1819 one of the best vacuum cleaners to deal with pet hair both on hardwood floors and carpets. Not only is it affordable, but it comes with lots of strong suction and great features that we would expect on models that are a lot pricier.

The Bissell’s cleaning head has a roller brush with triple action. This helps you to clean all the way to the edges of the room, making sure every corner of your home is spotless. It has side bristles that get into every corner and clean along baseboards. The roller brush was designed to remove pet hair and debris and keeping it all inside the vacuum. In our test, it removed dirt from hardwood, carpets, and tiles very effectively while being gentle to hardwood floors.

We find the Bissell 1819 to be quite a versatile vacuum no matter what floor it has to deal with. That’s thanks to its five height-adjustable cleaning head. Couple its 8-foot hose with an extension wand and you’ll be able to reach pretty much every spot and area of your home. The Bissell 1819 comes with a 27-foot power cord that is retractable and increases the total reach of this model to 25 feet.

It also comes with some useful attachments such as a crevice nozzle, the turbo brush for pet hair removal from upholstery, and a dusting brush.

The 1819 is a powerful vacuum that uses cyclonic suction, trapping fine particles in its dust bin and reducing scatter even more. Thanks to its well-designed filtration system, the air quality in the room stays high after using the vacuum. The dust bin of this model is about 1 liter and removes very easily. Weighing at just over 15 pounds, the Bissell is fairly light and no trouble to carry, but can be tiring to push for long periods of time.

Final Thoughts

The Bissell 1819 cleans carpets as easily as it cleans hardwood floors. It has multiple attachments, like the brush roll, that makes it a fine vacuum to deal with all kinds of dirt, including the dreaded pet hair. Its side bristles help keep every corner of your home spotless. It is an affordable model and comes with a decent warranty of three years.

Pros

  • Affordable price point
  • Bagless and great suction
  • No scattering when picking up big particles
  • Washable filter & easy maintenance
  • Automatic cord rewind

Cons

  • Cable in an annoying location
  • Lack of swivel steering
  • Plastic wheels

3. Shark NV501 Rotator

Shark Rotator Professional Upright Corded Bagless Vacuum for Carpet and Hard Floor with Lift-Away Hand Vacuum and Anti-Allergy Seal (NV501), White with Red Chrome

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The Shark NV501 Rotator is more expensive than many other models, but Shark vacuums are known for their quality and good warranties, both of which you can expect with this vacuum. It comes with a bunch of features that make this a versatile vacuum for all kinds of tasks.

Press one button and the upright vacuum easily turns into a lightweight handheld vacuum. This makes life easy when it comes to cleaning stairs, furniture, or your car. The NV501 is a true pet hair buster and quite effective at removing pesky fur from carpets and other floors.

The regular upright vacuum weighs under 16 pounds, has swivel steering, and easily moves around obstacles. But it can be tiring to push for long periods of time. The handheld version weighs just over 8 pounds, making it a good option when you only need to clean a small spot and want to use a lighter vacuum for that job.

Its large dust cup has room for 1.3 quarts and HEPA anti-allergen complete seal filters that help clean your air. Shark always includes a set of useful accessories with their models. In addition to the standard attachments, you get some that are specifically made for cleaning pet hair from all types of floors. Some of them are a pet brush, dusting brush, a straight nozzle, crevice tool, wide upholstery tool, car detail kit, appliance wand, canister caddy, and a dust-away tool with a microfiber pad. In our test, he never had a situation where we didn’t have the right tool to do something.

Final thoughts

Shark makes amazing products, so you’ll understand why this vacuum is a little higher priced than others. It has tons of amazing attachments, some that are specially made for cleaning pet hair and it has a wonderful filter system to help remove odors and dander in the air. Add a long warranty of five years and you’ve got an amazing vacuum that is worth its money.

Pros

  • Effective
  • Easy to clean small corners
  • HEPA Filtration
  • Upright & canister vacuum
  • Relatively quiet
  • 5-year warranty

Cons

  • Pricier than our #1 and #2 on the list
  • Handle has no power switch
  • Caddy can topple when pulled too hard

4. Bissell 1954 Bolt Lithium Ion Pet

Bissell Bolt Pet Lithium Ion Cordless Stick Vacuum, 1954, Green

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The Bissell Bolt is both conveniently cordless and skillful in dealing with pet hair on hard floors thanks to an array of features. It also does a great job on lower carpets and rugs.

Its affordable price can make it feel cheap to some people, but it does compare very well with other cordless vacuums. The Bissell Bolt has a soft brush roller that treats hardwood floors with gentle motions and removes pet hair, dander, and dust with ease. But that’s not the only attachment you get. It also comes with a nozzle tool that helps you clean furniture. For debris left by your pets on hard floors, the sweep tool comes to the rescue! This tool is especially handy for removing bits of dirt between tiles.

You can fold the handle into a forward or backward position to easily reach under furniture, which also means that the Bissell Bolt is compact and no trouble to store. Even better, you can also convert this vacuum from its upright position into a light handheld device.

Given its cordless nature, we need to talk about battery life! We had about 25 minutes of continuous runtime before the vacuum gave up. When switching off the brush roller, the time increases by two minutes in our case, so it doesn’t make much of a difference. That’s about average for other cordless vacuums. If you are looking for a vacuum with more run time, check out the Dyson V-series below.

Final thoughts

Cordless vacuums are convenient, which is the key selling point of the Bolt. It is more affordable than similar models and comes with a warranty of 2 years. We found it versatile and skillful at dealing with pet hair, both as an upright vacuum and a handheld model.

Pros

  • Strong motor
  • 2 in 1 design, handheld vacuum detachable
  • Cordless with good 25 min runtime
  • large dirt cup
  • Handle can be folded, saved storage space
  • Filters washable
  • Affordable price point

Cons

  • No HEPA filter
  • Not the best for long pet hair
  • Only basic features
  • No motorized tool for upholstery

5. Dyson V8 Animal Review

Dyson V8 Animal Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner, Iron

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While the Bissell Bolt above might be a very affordable cordless vacuum with a specialty for pet hair, the Dyson V-series are the very best ones. They are more expensive but also more skillful and have longer battery life. The V8 is great at cleaning hardwood floors, vinyl, stone, and carpets of all kinds.

We love the V-series, have tested it extensively over the years and even use it in our own household. Between the V8 Absolute and the V8 Animal the latter is the cheaper one because it misses one tool.

Other than that, there is only a visual difference in terms of color. Both are equally skillful at dealing with pet hair, but the missing tool meant for hardwood floors and so you want to go with the Absolute.

The battery lasts around 40 minutes if you run on the low to medium power settings. The high power setting drains the battery a lot faster, but you only need it for a short time and in few circumstances.

The Dyson V8 is versatile and easily converts into a handheld format so that you can clean every surface and upholstery with ease. Speaking of upholstery, the V8 comes with a roller head that is motorized and picks up pet hair with a passion.

The V8 features Dyson’s well-known cyclonic technology and high-quality HEPA filters, making it a safe bet for allergic people. One thing I’ve always loved about the V-series is the compact size. In fact, the vacuum comes with a docking station you can mount to a wall, making it very convenient to store. Another plus is the low weight at under 6 pounds. The trade-off to this is a small dust bin, so you need to empty it more often. We find the low weight so convenient that the trade-off is no issue in comparison.

Final Thoughts

Even compared to the newer V10, the V8 remains one of Dyson’s best products and is a solid solution at a lower price point than its newer brother. It easily cleans pet hair from any surface and is skillful at cleaning and shining hardwood floors. Its runtime is much longer than your average cordless vacuum, and along with great service backup, you get a warranty of 2 years.

Pros

  • Portable, compact
  • Improved battery over the V6
  • Easy to get under furniture
  • Stick & Handheld in one
  • Very Quiet
  • Lightweight

Cons

  • Small dust bin because the V8 is compact
  • Battery not replaceable
  • Larger battery means longer recharge time

6. Bissell PowerEdge 81L2A

Bissell PowerEdge Pet Hardwood Floor Bagless Cleaner, 81L2A Stick Vacuum, Gray

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If you are a pet owner looking for a great vacuum on a budget, the Bissell PowerEdge is a good option for you. Using the compact design of a stick-type vacuum, this corded unit easily maneuvers around furniture.

Its head is shaped like a V and has no trouble with dander and even fine dust. Hairballs left by long-haired animals pose no issue as well. While it performs nicely and hardwood floors, carpets are its main weakness.

On the downside, the vacuum has a narrow cleaning path, making it not ideal to clean large areas as you need more strokes to you would need with a wider head. Luckily, weighing at 10 pounds, the Bissell PowerEdge is lightweight, so you won’t get tired of pushing it.

Being a cheap vacuum, the filters end up costing up to 20% of what the vacuum itself costs. It’s a bit strange and ironic to see. Also, if you ever need to replace a part, like the motor, it would be better to just replace the vacuum altogether!

Final thoughts

If you need a new vacuum at a budget, the Bissell PowerEdge is affordable enough to keep you covered. It’s a fine choice for homes with hard floors and long-haired pets but not as strong and convenient due to its cord and narrow head.

Pros

  • Bagless
  • Nozzle has a V-shape
  • Moveable and flexible
  • Low weight
  • Dirt cup easy to empty
  • Very affordable

Cons

  • 1-year warranty due to the low price point
  • Wheels are small and can clog
  • Filter needs to be cleaned frequently
  • Cord does not rewind automatically

7. Hoover SH20030 Cyclonic Stick Vacuum

Hoover Linx Bagless Corded Cyclonic Lightweight Stick Vacuum Cleaner, SH20030, Grey

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This model ranks among the most affordable options Hoover offers. It weighs only 9 pounds, so you won’t tire from using it. It has a 20-foot power cord and moves in any direction with ease.

Getting under furniture is an ability not all vacuums have, but the Hoover can almost lie flat and has no trouble with this task. You don’t need to make any adjustments when transitioning from hard floors to low pile carpets.

A great aspect about the SH20030 is the dust bin indicator. This tells you when the bin is full, removing all the guesswork of whether it is time to empty it. Much like the Dyson V8, the compactness of this vacuum causes the dust bin to be a bit smallish compared to other vacuums.

When it comes to pet hair cleaning, you are going to run into problems if you have long-haired animals. The vacuum tends to clog when sucking up hairballs and tumbleweeds. Better skip this model if have, say, a long-haired dog, or if you sometimes have friends over that bring such a pet along with them.

On the bright side, the Hoover has washable filters that hardly need to be replaced. When the filters and belt do need to be replaced, they are sold almost everywhere and only cost a few dollars.

Final thoughts

If you are looking for a great budget vacuum, the Hoover SH20030 is a great option. It moves easily to any area of the house and is lightweight. But it might not be the best option for long haired pet owners and homes with thick carpets.

Pros

  • Suction is strong
  • Low weight
  • Brush roll can be retracted easily, making the switch from hardwood to carpet quick
  • Low base fits well under furniture
  • Bagless, easy to empty
  • Low price

Cons

  • Only 2-year warranty
  • No attachments included
  • No automatic cord rewind
  • Not good for long pet hair

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