How to save time cleaning this year

Whether you have a cat, a dog, a bunny or any other cute and cuddly animal in your home, there’s no denying that life is just better with a furry friend around. But that’s not to say there aren’t any downsides. Chief among the pesky drawbacks of pet ownership is the reality that there is pet hair everywhere. It covers everything at all times, and is somehow wildly resistant to most cleanup efforts.

Just take a look around you right now. I can guarantee there’s pet hair on your clothes, on your couch, in your car. Heck, there’s probably a pet-shaped crop circle made out of pet hair on your bed, serving as a lasting reminder of their favorite sleeping spot. There are even small factions of dust bunny armies composed entirely of pet hair, and they’re gathering together — right now, as you read this — in every corner of every room of your home, plotting their ultimate takeover.

Terrifying as that thought may be, we love our pets regardless. But that doesn’t mean we need to succumb to a house full of pet hair, especially when there are so many options out there for handheld vacuum cleaners designed specifically for tackling pet hair.

Why are handheld vacuums best for pet hair?

Traditional and robot vacuum cleaners are great, but let’s be honest — they don’t let you get into tight corners or the small, dark crevices of your upholstered furniture where pet hair loves to hide. Fortunately, that’s exactly what a hand vacuum for pet hair is designed to do.

Handheld vacuum cleaners are ideal for pet hair because they’re generally small and lightweight, allowing you to walk around the house and attack any hairy spots you find without having to drag a heavy upright vacuum around with you. A small cordless vacuum for pet hair can work great on your stairs, in your bedroom and along your couch, and it can even double as a really convenient car vacuum.

Some pet vacuums are also modern and stylishly designed so that you won’t even mind leaving them out around your home so that you can grab them whenever you need them. This is especially true if you get a hand vacuum with a docking station.

The typical hand vacuum for pet hair is also quieter than traditional vacuums, which means they’re less likely to scare your pets, and you’re more likely to use them.

Best of all is that many hand vacuums are cordless and cost way less money than traditional cordless vacuums. This makes them even more convenient for your home and car. It also means you can use them on your clothes, too, because let’s be real, a hand vacuum is way better than a lint roller at getting pet hair off your coat when you hang it up by the door.

What makes a vacuum cleaner good for pet hair?

If you’re shopping for a handheld vacuum cleaner that’s built to tackle pet hair, there are a few features you’ll want to consider:

Ergonomic design: A hand vacuum for pet hair is meant to be held — you guessed it — in your hands, which means you want to buy one that you can hold comfortably for at least a few minutes at a time. Look for one that has an ergonomic handle so that you can hold and control it easily as you vacuum up your home.

Weight: The whole point of a handheld vacuum cleaner is portability (especially if you plan to use it as a car vacuum), so when you’re shopping for a hand vacuum for pet hair, you want to make sure it’s lightweight and fits comfortably in your hand. Of course, everyone has a slightly different definition of what “lightweight” means, but in general, you want to make sure your arm doesn’t tire out faster than the battery.

Battery life: Unless you choose to go with a corded hand vacuum, you’re going to want to pay close attention to the battery life of your cordless vacuum for pet hair. Because most handheld vacuum cleaners are designed to be small, many of them can’t hold a charge for too long. But if your handheld vacuum cleaner or car vacuum loses battery quickly, you’ll find yourself constantly needing to recharge it, which can get very frustrating. Some cordless vacuums for pet hair will even come with removable batteries, so you can swap ‘em out and continue cleaning mostly uninterrupted.

Suction power: It goes without saying, but a vacuum with weak suction is pretty useless, especially if you’re trying to clean up pet hair. So when you’re looking for a hand vacuum for pet hair, make sure you look for one with strong suction power.

Attachments: A good handheld vacuum cleaner won’t have just one tip. Instead, it will come with a variety of specialized tools to help you clean specific fabrics, crevices or material types with ease. Look for handheld vacuum cleaners with a specialized pet hair brush, crevice tool for reaching between your couch cushions or around your car seats, and a motorized brush to pull stubborn pet hair up off fabric surfaces.

Filtration: Most handheld vacuum cleaner models won’t have a sophisticated HEPA filter built in to trap the vast majority of pollen, pet dander, dust mites and other tiny particulates in the air. (Unless, of course, you go all in and treat yourself to a Dyson vacuum, which we do recommend for those with allergies, especially.) However, you should find a hand vacuum for pet hair that will offer some level of filtration so you’re not just recirculating 100% of these particles back into the air every time you turn the vacuum on.

Warranties: Vacuums break, no matter how good they are. That’s why it’s always a great idea to get one with a warranty so that you can protect your investment and get it fixed if something goes wrong.

Storage: Some of the smaller handheld vacuums come with convenient charging docks so that you can easily store and keep them charged all in one place. The best docking stations will also have spots to stash all your vacuum attachments and accessories.

What is the best handheld vacuum for pet hair?

There are lots of hand vacuums for pet hair on the market right now, so it can be tough to find “the one.” That’s why we’ve done the research for you and rounded up this selection of top-tier choices so you can find the very best handheld vacuum for pet hair around your home or in your car.