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Best Handheld Vacuum For Pet Hair

Last Updated on March 31, 2023 by Sharaj

Cleaning up pet hair from those stuck to floors can be very exhausting and time-consuming for many pet owners.

A powerful hand vacuum can make this process easier.

In this guide, we’re going to review the best handheld vacuum cleaners for pet hair.

Our Top Picks

Is it Worth To Buy a Handheld Pet Vacuum?

Most of the handheld vacuums are lightweight, easy to carry, small in size, affordable & versatile, and it’s an ideal choice for pet hair removal on upholstery, furniture, couch, stairs, car seats, or any hard to reach areas.

A portable hand vac can be useful, especially if you are living with arthritis and unable to bear a heavyweight upright cleaner.

For quick cleanups, they are very user-friendly and much cheaper (some models are even under $50) than a traditional vacuum cleaner.

You can only rely on a good quality handheld pet hair remover that has strong suction and with appropriate attachment. Recommended brands are BLACK+DECKER, Dyson, Shark, Bissell, etc.

The only problem is that they might not as powerful as a traditional upright or canister, but some cases hand vacuum beats other types of vacuum cleaners.

But overall, a powerful hand vac with the right attachment, it is worth to try for dog hair or cat fur removal.

Best Handheld Pet Vacuum Comparison

You’re fortunate to be living in a time where handheld vacuums are so powerful in sucking pet hair even in the most awkward areas like car seats, embedded in the furniture, or trodden into the carpet.

We’ve spent countless hours researching hundreds of products to find out- how they perform cleaning stubborn pet fur.

The best pet vacuum should have strong suction and right pet attachment to remove hair, whether it is on the couch, furniture, or the car seat.

Here are The 8 Best rated handheld vacuum cleaners for pet hair to buy this year.

1. Shark WV201RGBRN WANDVAC Cordless

  • Weight: 1.4 lbs.
  • Surface Cleaning Types: Multi-Surface
  • Type: Cordless
  • Filtration: Washable Filter
  • Attachments: Includes tools for pet hair and tight spaces.

The Shark WV201RGBRN WANDVAC Cordless Hand Vac can be a highly effective solution for pet owners.

Its powerful cordless suction, delivered by a high-speed brushless motor, ensures exceptional cleaning performance.

Weighing just 1.4 lbs., this handheld vacuum is easy to maneuver and perfect for reaching challenging spots.

Maintenance is simple with a detachable dust cup and easily removable filter housing, while the filtration technology captures dust and debris.

The charging dock and LED indicator ensure your vacuum is always ready for use.

The ergonomic handle design allows for comfortable cleaning, and the included Multi-Surface Pet Tool and Duster Crevice Tool make it a breeze to clean pet hair from upholstery, carpets, and tight spaces.

In summary, the Shark WANDVAC is a must-have for pet owners seeking a lightweight, powerful, and convenient vacuum cleaner designed to tackle pet hair and maintain a clean home.

The only cons is the small dirt compartment requires frequent emptying, and bulky debris may cuse clogs. With a battery life of just over 10 minutes, it’s best for quick clean-ups.

2. Dyson V7 Trigger Cordless Handheld Vacuum For Pet Hair

Dyson V7 Trigger Cord-Free Handheld Vacuum
  • Weight: 3.77 pounds
  • Run Time: 30 minutes
  • Specialty: Captures fine dust & microscopic particles.
  • Accessories: Mini motorized tool, Combination tool, Crevice Tool

If you aren’t concerned so much about the money, the Dyson V7 Trigger is a robust portable vacuum cleaner you can buy to pick up dog hair.

The benefit of using a cordless vac is that there is no cord to unravel, drag around, plugin, and this enables one to move around when carrying the apparatus.

Specially if you are living in a small apartment and space is an important issue, a compact vacuum like the Dyson V7 trigger will be the smart choice.

Also Read: What is The Best Vacuum Cleaner For A Small Apartment?

Included accessories are crevice tool, motorized as well as the combination tool. A Dyson V7 offers a fade-free suction of close to 30 minutes.

Additionally, the 15 cyclones operate together to eliminate the microscopic particles and dust as small as 0.5microns.

This cordless cleaner is indeed the leading powerful handheld vacuum because of a Dyson digital motor V7 that powers it. This motor is equipped with lithium-ion batteries that ascertain that the pressure starts strong and lasts strong.

It also fitted with a Hygienic dirt ejector to drive out the trapped dust and rubbish in a single action. This technology does not require the user to touch the debris. Lastly, the Dyson V7 Trigger integrates a two-year warranty that incorporates both labor and parts.

The Pros

  • Excellent feel and suction
  • Have great power
  • Works perfectly for quick cleanups

The Cons

  • Dyson V7 Trigger does not possess long crevice.

3. Black+Decker BDH2020FLFH Handheld Pet Vacuum

BLACK+DECKER BDH2020FLFH MAX handheld pet vacuum
  • Weight: 6.77 pounds
  • Type: Cordless
  • Designed For: Furniture, Stairs, Upholstery and Hardwood floor,
  • Attachments: 4 Foot flexible hose, Pet Hair Brush, Stick Vac floor head, Crevice tool (long), Washable filter and 2-in-1 nozzle/brush tool

The Black+Decker BDH2020FLFH is our 3rd best choice as the recommended portable pet vacuum, which is an ultra-compact multi-functional hand vacuum to get rid of pet hair from your car seats, home, stairs or furniture.

If you are looking for a handheld stick vac for cleaning stairs and other upholstery, This model is what you can get.

Cyclonic Action & Strong Suction: The BDH2020FLFH has enough suction to pick up dog hair on carpets as well as hardwood floors. There is also a Three-Stage Filtration System so that dust and pet cannot escape from even tight spaces.

This Black & Decker BDH2020FLFH is compact and has a unique brush that can pick up hair.

Excellent as a car cleaner also. It has a super-flex floor head that can get under furniture and get the hair that is stuck. The lithium-ion battery provides strong and good suction.

The Pros

  • It can clean any surface including carpet, wood, and tile
  • There is a 4-foot extendable hose for easy reach
  • There is a lithium-ion battery.
  • This model is flexible and able to get in hard to reach areas

The Cons

  • Some customer reports- suction power could be more potent at this price

This Black & Decker model has received four out of five stars from users. Many users say that the BDH2020FLFH is powerful enough to pick up hairs, and like that, it can work on many different surfaces.

 

4. Shark Cordless Pet Perfect ii (SV780)

shark pet perfect ii-Handheld pet vacuum
  • Weight: 4.25 pounds
  • Type: Cordless
  • Surface Cleaning Types: Car seats, Carpet, Upholstery
  • Battery: Rechargeable Ni-MH, 18 Volts
  • Attachments: Motorized Brush Head Attachment, Crevice Tool, Dusting Brush, Charging Stand

The shark cordless pet perfect ii SV780 is our 4th choice as one of the best car vacuum for pet hair cleaning.

Its motorized brush and powerful suction can pick up dust and pet hair easily, although it has problems picking larger debris — 18-volt battery power this handheld vac.

After charging it for 16 hours, you can expect it to run for around 15 to 20 minutes. It is very lightweight at just four pounds; thus, you should not be exerting too much effort in using it.

If you are a senior citizen or have arthritis issues and looking for an alternative of a full-size upright cleaner for your smaller cleaning jobs, it can be one of the best vacuum for the elderly.

The charging time and inability to remove larger debris may be disappointing, but remember that this is more of a specialty hair removal tool and not your everyday cleaning.

5. Bissell 2133 Cordless Pet Hair Eliminator

Bissell Bolt Pet Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, 2133
  • Weight: 2.7 pounds
  • Type: Cordless
  • Run-time: 25 min
  • Battery: Lithium-Ion, 16 Volts
  • Capacity: 0.6 Liters
  • Attachments: Pet Hair Nozzle Tool, Crevice Tool

The Bissell 2133 is our 5th most favorite portable pet hair hand vacuum. This pet hair eliminator is a great invention that will help you save a lot of time and energy when tidying pet fur.

It comes with specialized pet tools that will quickly suck up the dog hair in a matter of minutes. The Bissell 2133 also offers 25 minutes of fade-free suction with a battery power light. There is an extra-large dirt bin included to save you the trouble of having to empty so often even as you clean.

It also includes a Clean Turn Filtration will help to release excess dirt and debris when you want to empty the trash.

The pet hair nozzle tool it comes a with will help you to pull and carry up embedded hair.

There is a crevice tool, as well as an also included helping you clean narrow spaces and upholstery. The Bissell 2133 also offers powerful suction as well as a very durable battery that won’t just go out in the middle of work.

No matter where the pet goes, the long-lasting cordless cleaning power of this cleaning machine will let you get in there and clean it up.

This Bissell bolt 2133 has made cleaning a whole lot easier, so you no longer have to worry about the mess your pet’s hair causes.

The Pros

  • Saves time and energy
  • Efficient for cleaning difficult corners
  • Comes with an extra-large trash bin
  • Durable and long-lasting batteries

The Cons

  • The battery is Fixed

6. Bissell 1782 (Car Vacuum for Pet Hair)

Bissell 1782 Pet Hair Eraser Cordless Hand And Car Vacuum
  • Weight: 3 pounds
  • Type: Cordless
  • Battery: Rechargeable Ni-MH, 14.4 Volts
  • Attachments: Motorized brush, Crevice tool, and Upholstery tool

The Bissell pet hair eraser cordless 1782 is one of the bestselling handheld car vacuum cleaners for pet hair.

If you have a low budget under $50 and you are looking for a powerful portable pet hair remover; Bissell 1782 is highly recommended

Clean Wherever Your Pet Goes: This lightweight hand cleaner is a perfect tool to collect dirt and animal hair from your furniture, carpet, stairs, cars everywhere your pet goes. The Bissel 1782 is currently available under $50. Just a quite powerful portable cleaner at this price, that’s awesome.

Cordless: Bissell 1782 is a cordless product so it can go anywhere that the pet does and allow you to get in the hard to reach places.

Motorized Foot: The Bissell 1782 has a motorized foot at the bottom of it. This product allows it to be robust and can suck up even hard to reach areas.

Crevice Tool: There is a crevice tool that can help you get into tight spaces to help get the fur for them. There is even a telescoping extension that wants to get into really tight spaces. You may utilize this Bissell 1782 to clean upholstery, such as couches and chairs, as well.

Dual Action Filtration System: There is a Dual Action Filtration system as well as an Led light that will make it easy to see in dark places. This tool can get into the carpet and pick up dirt that has gotten trapped as well as dog hair.

The Pros

  • Cordless so it can go where the pet goes.
  • The filter is designed for extended life and will allow cleaning to be easier
  • Can pick up dog hair from any surface in the home
  • Comes with a motorized brush, crevice tool, and upholstery attachment
  • Motorized brush for powerful cleaning

The Cons

  • Limited Warranty
  • Contains (Ni-MH) Nickel Metal Hydride batteries, Charging might shorten the battery life continuously.
  • Small Dirt Bin

Overall, customer satisfaction score is high for the Bissell 1782.

Reviewers confirmed that it could pick up all of the pet hair and get into the small spaces. It’s one of the best vacuum cleaners for long hair dogs that shed a lot and will pick up all their hair with no problem.

7. BLACK+DECKER HLVA325JP07 Cordless Pet Hand Vacuum

Pet Hair Vacuum_black and decker hlva325jp07
  • Weight: 2.94 pounds
  • Run Time: 15 minutes
  • Accessories: Motorized pet head with rubber tines, Onboard Crevice Tool, Push-in Brush, Wall Mount

BLACK+DECKER HLVA325JP07 is another best pet hair remover handheld vacuum in our list that you may consider buying.

It comes with a motorized pet head that has rubber tines that will help to power through pet hair and leave your surfaces clean as ever.

It allows for secure storage with its ability to hang on the wall. It also comes with a charging indicator to let you know when it is charging or fully charged. It comes with an easy-to-use dustbin which you can empty without having to touch the dirt.

The washable bowl and filter which it comes with are also straightforward to clean so that the suction stays strong.

What’s more?

It comes with a lithium technology which will ensure strong suction and enable the battery to last long. It’s also easy to access those hard to reach areas with this vac.

All you need to do is pull out the crevice tool, and you are right. For dusting and cleaning upholstery, you need to push in the brush. The BLACK+DECKER HLVA325JP07 is undoubtedly one of your best bets if you have been thinking of how to deal with dog hair in your home.

Easy to use and practical, this is an excellent option for your home.

The Pros

  • Compact design for easy transportation and storage
  • Easy to use
  • Built-in battery indicator
  • Cleans up hard to reach areas

The Cons

  • Quite noisy.

8. Bissell 33A1 Cheapest Pet Vac

cheapest best vacuum for pet hair_Bissell 33A1
  • Weight: 5 lbs
  • Cleaning System: Cyclonic
  • Surface Types: Upholstery, Auto, Stairs,
  • Cord Length: 16-ft
  • Filtration: Multi-Layer Filtration
  • Attachments: Contour Nozzle & Hard nozzle tools.

Bissell 33A1 is the cheapest & small vacuum for pet hair; you can buy under $40 on Amazon.

Quick cleaning of dry messes and animal hair became comfortable with this small handheld pet vacuum. To get rid of stubborn pet hair in carpets and upholstery, the Bissell 33A1 performs quite well.

The Bissell 33A1 features a 16-foot long cord, which isn’t the longest but should be enough for you to accomplish most tasks. It has a red, ribbed nozzle that can adapt to the contours of any chair or sofa. It can also clean debris from hard floors with its hard nozzle attachment.

Bissell 33A1 has a Multilevel filtering system! So you won’t need to worry about getting colds or infections while using it.

The manufacturer recommends tapping the filter now and then to get the id of accumulated dust.

How to Buy The Best Handheld Pet Hair Vacuum?


There are hundreds of handheld pet vacuums available in the market, but not all of them are good for cleaning pet hair from your carpet or hard floor.

There are several factors you need to consider when buying a powerful handheld vacuum. Also read:  What are the best handheld cordless vacuum cleaner in UK.

The Suction Power: Perhaps the most critical consideration is the suction power. After all, you want to get rid of all pet fur in your house, and the only way to do so is to have a powerful handheld vacuum. You can get an idea of the suction power by looking at the number of air watts. Usually, the higher the air watts are, the more effective the vac is in getting rid of pet fur.

Is it Corded or Cordless? A corded pet hair vacuum cleaner isn’t inferior compared to a cordless type. Like a cordless cleaning machine, it would let you go to hard-to-reach areas of the house. This is particularly true for units that have power cords at least 20 feet long.

However, a corded cleaner will provide you with sustainable, powerful suction comparing a cordless cleaner. On the other hand, cordless products rely on rechargeable batteries to run. It can ebe used for removing pet hair in your bed, or even in your car seat.

You may expect around 20-30 min of battery life with a cordless vac. If you want a powerful portable pet hair cleaner that you can carry anywhere in your house, then Dyson V7 Trigger is for you. But the problem is that it could lose battery power while you are in the middle of a cleaning job.

HEPA Air Filtration: HEPA filters meet government standards for trapping air particles. The filter is the final stage of filtration inside a cleaning device. But HEPA filtration isn’t that necessary for a hand vac. Most of the hand vacs don’t come with HEPA filters for some reason.

Pet dander can trigger allergies, asthma, and other breathing disorders. HEPA filters are necessary for people who suffer allergies or asthma; in that case, these products are not a good option. It is recommended to invest in the best vacuum for allergies that have HEPA filters other anti-allergy cleaning features.

Bag-less or Bagged?: Most of the handheld pet vacuums are bagless. Bagless products have some benefits, though. You can choose either a bag-less or bagged model when you are looking for an upright cleaner. Like the corded vs. cordless debate, it is really up to you to decide on which you prefer.

You will be able to save money in the long run because you don’t need to buy replacement bags. When the dirt bin starts to get full, remove it and dump it in a trash can. However, bagged ones are a lot better for allergy sufferers as it can hold the dirt intact. Moreover, a bagged cleaner has better filters than a bag-less counterpart.

Other Things to Consider

Weight: Handheld vacuum cleaners are generally lightweight. The lighter the unit is, the easier it is to use.

Tools, features, and accessories: The best pet hair removal products come with nozzle tools, crevice tools, and brush tools that can make cleaning more comfortable and faster.

Capacity: If you have a large home, then buy a handheld vac with a high dust capacity so that you don’t waste your time emptying the dust bin.

Charging time: If you are opting for a cordless pet hair sucker, make sure you know the charging time required for its battery.

Warranty: Buy a product with at least one year of warranty

The Bottom Line

Owning pets has its pros and cons. On the bright side, there are a few things more heartwarming than seeing your dog down, jumping in joy once you get home.

When shopping for the best handheld vacuum for pet hair in the market, you should know the things that separate an excellent unit from a mediocre one.

Factors like suction power, onboard tools, and weight can make a difference in the amount of time and effort needed to clean a particular spot.

Sharaj is a seasoned cleaning product reviewer. With over six years of experience reviewing products for Cleanthefloor, Sharaj has honed his skills in writing and editing to provide readers with insightful and helpful reviews. Sharaj likes to travel and explore new places during his spare time, especially when trying local dishes.