The best handheld vacuums for tackling pet hair

Living with pets is great. Whether you have a cat or a dog, your life is all the better for having them. But there’s one big downside: pet hair. On everything. All the time.

It’s in your car, on your clothes, on your sofa, and collecting as little dust bunnies on your wood floor. There’s probably even a pet hair circle on your bed, a lasting reminder of their favourite sleeping spot right next to you.

Of course, you love them anyway, but that doesn’t mean you need to give up and accept a house full of pet hair. You have options, like buying a good handheld vacuum.

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 really get down into small corners or the small, dark crevices of your sofa.

Handheld vacuums 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 vacuum around with you. A small handheld vacuum will get to work on your stairs, in your bedroom, or in your car.

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

Best of all, most handheld 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 handheld vacuum is way better at getting pet hair off your coat than a lint roller.

What makes a vacuum cleaner good for pet hair?

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

Ergonomic design — You hold a handheld vacuum in your hands, which means you want to buy one that you can hold easily. 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 is portability, so when you’re shopping for a handheld vacuum, 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 — Most handheld vacuums are designed to be small, so they don’t hold a charge for long. And if your handheld vacuum loses battery quickly, you’ll have to constantly recharge it, which can get frustrating very quickly. Look out for a model with decent battery. Some vacuums even come with removable batteries, allowing you to swap out the battery if it starts to die.

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 handheld vacuum, make sure you look for one with strong suction power.

Attachments — A good handheld vacuum will come with a variety of specialised tools to help you easily clean specific fabrics, crevices, or material types. Look for handheld vacs with motorised brushes to pull pet hair up off fabric surfaces, crevice tools for your sofa cushions or crevices in your car seats, or pet hair brushes.

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.

You'll also want to think about things like price and design, but keeping these things in mind is a good place to start.

What is the best handheld vacuum for pet hair?

There are lots of vacuums 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 the best of the best.

These are the best handheld vacuum cleaners for pet hair in 2022.