A sealed vacuum with HEPA filtration may be the best option to ensure you’re trapping allergens such as dust mites, pet hair, dander, pollen and more without releasing them into the air. Another important factor behind why we chose the vacuums that made the list was maintenance ease. With the exception of the Miele, all the vacuums selected are bagless. They’re more cost-effective because you don’t need to buy vacuum bags regularly. Instead, you simply drop the contents into the wastebin when you’re done. Plus, the canisters (and in many cases, the filters) could be rinsed out if they appear to be extra dirty.
Also interesting is the readout on the back of the vacuum, which lists the ratio of dirt collected by particle size. Bissell Zing’s canister vacuum is a great option for smaller homes or apartments. The retractable, 15-foot power cable lets you move around most average-sized rooms without having to drag the canister around the entire time. When it is time to change rooms, the large wheels and integrated carrying handle make it easy to move the vacuum. The Zing may be small, but it has good suction and cyclonic action to collect most dirt and debris.
It’s a great option for households with pets that need the extra suction power to clear pet hair. According to Dyson, it has twice the suction power than other cordless vacuums and an upgrade of 20% more suction power than the previous Cyclone V10 vacuum model. It includes a Dynamic Load Sensor (DLS) system that can automatically sense surfaces to change bissell vacuum cleaner motor speeds, depending on whether you’re cleaning bare floors or carpets. Although it handles most cleaning tasks automatically, you can control the suction power by choosing from auto, boost and Eco mode. When I bought my Tineco vacuum, I realized how much value there is in investing in a high quality model specifically designed with pets in mind.
Suction power and overall cleaning performance is based on the vacuum’s airflow, which relies on good filtration and the vacuum cleaner’s design. If you’re in search of a light-use vacuum for quick clean-ups and bare-floor touch-ups, the Bissell Featherweight Stick or Dyson V11 Animal are the easiest to operate. For pet hair or homes where allergies are an issue, Dyson’s V11 or Shark S2 Navigator both offer a high level of filtration, trapping 99.99% of particles. We looked for vacuums that had the most customer reviews for their ability to powerfully clean surfaces.
Another filter you might want to look for when shopping for vacuums is a pre-filter, which Neumann says can trap larger pieces of pet hair while the HEPA filter deals with the smaller particles. When buying a vacuum for general household needs, it’s important to pay attention to features like size and weight, floor settings and more. But when shopping with pets in mind, experts also recommend focusing on the following three areas to ensure appliances are equipped to handle lots of hair, additional dust and other messes cats and dogs may create. Most of the cordless vacuums on our list include a two-year limited warranty, but a quality model should last you significantly longer than that.