The Best Handheld Vacuum for Picking up Animal Hair

Evaluate the Problem

• Not all animals shed equally. Many small dogs and short-haired breeds shed far less than large, long-haired breeds. Determining just how much animal hair needs to be picked up will dictate how large a canister the vacuum needs and roughly what the runtime should be on a single charge. It will also provide an idea of how much suction power is required from the handheld vaccum.

Location

• Certain areas are far more suited for cleaning with a handheld than others. Handheld vacuums will perform best in smaller areas, which are not practical to reach with an upright vacuum such as stairs and furniture. Conversely, they are not appropriate for large surfaces such as floors.

  Additionally, power for the vacuum is a key consideration in a handeld. If the vacuum will be used for cleaning cars or other areas where a power source is not readily available, the runtime on a single charge will be an important feature to look at.

Weight Vs. Features

• Some of the most attractive features of upright vacuums for animal hair cleanup are also what make them too heavy for some jobs. Numerous attachments, large canisters and powerful suction motors all add size and weight to the vacuum. Balancing these features with keeping the handheld vacuum small and light enough to be useful is a challenge, and not all manufacturers succeed.

  The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser 33A1 manages to pack its features into a remarkably small and lightweight package at only 8 inches long and 4 pounds, but its 4 amps are no match for the 22 amps of the Dyson DC34. The DC34 actually comes in at a pound less than the Bissell but is 4 inches longer.

Filtering and Containment

• Animal hair is small and is generally accompanied by dander, so a handheld vacuum used for cleanup must have a high-quality, effective filter and a canister capable of keeping the dander and hair from being blown back into the air.

  This separates contenders such as the low priced and feature-rich Dustbuster line from higher end competitors, such as the Dyson DC34 and the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser.

Budget

• Although the balance of features and portability is well achieved with Dyson's DC34, it comes with a price tag of over $200 as of September 2011. From a cost perspective, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser looks much more attractive at $30 but lacks much of the appeal that the Dyson has in features and power.

The Best Around

• If the budget will support it, feature-for-feature there is simply no better handheld than the Dyson. For a less expensive option, a sacrifice can be made in one or two areas, possibly opting for something slightly heavier or with a little less runtime on a charge, such as a model from the Black & Decker line.