Ask a Shopping Editor: What’s the Best Vacuum for Pet Hair Under $250?

When I tell people that I essentially shop for a living, they tend to picture a Manic Monday-backed mall montage of shopping bags and dressing room twirls straight out of Clueless. TBH, it looks like that sometimes, but most of my job as a commerce editor actually involves poring over product specs, combing through buyer reviews and keeping track of the top-rated items in any given category.

Which brings me to my new series, Ask a Shopping Editor, where I answer readers’ (or my fellow editors’) most burning questions about the products that are actually worth their dime.

First up, we have a letter from a reader who is struggling to keep up with cleaning pet hair—but also doesn’t want to spend a fortune on a fancy new vacuum.

Dear Ask a Shopping Editor,

I love my two tortoiseshell cats, Luna and Loki, more than anything—but their shedding is INSIDIOUS. And it actually gets worse in the summer. Their fur gets embedded into the sofas and area rugs, it dots my hardwood floors. It’s just everywhere. I work full time and am currently in grad school, so I really don’t have time to clear away their hair every. Single. Day. My current vacuum is on its last legs, and honestly wasn’t the best for pet hair.

Do you have any recommendations for a solid vac to quickly tackle these messes? Some of the ones I’ve had my eye on cost upwards of $500, but that’s just not in my budget right now. Ideally, I’d like to find a pet-friendly model that I can use to clean upholstery, rugs and hard floors for under $250.

Sincerely,
Covered in Cat Hair

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Dear Covered in Cat Hair,

There’s nothing like a pet’s snuggle to make you forget that you have become the living embodiment of a furball, but I hear you. There is only so much a lint roller can do.

While I’ve actually never had the pleasure of caring for a shedding pet (my parents limited that experience to hamsters and goldfish growing up), I do reside in a house full of women, who likely shed almost as much as your two kitties. (Really, whenever my boyfriend comes over, he’s pulling strands from his pockets days later. How did they get into his pockets? We’ll never know.)

Lucky for me—and you, as it happens—I just got a new vacuum that I believe solves both of our problems. Bissell, the brand behind countless cleaning gadgets beloved by all, recently launched its new PowerClean FurFinder ($229), marketed as its most powerful stick vacuum yet. And if you couldn’t already tell from its name, it’s literally designed to pick up those pesky sheddings, along with dust, dirt and all the usual household suspects.

At $230, the Bissell stick vac (which is also conveniently cordless), is a great buy within your budget. But if you’re looking for a slightly cheaper alternative, this cordless vacuum from Kalado ($120) comes highly recommended by both TikTok and one of my besties, who swears by it for cleaning up after his very sheddy Pomeranian mix.

As you already know, there are other heavy-duty options out there for pet owners, many at more than double and triple the price of these. But if you’re hoping to save your wallet, carpets and much of your sanity, I’d say either of these affordable, pet-ready vacuums will have you covered—and not in cat hair.