Hair can be quite different for vacuum cleaners to pick up than a lot of the other debris they are designed to deal with. The size and shape of a long hair is very different to crumbs or other small debris, and therefore some vacuums are far better than others when it comes to this task. In this article we’ve focused on the best vacuum for long hair, reviewing a variety of suitable models.
We’ve featured multiple types of vacuum including stick and canister options, we’ve also looked at vital features including whether or not the vacuum is corded and how long the cord is. We’ve also explored the weight, as a heavy vacuum can be tricky to use. The warranty has also been reviewed as most people are looking for their purchase to be protected by a long term manufacturer warranty, meaning you can rest a little easier even after parting with a fair amount of money. Vacuums are not always a cheap item to purchase.
Our team has spent weeks researching vacuums based on consumer reviews, firsthand experience, YouTube videos and seeing the vacuums in action, as well as information provided by the manufacturers. Our guide is laid out as a simple table, detailed reviews of the best products and then a full buying guide to help you to work out what you need to consider when making your purchase.
Extra features: detachable canister; comes with Shark’s DuoClean, Powered Lift-Away, Zero-M and Active Glide technologies
Shark is a brand which has created some exceptional, standout models of vacuum in recent years, including the Apex, our best vacuum for long hair removal as well as short hair removal. It combines many of the exceptional features and patented functions that Shark have created in recent years.
These technologies include DuoClean, Powered Lift-Away and Zero-M. The DuoClean is a brushed system which is perfect for hard floors and giving a polished effect. The powered lift away feature allows you to detach a nozzle to clean in more difficult and compact areas.
The main tech which helps with the cleaning of hairs is the Zero-M feature. This increases the suction and removes hair wrap so that it can more efficiently pick up hairs. It also has a HEPA filter and anti-allergenic effect which is great for those who may have reactions to pet hair.
As well as being great for pet hair, this is a reliable and well-made vacuum cleaner all around. It is one of the quietest models out there, is smooth and easy to push around your home and of course, it is very powerful, too. It weighs in at just 16 lb, so isn’t hard to move up the stairs or elsewhere around the home.
Shark have also shown their faith in this product by providing an amazing 5-year warranty.
Extra features: large capacity dust cup; comes with dusting brush and crevice tool
There are plenty of Shark branded vacuums out there which are great for picking up long hair. The Navigator is corded and not as high tech as some of their other models but is still excellent at doing this job.
Being a great vacuum for a shag carpet and bare floor alike, it is very lightweight and can easily be carried around the home, weighing in at 15 lbs. The cord itself is 25 feet long, so you don’t have to spend lots of time unplugging this vacuum then plugging it in again in each room.
The dust cup is large enough to cope with a lot of debris, with a quart of dry capacity. The brilliant features for long hair include the brushroll tool which is great for getting hair out of even deep carpets and rugs, or when stubborn and long hairs have become entangled in your furniture. The brush will help to disturb the hairs ready for the suction mechanism to grab the hairs.
The NV42 also has an extendable wand to allow you to reach up to 10 ft high. It has a crevice tool so you can reach hairs even in smaller, awkward areas. All-in-all, this is a fantastic corded vacuum for long hair removal.
More features: 2.8 quarts dust cup capacity, easy to carry around, self-cleaning brush roll, anti-allergen complete seal technology and HEPA filter
Shark has come to the fore in recent years as one of the best vacuum manufacturers. This is an example of a brilliant model from them with exceptional suction that will be able to show fantastic results time and time again.
That vacuum is suitable for various purposes and can remove long hair which many other models struggle with. Once that dirt goes up the hose, it will make its way into a large dust container that will allow you to do plenty of cleaning before you need to empty it.
The cord length on this vacuum is 25-feet which some may find to be a little shorter than they want, which can limit your cleaning ability. It’s also worth noting that the vacuum cleaner is fairly heavy and that is worth bearing in mind if you need to take it up and down staircases. It does have wide carry handles to make it as easy as possible but it is 16lbs.
Vacuum cleaners can get dirty quite quickly, even when you have emptied the container. This model is simple to clean, and therefore, you’ll avoid a build-up of that grime. All of this exceptional quality is backed by a 5-year warranty that will give you peace of mind about its durability. It’s an exceptional model and one that’s not going to let you down.
Extra features: high performance digital motor, 22v lithium ion battery, patented tangle-free brush roll
This is the best vacuum you can get is you own pets. Cleaning after your beloved pets won’t feel like a chore with the powerful BISSEL ICONpet vacuum. It is cordless, so you can move around with it freely without the limitation of a power cord. It easily transitions into a handheld vacuum or a high-reach cleaner for various tasks in the home.
The vacuum boasts a powerful motor that spins up to 420 miles per hour everytime it is cleaning at the top end of its quiet, every-day or maximum setting.
The vacuum is particularly ideal for pet owners because it features a patented tangle-free brush roll that easily picks out every fur ball in sight. You won’t have to go back to pull out miles of hair when done. The vacuum does a clean job regardless of the number of fur babies you have.
As if that’s enough, the vacuum features a Smart seal allergen system that keeps all the trapped dust particles inside the vacuum cleaner. Emptying it when you’re done is also designed to be entirely mess-free. The dirt easily slides out of the canister into the garbage without touching your arm.
Further, you will get to enjoy 3 power modes that allow you to dial in the suction power for any type of floor including hardwood, tiles or carpeted floors. You also get bright LED lights that illuminate the floors during cleaning allowing you to spot the dirty areas with ease.
Extra features: anti-allergen complete seal technology and HEPA filters; comes with pet tools
The Shark Rotator NV501 is a class act. It a fabulous vacuum with an intuitive design and solid construction. The fine looking vacuum is incredibly lightweight and easy to maneuver. It is packed with amazing features that give it a high usability and performance score.
The vacuum feature a narrow cleaning path that help it get into tiny crevices and hard to reach areas in your space. You will love how it swivels easily as you move it around, giving you better control.
Further, the vacuum is equipped with a HEPA filter which makes it a prime choice for anyone who suffers allergies. Once it draws particles during cleaning, they go through the filter then get stored in the dustbin.
Another praiseworthy feature is the bright headlights that illuminate your floors and carpets as the vacuum runs. They lights will help you spot dirty areas that need cleaning easily. Also, since it runs on 10 amps, you get a lot of suction which ensures the vacuum’s bristles go so deep into your carpet’s fibers to remove debris and dust particles.
You will also be impressed by how fast and efficient this vacuum is at picking up allergens. It also comes with a couple of accessories including; a dusting brush, a telescopic hand tool, and an upholstery tool.
Extra features: 6-stage variable speed/suction; 360-degree swivel heads; Miele AirClean filter system for maximum filtration
Some people see canister style vacuums as being a little outdated. Upright vacuums have become more popular, but Miele have created a great little canister product to challenge the ideas some people may have.
This is very compact, and incredibly only weighs around 10lbs. It is also simple to move around in spite of not having the upright design many of us are used to. The 360-degree swivel design of the main part of this vacuum means it will basically follow you around like a trusty companion.
The Miele has an AirClean filter system which is sealed so nothing can get back out of this cleaner. The turbo brush is specifically the feature that brings up even long hairs. The negative this does have is requiring bags which means you need to replace these from time to time.
A suction setting dial lets you choose between six different functions. These are designed to optimize the suction, based around which type of surface you are vacuuming, which makes it a great vacuum for tile floors and carpets alike. Settings for furniture, hard floors and carpets are all included and make this more effective at picking up longer hairs. This is a good vacuum for long hair removal humans and animals alike due to the fact it has a dusting brush among its many accessories, and it even has a patented AirClean system which is designed to filter the air after use.
Extra features: multi-stage filtration; comes with the turbo brush tool, crevice tool, dusting brush, extension wand
The Bissell Cleanview Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner is available at an incredible price tag, and though it might not be the most amazing product on the list in terms of features, it has all most people will need at a reasonable price.
Similarly to some of the other brands on our list, Bissell have some of their own functions and features which have been designed to help their vacuuming capabilities.
This has a multi-cyclone system which keeps the suction level high and makes sure the dirt (and hairs) don’t fall out again when you stop vacuuming or lift up your cleaner.
OnePass technology removes most debris at the first attempt so you won’t have to keep going back and forth across the surface.
This is lightweight and has a long 25-foot cord, as well as a six-foot hose, so its reach is pretty impressive even though it doesn’t have the benefits of some cordless models.
The main thing that makes this one of the best vacuum cleaners for long hair on carpets and other surfaces is the brush tool which can help ‘agitate’ long hairs which have become tangled in the floor and furniture and allow them to be sucked up into the mechanism with ease.
For a corded vacuum for long hair, this is hard to beat in terms of price and features.
Finding the right vacuum isn’t always easy. Some people assume that a high-quality vacuum is good for everything, but this is not true. All vacuum cleaners have their own strengths and weaknesses and what is best for some uses, isn’t best for other purposes. If you have problems picking up hair when you are vacuuming, then it may not even be that you have a poor quality vacuum cleaner – it could be that you don’t have the right tools for picking up long hair!
If you constantly find yourself picking up long hairs after you’ve done the vacuum cleaning, you probably don’t have the right model for picking up hairs. Perhaps a lot of people in your home have long hair, or you have pets with long shaggy coats. If hairs are never picked up by your existing vacuum cleaning, then these can quickly build up.
Have you ever been in someone’s home and noticed pet hairs building up on the furniture? This is probably down to their choice of vacuum. Even one that can pick up crumbs and other debris may struggle with hairs. If you start spotting them around the home, then it might be time to get a specific vacuum with the features needed.
It is fine having us tell you that it is important to find a vacuum which is good for long hair, but what features dictate this? What should you be on the lookout for when you are trying to find the right model to alleviate the issues you’re having with long hairs being left around the home?
In the modern age, there are a lot of different varieties of vacuums available to us. Each of them have their own pros and cons. Types of vacuums available include:
Which vacuum you purchase will come down to personal preference and the area in which you plan to use it.
Generally speaking, the more power, the better. If you have a handheld vacuum, it isn’t likely to have a massive amount of power. Many Shark options and other upright vacuums have a good balance of power but also simplicity in terms of usability.
Power is a difficult metric to properly measure when it comes to vacuum cleaners. The best way to work out whether it will be powerful enough is to read through consumer reviews, and this is exactly what we’ve done in our product ratings.
Storage is a big consideration here. If you live in a tiny apartment, one of the bigger models of vacuum might take up a lot of room and isn’t something you can easily store. Canister models are good for this, as are stick vacuums, though not many of these tend to be suitable for long hair.
In terms of weight, this is a significant consideration in terms of using the vacuum. Not only will you be pushing or pulling it around a lot, but you may also have to take it upstairs or pick it up to reach other surfaces.
Corded models tend to be cheaper due to not requiring a battery to recharge, but they aren’t always bad choices. If getting a corded model, think about whether the cord is going to be long enough to do large portions of your house, having to change plugs every few minutes is very frustrating.
Cordless models can be a good solution, but you need to make sure the battery life is up to standard and can last the length of time you will need to be using the vacuum around your home.
Bagged models may be what you are used to from vacuums in years gone by. However, they are still going strong. Using a bagged vacuum if you are going to be picking up a lot of hairs can mean they stay in place, and you don’t run the risk of them getting tangled somewhere when removing, which can happen if you don’t have a dust bin.
Dust and dirt bins are popular for a reason, though. Not having to get replacement bags is better for the environment and better for your bank balance as you won’t have to spend money on these replacements. As long as emptying the container or bin isn’t difficult or complicated, then bagless vacuums are a popular choice.
When you vacuum, particles can become disturbed and dislodged, and these can lead to respiratory problems or other allergic reactions for people. Cleverly, filters have been designed within a lot of vacuums to filter out these particles and keep them trapped away so they can’t get re-released into the air and cause issues for those who suffer from allergies.
Whether you’re particularly sensitive to this or not, it is worth getting a filter to ensure your home is free of the allergens that can sometimes be within the hair, especially dog hair or other pet hairs.
There is very little point in buying a vacuum that isn’t able to reach very far. If you have tough areas to get to, or you have a canister vacuum that can only reach a few feet, then it can be hard to get the coverage you need.
If you need to get into the tough crevices within your home, for instance within the sides of furniture or underneath tables, a lot of the vacuums on the market come with a wand which is extendable and allows you to reach these tougher areas. This can be an added bonus for upright vacuums or canister vacuums.
It is essential to think about the surfaces you have within your home. In the modern age, a lot of us have a huge amount of different floorings: it may be that you have tiling in one room, rugs and carpets in others and hardwood floors elsewhere in your home. The very best vacuums for long hair are able to adjust to these surfaces adequately. For instance, the Miele Compact C1 has six different functions to choose from based around different flooring and materials.
As well as being the best vacuum for long dog hair, human hair or other pet hair, you need something that can pick up the other debris that can be scattered around your home.
If a vacuum is good for picking up hair, there is no reason it shouldn’t also be able to adequately vacuum up other debris around the home too.
When making any purchase of an appliance or electrical item, it is natural to want to get many years of use out of it. Many brands of vacuum are well built and will last you years, but it is natural to want this purchase guaranteed. Knowing that if anything goes wrong with your vacuum, you can get it fixed under warranty is a big plus point, and some options have warranties up to seven years to offer this protection.
Price is likely to play a big part in any decision you make. It is extremely rare to find a vacuum cleaner under $100, and even under $200, your choices will be limited. Most of the products on our list are between $150 and $400. Naturally, the more you spend, the more you will hope to get for your money.
There are bargains to be had when looking for a vacuum for long hair, products out there such as the Bissell Cleanview give a crazy amount of value for money.
The Shark APEX AZ1002 is named our editor’s choice and has an incredible 9.9 rating. The fact that it has three different patented systems working to ensure its effectiveness, and Zero-M technology which is perfect for hair, means we’re happy to recommend this as a top product.
The Bissell Cleanview Upright Bagless Vacuum Cleaner 1831 is another very impressive product with a rating of 9.7. Not only does this have features that many more expensive vacuums don’t, but it also does a great job on pet hair and human hair at a very affordable price.
The Shark Navigator Deluxe NV42 also makes it to near the top of our list. It has brushes that help it to agitate and remove hairs, and many of the impressive Shark features we love, including a lot of suction power and reliability.
Though the choice of which is best for the surfaces within your home may come down to your own budget and preferences, these products are an excellent starting point when creating a shortlist of options for the best vacuum for long hair.
