Best Vacuums for Picking Up Pet Hair

November 13, 2006 (KABC) -- Mary Williams loves her pets but finds it tough to keep her house clean.

"So much fur. You could vacuum this house twice a day, you still get fur," Williams said.

'Consumer Reports' just tested 46 vacuums to see how well they pick up pet hair.

Testers collected pet hair from long-haired cats, 16 grams for each test. They rolled over the hair to simulate walking on it. Each vacuum went over the hair 14 times and then testers checked how much was left behind.

The Dyson DC 15 rated poor.

"In our tests, most of the hair was either left on the rug or caught on the brush," Larry Ciufo, of 'Consumer Reports,' said.

The Orecks were hit or miss. Although the Oreck XL Deluxe model was very good, the XL Classic was a different story.

"The hair got tangled around the brush, which caused the belt to heat up. We could actually smell the rubber burning," Ciufo said.

In the end, 'Consumer Reports' did find a top pick for pet owners. It's the Kenmore Progressive model 35922, for $300. It rated excellent for both pet hair and overall cleaning.

Another option, the Eureka Boss Smart Vac Ultra model 4870 performed nearly as well for half the price, $150. Either one will pick up after your furry friend.

'Consumer Reports' says bagless vacuums aren't the best choice if you have a pet. Static electricity causes the hair to cling to the plastic containers, which makes it tough to clean them out.

Consumer Reports is published by Consumers Union. Both Consumer Reports and Consumers Union are not-for-profit organizations that accept no advertising. Neither has any commercial relationship with any advertiser or sponsor on this site.

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