The best vacuum for pet hair is one that actually sucks up the fur—which is a more difficult ask than you may imagine. Pet fur is particularly tough to clean up, especially when my cat Basil’s short and coarse fur gets easily embedded in fabrics and carpet, or Clover’s long and fluffy fur flies away to accumulate in hard-to-reach corners.

A few of my pet-owning colleagues and I have tested over a dozen vacuums—from traditional corded models to cordless, handheld, robotic, and even 2-in-1 vac/mop combos—to find out which is actually the best vacuum for pet hair. The Dyson Gen5 Detect ($800) has consistently impressed with its illuminating light that lets you see hairs normally naked to the human eye.

But if budget is a concern, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Allergen Lift-Off Vacuum ($200) has also proven effective in extracting deep dirt, dander, and embedded fur from high-pile carpet. My favorites include the Eufy Omni C28, 3i P10 Ultra, Riccar R65 Cordless Stick Vacuum, and Smoture VAC01 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, which surprised me with its powerfully picking up fur and dust from hardwood floors, carpet, and furniture.

For those seeking convenience, the Mova P50 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum ($799) offers a robot vacuum-mop combo with extendable side brush and mop pads to reach tight corners, self-emptying dock, and intelligent dirt detection. However, it may struggle on thin runner rugs. The Simplicity Vacuums Flash Mini Handheld Vacuum ($45) is also impressively powerful for its size but can be a little loud and clunky.

Check back often as we continually test more vacuums to ensure you have the best option for your furry friends.