Best vacuums for pet hair

Top pick: Shark IZ362H Anti-Allergen Pet Power cordless stick. It's built around pet hair — a self-cleaning brushroll that resists hair wrap, anti-allergen filtration for dander, and a light 7.17 lb body with 40 minutes of runtime, so you can do stairs and under furniture without dragging a cord.

Who the others suit:

• Dyson V15 Detect — the most powerful and most thorough on carpet and hard floors, with HEPA filtration; pick it if budget is secondary.
• Shark PowerDetect Reveal — best if you hate emptying a bin: it self-empties for up to 45 days.
• BISSELL PowerLifter Swivel Pet Rewind — a corded upright with a wide swivel head; good for big carpeted rooms on a tighter budget.
• Hoover Rewind Pet — simple, bagless corded upright for whole-house carpet.
• BISSELL PowerForce Helix Turbo Pet — the cheap-and-cheerful corded option for a spare or a single room.
• Handheld pet-hair vac — for car seats and upholstery, not floors.

Skip cordless sticks with small bins if you have heavy-shedding dogs; you'll be emptying constantly.