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Got a couch covered in hair? You need one of these
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(Image credit: Future)
If you have hairy pets that like to hang out on your sofas, you will know how quickly the fuzz builds up on the fabric and the pain of trying to clear it. Thankfully, many modern stick vacuums come with motorized upholstery attachments designed specifically for this purpose.
I recently ran a group test of a load of different cordless vacuums to see how they compare across a range of cleaning challenges and ultimately find the best cordless vacuum on the market. As part of that test, I tested all the mini upholstery tools to see how efficiently they could remove pet hair – kindly gifted by my local dog groomer – from a velvet cushion. The aim was to see which brand has the most effective pet hair tool.
Results: the short version
Unfortunately, it quickly became clear that while the design of the mini head plays a big part in the effectiveness of the cleaning, the vacuum that's attached to it also has a rather big impact. For that reason, it's difficult to give a definitive result as to which brand has the best mini pet hair tool.
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However, the TL;DR version is that the top performers were the Shark PowerDetect cordless with its Motorized hand tool, the Dyson Gen5detect with its Hair screw tool, and the Dreame R20 with its unnamed mini tool. That's overall, not per brand – I tested multiple options from Shark and Dyson, and not all performed as effectively.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at each brand individually...
Shark – Motorized hand tool
The Shark PowerDetect Cordless I tested came with a Motorized hand tool, which was outstanding at clearing dog hair – it pulled all visible strands out in a single pass. This vacuum also performed best in my carpet tests using the main floorhead, earning it the overall best vacuum for pet hair crown.
Be aware that this tool doesn't seem to be included as standard with every version of the PowerDetect Cordless, so double-check before you buy. It is available to buy separately direct from Shark, and costs $87.99 in the US or a significantly more affordable £14.99 in the UK.
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The Shark PowerDetect with Motorized hand tool was great at tackling pet hair(Image credit: Future)
The Detect Pro with regular Duster crevice tool wasn't up to the challenge(Image credit: Future)My group test included a second Shark vacuum: the Shark Detect Pro. This vacuum didn't come with a Motorized hand tool, so I tested its regular Duster crevice tool, and it got a bit of the hair up, but not much.
That's likely due to a combination of relatively weak power (this vacuum was one of the least efficient cleaners in my wider tests) and a tool that's not up to the job.
Dyson
Dyson has a few different styles of upholstery tools. The most common these days is the Hair screw tool, which has a tapering shape designed to prevent long hair from getting tangled up. With the newest flagship – the V16 Piston Animal – Dyson has upgraded this tool by adding a grippy strip along the front edge, to help lift up hair so it can be suctioned away.
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The Dyson V8 Cyclone – a new, more basic option – has a Mini motorized tool that's parallel in design rather than tapering, similar to the one Dyson offered before the Hair screw tool was introduced.
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The Gen5detect with original Hair screw tool proved excellent at pulling up pet hair(Image credit: Future)
... as was the V11, even though I only had a standard Combi tool(Image credit: Future)So, on to the cleaning results. Dyson Gen5detect with its original Hair screw tool was the top performer here. It cleared all visible hair from the pillow in a single swipe, in Auto mode.
An unexpected runner-up amongst the Dyson contenders was the V11. This didn't come with a motorized mini tool, so I used the standard Combi tool, and it was just as effective as the Gen5/Hair screw option, despite not having a motorized roller.
A downside is that this tool is narrower than the motorized option. It's great for things like cushions, but if you were going to use it to clean a whole sofa or flight of stairs, it might take a while.
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The V16 wasn't so successful, despite having an updated version of the Hair screw tool(Image credit: Future)
The V8 Cyclone with older-style motorized tool also struggled to clear hair efficiently(Image credit: Future)Coming in third was the V16 Piston Animal. Despite having an upgraded Hair screw tool, it wasn't as effective as either the Gen5detect or the V11 at removing hair.
It wasn't awful, but it took a few passes to get everything. I wonder if this is down to a flaw in the design rather than the changed tool – this vacuum performed poorly in my general cleaning tests.
Dyson V8 Cyclone, with its Mini motorized tool, was the least effective at tackling hair. Again, it took a few passes to clear the hair with the detail tool, despite this vacuum performing well in my other cleaning tests.
Dreame
The Dreame R20 was the surprise hit of the mini tool competition. This was the only Dreame vacuum included in my trials, and the mini motorized tool (which doesn't have a specific name) cleared my velvet cushion of hair just as efficiently as Dyson and Shark's best efforts.
That's especially notable because in my general cleaning tests this model sat in the middle of the pack, earning perfectly acceptable scores but not excelling as the Dyson Gen5detect and Shark PowerDetect did. If you have a hairy pet and mainly hard floors with some rugs or mid-pile carpet, this would be a top, budget-friendly choice.
Roborock
Finally, I tested out the Roborock H60 Hub Ultra with its mini motorized tool. This did a decent job of clearing pet hair from my velvet cushion, but it took a few passes to get everything clear, and I had to crank up the vacuum to Max mode, too.
For more advice, here's what the experts recommend you look for in a vacuum for pet hair. Or if you want something to take care of day to day cleaning for you, my guide to the best robot vacuums for pet hair has plenty of recommendations (although, of course, you'll still have to handle vacuuming the couch yourself).
The best vacuums for pet hairOur top picks, based on real-world testing➡️ Read our full guide to the best vacuums for pet hair1. Best overall:Shark PowerDetect cordless2. Best premium:Dyson V15 Detect3. Best lightweight:Dreame R20 4. Best for multiple pets:Shark PowerDetect Upright
TOPICS Dyson Shark
Ruth HamiltonSocial Links NavigationHomes EditorRuth is TechRadar's Homes Editor specializing in air (vacuum cleaners, fans, air purifiers), and hair (hair dryers, straighteners and stylers). She has been in consumer journalism since 2020, reviewing and writing about everything from outdoor kit to mattresses and wellness gadgets, with stints on Tom's Guide and T3.
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