Best Vacuum for Long Hair

We’ve all noticed strands of our hair around the house at some point. It’s normal, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying when you try to clean up and notice that your vacuum just can’t handle strands of long hair clogging it up. Instead of dealing with clogs in your vacuum or loss of suction, check out these vacuums which are made to work great with long hair (and which should work great with pets too!).

Where is all this long hair from?

You never really realize the extent of how much hair is actually in your home until you vacuum. You might notice all that hair when you’re emptying the vacuum, or worse, when you have to stop and detangle it from the brush rolls. It can be very frustrating.

Determining the source or sources of where all this hair is coming from is the first step to getting it under control. Consider how many people live in your home. How many of them have long hair? Women especially are known for having longer hair, but some men also like to wear their hair long. Additionally, some pets, especially dogs, can also have pretty long hair that add to the issue. A combination of the two can lead to hair in your home becoming really excessive. 

When it comes to humans, we all shed hair daily — some more than others. If you feel like you or someone in your family is shedding excessively, it’s a good idea to try to find out why and address the issue. Hair loss can be due to a number of factors. Things like diet, nutrient deficiencies, certain products, illnesses and even just neglect can cause your hair to fall out more than normal. Consider if any of these things are relevant to you and experiment with making some changes.

Other common things that can affect the strength of your hair is the use of hot tools and chemically processing it with bleach and dyes. These processes can cause your hair to become quite brittle and prone to breakage. 

As for shedding pets, some breeds just naturally shed much more than others. The best way to make sure your pet isn’t shedding more than they should is to ensure they’re eating a well balanced diet and getting all of their essential nutrients. If you’re worried that they aren’t, you can always check with their veterinarian to learn more about how to meet their nutritional needs. In addition to diet, regularly grooming and brushing long haired pets will help to control the hair from ending up on your floor and furniture. 

The Long Hair Dilemma

Aside from being unsightly, excessive amounts of long hair in your home can really wreak havoc on a vacuum cleaner, especially if the vacuum isn’t built to handle it. Almost all vacuums have what’s called a “beater bar”. This bar often has brushes or bristles that help to bring debris like dirt, dust and hair up from the floor to be sucked up by the vacuum.

When the beater bar rolls over long hair, the hair will wrap around it. Once so much hair has built up around the beater bar, it will severely compromise your vacuums suction power and will eventually stop turning completely. When this happens, it can be a huge set back in your cleaning and be a real nuisance.

Cleaning a dirty brush roll or beater bar is not how you want to spend your day. Ideally your chores are as quick and painless as possible. This is why it’s so important to look for a vacuum that can stand-up to long hair. There are vacuums specifically designed to prevent clogs and tangles. Along with the beater bare becoming tangled, hoses can also become clogged by hair that was able to make it in. This is another thing that can really reduce suction power and cause your vacuum to stop working all together. 

How to Clean Your Vacuum

The best way to avoid a vacuum hair disaster is to regularly clean and maintain your vacuum. This is important even if you have a tangle-free brush roll — this can still become blocked overtime if your aren’t keeping up with it. If you, your family members or your pets have long hair, giving your vacuum a check and clean every once in awhile will prevent you from having a major block one day. 

Here are some simple tips and tricks that will help keep your vacuum free of long hair and running properly.

Check & Maintain Beater Bar

You already know that there’s going to be long hair in your home, so there’s likely to be some from the last time you vacuumed. Before starting a new vacuum job, simply lift up your vacuum and do a quick visual inspection. When you see long hair wrapped around the brush or beater bar, just gently tug on them until they come off. Quick checks like this will prevent them from building up and becoming really difficult to remove.

If the hair doesn’t come undone with gentle pulls, you might need to grab a pair of scissors and trim the hair free. Be careful not to cut the bristles of the brush or they might stop working properly. If you are regularly checking and removing hair from the vacuum, the build-up should not be so bad that you need to get scissors involved, but it can happen on occasion. 

Check Hoses

Before vacuuming, check to make sure that there isn’t any hair buildup or hairballs in the hoses of the vacuum. You can simply shine a flashlight into the hose. If you notice any buildup, you can straighten out a wire hanger and use it to loosen up the clog. 

Visual Inspections

Households with a lot of long hair will require much more frequent vacuuming. This can put a lot of strain and wear and tear on your vacuum.  For this reason, it’s important to stay aware of how your vacuum and all of its components are holding up. Check for holes in the hoses and inspect the power cord for bends and dents. If you feel like your vacuum just isn’t working as well as it once was, it might just be getting old. 

Factors to Consider

Filtration System

Vacuums use different filtration systems, but there are some important things to look at when you buy a vacuum. People that have allergies or pets would do best to opt for a vacuum that uses a high efficiency filter, or one designed to deal with allergens and tiny particles, like a HEPA filter. Some vacuums have specialized filtration systems, but HEPA filters take care of up to 99.97% of particles and allergens.

While HEPA filters are the most commonly recommended filters, don’t worry if you’ve found a vacuum that fits the bill in every other way. Make sure to read about how many stages the filter uses, how well it contains particles, and how efficient it is. Ideally, you want a vacuum with a filter that has an efficiency that’s comparable to (if not equal to) that of a HEPA filter.

Look at the Size

You might not always think of size when you’re looking at a new vacuum. However, it’s important or you could end up bringing home a vacuum that don’t have space for. If it’s especially heavy, you may find it difficult to maneuver, especially if you’ll need to bring it up and downstairs. You may be tempted to go to the opposite end of the spectrum and find a small, ultra-lightweight vacuum. Keep in mind that with a small vacuum, you won’t be able to clean as much at once. The best thing to do is find a happy medium, literally, and get a vacuum for long hair that’s not oversized, but not tiny either.

The physical dimensions are worth taking a look at too since you need to ensure you have space to store the vacuum.

Tools

The best vacuums for long hair typically have some specialized tools that come with them. Look at what kinds of accessories and tools come with the vacuum. Motorized brushes are a huge bonus when you need to vacuum long hair, and they’re a lifesaver for pet owners. Look at other kinds of brushes that may be included, and pay special attention to the material they’re made of. Tangle-free brushes are the best option, although rubberized brushes are also much easier to get stubborn, long hairs out of, and untangle whenever needed.

Crevice tools are a must-have. They’ll keep long hair out of tough to reach spots, with minimal effort on your part. You’ll also want to look for a vacuum that includes an upholstery tool, to keep that long hair off your furniture.

Stick vs Upright

Upright vacuums are pretty much the typical vacuum design you’ve always known. Stick vacuums are more like a slim hybrid that looks like a mix between an upright vacuum and a dust mop. Each has its own benefits and disadvantages, and your choice comes down to preference and your home’s cleaning needs, for the most part. 

Stick vacuums are much lighter, making them easier to carry around. They also offer extra maneuverability, and sometimes even include a swivel design to clean in tough spots. However, they may lack some of the suction power of an upright, and they don’t have the larger dust bin capacity. This means you’ll spend more time emptying it out.

While upright vacuums are heavier, and may not be as easy to maneuver, they tend to have much stronger suction. Upright vacuums also have larger dust bins (less emptying it out in between cleans).

Price and Value

Of course, whenever you purchase something for your home, you should have a budget in mind. There’s a vacuum for long hair in every price range, but don’t mistake a higher price tag for higher value. It’s true that if you want the ‘extras’ you can expect to pay more; however, there are plenty of less expensive vacuums for long hair that perform every bit as well as a more expensive vacuum. Decide what you need most from a vacuum (strong suction, special brushes for long hair, etc). Focus on getting a vacuum that gives you the best of those qualities. If you still have wiggle room left in your budget after that, you can decide if you want to spend a little more for the extras.

One way to ensure you’re getting good value out of a vacuum for long hair is when the product manufacturer will stand behind. How can you tell? Look for a satisfaction guarantee, or better yet, a good warranty. A warranty ensures that should something go wrong, you can your vacuum fixed, just make sure you read all the details included in the warranty.

Corded vs Cordless

Now even vacuums for long hair give you the option to choose between corded and cordless models. Like other styles of vacuums, each option has its own advantages and disadvantages. Cordless vacuums give you the freedom to clean pretty much anywhere, whether or not an outlet is available. However, they do run on a battery, and therefore give you limited cleaning time before you need to recharge it.

Corded vacuums do require an outlet for power supply, of course. While you may not be able to take it anywhere, if you have a long enough cord, you can still get to most places to clean. Cords can be a hassle, however, corded vacuums also come with the benefit of having a constant power supply. Basically, you can clean as long as you need, without stopping to recharge your vacuum. 

Cordless Vacuum for Hardwood Floorings

Dust Bin System

When it comes to the dust bin, vacuums have dust cups of different capacities, as well as different ways of emptying them. The larger the dust bin is, the longer you can go without emptying it. Traditional vacuum designs used bags for collecting dust and debris, and many still do. However, many modern vacuums are being built with bagless designs. Rather than switching out a bag once the dust bin is full, you simply empty it directly into the trash and reattach it to your vacuum. 

Dyson Ball Animal 2 Total Clean

Take a look at this Dyson Ball and you’ll see the long swivel neck that will help you maneuver it around your home effortlessly. You’ll have to use it to experience the strong suction, but you can tell that it’s made from high-quality materials, with a wide cleaning reach to boot. The impressive cord reaches to 35 feet, so you don’t need to keep unplugging it. Use the instant release wand to get even the small spots in your home. If you want something that will suck up all that hair, you’ve got it.

Pros

• The suction is the strongest of any Dyson
• Its nozzle self-adjusts for people of different heights
• Includes a filter for those with asthma

Cons

• You might struggle with the price

Dyson Cyclone V11 Torque Drive

The Dyson Cyclone vacuum is a unique one, since it is completely cordless. Push it around with little to no effort, or lift it up to get even the corners above you. But before you turn it on, choose from one of your three suction modes. That powerful motor will spin quickly to pick up even your long strands of hair, and will run on batteries for up to 60 minutes. Hopefully, you won’t need more than an hour to clean your home and clean up that hair with this Dyson.

Pros

• The spinning motor is very powerful
• You don’t need to worry about clogs
• It’s easy to use without a cord

Cons

• The big is small and cannot store as much as others

Check out dyson v8 vs v7

Shark APEX DuoClean with Zero-M Powered Lift-Away

Since this Shark is an upright vacuum, you can leave it to sit if you have to step away for a moment while you clean. It is a little bulkier than some other options, but the design is made to be easy to maneuver with improved suction power over some other models. That large bin inside ensures that you don’t have to constantly have to go to the trash to empty while you’re cleaning.

Pros

• It’s versatile, and can be used on all flooring types
• The technology prevents hair from getting stick on your brushes
• This vacuum is quieter than other models

Cons

• This is a larger and bulkier option

Shark Navigator Zero-M Lift-Away Speed

Take a look at this sleek Shark Navigator vacuum with the thin handle but good amount of storage in the bin for debris. This includes the same Zero-M technology as some of the other vacuums here, all of which prevent long hair from getting tangles up. It’s also quite light, so you can lift it up and steer it around without a problem. You can also transport it anywhere in your home, and use the swivel steering to get around to even the smaller spaces.

Pros

• The steering is easy
• It includes a lift-away mode which helps you clean even better
• The suction power is notable

Cons

• You might not like the bulk at the bottom of this vacuum

See the Best Shark Pet Hair Vacuums

 

iRobot Roomba i7+

One of the best parts about this Roomba i7+ is that it’s smart—it includes automatic bin emptying so that you don’t have to deal with any of that hair. You can set it to clean as well. Just let it know which rooms you want it to clean, and check on it using your smartphone app. You won’t even notice this Roomba moving throughout your home, since it’s made to be very quiet even if you have it set to clean for the whole two hours. Roomba I7 and S9

Pros

• The app is easy to use and convenient
• Works fairly automatically
• It should dock itself when it’s done

Cons

• You might notice problems with it getting caught on things

Bissell Cleanview Rewind Pet Deluxe

Okay, yes, the Cleanview from Bissell is made for pets. That just means that it’s great for sucking up long hair, and is made specifically to stop allergens from spreading in your home. There’s even a Febreze filter in there to help out. But beyond the pet capabilities, it has a large bin to hold all the hair, and that it stands up easily when you set it down. Just click on the cord rewind to suck it in automatically.

Pros

• Cleaning goes from edge-to-edge
• You have a lot of accessories with this vacuum
• The suction is quite powerful

Cons

• You may need to still clean the brushes by hand

Miele Compact C1 Turbo Team

The size of this vacuum is what’s impressive. This Miele Compact is definitely compact, meaning that you can store it anywhere in your home without a problem. The size doesn’t affect the suction though, not when it includes a Vortex motor and a strong brushroll. Hair doesn’t clog up the brushes, and you would need to try quite hard to clog it up. Just let it go over any dirt and you’ll notice that your home is clean again.

Pros

• It’s very light and easy to use
• It’s extremely hard to clog it up
• You can use it for multiple items; not just long hair

Cons

• You do need to lean over to push the head around

Shark APEX UpLight

One of the best things about this Shark APEX is that it’s made to be light. This means that you can use it anywhere in your home, and that even if you’re older or smaller, you can lift it with ease. Don’t let the size fool you though, since it’s still a powerful option with the dual brushes and airflow handles that help you clean the most efficiently. Of course, it helps that it includes a filtration system as well.

Pros

• The brushes are very powerful on carpets
• The technology in the brushes ensures that long hairs don’t catch
• Able to be used on all floors

Cons

• You do need to maneuver the cord to use it

Miele Blizzard CX1 Turbo Team

This Miele is a little bit bigger than the compact version, but it’s made the same way: with a suction attachment that lets you raise and lower the head to get dirt anywhere in your home. This means that you can use it anywhere, and that anyone can use it without needing to raise and lower the bin every time. It’s bagless as well—so there’s no need to buy bags every single time one gets full.

Pros

• There are four different settings of suction control
• The motor is strong, but the vacuum itself is light and compact
• Your included accessories are some of the most comprehensive

Cons

• It doesn’t stand upright as easily as other options

Bissell CrossWave Pet Pro

Another pet vacuum, but pet vacuums are known for working well on all types of hair. That includes your long hair too. Push around this lightweight Bissell option with ease, since it only weighs 11 pounds. That brushroll inside is made just to handle long hair without clogging up. It will spin quickly with the high suction power, so you can just push it along.

Roomba for Pets

Pros

• The buttons are on the handle, so they’re easy to reach
• Use the LED lights to see even nooks and crannies
• The price is one of the better ones

Cons

• The bin is a little smaller than other options

See my Bissell Crosswave vs. Symphony review

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