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The Analan Mini Pet Hair Remover Brush stole the show Cashmere Gloves Womens
Having pets in your space can be the best thing ever, but having their hair everywhere is… not. And nobody loves their furry friends more than Taylor Swift and her three famous cats, but we're sure even celebrities have a tough time removing their hair from every surface in their homes. That's why, along with your other cat or dog supplies like pet toys, cat or dog bowls, leashes, carriers, and more, it's also helpful to have pet hair remover tools on hand for any time you need to spruce up your space.
"If my plan is to remove fur from floors and furniture, a vacuum cleaner made for sensitive ears or good old fashioned rubber or bristle broom works," muses Vivian Zottola, MSc, CBCC, and Applied Anthrozoologist at the Center for Behavior Studies. "[A] low decibel or low volume vacuum with attachments [works best] to get into those nooks and crannies, and [so does] something sticky like a lint brush."
To be able to fairly judge the 21 products we tested, seven of our pet-loving team members came in to evaluate these tools against everything from pillows and clothing to washing machines and more. After testing, we rated each product on design, performance, and ease of cleaning.
Read on to discover the best pet hair removers that PEOPLE Tested.
The sides have mini grooves that effectively remove embedded hair.
Despite its high quality, this tool is reasonably priced.
You can use this tool on armrests, pillows, and more to tidy up smaller hair-littered spaces.
Due to its small size, it's not ideal for cleaning larger spaces.
This small but mighty tool from Analan beat out the other competing products for many reasons, but its dependability was what really sold us it. From the first few wipes, it was clear that this product worked exactly as advertised. It even made easy work of removing embedded hair. We were very pleased with the performance of this reasonably priced pet hair removal tool.
The tool's triangular shape allows you to use its differently grooved sides to dig out even the most lodged hairs, and its easy clean-up process makes this product a standout. Its small size makes it easy to store in a car compartment or even your pocket for quick, on-the-go cleans, but that's not to say it's inefficient for around the house. In fact, this product is recommended for use on smaller surfaces like throw pillows or chair armrests – wherever your furry friend likes to lounge.
However, due to its small stature, this tool would not be ideal for bigger cleans. While it's possible, it would be quite labor intensive, and there are better tools out there for cleaning large surfaces. But for a quick pick-up, the Analan is your new best friend.
Type: Tool | Material: Plastic, non-slip coating | Dimensions: 4.72 x 4.72 x 0.78 inches | Weight: 7.05 ounces
This squeegee-like tool has a handle that can be extended from 3 to 5 feet.
We were able to easily extract embedded hairs from high-pile carpets and rugs with this tool.
You have to bend over to use it like a broom, which can be uncomfortable.
The Evriholder tool is mash-up between a broom and squeegee and is ideal for those tough-to-clean area rugs and carpets. For a combination of two cleaning tools, the reasonable price tag makes this product hard to beat. Equipped with rows of unflagged rubber bristles at the end of the tool, picking up hair in thick rugs has never been easier. When we used it on a high-pile rug, the hair came up in a ball that was easy to pick up. Cleaning the tool was made simple due to the rubber bristles attracting the hair into a large clump, so it could be easily extracted from the broom.
The only grievance with this budget-friendly option was the length of the handle. When we used it on our hands and knees, it felt too long, but when we stood up, it felt too short. It depends on personal preference, but the ability to extend or shorten this handle from three to five feet should minimize the discomfort for anyone interested in the Evriholder tool.
Type: Broom | Material: Plastic, unflagged rubber bristles | Dimensions: 36.9 x 1.65 x 7.9 inches | Weight: 14.72 ounces
The hair removal process is hands-free; just throw a few balls in the dryer with your clothes.
These wool balls cut down the overall dry time of your clothes.
As reusable alternatives to single-use dryer sheets, this product is environmentally friendly.
You may still need to use a lint roller for stray hairs.
Perhaps the most unconventional of the list, these Smart Sheep dryer balls are made from 100 percent premium New Zealand wool and have a textured surface to pick up the stray pet hairs that stick to your clothes. This pack comes with a set of six dryer balls, and it's recommended to use three of the wool balls for a small load of laundry and five to six for larger loads. We were amazed at the results which provided a hands-free way to get hair off of our clothing. Keep in mind, that while they do an excellent job of removing most of the pet hair, you may need to use a lint roller to remove a few stray hairs.
In addition, these wool balls also cut down on your clothing's drying time as they absorb water and are an eco-friendly alternative to single-use dryer sheets. If you're looking for an easy-to-use pet hair removal process for your clothes or bed sheets, then this product from Smart Sheep is calling your name.
Type: Dryer balls | Material: 100% premium New Zealand wool | Dimensions: 7.8 x 7 x 2.8 inches | Weight: 10.88 ounces
This kit includes two blade-like cleaning tools, making it the only set to make the list.
You can use either tool to get into those hard-to-reach areas where pet hair accumulates.
The handle on the crevice blade tool is slightly long, making it awkward to hold at times.
Two is better than one! This tool kit is not only a crevice-cleaning set complete with one wide "blade" and another spatula-style tool, but it was also a standout product for deep cleaning during our tests. The 14-inch spatula is perfect for reaching down into hard-to-clean areas, like in between car seats, and the wide blade is equipped with a finger strap for more control over the hair removal process.
We were amazed by how easy it was to clean typical problem areas. We found the crevice tool surprisingly helpful (although the handle was really so much longer than it needed to be). It got into the folds of the chair between the seat and the back. Though the handle is a bit long, it comes in handy in tight spaces.
Type: Tool kit | Material: Rubber, plastic | Dimensions: 17.6 x 15.67 x 0.79 inches | Weight: 9.14 ounces
This tool left both carpets and rugs snag-free after testing.
Due to its faceted (dull) blade, it doubles as a carpet scraper and lint remover.
The metal area of the tool might have the potential to damage delicate clothing or fabrics.
The Uproot pet hair remover is built like a carpet scraper but can serve many functions in your home. This tool's grooved metal edge is designed to collect not only pet hair but also dust and lint as well, and it easily moves over your fabric surfaces. It also worked well on carpets and rugs and left both snag-free after cleaning. Since this reusable tool is designed for crevices in your furniture, this tool would be ideal for anyone who constantly finds themselves cleaning pet hair off of chairs and sofas.
Because of the metal portions of the tool, we would advise caution if using this product on clothing or fine fabrics. But when it comes to furniture, have a field day!
Type: Tool | Material: Metal | Dimensions: 6.6 x 5 x 0.37 inches | Weight: 2.08 ounces
While there are many types of pet hair removers out there, we took to the PEOPLE Tested lab to try a very specific few: rollers, brushes, brooms, and tools. We've found that certain products, like handheld tools, work best on furniture and in hard-to-reach places, while brooms, like the Evriholder Pet Hair Removal Broom, are ideal for rugs or carpets. And when it comes to clothing, our tests showed that it's hard to top the Smart Sheep Wool Dryer Balls. Pinpointing the type of tool you'll need for your space will help take the guesswork out of picking a pet hair remover.
Sometimes you just really need a small pet hair remover tool to throw in your bag when you're on the go and you spot those few stray hairs. Or maybe you're having friends over and you need a quick fix for your couch before friends sit there and become covered in cat hair. Knowing the areas you need to clean the most regularly and what you do in those spaces is another important aspect to consider when looking for a pet hair remover tool.
Probably the most important consideration of all is your pet. Oftentimes cats and dogs require different care and pet hair remover tools, which is why it's crucial to know what kind of fur your companion has and its shedding tendencies. If your furry friend tends to shed often, then you may need a bigger pet hair remover tool for larger (and more frequent) clean-ups than a pet with little shedding, that only needs a touch-up here and there. Consider getting a robot vacuum to stay on top of the pet hair. Incidentally, an air purifier can also filter out some of your pet's hair so less of it ends up on surfaces.
Each of the 21 products that were tested in the PEOPLE lab was evaluated on design, performance, and ease of cleaning.
If you have dog hair stuck on machine washable and dryable fabrics, try placing the items in the dryer for a few minutes before washing. It's easier for the dryer to capture the dog hair in the lint trap, where it's easy to remove. Toss Smart Sheep Dryer Balls or dryer sheets in with the fabrics, both aid in capturing the pet hair.
If the fabric can't go in the dryer, the Lilly Brush Pro Pet Hair Tool Kit is a reusable pet hair remover that works better than a lint roller to remove dog hair stuck on upholstery and other fabrics.
For embedded dog hair, it's best to use a two-step pet hair removal method to eliminate the set-in fur. Start by putting on a pair of disposable rubber gloves and wiping the entire couch down with your hands. You'll be able to loosen and remove most of the hair. Dig in between the cushions and into hard-to-reach corners. After you've removed as much hair as possible, use an upright or handheld vacuum with an upholstery attachment to go over the entire couch and all cushions to pick up the remaining hair.
Each pet hair remover is cleaned differently, so check the manufacturer's guidelines for your specific remover. For some, you simply need to pull the collected hair out of the remover. Other pet hair removers may be wiped down with a damp cloth or rinsed in the sink after use.
The pet hair removal methods for suede are similar to other fabric furniture. Use clean or disposable rubber gloves to wipe up the fur and remove it from the furniture. You can also vacuum suede furniture using your vacuum cleaner's upholstery setting. Many pet hair removers have the potential to damage leather furniture, so read the product information before using it on your leather sofa. Since pet hair is less likely to stick to leather, simply wipe the furniture down regularly with a soft cloth or vacuum to remove any stray pet hair.
Yes, two of the pet hair removers on our list – the Uproot Cleaner Pro and the Evriholder FURemover Broom — are convenient tools for removing pet hair from floors. For embedded pet hair, the Uproot Cleaner Pro works as a carpet scraper to get pet hair out of carpets. The FURemover is a rubber broom with rake-like qualities that can sweep up and trap pet hair from tile and hardwood floors and rake it out of carpets and rugs.
Alyssa Brascia is a PEOPLE commerce writer covering beauty, fashion, home, and lifestyle products. She has previously written commerce content for Dotdash Meredith brands like InStyle, Shape, and Southern Living. For this article, she compared the features, benefits, and uses of some of the most popular pet hair removers. Based on our testers’ experiences, she compared products based on factors such as price, versatility, size, method of hair removal, effectiveness, gentleness, ease of cleaning, and environmental friendliness. Brascia also spoke with an advanced animal trainer and behaviorist Vivian Zottola for her insights.
Vivian Zottola is an advanced animal trainer and behaviorist.
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