Whether you have a dog or a cat, shedding is a common issue at home. It falls to the floors, hides behind doors, and lingers on upholstered furniture. A vacuum is typically the preferred weapon of choice when battling shed pet hair, but which one works the best? We went to the professional testers for the answer. To narrow down the list of their top picks, Consumer Reports® Magazine recently tested 70 vacuum models and conducted a survey with 5,000 magazine subscribers to determine typical usage and concerns. To get the best test results, the magazine's technical team used shed fur from a Maine coon cat because "it's especially long and provides a rigorous test for the dozens of vacuums reviewed each year." Testing criteria included agitator brush and belt endurance; handling — flexibility, weight, turning and overall ease of use; bin functionality —how often are bag or bagless models emptied; and noise level — too loud for pets? Here are the top 5 rated upright vacuums based on Consumer Reports testing:

Receiving 73 points out of 100, this model from the high-end Miele brand scored the best overall points during testing. The Twist has a bag, suction control and a full bag indicator, plus a swivel neck design for tighter turning. It performed "excellently" with pet hair and on carpeting, "very good" on bare floors, for noise and tool airflow. Handling received a "good" rating. Average cost is $450. With a score of 72 points, this second model from the Miele brand also has a bag but testing showed it was a bit more difficult to handle, compared with the Miele Twist. It is also costs twice as much, but comes with a HEPA filter, offers suction control and has a full bag indicator. The vacuum performed "excellently" with pet hair, "very good" on carpet and bare floors, and for noise and tool airflow. Average cost is $800. With 71 points out of 100, the Panasonic features a full bag indicator and a HEPA filter, but does not come with suction control. It performed "excellently" with pet hair, on bare floors and for tool airflow.

The model received a "very good" nod for carpeting, while noise and handling received a "good" rating. Average cost is $500. If you’re interested in a lower cost, lighter weight version of the Panasonic, their MC-UG693 model received 67 points out of 100 and while it has suction control, it does not feature a full bag indicator or have a HEPA filter. vacuum cleaner dealers in dubaiConsumer Reports gave it a "good" rating for carpeting, noise and handling. vacuum cleaners ontarioAverage cost is $200.vacuum cleaners cork This affordable model received 70 points out of 100 and is available with either a bag (U5491-900) or without a bag (U5786-900). These models do not have suction control, but they feature a full bag/bin indicator and come with a HEPA filter.

Both models performed "excellently" with pet hair, on carpeting, and on bare floors. They received a "very good" rating for tool airflow while handling and noise scored a "good" rating. Average cost for bagged is $115, bagless is $160. Scoring 68 out of 100 points, this popular brand is bagless, features a full bin indicator and has a HEPA filter. Consumer Reports notes that the brand is one of the more reliable when it comes to upright models. The “Animal” performed "excellently" on bare floors, and "very good" with pet hair, on carpeting and for tool airflow. It received a "good" rating for handling. While professional ratings are helpful when trying to figure out which vacuum may be best for you, it is suggested that you also review online user reviews before buying a product to get additional user feedback. Check warranty, service and return policies before purchasing a vacuum so that you know what to expect in case you’re not satisfied. Return to the Pet HealthZone Email this article to a friend or share it via your favorite social network.

Many of the best vacuum cleaners for sale in the UK will be banned as a result of new EU energy efficiency rules that come into force next month, consumer group Which? Households wanting to buy a powerful model have been told they will need to “act quickly” before they sell out, as from September 1 companies will be prohibited from manufacturing or importing any vacuums with motors above 1,600 watts. The European Commission claims that its new rules, which are intended to help tackle climate change by cutting Europe’s energy usage, will mean consumers “get better vacuum cleaners than ever before”. said that many of the models that its reviewers rate as the best on the market will fall foul of the rules. Of seven “best buy” ratings awarded by its vacuum cleaner reviewers since January 2013, five of them have motors of more than 1,600 watts, it said. “If you’re in the market for a powerful vacuum, you should act quickly, before all of the models currently available sell out,” the consumer group says in the latest issue of its magazine.

“A Best Buy 2,200w vac costs around £27 a year to run in electricity – only around £8 more than the best-scoring 1,600w we’ve tested.” said the full list of endangered "best buy" vacuums was available only to its subscribers. However one such product is the Miele s8330 model, which has a 2,200 watt motor and advertises its "best buy" credentials on its manufacturer’s website. The EU ban on powerful vacuum cleaners follows the introduction of rules to ban traditional light bulbs, which saw consumers rushing to stock up before they became obsolete. Consumers complained that energy-efficient replacements bulbs were more expensive and took too long to warm up. In a blog last year, European Commission spokesman Marlene Holzner wrote: “Vacuum cleaners will use less energy for the same performance - how much dust they pick up. This will help consumers to save money and make Europe as a whole use less energy.” The average power of a vacuum on the market in Europe at the time was 1,800 watts.

This will have to be halved within the next three years, as the limit of 1,600 watts will be reduced to just 900 watts from September 2017. “The amount of watt does not automatically indicate how well a vacuum cleaner will clean. The amount of watt indicates how much electrical power is used by the engine,” Ms Holzer wrote. “The important question is: How efficient is this electrical power translated into picking-up dust?” The EU rules will require vacuum cleaners to be sold with a new system of labels which will show their cleaning performance and requires a minimum level of performance. warns that the labels are “self-regulating, meaning that manufacturers will create their own labels” and it is unclear whether there is any independent third party checking up that consumers are getting correct information. The ratings are also based on vacuums being tested brand new, so “don’t take into account any loss of suction as the container fills”. Early indications showed “manufacturers that traditionally don’t do well in our tests have had ‘A’ ratings across the board” in the new self-regulated EU labels “while those that consistently do well haven’t scored as highly”, Which?