Best Vacuum for Pet Hair: The Miele Salsa

After 10+ years our Dyson died. To be honest, I was not that unhappy. I was tired of the cheap canister that would flip flop back and forth, never really closing properly. I could never get all of the dust out of it and would be engulf by a dust cloud each time I emptied it. The latch that held the canister to the vacuum broke off a while ago which made it a balancing act to keep it on at times. I embraced this opportunity with enthusiasm and set out to find the best pet vacuum.

My requirements were simple. 

It must be durable and have the capacity to handle long pet hair.

I researched upright vacuums from Dyson, Shark, Oreck, Riccar, SEBO and Miele. Based on customer reviews and product quality, I quickly narrowed my focus down to two brands being Miele and SEBO. The following videos show each vacuum and how to remove pet hair from the roller brush.

Special thanks to Steve Cain's All Vacuum Center for these wonderful videos!
If we lived closer I would have purchased from them. 

My first purchase was the SEBO upright FELIX 1 Premium in my favorite color. 

This was a canister vacuum pretending to be an upright. I was very excited to try out the removable brush feature. What I found after a quick vacuum was the majority of fur stuck in the extremely long bristles. But the biggest drawback was the tiny dust bag which was nearly full after one quick vacuum.

I returned the SEBO and purchased the Miele Salsa. 

I am in love with this vacuum! The bristles on the brush are half the size of the bristles on the SEBO so most of the fur ends up in the bag rather than in the brush. It is also super easy to remove the fur that does get stuck in the brush. There is a HEPA filter which can easily be exchanged with an active charcoal filter. I have used it on carpet and slate floors with ease. I actually enjoy vacuuming again!

Addie gives this vacuum two paws up!

When I started the research process on pet vacuums, I spent many hours of searching through useless information until I found what I needed to make my decision. I hope that this information helps someone else looking for a good pet vacuum. This is not a paid review. 

I purchased our Miele Salsa locally from LoneStar Vacuum. I received excellent service from the salesperson and owner. They were kind, courteous, patient and respectful. If you are in the DFW area looking to purchase a vacuum, LoneStar Vacuum should be your first stop.