Put an End to Your Cat Hair-Covered Couch With the Best Pet Hair Removal Tools (2024)

When we asked our pet-owning colleagues what they used at home to combat pet hair, ChomChom's Pet Hair Remover was by far the most mentioned product.

After testing it in the GH Institute Cleaning Lab, we understand why. This reusable tool picked up all of the fur that was on our test surfaces after just one pass. Unlike many other tools that just bunch up fur into a pile that you then have to pick up and throw away, this one picks it up and stores it in a small compartment inside of the tool. After, the tool is easy to empty and there was no need to pick any stubborn hairs off of the roller.

Though it is gentle enough to use on clothing, it wasn't our favorite for this task as you have to hold clothing taut in order to pass the roller smoothly over the fabric and its size proved to be a bit too bulky to maneuver around collars and other small areas. But on other surfaces, ChomChom's handle was comfortable to hold and the tool did not require much pressure or effort to use.

Lint rollers are a convenient and cheap solution to getting pet hair off your clothes, and they work really well thanks to the sticky sheets that pick up pet hair along with any other debris that is on the surface of a fabric.

This lint roller from Evercare is extra sticky to pick up more hair and debris with every pass. In the Cleaning Lab, it worked so well that we used it to get surfaces back to their original appearance in between pet hair tests. Even when the sheet became too covered in fur to pick up anything more, it did not re-deposit any hair or debris to the freshly cleaned surfaces.

The downside to any lint roller is that it's not so fun to use on carpets or other large surfaces; it's also not the most environmentally conscious solution. The individual sticky sheets can't be reused, though the roll can be replaced, so you can continue to use the same plastic handle for a long time. When it's time to buy replacement rolls, each are sold in packs of two, which does make it even more of a value pick.

We also tested a reusable tool from the brand that made it to our top performers list, but it isn't available for purchase just yet so we'll be updating this story soon to include it when it is.

We tested four different tools made specifically for removing pet hair from loads of laundry and couldn't find any that worked as well as Bounce Pet Hair and Lint Guard Dryer Sheets.

After loading up a fluffy sweater with a heavy amount of faux pet hair and washing in a regular cycle, we tossed the sweater into a dryer with just half of one of these mega sheets for a quick, 20-minute cycle. When the cycle ended, the sweater was almost completely free of pet hair — not the case with the other three products we tested.

These dryer sheets are formulated to trap pet hair and lint better than the original dryer sheets from the brand, but still offer the same fabric softening ingredients that the regular Bounce dryer sheets are known for. Because each sheet can only be used one time, these are not the most environmentally conscious option, but you can find a second use for used dryer sheets by using them to remove dust from baseboards, furniture and other small surfaces.

FYI: Wool dryer balls are an alternative to dryer sheets, but when we tested a few brands in the Cleaning Lab, we found that they did not pick up pet hair, soften clothing or reduce static cling as well as dryer sheets do.

OXO's Furlifter Pet Garment Brush is a lint remover that can be used again and again without creating any waste. In our Lab tests, it left surfaces looking totally clean after just one swipe. Even when we thought the tool couldn't possibly pick up any more faux hair, it did. The self-cleaning base holds multiple passes worth of hair before it needs to be emptied and though you need to pay attention to the arrows on the tool to ensure you are swiping in the right direction, it is easy to use.

The Furlifter Pet Garment Brush is small enough to use on-the-go, but if you're looking for something even smaller, OXO has another tool that's more compact than this one which we also tested and found works exceptionally well. Keep in mind that this won't help remove deeply embedded pet hair from fabrics, but will clean up the surface level fur that's most visible to the naked eye.

If you are looking for one tool to replace a bag of tools, this may be the one. The FurDozer X6 has six uniquely shaped surfaces that help pick up pet hair from a multitude of items, including in hard-to-reach spaces like in between couch cushions. When we tested this tool, we were impressed by the amount of fur it pulled out of a carpet that had just been lint rolled clean. It helps gather up fur so that it is easier to pick up, but does not pick it up for you.

Be ready to work for that pet hair though — the X6 requires a little extra time and effort to get items totally clean. Many of the other tools we tested snagged on clothing and did not move smoothly over some very fluffy fabrics, but we didn't run into this problem with the FurDozer X6. The rubber material extends past the tool head into the handle, making the handle feel both sturdy and comfortable.

The Lilly Brush brand has a long line of pet hair removal tools available online. From the five we tested in our Lab, we had a few favorites, but none more than this long handled tool that made carpet cleanup a breeze.

Just a few short strokes was all it took to gather all of the faux pet hair we applied to our test carpet into a neat pile. Longer strokes or continuous passes over the carpet after the rubber detailers have become covered in fur resulted in re-depositing fur onto the carpet, so remember to clean the rubber blades as you go to prevent that.

The handle is comfortable to hold and lightweight, with ample length to reach far under furniture and other hard-to-reach places. While the included handle is not adjustable, the tool's head should fit on any standard broomstick of your choice.

This super portable, handheld tool from Analan has over 11,000 reviews on Amazon. When we tested it, we didn't expect it to perform as well as it did across every one of our test surfaces. Each side of the Mini Pet Hair Remover has different sized grooves that can be used on their own or together for a more thorough clean. We tested using the tool both ways and were impressed each time.

Using just one side, we successfully gathered up all of the pet hair that was coating the surface of our upholstered furniture, but when we used the three sides in succession (large, medium then small) on a carpet, we were able to pick up what was on the surface and all of the embedded hair that had been left behind by other tools.

Pet hair removal tools with metal teeth get caught on fabrics and can damage clothing, but the Analan's rubber grooves are gentle enough to clean garments without damage. With sides that measure just under five inches, this isn't the tool we would recommend for very big jobs, but if you're up to the task, its design with a hole in the center makes the tool very comfortable to hold and use.

We tested each tool on carpets, clothing and velvet and polyester knit covered pillows. To simulate pet hair on upholstered furniture, we used the industry standard rayon fibers that are used by the vacuum cleaner industry in the testing of vacuums (and which we also use in our own vacuum testing too).

Each tool was tested side by side with a similar tool from another brand to compare their performance against each other. All tools were judged by how well they picked up or piled up faux pet hair into an easy to pick up pile and how easy they were to use. After each test, we cleaned each tool and made note of any that changed appearance or were difficult to clean.

Like anything else you purchase for your home cleaning needs, the tool that works best for you largely depends on the item you plan to use the tool on and your personal cleaning preferences.

However, there are just a few things to keep in mind to make the decision a little bit easier to make:

✔️ Type: There are quite a few different types of pet hair removal tools that we found while researching this category of products: tools with rubber parts, fabric surfaces, sticky lint rollers and metal teethed tools that comb fabrics to remove the fur that is trapped inside.

For clothing and delicate fabrics, we recommend sticking to the tried and true sticky lint roller, reusable fabric lint rollers or rubber sided tools we recommend above. All but one of the tools we tested with metal teeth snagged on fabrics, causing thread pulls and damaging the material during testing. Every other type of tool we tested can be used on most surfaces without causing any damage.

Just keep in mind that smaller ones will require more effort from you to clean a large surface and larger ones can be uncomfortable to maneuver along smaller items and take on the go. Products with long handles are convenient for cleaning floors and other hard-to-reach surfaces.

✔️ Durability: Dryer and lint roller sheets are single use products, but other pet hair removal tools can be reused so you want to make sure that the one you choose is durable enough to last a long time. Pet hair removal tools made from thick, heavy materials are less likely to break during use. Look for sturdy handles and consider other shoppers experience with the product by reading reviews online before you make a purchase.

Some tools we tested were uncomfortable to use and did not pick up enough pet hair to warrant a mention on our list. Other tools we tested excelled at certain tasks but should be used with care, especially on delicate fabrics where we experienced snagging, or just weren't as easy to clean as others which is why we didn’t include them above. Here’s what they do best:

• Uproot Clean's Cleaner Pro has metal teeth that are great for pulling pet hair out of carpets and gathering huge amounts of fur at a time, but snagged on our polyester knit fabric and the fuzzy sweaters we tested on when used as instructed. Large amounts of deeply embedded fur that was not visible on our test carpet was pulled to the surface by this tool easily. It is available in two sizes which are convenient for big and small jobs too. Holding the tool at a 90-degree angle to use on delicate fabrics did not produce great results, but did prove to be a gentler option for the fabrics it struggled to run smoothly over.
• Furzoff is unique because it does not fit into any one of the pet hair removal tool categories we tested. It is a pumice stone that removed pet hair really well from all of our test surfaces. But, like we've seen with other sweater fuzz remover stones, this tool left a light dusting of stone on the fabrics we used it on. We recommend this tool for smaller surfaces and jobs like removing fur from couch pillows, car interiors and small sections of carpet. Pet hair is easily cleaned from the stone with water and the brand also offers a lifetime guarantee should your Furzoff be damaged after purchase.
• Grand Fusion's Silicone Pet Hair Remover looks like a sponge and feels like one too, but is actually an impressive tool that easily picked up pet hair from upholstered pillows and clothing. This tool is best used as a spot cleaner for small areas of carpet and other small surfaces, including delicate fabrics. To clean the product, it needs to be washed in soapy water. When we washed ours in the Cleaning Lab, we couldn't get all of the fur out of the spongy material.

If you have furry friends at home, having a totally pet hair free house is just not possible, but there are some things you can do to minimize the amount of fur in your space. Start by addressing the fur problem at the source: your pet! Brush your furry friends often to remove loose hair before it ends up on the floor and on furniture. Set up a cleaning schedule in your home with more frequent cleaning of the areas your pets frequent most, like around dog beds and cat litterboxes. Ditto for homes with lots of carpeting. Thoroughly vacuum all carpets twice a week instead of just once.

As comforting as it is to sleep with your pets in your bed, keeping pets off sheets or entirely out of bedrooms can also help. Some fabrics used in upholstered furniture are magnets for fur, so for your next couch upgrade consider leather or faux leather, which are easier to clean. For out of the house upkeep, keep a small tool in your car that is easy to quickly run over the parts of the car your pet sat on after a trip.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab has been testing products for over 100 years. While this was our first time testing pet hair removal tools, we have long been testing pet hair pickup with the hundreds of vacuums we test each year for our roundups of the best stick vacuums, top canister vacuums and more.

Jodhaira Rodriguez has been testing and reviewing cleaning products for GH since 2021. She developed the methodology for this category test of pet hair removal tools, testing all 26 products that were considered for this story.