Miele Triflex HX2 Pro 3-in-1 Cordless Stick Vacuum, Self-Standing

Why it's worth it

Miele's maintenance-free HEPA Lifetime Filter is rated at 99.999% dust retention, and two swappable VARTA batteries mean you don't stop cleaning when one dies. This is the pick when someone's allergies, not the visible hair, are the reason you're vacuuming.

Dander is the part you can't see, and filtration is how you deal with it. Miele specifies the HEPA Lifetime Filter at 99.999% dust retention, aimed at fine dust and allergens rather than fur you can spot from the doorway. AAFA's certification program tests vacuums for allergen retention and emissions precisely because a machine can pick dander up and then breathe some of it back out at you.

Two batteries is the other reason to pay up. Miele includes two replaceable VARTA lithium-ion packs plus two charging options, and quotes up to 120 minutes at the lowest power setting without the big electrobrush attached. You won't see 120 minutes cleaning carpet. But swapping a fresh pack in mid-job beats waiting out a charge, which owners describe as taking about four hours.

From our review of 7 vacuums for pet hair, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +Dander is the part you can't see, and filtration is how you deal with it
• +Two batteries is the other reason to pay up
• +The 3-in-1 design is genuinely handy with animals
• +It's also the quiet one

What to know

• –The bin is small, and emptying it isn't elegant
• –It's the most expensive machine here by a wide margin, and as an upright it's the least nimble of our picks to swing around…