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6 Best Vacuum Cleaners For Cat Litter in 2024 – Reviews & Top Picks

Ashley Bates

By Ashley Bates

 

cat staring at the vacuum on the floor Having cats is wonderful but dealing with cat litter probably isn’t your favorite pet chore. Litter is messy, smelly, and dusty, and if your cat tracks it through the house, it can be a challenge to clean. But if you use a regular vacuum, you could end up with all that litter and dust inside.

If you’re looking for a special vacuum just for your cat litter—plus some pet hair and other messes—we have a list of the six best vacuums for cat litter. These reviews should help you determine the best option for your home and budget.

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A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2024

Rating Image Product Details
Best Overall
Winner
Dirt Devil Razor Upright Vacuum Cleaner Dirt Devil Razor Upright Vacuum Cleaner
  • Powerful suction
  • Multiple attachments
  • Lightweight
  • Best Value
    Second place
    Dirt Devil 4V Express Hand Dog & Cat Vacuum Dirt Devil 4V Express Hand Dog & Cat Vacuum
  • Affordable
  • Portable
  • Battery operated
  • Premium Choice
    Third place
    Oreck HEPA Cordless Upright Bagged Vacuum Cleaner Oreck HEPA Cordless Upright Bagged Vacuum Cleaner
  • HEPA filtration
  • Cordless
  • SaniSeal to capture dirt particles
  • Dirt Devil Scorpion + Corded Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Dirt Devil Scorpion + Corded Handheld Vacuum Cleaner
  • Attachments for stairs and crevices
  • Powerful suction
  • Inexpensive
  • Black+Decker POWERSERIES Extreme Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner Black+Decker POWERSERIES Extreme Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
  • Angled floorhead
  • Anti-tangle brush
  • Easy-empty bin
  • The 6 Best Vacuums for Cat Litter

    1. Dirt Devil Razor Upright Vacuum Cleaner – Best Overall

    Dirt Devil Razor Upright Vacuum Cleaner

    Check Price on Chewy
    Bag/Bagless: Bagless
    Type: Upright
    Features: Detachable cleaning wand
    Weight: 13 lbs

    The Dirt Devil Razor Upright Vacuum Cleaner is the best overall vacuum for cat litter because of its powerful suction and array of attachments. The Dirt Devil has powerful suction to pick up pet hair and dirt, as well as a detachable cleaning wand for tricky surfaces. It can remove debris from both hard floors and carpets, so it’s perfect for your litter box area.

    This vacuum is lightweight and swivels to navigate furniture and other obstacles, plus it’s lightweight enough to carry around. There are plenty of attachments that come with it. You can pick up litter, pet hair, and other messes throughout your home. Reviewers did say they wished the power cord was longer, however.

    Pros
    • Powerful suction
    • Multiple attachments
    • Lightweight
    Cons
    • Power cord is short

    2. Dirt Devil 4V Express Hand Dog & Cat Vacuum – Best Value

    Dirt Devil 4V Express Hand Dog & Cat Vacuum

    Bag/Bagless: Bagless
    Type: Handheld
    Features: Battery powered
    Weight: 1.9 lbs

    The Dirt Devil 4V Express Hand Dog & Cat Vacuum is the best vacuum for cat litter for the money. This economical, portable handheld vacuum is perfect for sweeping up loose cat litter and dust in your litter box area, and it’s cheap enough to keep for just that purchase. The 4V lithium battery charges quickly and runs longer with fade-free power. It works on all surfaces, including upholstery, carpeting, and smooth floors or countertops.

    With the easy-empty dirt cup, you can dispose of the mess quickly and easily. Though this little vacuum is great for cleaning litter, it’s only a handheld vacuum for small messes. If you need a vacuum to clean the whole house and cat litter, you’d be better off with an upright.

    Pros
    • Affordable
    • Portable
    • Battery operated
    Cons
    • Too small for the whole house

    3. Oreck HEPA Cordless Upright Bagged Vacuum Cleaner – Premium Choice

    Oreck HEPA Cordless Upright Bagged Vacuum Cleaner

    Bag/Bagless: Bagged
    Type: Upright
    Features: HEPA filter
    Weight: 8 lbs

    Oreck HEPA Cordless Upright Bagged Vacuum Cleaner is the premium choice for sucking up cat litter and dust. The vacuum has powerful suction in a lightweight, cordless model that’s easy to maneuver around tight spots. For cat litter, the vacuum has a HEPA filtration bag to track dirt, dust, pet dander, and mold. Once in the vacuum, all particles are trapped with the signature SaniSeal.

    This Oreck vacuum works on all floor types with an adjustable brush-roll speed. Though this vacuum is great for cat litter and all other types of pet messes, it’s quite expensive. Reviewers said it could have better battery run time, too.

    Pros
    • HEPA filtration
    • Cordless
    • SaniSeal to capture dirt particles
    Cons
    • Expensive
    • Poor battery run time

    4. Dirt Devil Scorpion + Corded Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

    Dirt Devil Scorpion + Corded Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

    Bag/Bagless: Bagless
    Type: Handheld
    Features: Attachments
    Weight: 3 lbs

    The Dirt Devil Scorpion + Corded Handheld Vacuum Cleaner is a lightweight, portable option to keep your litter area clean. It has powerful suction with a tool to fit into crevices and small spaces. There are other attachments, including one for stairs and upholstery if your cat tracks litter through the house.

    With the lightweight design, it’s easy to take the Dirt Devil around your home to clean more than just litter, including pet hair and dirt that accumulates. Though it’s inexpensive, several reviewers had issues with the vacuum plastic breaking and affecting the brush roll. It also has a short cord that may not work for a whole staircase. Reviewers also said it’s loud.

    Pros
    • Attachments for stairs and crevices
    • Powerful suction
    • Inexpensive
    Cons
    • Not durable
    • Short cord
    • Loud

    5. Black+Decker POWERSERIES Extreme Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

    BLACK+DECKER Powerseries Extreme Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner for Pets

    Bag/Bagless: Bagless
    Type: Upright stick
    Features: Twist-to-clean filter
    Weight: 10.75 lbs

    Black+Decker POWERSERIES Extreme Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum works well on cat litter and pet hair on any surface. It features an angled floorhead to handle nooks and crannies, as well as a V-shape bristle pattern to capture all kinds of debris. The anti-tangle brush bar with rubber bristles improves the performance by preventing the hair from knotting up.

    When it’s ready to be emptied, all you have to do is pull the front-facing dustbin. The built-in twist-to-clean filter keeps the suction strong, even when you’re dealing with heavy messes. It runs on a battery that can be charged in or out of the vacuum. Reviewers said that it loses power, and the battery life decreases significantly over time, however.

    Pros
    • Angled floorhead
    • Anti-tangle brush
    • Easy-empty bin
    Cons
    • Loses suction over time
    • Poor battery life

    6. Dirt Devil 16V QuickFlip Plus Hand Dog & Cat Vacuum

    Dirt Devil 16V QuickFlip Plus Hand Dog & Cat Vacuum

    Bag/Bagless: Bagless
    Type: Handheld
    Features: QuickFlip tool
    Weight: 3.5 lbs

    The Dirt Devil 16V QuickFlip Plus Hand Dog & Cat Vacuum is a good handheld vacuum to have around for cat litter and other pet messes. It’s lightweight and easy to carry through your home and clean up tracked litter. It also features the QuickFlip tool, which flips out to remove messes from hard-to-reach places.

    This vacuum has a powerful 16V lithium battery with two times faster charging, long run time, and fade-free power. It also has a stair tool to take care of litter and pet hair tracked on your stairs. This vacuum is a little pricey for a handheld, but reviewers were generally happy with it.

    Pros
    • Lightweight
    • Crevice tool
    • Long battery life
    Cons
    • Expensive

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    Buyer’s Guide: How to Select the Best Vacuum Cleaners For Cat Litter

    How to Select the Right Vacuum

    Cleaning up litter is not only time-consuming and frustrating, but over time, it can take a toll on your regular vacuum. If you use that same vacuum for regular carpets, you could end up transferring those litter scents throughout your home.

    If you want to get a dedicated vacuum just for cat litter, here’s what to look for:

    Weight

    Whether you want a handheld vacuum just for litter or a pet-specific upright, it’s important that your vacuum is lightweight. Cats don’t always leave that litter mess near the litter box, and the last thing you want is to chase tracked litter throughout your home with a heavy vacuum in tow.

    Suction

    Any vacuum, no matter its job, should have powerful suction. If you have a vacuum with weak suction or one that loses power easily, you will have to work twice as hard to accomplish half the work. This is especially frustrating when you’re dealing with litter, which can be tough to pick up to begin with.

    Bagged or Bagless

    Some vacuums have bags and others have a removable bin with a filter that you dump and clean out as it fills. With bagless, you can simply empty out the canister and continue cleaning, but the filters have to be replaced with time. The bagged versions need to be changed out individually, leading to recurring expenses.

    a woman vacuuming furniture in a house with a hand-held portable vacuum cleaner
    Image Credit: Den Rozhnovsky, Shutterstock

    Attachments

    If you find litter in a lot of nooks and crannies, you will want a vacuum that comes with special attachments to handle corners, stairs, and a variety of surfaces. Many vacuums offer attachments designed for specific jobs, so be sure to check it out.

    Corded or Cordless

    Corded and cordless vacuums have their pros and cons. Corded vacuums ensure that you have plenty of power to finish the job, but you have to deal with the pesky cord. Cordless vacuums are more convenient, but you may not get as much time out of the battery before you have to recharge it.

    hepper cat paw divider

    Conclusion

    Our best overall vacuum for cat litter, based on weight, functionality, and price, is the Dirt Devil Razor Upright Vacuum Cleaner. If you want a cheaper option that you can reserve just for cat litter, the Dirt Devil 4V Express Hand Dog & Cat Vacuum is an economical, portable option. The premium choice is the Oreck HEPA Cordless Upright Bagged Vacuum Cleaner, which can be used for cat litter and other pet messes with its HEPA filter. No matter which vacuum you choose on this list, it will get the job done!

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    Featured Image Credit: VH-studio, Shutterstock

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