Doesn’t really matter if you have one or several cats, the litter box can quickly become a mess if you don’t clean it regularly. And one of the best tools that you can possibly have to help you with the job is a good pet vacuum cleaner.
But finding and buying the best vacuum for cat litter can be challenging. With so many options on the market, it can be hard to know which one will work best for you and your feline friends.
No worries! In this article from TheKingLive and one of our leading reviewers, Jennifer Rodriquez, we can help you find the best vacuums for cat litter to suit your needs and budget. We've done the research, so you don't have to!
Ready to find the vacuum cleaner of your dream?
Let’s get to it!
Shark HZ2002 Vertex UltraLight
If you’re a fan of Shark-branded vacuum cleaners, then the Shark HZ2002 Vertex UltraLight should be thrown at the very top of your shopping list.
Although it’s been on the market for quite a while (more than two years now), the HZ2002 still holds its own very well in our lab.
For those with mostly bare floors at home, the Shark HZ2002 will be a good fit. We’ve tested against cat litter on the floor, and the vacuum’s motorized head had zero issues sucking up everything in its path. Our reviewers only needed to make one or two passes before the floor’s completely clean!
However, for those with carpets, there are other vacuums that can perform better. Our reviewers made several passes across carpets strewn with cat litter using the HZ2002, and while it was able to suck some of the messes out, there’s still quite a lot left over in the carpet pile.
It comes with a 30-foot power cord, which is average for a corded stick vacuum.
The Shark HZ2002 has a very pleasant-looking and sleek design, featuring the vacuum's body at the top with components such as filters, dust cup, and controls. At the bottom, there’s a detachable suction wand section connected to a motorized cleaning head.
You can detach the suction wand from the vacuum to basically “transform” the HZ2002 from a stick vacuum to a portable, handheld vacuum if you want!
The vacuum's weight is a standout feature, with a fully assembled weight of just 9 pounds, which can be reduced to only 3 pounds when the suction wand is removed and the vacuum is converted into a handheld unit.
The only downside our testers noted with the Shark HZ2002 is the lack of a HEPA filter. If there’s anyone in your family with allergies, the HZ2002 may not be a very good choice for this reason.
Shark APEX DuoClean ZS362
Another name that came up in our top pet vacuum database is another model from Shark: the Shark APEX DuoClean ZS362. It’s a powerful vacuum that is specifically designed to tackle pet hair.
Now you may be thinking: “Why introduce a pet hair vacuum while I’m looking for the best vacuum for cat litter?”
The reason is simple. Pet-centric vacuums like the ZS362 are designed for dealing with pet messes in general, which means besides cleaning up pet hair, they’re also excellent at picking up other types of messes like cat litter!
In our hands-on test, the ZS362’s powerful motor could pick up cat litter from the bare floors in just a single pass. Like the Shark HZ2002, the ZS362 struggled when it had to clean out cat litter from dense carpets. But this model actually performed a lot better, thanks in part to having a stronger motor and a more capable set of brush rolls. Most of the cat litter in our densest carpets was sucked up by the ZS362!
One of the standout features of the ZS362 is Shark's DuoClean technology, which utilizes two types of brush bristles. There’s a row of stiff bristles, then a row of soft bristles will be next to it. This hybrid design allows you to clean both carpeted and bare floors without causing damage to either.
The vacuum has a fairly slim design. It weighs 10 pounds, which is pretty heavy for a stick vacuum, but we still consider it “lightweight.”
But as we tested the vacuum, we noticed a glaring issue with the ZS362: balancing. Most of the weight is concentrated at the top, where the motor is located. This makes handling awkward, and the higher center of gravity regularly causes the vacuum to be unstable and unable to stand on its own.
Additionally, despite being marketed as a pet hair vacuum, the Shark APEX DuoClean ZS362 does not come with a HEPA filter.
Overall, the Shark APEX DuoClean ZS362 is a good option for those looking for a vacuum that can effectively tackle pet hair. Despite not being a perfect vacuum (there’s the balancing issue and the notable lack of a HEPA filter), these concerns are minor.
Shark Rocket Pet Pro Cordless Stick Vacuum (IZ162H)
And last but not least, we can’t not mention the Shark Rocket Pet Pro IZ162H. Another model from Shark is designed and built specifically with pet owners in mind.
The suction performance of the vacuum is good, making it useful for cleaning other types of debris and dusting around the home. But, of course, pet owners will find a lot more use out of the high suction flow of the IZ162H than the average homeowner.
In our lab test, the Shark Rocket Pet Pro IZ162H did a pretty decent job at cleaning cat litter from bare floors. Since it has a smaller motor than the previous Shark vacuums on this list, it took a couple of passes to scoop up everything fully, but the IZ162H eventually managed to clean them all.
On carpets, the situation is a bit more complicated. The Shark IZ162H did an acceptable job on the low-pile carpets and rugs. It was able to pick up about 60 to 70% of the cat litter we ground into the carpet piling. This is not a bad record for a cordless stick vacuum.
The numbers were very mediocre on high-pile carpets, with the IZ162H picking up less than half of the cat litter in the dense piling. Although we fully expected the result to be low, the news was still a bit disappointing.
Overall, we can conclude that the vacuum will be a good pick for people with only bare floors and the occasional short-pile rugs and carpets around the house. If you have dense-pile carpeting, there are other models on the market that can help you deal with them more effectively.
In terms of design, the IZ162H is compact and can be easily stored by folding it in half. This compact, storage-able design is one of the Shark IZ162H’s many charms!
And of course, we have to mention its battery, it being a cordless model and all. In our test, the battery lasts around 30 minutes before fizzling out. This is a very good runtime. Most of the compact cordless stick vacuums we tested never got over the 15-20 minutes mark. You’ll be able to clean most of the house on a single charge with this one.
It has a lightweight design at just 7.5 pounds, making it very easy to handle and maneuver. This best vacuum for cat litter can also be converted into a handheld unit for versatility. The smaller form factor will allow you to reach cat litter in awkward corners around the house like underneath furniture and in room corners (these are also places where cats will like to squeeze into to hide and play.)
Unlike the other two modeels, the Shark IZ162H includes a HEPA filter to deal with bacteria in dirty pet hair effectively.
Conclusion
All in all, what constitutes as the best vacuum for cat litter will depend on your specific needs and preferences. So, take your time and look through the top models above. Consider their strengths, weaknesses, and their pricing before you make your final purchase decision.
We hope this guide from TheKingLive has been helpful for you!
The vacuum cleaner market is huge, however, with thousands of models worth exploring. If you find none of the three vacuum models above to suit your needs and your budget, there are dozens of other review articles on TheKingLive that you can check out, such as this article “Best Vacuum For Cat Litter: 12 TOP Choices For Everyone”.
If you have any question you’d like to ask, don’t hesitate to drop us an email at the editorial. One of our staff member will get back to you as soon as we can.
Until next time!