Dirt Devil Total Pet+ Review: Real Pet-Hair Power on a Budget

Fur on the floor is a daily tax when you share your home with a shedding pet, and most cheap vacuums answer it with weak suction, scattered crumbs, and filter cartridges you replace forever. The Dirt Devil Multi-Surface Total Pet+ is a corded upright aimed squarely at that frustration: a bagless machine with a pet tool kit and washable filters, designed for buyers who want practical value. We went through owner feedback and the published specs, the same process behind how we review every vacuum, to see where it delivers.

Verdict: Strong, steady suction across hard floors and low-pile carpet, with washable filters that reduce routine upkeep. It earns an 8.8 out of 10.

Best for: Budget-conscious pet owners with a mix of low-pile carpet and hard floors who want a grab-and-go machine that lifts fur without constant filter replacements.

Skip if: Your home is mostly thick, plush carpet, or you want a vacuum that glides with one hand.

At a Glance

What We Liked

Steady suction that lifts embedded fur

The first thing owners mention is suction that does not quit. As a corded upright, this machine runs at full strength for as long as you need it, with no battery fade half a pass in. Owner feedback describes it pulling embedded pet hair and fine dust out of low-pile rugs and carpet, then switching to hard floors without scattering debris ahead of the nozzle. Scatter is the quiet failure of weaker vacuums: the crumbs jump away from the intake and you end up herding dust across the tile. That control matters in a kitchen after dinner. The included turbo tool carries the same suction to stairs and upholstery, the two places fur hides thickest.

One head for carpet and hard floors

A light body that is simple to live with

The lightweight body snaps together in minutes, and owners repeatedly call it manageable for older adults and anyone tired of wrestling a heavy machine. There is no battery to charge, no dock parked against the wall, and a cord that wraps up when you finish. In a smaller home or apartment, it tucks into a closet without a fight, and that storage footprint is a real advantage when square footage is short.

Washable filters keep the cost flat

Both the dirt cup and the filters are washable, so the upkeep routine is rinse, dry, and go. There are no bags to stock, and regular cleaning can extend the filters' useful life. For a budget-conscious household, that means less recurring consumable spending and fewer replacement orders to remember.

Where It Falls Short

That suction digs in on medium-pile carpet

The same pull that makes this machine effective on hard floors becomes work on thicker carpet. On medium-pile rugs, owners report a hard push that sometimes takes two hands, and the arm and back strain that follows shows up often enough to be the top complaint. This is not a defect so much as a trade: the machine grips the carpet instead of skating over it. If most of your floor is plush or high-pile, plan on the effort or look at a machine tuned for easier push.

The cord can run short in bigger rooms

Owner reports on the cord are mixed: some find it reaches everywhere they need, others end up wanting more length in larger rooms. Bedrooms and standard living rooms from a single outlet are fine. Open-plan spaces are where the friction starts, and a basic extension cord solves it. It is worth knowing before you buy rather than discovering mid-clean.

How It Holds Up in Real Rooms

The weeknight cleanup pass

The daily mess in a pet home is scattered fur, kitchen crumbs, and the ring of debris around the food bowls. This is the pass the Total Pet+ is built for: the light body comes out of the closet fast, the cord reaches a room on one outlet, and the scatter control on hard floors means crumbs go up the intake instead of across the tile. Owners describe it as a grab-and-go machine, and the grab part matters. A vacuum that is awkward to prepare does not get used on a Tuesday night.

Shedding season and the washable filter

Fur volume rises when a dog blows coat, and that is when cheap vacuums start to fade. Clogged filters are the usual reason suction drops off. Here, the fix is a rinse under the tap and a dry before the next run, with no replacement order in between. Owner feedback ties regular filter cleaning to steady suction, which is the practical answer to the recurring-cost frustration that pushes people toward pricier machines.

Stairs and the furniture fur collects on

Fur does not stay on the floor. It works into stair treads and the couch your pet claims every afternoon. The turbo tool in the pet kit is called out by owners as effective on stairs, and the light body helps when you carry it between levels. The floor head also adjusts for carpet height, so throw rugs do not stall it. On medium-pile carpet the push stays firm, as covered above.

How It Compares to Alternatives

The pet hair vacuum field has strong picks at every budget, and our best vacuums for pet hair guide covers the full range. Three models owners also shortlist:

The Shark Navigator Swivel Pro NV151 plays in the same corded upright space with the same mixed-floor strength, and its hose and lift-off handle take stairs without carrying the whole machine. It usually costs more, and owners flag attachments that can pop off mid-clean. If your home is mostly carpet and you want a lighter push, get the Shark instead.

The Shark Lift-Away ZD201 aims at the deeper end of the same fight: more carpet suction, allergen sealing, and a brushroll built to shed hair. It is the heavier, pricier tool for a carpeted pet home. If embedded fur in thick carpet is the main battle, get the Shark instead.

The Miele Blizzard CX1 Turbo Team is the premium bagless canister: quiet, sealed filtration, and a bin that empties without a dust cloud. It costs several times more and takes up more closet space. If you have mostly hard floors and a bigger budget, get the Miele instead.

Against all three, the Dirt Devil keeps the pitch simple: the least money that still solves the fur problem.

Who Should Buy It

The ideal buyer is a budget-conscious pet owner with a mix of hard floors and low-pile carpet, or a renter in a smaller space who is done with weak stick vacuums that scatter more than they pick up. The daily fur is the job, and this machine does it without drifting into premium-upright territory.

Skip it if your floors run to thick plush carpet, if you want one-handed gliding, or if you need sealed HEPA-level exhaust for serious allergies. In those cases the push effort or the open dust path will bother you weekly, and a mid-range Shark or a sealed canister fits better.

FAQ

Is the Dirt Devil Multi-Surface Total Pet+ good for pet hair?

Yes. Owner feedback consistently credits the suction with lifting embedded fur from carpet and hard floors, and the turbo tool in the pet kit is called out as effective on stairs and upholstery. For a budget corded upright, pet hair is the main thing it does well.

Is it corded or cordless?

How long is the power cord?

The listing does not state a cord length, and owner reports vary. Some find it covers a room comfortably, others want more reach in larger spaces, so plan on an extension cord or a nearby outlet in open layouts.

Are the filters washable?

Yes. Both the dirt cup and the filters are washable, and owner feedback ties regular cleaning to suction that stays strong. That can also reduce replacement-filter spending.

Does it work on high-pile or plush carpet?

Only partly. The floor head adjusts for carpet height and handles low-pile to medium carpet, but the strong suction makes it hard to push on thicker plush carpet, sometimes with two hands. Homes with mostly plush carpet should look at a machine built for easier push.

Is it a good fit for apartments?

Generally yes. The light body, simple assembly, compact storage, and bagless design suit smaller spaces, and there is no battery or dock to manage. The cord is the one thing to think through in an open layout.

Bottom Line