In brief
- An ordinary vacuum brush with bristles acts like a magnet for pet hair, which wraps around it until the brush gets stuck.
- An anti-tangle brush, like the ones fitted to both the Drift and the Sweep, lets hair slide off more easily instead of wrapping around it.
- The brush and suction power work together: the brush loosens the hair, and the suction power picks it up.
- A family with a dog and a cat uses the Sweep daily and sees it pick up pet hair effectively, including from area rugs.
- For larger households with a lot of shedding, the Drift is the easiest option thanks to its higher suction power and self-emptying station; for smaller homes, the Sweep is an excellent choice.
Why do ordinary vacuum brushes get clogged with pet hair?
An ordinary brush with bristles grips pet hair instead of releasing it. Newsroom Panama aptly describes a traditional bristle brush as the main cause of vacuum cleaners failing in homes with pets: after a few cleaning sessions, the brush becomes a clogged, tangled mass of hair that stops rotating.
RoboVacGuide confirms this and points out that brush design is at least as important as suction power. The higher the suction power, the less it helps if the brush itself gets clogged before anything can be picked up.
What is an anti-tangle brush, and how does it solve this problem?
An anti-tangle brush lets hair slide off more easily instead of allowing it to wrap around the brush. Both Bloomfold robot vacuums, the Drift and the Sweep, are equipped with this type of anti-tangle brush, which is also suitable for pet hair.
RoboVacGuide explains that these types of brushes offer fewer points for hair to catch on than a traditional brush, guiding hair in the direction of suction as the brush rotates instead of allowing it to remain stuck. Everyday Home Comfort highlights the practical difference this makes: in a household with a lot of shedding, an anti-tangle brush only needs to be cleaned once every few weeks, instead of almost daily with an ordinary brush.
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Is suction power important too, or is the brush enough?
The brush and suction power work together; one does not replace the other. Household Robot explains the difference clearly: the brush loosens hair and dirt from carpet or rugs, while the suction power actually picks it up. Without a good brush, no amount of suction power can compensate for the problem, and without sufficient suction power, loosened hair simply remains on the floor.
At Bloomfold, the Sweep has 3500 Pa of suction power, while the Drift has 5000 Pa. Forbes confirms in its practical tests of robot vacuums for pet owners that the combination of sufficient suction power and an effective brush is what makes the difference between a robot that truly picks up hair and one that merely moves it around.
How a family with a dog and a cat experiences this in practice
A family with a dog and a cat uses the Sweep for daily cleaning. It picks up their pets' hair effectively, including from area rugs, something not every vacuum cleaner manages well. For a household with two pets, where hair spreads across both hard floors and rugs every day, that is exactly what matters: not just vacuuming, but actually picking up what is there.
Which model suits your pet situation: Drift or Sweep?
With a lot of shedding and a larger home, the Drift is the easiest to use every day, thanks to its higher suction power and self-emptying station. In a smaller home, or if you prefer a simpler model with a lower profile, the Sweep is an excellent choice without compromising on hair pickup.
Both models have an anti-tangle brush that handles pet hair well. The main difference lies in the amount of suction power and the emptying convenience that best suits your situation. Read more about why ordinary vacuums often get clogged with pet hair.
How often should you clean the brush?
An anti-tangle brush requires less frequent maintenance than an ordinary brush, but it still needs some maintenance. Everyday Home Comfort gives the general rule of thumb that an anti-tangle brush in a household with a lot of shedding should be checked and cleaned once every few weeks, compared with almost daily cleaning for a traditional brush.
So check occasionally whether hair has accumulated around the ends of the brush, even though this is much less often necessary with an anti-tangle design than you may be used to. You can find replacement brushes and maintenance kits among the parts.
Which model will you choose?
If you have a household with a lot of shedding and multiple rooms, the Drift is the most hassle-free choice, thanks to its higher suction power and self-emptying station. If you live in a smaller home or prefer a simpler model, the Sweep performs just as well when it comes to actually picking up hair.
Still unsure? The product quiz will help you find the model that best suits your pet situation in just a few questions.
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