Kenmore 600 Series Pet Canister Vacuum Review

Kenmore 600 Series Pet Friendly Bagged Canister Vacuum Overview

The Kenmore 600 Series (model 81615) is a full-featured bagged canister vacuum designed with pet owners firmly in mind. Kenmore has been a trusted name in home cleaning for decades, and this canister vacuum upholds that legacy with a dual-motor system, triple HEPA filtration, and a specialized Pet PowerMate motorized attachment that lifts stubborn pet hair from virtually any surface. If you live in a household with dogs, cats, or other shedding animals, this is the kind of purpose-built cleaning tool that makes a measurable difference in your daily battle against fur and dander.

Canister vacuums have long been favored by cleaning enthusiasts for their superior versatility. Unlike uprights that excel primarily on floors, a canister design lets you clean stairs, upholstery, drapes, car interiors, and hard-to-reach areas with far greater ease. The Kenmore 600 Series takes that inherent flexibility and pairs it with serious suction power, a generous set of attachments, and a bagged filtration system that locks in dirt and allergens. For multi-surface homes with pets, this vacuum represents one of the most capable options in the mid-range canister category.

Key Features That Define the Kenmore 600 Series

Dual-Motor System for Superior Suction

The Kenmore 600 Series is powered by a 2-motor system that separates suction generation from brushroll agitation. One motor drives the powerful 12-amp suction at the canister body, while a second motor powers the floor nozzle's brushroll for active carpet agitation. This dual-motor approach delivers suction power measured at 183 watts or greater at the hose end, which translates to exceptional dirt and debris pickup across all surfaces. The result is cleaning performance that rivals many full-size uprights while maintaining the maneuverability advantages of a canister design.

Pet PowerMate Motorized Attachment

The star accessory of this vacuum is the Pet PowerMate, a compact motorized brush head designed specifically for removing embedded pet hair from upholstery, stairs, car seats, and other fabric surfaces. Unlike passive brush tools that rely on suction alone, the Pet PowerMate actively agitates fibers to lift and remove stubborn pet hair that has worked its way deep into fabric. The motorized design also prevents hair from tangling around the brush, so you spend less time on maintenance and more time cleaning. This single attachment is what elevates the Kenmore 600 Series from a good canister vacuum to a great pet vacuum.

Triple HEPA Filter System

The Kenmore 600 Series employs an enhanced triple HEPA filtration system that traps 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. For pet owners, this is critically important because pet dander, a major allergen trigger, consists of extremely fine particles that can pass through lesser filtration systems and get recirculated into the air. The triple HEPA design combined with a sealed bagged system ensures that allergens, dust, dander, and fine debris stay locked inside the vacuum bag rather than escaping back into your living space.

Pop-N-Go Brush and Exclusive Floor Nozzle

The exclusive Pop-N-Go floor brush stores neatly inside the vacuum body and attaches to the handle or wand in a snap for quick bare floor cleaning. This eliminates the hassle of swapping out full-size floor nozzles when you transition between carpet and hard floor surfaces. Two floor nozzles are included with the vacuum, providing 14 inches of cleaning width for efficient coverage on larger floor areas.

Aluminum Telescoping Wand with Extended Reach

The lightweight aluminum telescoping wand extends to a total reach of up to 10 feet, giving you access to high ceilings, ceiling fans, light fixtures, and other elevated surfaces that standard vacuums simply cannot reach. The adjustable length also means you can shorten the wand for close-up work on stairs or furniture, or extend it fully for overhead cleaning without climbing on a step stool.

Performance and Design

The Kenmore 600 Series weighs approximately 22.6 pounds total, which is typical for a full-featured canister vacuum. The canister body rides on smooth-rolling wheels and features a swivel head that follows you around the room without tipping or dragging. The 28-foot retractable power cord provides generous reach between outlet changes, and the automatic cord rewind makes storage quick and tidy.

Cleaning performance across surfaces is impressive. On carpets, the motorized floor nozzle with its 14-inch cleaning width aggressively agitates fibers to extract embedded dirt, hair, and debris. On hard floors, the Pop-N-Go brush and bare floor tool glide smoothly without scratching, picking up fine dust and larger particles with equal effectiveness. The 12-amp motor delivers consistent, strong suction that does not fade as the bag fills, thanks to the efficient airflow design.

The bagged design is a genuine advantage for allergy sufferers and pet owners. When it is time to change the bag, you simply remove and discard it, sealing all the collected dirt, dander, and allergens inside. There is no dust cloud, no contact with debris, and no messy bin emptying. The bags are widely available and affordable, making ongoing maintenance straightforward.

All accessories and attachments store within or on the vacuum body itself, which means everything stays organized and accessible. The included crevice tool handles tight gaps and baseboards, the dusting brush tackles delicate surfaces, and the bare floor tool handles smooth surfaces. Combined with the Pet PowerMate and Pop-N-Go brush, the total cleaning toolkit is comprehensive.

Best For

• Pet owners who need a dedicated motorized pet hair tool for upholstery, stairs, and fabric surfaces
• Allergy and asthma sufferers who benefit from sealed triple HEPA bag filtration that locks in 99.97% of allergens
• Multi-surface homes with a mix of carpet, hard floors, rugs, and upholstered furniture
• Homeowners who prefer bagged vacuums for cleaner, more hygienic dirt disposal without dust exposure
• Anyone needing extended reach for cleaning stairs, ceilings, drapes, and elevated surfaces