Neakasa S1 Pro Review: Grooming With a Vacuum Running Nearby

The question we kept hearing about this kit was not whether it removes hair. It was whether a dog that hates the groomer will stand still for a machine that is part vacuum. Neakasa's answer, in its marketing, is 50 dB. The independent measurements give a different one, and that gap is the most useful thing to know before buying the S1 Pro.

Noise: the claim and the meter

Neakasa's product page advertises "50dB operation". A review in K9 Magazine repeats it, and its labs, who dislike nail trimming, accepted the grooming. Another reviewer found the manual lists 70 dB and measured 64.5 dB on low and 73.6 dB on high.

Both can be true in a narrow sense, because of how the machine works. The vacuum does not run constantly. It starts when you squeeze the trigger on the de-shedding accessory, so a stroke of the brush is silent and the hum comes in bursts. The measured numbers are what the dog hears at the moment of suction.

Is 65 to 74 dB gentle? It is roughly conversation to a household vacuum, and some dogs hate that. In the test coverage we read, dogs were not bothered: one reviewer wrote that their dogs did not react at all, though a cat was worried by the hum. We found no test on a dog with a documented fear of vacuums, so we cannot promise a nervous dog will cope. Introduce it the way you would any vacuum: switched off, sniffed, then in short bursts with treats.

The shedding tools do the real work

The de-shedding brush and undercoat rake earned praise. A reviewer wrote that both "worked wonders" on a short double coat, and a retractable guard releases collected hair into the vacuum at the push of a button. Suction is rated at 11,000 Pa, and the bin holds 3 liters. K9 Magazine got three separate full de-shedding sessions on medium-sized lab mixes, plus a full trim, out of one bin before emptying.

Filtration is three layers of HEPA, which Neakasa rates at 99.7 percent for particles of 0.3 microns. That is the maker's number, not a lab result. In practice, the benefit is that hair ends up in a canister rather than on the sofa, and that is the reason to buy.

Where it falls short

• The nail grinder. One reviewer's grinder threw overcurrent warnings on thick dog nails and shut down after about 10 minutes on thinner ones. For a dog with heavy nails, use a separate grinder or a vet.

• The cord. The same reviewer lists an 8.2 foot power cord and a 5.25 foot hose, which is short for sofa or outdoor grooming. Some customer comments on Neakasa's page praise a cordless clipper, but that review says the vacuum unit has no battery, so expect to stay near an outlet.

• Clipping skill. Clippers with six guard combs are fine for a paw trim. A full-body clip on a long-haired dog is a learning exercise, and mistakes on a nervous dog are expensive. One buyer wanted more trim lengths.

• Durability reports. A buyer on Neakasa's own page described a "short" in the hose of an earlier unit before buying a second. A single anecdote, but note it.

The kit and the price

The box holds an electric clipper with 6 guard combs, a grooming brush, a dematting brush with a hidden blade, a nail grinder, a paw trimmer, a hair remover roller and a crevice tool. The clipper motor spins at 7,000 RPM. Neakasa lists the kit at $139.99, down from $199.99, with a 30-day money-back guarantee. We would plan around that return window, since a noise problem only shows up once your own dog is in front of it.

The deal is fair if it replaces a brush session that used to end with a drift of fur under the sofa. It is poor value if you want nail care or clippers to cut a whole coat without practice.

Who should buy it

Buy it for a medium to large dog that sheds heavily, whose owner is willing to desensitize it to a vacuum hum. It is best for brushing and tidy-ups, with the clippers as a bonus.

Skip it if your dog panics at household noise, if you need strong nail grinding, or if you groom a long coat that needs a proper full clip. We rate it 7.0: it does the main job well and has a noise claim you should not rely on.