Best Vacuums of

The Best Vacuum Cleaner for Every Need

If you want to free your home from allergens and dust mites, prevent mold growth and prolong the life of your carpets and floors, a good vacuum cleaner can help you do it. But with so many different brands and types of vacuum cleaners on the market today, choosing the best option can be overwhelming, to say the least. But don’t worry—we’re here to help! In this comprehensive guide to the best vacuum cleaners, we’ll help you find the best match for your space, needs and budget. So whether you have a large home with multiple levels and floor types, or a small carpeted apartment with limited outlets, we’ve got everything you need to find the best vacuum cleaner for you.

Best Vacuum by Cleaners By Type

The Best Stick Vacuums

Typically best for everyday cleaning of bare floors and low-pile rugs, stick vacuums are slim, sleek and maneuverable. They are easy to store and easy to use, and their lightweight, portable frames make them ideal for homes with multiple stories. They tend to be less expensive than upright, robotic and canister vacuums, and are available in both cordless and corded models. Here’s a look at the best options for each:

Best Cordless Stick Vacuum

It doesn’t get much more convenient than a stick vacuum that doesn’t need to be plugged in in order to operate. Cordless stick vacuums are hassle-free, versatile machines that have rechargeable batteries and enable quick and easy cleaning on every floor of your home. Users aren’t limited by the length of their cord or the availability of an outlet because once charged, they can run without being plugged in. Top considerations when choosing the best cordless stick vacuum include how much it weighs, what floor types it can clean, how long it can run once charged, its dust bin capacity, and if it converts to a handheld machine or comes with any helpful accessories.

Of the cordless stick vacuums, the Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is a top pick. It’s designed to clean both hard floors and carpet, but it also converts to a handheld machine that’s perfect for cleaning cars, stairs and upholstery. Weighing in at just 11 pounds, it’s extremely lightweight, but its whole-machine filtration is powerful enough to trap 99.99 percent of microscopic particles as small as 0.1 microns. Plus, it expels cleaner air. It includes a special de-tangling Motorbar cleaner head that can deep clean both carpets and hard floors, and includes hair removal vanes to clear long hair and pet hair from the brush bar quickly and effectively. It provides up to 40 minutes of run time, and comes with four Dyson-engineered accessories that enable even more versatile cleaning. It’s also ideal for pet owners—it includes a variety of special features designed to remove pet hair from upholstery and tight spaces.

Another great choice in this category is the HOMPANY Cordless Vacuum Cleaner. It’s a lightweight (nine pounds) stick vacuum that works on both hard floors and carpets. It is powerful enough to effectively capture 99.9 percent of tiny dust particles, and it offers up to 30 minutes at maximum suction and 60 minutes at minimum suction. It includes an LCD smart sensor panel with a user-friendly interface that you can use to easily switch the suction mode, and to check the battery power and dust cup fullness. And the dust box can be easily emptied with the push of a button. It also comes with multiple accessories to accommodate a variety of spaces and surfaces.

Best Corded Stick Vacuum

If you like the idea of a sleek and portable stick vacuum, but would prefer to have continuous power without worry of battery drain, a corded stick vacuum is the way to go. The Shark HV302 Rocket Pet Corded Stick Vacuum is a solid option. At less than nine pounds, it’s ultra lightweight, and it can be used on everything from hard floors to carpets. It has swivel steering, which means it can get to all those hard to reach spots and corners, and it converts to a hand vacuum, which is great for cleaning upholstery in your home and in your car. Pet owners will especially appreciate the powerful pet hair pickup attachments that make removing fur from flooring and furniture a breeze.

Best Handheld Vacuum

Handheld vacuums are lightweight, compact and inexpensive, making them ideal for spot, furniture and car cleaning. If that’s all you need, Black+Decker’s DustBuster CHV1410L Vacuum Cleaner will work well for you. It delivers powerful suction in a portable design.

Before you buy a handheld vacuum, though, there’s something you should keep in mind: Many stick vacuums convert to handheld vacuums. So for just a little more money, you can get a much more comprehensive cleaning solution. The Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, for example, converts to a handheld machine that’s perfect for cleaning cars, stairs and upholstery. Another consideration if you’re shopping handhelds: Upright vacuums often come with handheld devices. BISSELL’s SurfaceSense Pet Vacuum, for instance, comes with a powerful and convenient AeroSlim Hand Vac. Yes, it’s a larger investment. But if you could benefit from a whole-house cleaning solution, it may be a more practical solution. 

Best Upright Vacuum

Upright vacuums excel at deep-cleaning, are typically effective on both carpets and hard floors, and have large dustbins, keeping the manual emptying to a minimum. The BISSELL SurfaceSense Pet Vacuum with AeroSlim Hand Vac is a superior upright vacuum ideal for pet owners and non-pet owners alike. It includes a tangle-free, multi-surface brush roll with stiff bristles for cleaning carpet and soft bristles for vacuuming hard floors, enabling it to pick up everything from fine dust to larger debris across all floor types. Its intelligent technology can detect the floor type and automatically adjust the brush roll speed to optimize performance. Other notable features include its one touch emptying dirt tank and its LED headlights, which make it easy to spot hidden dirt and debris. It comes with a variety of accessories and tools, including a Quick Release Extension Wand, which make it easy to clean hard-to-reach spaces. It also comes with a handheld vacuum that is ideal for cleaning stairs, upholstered furniture and vehicle interiors.

For those in need of an upright vacuum that’s lightweight and maneuverable, provides strong suction and quiet operation, and is especially good at treating stains and odors, BISSELL’s ProHeat 2X® Revolution Pet Pro Plus Carpet Cleaner is a great choice. Not just for pet owners, it comes with three different cleaning modes; MAX Clean Mode to remove embedded dirt, stains and allergens, Deep Clean Mode for tough stains and spills, and Express Clean Mode to dry your carpets in about 30 minutes.

Best Robot Vacuum

Robotic vacuums are compact, set-it-and-forget-it devices that can maneuver under and around furniture to remove dust and grime from your floors. These vacuums add unprecedented convenience to your cleaning routine, and are a great choice for the busy crowd since they can clean while you work, play or sleep. The iRobot Roomba j7+ is a universal top pick—and with good reason. This robot vacuum contains a powerful, three-stage cleaning system with Power-Lifting Suction, an Edge-Sweeping Brush that cleans along walls and corners, and patented Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes that adjust to different floor types and don’t get tangled with pet hair. It comes with a variety of advanced features, including Imprint Smart Mapping, which allows you to control and schedule which rooms are cleaned and when; customizable “Keep Out Zones” and “Clean Zones,” which allow you to tell the unit the exact areas to avoid and clean; and automatic bin emptying. It also automatically avoids obstacles, hazards and pet accidents.

Another solid choice is the eufy Clean X8 Robot Vacuum. It’s got an ultra powerful suction, thanks to its twin-turbine technology, and can effectively remove dust, debris and pet hair from every corner of your home. It scans your space to intelligently navigate and avoid obstacles, and it can save maps for multiple floors in your home so it knows exactly where it’s cleaning. And you never have to worry if you forget to set it—you can control it from an app on your smartphone. You can select a room to clean, indicate “no-go zones,” see real-time maps, and schedule your next cleaning, all from your phone. It has received extensive positive feedback from customers, and comes highly recommended by various reputable companies, including Wired, TechRadar and Good Housekeeping, to name a few. 

Best Robot Vacuum with Mop

Robotic vacuums with mopping capabilities are a win-win for the busy crowd. They save time, energy and storage space by doubling down on two chores at once, removing dust, dirt and pet hair from your floors, while also mopping your hard floors. Some of the best hybrid robot vacuums on the market today include ECOVACS Deebot N8 Pro+ Robot Vacuum and Mop, Dreametech’s D9 Max Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo, and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum with RockDock Ultra. All of these models are powerful and thorough cleaning machines. Each is built with smart navigation and a variety of intelligent features, which result in autonomous cleaning, helping to take two chores off your list.

Best Canister Vacuum Cleaner 

Canister vacuums consist of a wheeled body that is attached to a vacuum wand and power head via a flexible plastic hose. The canister typically contains the main motor, filter and dust bags. On some models, the power head may also contain a smaller motor. The benefits of a canister vacuum over other types of vacuums are that they have a larger dirt-holding capacity, they are often more portable than upright models, and they can clean a variety of surfaces, including wood floors, carpets, stairs, upholstered furniture and even window blinds. A good canister vacuum choice is the Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction Canister Vacuum. It offers six suction settings of varying power levels, which can be adjusted depending on the type of flooring you’re cleaning, and the floorhead includes a switch that enables you to seamlessly alternate between hard floors and carpeting. It also comes with a variety of accessories that are helpful for dusting, cleaning upholstery and more.

Best Vacuum by Special Considerations

Best Vacuum for Pet Hair

You might have unconditional love for your pets, but you probably don’t have any love for the clumps of fur that collect on your carpet and couches because of them. Fortunately, there are a variety of vacuums specifically designed to remove pet fur and dander from furniture and floors. The BISSELL SurfaceSense Pet Vacuum with AeroSlim Hand Vac is an excellent choice for pet owners. It can clean dander, dirt and pet hair across all floor types. It has a tangle-free multi-surface brush roll that is designed with stiff bristles for cleaning carpet, and soft bristles for gentle cleaning on hard surfaces. It intelligently senses the floor type and automatically adjusts the brush roll speed. Its proprietary allergen system traps and locks dust and allergens while you clean; and it includes a variety of advanced features and tools, including an LED Lighted Crevice Tool for those hard to reach spots, a helpful Pet Dusting Brush and Pet TurboEraser Tool; plus a one touch, Easy Empty feature, which enables you to empty the tank with just a push of a button. It also includes a washable pre-motor filter, which can be easily removed and cleaned.

The BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus Carpet Cleaner is another solid choice for pet owners looking to combat pet fur on their floors and furniture. It is powerful enough to remove even the messiest bathroom accidents from the carpet. BISSELL’S CrossWave HydroSteam is another good option for people with pets. It’s an all-in-one cleaner that vacuums, washes and steams at the same time. It features advanced technology that is especially beneficial for people with pets, like brushes that minimize pet hair tangles and LED headlights that illuminate hair in hard to see spaces like underneath furniture and in dark corners. It also comes with a variety of cleaning formulas designed specifically to remove pet messes and hair.

As an aside, we also appreciate that BISSELL supports a variety of animal welfare organizations and provides resources to underserved communities to help reduce the number of animals in shelters and rescues.

Surface Specific Recommendations

Different floors require different vacuum features. Here’s a look at the best vacuums for specific surfaces:

Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floors

For hardwood floors, you’d be hard-pressed to find anything better than the CrossWave HydroSteam. It’s an extremely effective all-in-one multi-surface cleaner that vacuums, washes and steams simultaneously. It’s safe and effective on tile, sealed wood floors, laminate, linoleum, rubber floor mats, pressed wood floors and more. Plus, its Hard Floor Sanitize Formula eliminates 99.9 percent of bacteria.

Robot vacuums that include a mopping capability, like the ECOVACS Deebot N8 Pro+ Robot Vacuum and Mop, the Dreametech D9 Max Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo, and the Roborock S8 Pro Ultra Robot Vacuum with RockDock® Ultra, are also great choices for spaces with hard flooring since they can simultaneously vacuum and mop.

Best Vacuum for Carpet

For carpets, you can’t go wrong with the BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus Carpet Cleaner or the The BISSELL SurfaceSense Pet Vacuum with AeroSlim Hand Vac. Both include powerful suction and can handle even the toughest messes on the highest-pile carpets. For those who prefer the convenience of a robotic vacuum, the iRobot Roomba j7+ and the eufy Clean X8 Robot Vacuum have enough suction to handle most low- to medium-pile carpets, and provide a convenient and thorough clean.

Best Car Vacuum

For vehicles, handheld vacuums are a great choice. Black+Decker’s DustBuster CHV1410L Vacuum Cleaner is powerful, portable and affordable option. For those who could benefit from a more comprehensive home cleaning solution, the Dyson V8 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is a powerful unit that converts to a handheld machine perfect for cleaning cars as well as stairs and upholstery. BISSELL’s SurfaceSense Pet Vacuum comes with a handheld vacuum, and is a practical investment if you happen to also need a whole-house vacuum.