11 Best Vacuum Cleaners That Will Leave Your Home Spotless
Fact: The right vacuum makes house cleaning faster, more efficient and tons more satisfying. We’ve narrowed the endless list of models down to the 11 best vacuum cleaners to fit your preferences and needs, because the wrong vacuum can be like the wrong housemate—it might be okay, but you just know there’s another choice out there somewhere that would make you happier.
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How to Choose the Best Vacuum Cleaner
With the number of options, accessories and styles available, where do you even begin? It’s simple: Work backwards from your needs. Consider each of these aspects:
Weight: While a heavyweight upright might be as durable as a tank, it’s going to be less appealing if you have to carry it up flights of stairs every time you use it.
Size: Are you petite? Or perhaps you want to persuade your petite 8-year-old that vacuuming is fun? If so, a smaller model might be for you.
Controls: Does your home have various types of flooring, thick pile carpeting and indoor-outdoor matting? It helps to have an adjustable model that can accommodate each of these surfaces.
Accessories: Pet fur really accumulates on upholstery, doesn’t it? And the baseboards collect so much dust. Speaking of, how do you reach those hanging dust bunnies high up on the walls? All these issues are easy to address with the right accessories.
Battery life: Vacuuming out the car or garage? You want long-lasting power, so you don’t need to recharge midway.
Ease of cleaning: Simply put, do you want a vacuum that glides along or one that needs heavy pushing?
Warranty: Want to protect your investment? A brand’s warranty is an indicator of whether you’ll wind up paying more in the long run with expensive repairs.
Best Vacuum Cleaners
Top Pick: Eureka Upright Vacuum Cleaner
Top Pick, Small: Bissell Featherweight Stick Lightweight Bagless
Best Brand Accessories: Oreck Commercial XL Pro 5 Super Compact
Easiest To Maneuver: Inse Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Best Lightweight: Dreame T20 Cordless Stick Vacuum by Dreametech
6. Best Coverage: Miele Classic C1 Turbo
Best for Pet Hair: Dyson V11 Torque
Most Portable: Black+Decker Vacuum Cleaner
Most Compact: Dirt Devil Vacuum Cleaner
Best Value: Bissell Cleanview Upright Bagless
Best Robot: Irobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum
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1. Eureka Upright Vacuum Cleaner
Top Pick
Pros:
Works well for suctioning pet hair
Small enough to store in narrow closets
Cons:
Plastic parts might prove less durable
You’ve got to love a full-size vacuum that weighs only 7.7 pounds like this model. It includes a washable filter and bagless design, which we approve of for its eco- and budget-friendliness. The crevice tool and dusting brush that come with the vacuum add versatility, and it’s got a powerful six-amp motor.
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2. Bissell Featherweight Stick Lightweight Bagless
Top Pick, Small
Pros:
Easy storage
Converts to a hand vacuum
Con:
Filter is fragile
The innovative design of this 3.84-pound vacuum is the main draw here: It seamlessly converts from a long-handled floor vacuum to a medium-handled stair vacuum to a hand-held dust buster style machine. The bagless style means you never have to buy more bags, and the crevice tool and nozzle allow you to reach every corner of the house, from the tops of gathered drapes to that dusty floorboard.
3. ORECK COMMERCIAL XL Pro 5 Super Compact
Pros:
Picks up dog hair in one pass
Lightweight
Con:
Five-foot hose might not be long enough for some users
At less than five pounds, this canister-style vacuum is easy to carry from room to room using the handle or shoulder strap. Upholstery lovers will appreciate the many accessories in the pack, which includes a telescopic wand, an upholstery tool, a dusting brush, a crevice tool, a universal adaptor, and a detachable accessory caddy. And the floor cleaning nozzle has hard floor and carpet settings, so you can customize it from area rugs to hardwood floors.
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4. INSE Cordless Vacuum
Easiest to Maneuver
Pros:
Sleek, modern design
HEPA filter
Con:
Shorter battery life
The Inse vacuum cleaner is easy to empty and convenient to clean. It converts from a stick vacuum to a handheld vacuum in seconds, and it’s lightweight enough for floor-to-ceiling cleaning. The motorized brush head picks up pet hair thoroughly on the first pass. And, bonus: the 65 decibel sound of the machine is way quieter than most vacuums.
5. Dreame T20 Cordless Stick Vacuum by Dreametech
Best Lightweight
Pros:
Long-lasting battery
Tangle-resistant roller design
Con:
Pricey
For a vacuum under four pounds, this model does so much. With 1200 air watts, it’s got a suction force beyond most vacuums and it switches between four levels so you can easily sweep your hardwood and your flokati with just a push of a button. The Dreame also comes with multiple brush attachments so you never have to, say, worry about goldfish cracker residue between the seats ever again. Plus, there’s a one-year warranty.
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6. Miele Classic C1 Turbo
Best Coverage
Pros:
Cleaning reach of 29.5 feet
Sturdy handle
Con:
• 12.9 pound weight may discourage some users
This German engineered machine is known for its sturdiness and impressive suction, thanks to its 1,200-watt motor. And the cleanliness extends beyond just exterior surfaces; the AirClean exhaust filter leaves the air in whichever room you’re vacuuming cleaner than when you started. Additionally, the brand’s specially designed bags clip shut when you remove them, so there’s no chance of accidentally re-contaminating your room with the dust you’ve just vacuumed up.
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7. DYSON V11 ANIMAL CORDLESS VACUUM CLEANER
Best for Pet Hair
Pros:
Cord-free
Lightweight design can be converted into handheld device
MAX mode captures deep-down dirt
Con:
Battery replacement requires tools
No one knows the joys of a great vacuum quite like someone with a dog. As one of our dog mom editors explains: “Even if you don’t have a pet, a vacuum specifically made to sweep up pet hair cleans like nothing else. My dog’s fur nestles into all fabric surfaces like tiny needles, but this vacuum has been my saving grace. I use it on my rugs, hardwood floors, couch and even his dog bed—really, wherever I want, because the vacuum is cordless. I love that it can be converted from a regular vacuum into a mini handheld version with a click, cutting my cleaning time down dramatically.”
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8. BLACK+DECKER Dustbuster Handheld Vacuum ION
Most Portable
Pros:
• Lightweight
• Large bowl capacity
Con:
• Slow charging speed
There’s no better handheld device to keep those far-flung places tidy, from the car to the boat to the camper. At just over two pounds, your arm won’t get tired swiping this over seat cushions and you can use the attached nozzle to tackle tiny nooks and crannies.
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9. Dirt Devil Vacuum Cleaner
Most Compact
Pro:
• Attractive design
Con:
• Needs a power source nearby
This petite powerhouse delivers quite a lot of suction for its small size, thanks to the high-torque output of the plug-in motor. The Dirt Devil is a great option for a dorm room or a mud room where you keep the cat box, since it can easily be stored in a cubby.
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10. BISSELL CLEANVIEW UPRIGHT BAGLESS VACUUM CLEANER
Best Value
Pros:
Powerful suction cleans in one pass
Washable filter helps reduce household dust and allergens
TurboBrush tool cleans upholstery
Con:
Upright design might be hard to maneuver
Maybe you want a vacuum that works well without costing more than $500—or maybe you need something lightweight that you can easily carry up and down the stairs? Bissell’s Cleanview model is perfect for both scenarios. It’s super lightweight and has powerful suction with OnePass Technology, so you don’t have to re-vacuum the same spot multiple times. It also prevents dust and dirt particles from blowing back into the air through the vacuum motor, keeping allergies at bay. What we love most is the detachable hose and the multiple tools it comes with for cleaning upholstery, dusting and getting into crevices (like between couch cushions or under baseboards). Best money we’ve ever spent.
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11. IROBOT ROOMBA 675 ROBOT VACUUM WITH WI-FI CONNECTIVITY
Best Robot
Pros:
Three-stage cleaning system picks up dust and small particles
Intelligent sensors guide vacuum under and around furniture
Runs for up to 90 minutes before automatically docking and recharging
Cons:
Can’t detect smudges on hard wood floors (like human eyes can)
Imagine binging Netflix and asking your Amazon Alexa to vacuum your house for a full 90 minutes. Luxury. But it’s actually a reality with this robotic vacuum. Thanks to Wi-Fi capabilities, the iRobot Roomba connects with Alexa and Google Assistant so all you have to do is say the word and it will start cleaning. It sweeps up everything from pet hair to large particles (think: rogue Cheerios under the table), and its smart sensors guide it under and around furniture so it never gets stuck. Plus, its edge-sweeping brushes are specifically designed at a 27-degree angle to sweep debris away from those hard-to-reach corners. We frankly can’t put a price on never having to physically vacuum again.
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