The 7 Best Vacuums for Hardwood Floors of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
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Our winner was the Dyson Omni-Glide+
People / Henry Wortock
Sometimes sweeping just won’t do the trick. If keeping your hardwood floors clean feels like a daunting chore, a cordless vacuum safe for hardwood may be a great solution for you. “I love using cordless vacuums because I’m able to reach all areas of the home, they are easy to take apart to access stairs, mattresses, and furniture, and they are quicker and easier to use,” Airbnb cleaning specialist Whitney White tells us.
Maintaining hardwood floors can be tricky, so we headed into the lab to help you decide which cordless hardwood floor vacuum would be right for you. White shares, “When looking for a vacuum for hardwood floors, I look for great suction, a great swivel range, and a light weight.” We tested 16 cordless vacuums for hardwood floors with these factors in mind, as well as battery runtime, noise level, weight, ease of emptying, maneuverability, and, most importantly, cleaning effectiveness to see which cleaned our floors the best.
Below are the best cordless vacuums for hardwood floors that won our PEOPLE Tested stamp of approval.
Best Overall: Dyson Omni-Glide Cordless Vacuum
Pros
It has a special multi-directional, no-scratch glide head.
This vacuum had great maneuverability.
It worked effectively even with a full dust canister.
Cons
It's only suitable for hardwood floors.
If you’re looking for a light, maneuverable vacuum for quick messes on hardwood floors, the Dyson Omni-Glide+ is the best vacuum on the market. This vacuum is unique — and great for hardwood floors — because of its special glide head designed for maneuvering around difficult spaces and seamlessly gliding across the wood.
Instead of a brush roll, the head uses “Double Fluffy™" technology to trap debris as it comes in contact with the head and forces it towards the suction tube, so it’s unable to scatter. And that double-sided fluff means that you can glide in any direction and the Dyson will pick everything up.
Even though the dust canister reached its suggested max fill line in a pretty short amount of time, we were pleased to find that the vacuum kept working at full capacity anyway, and we were able to finish the task at hand with no issue before emptying.
All in all, the Dyson Omni-Glide+ was great at picking up debris on hard floors, but take note: This Dyson is designed specifically for hardwood floors, so don’t expect to use it on other surfaces.
Weight: 4.19 pounds | Battery Runtime: 20 minutes | Suction Power: 50 AW | Capacity: 0.2 liters
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Best Budget: Bissell 3061 Featherweight Cordless Stick Vacuum
Pros
The assembly was extremely easy.
It was particularly good at vacuuming up hair.
It maneuvers well and is easy to empty.
Cons
This vacuum took a little longer than others to pick up all the debris.
If you’re looking for a vacuum that will get the job done without a hefty price tag, this Bissell may be the best choice for you. We loved that this vacuum performed nearly just as well as all our other winners but for less than half the price in some cases.
This vacuum picked up almost all of our scattered debris in under a minute — it just left a few un-popped popcorn kernels behind. And was great at picking up hair, taking less than 20 seconds to pick it up in all four of our tests.
This vacuum was easy to assemble, easy to maneuver, easy to empty, and effectively picked up most debris. It just doesn’t come with some of the fancier bells and whistles that other vacuums do, like the LG CordZero™ Kompressor® Universal Power ThinQ Stick Vacuum, which has more attachments, a dock, and on-unit attachment storage.
Weight: 5.8 pounds | Battery Runtime: 20 minutes | Suction Power: Not listed | Capacity: Not listed
People / Henry Wortock
Best Multi-Surface: Belife V12 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
Pros
The dust bin empties easily.
The battery lasts up to 45 minutes on a single charge.
It transitions across different surfaces with ease.
Cons
The motorized brush attachment did not perform well.
If you’re looking for a cordless stick vacuum that’ll be great on both your hardwood floors and your carpeting, this is a great option. This vacuum (which looks very similar to a Dyson) picked up debris and hair off of hardwood, tile, and carpet with ease, and whatever was left after the first once-over came up right away when we went over it again. Even though the motorized brush attachment wasn’t our favorite because hair got caught in its bristles, we were very happy with the regular roller. We also loved that we could transition between the different surfaces with ease, as the vacuum continued to pick up debris even when the head was straddling surfaces.
It was great that we were able to do the whole test on the low setting (of 3), which helped preserve battery life and was a bit quieter (though the battery lasts 45 minutes on a single charge, which is quite impressive compared to the other vacuums we tested).
Finally, when it came to emptying the dispenser, we loved that this could be done with one hand for fast and easy clean-up.
Weight: 5.25 pounds | Battery Runtime: 45 minutes | Suction Power: 22 kPa | Capacity: 0.7 liters
People / Henry Wortock
Related: The 12 Best Vacuum Cleaners of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
Best Battery Life: Black+Decker PowerSeries Extreme Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner
Pros
It has strong, high-power suction.
It was easy to maneuver.
It works well on multiple surfaces.
Cons
It was hard to snap the dust canister back into place.
Perhaps the most notable element of this Black + Decker vacuum was its exceptional battery life. We didn’t have to charge this battery throughout our testing and were impressed that when we'd finished, the battery life indicator was still showing 3 out of 3 bars. This battery is also special because it’s interchangeable with other 20V Black + Decker tools — and comes with a mountable charger that allows you to charge the battery by itself or in the vacuum.
Plus, this Black and Decker could hold its charge even considering its incredibly high suction power — which was so high it pulled up our test carpet! If you’re looking for a vacuum that’ll get you through big messes, this one would be a great choice. It works well on multiple surfaces, including tile, carpet, and hardwood floors. It was also great with maneuverability, angling around awkward shapes with ease. The only difficulty with this vacuum was snapping the dust bin back into place after emptying it. Otherwise, this vacuum performed incredibly well at a fraction of the cost of the more expensive models we tested.
Weight: 6 pounds | Battery Runtime: 55 minutes | Suction Power: Not listed | Capacity: 0.65 liters
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Best Attachments: Innova Cordless Stick Multi-Surface Vacuum
Pros
It has specific hardwood and carpet settings.
The roller brush did not accumulate hair.
It was easy to maneuver, and the battery lasts a long time.
Cons
It is slightly heavier than other models.
It did not perform as efficiently on carpet as it did on hardwood floors.
Our favorite thing about this vacuum was what came with it in the box. Included were a motorized anti-tangle pet tool attachment, an angled crevice tool, a 2-in-1 crevice tool and brush, and a portable charging dock. The motorized pet tool and the regular roller brush really impressed us because, while they picked up hair with ease, when we turned them over to check the damage, remarkably, there was no hair stuck in the rollers.
We also loved that it had two settings (hardwood and carpet) and that each offered low, medium, and high suction power. We had a little bit of trouble picking up all the debris on the carpet within a minute, but everything was picked up with ease on hardwood. It was easy to maneuver, and we were pleased to see the battery indicator was still showing seven percent by the end of our tests. It was one of the heavier models that we tested, coming in at just under eight pounds, but what it came with made it worth the extra weight.
Weight: 7.8 pounds | Battery Runtime: 60 minutes | Suction Power: Not listed | Capacity: 1 liter
People / Henry Wortock
Related: The 11 Best Handheld Vacuums and Dustbusters of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
Best for Pet Hair: Samsung Jet 75 Cordless Stick Vacuum
Pros
It was easy to clean hair out of the roller.
It has three suction levels.
It includes a HEPA filter.
Cons
We wish it included more attachments for the price.
Pet owners looking for an effective pet hair vacuum: this Samsung Jet 75 may be the one for you. If your primary concern is hair — human or pet — then this vacuum for hardwood floors is an excellent choice. We had no trouble picking up hair on all four of our surfaces, and even though some of it got caught up in the roller brush, we loved that the roller was super easy to remove from the head, which made it really easy to clean. We also found that it picked up regular debris just as well. It also includes a HEPA filter, and as for cleaning out the dust bin, this was one of the easiest to empty, with all of the debris falling out with just one shake.
With the head measuring only 2.5 inches tall, we found that this vacuum was great for maneuvering in tight spaces, around sharp corners, and under raised sofas. We felt this vacuum was great for a cordless version, its functionality falling somewhere between the average cordless and a powerful upright.
Being a cordless stick vacuum, though, we did feel that it was a little expensive and wished that it came with more attachments, an extra battery, or had on-unit attachment storage for the higher price tag.
Weight: 6 pounds | Battery Runtime: 60 minutes | Suction Power: 200 AW | Capacity: 0.8 liters
People / Henry Wortock
Easiest to Maneuver: LG CordZero Kompressor Universal Power ThinQ Stick Vacuum
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Pros
The telescoping wand adjusts for different user heights.
It has a portable charging dock.
It includes two batteries.
Cons
It was a bit difficult emptying the dustbin.
The Dyson Omni-Glide is great for maneuverability because it can glide around hard floors, and the Belife V12 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is great because it easily transitions between surfaces, but what made this LG model stand out was its telescoping wand: It adjusts to any height, allowing each user to customize to their height preference (so no more hunching over or feeling like the vacuum handle is hitting at an awkward level).
We also loved that it came with two batteries and a portable charging dock; this made it easy to throw it on the charger in between tests. Although it was a little hard to get all the debris out of the dust bin, we did love that it had a compressor lever that allowed us to really utilize that one-liter capacity.
Overall, we loved this vacuum’s mobility, and even though it’s a bit pricey, you certainly get what you pay for.
Weight: 5.95 pounds | Battery Runtime: 120 minutes (two batteries) | Suction Power: 370 W | Capacity: 1 liter
Related: The 8 Best Dyson Vacuums of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
Things to Consider Before Buying a Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Battery Life
Since all of the vacuums we recommend for hardwood floors are cordless stick vacuums, it's important to consider the battery life. The best part of cordless vacuums (a.k.a. not having a cord) can quickly turn into their weakest attribute if the battery life doesn’t hold up. Take into account the battery life of each vacuum when weighing your options, and that includes both battery hold time and charge time. We found that most cordless vacuums hold their charge for about 15 minutes on high or around 30 minutes on low. (One of our favorite things about the LG CordZero™ Kompressor® Universal Power ThinQ Stick Vacuum was that it came with an extra battery and a portable charging dock.)
Attachments
When using a vacuum to clean hardwood floors, it’s important to keep in mind the kind of head you’ll be using to pick up your debris. This can be a stiff brush roll, just a hole/open air, or, our favorite, a glide head, like our best overall, the Dyson Omni-Glide+, which makes it really easy to maneuver across hard flooring. When choosing a vacuum for hardwood floors, it’s essential to consider what kinds of messes you’re expecting to be cleaning up. Are you just doing a quick once-over before you mop or are you going to use this vacuum to deep clean? Additionally, make sure you have the attachments you need to clean up everyday messes.
Price
Cordless vacuums for hardwood floors can range in price by a pretty big amount — the lowest on our winners’ list is only $115, with the highest at $599. If you want the best of the best, one of the two in the $500 range, the Dyson Omni-Glide+ and the LG CordZero™ Kompressor® Universal Power ThinQ Stick Vacuum are probably your best bet. If you just need something that’ll safely pick up debris without scratching up your hardwood floors, the Bissell 3601 Featherweight would be an excellent choice.
When to Buy
Every year when we finally bid adieu to winter, we wake up from our long winter’s nap and are ready to clear out the dust. Merchants try to take advantage of this seasonal enthusiasm for cleaning when spring-cleaning season hits, so vacuums in general, including vacuums for hardwood floors, tend to go on sale around springtime. If you’re looking to get the best deal on a new vacuum for hardwood floors, look out for sales popping up between the months of March and May.
People / Henry Wortock
Related: We've Tested Hundreds of Cleaning Products — Here Are the 10 You Need for Spring
How We Tested
Our team of testers did a ton of mess-making and cleaning to figure out which vacuums for hardwood floors would make our readers the happiest. We rigorously tested 16 cordless vacuums for hardwood floors and checked battery runtime, noise level, weight, ease of emptying, maneuverability, and, most importantly, cleaning effectiveness.
Cleaning Effectiveness: We put each vacuum through the paces, making different kinds of messes and testing how easily and quickly each vacuum picked them up in different spaces and on different surfaces. To test cleaning effectiveness, we scattered hair and kitchen debris (like coffee grounds, cereal, and popcorn kernels) across hardwood, grouted tile, medium-pile carpet, and high-pile carpet. We then measured how long it took to clean up the whole mess — or if the vacuum couldn’t do it at all.
Maneuverability: To test maneuverability, we scattered debris on a carpet in a living room full of furniture, and measured how long it took to clean around the various awkward shapes. This allowed us to simulate cleaning under couches, around lamps, against bookshelves, and onto and off area rugs.
Portability: To test portability, we scattered shredded cotton balls on hard-to-reach shelves and other debris in the folds of upholstered chairs. Cleaning these messes allowed us to see how effective the handheld attachments were, and how easy the handheld parts of the vacuums were to carry.
Battery Life: We also measured how long it took for each vacuum’s battery to charge and die, the decibel level on each vacuum’s settings, how quick and easy each vacuum was to empty, as well as each vacuum’s weight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it better to sweep or vacuum hardwood floors?
Because a lot of vacuums often have hard brush attachments, many folks believe vacuuming your hardwood floor will scratch it and leave marks. While this can be true, it depends on the hardness of both your floor and your vacuum’s brush attachments. If your floors are made up of harder wood, like rosewood, acacia, or mahogany, you’re probably better off than if your floor is made up of a softer one – like Douglas fir or southern yellow pine (you can use the Janka Hardness Rating to judge if you think your floor will be safe.).
Our favorite vacuum for hardwood floors, the Dyson Omni-Glide+, is covered in smooth nylon, making it able to glide across hardwood floors without scratching.
Is there a vacuum just for hardwood floors?
Most vacuums are capable of cleaning on any surface, but some are specifically tailored to working on hardwood. Hard brush rolls work well on carpets because they can pull out that debris from deep in the pile, but on hardwood, they can scatter the debris faster than the vacuum can lift it, and they might scratch your floor.
Some of the models we tested were particularly effective vacuums for hardwood floors, like the Belife V12 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner and the Eureka/Innova Cordless Stick Multi-Surface Vacuum with Whirlwind® Anti-Tangle Brushroll NEC700. Our winner, the Dyson Omni-Glide+, was designed for hardwood floors specifically, and that’s part of what makes it our favorite.
How do professionals clean hardwood floors?
For routine maintenance of hardwood floors, Airbnb cleaning specialist Whitney White tells us the safest and best way to keep the floors clean is mopping with warm water and a spin brush. Before getting the mop out, though, she likes to quickly vacuum or sweep up scattered debris so she can get down to the nitty-gritty with the mop.
Why Trust PEOPLE?
Elizabeth Marino is a freelance commerce writer who focuses on home products. To compile this article, she consulted our testers for their experiences with a range of vacuums, considering such details as battery life, attachments, and price. While researching vacuums for hardwood floors, we spoke with Airbnb cleaning specialist Whitney White.
Meet Our Expert
Whitney White is an Airbnb cleaning specialist.
What Is People Tested?
We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.
But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.
In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.
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