If You Only Get One Vacuum, Make It An Upright

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It’s hard to overstate the value of a good vacuum when it comes to keeping your house clean. Unless you have a small space with all hardwood (and are diligent about sweeping), a vacuum is one of the few “must-haves” when it comes to an at-home cleaning arsenal. But an ineffective vacuum is almost as bad as not having one at all: cheap models with poor suction won’t make much of a difference and just create busywork (and, okay, give you an arm workout!).

Thankfully, in recent years, the options for affordable and highly effective vacuums have increased steadily. You no longer have to spend hundreds on high-end, high-powered models. And if you’re only going to get one vacuum , it’s hard to go wrong with a corded upright vacuum cleaner. Stick vacuums, which offer amazing convenience, generally can’t provide the same level of deep clean that an upright vacuum cleaner can. And while many upright vacuums do focus on being more lightweight and maneuverable, they don’t have to have batteries or be as light as a stick model — meaning they have larger motors and additional features like roller brushes for carpets and rugs. Here are five models that won’t steer you wrong — and will keep your floors sparkling clean.

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1. Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional

Sharks’ Navigator Lift-Away Pro has been a long-time favorite of the very clean. This relatively lightweight upright model is small enough to easily carry and push from room to room, but is substantial enough to handle bigger messes. A brush roll gets deep into rugs and carpets, and a hardwood floor setting gently sucks up dirt and debris. Multiple attachments also allow you to tackle jobs like cleaning crevices and floorboards, upholstery, and blinds. The canister also lifts away from the base of the vacuum to allow you to move it with you as you clean stairs and reach for high spots.

2. Bissell CleanView Vacuum

Bissell’s CleanView Vacuum isn’t as maneuverable or lightweight as some other models, but what this lacks in those departments it makes up for in power. It digs deep into rugs and carpets to get even the dirt and debris you didn’t know was there, all at an amazing value. Attachments include a turbo brush tool that uses the same brush roll technology the vacuum uses for carpets to deep clean upholstery and stairs. Dusting and crevice tools also help reach and clean other tricky areas.

3. Eureka PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum

Eureka’s PowerSpeed vacuum has a surprising number of bells and whistles. Height adjustment allows you to manually adjust the nozzle to the optimal height for different floors and even low- and high-pile carpet. Accessories like a crevice tool are stored on the vacuum itself for easy access. And, most importantly, the powerful motor does a great job of cleaning floors of all kinds.

4. Shark Rotator TruePet Vacuum

Shark’s TruePet vacuum has many of the same features as the Navigator Pro: it maneuvers easily with a pivoting head and can be lifted away for cleaning hard-to-reach places. But it also has extras for the pet owner, especially one battling pet hair. A HEPA filter also helps seal in allergens once it’s cleaned. Not only can the canister be removed, but once it’s taken off, the motorized head can still be used as a stick vacuum/upright hybrid, allowing you to get the same brush roll deep clean under couches as you do on open rugs. Attachments also feature motorized heads designed to lift away pet hair from upholstery.

5. Bissell Cleanview Swivel Pet Vacuum

Another vacuum with attachments designed for pets, Bissell’s Cleanview pet vacuum has a “turbo eraser” head that can be used to really dig into carpet and upholstery to suck up pet hair. The powerful suction is also designed to keep going even as it tackles hairy messes. Swivel steering also helps with maneuverability.