Our Best Budget Canister Vacuum Is Under $100 on Amazon

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We carefully reviewed this article in April 2023 to ensure the featured products vetted and tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute were available and correctly priced. We stand by our picks.

If your home has a mix of bare floors and carpeting, lots of stairs or you're a fan of using your vacuum cleaner and its attachments to nab dust and dirt from places above the floor (like upholstered furniture, window blinds and lamp shades), then a canister vacuum is your best choice.

Both canisters and uprights clean well, but canister vacuums excel for their versatility and flexibility, thanks to the distribution of weight between the canister and powerhead. And honestly, with a bare floor brush attached, canister vacs do the best job cleaning wood, tile and other hard floors along with low pile and looped carpets and area rugs. Plus, they are easy to carry with two hands. The picks below are winners from recent tests, new versions of models we've previously tested or are from brands that have historically performed well in our tests.

The Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab has tested a wide array of vacuum models over the years — stick vacuums, HEPA vacuums, robot vacuums, vacuums for pet hair and so much more. For each model, we use industry-standard ASTM International tests and special test equipment to assess how well it picks up debris. We embed dirt and spread simulated pet hair into carpets and bare floors. Suction power at the end of the hose is measured to help evaluate the performance of attachments like crevice tools. We also consider how effective each vacuum is at trapping allergens, and test how easy it is to maneuver across various flooring types and around obstacles. We even look at how intuitive the controls are, how heavy each vacuum is to lift, how simple it is to change bags, empty dust bins and clean filters and any other special features it might have.

Our top picks:

You can read more about how we evaluate canister vacuums in our Lab and with consumer testers — plus everything you need to know to find the right canister vacuum for your home— at the end of this guide. If you're looking for a vacuum to clean up small messes or want a vacuum that also mops or a vacuum for your car, check out our guides to the best handheld vacuums, best vacuum mops and best car vacuums.

Miele’s vacuums continually win us over in our cleaning tests for their outstanding performance and innovative design features, and this Good Housekeeping Seal star is no exception. Because the dense tufts of super soft or plush carpets often make pushing a vacuum more difficult, the Miele Complete C3 comes with a power nozzle that adjusts the brush roll to different levels. In our tests, we found it made plowing through plush pile carpets easier. Plus, it includes an assortment of attachments and multiple suction levels to tackle a wide variety of cleaning tasks. Many vacuums leak dust back into the air through cracks and crevices in the body, and some bagless models can be messy to empty and create a cloud of dust, both of which can trigger sneezing. This Miele addresses both those issues. It uses a self-sealing high-filtration bag to capture the dust. All you do is throw it away once it's full. And the entire vacuum is sealed to eliminate leaking along with a HEPA AirClean filter on the exhaust that keeps 99.99% of fine dust and allergens from being released back into the air. In our tests, Miele vacuums do the best job of both picking up dust and dirt and keeping particles inside the vacuum. That's why they are our top recommendation for allergy sufferers.

Apartment dwellers and college students often don’t have the space for a full-size canister vacuum, but this budget-friendly vacuum is a lightweight and compact machine that doesn’t lack power. We love that it weighs less than 9 pounds making it light enough to tote around effortlessly and is small enough for easy storage. It’s racked up a 4.5-star rating from over 8,700 reviewers on Amazon who praise it for being easy to carry up and down the stairs and for including two wand attachments that have excellent pick-up in tough-to-reach places. This model did well in our tests and has been part of the Eureka line for many years, so it must be doing something right. It’s best for quick clean-up jobs on bare floors or smooth surfaces and comes with a blower port for blowing leaves or debris in the garage. While it can likely pick up lint or hair on a carpet's surface, don't expect it to deep clean because it lacks a rotating brush.

Nothing's more frustrating than having to stop mid-job to unplug your vacuum because it can't reach all the way under the bed, behind the sofa or wherever you want to clean. But, with this Bissell bagless canister model, even the most distant dust bunnies won't escape you. It's got a 30-foot cord, a 6.5-foot hose and a telescoping extension wand that together provide a 40-foot cleaning radius. Three suction speeds, a multi-floor cleaning nozzle and an additional dusting brush built onto the handle mean you can go from bare floors to area rugs and upholstery to draperies without missing a beat. While we haven't tested this model yet, Bissell upright vacuums have done well in our testing

RELATED: 8 Best Bissell Vacuums, According to Cleaning Experts

Our Lab experts were wowed by this vacuum's pick-up performance and high-end features, which is no surprise since Miele consistently performs well in our tests. The Boost CX1 Parquet showed no signs of pushing debris forward instead of suctioning, which is a common complaint with other vacuum models. This helped it win a spot in our 2022 Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning & Organizing Awards. In our tests, it picked up dry oats with ease. It has a HEPA filter, cord rewind, parquet floor brush tool and extendable wand, all in a compact canister about the size of a small cooler. We love the large, easy-to-empty dust bin, and the jumbo wheels allow it to maneuver smoothly. The universal floor head makes it easy to go from low carpet to hardwood floors with a flip of one switch so there's no need to change attachments. It does lack a rotating brush for removing embedded dirt from deep pile carpets. But if you want to give your hardwood floors an extra thorough cleaning it does comes with a large oval parquet floor brush to safely clean the cracks and crevices.

The Oreck weighs just 5.5 pounds (the lightest of our picks) and is more portable than the traditional canister, making it great for smaller jobs. We like that it comes with a shoulder strap and a telescoping extension wand for more easily nabbing dust in hard-to-reach and high-up places like window frames, ceiling fans and light fixtures. There's also a 20-foot cord so you don’t have to worry if your messes (such as spills in the car) aren’t close to an outlet. While it can't deep clean pile carpets, we tested it many years ago when it came packaged along with an Oreck upright and we were impressed with its pick-up on hard floors, flat carpets and area rugs. It uses a bag to contain the dust that meets HEPA filtration standards, is backed by a three-year limited warranty and can double as a blower to clean debris from the garage, workshop or patio.

This Kenmore vacuum is as versatile as it is powerful. It has a mini motorized brush tool that nabs pet hair from upholstered furniture and carpets, and it can be stored along with the other accessories right on the vacuum. The disposable dust bag and sealed system keep unwanted debris from escaping and its HEPA filter on the exhaust makes it an excellent choice for those with pets or allergies. Along with acing our floor-cleaning tests, our experts found the controls easy to use and maneuvering was a breeze thanks to the big wheels. We loved that the floor brush can be easily attached hands-free with a press of a button. Our experts were so impressed with this vacuum that it earned one of our most recent 2022 Cleaning and Organizing Awards.

Vacuuming doesn't happen only inside your home. The basement, garage, deck and other outdoor areas need attention too — not to mention the occasional leaky pipe or backed-up drain that must be cleaned. A wet/dry utility vacuum is the solution in these instances. It can pick up large and fine debris like leaves and sawdust, and even wet messes and water that can destroy a traditional vacuum cleaner. Unlike other wet/dry utility vacs, Hoover's ONEPWR is cordless and runs off a rechargeable battery, so you're not tied to an outlet and have unlimited reach. Also unique are its large wheels and low horizontal design for more stability and less tipping. The tools and wands store directly on the vacuum, and the bin has a capacity of 6 gallons. We tested this model as part of our recent roundup of best shop vacuums and it garnered our best value spot. Though it wasn't as durable or fully-featured as others we tested, its pick-up performance was impressive and its compact design made storage easy. Hoover vacuums of all shapes and sizes always do well in our tests and this vacuum works with the same interchangeable battery found on other products in the Hoover ONEPWR line, like the handheld vacuum and leaf blower.

If you’re looking for a corded canister vacuum that will work on heavy-duty dry and wet messes in your home, garage and workshop, look no further. This Dewalt is ideal for indoor and outdoor use, easily picking up heavy debris and water in our tests. And the included attachments for hard-to-reach crevices and floors make it perfect for cleaning jobs, like sucking up wet spills, in your home, too. With swivel wheels, a 7-foot hose and a 10-foot cord, it is impressively maneuverable in spaces of all sizes. Per the manufacturer, its two-stage motor makes this vacuum up to 50% quieter than previous models. And while our GH Cleaning Lab considered it noticeably quieter than other models we have used, our Home Improvement and Outdoor Lab pros thought it was a bit louder than other models they were testing for their review of best shop vacuums.

How we test canister vacuums

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, vacuum cleaners are a major product review category: We're constantly getting new models for testing, and as a member of ASTM International's F11 Vacuum Cleaner Committee, we meet and interact twice yearly with engineers and technical representatives from all brands to help develop and shape the vacuum cleaner test standards we all use to assess performance, ease of use, durability and more. All vacuums are tested exactly the same way for more accurate performance comparisons, and our tests are based on the ASTM International industry standard test methods.

With a custom-built, automated machine that makes the same number of passes over the same test carpeting (pictured below), we objectively measure how well each vacuum removes dirt deeply embedded into a medium-pile carpet. This test is run three times with each vacuum so in our last review of 40 vacuums we did 120 runs for this test alone! We even have a separate machine to clean the carpets between test runs so one result won't influence the next.

We look at how well the vacuums remove large and small debris like gritty sand, dried orzo pasta and more from vinyl flooring. We also test how well they clean along edges and how much suction they draw through the tools.

We use industry-standard rayon fibers to simulate pet hair that we evenly spread in six separate locations on a carpet’s surface to see how well each machine cleans it up. We count the strokes needed by each vacuum to completely remove the fuzzy fibers. Each vacuum is tested three times.

In addition to performance testing, we test for ease of use of each vacuum cleaner. This testing includes evaluating maneuverability, battery run-time for cordless vacuum cleaners, the ease of the controls and how simple it is to empty and clean the dust cup or to change the bag. We also factor in the weight of each model. All special features and claims are assessed, and we even give the owner's manual a grade for clarity. Because maneuverability can be different from one consumer to the next, we have 10 consumer testers rate each vacuum’s maneuverability by running them on a bare floor, carpet, around corners and under furniture. They rate the ease of removing the dust cups or bags and the ease of operating the vacuums’ controls. For sound measurements, we work with Quiet Mark, an independent global sound certification program, to objectively determine the loudness of each model and any other features like battery charge indicators, brush roll control buttons and other tools and accessories are noted and tested too.

How to find the right canister vacuum for your home

There is no universal canister vacuum that will be perfect for everyone, but with so many models on the market, it is possible to find the perfect one for you. Consider the factors below when choosing a canister vacuum.

✔️ Bagged or bagless: While both bagged and bagless canister vacuums can be great at vacuuming up messes, there is one thing that sets them apart. Bagged canister vacuums are generally much easier to clean. When you finish using them, you simply remove and dispose of the used dust bag. You will need to continually purchase bags, and prices for these vary greatly across different brands. Bagless canister vacuums feature a dust cup with a filter that needs to be emptied and cleaned after each use. While you won’t have to purchase dust bags, you will have to periodically clean or replace the filter to maintain proper cleaning power, and emptying the dust cup can get messy. The dust cloud that some emit may also be bothersome to allergy sufferers.

✔️ Space: If you know you’ll be using your vacuum to clean your stairs, a lightweight canister vacuum or one with an extra-long hose and cord is your best option. For bigger homes, a longer cord or a cordless vacuum may allow you to better clean your home without having to connect to different outlets. Note that cordless canister vacuums will give you more flexibility but will offer you much shorter runtimes than corded models. Alternatively, for smaller homes or apartments, cordless vacuums are a great option because the runtime isn’t as important. Of course, smaller, portable models will be much easier to store.

✔️ Attachments: Attachments can often make or break your decision about which model to purchase. Most models come with a dusting brush, upholstery tool and a crevice attachment to clean hard-to-reach areas of your home, but equally important is a powerhead attachment that will allow you to deep clean carpets and rugs more efficiently. If you only have bare floors or very flat rugs in your home, a universal floor head or bare floor brush will clean both. If you have medium- or deep-pile carpets, spring for the motorized powerhead with a rotating brush. Car attachments are also great to have.

Other products we tested

This Good Housekeeping Seal star was created especially for cleaning up after cats and dogs. The powerful vacuum comes equipped with an Active AirClean Filter to help neutralize any lingering pet odors, so it's great for trapping and locking that dreaded "dog smell." It also comes with a Flexible Handheld Mini Turbo Brush attachment for cleaning upholstery, stairs and other tight spaces that are prone to collecting pet hair, dirt and more. Because it's part of Miele's more basic "Classic" line, and though it's still a solid pick, this model doesn't come with a HEPA filter. We wish it did, which is why we chose Miele's Complete C3 Kona model as our Best Overall Canister. And this one includes a small version of Miele's large parquet floor brush.

Why trust Good Housekeeping?

Carolyn Forté has been testing, speaking and writing about cleaning and home appliances at Good Housekeeping for more than 40 years. She has tested and reviewed hundreds of vacuum cleaners, carpet and hardwood floor cleaners, mops and many other cleaning products as the executive director of the Home Care and Cleaning Lab, she oversees all testing and has recently tested handheld, stick, upright and canister vacuums that were submitted for consideration in the most recent Cleaning and Organizing Awards. She is an active member of the ASTM Committee on vacuum cleaners and chairman of the consumer information sub-committee.

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