The best vacuum cleaner will suck up dirt and debris in no time and be powerful enough to make light work of tough tasks. Not only should they keep your floors spotless, but be easy to use and carry around the home. However, with so many different types of the market, it can be tricky to know which one is right for your home.
We've called in and spent months putting dozens of vacuum cleaners to the test — so you don't have to. First, we rated power and those with the strongest debris pick-up and smart features. Our overall winner was the Shark Rotator Pet, which was powerful enough to pick-up debris of all sizes. We were impressed by its solid cleaning and performance across all tests, and its no-tangle brush was perfect for pet hair.
If you have mainly hard flooring, you'll be better opting for a wet and dry vacuum like the Dyson WashG1 floor cleaner. We found this one of the easiest wet/dry vacuum to set up and to use across all hard floor types. During tests, not only did it clean surfaces quickly, but floors had a fast drying time and the self-clean feature impressed us.
To help you decide which vacuum cleaner to opt for, we've selected the best vacuum cleaners to suit every cleaning need and budget. Read on to learn more about all of the models we tested.
The quick list
Here are the best vacuum cleaners you can buy right now based on our comprehensive testing and in-depth research.
This Shark model is a powerful cordless vacuum with HEPA filter. It also 30% lighter, with handy swivel steering to get into awkward spots. Its self-cleaning brush roll can quickly deep clean carpets and hardwood. And it comes with a handy self-emptying and charging base.
For those after a powerful, canister vacuum cleaner, that can also tackle pet hair, this Miele Classic C1 rated highly. Equipped with two floorheads—one for pile carpets and one for hardwood, it also comes with six suction settings and five height options to suit your needs.
The Shark Stratos AZ3002 is a heavy duty, yet powerful upright vacuum cleaner. Its dual brushrolls can tackle both hardwood and carpets with ease. Rated highly for its powerful suction, it features three suction setting and even comes with a “odor-neutralizing cartridge” to freshen your air while you clean.
If you're after a powerful yet affordable stick vacuum, the Ultenic U12 is a great alternative. With five, power settings, it does an impressive job tackling your cleaning needs. And with its sleek, attractive design it's lightweight to use and carry around the home.
If you have fur babies, the Shark Rotator Pet is equipped to deep clean carpets and hard floors. It features three, suction settings plus LED lights on the handle and floor nozzle. It also comes with two brushrolls, including a no-tangle brush roll that pet owners will love.
If you have mainly hard flooring or tiles, this Dyson WashG1 will wash your floors, and do all the hard work. It comes with a large water tank capacity, three power settings and a handy, self-cleaning function.
The best vacuum cleaners
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
Best cordless
If you have plenty of stairs or often struggle with carrying a cordless vacuum around your home, this Shark model is ideal. With its slimline, attractive design, it’s 30% lighter than other models — making it a breeze to lift and carry around with ease.
Despite its modest appearance, it was still powerful enough to handle different types of flooring and sizes of debris. During tests, I was impressed by its ‘multi-surface cleaning’ that could automatically detect the floor type, and adjust to the levels of dirt accordingly. In fact, it did particularly well in lifting ingrained hair strands and visible dirt from my beige carpets. It also has a self-cleaning (silicone) brushroll, which eliminates annoying hair-wrap, and the bright LED floor light is handy to show up all the dirt as you clean.
Additionally, it comes with three cleaning modes - Eco, Auto and Boost to suit your needs — although Boost will drain your battery quickly. Having said that, the 40-minute battery life exceeded expectations, and I was able to clean an entire home in under 20 minutes.
Although this model does have a basic spec, compared to its predecessor, Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty Vacuum, it performed well, with good cleaning results. Perhaps the highlight here is its self-emptying base and charging dock, which is very convenient and hands-free. The only caveats are that it does have a noisy operation that increasingly gets louder when it tackles heavy-duty dirt and you might need extra storage space to accommodate the vacuum cleaner with the self-emptying base. However, if all you need is a super light cordless vacuum that gets the job done, and has the perk of emptying itself, I would certainly recommend this model.
Read the full Shark Clean & Empty Cordless Vacuum review.
Best canister
If you prefer a corded canister vacuum, the Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog PowerLine has a wide range of suction settings. It comes with a height-adjustable floorhead, and large debris bag, to capture all the pet fur and dander that it promises to tackle (it's in the name).
Out of all of all the vacuums we tested, this was the most compact. Easy to lift out of the box, the Miele Classic C1 is a tiny stature, measuring around 18 inches long and 10 inches, and equipped with two floorheads—one for pile carpets and one for hardwood—plus four useful attachments. We first tested it on hardwood, using the smaller head. It glided effortlessly, doing a great job sucking up small particles and dog hair. On carpets, it also had impressive pick-up, thanks to the larger floorhead's self-propelled design. Design-wise, we also liked the fact that it has a notch on the back of the floorhead that lets you dock it right on the canister if you need to take a small break.
The only caveat was that all the controls on the Miele Classic C1 are down on the canister, which made it a bit challenging to press the on/off/foot control button. However, this model is much more adjustable than most vacuums, that lets you mix and match five brush roll heights and six suction settings to suit your needs.
Read the full Miele Classic C1 Cat & Dog PowerLine Canister Vacuum review.
Best upright
Similar design to the Shark Rotator Pet, we found the Shark Stratos easy to assemble, with just a few main pieces that clicked together. It also comes with its Power Lift-Away feature, three suction settings, and a handy, 'odor neutralizer' pod to freshen your air.
It is slightly heavier, than other models (at 17 pounds), but we were most impressed by the sheer power when testing on both carpets and hardwood. We found it highly effective at picking up dust on hard floors, while the second brushroll with fins was ideal for cleaning thick carpets. And And in a household with several dogs, this proved to have excellent pet hair pick-up.
We particularly liked the Lift-Away feature that lets you vacuum stairs and under low-profile furniture easily, and the crevice tool and upholstery-cleaning brush can be placed in storage slots on the back of the vacuum. Perhaps the most impressive feature is the “odor-neutralizing cartridge” that left behind a fresh scent while cleaning.
Despite being on the heavier side, the Shark Stratos impressed us with its overall performance especially on hard floors. In fact, our reviewed rated the Shark Stratos is one of the best vacuums they've ever used.
Read the full Shark Stratos upright vacuum cleaner review.
Best budget stick
If you’re looking for a stick vacuum, but don’t want to splurge, the Ultenic U12 Vesla Cordless Vacuum is value for money. It features five, powerful cleaning modes, with 150 being ‘AUTO’ mode. It has a battery-life countdown on the speedometer screen, and can easily convert into a handheld.
Despite its budget price, we were impressed by its sturdy build, and sleek stylish design. Setting up was simple, however you'll need 5-6 hours charge time before the battery is full. It also doesn’t tell you how long until it’s fully charged, which can be a downside.
Nevertheless, it quickly got to work on sucking up cereal and even sticky sugar on vinyl wooden floors, leaving it spotless. It also excelled at removing ingrained hair on thick pile carpet. However, this was only on max setting, and the floor brush was practically clean. What's more, we loved its ‘GreenEye’ technology which illuminates any missed dirt on your floors. While it might not have all the bells and whistles, it gets the job done right, for an affordable price.
Read the full Ultenic U12 Vesla cordless vacuum review.
Best for pet hair
If your home is a mix of hardwood floors and area rugs, the Shark Rotator Pet might be the answer. It has two brush rolls, and comes with handy features like a HEPA filter, no-tangle brush roll and even a scent cartridge in the floorhead.
Surprisingly lightweight, we found this a breeze to push across floors and navigate into corners, thanks to its swivel steering. The controls are located on the top of the canister and simple to operate.
The Shark Rotator Pet received top marks for cleaning a variety of surfaces, particularly on carpet and rugs. We thought it performed exceptionally well when removing heavy-duty, pet-hair and carpets looked visibly clean in no time. And the no-tangle brush rolls ensured there were no messy strands to clean. Similarly, it scored well on hardwood, and its handy Lift-Away design, allowed us to remove the canister from the base and easily tackle stairs and upholstery. The only downsides are it is slightly more expensive than other advanced models, however, if you want to tackle stubborn pet hair with ease, this is a great choice.
Read the full Shark Rotator Pet review.
Best wet dry vacuum
If you have mainly hard flooring or tiles around the home, you'll need a powerful wet and dry vacuum cleaner to tackle dirt. And despite the long wait for Dyson to bring out a dedicated, floor washer, our tests show that it was worth the wait.
With its sleek and modern design, it does weigh a hefty 10 pounds to carry around. However, this is mainly down to the large water tank, that separates the dirty water from the clean. We found the Dyson WashG1 easy to assemble and use, with simple instructions on the LED display.
We tested this out on both hardwood and tiled flooring to see how well it worked on removing dirt, grime and stains. After two sweeps, it gave a thorough clean, working well in removing stubborn, sticky residue. It was easy to use and glide over the floor, and its power was impressive. Despite its 35-minute run-time, we were able to clean four rooms (on Eco setting), for just 15 minutes.
In addition, it didn't leave behind any unsightly streaks or pools of water, which are often left by some wet and dry vacuums or traditional mops. In fact, the floors dried quickly, and were visibly clean and spotless. What's more, it's easy to empty out the dirty water, and it has a handy, self-cleaning feature. The only caveat is it doesn't vacuum carpets, and it also comes at a hefty price. However, if you take pride in sparkling hard floors, and money is no object, we would recommend the Dyson WashG1 to do the job.
Read the full Dyson WashG1 review.
Best premium cordless
The V11 Torque Drive cordless stick vacuum is Dyson's flagship cleaner that trumpets a 60-minute runtime and 14 cyclones generating 185 air watts of suction in Max mode. Dyson's unique, cyclone technology means vacuums are engineered with six layers of advanced whole machine filtration. Essentially, this captures 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, expelling cleaner air around the home.
In addition to obliterating pet hair, the V11 has Dynamic Load Sensing technology that adjusts the vac to the surface and the battery's corresponding runtime. This information is displayed on the LCD screen near the handle where you can choose between Eco, Auto and Max cleaning modes as well as get guidance if the vac needs a blockage cleared.
Like Dyson’s other stick vacuums, the V11 Torque Drive’s brightly colored aesthetic isn’t for everyone. Its $600 price tag isn’t for everyone either. But reviews praise the V11’s automatically adjusting brush roll and strong cleaning power, especially for a cordless machine.
Is it overkill? Probably. But if you can afford it, why not get the most powerful cordless vacuum Dyson makes?
Best for hard floors
If you're after a powerful stick vacuum that can particularly clean hard floor types well, the Miele Duoflex HX1 is a great option. Despite its understated design, we thought this stick vacuum is exceptionally well built, and light enough to carry around the home.
It's easy to assemble, thanks to its push-down ring at the top and bottom of the long tube to allow for quick connecting and disconnecting nozzles. Plus, it comes with a variety of useful attachments to easily swap out.
Using the Miele Duoflex HX1 was literally a breeze, and this lightweight vacuum glided over every surface type with ease during our tests. We tested it on engineered oak and carpet, to porcelain and encaustic tiles, this picked up stubborn dirt and dust impressively well. The only caveat is the battery doesn’t last long enough for a large house, however, it did an excellent job on all floor types.
Read the full Miele Duoflex HX1 review.
Best robot vacuum
If you really hate vacuuming, you’ll really like the iRobot Roomba s9+. It is one of our favorite robot vacuums and the most intelligent, but it is also the most expensive robot vacuum on the market today. This smartphone-controlled vac didn’t just go to college, it graduated at the top of its class.
We were impressed by its smooth, navigation around the home, which is due to its smarter, mapping abilities. Unlike other robot vacuums, it didn't bump into any baseboards or get stuck in awkward places. In addition, we liked its ability to clean inside corners very well.
Unfortunately, all that intelligence comes with a price tag of $1,099. But put the Roomba s9+ to work and prepare to be impressed. For starters, it maps the entire floor of a house in just a few runs. Once the map is complete, draw room boundaries, set no-go zones and set-up a cleaning schedule.
You’ll love the Roomba s9+ for more than just its brain, too. It’s a superb cleaner, too. In our tests, it picked up 100% of kitty litter on both carpet and hardwood floors. While it performs beautifully with minimal human intervention, it is loud, particularly when emptying its dustbin. However, its superior debris pickup and ease of setup and mapping were impressive. If this model is too pricey, check out more affordable picks on our best robot vacuums page.
Best with wet dry attachment
The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is the first wet and dry cordless vacuum cleaner, in the sense that it has a separate attachment head. And if you have hardwood or tile flooring, this offers impressive power and convenience to quickly mop up small messes around the home.
We found this super easy to assemble and use. In fact, this is essentially an upgrade from the Dyson V15 — the only difference here being the addition of the Submarine cleaning head. Simply attach the head whenever you finish your vacuuming and want to wash your hardfloors. Designed with a motor-driven microfibre roller to remove spills, tough stains and marks, it releases water to wash floors thoroughly. The dirty water is then sucked into a separate, 360 millilitre chamber for easy disposal.
During our tests, it quickly removed stains, dirt and black marks with two sweeps. The brushrolls also made it easy to tackle edges of the room, although it did struggle with corners or awkward angles. We were also impressed by the battery life , and on the Eco setting, lasted an impressive 76 minutes. The only caveat is the small water tank won't do well to tackle larger rooms, heavy-duty jobs or tackle corners as well as a traditional mop. However, if power and convenience are your top priorities, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is a good investment.
Read the full Dyson V15s Detect Submarine Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner review.
Best versatile
For those who have different floor types around the home, and want a thorough clean, the Shark PowerDetect does exactly what it says on the box. During our tests, we were impressed by its high-tech dirt detection feature that was able to suck up pet hair, dust, dirt, and even cat litter with ease. Its fluffy brushroll also did a good job to capture fine debris to keep it from scattering around the floor.
Even more importantly, the flexible wand can bend forwards with the push of a button, which allows you to reach under sofas and low furniture without having to lean or squat down. Another handy feature we also liked was the sensor that can tell when you’re cleaning along a wall — there’s a light that turns on next to the edge.
With an impressive battery life, it was able to tackle multiple rooms on PowerDetect mode, and we had at least 50% life left at the end of our 30- minute cleaning sessions. Although we did notice that the battery does drain quickly on “Boost” mode. The self-emptying base is incredibly convenient to pull all the debris out of the on-board dust bin — ready for the next cleaning session. Just bear in mind that the auto-empty feature only works when the vacuum’s wand and floorhead are attached.
The only caveat is it's pretty bulky compared to other slimline cordless models, and its sensors require regular maintenance to keep them working properly. However, if you simply want a powerful deep clean, the Shark Cordless PowerDetect is great value for money.
Read the full Shark Cordless PowerDetect Clean & Empty Vacuum review.
Also tested
We tested a wide selection of best vacuum cleaners at Tom's Guide, and despite doing a decent job, not all of them made it to our final cut. In case you still can't find a suitable one for your needs, you may want to check out these below.
Which type of vacuum cleaner should I buy?
There’s actually quite a few types of vacuum cleaner to choose from, including upright, cylinder, cordless, handheld and robot. If you’re new to the market you might be a little unsure of which type is best for you. Here’s a quick breakdown of the pros and cons for each.
Upright — This is one of the most popular types. It sits ‘upright’ and you push it in front of you as you vacuum. It’s a corded design which offers lots of power. However, they can be quite heavy and uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. They’re also not the most maneuverable and struggle to reach under furniture. These are the best if you’ve got lots of high pile carpet though.
Cylinder — These feature a small body which rolls on the floor as you pull it behind you. It’s the most traditional of the designs and is particularly effective on hard floors. You can easily reach under furniture and up the stairs with this type of vacuum cleaner, plus it’s less work to use than an upright. However, they’re not great on pile carpets as many don’t come with a turbo brush. Ultimately, these are best for hard floor homes.
Cordless — Cordless vacuum cleaners have surged in popularity in recent years. They were originally designed for quick spills, but now they’re expected to replace corded models, covering the floors throughout a household before the battery runs flat. They’re not quite as powerful as corded types, but they’re getting close, and the lightweight, maneuverable design makes them the most pleasant and convenient type to use. They’re great if you live in a small space and don’t deal with stubborn debris. You will need to charge it between uses though, and the canister can fill quickly.
Ever wondered what Dyson vacuum cleaner do you own? Here’s why it’s good to know.
Handheld — Handheld vacuums are ideal for small spills and difficult to reach places. You couldn’t use it to vacuum a whole house — it’s usually compact and small enough to hold in one hand, and you typically use it for short periods of time. The canister can fill quickly though, and it’s not not great for embedded hair. These aren’t as popular to buy separately nowadays as most cordless models can also function as handheld vacuums.
Robot — Robot vacuum cleaners have been around for a while now, but they are still growing in popularity and becoming more developed. These will navigate themselves around your home independently and clean as they go. You will still need to empty the on-board canister, so it’s not completely hands-free, but it’s a much more convenient method of cleaning. They’re not as powerful as the corded models, but they’re getting there. More innovations are being introduced to robot vacuums, such as self-emptying designs and machine learning to recognize obstacles.
It's also important that you consider whether you want a bagged or bagless vacuum. Check out our guide on bagged vs. bagless vacuum for more info.
Even if you find the right vacuum cleaner, make sure you're using it properly. Here are 9 vacuum cleaner mistakes you’re probably making. Also, ever wondered are cordless vacuum cleaners worth it? Here are the pros and cons.
When to replace your vacuum cleaner
Depending on the brand and model, a vacuum cleaner comes with a one to five year warranty. But, on average, your vacuum should stay in good working order for eight years. Most manufacturers offer extended warranties but we don't recommend them since the repair cost is likely to be less than the cost of the warranty itself.
The main sign that a vacuum needs replacing is a lack of suction. But before buying a new one, make sure to replace the bag, remove hair and other debris from the brush head, clean or replace the filter, or clear any clogs in the hose. Your vacuum might also need a new drive belt, which is an easy and inexpensive fix. However, if you’re quoted more than 50 percent of the price of a new vacuum, our advice is to consider buying a replacement.
By purchasing a new vacuum, you can take advantage of some of the new developments. Many models now come with HEPA filters that trap microscopic particles like dust, dander and pollen, which is particularly useful if someone in your house has allergies. You can increase the level of protection from allergens by choosing a sealed model so air doesn’t escape from cracks and crevices and actually gets channeled into the HEPA filter.
The most dramatic change in the world of vacuums is the wide selection of robot vacuums that can effortlessly keep your floors spotless. They can even go behind the furniture and under beds, places you might not be able to get to if you were doing the job yourself. Most of these robots can be controlled with a smartphone app, or through Alexa or Google Assistant.
Damage can be caused by these 9 things you should never vacuum but probably do.
Vacuum cleaner attachments
Depending on the model you’ve chosen, this appliance can come with several attachments all of which do different jobs. Here’s a quick breakdown of the most common attachments and what each are for:
- Crevice tool — This is a long thin tube which is designed to reach into awkward areas, such as down the sides of vehicle seats. These are also useful for vacuuming along skirting boards.
- Dirt brush — This tool comes with stiff bristles on it to help dislodge dirt as you vacuum.
- Mini motorized brush/Pet tool — Mini-motorized brushes are becoming more popular with stick vacuums. These alternative motorized heads are designed to be used on handheld vacuums. As they feature a rotating brush, they have much better pickup than other accessories and can be great for pet hair.
- Mattress tool/Upholstery tool — A small, flat head, which is designed to vacuum the mattress or upholstery, removing dirt and allergens.
- Combination or 2-in1 tool — A common attachment which features soft bristles that can slide over a small nozzle or be locked back in place. This makes it good for delicate work and everyday cleaning.
- Dusting brush — This tool features soft bristles over a small nozzle which makes it ideal for dislodging dust from delicate surfaces, such as lampshades.
How we tested
We spent countless hours vacuuming our floors (until spotless!), in order to shortlist our best vacuum cleaners. These were used regularly in our homes for months to get the real user experience, and test how well our vacuum cleaners can cope with every type of dirty surface.
To evaluate its suction power, each vacuum was put to the test in picking up different types of debris. This included things like flour, oats, hard-to-remove, pet hair and of course, general dust. Depending on the type of vacuum cleaner, these are mainly tested on both high and low-pile carpet, and various hard floor types.
For our best wet and dry vacuum cleaners, which we only tested on hard flooring, we evaluated how well it picked up general dirt, spillages and sticky stains. Also factoring in drying time and ease of use. In addition, we rated factors such as ease of use, design, features, and additional attachments.
To wrap up our tests, we pour out the dust bin or empty the water tank to rate each vacuum’s ease of cleaning, and how easy it is to store. Each evaluation is based on our experience from beginning to end, with the user in mind.
Vacuum FAQs
Should you dust or vacuum first?
You should always dust before you vacuum. That way, any airborne dust which you didn't collect will settle on the floor to be picked up by the vacuum. Doing this the other way around would be counterproductive.
Then to clean it, you can use a soft brush to get to any hard-to-reach areas, and use a soapy cloth to wipe out the bin of stick vacuums or the dirt canister of a bagless vacuum
