The best vacuum cleaner will be powerful enough to suck up dust and debris in no time, making lightwork of those back-breaking chores.
But with so many different types of vacuum Wowcontent cleaner, it can often be challenging to know which one is right for your home. Not only should it have great suction power, but should be easy to manoeuvre, and carry up and down stairs without the hassle.
Do you want corded or cordless? If you have large coverage, corded tends to be more powerful, while cordless is great for zipping around small spaces or stairs.You can always opt for a 2-in-1 upright that can transform into a handheld for those small clean-ups. Or if you really wanted to relax and put your feet up, why not let a self-emptying robot vacuum do all the hard work for you?
From upright and handheld, to stick and robot, we've rounded up a great selection of the best vacuum cleaners to suit every home and budget.
BEST UPRIGHT VACUUM CLEANER
The Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 isn't the newest vacuum cleaner on the market, but its market longevity shows that it is one of the best. The NV352 offers the performance of two vacuums in one: It can be used as a traditional upright or converted into a canister vacuum. Numerous reviews of this budget-friendly vacuum note its excellent suction on both pile carpets and bare floors. In lab tests, it picked up pet hair and cereal with equal aplomb, providing a deep clean with ease. One of the neater features on the Navigator Lift-Away NV352 is the suction-release valve control — conveniently located on the handle — which can be adjusted to lessen the vacuum’s grip on small rugs and shag carpets.
Though it looks and functions like an upright, the NV352’s clever design allows it to be converted into a canister vac. It comes with several hose attachments, too, making it ideal for reaching small spaces or drapes. Because its main body lacks wheels, you'll have to carry this vacuum around, but there's a well-placed handle for just this reason. The bagless NV352 also has a HEPA filter and an anti-allergy seal for keeping excess dust at bay.
BEST VACUUM CLEANER FOR PET HAIR
If your home is a mix of hardwood floors and area rugs, the Shark Apex DuoClean (AZ1002) might be the answer to your multi-surface conundrum. It comes with two separate rollers — one with brushes for rugs and a soft, brushless one for hardwood floors. In addition to pulling double duty on floors, this vacuum Optimus Prime works as an upright but also converts into a canister-like vacuum cleaner, with several attachments for cleaning hard-to-reach places. Its low-clearance in canister mode means the nozzle will slide easily under furniture and other low-slung obstacles. The Apex DuoClean features three separate suction settings plus LED lights on the handle and floor nozzle that illuminate the dirt in front of it.
In addition to receiving high marks for cleaning a variety of surfaces, the Apex DuoClean got excellent reviews for picking up pet hair without getting it wrapped around the brush roll.
Reviewers also praised the included motorized pet attachment for cleaning up cat hair on furniture.
BEST CANISTER VACUUM CLEANER
The Miele C3 Complete Calima is a big step up from canister vacuums of yore. Its attachments all fit onboard and the nozzle hooks into place on the canister itself, virtually eliminating the potential for cartoon-like vacuum hose antics. The nozzle tube is also telescopic, which makes cleaning dusty ceiling fans a breeze.
Out of the box, the C3 Complete Calima is equipped with two floorheads—one for pile carpets and one for hardwood—plus a dusting brush and upholstery and crevice nozzles. Miele sells additional attachments for vacuuming almost anything you can imagine, including mattresses.
With HEPA filtration, tight rubber seals and a bagged design, the C3 Complete Calima is a great choice for allergy sufferers. Pet owners will also appreciate how well it picks up pet hair, dust, and dander on both bare floors and carpet.
BEST VACUUM CLEANER FOR CARPET
Closely resembling what The Jetsons robot maid Rosie would use to clean, the Kenmore Elite 31150 looks like an old-school upright, but it's got a few tricks up its nozzle. This bagged vacuum features a HEPA filtration system, a telescopic wand and an extra long, 35-foot cord, making it a great choice for homes where available outlets are scarce.
Reviews praise this vacuum cleaner's carpet-cleaning prowess, while noting that it picked up nearly all of the debris on bare floors, too. The Elite 31150 features five levels of manual height adjustment for switching between bare floors and high pile carpet, but you’ll have to bend down to access it.
The crevice, brush and roller attachments also earn high marks for their suction, providing a deep clean. Too much power? The Elite 31150 features adjustable suction control to stop the vac from pulling the drapes off the rod. The vacuum is a bit heavy, and it's not as maneuverable as other uprights, but it excels at cleaning along edges.
BEST STICK VACUUM CLEANER
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 vacuum 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 vacuum needs a blockage cleared.
Like Dyson’s other stick vacuums, the V11 Torque Drive’s brightly coloured 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?
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