Vacuum Cleaner Ratings. Feature Fundamentals Some vacuum cleaner features improve performance or take some of the drudgery out of cleaning. Add-On Cleaning Tools Most vacuums come with basic tools shown that should suffice for most cleaning jobs: a narrow tool for crevices, a small upholstery brush, and a round brush for dusting. Bagless Some upright vacuums and canisters use bags; some collect dirt in a bin. Bare-Floor Options These include equipment and features that help when cleaning hardwood, vinyl, and other uncarpeted floor surfaces.
Carpet Pile-Height Adjustment and Suction Control This feature adjusts the height of the machine's brush roll to a carpet's pile height to allow for easy movement and thorough cleaning. Filter A growing number of vacuums are claimed to filter the fine particles that could pass through the machine and escape into the air through the exhaust.
Cord Control More common in canisters, it lets you rewind the cord with a slight tug or the push of a button. Self-Propelled This feature typically uses a transmission and drive system to assist the pushing and pulling of the vacuum, thereby requiring less effort by the user. Robotic Vacuum Buying Guide Check our video buying guide for robotic vacs as well. Vacuum Brands. Bissell vacuums are available at a variety of mass merchants, including Target and Walmart.
Bissell also makes hand and stick vacuums, canisters, steam mops, and deep carpet cleaners, and it recently entered the robotic vacuum market. Dirt Devil floor-care products are focused on affordability and convenience.
Some of the brand's upright vacuums are among the lightest models sold. Dirt Devil also makes canister vacuums, and hand and stick models.
Colorful styling, innovative features, and national advertising featuring its namesake owner and designer helped Dyson become a major player in the U. Canisters have joined that lineup, as have hand and stick vacuums. Eureka sells a wide array of models marketed to address different needs, including pesky pet hair. You'll find this national brand in a variety of mass merchants, including Target and Walmart. Eureka also makes hand vacuums and canisters.
Hoover introduced its first vacuum in and established itself as one of the most recognizable consumer brands in America. Once exclusive to Sears, Kenmore uprights are also available on Amazon. This German appliance manufacturer is family-owned and -run, and has been making vacuum cleaners since the late s. In the U. Shark also has robotics, uprights, stick vacuums, and steam mops in its line.
Tineco vacuums are fairly new to the U. Like Dyson, they are considered a high-end brand, and the prices reflect that. You can find them for sale at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and other major retailers. When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. Learn more. Sharing is Nice Yes, send me a copy of this email. Send We respect your privacy. Oops, we messed up. Try again later. More From Consumer Reports. Show comments commenting powered by Facebook.
Make a Donation Newsletters Give a Gift. The Triflex HX1 Pro comes with three attachments; a crevice nozzle, dusting nozzle and upholstery brush, all with a home on the wall mounting unit, which covers all cleaning bases. What don't we like? Although it is not the smallest capacity on our vacuum cleaner comparison, for the run-time the 0.
The emptying action is easy enough, though, if a little stiff so if you don't mind frequently emptying the cylinder then you'll have no other quibbles. If you want automated cleaning then consider our pick of the best robot vacuum cleaner. It has some smart features which includes detecting a change in floor surfaces, so it gets a big thumbs up from us. Efficient cleaning The iRobot Roomba is one of the more efficient robot vacuum cleaners on the market with its intelligent sensor that can detect different surfaces so that it changes its cleaning method as it moves from carpet to hardwood flooring, for example.
Smart features Similarly to the others on the list, the Roomba can also be scheduled to clean from your smartphone and it is also Alexa and Google compatible for total voice control.
See: the best robot vacuum cleaners. Real Homes rated 4 out of 5 stars: read our full iRobot Roomba robot vacuum cleaner review for more information. Our vacuum reviewer is Sarah Warwick, a homes, property and interiors writer with 20 years experience in the industry.
Sarah is a serial house revamper who has written for nationals, magazines and websites. She gives the vacuum cleaners she reviews a serious run for their money over various surfaces, from floors to upholstery. When you start for search for the best vacuum cleaner, deciding which type of vacuum cleaner you would prefer which go a long way in honing in on what is the best make and model for you. Handheld vacuum cleaners are always cordless , but you can now get larger cordless vacuums which do more than just sucking up a few crumbs off your car seats.
Their battery life is much better than a decade ago and they make quick cleaning very convenient. Cordless are a good buy for small homes; they're often lighter and smaller, so easier to store and whip around than bulkier models. Larger, more powerful vacuum cleaners tend to be corded , and these are what you want to choose for larger homes or if you need a really powerful vacuum cleaner you have, for example, kids who tread biscuit crumbs into carpets or dogs that shed like you wouldn't believe.
Upright vacuum cleaners are usually heavier, although there are lightweight models available, but they tend to have a larger capacity, meaning you have to empty them less frequently than cylinder or, of course, small handheld vacs. They are therefore best for:.
Bagless vacuum cleaners can be messy to empty we'd advise doing so outside, near the bin , but the ongoing cost of bags for traditional bagged models will make them more expensive in the long run, so this comes down to preference and budget. We test the latest, the trendiest and most innovative vacuum cleaners out there. We're talking everything from the best cordless vacuums for those who like stick format, to the best robot vacuum cleaners for a handsfree clean and the best vacuum for pet hair — so we can help YOU find the most suitable make and model for you.
When we conduct our vacuum cleaner reviews we use them around our own homes and look out for everything you would expect from this sort of appliance. We look for how well they lift dirt from deep pile carpet, if they can easily manoeuvre around furniture, whether or not they can be easily carried up and down the stairs and how they perform on hard floors.
We also take into account the attachments, price and delivery so you get the complete overview of exactly what you can expect. This might sound like an odd one, but don't forget that to maintain max suction you need to keep your vacuum cleaner clean.
Emptying the bag or tank regularly is key, so you may prefer a larger capacity that allows you to clean more of the house before this needs doing. Most vacuums also come with a filter that may need washing every so often. This needs doing well in advance of use so that the filter is completely dry in time.
If this sounds like a faff, check out filterless vacuums. Use our guide on how to vacuum like a pro before you buy to ensure you choose the best vacuum cleaner to suit your cleaning needs.
To recap It's perfect for cleaning large homes, especially if you have pets. After returning to Future Publishing in February , Jennifer has been working on our appliance and mattress content to showcase the best in class examples which are available to buy for your homes.
When she is not scouring the web for deals or reviewing products for your pursuit, she can be found hanging out with our three guinea pigs in her Victorian terraced home which she has lovingly patiently been renovating with her husband over the past few years.
Jennifer also likes tea and homemade cake, very much. This DIY polka dot wall was created using leftover paint and it enhances this small dressing space perfectly. After Thanksgiving outdoor decoration ideas? We have the ultimate guide right here.
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Select your region. Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter. View Deal. Specifications Best for: Cordless cleaning with the power of a plug. Type: Cordless. Bagless: Yes. Cordless: Yes. Weight: 6. Capacity: 0. Reasons to avoid - Heavy for a cordless vacuum. Dyson V15 Detect. Specifications Best for: A spotless home. Weight: 3kg. Reasons to avoid - Laser only works on hard floors - Trigger needs to be held for continuous operation.
Dyson Ball Animal 2. Best upright vacuum cleaner for pet hair: great suction for fans of Dyson uprights. Specifications Best for: All-rounder. Type: Upright. Cordless: No. Capacity: 1. Noise: 80dB. Weight: 7. Reasons to avoid - Can be noisy - It isn't the lightest to move. Specifications Best for: Cordless. Type: Stick. Weight: 3. Reasons to avoid - A full set of tools could cost you extra.
Shark uprights earned a Very Good score for predicted reliability and got one of the highest scores for owner satisfaction among upright vacuums, meaning CR members who own them are highly likely to recommend them.
Check out our full upright vacuum ratings for other great options. Miele Complete C3 Marin. Powerful airflow makes its attachments especially effective. Miele canisters earned top scores for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction. See our full canister vacuum ratings for other high-performing options. It earns an Excellent rating on our bare floors test, proving that it can suck up 5 grams of Maine coon cat fur in no time flat.
Allergy sufferers may appreciate that this vacuum also performs well in our emissions testing, releasing little debris back into the environment after sucking it up. It aces all our key cleaning tests—carpet, bare floors, and pet hair—and operates quietly and cleanly. It also cleans along the edges of walls without leaving any debris behind.
This vacuum is self-standing, making it easy to store, and has a self-cleaning brush roll, so you can avoid messy hair entanglements. It comes with several attachments that you can store onboard. Shark corded stick vacuums earned an Excellent score for both predicted reliability and owner satisfaction. For other impressive choices, see our full stick vacuum ratings. Many vacuums have at least one washable filter. If it is washable, run the filter under lukewarm water and allow it to air dry thoroughly — for at least 24 hours — before returning it to your machine.
Additional filters in your machine may not be washable, so make sure you check the instruction manual. Make sure the brush on the head is free from hairs and threads. Be careful to avoid cutting the bristles.
Smelly vacuums are usually the result of not emptying your machine regularly enough or possibly sucking up something. Find out which of these it is, then give the outside a wipe over with an anti-bacterial wipe or warm, soapy water and a cloth to keep it smelling and looking fresh.
For bagless vacuums, wash the canister in soapy water after emptying it and leave it to completely air dry before putting the machine together again.
We test each vacuum cleaner on four different floor types: laminate, floorboards and long- and short-pile carpet. Firstly, we assess general pick-up using a formulation of dust that we create ourselves. We lay down a set amount and then, after a fixed number of sweeps, we weigh out exactly how much each vacuum has collected. We also call in plenty of pet hair from Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to find out how well each vacuum copes.
This is ground into the carpet to create the worst-case scenario before vacuuming. We also test performance when picking up small residue, such as crumbs, particularly when testing as a handheld.
On top of this, we run an interior car cleaning test to see how well each vacuum gets in between the crevices. We try it out on a set of stairs, too, to monitor how easily it manoeuvres. For robot vacuums, we see how well they clean a whole room, timing how long it takes and looking closely at how well it reaches into crevices, cleans edges, and manoeuvres around furniture.
We also test the battery claims of handheld and stick models. The design, ease of use and instructions of every model are assessed, and we consider if it has any innovative features. Type keyword s to search. By Katie Mortram and Hannah Mendelsohn. Yevgen Romanenko Getty Images. Best upright vacuum cleaner. Best cylinder vacuum cleaner. Best cordless vacuum cleaner. Best robot vacuum cleaner. Neato Botvac D6 Connected. Best handheld vacuum cleaner. Dyson V7 Trigger. Vorwerk Kobold VK Runner-up upright vacuum cleaner.
Best upright vacuum for manoeuvrability. Best for hard floors. Best for carpet. Numatic James Cylinder Vacuum. Best for large capacity. Best for pets. Best cordless vacuum. Dyson V11 Absolute. Runner-up cordless vacuum. Best for cars. Best for battery life. Best for pet hair.
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