The best vacuums are quieter and more powerful than ever before. They can handle all sorts of messes, whether you’re trying to pick up large pieces of debris or fine particles such as allergens and other such irritants. They also come in many form factors, sizes, and even price points, so at least one of these can help you keep your home clean no matter the situation.
Not only have we made sure to include all sorts of quality options, but we’ve properly tested them to make sure they can handle regular use for all the types of messes they’re meant to handle. We make sure that the best robot vacuums are as convenient as they’re supposed to be and that the best cordless vacuums last long enough to fully clean our spaces. We consider ergonomics, weight, ease-of-use and assembly, and even price when looking at which vacuums belong on this list.
We’ve applied our expertise to brands big and small, whether it’s Dyson, Shark, or Tineco, so that you’re getting the best of the best and not just the most popular. No matter what you’re looking for, we’ve included models that will fit your needs. Since price is a consideration for most people, we also track promo codes for some of the big names, so take a gander at current Shark promo codes or Dyson promo codes so you get the best price.
The quick list
1. Shark Stratos Cordless
Best cordless overall
This is reasonably priced for a high-performance cordless. It’s more affordable than some models with similar dust-detection technology like the Dyson V15 Detect.
Best budget vacuum
It doesn’t pack the suction punch of our top dust buster, but it comes in at fraction of the price. It’s a great everyday floorcare option for those on a budget.
3. Dyson V15 Detect Absolute
Best premium vacuum
This is Dyson’s best yet. It’s more powerful and cleans even better on all surfaces, yet still lasts up to 60 minutes between charges. It’s worth the money if you can afford it.
4. iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus
Best robot vacuum
With great vacuuming and mopping capabilities, this has a self-emptying base, ability to retract the mopping pads when going over carpets, and intelligent mapping.
5. Tineco Floor One S7 Pro
Best vacuum and mop
This cordless option is able to vacuum and mop at the same time. And, it does a wonderful job at it. Plus, it can self-propel so getting those floors clean is effortless.
6. Shark Bagless Cylinder Pet
Best cylinder vacuum
Pick-up and manoeuvrability is good on floors, it’s as impressive reaching overhead and on upholstery. The 1.9qt/1.6L dust cup is ideal for large homes.
Load the next 4 products…
Best upright vacuum
This is the best corded upright you can buy right now. It’s older than many designs in this list because Dyson now concentrates on cordless designs, but it’s an excellent cleaner.
Best budget vacuum and mop
Easy to assemble and use, the Dyad Pro can suction up debris while mopping at the same time. Its app and floor-drying mode are alright, but everything else is on point.
Best for big homes
At 1.9-liters this cleaner can hold 150% more debris than the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute, and the wider-than-usual cleaning head means you’ll be able to vacuum floors faster.
Best for small spills
If you’re looking for a compact vacuum that you can grab quickly to clean up the odd spillage straight away, this is the best stick vacuum for the job.
The best vacuum cleaner for most people
The Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ IZ862H has Shark’s Clean Sense IQ technology. That lets it automatically adjust the suction to pick up dirt and debris that you may not be able to see and tells you when the floor is clean.
In our tests we were very impressed with the suction capabilities, especially the vacuum’s ability to remove hair from our couch when used in handheld and Boost mode. The MultiFLEX wand makes it easy to vacuum under furniture, and the flexible rotating head proved effective at picking up dirt in corners and around award pieces of furniture such as chairs.
The Stratos is reasonably priced for a high-performance cordless vacuum, and it’s more affordable than some models with similar dust-detection technology like the Dyson V15 Detect. While the dust brush attachment isn’t the best at picking up dust, it’s a minor drawback that it’s easy to overlook.
Read our full Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ IZ862H review
The best budget cordless cleaner
The Roidmi R10 doesn’t pack the suction punch of our top dust buster, but it comes in at fraction of the price. That makes it a solid pick for the title of best affordable vacuum cleaner.
We were impressed with its dust pick-up on hard floors, but it struggled to deep clean carpet. Similarly, its 40-minute runtime is no match for the Dyson V15 Detect. However, the R10 excels when it comes to noise. Even though its decibel levels are similar to other cordless vacuums its softer tone feels less intrusive, and you can chat while cleaning without having to shout.
Previously called the Roidmi S1E, we found the R10 to be lightweight and easy to use in both stick cleaner or handheld mode. It also comes with a good selection of tools, including a motorized mattress brush to make upholstery cleaning easy, making it a great everyday floorcare option for those on a budget.
Read our full Roidmi R10 cordless vacuum cleaner review
The best premium vacuum cleaner
Dyson’s V15 cordless vacuum cleaner really is its most impressive yet. It’s more powerful and cleans even better on all surfaces, yet still lasts up to 60 minutes between charges – the same battery life offered by its predecessor, the Dyson V11, which has the same price tag.
In everyday use we felt that the best feature here is the built-in laser, which shines a green light on your floors so you can see dirt and dust that would otherwise be invisible. The V15 also comes with an LCD screen that displays the remaining runtime, and when used on Auto mode the cleaner conserves the battery by adjusting the suction power to suit the floor type and the amount of dust automatically.
It’s not all good. The V15 Detect Absolute can be very noisy when running in full power mode, it only has an average sized dust canister and it’s very expensive. But we think it’s worth the money if you want a top-of-the-range vacuum cleaner.
Read our full Dyson V15 Detect Absolute review
The best robot vacuum cleaner
Yes, the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus is very expensive, especially since it comes with a self-emptying base station and mopping ability. But, those additions are also part of what makes this high-end model from iRobot so great. This robot vacuum does a great job cleaning, even if the side brush has a habit of flicking some debris across the floor, extending the needed cleaning time.
What we really appreciate about this model is how intelligently it works, retracting its mopping pad when vacuuming carpets so that you don’t end up with damp results. Additionally, its mapping is superb. It’s able to register large, split rooms and will continue learning even after the initial setup phase.
Pet owners will love the fact that it can pick up particles as small as 0.7 microns so no dander or hair will escape its grasp, not to mention the fact that you can run it using a voice assistant or through the app for easy, hands-free operation. It even allows you to run it when you’re not home. Add in the self-emptying charging base and it’s obvious that anyone looking for a hands-free all-in-one cleaning experience should consider the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus.
Read our full iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus review
The best vacuum and mop combo
There’s a lot to love with the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro, whether it’s the top-notch vacuuming and mopping or the fact that this vacuum does both at the same time. We were particularly impressed by its ability to self-propel so that pushing this 21+ lb appliance around was essentially effortless. It also deodorizes and disinfects as it goes, leaving floors spotless.
We were a little impressed with its 40 minute battery life, which can be a problem with those using this in a bigger space, not to mention its somewhat small water capacity or the fact that the dirty water tank has to be emptied after every single use. Of course, this model isn’t really well-suited to carpets either.
That said, if you have hard flooring, you’ll probably love the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro as much as we do, especially with its voice prompts and bright LED display that lets you know what mode you’re using as well as water and battery levels. Being able to vacuum and mop in one go is in itself a revelation for how much time and effort it saves.
Read our full Tineco Floor One S7 Pro review
The best cylinder vacuum cleaner
Shark has become one of Dyson’s best rivals, especially in cordless cleaning. Because this is a Shark it’s packed with familiar features such as a flexible wand and an anti hair wrap brush roll – things which are genuinely useful to have on a vacuum cleaner.
We found that pick-up and manoeuvrability was good on hard and carpeted floors, and equally as impressive reaching overhead and on upholstery. The 1.9-quart / 1.6litre dust cup capacity is a large size which we feel will suit large homes or indeed, homes with pets, very well.
The wand and hose make this a bulky vacuum cleaner to store. We also found that the wand can be cumbersome when cleaning overhead and, unlike some other Shark vacuum cleaners, the brushroll can’t be switched off.
Read our full Shark Bagless Cylinder Pet Vacuum CZ250UKT review
The best upright vacuum cleaner
For those seeking an upright vacuum that doesn’t run on battery power, this Dyson model is the best you can buy right now. It’s a little older than many designs in this list – it’s from 2017, shortly before Dyson decided to concentrate solely on the cordless market.
On test, it proved to be extremely effective at sucking up the surface and ground-in dust from carpets and hard floors, while the 1.8-liter dust canister is the largest on any of the vacuums in this list. We were also impressed by the extension tube, as it reached the top of a flight of 13 stairs, meaning you don’t need to carry the heavy floor cleaning appliance to clean the steps in your home.
However, it is a bulky appliance so it may be a problem to store. We were also disappointed there were no LEDs on the floor cleaning head – a feature offered by some vacuums in this list – which makes it easier when cleaning in dark spaces under furniture.
Read our full Dyson Ball Animal 2 review
The best budget vacuum and mop combo
The Roborock Dyad Pro is pretty affordable considering the fact it can both suction up debris and mop at the same time. And, it does a great job at both jobs, though we don’t like the fact that you can’t separate the functions, making this vacuum useless for carpeting and rugs.
When testing, we also didn’t like its weight or floor-drying mode that didn’t seem to actually do what it’s supposed to. However, we found the Dyad Pro easy to use and easy to clean, leaving our floors spotless even if we have to wait a little bit for them to dry. We also appreciated its decent battery life, though you probably won’t be able to cover a large space on a single charge.
If you’re looking to save time and effort but are working with a smaller budget, this appliance might be the best way to go as the few vacuum-and-mop alternatives tend to cost a bit more.
Read our full Roborock Dyad Pro review
The best vacuum for big homes
If you’ve got a bigger home, a larger dust canister is a necessity if you want to ensure your floor cleaning session isn’t interrupted, and thankfully the Dyson V11 outsize offers just this. At 1.9-liters it can hold 150% more debris than the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute (above), and the wider-than-usual cleaning head, means you’ll be able to vacuum your floors quicker than ever too.
On test, it offered powerful suction that whipped away discarded biscuit crumbs, ground-in dirt, cereal and cat biscuits almost instantly. However, we found the larger size made the vacuum cumbersome to use in handheld mode. Performance is top-notch but it’s also the most expensive vacuum we’ve tested, putting it out of reach of some.
Read our full Dyson V11 Outsize review
The best vacuum for small spills
If you’re looking for a compact vacuum that you can grab quickly to clean up the odd spillage straight away, the Shark WandVac is the best stick vacuum for the job. Straightforward and simple, the Shark WandVac can be used as a stick vacuum or in handheld mode. In our review testing we found it extremely easy to empty, too – although with a smaller than usual dust canister, you’ll find yourself having to do this often.
The vacuum cleaner performed better at sucking up fine dust, but when we tried to pick up large debris it did take a few sweeps back and forth to scoop up all of the mess. The Shark WandVac is loud in use and the runtime is around a quarter of that offered by rival cordless cleaners.
Read our full Shark WandVac review
How to choose the best vacuum for you
As we’ve mentioned already, knowing which type of vacuum to choose can end up leaving you confused. However, considering the type of property you have will help you decide.
These days, cordless vacuums are some of the most powerful vacuums when it comes to suction and they ensure you’re not restricted by the length of the wire. However they can also be some of the most expensive too. Check how long the battery will last between charges, and whether the battery is swappable, so you can simply replace it and carry on vacuuming, rather than the floor cleaner being out of action completely while it recharges.
Corded vacuums are often more affordable than cordless models, and many have wider floor headers, which can ensure vacuuming is a much quicker task. Although if you have nooks and crannies the vacuum may not be able to reach them. For those with stairs, consider models with extra-long hoses so you can clean the stairs without moving the vacuum.
Robot vacuums are good for regular cleans, however with suction that can’t match the best cordless vacuums they’re not suitable for a deep clean, and struggle to suck up dust embedded in carpets.
Households with pets will need a vacuum that can handle pet hair and if you want to use it to clean more than just floors, you’ll need one that converts to a handheld cleaner and comes with plenty of useful attachments.
And if you have hard floors, look for a vacuum cleaner that comes with a dedicated cleaner head, which has a softer brush roll to ensure the flooring isn’t damaged when vacuuming.
Whichever style you select, consider whether the dust canister is large enough to clean all of the floors in your home, without needing to stop and be emptied half way through.
Frequently asked questions about vacuum cleaners
Is Shark better than Dyson?
Shark and Dyson are two of the biggest names dominating the floor care market right now, so if you’re considering kitting your home out with a powerful new vacuum, it makes sense to opt for one of these brands. But which is best?
In a nutshell, Dyson vacuums are more expensive but this ensures you get a vacuum cleaner that’s extremely powerful but still lightweight and easy to maneuver around your home. Dyson vacuums are stuffed with cutting edge technology too, from lasers that highlight hidden dust to innovative floor heads that can be moved in any direction. If you prefer a cordless model, they also come with long-lasting batteries too.
Shark’s vacuum cleaners are more affordable than Dyson’s offering, but they can still match the stalwart when it comes to suction power. To keep the price tag low, Shark models are not as sleek and stylish as Dyson’s, and they’re often heavier too, but they do come with useful technology such as the ability to stop hair getting tangled around the brush air, and flexible wands to ensure you can clean in hard to reach places.
Shark vacuums tend to have larger dust canisters than most of Dyson’s models, but the battery doesn’t last as long. So are they better? It very much depends on the layout of your home and your budget. Read our Shark vs Dyson article for a more in-depth look at the two floor-cleaning brands.
How often should you vacuum?
“When the floor looks dirty” I hear you cry, but to keep your home allergen-free and your floors as clean as possible, you’ll need to vacuum more regularly than this.
We recommend vacuuming most floors once a week while increasing this to twice a week in high-traffic areas such as hallways and doorways. Especially, if you have carpet, as the longer dust is left, the more it becomes embedded in the fibres making it hard to thoroughly clean.
While this may seem like a lot, vacuuming this regularly will ensure there is less dust to suck up each time, making cleaning your floors a quicker process.
For more on this, head to our full feature on how often should you vacuum?
How we tested these vacuum cleaners
To find the best vacuum cleaner, we’ve assessed how well each model collects everything from fine dust and dirt to larger debris such as cookie crumbs and cereal. As well as evaluating how well floors are cleaned, we’ve also compared how easy the vacuum cleaners are to maneuver on carpet and hard floors, as well as whether fust pick up is evenly distributed across the cleaning head, or concentrated in one area.
We rated each design on how durable it is, as well as simplicity of emptying, how loud it is during use and how long the battery lasts – if it has one. For each model we wanted to know whether it was easy to convert into other modes; such as a handheld vac, the useful tools and accessories it came with to clean edges or remove pet hair, and that it didn’t require reading a thick instruction manual before use.
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