9 Best Vacuum Cleaners To Buy In 2021

It doesn’t matter if you want an upright or canister vacuum to remove pet hairs, it is available.

This story was updated in December 2021 to include more specifications on the vacuums recommended by the Good Housekeeping Institute , what to consider when buying a vacuum cleaner and a new Dyson model that reflects updated testing.

It is not easy to find the right vacuum cleaner for you. There are so many styles, models and brands to choose from. They all claim to have the best results in cleaning out pets’ hairs and also making it easy to clean up. They come in a range of prices, from $100 up to over $1,000. You need to consider more than how simple it is to use, how many tools it includes and how strong the suction. You should consider what surface you will be cleaning, the layout of your house, and whether you want a bagged, bagless or corded vacuum cleaner. The Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab can help you. The vacuum cleaners category is a key product category in our review. To help shape and develop vacuum cleaner testing standards, ASTM International’s F11 VACUUM CLEANER Committee meets two times a year with technical representatives and engineers from each brand.

The GH Institute Cleaning Lab is familiar with hundreds of models of vacuum cleaners. These include canister vacuums robot vacuums stick vacs HEPA vacs handheld vacs hardwood vacuums for dog hair, and many more. We test every model for suction and cleaning performance three times. This resulted quickly in 20 additional tests. Find out how to test vacuum cleaners, and our top choices for vacuum cleaners.

The Top 10 Vacuums That Work in Every Type of Home, Tested By Strategy Editors

Photo: 20th Century Fox/Blue Wolf/Kobal/Shutterstock vacuum is not the most thrilling purchase. You won’t get a boost from wearing it the first time, or new jeans. This vacuum is not the kind of product you would proudly display in your home, such as a coffee table or lounge chair. Best vacuums are virtually invisible. Only after they have been used, do we enjoy seeing the beautiful hardwood floors and perfectly trimmed rugs. A bad vacuum, on the other hand, can’t help but make itself known. It might be so difficult to use that cleaning becomes a chore. Or it may have poor suction that leaves your floors covered with dust and crumbs after several passes.

You have to be careful when choosing vacuums. You won’t hear any company tell you that the filter will fall out every time the canister is empty. We, the Strategist writers and editors decided that we would test all vacuums. New and top-rated options were selected. There aren’t many serious duds. However, we found some vacuums that work well for dogs, high-pile rugs, or budget vacuums. We’ll keep this page updated with additional vacuums. And if you don’t want to scroll through all the options, you can click any of the links below to jump straight to the vacuum that sounds right for you:

Highest quality upright vacuum.

Best Deep-Cleaning Upright Vacuum

Dyson Ball Animal Vacuum Dyson vacuums are, like its admirers hair dryers, known for being technological marvels and powerfully designed products. They also have an average price tag. The Ball Animal 2 does a good job from an efficiency standpoint. The Ball Animal 2 is an efficient cleaner, capable of catching everything from cat fur to food scraps in one pass. A large and easily visible dirt container allows you to vacuum for long periods of time, without the need to empty it. The Dyson found layers of dirt and crumbs in my living room rug that were not cleaned regularly, despite what I thought was consistent vacuuming. The Dyson did sometimes get stuck on the rug and pull up on it. This is why I don’t recommend it for every day cleaning, but it’s well worth the effort for the monthly deep clean. On hardwood floors, it glides along smoothly, sucking up every crumb in its path.

As I have used vacuums with sticks and handhelds in the past I found it irritating that the vacuum was not cordless. The vacuum comes with a lengthy cord. It only required me to plug it in to two outlets for my whole apartment. Moving the vacuum around took me longer than usual. I don’t think it is as easy to maneuver. It is difficult to decide if I need the Ball Animal 2 in my tiny home. When I first tried a stick vacuum (the Eureka Stylus), I stopped reaching for my Dyson because it was too heavy and hard to maneuver. This vacuum is a great choice if you have the budget and want something that will clean your home well. K.I.A.

The 12 Best Vacuum Cleaners Of 2021, Tested In Our Lab

The best products are chosen by our editors who independently test and review them. Learn more about the. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

Phoebe Cheong and The Spruce: Cleaning up your space with a vacuum can become a less mundane task when you have one you enjoy. Cleaning up dog hair, spilled cereal and leftovers from craft projects can suddenly feel fun. Finding the right vacuum can be challenging as there are many variables to consider. You can’t see the entire product on a shelf or online, so it can take some time to determine how strong, lightweight, noisy, flexible, sturdy, etc.

The Lab tried 28 different vacuums to determine if these cleaners would improve and streamline your cleaning process. Every product went through four floors, was set up, tested its efficiency, and then it was brought to the test on a treadmill in the living area. We recorded how many times it took each vacuum to trap hair, popcorn kernels, or Cheerios. Each canister was emptied, the noise and weight were taken into consideration, then we wrapped up the process by looking at handheld models from above.

We then gathered our ratings and notes to help answer the perennial question, “What vacuum is best?” There are some models that make hardwood shine, but they are not ideal for carpet. Although they can be used around a coffee table, there are also cordless stick vacuums. However, these do not have the same suction power as an upright model. We have a wide selection to choose from. It is important to consider your floor type when choosing a vacuum, as well as the attachments and filter types.

These vacuums are backed by extensive testing.

Amazon Shark Vertex Cordless Stick Vacuum – Our top picks

Amazon Eureka Flash Stick Vaccum Cleaner

You can easily assemble and maneuver most carpets and hardwood floors with the stick vacuum at your side.

Shark Navigator SWIVEL PRO COMPLETE UPRIGHT VACUUM at Lowe’s

While upright vacuums may be more bulky than handheld vacuums, this vacuum can adjust to different surface types and it is simple to empty.

How we tested the vacuums

In The Lab, Brooklyn’s Industry City, we tested the vacuums one after another. We started with real-time unboxing and setup, and then put them through their paces to test for the best and weed out the rest. These categories included the weight and portability of vacuums, their ability to switch from carpeting to smooth floors and how long they stay charged.

Each vacuum was tested on both hardwood and carpeted floors. They cleaned up popcorn kernels and hair. As we tested, it was important to note how many passes each material required and if there were any hairs caught on the beater bar. To test their ability to maneuver in tight spaces and around corners, we ran them through an obstacle course in the living room. Testers also changed and emptied bins. This allowed them to rate how difficult or messy it was. The data was collected from all the testing and narrowed it to 12 vacuums that we consider the best.

Phoebe Cheong

Best Upright Vacuum: Shark Rotator Lift-Away Adv

Shark Rotator Liftaway ADV Carpet Stairs Bagless Cordless Ant-Allergy Filter. The Shark Rotator Liftaway ADV is one of the most upright vacuums we tested. This vacuum is able to clean bare floors with ease, removing pet hair and small bulky objects. Although it does well on heavy-pile carpet, the vacuum can still pick up some material from low-pile carpets. You may have to do another pass to remove fine particles.

The vacuum features a dedicated setting for carpet and bare floors, as well as an adjustment switch that allows you to adjust to various floor types. It has a lift-away design that allows you remove its canister from the body. Then, use its Telescopic Wand and various attachments to get into tight spaces. It shouldn’t cost a lot if the HEPA-filter post-motor filters and premotor filters are regularly cleaned.

Unfortunately, this vacuum does have quite a few parts that need regular cleaning. Also, its bulky design can make it hard to maneuver under tables and chairs. The vacuum cannot stop its brushroll’s rotation, which can cause it to get caught on rug tassels or other obstructions. This vacuum is one of our favorite corded models, thanks to its excellent performance and onboard HEPA filter.

View our review

Dyson V15 is the best stick/handheld vacuum

Dyson V15 Detect Carpet Stairs Bagless Cordless HEPA Filter (HEPA). This stick vacuum was our best. It is lightweight, easy-to-use and maneuverable thanks to the cordless design of its vacuum and pivoting head. It is also washable and has a bagless design so there are virtually no ongoing costs. This vacuum is easily reconfigured as a handheld cleaner and has many attachments.

This vacuum has remarkable performance even on carpeted floors. It can automatically adjust its suction power depending on what floor it is on by running it in the ‘Auto” mode. The attachments that you use and the time it takes to charge will determine how long your vacuum can last. Most areas should have enough runtime. The back of the vacuum has an LED display that displays the sizes and numbers of any particles it is sucking up.

Unfortunately, this vacuum doesn’t feel especially robust, which is disappointing for a vacuum at this price point. The vacuum also needs to be regularly cleaned, although they’re easily accessible. Be aware, however that vacuums can become stuck on some carpets and rugs because of their strong suction. It’s one of the best multisurface vacuums on our list thanks to its flexible performance and many attachments.

Read our review

Dyson Animal V8 is the Best Pet Vacuum

Dyson V8 Animal Carpet Stairs Bagless Cordless Anti Allergy (HEPA), The Dyson V8 Animal vacuum is hands down the best for cleaning pet hair. It has an HEPA filter built into the cordless stick vacuum to capture allergens during cleaning. It is also able to remove pet hairs from both high and low-pile floors. Easy removal of the floorhead’s bristroll allows for easy removal, which means you can remove all tangled hair wraps quickly.

This vacuum’s bagless design and washable filter keep recurring costs to a minimum. Even in dense areas, its lightweight plastic construction allows for easy maneuverability. To clean small areas, you can easily reconfigure the vacuum into a handheld cleaner. It also comes with many tools and accessories. These include a miniature turbo brush, a combination upholstery tool/soft-bristle brush, and even a 180-degree folding extension adapter that makes it easier to clean hard-to-reach shelves.

This vacuum does not feel very robust and needs regular cleaning. Although it has a 40-minute maximum battery, this vacuum is significantly less efficient than older Dyson vacuums such as the Dyson V15 Detect. This Dyson vacuum is a wonderful choice to deal with pet hair but is much more costly. If you want a vacuum that is exceptionally adept at handling pet hair, then this vacuum is the one for you.

See our review

Best Canister Vacuum: Miele Complete C3 Alize Powerline

Miele Complete Carpet Stairs Canister Bagless Cordless Anti Allergy (HEPA), The Miele Complete Cr3 Alize PowerLine Carpet Stairs Canister Bagless Cordless is the best vacuum that we have tested. This bagged, canister vacuum is incredibly effective on floors that aren’t bare and cleans high-pile and low-pile carpet with impressive results. There are seven levels for suction power adjustment. You can set it to cleaning all kinds of fabrics, including curtains and high-pile carpets.

This vacuum has amazing build quality with a high-grade plastic body, stainless steel telescopic wand, and dense rubber wheels that enable it to roll smoothly over high-pile rugs and obstructions like electrical cords. The few components that require regular maintenance are easily accessible and easy to maintain. The device also features helpful quality-oflife features like an automatic retractable power cable and an allergen-trapping HEPA filters. There is even an onboard storage space for any attachments.

Unfortunately the included attachments are very few. The package only contains a brush for dusting, crevice tools, and an upholstery tool. Manufacturers can offer many additional accessories. Unfortunately, the hose is not long enough to reach hard-toreach areas. It still has the strongest performance, great build quality, amazing ease-of-use design, and outstanding cleaning power.

See our review

Best Vacuum Cleaner Overall

Amazon Shark Navigator Liftaway Pro

Dimensions: 14.96 x 11.4 x 45.5 inches

Weight: 13.7 pounds

Corded/Cordless

Battery Life

Best for: All-day use and hard-to-reach areas

The Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional upright vacuum comes with a few modes you might find useful. The Shark Navigator Liftaway Professional upright vacuum comes with an upright mode. It can be used to clean both hardwood and carpet. If you want to clean your stairs, however, you can detach the canister and use it as a handheld with one of several attachments. Shark Navigator includes an extender so that you can reach higher areas and get rid of dust or cobwebs.

Shark vacuums also have anti-allergen seals to minimize the risk of infective debris entering your home. They also offer a canister with high capacity that houses more dirt, than any other upright vacuums. Shark vacuums are heavier at 13.7 lbs than others. A 25-foot cord may seem long but Shark has other products that can reach 30-foot and longer lengths.