Best vacuum 2023: expert tests for spotless floors

Making sure you have the best vacuum is a home essential. An effective vacuum should banish dust, dander, and debris from your floors and keep your home spotless. However, in such a crowded market, it's not always clear which vacuums are actually worth buying. 

That's why we've assembled this roundup of the best vacuums we've ever reviewed. Across the best cordless, robot, or upright vacuums, each of these appliances is best in its class. We also include those which offer standout features which make them worth considering, though they might have been beaten by more well-rounded vacuums. 

We tested these vacuums in our own homes and in our standardised test studio. Our expert testers assessed suction power, noise levels, dust bin capacity, run time and even how these vacuums impact your allergies. Whether you're looking to shell out on a top-line vacuum or need a reasonably priced alternative, these are the very best vacuums you can buy.

The Quick List

Best vacuum overall

Best vacuum overall

This is the best vacuum cleaner in the world, bar none. The Dyson V15 Detect leads the line up of best vacuums and the best Dysons for its unique dust-hunting feature; a green diode laser that reveals what the human eye can't see. This couples with a Piezo sensor which measures microscopic dust particles in real time, giving clear proof of a deep and effective clean. It sounds like a gimmick, but our tests found that  it's incredibly effective, as the vacuum automatically adjusts its suction according to how much dust is detected.  

It has an an effective anti-tangle brushbar that will save you the horrible job of picking hair out of the vacuum to clean it, and a bright LCD screen that makes it easy to use, demonstrating runtime and if the bin is too full. 

Like most Dyson products, this quality comes at a cost. This is the best vacuum you can possibly buy, but it will set you back more than $700. We also aren't fans of the fact that dust occasionally gets stuck in the dust bin, and that you have to hold down the trigger to keep it running, which might become uncomfortable if you have mobility issues with your hands. 

Our Dyson V15 Detect cordless vacuum review goes into more detail. 

Best cordless vacuum

On test, we found superior pick-up, anti-hair wrap, excellent battery runtime, and an easy-to-use design. The DuoClean Powerfins glide across both carpets and hard floors, and the self-cleaning brush roll is a must-have feature for pet owners to prevent clogs from hair. It's not just a load of marketing jargon; it genuinely stops hair from wrapping around the brush roll. 

The Shark Vertex Pro is great value versus other vacuums, as it's usually half as expensive as the Dyson V15 Detect. It's often on sale, too, saving you even more money. 

The Multi-Flex technology makes it super easy to fold down the vacuum for easy storage. However, we didn't find it as useful for actual cleaning, as the design made the vacuum a little bit more difficult to handle, and the slim profile still made it very easy to reach low-profile spaces. You'll also need both hands to unfurl the vacuum back up to full height.

Our Shark Vertex Pro Lightweight Cordless Vacuum review goes into more details

Best upright vacuum

Why you should buy it
The best upright around, with an odor neutralizer that banishes pet smells. 

Why we love it
Our expert tester Camryn Rabideau tested this vacuum in a house with two long-haired dogs, and found that it was more than a match for their fur. Like many Shark vacuums, it stops hair wrapping around the floor brush and saves you the gross job of detangling your vacuum. 

The standout feature here is Odor Neutralizer Technology. This unique innovation a releases a 'light, fresh scent that makes the room feel cleaner', getting rid of the usual hot pet smell that results after vacuuming pet hair.

Another genius update on the standard upright vacuums is the Powered Lift-Away mode. This means you can pop our the cylinder and bin while you use the vacuum, leaving just the stick. This makes the vacuum far nimbler and lets you get into tight spaces where other upright vacuums can't reach. 

Good to know
While Power Lift-Away makes it a little lighter to hold, this vacuum weighs in a hefty 17lbs. My biggest warning is to keep an eye out for the two different versions. The AZ3000 model only includes the vacuum, but the AZ3002 listing comes with an effective motorized HairPro Pet Power Brush, a duster-crevice combination tool, a multi-angle dust brush, an anti-allergen dust brush, an accessory bag, and two extra odor cartridges.

Camryn's Shark Stratos upright vacuum review has more details. 

Best value Dyson

It might be half a decade old by now, but when we revisited this vacuum it was still incredibly good on test. It was so good that we found ourselves reaching for it to clean up after poorer-quality vacuums before we even noticed we were doing it. It excelled on every floor type we test. 

Whether linoleum, carpet, or wood, this vacuum removed all debris in a single pass. It was great on flour, sugar, cereal and hair. It's lightweight and agile, sliding across every surface with no resistance or difficulty. While it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the other cordless Dysons on this list, its pick-up is almost as good. If you're prepared to compromise on a particle sensor and a laser - which are nice to have but not essential - you can save hundreds of dollars on a Dyson. 

While we think this is the best value Dyson you can get, maintaining excellent performance at a fair price, it's still much more expensive than the competition. We also aren't fans of the fact that you have to keep your finger on the trigger to keep the vacuum running, as well as the remarkably short 6 minute runtime on maximum power. 

There's more detail in our full Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute review.

Best vacuum for pet hair

The Dyson Outsize + is as big as a cordless vacuum gets. It features an unprecedented half-gallon dust bin, two removable batteries that both provide up to 60 minutes of power and a floor head that's 25% wider than any other Dyson cordless. It's great for big houses, but it's remarkable on pet hair. On test, it did such a god job vacuuming an old dog bed that it literally changed color, made as new as the day it was bought. 

The digital display shows the exact remaining run time for whichever mode you choose: Eco, Auto, or Boost, so you'll always know just how much time you'll have left on a single battery. It's automatically senses and adapts to changes in floor type, and despite the size, it's also relatively quiet at 82db.

This thing might be overkill in some households. Our tests found the suction so intense that it lifts area rugs up rather than just vacuuming them. While the width of the floorhead is a great feature, it could be too large to fit the limited storage in some apartments. The size also makes it top-heavy, so you might find your arm getting tired when you're vacuuming cobwebs overhead. 

Our review is of the Dyson Outsize; the Outsize + has the the exact same specs and performance, but includes the Laser Slim Fluffy Cleaner Head and Piezo sensor technology. 

Best robot vacuum

Far too many robot vacuums are useless gimmicks. They cost a lot, they can't tell where they are, and don't even do a great job of vacuuming. That isn't the case with the Roomba j7+. Thanks to iRobot's latest obstacle avoidance detection, PrecisionVision Navigation, our tests showed that it can weave its way through furniture and avoid power cables and pet messes. We found it easy to control thanks to the handy app, where you can set up a cleaning schedule for when you're out of the house and create no-go zones to keep the vacuum away from busy areas. It also has a high-quality air filtration system to help keep dust particles and allergens from being returned to the room.

Perhaps the best feature is the Roomba j7+CleanBase docking station. It charges the battery and empties the dustbin automatically into a larger bin. Each dust bag has enough room for 60 full vacuum bins of dirt, so you only need to clean up once a month.

If you're worried about privacy, you should know that the j7+ uses an onboard camera. iRobot emphasizes data security and uses end-to-end encryption; the camera only takes static pictures and not a live feed, so it should be safe. We also found a couple of glitchy moments with the iRobot app and getting it to properly link up, but overall the robot exceeded our expectations.

Our iRobot j7+ review has more details.

Best upright vacuum for pet hair

Most of Dyson's recent marketing pushes its latest cordless models, but if you're tight on budget the corded collection is worth considering. The best of Dyson's upright models is the Ball Animal 2, which we found is actually better than its successor, the Ball Animal 3.

A 35-foot cord means you cover whole rooms without needing to unplug and replug, and in smaller homes like apartments, you can clean the entire place.  It has a handy hose that gives additional freedom for tackling above-ground cleaning, and with a 40-foot reach, you can clean right up the stairs. We're also big fans of the enormous .55 gallon dust bin, and the iconic ball design that makes it nimble when moving around furniture. 

Like most uprights, it weighs in at 17lbs, so it takes some effort to push, especially on carpet. 

Our Dyson Ball Animal 2 review goes into more detail.

Best vacuum for allergies

If vacuuming always sets off your allergies, the Samsung Bespoke could be the solution. It uses a 5-layer HEPA filtration system to keep allergen particles inside the vacuum. However, it goes even further. The Bespoke is charged on a 'clean station', which not only powers the vacuum but sucks out any collected dust into a sealed and bagged system. You can throw away dust and dander without releasing any into the air, stopping allergic reactions before they start. 

On test, we appreciated the telescoping wand and the sleek digital screen, which displays notifications of the power level and alerts about airflow issues, clogs, missing filters, and more. 

If you're curious about Samsung's floorcare products, we've also tried and enjoyed Samsung Jet 90 Complete, which also has the unique telescoping wand that extends reach, excellent suction performance, and a 5-layer HEPA filtration system that traps the most microscopic irritants and particles from escaping. It's also relatively cheaper but does not include the clean base station as the Bespoke design. 

Our full Samsung Bespoke Jet Pro Extra review has more detail.

Best robot vacuum and mop

The Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1-Robot with Self-Cleaning Base will let you set and forget your vacuum routine. It offers smart mapping, personalized cleaning schedules, and a self-emptying base that makes it a convenient choice for those thinking about getting a robot vacuum. Navigating using LiDAR, the Shark AI Ultra is one of the most effective robot vacuums we've ever tested. This is thanks to clever CleanEdge Technology, which blasts of air at baseboards to loosen dirt and push it into the path of the vacuum. We also appreciate the excellent has a great two-hour battery life. 

The most intriguing feature is the ability to mop. If you're got hard floors, you can swap in a water tank and mopping pad.

Shark's self-emptying base (with a HEPA filter) only needs to be emptied every 60 days, though that differs with how often you run the robot and how messy your floors are. 

The mop function can be helpful if you've got hard flooring, but we found that you'll have to be nearby to remove the wet mop pads to stop them from getting mouldy, which isn't very convenient.

Our full Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop review has more information.

Best budget vacuum cleaner

Despite the low price, the Levoit VortexIQ is is a high-quality cleaner. Our expert reviewer Helen found it 'a robust and well-designed cordless vacuum', adding that she was surprised to see it at this price. It uses infrared sensors to adjust suction power based on the amount of debris, and has LED floodlights to illuminate the path in front of you.

Levoit is perhaps best known for offering some of the best air purifiers, and this vacuum includes  a 4-stage HEPA filtration system, featuring dual HEPA-type filters to tackle allergies. It comes with a flexible wand, a telescopic crevice tool, and a 2-in-1 dusting brush. The US model does not come standard with a mini-motorized tool, but the Pet edition does include this useful upgrade. 

The Levoit has much less powerful suction than some of our other top choices, so might not work for high-pile carpet. The handheld part felt on the heavier side, especially when cleaning above the floor, but its overall performance rivals some that are double the price, so we can overlook the tired arm. 

Our Levoit VortexIQ 40 Cordless Stick Vacuum review has more detail. 

How we review the best vacuums

How we test the best vacuums

At Homes & Gardens we like to get hands-on experience with all the products that make it feature in our buyers' guides. You can learn more in in our behind-the-scenes look at how we test vacuums, and there's an overview of our principles in our guide to how we test products. 

Each new vacuum we get the opportunity to review is tried and tested in our own homes, undergoing rigorous testing on a range of flooring and household challenges. We also test vacuums in a dedicated test studio, standardising our examination across different messes and floor types. 

We look out for factors such as maneuverability, run-time, emptying of the dust bin (or bag), and general controls so you know exactly what you are getting for your money.

We test the vacuum cleaners for a number of weeks (sometimes months) so we get a feel for the longevity and durability of each model. In some instances, we are also fortunate enough to keep the vacuum cleaners after writing up the review so we can continue to learn about them and share our findings with you.

Meet our testers

Laura Honey

Laura is our eCommerce editor. Before Homes & Gardens she studied English at Oxford University. Alongside her studies, she qualified as a barista and trained as a master perfumer. This makes her our certified expert for all things coffee, candles, and fragrance, but Laura also tested the Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute for this guide.  

Jaclyn Turner

Jaclyn was the an eCommerce editor for Homes & Gardens, where she oversaw sleep content including mattresses and bedding. She tested a number of vacuums within this list, including our standout top pick, the Dyson Outsize, the Shark Vertex, the Dyson Ball Animal 2 and the iRobot Roomba j7+ robot vacuum. 

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer who has been testing home goods - including vacuums and floorcare cleaning tools - for several years. She tested the Shark Stratos Upright from her small homestead in Rhode Island, using it to pick up after two dogs and a cat..  

How to choose a vacuum

Consider a variety of factors before choosing a vacuum as some details are more important to one than they may be to another. 

Type
Vacuums come in a variety of types. Some common terms you may come across include: 

• Cordless: Cordless vacuums are battery-powered and do not require a wall outlet nearby to operate. As technology evolves, these vacuums become more powerful, run longer, and increasingly more lightweight. They will require a period of time to charge between cleans. 
• Upright: Upright models do as they sound, they are stable and can sit upright. They are usually heavier, more stable, and offer the most consistent suction and larger dust cup capacity. Most upright vacuums are corded. 
• Stick: Those looking for a lightweight, easy to maneuver vacuum or are short on storage space, may prefer a stick vacuum for its slim profile that makes it lighter and easier to store. However, they can't stand on their own, so it will need to be propped up or placed on the floor if you pause cleaning. Stick models can be found in either corded or cordless operation, but they usually don't offer as much suction power as an upright.  
• Canister: Canister vacuums have a separate canister that house the motor and dust bin with a long hose that works with a variety of attachments. They're usually much lighter and easier to maneuver than upright counterparts, and just as powerful. They are very convenient for stair cleaning and make it easy to get into tight spaces. Due to their low profile, they also take up less space to store. 
• Robot: Robot vacuums autonomously clean your home on your own schedule without you having to lift a finger. Many can be paired with smart home assistants, provide detailed home mapping, and can run on your own schedule. However, you will need to remove any obstacles before running. 
• Handheld: Many cordless models convert into handheld units, but for smaller jobs and quick clean-ups, handhelds, either corded or cordless, are great to have on hand for getting into tighter spaces or cleaning above ground. 

Dust bin
Here, we consider two factors. Dust bin size, and bagged or bagless designs. Consider how large your home is, or how often you're willing to empty the dust bin. Bagged dust bins will seal in collected dirt and debris, but there is the added cost of repeatedly keeping the bags on hand. Meanwhile, most bagless designs are clear and allow you to see how much dirt has been collected. They can be dumped directly in the garbage, but there is still the risk of a few particles escaping back into the air. 

Weight
Taking into account the maneuverability of your vacuum, if you will be using a vacuum between levels, it is necessary to choose a vacuum that is lightweight enough for you to carry up and down the stairs.  An appropriate vacuum weight is around 10lbs.

Floor Type
Consider if you have more hard, smooth floors or carpets, and be sure to select a vacuum that is built to handle that surface. Some handle both excellently (or come with interchangeable attachments), while others work on hard floors or carpets much better.  

Cord length
If you've already determined that cordless is for you, disregard, but the length of a vacuum can really make or break one's cleaning experience if you're constantly having to plug into different outlets. Look for vacuums that offer between 25 and 30 foot long cords for plenty of space to roam.

Run time
On the contrary, if you're after a cordless, or even a robot design, you'll want to focus on how long you'll have to clean before having to recharge. We've tested models with a battery of just 20 minutes, to those that can run up to two hours. Our sweet spot of recommendation is choosing a vacuum that lasts 45 to 60 minutes on average, as that's usually an adequate amount of time to get through your cleaning. Battery life varies significantly depending on if you're cleaning carpets, hard floors, or simply whipping out the crevice tool. Note, battery runtime and price are typically directly correlated, and longer battery life means a higher price tag as well. 

Special Features
Increasingly, more and more vacuums highlight special features like support for pet hair, no hair wrapping, or specialized HEPA air filtration. Some vacuums will highlight this directly, while some brands, like Shark or Bissell, are known for their pet-friendly vacuums.

Vacuum FAQs