Based on 7,882 analyzed reviews
Table of contents
NerdWallet Shopping’s scoring of the best bagless vacuums is based on our analysis of the opinions of experts and shoppers like you.
Picking a bagless vacuum isn’t easy. We researched some of the most popular models on the market to make your decision less confusing. To narrow the field, we looked at expert opinions from review sites such as The Sweethome, CNET and Good Housekeeping. Next, we analyzed user reviews to see what shoppers were saying about each vacuum’s various attributes.
We recognize that consumers look for different qualities in vacuums, so we scored users’ observations on multiple features of top models, including their performance on carpet and hard surfaces.
Our analysis
Our scores range from a low of 1 to a high of 10. Here’s how we devised them:
Overall score: The overall score reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with each vacuum in 10 categories, including how well it cleans various surfaces, ease of use, durability and noise.
How well it cleans: This score reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with the vacuum’s performance on carpet and hard floors, including hardwood, tile and vinyl. It also considers their satisfaction with the vacuum’s ability to clean up pet hair and debris.
Ease of use: This score reflects reviewers’ satisfaction with the vacuum’s ability to maneuver, including its weight and cord length, how easy it is to empty or clean out, and whether it was considered easy to operate.
Here are our top vacuums, in no particular order.
The vacuums
Shark Rotator NV752
The Shark Rotator NV752 allows users the flexibility to use it as a powerful upright that adjusts seamlessly to different types of flooring or to get into crevices and moldings with the wand. Additionally, users can remove all traces of dog or cat hair with the effective pet upholstery tool.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.5 | 9.6 | 8.8 |
Buyers Like
- Performs well on all surfaces — carpet, hard flooring and stairs
- Easy-to-empty dust chamber
- Excellent on pet hair
Buyers Dislike
- Relatively heavy weight
Dyson V6 Motorhead
NerdWallet’s top-rated stick vacuum, the powerful Dyson V6 Motorhead Cordless, allows users 20 minutes of powerful suction to clean hard flooring and carpets with its direct-drive cleaner head. It converts easily into a hand vacuum to finish up awkward jobs like stairs or car interiors.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.3 | 10 | 9 |
Buyers Like
- Excellent on carpets and hard floorings
- Great job on stairs
- Powerful on pet hair
Buyers Dislike
- Charge is too short
- Dust cup can be messy to empty
Dyson DC65 Animal
Users loved the attachments and tools that come with the powerful upright Dyson DC65 Animal, allowing it to clean stairs, carpets and hard flooring effectively.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.2 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
Buyers Like
- Excellent job on both hard flooring and carpets
- Eliminates pet hair effectively
Buyers Dislike
- Relatively heavy
- Not very durable
- Noisy turbine tool
Hoover WindTunnel Air UH72400
One of NerdWallet’s best upright vacuums, the Hoover WindTunnel Air UH72400 got high marks for its performance on bare floors and ability to make pet hair disappear, though it left something to be desired when users tried to clean their stairs.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.1 | 9.1 | 8.9 |
Buyers Like
- Cleaned hardwoods, tile and linoleum with ease
- Easy-to-empty dust cup
- Light weight
Buyers Dislike
- Not great on stairs
- Powerful suction made it difficult to push
- Customer service was lacking
Dyson V6 Absolute
Users loved that the Dyson V6 Absolute comes with two interchangeable heads that they can swap out depending on the surface, meaning this powerful stick vacuum was able to do a great job regardless of whether it was used on carpets, tile or hardwoods.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- Excellent job on carpets, rugs and hard flooring
- Good job on pet hair
- Easy and efficient on stairs
Buyers Dislike
- Relatively short battery life
- Some found it loud
Dyson Ball Multi Floor
The upright Dyson Ball Multi Floor (a newer version of the Dyson DC65 Multi Floor) easily maneuvers through the home, cleaning everything in its path with its powerful suction, self-adjusting cleaner head and instant-release wand for getting into hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9 | 8.4 | 8.9 |
Buyers Like
- Excellent on stairs
- Great job on hardwoods, tile and linoleum
Buyers Dislike
- Lackluster job on plush carpeting
- Inefficient on pet hair
iRobot Roomba 650
NerdWallet’s top-rated robot vacuum, the iRobot Roomba 650 proved efficient and easy to use on both bare floors and carpets. It easily picks up pet hair, dirt, dust and debris.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 8.8 | 9.3 | 8.3 |
Buyers Like
- Good job on pet hair
- Performed well on both hard and carpeted floors
- Easy to use and to empty
Buyers Dislike
- Tendency to get stuck
- Relatively noisy
iRobot Roomba 880
The iRobot Roomba 880’s tangle-free extractors help ensure that this robot vacuum remains clog-free. It uses its iAdapt sensor system to navigate around your home, sucking up all dirt, debris and pet hair in its path.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 8.7 | 8.9 | 8.7 |
Buyers Like
- Great job on carpets and hard flooring
- Remote control makes operation easy
- Excellent on pet hair
- Neat and easy to empty
Buyers Dislike
- Doesn’t do well on rugs
- Relatively noisy
- Not always thorough
Hoover WindTunnel Pet UH70935
Because of its air-powered, rubber-bladed, pet hand tool, crevice tool and upholstery brush, the colorful upright Hoover WindTunnel Pet UH70935 is one of NerdWallet’s top vacuums for pet owners. Users also loved the way it performs on stairs and hard flooring.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 8.7 | 9.7 | 7.7 |
Buyers Like
- Several pet-hair removal options
- Hand vacuum works great on stairs
Buyers Dislike
- Relatively heavy weight affects maneuverability
Best bagless vacuums buying guide
Whether your home’s floors are covered in plush carpeting or wide wooden planks from the turn of the 19th century, picking the most effective bagless vacuum for your particular needs can be tricky. Here are some things to consider as you shop:
Surface
Our analysis showed that the Dyson V6 Motorhead Cordless received perfect scores, regardless of whether it was cleaning carpet or hard flooring, but most vacuums do better on one or the other. For example, robot vacuums tend to work better on hard flooring, while uprights are usually stellar on carpeting.
Special uses
Homeowners with lots of ornate moldings might want to choose a model with a detachable wand, like the Dyson Ball Multi Floor, which can get into small spaces easily, whereas pet owners are going to want one that does a good job on fur, such as the Hoover WindTunnel Pet UH70935.
Weight
You can buy the best vacuum ever made, but if you can’t lift it comfortably, it’s not going to do you much good. Uprights, like the Hoover WindTunnel Pet UH70935, tend to be heavier, so if you’re going to be carrying your vacuum up and down stairs, you may want to opt for a cordless stick vacuum, like the Dyson V6 Motorhead Cordless. However, the battery life on cordless models usually is short, so it’s important to weigh your options as carefully as you weigh the vacuum.
Noise
Babies, neighbors and skittish pets may all be valid reasons to factor the sound of the vacuum into your list of priorities. Dysons are generally fairly quiet, though not all users were enthused by the Dyson V6 Absolute’s noise level, and robot vacuums — as convenient as they are — can also be a little on the loud side.
Corded or cordless
The benefit of a corded vacuum is that you don’t have to worry about the battery life, but the downside is that your cleaning area is limited by the length of the cord, which can vary a great deal. If you live in a small home, a cordless might make sense for you because you may be able to clean your entire place with one charge, which usually runs about 20 minutes. Likewise, if you live in a large house and prefer to keep cleaning supplies on every floor, a cordless stick vacuum is great for quick pickups. But if you prefer to get all your cleaning done in one fell swoop, a corded upright or canister is probably the best choice.
Cleaning
As our scores illustrate, not all bagless vacuums are created equal. While the Roomba 880 is a breeze to empty, it doesn’t always clean thoroughly. Conversely, the Dyson V6 Motorhead Cordless can be a little messy to empty but earned rave reviews for its cleaning performance.
For more vacuum roundups, check out:
- The best vacuums
- The best canister vacuums
- The best robot vacuums
- The best upright vacuums
- The best stick vacuums
- The best vacuums for pet hair
- The best vacuums for hardwood floors
- The best Shark vacuums
- The best Dyson vacuums
- The best lightweight vacuums
Compare other popular vacuums here:
For more vacuum buying advice, check out:
Top image via iStock.
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