Based on 7,882 analyzed reviews
Table of contents
NerdWallet Shopping’s scoring of the best lightweight vacuums is based on our analysis of the opinions of experts and shoppers like you.
Picking a lightweight 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 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, the process of emptying it or cleaning it out and whether it was considered easy to operate.
Here are our top 10, in no particular order.
The vacuums
Oreck Insight
Weighing just 9 pounds, the lightweight upright Oreck Insight is a heavyweight when it comes to cleaning, earning high scores when compared with all the vacuums we analyzed. Reviewers also noted it performed especially well on hardwood floors.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.6 | 9.8 | 9.6 |
Buyers Like
- Performs well on hard flooring, carpeting and stairs
- Lightweight and easy to push
Buyers Dislike
- Wasn’t as thorough with pet hair
- Can be tricky to maneuver into small spaces
Dyson V6 Motorhead Cordless
The Dyson V6 Motorhead Cordless may weigh only 5 pounds, but this powerful stick vacuum features a direct-drive motor in the brush bar that cleaned stairs, carpeting and hardwood floors better than some machines four times its price.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.3 | 10 | 9 |
Buyers Like
- Worked brilliantly on hard floors, carpeting, rugs and stairs
- Made pet hair disappear
Buyers Dislike
- Short battery life
- Hand-mounted motor is awkward for some
- Too-small dust cup that’s messy to empty
Oreck Commercial XL2100RHS
With a low-profile head that slides under furniture with ease, the upright Oreck Commercial XL2100RHS features powerful suction and a deep-cleaning MicroSweep brush that makes dust and debris disappear.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.2 | 9.5 | 9.3 |
Buyers Like
- Fantastic on hard flooring and stairs
- Easy to maneuver
- Transitions between surfaces seamlessly
Buyers Dislike
- Relatively noisy
- Extra-long power cord adds unnecessary weight
Dyson V6 Absolute
With a detachable wand that makes cleaning awkward spaces a breeze, the Dyson V6 Absolute stick vacuum also features whole-machine HEPA filtration; mess-free, push-button bin emptying; and a max power mode that will quickly clear everything in its path.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- Great on hard flooring and stairs
- Powerful on pet hair
- Durable
Buyers Dislike
- Short battery life
- Loud motor
Shark Navigator Freestyle SV1106 Cordless
The third stick vacuum in our roundup, the Shark Navigator Freestyle SV1106 Cordless, impressed reviewers with its quiet yet powerful suction and its ability to get rid of any evidence of pet hair.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 8.7 | 9.3 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- Cleaned both hard flooring and carpeting well
- Powerful suction
- Great job on pet hair
Buyers Dislike
- Needed to be recharged often
- Not very durable
Dirt Devil BD20035 Red Cordless
The energy-efficient Dirt Devil BD20035 Red Cordless rechargeable stick vacuum excels at lifting dirt, debris and pet hair off hard flooring and stairs and empties easily when you’re done.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 8.6 | 9.2 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- Stellar performance on stairs
- Easy to empty
Buyers Dislike
- Can’t get into corners for cleaning
- Relatively loud
Bissell Zing 6489
The least expensive machine ($49.99) on our list, the Bissell Zing 6489 is a compact canister vacuum featuring adjustable suction control and an easy to empty, bagless dirt-collection system.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.8 |
Buyers Like
- Its light weight makes cleaning stairs easy
- Great on hard flooring and pet hair
Buyers Dislike
- Short power cord
- Noisy
Shark Rocket HV301
The Shark Rocket HV301 can be used as a powerful corded stick vacuum on floors or transformed into a compact hand vac, with the push of a button, to maneuver into tough spots like stairs or car interiors.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 8.6 | 8.7 | 8 |
Buyers Like
- Great on stairs and with pet hair
- Highly effective microfiber dust pad
Buyers Dislike
- Some users found the handle-mounted motor unwieldy
- Awkward to empty
Eureka Mighty Mite 3670G
The compact canister Eureka Mighty Mite 3670G may be a little on the noisy side, but it cleans stairs like a champ.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 8.5 | 7.6 | 9.1 |
Buyers Like
- Does a great job on stairs
- Lightweight and easy to use
Buyers Dislike
- Not great on carpet or rugs
- Noisy motor
Electrolux Ergorapido Ion EL1030A Cordless
The bagless Electrolux Ergorapido Ion EL1030A cordless stick vacuum runs 30 minutes on one charge and features an environmentally friendly washable filter, along with a dusting brush and crevice nozzle.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 8.4 | 9 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- Powerhouse on pet hair
- Great on hard floors and stairs
- Quiet motor
Buyers Dislike
- Didn’t hold a charge long enough
- Not very durable
- Inefficient on carpets and rugs
Best lightweight vacuums buying guide
Whether your floors are covered in lush carpeting or made of wide, wooden planks from the turn of the 19th century, picking the most effective lightweight vacuum for your particular needs can be tricky. Here are some things to consider as you shop:
Surface
Our analysis showed that the Oreck Insight received perfect scores on hard flooring and stairs but scored slightly lower on carpeted floors. This isn’t unusual. Most vacuums do better on one or the other, so be sure to consider the kind of surfaces you’ll be cleaning when making your decision.
Special uses
Homeowners with lots of ornate moldings to clean might want to prioritize a model that can get into nooks and crannies easily, like the Dyson V6 Absolute, which has a detachable wand. Pet owners will likely want one that does a good job picking up fur, like the Electrolux Ergorapido Ion EL1030A Cordless or the Shark Navigator Freestyle SV1106 Cordless.
Weight
None of the vacuums in our roundup weighs more than 10 pounds, though the way they are made can make them seem heavier or lighter than they are. For example, some users found the handle-mounted motor on the Shark Rocket HV301 a little awkward, so if wrist strength is an issue, you might want to go with a machine that features a detachable wand, such as the Dyson V6 Absolute.
Noise
Babies, too-close neighbors and skittish pets may all be valid reasons to factor the sound of the vacuum into your list of priorities and choose a quieter model like the Electrolux.
Corded or cordless
The benefit of a corded vacuum is that you don’t have to worry about recharging, but the downside is that your cleaning area is tethered to an outlet, which can be inconvenient. People who live in small homes or prefer short bursts of cleaning rather than daylong endeavours may be able to get the job done with one 20-minute charge, so a cordless might make sense. But if you live in a larger home and prefer to get all your cleaning done in one fell swoop, a corded upright model like the high-performing Oreck Insight may be better for you.
Cleaning
The days of bagged vacuum cleaners are numbered, and reusable filters and dust cups are the way of the future. However, not all refuse containers are created equal, and some are markedly easier to empty than others.
For more vacuum roundups, check out:
- 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
Compare other popular vacuums here:
For more vacuum buying advice, check out:
Top image via iStock.
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