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NerdWallet Shopping’s rankings of the best vacuums for hardwood floors are based on our analysis of the opinions of experts and shoppers like you.
Selecting a vacuum that specializes in hardwood flooring is no easy choice, so we researched some of the most popular models on the market to make your decision less confusing. To narrow down 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 the various attributes of each vacuum.
We recognize that consumers look for different qualities in vacuums, so we ranked users’ observations on multiple features of top models, including their performance on carpet and hard surfaces.
Our analysis
Our rankings 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 across 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, bare, 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 or cleaning it out; and whether it was considered easy to operate.
The rankings
1. Oreck Insight
The upright Oreck Insight is a lightweight dynamo, cleaning hard flooring quietly and efficiently using low speed but then transitioning to high speed with the push of a button for cleaning carpeting. No wonder it was our top-rated vacuum across the board.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9.6 | 10 | 9.6 |
Buyers Like
- Its performance on hard floors, carpets and stairs
- Light weight
Buyers Dislike
- Awkward to use
- Slightly lacking when it came to pet-hair pickup
2. Miele S6270 Quartz
The Miele S6270 Quartz is our top-rated canister vacuum, winning high marks for its powerful suction, quiet motor, ease-of-use and one-step cord retraction, but where it really shines is in its stellar performance on hard flooring and stairs.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9.5 | 10 | 9.5 |
Buyers Like
- Great on hard floors
- Quiet motor and maneuverability
- Light weight and good suction make stairs easy
Buyers Dislike
- Difficult to use on carpets
- Not good with pet hair
3. Dyson V6 Motorhead Cordless
The Dyson V6 Motorhead Cordless is a powerful cordless stick vacuum with a direct-drive motor in the brush bar that users praised for its cleaning prowess on stairs, carpeting and hardwoods.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9.3 | 10 | 9 |
Buyers Like
- Its performance on hard floors, carpets and stairs
- Thoroughly picks up pet hair
Buyers Dislike
- Dust cup is small and messy to empty
- Handle-mounted motor can be awkward
- Inadequate battery life
4. Oreck Commercial XL2100RHS
The ultra-lightweight upright Oreck Commercial XL2100RHS features a low-profile head that allows it to squeeze into tight spots, while its powerful suction and high-speed deep-cleaning roller brush make quick work of dust and debris.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9.2 | 10 | 9.3 |
Buyers Like
- Its performance on bare floors and stairs
- Light weight
- Easy to maneuver
- Transitions easily and efficiently through different surfaces
Buyers Dislike
- Loud
- Too-long power cord adds heft
5. Dyson V6 Absolute
The Dyson V6 Absolute’s detachable wand makes it easy to reach difficult spaces, but this light, powerful stick vacuum also features whole-machine HEPA filtration, mess-free push-button bin emptying and a max power mode that will clear your hardwoods of debris.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9.0 | 10 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- Does a great job on hard floors and stairs
- Fantastic on pet hair
- Very durable
Buyers Dislike
- Battery life is too short
- Relatively loud
6. Miele Jazz S7280
The easy-to-maneuver upright Miele Jazz S7280’s electrobrush automatically adjusts to different surfaces, and the four power settings mean you can customize its suction for every part of the job.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 8.8 | 10 | 7.7 |
Buyers Like
- Very thorough on hardwood floors
- Makes pet hair disappear
- Maneuvers seamlessly through different surfaces
Buyers Dislike
- Not great on stairs — especially if they’re carpeted
- Too heavy for some users
7. Neato Botvac BV85
The Neato Botvac BV85 robot vacuum uses laser-guided technology as it scoots across the floor, sucking up all the dust, debris and pet hair in its path with its combo brush. And its extra-large dustbin means you don’t have to empty it between every sweep of the house.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 8.7 | 10 | 8 |
Buyers Like
- Fantastic on hard flooring
- Quiet
- Efficient pet hair pickup
Buyers Dislike
- Has a tendency to become lodged under furniture
- Doesn’t perform as well on carpeting
8. Miele S8590 Alize
The Miele S8590 Alize was our second-highest rated vacuum overall, with its bright headlight illuminating the way as it cleaned dust, debris and any and all pet hair off of hardwoods and stairs.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9.4 | 10 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- Stellar performance on hardwoods and stairs
- Makes pet hair disappear
- Neat, easy-to-change bags
Buyers Dislike
- Doesn’t clean carpets and rugs as efficiently
9. Miele S2121 Olympus
The fourth Miele to make this list, the Miele S2121 Olympus canister vac is a stealth powerhouse — quietly, but powerfully, wiping hardwoods clean and getting into those difficult places such as stairs, molding or the edge areas of floors.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9 | 10 | 8.6 |
Buyers Like
- Extra-strong suction cleaned hard flooring beautifully
- Easy to maneuver and efficient on stairs
- Relatively quiet
Buyers Dislike
- Less efficient on carpets
- Power cord is too short
10. Shark NV356
Rounding out the top 10 is our third Dyson — the upright Dyson DC65 Animal, with Dyson’s signature double-tier of cyclones for powerful suction; a tangle-free turbine tool; and an active base plate that automatically readjusts as the machine transitions from hard flooring to carpeting.
| Overall score | How well it cleans hardwood | Ease of use |
| 9.2 | 10 | 8.7 |
Buyers Like
- Works best on hard flooring
- Powerful suction
- Neat and easy to empty
Buyers Dislike
- Awkward and a bit heavy
- Short hose and power cord make stairs difficult
Best vacuums for hardwood floors buying guide
Whether you’re trying to clean parquet floors, reclaimed wood or wide planks that have been there since the turn of the last century, vacuuming hardwood flooring can be a tricky proposition. Even the most high-end hardwoods can be uneven and can scratch, and, depending on their condition, dust and dirt can settle into their crevices. Here are some categories you should consider when you shop:
Surface type
Our research shows that upright vacuums tend to transition from hard floors to carpeting with ease, but if you live with mostly wood or tile flooring, you might be better off with a stick or canister. If your hardwood floors are relatively even, a robot vacuum, like the Neato Botvac BV85 is a good hands-free option.
Special uses
If your living space has ornate moldings or lots of nooks and crannies, you might want to prioritize a model that can easily get into small spaces. Pet owners are going to want one that also does a good job on fur.
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. A canister vacuum carries all its weight in the canister, so the cleaning wand is extremely lightweight, whereas some stick vacuums don’t weigh much, but their battery life is short. You have to weigh your options as you weigh the vacuum.
Noise
Babies, too-close neighbors and skittish pets may all be valid reasons to factor the sound of the vacuum in to your list of priorities. Mieles are generally very quiet, but they’re also some of the more expensive machines on our list, so if a little noise won’t bother anyone, you can probably get away with spending less.
Corded or cordless
Only you know whether you can deal with being tethered to a cord while you clean. The benefit of corded vacuums is you don’t have to worry about their battery life, but your cleaning area will be limited by the cord’s length, which can vary a great deal. People who live in small homes, or prefer short bursts of cleaning as opposed to day-long odysseys, may be able to get the job done with one charge, so a cordless might make sense for them. But if you live in a larger home and prefer to get all your cleaning done in one fell swoop, a corded upright or canister is probably the best choice.
Cleaning
Whether it’s switching out a bag or emptying a dust cup, cleaning out the vacuum is a potentially messy job, so keep this in mind before you buy.
Compare other popular vacuums here:
For more vacuum buying advice, check out:
- The best canister vacuums
- The best robot vacuums
- The best upright vacuums
- The best stick vacuums
- The best vacuums for pet hair
- How to get the best deal on a vacuum
- 5 things you should know before buying a vacuum
- 3 best vacuums for pet owners
Top image via iStock.
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