Based on 7,882 analyzed reviews
Table of contents
NerdWallet Shopping’s rankings of the best vacuums are based on our analysis of the opinions of experts and shoppers like you.
Picking a vacuum isn’t easy. If you’re looking for an overall good vacuum — one that can pick up pet hair, works well on hardwood floors and carpet, and is easy to operate — that’s a tall order to fill. The pool of truly multifunctional, high-performing vacuums is small. But that’s not to say they don’t exist.
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 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 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 lightweight, upright Oreck Insight cleaned carpeting, hard flooring and stairs more efficiently and quietly than some models costing twice its price. Its easy-to-adjust speed settings made switching from high speed (to clean carpets) to low (for hard floors) a breeze.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.6 | 9.8 | 9.6 |
Buyers Like
- Performs well on carpet, bare floors and stairs
- Picks up pet hair
- Lightweight
- Quiet
Buyers Dislike
- Awkward to use
- Doesn’t pick up pet hair well
2. Shark Rotator NV752
The Shark Rotator NV752’s power-lift-away feature means this powerful upright can get into the smallest spaces, while its pet upholstery tool makes short work of any cat or dog shedding.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.5 | 9.6 | 8.8 |
Buyers Like
- The TruePet mini motorized brush makes pet hair pickup easy
- Powerful suction
- Performs well on stairs
Buyers Dislike
- Relatively heavy (15.7 lbs.)
- Hard to maneuver
3. Miele S6270 Quartz
In addition to its stellar performance on hard flooring and stairs, the Miele S6270 Quartz was our top-rated canister vacuum, winning high marks for its powerful suction, quiet motor, ease of use and one-step cord retraction.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.5 | 8.5 | 9.5 |
Buyers Like
- Performs well on bare floors and stairs
- Quiet
- Lightweight and easy to maneuver
- Strong suction
Buyers Dislike
- Difficult to use on carpets
- Doesn’t pick up pet hair well
4. Miele S8590 Alize
The Miele S8590 Alize tested well almost across the board; its powerful pet hair and stair-cleaning abilities were just two of the reasons the canister vacuum was a big winner. Users were less enamored by the way it performed on carpeting.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.4 | 8.7 | 9.2 |
Buyers Like
- Its ability to pick up pet hair
- Performs well on stairs
Buyers Dislike
- Less effective on carpet
5. Dyson V6 Motorhead
If the mighty Dyson V6 Motorhead had a longer battery life, this powerful stick vacuum might’ve stolen the top spot. Users were unanimous in their praise of its ability to clean up carpeting, hard flooring, stairs and pet hair with ease.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.3 | 10 | 9 |
Buyers Like
- Performs well on bare floors, carpet and stairs
- Its ability to pick up pet hair
Buyers Dislike
- Difficult to empty, dirt cup is too small
- Inadequate battery life
6. Dyson DC65 Animal
There’s a lot to love about the upright Dyson DC 65 Animal: Two tiers of cyclones result in powerful suction; its tangle-free turbine tool works magic on pet fur; and its active base plate adjusts automatically to give you optimal cleaning as you shift through different cleaning surfaces.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.2 | 9.4 | 8.7 |
Buyers Like
- Performs well on bare floors
- Very strong suction
- Easy to empty
Buyers Dislike
- Heavy and cumbersome to maneuver
- Hose and cord are too short to vacuum stairs effectively
7. Oreck Commercial XL2100RHS
The lightweight upright Oreck Commercial XL2100RHS has a low-profile head that allows it to squeeze under furniture, while its fierce suction and high-speed deep-cleaning roller brush get rid of dust and dirt more efficiently than many higher-priced models.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.1 | 9.5 | 9.3 |
Buyers Like
- Performs well on bare floors; leaves hard flooring dust-free
- Light and effective on stairs
- Moves seamlessly from carpet to hardwoods
Buyers Dislike
- Very loud
- Overly long cord adds unnecessary weight
8. Hoover WindTunnel Air UH72400
While it deep-cleans, sucks up pet hair like a champ, and transitions from hard floors to carpeting seamlessly and efficiently, the Hoover WindTunnel Air UH72400 lost a couple points when it came time to clean the stairs.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.1 | 9.1 | 8.9 |
Buyers Like
- Easy-to-clean dust canister
- Performs well on bare floors
- Extremely effective on pet hair
Buyers Dislike
- Needed repairs quickly; insufficient customer service
- Less effective on carpeted stairs
9. Hoover Platinum UH30010COM
The Hoover Platinum may roar like a jet when you turn it on, but its powerful suction works magic on pet hair and stairs, it glides easily over carpet and hard flooring, and it comes with a removable canister for cleaning those off-the-floor jobs.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9.1 | 9.5 | 9.5 |
Buyers Like
- Highly efficient on pet-hair pickups
- Effective and easy to use on stairs
- Deep sweeps carpeting
Buyers Dislike
- Less than effective on hard flooring
- Makes an unpleasant, high-pitched noise when in use
10. Miele S2121 Olympus
The third Miele on this list, the Miele S2121 Olympus canister vacuum also contains the brand’s characteristic quiet motor, but truly excels when it comes to cleaning difficult places like stairs, moldings or the edges of floors.
| Overall score | How well it cleans | Ease of use |
| 9 | 9 | 8.6 |
Buyers Like
- Strong suction for extra-clean hard flooring
- Easy to maneuver and effective on stairs
- Quiet
Buyers Dislike
- Less than ideal for carpets
- Short power cord
Vacuum buying guide
When shopping for any major appliance, including a vacuum, it shouldn’t be an impulse purchase. You should give it careful consideration in terms of your needs, budget and expectations. Because there are so many makes, models and price points, here are some categories for your consideration:
Surface
While some vacuums clean hard flooring and carpeting equally well, most are better at one or the other. As our research bears out, upright vacuums tend to transition from hard floors to carpeting the best, but if you live with mostly wood or tile flooring, you might be better off with a stick or canister. Though none made the top 10, robot vacuums are also very popular with consumers; but you should know they work far better on hard flooring than they do on carpeting or rugs.
Special uses
Homeowners with lots of ornate moldings might want to prioritize a model that can easily get into nooks and crannies to clean, whereas pet owners are going to want one that does a good job on fur.
Weight
Vacuums can weigh as little as 5 pounds or up to nearly 20 pounds. 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. On the other hand, some stick vacuums don’t weigh much in total, but their motors can be in the handle, making them awkward to lift. If this is a concern, go to a brick-and-mortar store and try before you buy.
Noise
If your vacuum habit needs to take an infant’s sleep schedule into consideration, you’re going to want to factor noise level into your decision. But if a little noise won’t bother anyone, you can focus on other characteristics, like suction.
Cord or cordless
The benefit of a corded vacuum is you don’t have to worry about the battery life. The downside is 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. 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
Whether you switch out a bag or empty a dust cup, cleaning out the vacuum is a potentially messy job. You should look for information on just how easy this is when you’re reading reviews.
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
- 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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