The 15 Very Best Vacuums (2024)

$703

Type: Cordless stick, bagless | Run time: 70 minutes | Weight: 7.72 lbs. | Attachments: Digital Motorbar cleaner head, Fluffy Optic cleaner head, combination tool, hair screw tool, built-in dusting and crevice tool

Dyson inspires remarkable loyalty among its customers, and it’s at least partly because of the effectiveness of its vacuums and the innovations they’ve brought to floor cleaning, particularly cordless sticks. The Gen5 is the top of the line and the most powerful of Dyson’s cordless stick vacuums.

I tested the Gen5outsize, which has double the run time and a dustbin that’s over twice as large as the Gen5detect’s, but its top-heaviness and size make it a bit too unwieldy for many people. What blew me away was the vacuum’s built-in LCD screen that gives you a satisfyingly grotesque count of how many particles it nabs from your floors. One pass beneath my writing desk yielded 108 million microscopic crumbs — an impressive amount of WFH bagel bits. You can also find the screen on the Gen5detect, which is what I’d actually recommend to most people.

Emily Ranager, director of business operations at Shelfie, an NYC-based organizing service, is “obsessed” with her Gen5detect and says it’s a favorite of many in her circle. In addition to its 70-minute run time, she’s a fan of the included Fluffy Optic head’s built-in light, whichhas twice the power of previous versions. “It illuminates invisible dust and hair on my floors, so I can be sure I’m sucking up as much filth as possible.” Ranager also raves about how it converts to a handheld vacuum, which is ideal for countertop spills. That’s likely why Toni Roberts, the executive pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Chicago, loves using her Gen5detect in the kitchen. “It’s superlight and gets all kinds of dusty bits,” she says. “It also has multiple cleaning heads that can be swapped in, and the filter is washable, so there’s less waste.”

In addition to the cleaning heads and tools that come with the Gen5detect, you can also purchase additional specialized tools, such as adaptors for cleaning under low furniture or high-up places.

$400

Type: Cordless stick, bagless | Run time: 60 minutes | Weight: 8.9 lbs.| Attachments: Duster crevice tool, anti-allergen brush

For the best overall vacuum, it was neck and neck (wand and wand?) between the Dyson Gen5detect and the Shark Stratos. Ultimately, the Dyson snagged the top spot for its run time, but the Shark has some major tricks up its cordless sleeve and is less than half the price. I was especially impressed by the Shark’s ability to bend at a right angle so you can slide the whole vacuum under tables, couches, and beds (you can purchase a low-reach adaptor for the Gen5detect, but it’s often out of stock). And like the Gen5detect, the Stratos automatically boosts its suction power when it comes across bigger messes. This feature, called Clean Sense IQ, visually shows you when debris is detected and when it’s clean. I tested the Stratos after hosting my three kid nephews for dinner, and we laughed about it working as a messy-eater detector when you run it under each dining chair.

Ceramicist Liz Burns is also a fan of the Stratos’s contortionist capabilities. She says, “It’s a dream to slide my Shark Stratos under my pottery wheel and beneath nearby shelves to pick up dust and debris with ease. Plus the whole thing folds in half for super-compact storage — it’s seriously amazing how small it becomes.”

$80

Type: Canister, bagless | Cord length: 16 feet | Weight: 10.23 lbs.| Attachments: Multi-surface brush, crevice tool

Admittedly, I’ve never owned a canister vacuum for fear that the motor would be a pain to lug around. But in testing the Bissell Zing, I found it remarkably nimble on its wheels, following me around my tiled bathroom, over multiple mats and its own cord, with ease. Though I kept my hands free to move bathroom accessories, the canister’s handle and light weight make it ideal for carrying as well. With no maneuverability problems, I was free to enjoy the perk that canister fans rave about: pure suction power. I poked the wand into each bathroom nook and cranny, where the Zing sucked up every strand of hair in its path and even those off to its periphery. The machine’s retractable cord is the cherry on top.

Sarah McAllister, founder of the cleaning site Bleach, Pray, Love and creator of the Instagram account GoCleanCo, agrees that the Bissell Zing is great for hard floors and small areas. “It’s lightweight, so you can carry it around to get in tight or high-up spaces,” says McAllister. And the price doesn’t disappoint either. “If you’re looking for a vacuum that packs a punch and is under $100, this is a go-to. All of my staff carry them.”

Our own editor Maxine Builder is also a fan of the Bissell Zing, especially because the canister design fits easily at the bottom of a coat closet. And though it’s ideal for cleaning up after her (very hairy, part-husky) dog on the hardwood floor of her Brooklyn apartment, she notes that it’s not quite as effective on other floor types. “It struggles a bit more on rugs,” she says. “I usually have to go over the runner two or three times to get all the pet hair out.” But for less than $100, it is a solid option.

$175

Type: Upright, bagless | Cord length: 27 feet | Weight: 13.65 lbs. | Attachments: Pet TurboEraser tool, 2-in-1 dusting brush and crevice tool

For cleaning rugs or carpet, a specialized head with a brush roll works best for knocking dirt loose from the fibers. With its roller head covered in heavy-duty bristles, the CleanView loosens, lifts, and sucks up deeply embedded debris from carpets.

While cleaning expert Sarah McAllister relies on the Bissell Zing for hard floors, she counts on the Bissell CleanView for carpets, noting once again that she prefers a corded option. “For carpets,” she says, “we like an upright vacuum with replaceable filters that you can clean easily,” which helps the filters last much longer — up to eight months. McAlister says that even after running other vacuums over carpeting first, the CleanView still manages to scrounge up a good amount of additional dirt, providing a truly thorough cleaning.

$279

Type: Canister, bagged | Cord length: 18 feet | Weight: 13 lbs.| Attachments: Combination floorhead, dusting brush, crevice tool, upholstery tool

Miele canister vacuumsare widely considered ― by cleaning professionals, vacuum experts, and many vacuum owners ― to be the longest-lasting and best performing out there. Leah Guadagnoli, an artist and the founder of the monthly dinner party Fancy Feast Supper Club, which she often hosts in her upstate New York home, is a fan. “For deeper cleans, I’m in love with my Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction,” she says. “It works great for getting in between the crevices in my wood floor where flour and crumbs annoyingly always accumulate. This is for those nitty gritty corners of my kitchen and home.” It’s also the vacuum she uses to prepare for her mother coming over. “Mom’s coming to visit?” she says. “Better bust out the Miele!”

Shara Kay, a certified professional organizer and the founder of SK Organizing in Beverly Hills, agrees about the reliability of Miele canisters. She praises their high suction, efficient size, and retractable cord storage. “They’re expensive but last for decades,” she says.

$380

Type: Cordless stick, bagless | Run time: 40 minutes | Weight: 5.58 lbs. | Attachments: Digital Motorbar cleaner head, Fluffy Optic cleaner head, combination tool, hair screw tool, built-in dusting and crevice tool

Among pet pros, Dyson gets a lot of love. The Dyson V11 Torque Drive Cordless Vacuum landed the “best overall” title in our story about the best vacuums for pet hair. And here, the animal lovers I spoke with recommended the V8, a similar but older model. Kelly Crook — who fosters both cats and dogs and founded an ice cream company for canines called the Pupper Cup — appreciates how efficiently it sucks up animal hair in her Bronx apartment. “The V8 is lightweight, easy to maneuver, cordless, a breeze to empty (a.k.a. not gross!) and has never clogged, even though I’m vacuuming up tons of fur every day,” she says. Andrea Arden, founder of Andrea Arden Dog Training appreciates that it transforms into a handheld and “eliminates the need for an additional device.” Arden keeps a V8 as well as a Dyson Cyclone V10 at each of her five NYC locations.

Beyond fur, Jen Jordan, a hairstylist who often works out of her Brooklyn apartment, raves about the V8’s ability to pick up human hair. “Brooms and Swiffers push the cut hair into unreachable corners while this attachment has a felt roller at the front that draws the hair (and dust and cat litter) into the vacuum.” Meanwhile, Patrice Novkov, who founded the NYC-based Mulberry Nanny Agency, relies on the V8 to suck up Play-Doh and car-seat crumbs.

$34

Type: Stick with cord, bagless | Cord length: 15 feet | Weight: 2.6 lbs. | Attachments: Crevice tool, floor nozzle

This amazingly affordable vacuum — it’s less than 10 percent of the price of the Dyson — is not just lightweight, it’s also extremely capable. Though I’m petless, I brought the Featherweight to my brother’s house for testing on his cat Piper’s preferred perch, a carpeted staircase. I watched the Featherweight slurp up all the fur on each step, noting how nice it is that the floor nozzle is the exact width of a standard step.

Twila McGee, CEO and founder of pet-care company Nola’s Finest Pets, agrees that the Featherweight gets the job done for pet parents. “Even though it’s extremely light, this vacuum has a powerful suction that makes picking up pet hair on carpet, rugs, and hard floors a breeze,” she says. And if you think such a bargain price means the vacuum won’t last, McGee notes that she’s had hers for almost two years now and it still works like it did on the first day. Like the Dyson, it can be converted into a handheld.

$747

Type: Cordless stick, bagless | Run time: 60 minutes | Weight: 8 lbs. | Attachments: Crevice nozzle, dusting brush, upholstery nozzle, multi-floor electric brush

I’ve been mindful of not only being impressed by large debris pickup (“This thing just took down an entire ravioli!”), but also by machines that can handle microscopic messes. The Miele Triflex can do both, eradicating big crumbs as well as all traces of dust when I ran it beneath my couch. And because we can’t see every puny particle, the machine automatically detects floor type and changes its rolling speed and power, concentrating longer on carpet. This gives me peace of mind, as my sinuses are especially sensitive to dust.

Longtime Shark fan and even longer-time allergy sufferer Naveen Singh became an instant Miele convert after testing the Triflex HX2. “I’ve always assumed Miele vacuums are all canister design, so it was cool to find out I could get the maneuverability of a cordless stick with the power of a Miele motor,” he says. Singh was impressed by the Triflex HX2’s ability to capture dust on both hardwood floors and rugs — something he doesn’t mess around with in order to keep sneezing and runny noses at bay. With its HEPA lifetime filter, this model claims 99.999 percent filtration, picking up dust, allergens, and viruses. “Plus it turns into a handheld, so I can use it in my car, too,” Singh says. “I’m the kind of guy who even keeps a mini trash can in my car, so this level of trustworthy cleanliness is major.”

$609

Type: Cordless stick, bagless | Run time: 60 minutes | Weight: 6.8 lbs. | Attachments: Digital Motorbar cleaner head, Fluffy Optic cleaner head, crevice tool, hair screw (anti-tangle) tool, combination tool

Before the Gen5detect, there was the V15, which introduced laser illumination to the Dyson lineup and had some users happily comparing vacuuming to playing a video game. And while the Gen5 has a slightly more powerful motor (spinning at 135,000rpm compared to 125,000rpm) and a maximum run time that’s a touch longer (70 versus 60 minutes), the V15 is still a solid choice, especially for smaller homes where an hour’s worth of vacuuming is more than enough.

And that’s not to say the V15 is a consolation prize. It’s still beloved among our experts, including Ryan Easter, who appreciates solid suction as the “chief cleanologist” at New Jersey–based Spark Car Wash. “I think the best vacuum is the Dyson V15,” he says, noting that the Dyson V11 ($480) is a great substitute if you have a lower budget. For his car, Easter only relies on the high-powered central vacuums at work, but at home, he’s all about Dyson’s versatile stick options because they’re “lightweight, cordless, modular, small, and still do a great job.”

Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang also likes the V15 for its effective and efficient cleaning and compact design (and is a fan of Dyson stick vacs in general, having previously owned the V8 and V11). Dyson’s diminutive footprint in the home is also what appeals to Vivien Lee-Mayhue, a certified KonMari organizing consultant and the founder of Tidy Up Los Angeles. She owns the now-discontinued V6 and maintains that Dyson’s stick design is the best because the vacuum and its attachments can be easily stored in a wall docking station. “Vertical wall storage means not using precious floor space in a utility closet — a dream feature for professional organizers,” she says.

If you also need a mopping solution and can swing the additional cost, skip the Dyson V15 Detect and go for the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine instead. It’s basically the same thing, but with the addition of a wet roller attachment (Note: The wet roller isn’t compatible with other Dyson models). While the Submarine isn’t the most powerful wet/dry vacuum I tested, it can certainly handle daily messes, such as the spilled baby food and scrambled-egg bits I tested it on.

$599

Type: Cordless stick, self-emptying, bagless body, bagged storage tower | Run time: 60 minutes | Weight: 5.95 lbs. | Attachments: Power Carpet/Universal nozzle, Power Mini nozzle, Power Mop nozzle (with two Power Mop microfiber pads), 2-in-1 combination tool, crevice tool

At first, the more than three-foot storage tower that’s included with the CordZero seems like overkill. Sure, other cordless sticks lean (and fall) awkwardly when not in use, but when mine arrived I wondered if it was really necessary to pair such an easy-breezy, lightweight machine with such a sizable station. However, once I vacuumed my entire apartment off one charge and docked this cordless stick, I realized the true beauty of the tower — once the CordZero returns to its stand, the dustbin empties automatically. Within the tower, the dust is funneled into a bag that you pop out and throw away when full (about once a month). No more hovering over a garbage can to dump dirt, only to accidentally spill dust back onto your clean floors. The CordZero’s hands-free auto-empty feature makes it especially great for allergy sufferers (no wonder it’s earned certification from the British Allergy Foundation). The tower also charges the vacuum and stores its attachments too.

When Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo tried another LG CordZero model (the A9 Kompressor Stick Vacuum with Power Mop) she was amazed by how much dust, dirt, and dog hair it picked up from her rug and how it outperformed her robo vac. “Please don’t judge me when I say this, but the dustbin on the LG filled up and needed to be emptied after just 20 minutes of vacuuming,” she says.

$469

Type: Canister, bagged | Cord length: 18 feet | Weight: 14 lbs. | Attachments: Dusting brush, upholstery tool, crevice tool

Compared to the Miele Classic, the Compact (as the name suggests) has a smaller canister, but still delivers the same suction power — 1200 watts. Note, however, that the Compact does weigh two pounds more. It’s a favorite of Chrissy Fichtl, founder of the Brooklyn-based candle and fragrance brand Apotheke. “It’s small and compact to store, but most of all, it’s easy to move around from one level of your house to the next,” she says.

$290

Type: Upright, bagless | Cord length: 25 feet | Weight: 12.5 lbs. | Attachments: None

The name of the vacuum game these days is multifunctional: Uprights transform into handhelds, pet-hair erasers also clean upholstery, and dusters become brooms. So when I heard about the CrossWave HydroSteam — a vacuum, mop, and steamer in one — I had to give it a go. Fortunately, the aftermath of a family BBQ presented the ideal testing opportunity with a minefield of mustard-strewn tile, crushed Cheetos on an area rug, and the remnants of a pukey mess in the entryway from a friend’s daughter who went too hard on the bounce house.

For a machine that promises so much, setup is surprisingly easy. The CrossWave HydroSteam comes with sterilizing formulas (for both hard floor and multi-surface), so you simply fill a tank with water and formula, then snap it into the back of the vacuum. You switch between modes (hard floor, steam wash, or area rug) on the handle, which sits at the end of a, dare I say, lovely copper stick. Within minutes I tackled my multi-surface mess and was very happy with the ease of cleanup and end results. You do have to empty a dirty water tank after each cleaning, but you’d have to do that anyway if you were mopping. Plus, an automatic self-cleaning cycle takes care of the brush roll, which is more than you can say for any mop head.

Cleaning expert Maria Mooney, who works for the non-toxic cleaning brand Truly Free, is also a fan. She appreciates that, for a busy mom and pet owner, the Bissell Crosswave saves her time and effort. “Thanks to its powerful suction and multi-surface cleaning capabilities, its ability to vacuum and mop simultaneously makes it perfect for busy households where time is of the essence,” she says. She also likes that she can swap in her own cleaning solution.

$269

Type: Cordless upright, bagless | Run time: 30 minutes | Weight: 10 lbs. | Attachments: Soft roller

I found the LULU Quick Clean P05 to have one major advantage over the CrossWave HydroSteam: It’s cordless. Plus, with total mobility, it’s still equally as powerful, and even more powerful than the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine’s wet roller attachment. Other major pluses include its self-cleaning and drying capabilities, which mean you don’t have to wash your roller by hand or leave it out to dry in the sun (though, admittedly, the dryer function did become a slight nuisance as it whirled on for over 30 minutes while I watched TV). So why not name the LULU the hands-down wet/dry winner? If you have pet hair or large area rugs, I do think the CrossWave HydroSteam’s slightly bristled anti-tangle roller makes it a better choice. The LULU Quick Clean P05 comes with a soft roller that’s best on hard floors. But if you don’t battle pet hair on the daily, may as well go with the LULU and enjoy a cordless clean.

$276

Type: Cordless handheld, bagless | Run time: 25 minutes | Weight: 2.2 lbs. | Attachments: Hair screw (anti-tangle) tool, combination tool, worktop tool

For a dedicated handheld (rather than a full-size model that converts), I prefer the Dyson Humdinger, which nabbed top honors in our roundup of best handheld vacuums. Without sacrificing suction power, the Humdinger is basically a standard Dyson shrunk down, which made it even easier to maneuver over seats, the center console, and floor mats in my car. Plus, while most handhelds come with basic brush and crevice attachments, the Humdinger also provides a mini-motorized brush bar that I used on my toddler’s exceptionally filthy car seat. This attachment would also be ideal for anyone who regularly carts around pets, as it has an anti-tangle design that’s made for picking up hair. To top all this off, the Humdinger keeps on humming for up to 25 minutes — longer than any other handheld I tested, and twice as long as similar vacuums of the same light weight.

Interior designer Kellie Sirna — founder of Studio 11 Design in Dallas — relies on her Dyson Humdinger to tackle messes in her projects, which include restaurants, hotels, spas, and even casinos. The feather-light machine comes with three attachments to make digging into console nooks and crannies, as well as cleaning car upholstery, a breeze. “It’s compact and easy to carry, making it perfect for keeping in my car … Plus, it’s relatively quiet, so I can use it at home or, if the need arises, on project sites without worrying about noise,” Sirna says. Even on days off, Sirna regularly reaches for her Humdinger. “As a mom of two, having a handheld vacuum is a necessity for quick cleanups,” she says.

$130

Type: Handheld wet/dry, bag optional | Cord length: 15 feet| Weight: 9.8 lbs. | Attachments: Squeegee tool, crevice tool, carpet tool, extension wand

The Shark MessMaster is basically a scaled-down Shop-Vac for home use. I used it to tidy up around my toddler’s high chair after dinner, and was amazed to watch as whole raviolis, orange segments, and an entire dirty rag disappeared into the wet/dry wand within seconds. Realizing that I had basically brought a machete to trim a dandelion, I went in search of bigger messes. A repotting project gave me what I needed. The MessMaster went to work gobbling up large globs of dirt as well as excess sand and gravel. I then swapped in the squeegee attachment — conveniently stored on the machine itself — to scrape away any remaining residue.

The power of the MessMaster is unparalleled. Though I did find two minor downsides: The power cord doesn’t retract and you do have to carry the main unit (it doesn’t have wheels). But other advantages — like its built-in attachment storage and the fact that you can line the interior dust can with bags you already have at home — make this vacuum a solid tool for heavy-duty cleaning.