Choose the Right Vacuum for Your Home

Vacuum Cleaners

Best Vacuums

a woman using a Shark Stratos Cordless Stick Vacuum IZ862H to clean a rug under a dining table

By Pang-Chieh Ho
Senior Home & Appliances Writer

Additional reporting by Mary H.J. Farrell

Updated November 20, 2025

Top Vacuum Cleaners Questions

Which type of vacuum is best?
What type of vacuum is right for my home?
Do I need a second vacuum?

Should I get a robotic vacuum?
When is the best time to buy a new vacuum?
Which vacuum features should I look for?

Which type of vacuum is best?

You shouldn’t expect a stick, handheld, or robotic vacuum to have the same cleaning power as a full-sized canister or upright vacuum. But for some jobs, the portability of a handheld vacuum or the independent operation of a robovac is just what you need. All vacuum types have their pluses and minuses. (Note that the prices shown below are generally representative of the models in our ratings and don’t necessarily reflect seasonal price fluctuations.)

Upright Vacuums

Best for Deep cleaning

Price $50 - $600

Weight 8 - 21 pounds
pros & cons
- Best for carpet
- Easy to store
- Not so handy if you have a home with lots of stairs
- Tend to be noisier than other vacuum types
Upright Vacuums Ratings
Canister Vacuums

Best for Hardwood floors

Price $70 - $1,200

Weight 9 - 26 pounds
pros & cons
- Easier than an upright to use on stairs and under furniture
- Comes with lots of attachments
- Can be awkward to handle
- The bulky design can make them hard to store in a closet
Canister Vacuums Ratings
Stick Vacuums

Best for Quick cleaning

Price $30 - $1,000

Weight 3 - 9 pounds
pros & cons
- Compact and relatively lightweight, they're easy to store
- Suction has been improving
- Not good as a primary vacuum if you live in a large space
- Batteries of cordless models limit run time and tend to deteriorate over time
Stick Vacuums Ratings
Handheld Vacuums

Best for Surface and spot cleaning

Price $30 - $250

Weight 1 - 4 pounds
pros & cons
- Easy to handle
- Good for hard-to-reach spots
- Handy for cleaning out a car
- Lack the power and capacity of full-sized vacuums
Handheld Vacuums Ratings
Robotic Vacuums

Best for Touch-ups and ongoing light cleaning

Price $90 - $1,300
pros & cons
- Can be programmed to work when you want them to
- Good for in-between cleaning sessions
- Can’t replace a full-sized vacuum
- You have to clear floors of obstacles beforehand
Robotic Vacuums Ratings

What type of vacuum is right for my home?

Got stairs? Carpet or hardwood floors? Pets? These are just a few of the factors to consider when buying a vacuum.

If you have mostly bare floors

If you have beautiful hardwood floors or other noncarpeted surfaces (such as tile, laminate, or vinyl), look at canister vacuums, which do well on that type of flooring. And if you live in a tiny place, a stick may be all you need.
If you have lots of carpet

If you have wall-to-wall carpet or even some thick area rugs, an upright vacuum is the best choice. Because the vacuum's entire weight is over the powerhead, it can dig deeper into carpet fibers.
If you have stairs

Carrying a heavy vacuum up and down stairs is a pain and a bit risky. If you have only one vacuum, a canister is the best choice because its two-part design lets you distribute the weight more evenly. But opt for a smaller second vacuum if you have the storage space and budget.
If you have pets

Each vacuum we test goes through a special pet-hair pickup test. Models that do well on carpet are also good at removing pet hair, but so are the top-rated canisters and sticks.

Do I need a second vacuum?

In a word, yes. While you'll want a solid upright or canister as your primary vacuum, a second vacuum that's a stick, handheld, or robovac is useful for quick cleanups or to avoid having to lug your main vacuum up and down stairs. Consider these options.

Corded sticks

While corded stick vacuums are considered more reliable and generally less expensive than their battery-operated brethren, the cord can be a tripping hazard and makes them slightly less convenient (which is the whole point of a stick vac).
Cordless sticks

The top cordless stick vacuums perform superbly in our tests. But the Achilles' heel of all cordless vacs is the battery, which can diminish in power over time or die completely.
Handhelds

A handheld vacuum is a must if you have a child or grandchild. You can quickly clean up messes that fall from a high chair or car seat without pulling out your primary vacuum.
Robotics

You can set and forget a robotic vacuum, leaving it to handle routine cleanups. In recent years, more robovacs have come equipped with mopping capabilities.

Should I get a robotic vacuum?

Cleaning performance and navigation continue to improve for robotic vacuums. A CR tester shares the features that matter and whether or not your home and lifestyle are a match for a robotic vacuum.

When is the best time to buy a new vacuum?

Just about anytime. Vacuum cleaners are featured in almost every holiday sale, including Presidents’ Day and Black Friday. If you miss one sale, another is likely to be coming right behind it. So unless you’re in dire need of a replacement, you can avoid paying full price. You can even find high-end brands like Dyson and Miele at reduced prices on many sale days.

Which vacuum features should I look for?

Here are the most common bells and whistles you’ll come across while shopping for a vacuum. Some features improve performance in specific situations, while others aim at convenience.

Cord control

Uprights often have a cord-release clip that lets you free the entire cord at once rather than one wrap at a time. And canisters typically have a rewind feature that stores the cord internally.
Photo: Kenmore
Filters

Vacuum cleaners have filters that trap dirt and particles, preventing them from being released into the air. In CR’s tests, models with a HEPA filter have been very effective at reducing such emissions, which is helpful for people with allergies or respiratory issues. Filters need to be cleaned or replaced periodically.
Photo: Consumer Reports
On/off brush roll switch

This feature helps prevent debris from scattering when cleaning hardwood, vinyl, and other uncarpeted surfaces. Turn the brush roll off on a bare floor and turn it on when cleaning carpets.
Photo: Consumer Reports
Attachments

Many vacuums come with add-ons, such as a crevice tool for cleaning corners and hard-to-reach areas, a small brush for upholstery, a round brush for dusting, an agitator bristle brush to dislodge grit from carpet, or an extension wand to reach high ceilings.
Photo: Consumer Reports
Manual pile height adjustment

This adjusts the height of a machine’s brush roll to a carpet’s pile height, which allows for easy movement and more thorough cleaning. It's automatic on some models.
Photo: Consumer Reports
Bagged vs. bagless

Some upright vacuums and canisters use bags instead of collecting dirt in a bin. Bagged vacuums tend to hold more, and replacing a filled bag releases less dust and fewer allergens into the air than emptying dirt from a bin. Bagless vacuums, however, can save you money because you don’t have to buy replacement bags. They also come with a lower environmental cost because vacuum bags are generally not recyclable.
Photo: Consumer Reports