Best Deals on Vacuums

The Dyson 360 vis nav doesn’t go on sale all that often, and this 50 percent discount is now only available at Dyson, though other retailers offered it for Labor Day and may again during the upcoming October sales. It stands out for its unique features and powerful cleaning performance despite some limitations and its high price. It’s on the heavy side but compensates with extremely strong suction, effectively picking up pet hair and embedded dirt. Instead of a conventional side brush, it uses an extending side duct to tackle edges and corners. It also has a large brush roll that spans the full size of the vacuum for effective cleaning, and though its dustbin is relatively small, it’s equipped with a convenient one-touch ejection system for easy emptying.

The iRobot Roomba Max 705 might be slightly more expensive than some other robots, but it’s the highest-performing one we’ve tested, which may be a reason to lay out the cash. It’s quiet and does well in every cleaning test we’ve thrown at it. It’s also outstanding at vacuuming up pet hair and is no slouch at cleaning carpets either, with a feature that increases suction power when it detects carpet. This vacuum is also better than many other robotic vacuums at navigating spaces and avoiding obstacles.

If you dislike robovacs that are too noisy, the Eufy RoboVac 11S Max is the choice for you. It’s unobtrusively quiet, and it gets high scores for how well it can navigate through your home and avoid obstacles. While it’s only so-so at cleaning carpets, it’s impressive at picking up debris from bare floors. We like that its profile is slim, so that it can get underneath low furniture without getting stuck.

Consistent with its moniker, the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser erased any evidence of pet hair from test carpets. It wasn’t the most powerful vacuum, but testers like the lighted crevice tool and the lights on the side of the vacuum that make it easier to see debris along edges. This model also has a lift-off feature which allows the user to convert the vacuum to canister mode.

The budget-friendly Kenmore Pet-Friendly Cross-Over DU3017 is a solid performer all-around, and this is the usual sale price, even if it’s a little modest. It’s stellar at cleaning up pet hair and bare floors and does a fine job of suctioning debris from carpets. The vacuum did well in our clean emissions tests, meaning it captures the dust it picks up, which is important if you have allergies or other respiratory problems. One drawback is that its shorter-than-normal cord might have you mapping your electrical outlets when you’re vacuuming.

At 12 pounds, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away LA300 is one of the lightest bagless uprights we’ve tested. Its convenient features include a detachable pod and manual suction control on the handle. It’s excellent at cleaning bare floors and pet hair and very good at cleaning carpets. Its suction power isn’t bad either, earning a very good rating in that test. In our member surveys, Shark uprights receive a respectable mark for predicted reliability and an exemplary rating for owner satisfaction.

The bagless Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352 is a great vacuum—if you don’t have pets. It’s relatively weak at suctioning up pet hair, but it’s stellar at picking up debris from bare floors and very good at cleaning carpets. It also does a solid job at capturing all the dust it picks up, which is a plus if you have allergies or other respiratory issues. Right now, it’s selling at a price that’s the lowest we’ve seen in months.

If you don’t have a lot of carpets at home, it’s worth considering the Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away NV752, which is excellent at cleaning bare surfaces. It’s one of the quieter upright vacuums we tested, and it also scores well for picking up pet hair. The vacuum comes with LED headlights, which can spotlight any debris on the floor while you’re cleaning.

The Bissell CrossWave Cordless Max Multi-Surface Wet Dry Vac Mop (try saying that three times fast) is one of three combo-vacuum mops in our ratings that can run without dispensing liquid. The Bissell is best at dry pickup and stain removal, scoring only middling scores for wet pickup, ease of cleaning, and run time. It’s already one of the more affordable models in our ratings, so this price makes it an even more attractive option.

The Shark HydroVac Pro XL Cordless Mop jumps between this discount and full price fairly quickly, so you may want to act fast before it’s back up to $300 again. It scored very well in all of our cleaning tests, though our evaluators pointed out it’s not the easiest to clean after you use it. Its battery life is on the shorter side, with an average of 22 minutes, but it’s fairly lightweight, at just 9 pounds.

We like the Shark Vertex Pro IZ662H’s many features. The wand can be bent to reach underneath furniture better, and the vacuum itself folds to allow for more compact storage. While it’s only decent at cleaning carpets, the vacuum shines in cleaning up pet hair and bare, uncarpeted floors. The price for this vacuum fluctuates, but this is the lowest we’ve seen in months.

We’ve seen the Shark Stratos IZ862H as low as $250 around Black Friday, so it may be better to wait for Prime Big Deal Days unless you need something right away. It has Shark’s signature DuoClean brush roll and a flexible wand for reaching under furniture. It earns top scores for cleaning bare floors and removing debris along edges. But if you have carpet, it’s only so-so. A dirt sensor increases suction when the vacuum senses debris and decreases when the floor is clean. It also has a self-cleaning mechanism that prevents hair from getting tangled around the brush roll.

This Kenmore 200 Series 81214 performs quite well in CR cleaning tests, with a strong score for cleaning carpets and suction power, while its ability to clean bare floss and pet hair is stellar. Negatives? Handling is average and it’s one of the noisier canisters. Differences from the 400 Series: the on/off switch is on the body, it has a different type of suction control, and there’s no telescopic wand.

If you’re a pet owner looking for a vac strong enough to handle your pet’s stray hair, this should be on your shortlist. The Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly UltraPlush 81714 lives up to its name and has the highest score in its category for picking up fur. It’s also top-notch at cleaning bare floors and very good at removing debris from carpets.

It’s hard to find fault with the Tineco Floor One S5, which is exemplary at cleaning stains off of ceramic tiles and producing steam. It also scores a very good rating on our convenience test, meaning it’s easy and comfortable to use.

The Bissell ProHeat 2x Revolution Pet Pro Plus is a great choice if you want to own your own carpet cleaner, especially at this price. It aced our drying tests and demonstrated strong cleaning performance—plus, our testers found it very convenient to use. Its hose length, just short of 7 feet, makes it good for stairs and larger homes, and per tank of solution, it covers about 39 square feet. It also features carrying handles and separate tanks for clean and dirty water.