11 Best Vacuum Cleaners Proven to Dominate Dirt & Debris

Updated November 10, 2021
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Mother vacuum cleaning while carrying toddler son

Who makes the best vacuum cleaner? Only you can answer that question. With hundreds of different carpet cleaning machines on the market, it is nearly impossible for one person to proclaim that a single vacuum is the best. To determine what makes a vacuum the cream of the crop, you need to do your homework. In addition, it helps to test out a few models to make sure that your needs are being met.

Top Vacuums Cleaners for Homes


Best Overall:
Shark Navigator Powered Lift-Away

This is versatile vacuum that can cover tight corners, stairs, and carpets with ease.
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Best for Pets:
Dyson Ball Animal 2 Upright Vacuum

Clear your house of your pet hair problem with the powerful suction of the Dyson.
Read more.

Best Deep Cleaning:
Shark APEX DuoClean

From the deep dirt hiding in your couch curtains to those cobwebs on the walls, this vacuum has all your deep cleaning needs covered.
Read more.

Top Bagged Vacuum:
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly

If allergens are your main concern, you can't go wrong with one of the top bagged vacuums.
Read more.

Best Cordless:
Dyson V7 Motorhead

Keep all the spaces of your house clean with an easy to maneuver cordless vacuum from Dyson.
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Top Canister Vacuum:
Miele Complete C3 Marin

One of the best vacuums on the market, Miele tackles big and small messes with ease.
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Best Stick Vacuum:
Miele TriFlex HX1 Vacuum

A lightweight stick vacuum to clean all the hard to reach areas of your home.
Read more.

Most Affordable Cordless:
Black+Decker PowerSeries Extreme

Get an affordable lightweight cordless stick vacuum with good suction and lots of battery options.
Read more.

Best Robot Vacuum:
iRobot Roomba S9+

Get a leader among Robot vacuums that's easy to use and empty it's own dustbin.
Read more.

Best Vacuum for Carpet:
BISSELL CleanView Swivel Pet Rewind

Get an affordable vacuum with enough power to eradicate the dirt from your carpets.
Read more.

Best Vacuum for Stairs:
MOOSOO K17 Cordless Vacuum

An affordable stick vacuum to keep your floors and stairs clean of all different dirt and allergens.
Read more.
Shark Navigator Powered Lift-Away

Shark Navigator Powered Lift-Away

Shark Navigator Powered Lift-Away

With price, performance, and ease of use in mind, you can't go wrong with the Shark Navigator Powered Lift-Away. This 2-in-1 works as both an upright and a canister to suck all the dirt around your home into the HEPA filtration system with a high-capacity dust cup. This versatile machine works on hardwood floors, area rugs, carpets, and stairs. It was performed well in those hard-to-reach areas of the floor and tight corners with the canister tool.

Many people complained that it was a bit heavy at 16 lbs, and the 26-foot cord might not be optimal for large homes. The detached canister also only works in bare floor mode, making the brush useless.

What We Like
Cleans multiple surfaces
Powerful suction
HEPA filter
What We Don't
Limited range with cord
Does not easily fit under low furniture
Heavy
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Dyson Ball Animal 2 Upright Vacuum

Dyson Ball Animal 2 Upright Vacuum

Dyson Ball Animal 2 Upright Vacuum

When you are looking to suck up all that pet hair in your home, I recommend investing in the Dyson Ball Animal 2. This top-of-the-line vacuum gives pet hair a smackdown with its powerful suction. An upright, corded vacuum, Dyson works on various floor types, from shag carpets to hardwood floors, and it maneuvers easily from one floor to another. However, when using this vacuum, the powerful suction makes pushing it around on plush floors a bit harder. Reviewers also noted that for the price, some of the construction is a bit flimsy.

What We Like
Pet tool
Lots of suction
Easy to maneuver
What We Don't
Expensive
Wobbly

From your walls to your floors, the Shark APEX DuoClean works to get your deep dirt out of your home. This model uses an advanced allergy system with a HEPA filter and powerful suction for all the impeded dirt and pet hair. It has a range of accessories you can use on furniture and floors. It's also great for getting all those tiny crevices. Additionally, the assembly only takes a few minutes to complete. However, when you are carrying the canister around, all that power is a bit heavy. The price tag is also steep for a Shark.

What We Like
Low profile for under furniture
Good for all kinds of floors
Powerful suction
What We Don't
Expensive
Heavy for stairs
Bulky
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly

Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly

Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly

While bagless vacuums are all the rage, they don't contain the allergens like a bagged vacuum. A mighty bagged vacuum that consumers love is the Kenmore Elite 31150 Pet-Friendly. This vacuum has a 3-motor system and an LED dirt sensor to eliminate all the dander and allergens. So, you know that dirt, dust, and dander aren't going to get away from this machine. It also has a quality build, which makes it sturdy when cleaning. The build also makes it heavy. Another problem reviewers pointed out was the short hose.

What We Like
Sturdy build
Quiet
Works on a wide variety of floors
What We Don't
Short hose
Hose can clog
Heavy
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When it comes to suction in a vacuum, Dyson is a household name. They also make a cordless model in the Dyson V7 Motorhead. This stick vacuum is lightweight and easy to handle. It also has good suction power for a cordless stick vacuum. Since it's cordless, you can take it anywhere. That includes your hardwood floors, stairs, and rugs. It also is easy to break down to make it easier to get into specific areas. But it's not designed for large houses or messes because of the smaller dust bin. Some users also found holding the trigger to be uncomfortable when using the vacuum.

What We Like
Comes with a variety of tools
Great for small homes
Easy to maneuver
What We Don't
Small dust bin
Short run time on max

Miele Marin Complete is a top-of-the-line canister vacuum that's powerful enough to get the dirt out of plush carpet while being gentle on your wood floors. But what makes this vacuum shine is the 12-stage sealed HEPA filtration system traps up to 99.99% of particles, according to Miele. So, you don't have to worry about the dust breaking free of this system. To have all that power and filtration, you need a bagged vacuum system. While the Meile has a hefty price tag, the machine can last for years before needing a new one.

What We Like
Full warranty
Long life span
12-stage air cleaner
Quiet
What We Don't
High price
Bagged vacuum

The problem with a lot of cordless stick vacuums is their lack of power. However, the leader in vacuums, Miele, has created the Miele TriFlex HX1 cordless stick vacuum. These powerful machines leave their competitors in the dust, so to speak. Though Miele has a hefty price tag, if you want a powerful stick vacuum you can take anywhere, this is it. The Miele stick vacuum has powerful suction and wide cleaning heads to pick up the dirt in all the areas you need. The battery is also said by the company to last about an hour. It also breaks off to become an easy-to-use canister vacuum; however, this can be a bit heavy. Reviewers of this product also noted the small dust canister and how the vacuum doesn't capture all the allergens.

What We Like
Convenience to take anywhere
Lightweight cleaner
Agile motion
What We Don't
Doesn't work well on all surfaces
Expensive
Small dust canister
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Black+Decker PowerSeries Extreme

Black+Decker PowerSeries Extreme

Black+Decker PowerSeries Extreme

Cordless stick vacuums are notoriously expensive. Therefore, finding a solid machine at a reasonable price can seem like a steal. The Black+Decker PowerSeries Extreme offers decent carpet cleaning and suction without breaking the bank. It works effectively on plush and tightly woven carpets and rugs to remove its fair share of dirt, grime, and debris. Since it works using the same batteries at the Black+Decker power tools, finding and charging a battery is pretty straightforward.

The pain point of this machine is the dust collector. Many reviewers stated that emptying it and replacing the filter can be difficult. It was also noted this model doesn't work as well on hardwood floors and is a bit heavy.

What We Like
Low price
Works well on carpet
Lots of battery choices
Good suction
What We Don't
Not great on hardwood
Dust collector causes issues

When you think of a robot vacuum, you think of Roomba for a reason. They are among the best. iRobot's Roomba s9+ doesn't disappoint. This machine offers intelligent smart navigation that is easy to control and program. It also has powerful suction messes for getting all the dirt out of your home. And, you don't have to empty it. This model features a self-emptying option to make your life easier. Since nothing in this world is perfect, Roomba S9+ does have a few different cons reviewers have noted. These include the noise and battery life. This model can only run for about 60 minutes before it needs to find its charging station. It's also a pretty hard wallop to the bank account at over $1,000.

What We Like
Powerful suction
Easy mapping
Attractive design
Self-emptying dustbin
What We Don't
Expensive
Loud
BISSELL CleanView Swivel Pet Rewind

BISSELL CleanView Swivel Pet Rewind

BISSELL CleanView Swivel Pet Rewind

Are you looking for an affordable vacuum with a lot of suction to clean your carpets? The Bissell Cleanveiw Swivel Rewind Pet might just become your new best friend. This vacuum has enough suction to stand up to competitors like Dyson for a fraction of the price. This is especially true if you have low pile carpet. However, it also works pretty well on plush carpeting too to remove anything from sugar to cereal. And you get different accessories for cleaning up after your pets. So, where does the Bissell fall short? Reviewers noted the design felt flimsy, and the machine had trouble picking up large debris from carpets. It tends to push the debris toward the wall rather than pick it up.

What We Like
Affordable
Good suction
Accessories
What We Don't
Flimsy build
Struggles with large debris
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Having a vacuum with interchangeable tools can be a must for my home since there are all different kinds of surfaces. The MOOSOO cordless Vacuum gives you options. You can use the stick vacuum to clean your floors of spills and dirt, and you can use the handheld tool to help you get your stairs gleaming once again. The MOOSOO K17 is also lightweight and compact, so it's easy to cart all over your house. But the compact size does make it, so it's not able to hold as much dirt. And, it doesn't maneuver as well as some of the other stick vacuums on the market, according to consumers.

What We Like
Good suction
Long-lasting in max setting
Compact
Lightweight
What We Don't
Trouble with large debris on hard surfaces
Small dustbin

What to Look for in a Vacuum

There are several engineering and design details to consider when deciding on who makes the best vacuum cleaner. Always look at the machine carefully, examining it for signs of quality manufacturing. Qualities to look for include:

  • Cogged belt that will resist breaking
  • Metal bottom plates or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic, a synthetic, durable material designed to last
  • Automatic shut off if the brush happens to get jammed
  • Generous warranty

Deciding Who Makes the Best Vacuum Cleaner for You

Once you have considered your home and your cleaning needs, then it is time to evaluate the vacuums according to the following criteria:

  • Lightness or weight
  • How easy it is to use
  • Durability
  • Overall customer satisfaction
  • Ease of purchasing parts, bags, and filters
  • Customer service
  • Cost

Try Before You Buy

You must see the actual vacuum in action before you decide to buy it. Contact the companies and find out how you can get a demonstration in your home. Find out where the authorized dealers are located and go to the store to see how the vacuum works. By researching before you buy, it is more likely that you will be happy with your purchase for a long time.

11 Best Vacuum Cleaners Proven to Dominate Dirt & Debris