How to Choose the Best Vacuum Cleaner for Your Home
Another one fights the dust.
When choosing a new vacuum cleaner, there are many factors to consider, like the type of flooring you have, how deeply you want to clean, and optional features to enhance your vacuum. With so many choices available, read our vacuum buying guide to help you choose the best vacuum cleaner for your home.
1. Choose a Vacuum Design
It's important to understand the different types of vacuum cleaners and their cleaning capacities before you make a decision. We’ll help you narrow down your options based on ease of use and your cleaning needs.
Canister: Canister vacuums have a main tank that sits on the floor with the hose connected to it. They have high maneuverability and are easy to lift, making them perfect for tight corners and stairs. While their low-lying design makes moving them around easier, it may cause you to bend over more, which can be an issue if you have back pain. If this is a concern for you, be sure to look for designs that include hand controls or longer hoses.
Upright: Upright vacuums are the most commonly used vacuums because they’re very adaptable and work on many types of flooring. They’re efficient for cleaning large areas and have all the attachments accessible on the unit itself, coming with a hose, brush, and vacuum bag, which are all easily swappable. If you’re worried about these vacuums being hard to transport, look for lightweight models to improve movability.
Stick: This style of vacuum is lightweight and easy to control – perfect for regular use. Their slim designs allow you to use them in a variety of spaces like your home and car. For added convenience, look for battery-powered stick vacuums to eliminate cords and increase their portability.
Robotic: Robotic vacuums automate cleaning and charging while you’re away. You can schedule these devices to clean whenever you’re out of the house so you come home to spotless floors. Robotic vacuums have smart technology that allows them to detect walls and edges, and over time, it will remember the layout of your home for more efficient cleaning. While robotic vacuums are a huge time saver, they don’t match the cleaning power of other models.
Handheld: Ideal for quick spills and tight spaces, handheld vacuums are extremely easy to carry and store. While these should not be your primary vacuum, we recommend having a handheld option for quick tasks.
Car: Car vacuums are essentially handheld vacuums with special attachments meant to reach all the tiny and hard-to-reach corners in cars. These also often plug into the cigarette lighter port for power.
Carpet Deep Cleaner: This type of cleaner provides professional-grade shampooing for your carpets using heated water and suction. Use this on stained or worn carpets to keep them looking refreshed and new. Many options include several brushes to spot-treat stubborn stains.
Steam Cleaner: Steam cleaners provide powerful steam to deep clean hardwood, tile, and other hard surface floors – leaving your floors with a polished and shiny finish. These are also great for getting rid of tough stains and grime.
Wet & Dry: Wet and dry vacuums can handle tough pieces of debris that would break other types of vacuums, making them perfect for industrial settings like your garage. Their dual functionality also allows them to clean up liquids. These vacuums are versatile and have high performance for a wide variety of tasks.
High-Pile Carpet: Carpets are considered high-pile if they are 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick. A popular example of this is a shag rug. These are typically the hardest to vacuum, so we recommend purchasing a vacuum with a setting to adapt to high-pile carpets. Upright and canister vacuums are the safest option for these carpets, but be sure to look for lightweight models, as these are easier to push along the surface.
Low-Pile Carpet: Pile height measures how high the fibers in carpets reach. Low-pile carpet is considered to be under 1/4 inch tall. Canister vacuums are the most popular choice for low-pile carpets. We also recommend using a carpet deep cleaner regularly to keep your carpet soft and vibrant.
Upholstery: Canister, handheld, and backpack vacuums work perfectly on upholstery. For an even deeper clean, use an upholstery attachment, which looks like a small, flat head, to reach all the deep dirt. This attachment can be used on surfaces like sofas, mattresses, curtains, and chairs.
Hardwood/Wood Laminate: Stick, upright, robotic, and canister vacuums are the best option for hardwood and laminate floors. If you’ll only be vacuuming on hardwood, stick and robotic vacuums may be the easiest solution. However, if you’re vacuuming multiple surfaces, an upright or canister style is more powerful.
Tile: Stick vacuums are easy to maneuver and are ideal for tile floors. They’ll easily glide along the floor and reach into the grout lines. You should also regularly use a steam mop to prevent stains and keep your tile looking brand new.
Marble: Similar to tile, stick vacuums and steam cleaners work the best on marble. When vacuuming, be careful not to scratch the surface.
Lightweight: Having a lightweight vacuum can never hurt! This is an especially important feature in upright vacuums, as they are typically the heaviest to move around. Lightweight vacuums are especially handy in multistory homes that require carrying the vacuum up and down stairs.
Quiet: If you usually do your cleaning or vacuuming in the early morning or at night, this is a great option. While these vacuums still aren’t completely silent, they’ll greatly reduce the amount of noise and headache that comes from vacuuming. Say goodbye to those earplugs!
Cordless: This feature allows you to freely move around your house without being constrained by a cord. Simply keep your vacuum charging when it’s not in use, and grab it when you’re ready to clean. Cordless vacuums can last anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour, so be sure to check your vacuum’s runtime in its product specifications.
Bagless: Bagless vacuums don’t require replacement bags and can be emptied directly into your trash can. Although they require more frequent emptying, bagless vacuums are helpful if you accidentally vacuum something up like a small piece of jewelry or a kid’s toy accessory.
Bagged: Bagged vacuum cleaners require you to change the bag when it becomes full, which means you’ll need to buy extra bags as replacements. If you suffer from allergies, we recommend bagged vacuums because you’ll have less contact with the dust and dirt inside than when emptying a bagless vacuum. Depending on factors like the size of your home, number of pets, or flooring type, it can take 2 to 6 months for a bag to fill and require replacement.
Pile-Height Adjuster: This feature adjusts the height of the vacuum’s suction depending on the floor surface. This allows you to seamlessly vacuum from low-pile carpet to hardwood to high-pile carpet without having to worry about damaging your floors. Some models will have an automatic height adjuster, while others will have a manual switch.
Pet-Friendly: Picking up all your pet’s hair can be a painstaking chore. These vacuums have specific attachments designed to quickly grab pet hair and tackle stains and pet dander. Generally, vacuums with higher amperage will also be the best vacuums for pet hair.
