Investing in one of the best vacuum cleaners should make floor cleaning easier and less of a chore than it already is. They should, in fact, save you time and let you use minimal effort to get the job done.
So it's not wonder that most companies have moved away from making the traditional canister (or barrel) vacuums to expanding their cordless range. In fact, it's probably safe to say that, these days, the best vacuum cleaners are synonymous with the best cordless stick vacuums.
Today, vacuums come in all shapes and sizes, so choosing the right one for your home's needs is probably the chore, not the cleaning itself. So how do you decide which vacuum to buy? While your budget is, of course, the most important thing to consider, it's also important to figure out what kind of vacuum is best for your household.
For example, if you don't want to vacuum at all, you might want to considering getting a robot vacuum cleaner. If you need more versatility, perhaps a cordless vacuum will be a better option. Don't want to worry about a battery running out mid-clean if you live in a large home? Opt for a traditional barrel vacuum instead and, the good news is, Miele still makes some excellent canister options.
No matter what kind of vacuum might suit you, you'll want one that performs well and possibly offer some extra features that can help tailor your cleaning experience specifically to your household.
To help you choose, we've tested a wide range of vacuum cleaner models to see which ones offer not just the best suction, but which ones can also make floor care an easier chore. From larger barrel vacuums to little robots that do it all, we've curated a list of the best vacuums you can get in Australia to help you narrow down the search for your next cleaning machine.
Every entry on this list will help bust the dust and keep your floors free of dirt, fur and more. From Dyson to Miele, Samsung to Shark, there's something here for every household.
Recent updates
December 2024: Missed the Black Friday sales? Don't fret as the Boxing Day sales are about to begin and you'll be able to save some money on a new vacuum. With that in mind, we've removed any old products from our list and replaced with newer models that are available to buy and worth you money.
Sharmishta has spent the last seven years testing vacuum cleaners of all shapes and sizes – Dyson, Shark, Ecovacs and other brands in between. She's fascinated by how far robot vacuums have come in the last few years, but is always on the lookout for a lightweight cordless vacuum that gets into the tight spaces of her flat.
Best vacuums: the quick list
Best for most people
It might be small, but it's might. This Shark vacuum is our favourite overall because it's versatile, effective,and packs some impressive power for a cordless model. It's also self-emptying and doesn't require replaceable dust bags.
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Best for suction
Dyson is arguably the most popular vacuum cleaner brand in Australia, and rightly so. While it can be heavy for some users, the Gen5detect is a powerhouse that will give your floors a thorough clean, even on carpets.
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Best self-emptying
This Samsung can vacuum, mop and empty its bin into a replaceable dust bag housed in the self-cleaning charging dock. Not only is the suction for the vacuum excellent, the suction to empty the dust canister is the best there is – nothing compares.
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Best robot vacuum
There's probably nothing else like it on the market – not only will it vacuum and mop your floors, then empty and clean the water tank, there's also a small handheld cordless unit for those little spot cleans on stairs or the ceiling.
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Best wet-and-dry mop
The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is that is mops remarkably well and that's despite the velvet roller suffering from a design flaw. That comes at no compromise to the vacuuming prowess – if you can spare the cash, this is a good all-rounder.
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Best for large homes
While we haven't reviewed it ourselves, it combines all that was good in the V11 Outsize with the power of the Gen5detect. A 1.9L bin canister with up to 70 minutes of runtime, and bigger cleaning heads makes it perfectly suited for larger homes.
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Best for pet hair
An excellent hair-detangling floor head, strong suction and an anti-odour puck make this cordless vacuum an excellent choice for pet owners.
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Best upright
If you're willing to sacrifice the versatility of a cordless stick vac, this corded upright delivers powerful suction and allows for uninterrupted cleaning.
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Best for hard floors
This cordless option is able to vacuum and mop at the same time, doing an impressive job while it's at it. You'll need to give it some help, but it also has a self-cleaning function that makes maintenance easy.
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Best vacuum cleaner overall
It might have a small bin canister of just 0.4L on the handstick itself, but the Shark Cordless Detect Pro with Auto-empty System has another 2L bin that can store up to 30 days of dust, dirt and dander. Better yet, there's no ongoing costs here to buy replaceable dust bags as Shark has designed its charging dock to house a rectangular washable bin instead. And this dock barely takes up any space.
To make sure this larger bin doesn't cause a stink, you have the option to use a deodoriser – what Shark calls odour-neutralising technology. Purchasing this is optional, of course, but you will need make sure you clean out the dock regularly.
Speaking of the technology here: it doesn't have the most powerful suction, but there's dynamic suction here that effectively vacuums different floor types. Importantly, it has sensors on the motorised cleaning head that knows when a wall is near and automatically boosts suction to clean edges.
Like the Fluffy Optics from Dyson, this vacuum also has a light on its main attachment, but it only lights up dark spaces like under furniture, as opposed to showing up invisible dust on the floor as the Dyson does.
The machine is remarkably light and easy to manoeuvre, there's plenty of suction to clean out the small bin on the handstick and there's up to 60 minutes of runtime on a single charge that's more than enough for an average two-bedroom home, or maybe even a little larger.
Read our in-depth Shark Detect Pro Cordless review
Best for suction
There's no arguing that Dyson makes some of the best cordless vacuum cleaners, but it's done an excellent job boosting power in the Gen5detect. 14 radial cyclones within the machine generate a huge amount of suction power – 262 air watts to be precise – to pull up even find dust, but it's also quite good on deeply embedded hair and debris within carpet fibres.
In our testing, we loved the Fluffy Optic's light that illuminated dust and hair that the naked eye would normally miss – just leave it in Auto mode and it will do the best job needed depending on the mess you've got on the floor.
Also improved is the battery life – the Gen5detect can run up to 70 minutes when using a non-motorised cleaning tool, which is better than any model than came before. This, however, means Dyson has had to use a bigger battery capacity, which makes the whole machine heavier than any of its V-series predecessors. At 3.5kg, it's a heavyweight, with most of it on the handle and that makes it cumbersome to use handheld for long periods of time.
As with the Dyson V15 Detect that came before it, you get a visual representation of the dirt and debris being sucked up, displayed graphically on the screen at the top of the handle.
If you think you're strong enough to take on its weight and have the budget to spend on a vacuum, this one's good for carpets and pet hair alike.
Read our full Dyson Gen5detect review
Best self-emptying vacuum
The best vacuum cleaners in the business aren't just competing in terms of suction power, but also in design and feature set. While Dyson has been a market leader for a very long time, Samsung has stepped up to the challenge with its Bespoke Jet. Everything about the South Korean brand's latest vacuum cleaner is well thought out, doing a lot more than what any Dyson cordless vacuum cleaner can do.
Firstly, it self-cleans thanks to its Clean Station (also a free-standing charging dock) that sucks out the gunk from the dust canister at the push of a button. Secondly, it comes with four power modes, with the highest – called Jet – able to suck up a whole load of matted hair and fur off a piled carpet in a single pass. And then there's its ability to mop and... well, sweep (sort of) too.
Importantly, it comes with two batteries, each with up to 60 minutes of runtime, and a plethora of accessories to get at any kind of dirt you need to. And when not in use, it looks pretty darn neat just standing up in a corner somewhere. All the tools and accessories have their own little cradle, which admittedly requires extra floor space but also provides a charging dock for the second battery (so it also needs it own power socket).
All this for a price that competes with the Dyson V15 Detect that can't do as much means there's value for money here if you're willing to make the initial high investment and take into consideration the ongoing cost of purchasing the disposable dust bags for the Clean Station.
Read our full Samsung Bespoke Jet review
Best robot vacuum
The main reason to get yourself a robot vacuum cleaner is so you can either put your feet up and get something else to do all the hard work for you, or so you get more time to do more important things – or perhaps both. And that's exactly what the Deebot T30S Combo will do, and do way better than most other robot vacuum cleaners... if you're willing to splurge a little.
We called it "an almost perfect robot vacuum", featuring retractable mops that do a good job of cleaning along room edges but, importantly, it can do a hot mop that's better at cleaning floors. It won't sanitise like steam, but it's the next best thing. During our testing we found that the hot-water mopping doesn't necessarily tackle all kinds of stains, but it does a better job than a lot of other mopping robovacs we've tested.
Ecovacs has also improved its voice assistant if you want to use to control the T30S Combo.
Where it really stands out is the additional handheld vacuum unit that's attached to the side of the self-cleaning charging dock. It's great for the quick spot cleans when you don't want the robot vacuum to be running around your home. And, if you live in a home with stairs, you can use the handheld unit to give those a quick clean as the droid will steer clear of those. Once your done, the dock will suck out the dirt collected within the dust canister of the handheld unit too.
Cleaning probably doesn't get more full-featured than this.
You are going to need some decent amount of floor space to stow it, though, as the docking station is large. That's understandable as it's got two tanks in there, plus the nest for the handheld unit.
While its mapping and obstacle avoidance tech is quite impressive, it will plow over or thin cables and socks (or other smaller items), so you'd still need to make sure you pick up bits and bobs before the T30S Combo does its thing.
If you really want to outsource your floor cleaning, this is the way to go.
Read our full Ecovacs Deebot T30S Combo review
Best vacuum mop
It's admittedly hard to recommend a vacuum cleaner that costs you well over a grand, but that's quite standard with a lot of Dyson's latest vacuum cleaners. And, honestly, if you're getting an attachment that can also mop, it could well be worth every penny you spend.
The Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is an excellent vacuum, as you'd expect from the British brand, but the new Submarine wet roller attachment is the headline act here. It's made from velvet and it's more than capable of cleaning up wet and dry spills – if it's wet, it mops your floor dry; if it's a dry spill, it can be wet enough to clean up dried-up stains.
What it isn't great at is keeping the dirty water inside the compartment when it starts filling up. It's not sealed so, when full, and you're moving the appliance, it can create its own spills. It's not a deal breaker but can be annoying, despite coming with a spill tray.
If you can spare the extra cash for the Dyson-exclusive Complete model, then you also get an upgraded Fluffy Optic that has an LED light that shines brighter and with a broader beam than the original laser-lit one that came with the older V15.
As both a vacuum and mop, the V15s Detect Submarine does well along room edges too, but be wary of the mop leaving dirty water stains on the walls if you're running it perpendicular to the edge. All in all, it's a good all-rounder for all kinds of floors, with up to 60 minutes battery life.
The only downside to this Dyson is its uneven weight distribution that makes it slightly harder to use as a handheld.
Read our full Dyson V15s Detect Submarine review
You'd think that that larger homes are best served by corded barrel vacuums, but you can opt for a cordless one as long you get a large bin canister and bigger tools to get the job done in one go. And the Dyson Gen5outsize can do that for you.
While we haven't reviewed this specific model, it's a love child of the Dyson V11 Outsize and the Dyson Gen5detect. It inherits its bin capacity and large footprint of its floor cleaners from the former, but gets the suction power and updated tools of the latter. What it throws into the mix is its 70-minute runtime, which is 10 minutes more than the Gen5detect.
The larger battery, bin and attachments, however, make it a heavy beast, but if that doesn't bother you, the Gen5outsize is a fantastic investment if you need to keep a large floor space clean. And the good news is we've seen it drop in price dramatically over major sales, so hold off till you see a good discount.
Read our full Dyson V11 Outsize review and our Dyson Gen5detect review as they both embody what the Gen5outsize is like.
Best vacuum for pet hair
The Shark Stratos Cordless is the best vacuum if you need to tackle pet hair. It packs an impressive amount of power for a cordless model and boasts a few features that make it especially well suited to households with hairy pets (or indeed, hairy humans). The main floorhead – which is suitable for hard floors as well as carpet – is designed in such a way that it'll siphon hair off the brushroll as you clean, and direct it straight into the dust cup. This stops things getting clogged, while the built-in odor neutralizer keeps it all smelling fresh.
There's up to a full hour's cleaning on one charge, and a generously sized dust cup, which means you can clean for longer without having to empty it. A wand that can bend forwards to 90-degrees means getting right under furniture is a cinch, and on test we were also impressed with this vacuum’s ability to remove hair from furniture when used in handheld and Boost mode. All those factors mean it sits at the top of our best vacuum for pet hair guide.
If you don't have such demanding cleaning needs, you'd be better off with the Shark Cordless Detect Pro (#1 on this list), which is lighter and more streamlined. On the flip side, if you need maximum power and are happy to sacrifice manoeuvrability to get it, you can't beat a corded upright like Shark Stratos Upright (see below).
We haven't tested the Australian version of the Shark Stratos Cordless, but we have tried the UK model, which is identical but with a different name.
Read our full Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ IZ862H review
The best upright vacuum cleaner
If you want outright power, a corded upright is typically the best option, and our top pick in this category is the Shark Stratos Upright. If you need something for deep cleans, it's an excellent choice, and on test we found it was great for tackling pet hair, too. The cord means there's no time limit on your cleaning session, and the large dust cup means you won't be traipsing back and forth from the trash can, either. Like many of Shark's newer vacuums, there's an anti-odor puck that keeps things smelling fresh.
While it's clearly bulkier and heavier than the cordless vacuums in this list (including the stick option from the same range, at #5), it has been designed for maximum flexibility within that upright form factor. So the dust cup / motor part can be lifted off and held in your hand, and the cleaner head added to the end of a stretch hose – super useful for tackling things like stairs. If you're not sure it's right for you, our guide to the best upright vacuums has plenty of alternative options.
As with the Shark Stratos Cordless listed above, we haven't tested the Australian SKU of the Upright either. However, our colleagues in the UK have, where it goes by a different name but is otherwise very similar.
Read our full Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review
Best hard-floor specialist
If you want a more complete cleaning solution for hard floors than a vacuum that also comes with a mop attachment, we think the Shark HydroVac fits the bill nicely. This model offers top-notch vacuuming and mopping, both done at the same time by the same cleaning attachment, and is very effective.
Our reviewer found that it did an excellent job on a wide array of messes, including wet cereal spills and baked beans, and also did a good job of cleaning up door mats.
It's one downside is that without additional attachments, it doesn't quite get into tight spaces like corners. Also, our tester discovered that despite having a self-cleaning functionality, you will need to make sure the water tank and brush have actually cleaned out properly so it's ready for the next use.
While Shark doesn't declare what capacity the tank is in the Australian version, we suspect it's small as the UK version is only 500ml. But that means it's also a lot lighter than similar models from competitors like Tineco, some of which can weigh upwards of 8 kilos.
It's also not too expensive and, at AU$399, balances functionality and price very well indeed.
Read our full Shark HydroVac Pro XL review
Best vacuum cleaner FAQs
What to consider when buying a vacuum cleaner
As we’ve mentioned already, knowing which type of vacuum to choose can end up leaving you confused. However, considering the type of property you have will help you decide.
These days, cordless vacuums are some of the most powerful vacuums when it comes to suction and they ensure you’re not restricted by the length of the wire. However they can also be some of the most expensive too. Check how long the battery will last between charges, and whether the battery is swappable, so you can simply replace it and carry on vacuuming, rather than the floor cleaner being out of action completely while it recharges.
Corded vacuums are often more affordable than cordless models, and many have wider floor headers, which can ensure vacuuming is a much quicker task. Although if you have nooks and crannies the vacuum may not be able to reach them. For those with stairs, consider models with extra-long hoses so you can clean the stairs without moving the vacuum.
Robot vacuums are good for regular cleans, however with suction that can’t match the best cordless vacuums they’re not suitable for a deep clean, and struggle to suck up dust embedded in carpets.
Households with pets will need a vacuum that can handle pet hair and if you want to use it to clean more than just floors, you’ll need one that converts to a handheld cleaner and comes with plenty of useful attachments.
And if you have hard floors, look for a vacuum cleaner that comes with a dedicated cleaner head, which has a softer brush roll to ensure the flooring isn’t damaged when vacuuming.
Whichever style you select, consider whether the dust canister is large enough to clean all of the floors in your home, without needing to stop and be emptied half way through.
Dyson vs Shark: which brand has better vacuums?
Shark and Dyson are two of the biggest names dominating the floor care market right now, so if you’re considering kitting your home out with a powerful new vacuum, it makes sense to opt for one of these brands. But which is best?
In a nutshell, Dyson vacuums are more expensive but this ensures you get a vacuum cleaner that’s extremely powerful but still lightweight and easy to maneuver around your home. Dyson vacuums are stuffed with cutting edge technology too, from lasers that highlight hidden dust to innovative floor heads that can be moved in any direction. If you prefer a cordless model, they also come with long-lasting batteries too.
Shark’s vacuum cleaners are more affordable than Dyson’s offerings, but they can still match the stalwart when it comes to suction power. Shark models are not usually as sleek and stylish as Dyson’s, and they’re often heavier too, but they do come with useful technology such as the ability to stop hair getting tangled around the brush and flexible wands to ensure you can clean in hard to reach places.
Shark vacuums tend to have larger dust canisters than most of Dyson’s models, but the battery doesn’t last as long. So are they better? It very much depends on the layout of your home and your budget. Read our Shark vs Dyson article for a more in-depth look at the two floor-cleaning brands.
How often should you vacuum?
“When the floor looks dirty” we hear you cry, but to keep your home allergen-free and your floors as clean as possible, you’ll need to vacuum more regularly than this.
We recommend vacuuming most floors once a week while increasing this to twice a week in high-traffic areas such as hallways and doorways. Especially, if you have carpet, as the longer dust is left, the more it becomes embedded in the fibres making it hard to thoroughly clean.
While this may seem like a lot, vacuuming this regularly will ensure there is less dust to suck up each time, making cleaning your floors a quicker process.
For more on this, head to our full feature on how often should you vacuum?
How we test
How we test vacuum cleaners
Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
To find the best vacuum cleaner, we’ve assessed how well each model collects everything from fine dust and dirt to larger debris such as cookie crumbs and cereal. As well as evaluating how well floors are cleaned, we’ve also compared how easy the vacuum cleaners are to manoeuvre on carpet and hard floors, as well as whether dust pickup is evenly distributed across the cleaning head or concentrated in one area.
We rated each design on how durable it is, as well as simplicity of emptying, how loud it is during use and how long the battery lasts (if it has one). For each model we wanted to know whether it was easy to convert into other modes – such as a handheld vac – the useful tools and accessories it came with to clean edges or remove pet hair, and that it didn’t require reading a thick instruction manual before use.
