Best vacuum cleaners 2024 in New Zealand: Dyson, Samsung, Miele and more

No two homes are the same, so finding the best vacuum cleaner for your needs can be quite the challenge, especially with so many models on the market. Whether you’re looking for a smart little robot vacuum to handle all the hard work, or need the versatility of a vacuum-mop for different floors throughout your home, we’ve tried and tested some of the very best vacuum cleaners in New Zealand to deliver you the top options across a range of needs and budgets.

Long-time vacuum brands like Dyson, Miele and Shark have consistently fought for the top spot, but there’s a bigger variety out there, with other tech giants like Samsung jumping in with fantastic entries that challenge – and even beat – the more well-known manufacturers in the floor cleaning space.

Vacuums have come a long way too – not only will they suck up dander, dirt and debris, but some models can even mop floors when needed, removing the need for a secondary gadget or the traditional mop and bucket. You can even delegate floor cleaning in its entirety to robots now, and integrate them into your smart home ecosystem for a more autonomous cleaning routine.

Of course, the more advanced you get, the more expensive it will be. But you don’t have to pay an arm and a leg for a good vacuum cleaner – there’s vacuums to suit just about every budget in this list, though the cheaper options might only perform the basic feats of a standard vacuum cleaner.

Ready to bust the dust? We’ve rounded up the best vacuum cleaners in New Zealand below, and listed out the pros and cons of each so you know exactly what you’re putting your money towards.

Best vacuums: the quick list

Best vacuum cleaner overall

The best vacuum cleaners in the business aren't just competing in terms of suction power, but also in design. While Dyson has been a leader in both areas for a very long time, Samsung has stepped up to challenge the market leader with its Bespoke Jet. Everything about the South Korean brand's new 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 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 needs it own power socket).

All this for a price that competes with the Dyson V15 Detect (see below) that can't do as much means there's value for money here if you're willing to make the initial 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

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Best Dyson

Dyson has expanded its range even further to deliver its first vacuum mop – the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine. Dyson stays true to its V-series range, with this model acting as a true design successor of the Dyson V15 Detect, and its new mopping capabilities are worthy of praise – though it’s not without fault, hence why the Samsung Bespoke Jet still reigns supreme.

You can’t mop and vacuum at the same time, so you don’t quite halve the time spent on chores like you can with some other vacuum mops out there. Additionally, its dirty water compartment doesn’t seal perfectly, with our review finding that moving between rooms would cause some of it to leak out. Additionally, the roller can also leave dirty streaks on the floor while stationary, but this was quickly cleaned up by mopping over that spot again.

But when you look past that, it’s a great functioning vacuum that tackles muddy tracks and dried stains with ease, especially thanks to its selection of attachments, including a new and improved Fluffy Optic cleaning head – though it’s only exclusively available through the Dyson website as part of the Dyson V15s Submarine Complete package.

Read our full Dyson V15s Detect Submarine review

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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 X1 Omni will do, and do way better than most other robot vacuum cleaners... if you're willing to splurge a little.

There’s not much we can fault with this little droid: it vacuums, it mops – although mopping isn't as good as you may like but it's got no elbows to apply grease – then empties its own bin and cleans out its dirty mop water. It will also clean the mopping pads all by itself. Yes, you read that right – if there was a machine to do it all and make you lazy, then this is it. No wonder it costs an arm and a leg.

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.

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 X1 Omni does its thing.

There's also a camera on board that can act as a security device for you. Since you can control the bot remotely via the companion app, you can send it on 'patrols' around your home and keep an eye on your pets if you need to.

If you really want to outsource your floor cleaning, this is the way to go.

Read our full Ecovacs Deebot X1 Omni review

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Best for homes with pets

There are plenty of corded vacuum cleaners available on the market that are a lot cheaper than the Blizzard CX1 Excellence but you'll be hard pressed to find one as powerful. It employs what Miele calls Vortex Technology wherein air moving at speeds of over 100kph ensures it sucks up fine dust or hair that's embedded deep within carpet fibres. 

That kind of power is plenty for old, dirty carpets and for a household with pets. And with three tools shipping with the vacuum – and stored on the body of the CX1 Excellence for easy reach – you can clean different surfaces and get into every nook and cranny. You can even reach for the cobwebs on the ceiling with the telescope tube.

With a cord of 6.5m in length, which retracts with a single, quick push of a button (no, you don't need to keep it pressed down), you get a full reach of up to 10m. The wheels move 360 degrees and it can even be stood upright if necessary.

Emptying the large bin is also easy, and you won't need to touch the lid to empty it out either. There's a discreet little button which will release the lid – you will have to push it close though and, if you're finicky, you can wash it out completely.

And where most vacuum cleaners require you to change the HEPA filter after a certain duration to ensure maximum efficiency, the CX1 Excellence has an AirClean filter that lasts a lifetime. There's also a CleanStream fine dust filter that cleans itself automatically, or you can do it yourself with just a press of a button.

The design is also quite sleek. It looks like a futuristic machine, with sharp angles on the sides. If storing space isn't an issue – as corded barrel vacuums can take up space – then we can't recommend this machine highly enough.

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Best vacuum mop

If your home has predominantly hard floors, the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro can halve the time you spend cleaning. That’s because it will mop, deodorise and vacuum all at once, and it does so with 40 minutes of battery life, which, when compared to standard vacuums is a bit lacklustre, but considering it performs both mopping and vacuuming at the same time, that’s a pretty decent runtime and an improvement on other Tineco hardfloor vacuums such as the Tineco Floor One S5 Pro.

It’s got some intelligent features too, with three different modes so you can get the most effective clean. Its auto-mode is extremely impressive, and it will automatically adjust water flow and suction power when it detects changes in dirt or dust level. You can see exactly what it’s doing, as well as its battery life, on its LED display that sports delightful and useful visuals to help keep you on top of your cleaning routine.

The Floor One S7 Pro will also alert you when it needs to undergo a self-cleaning cycle, though it’s not fully self sufficient – you’ll need to clean out the dirty water tank after each run, as well as the cleaning head if you have pets. But these components all feature an easy snap connection, so it’s a mild inconvenience at worst.

Read our full Tineco Floor One S7 Pro review

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Best for large homes

Go big or go home with the Dyson Gen5outsize, a massive vacuum that comes at a premium price point. Retailing for NZ$1,799, this big unit has been designed to tackle larger homes, hosting a massive 1.9L dust canister – over twice the size of most other Dyson stick vacuums.

Having only been released in Aotearoa in the second half of 2023, this vacuum takes the baton from the now hard-to-find Dyson V11 Outsize as the largest stick vacuum offered by the British brand. It even comes with a longer battery life than ever before, with Dyson promising a full 70-minutes of runtime, just like its smaller companion, the Dyson Gen5detect.

There’s some key design changes to support this larger model, such as a power button rather than the trigger sported by Dyson’s V-series, and larger cleaning heads so you can cover a bigger area in a shorter amount of time. With a maximum of 280 air watts of suction at your disposal – albeit at the max setting –  the Gen5outsize is one of the most powerful stick vacuums around and can outperform the Samsung Bespoke Jet’s 210AW motor that’s on offer in New Zealand.

We haven’t reviewed the Dyson Gen5outsize itself, but check out the Dyson Gen5detect review to see how the Gen5 Dyson vacuums perform

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Best mid-range Dyson

With the arrival of the new Dyson V15 Detect and the V12 Detect Slim models, the older V7 and V8 will slowly start fading away into obscurity. After all, they can't match what the newer models do. And that brings us to the Dyson Cyclone V10.

It's now the midrange model in Dyson's stick vacuum arsenal and is often discounted, so it's possible to suck it up for a lower price than its current RRP. So you'll be getting a lot more bang for your buck here.

It's the first Dyson cordless to offer a maximum of 60 minutes fade-free battery life – provided you're on the lowest suction mode and using a non-motorised attachment – and all those marvellous innovations that we're seeing carried forward to the V11 and V15 ranges.

The V10 introduced us to the 0.76L bin canister, that's far better than the 0.54L bin in the V8 models. It also proved to us that cordless vacuum cleaners are more than capable of competing with traditional corded ones, like the Miele listed above.

Even the motor Dyson used in the V7s and V8s underwent a massive upgrade, with the V10 digital motor capable of an impressive 125,000 rpm (or 2,000 revolutions per second) as compared to the 108,000 rpm on the older handsticks. That means far superior suction, even on the lowest setting – 30% more than the V8 to be precise.

It's also easy to handle while cleaning ceilings, and quickly converts into a smaller handheld option for cleaning cars or furniture upholstery. 

Read our full Dyson Cyclone V10 review

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Best for smart homes

If you’ve got the cash to splurge and want to add a robot vacuum to your smart home ecosystem, iRobot’s Roomba Combo J7 Plus fits the bill. Not only is it low maintenance, adjusting its own suction power with useful sensors that detect dirt levels, but you can pair it with smart home speakers and hubs to control its routines with Alexa, Google Assistant or Siri.

Additionally, while mapping out your house, the Roomba Combo J7 Plus will also highlight spots that need a little more care, and will snap any obstacles or errors for you to check in the app, allowing you to keep an eye on how effective its cleaning routes are and adjust where needed.

Outside of the useful smart features, our reviewer was impressed with its cleaning features and performance – it sports retractable mop pads so they don’t drag across carpeted areas, and dual rubber brushes to stop hair from getting tangled. It’s not perfect though, as the mop pads need to be fully soaked before they give an effective clean, and the side brush can flick debris around, but quick spot cleans where necessary to leave your floors looking great. It also comes with an auto-empty charging dock that it’s quite good at locating all on its lonesome.

Read our full iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus review

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Best 3-in-1 vacuum

As Miele’s most powerful vacuum yet, the Triflex HX2 Pro really packs a punch when it comes to cleaning. Staying true to the HX1’s fantastic 3-in-1 design, you’ll be able to swap it between a handheld, a standard stick and a long-armed flexible vacuum, so you can thoroughly clean the entire house, including those pesky hard-to-reach places.

The Miele HX2 Pro’s function is as fantastic as its design – it will automatically detect when you move between carpeted areas and hard floors, adjusting suction accordingly to ensure a good clean regardless of the surface. However, its small dust canister and battery leave a lot to be desired, and you’ll only get 28 minutes max from one full charge. Miele has taken this into consideration, including a secondary battery in the box so you can swap it out when flat, giving you a total of 56 minutes between the two.

When compared to other Miele vacuums, it’s quite a bit more expensive, sporting a regular price tag of NZ$1,399. But if you need the versatility of a 3-in-1, and want an alternative to a Dyson cordless stick vacuum, the Miele Triflex HX2 Pro will do the trick.

Read our full Miele Triflex HX2 Pro review

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Best barrel vacuum

This barrel vacuum has a worthy spot in this guide for so many reasons. Shark is a renowned brand of vacuum cleaner that rivals Dyson with its cordless range, whilst offering something different with the corded vacuums. Because it's a Shark it comes with an anti hair wrap brushroll – always useful to have on a vacuum cleaner.

Performance wise we found that pick-up and manoeuvrability was good on the floors, and equally as impressive reaching overhead and on upholstery. The 1.6 litre dust canister capacity is a large size that we feel will suit bigger homes or indeed, homes with pets, very well.

However the wand hose makes this a bulky vacuum cleaner to store. We also found that the wand can be cumbersome when cleaning overhead and unlike some other Shark vacuum cleaners, the brushroll can't be switched off.

Read our full Shark Bagless Bagless Vacuum CZ250 review

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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. 

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.

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How we test

How we test vacuum cleaners

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.