If your carpets are looking a little worse for wear, one of the best upright vacuum cleaners could be just the muscle you need. These bigger machines are built for deep cleaning, with wide floorheads and generous dust bins that come in handy in larger, carpeted homes. They're particularly useful if you're forever fishing pet hair out of the pile, too. Most are corded, so you can keep cleaning without watching the battery percentage tick ominously towards zero halfway through the living room.
At TechRadar, we've been testing vacuum cleaners for the past nine years, reviewing more than 185 models, including 41 new vacuums last year alone. We put each upright through standardised suction tests and try it out on different floor types to see how it handles the messes that actually happen at home. That includes checking whether it can lift stubborn hair from carpet, as well as how much effort it takes to steer the machine around furniture. Strong suction is great, but less so if cleaning the lounge leaves you needing a lie-down.
Of course, an upright isn't always the answer. If you're after something lighter for quick clean-ups or live in a smaller space with limited storage, our guide to the best cordless vacuums might suit you better. Our wider best vacuum cleaner guide covers other styles, too. But if your carpets need serious attention and you'd rather not stop to recharge halfway through, these are the uprights we'd put to work.
Black Friday is coming up on Friday, November 27, 2026, making now a good time to research upright vacuums before the sales begin. Use this guide to work out which model suits your home and cleaning habits, so you can spot a genuine bargain when the discounts land rather than buying on price alone.
The best upright vacuums 2025: tried and tested
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.
The best upright vacuum for most people
✅ You appreciate smart cleaning features: Dirt Detect lights show when an area is getting cleaner, and edge detection helps tackle dust along skirting boards.
✅ You have lots of carpet: It performed particularly well on carpets, picking up fine debris and hair very well.
❌ You need to clean tight spaces: The bulky floorhead can be awkward to manoeuvre around furniture.
❌ You want an easy-to-carry vacuum: At around 8kg, it's a hefty machine to move around, and the cord can get underfoot.
The Shark PowerDetect Upright makes a strong case for being the first vacuum most people should consider. It cleans carpets impressively well, and its powered lift-away design means you can tackle the stairs without wrestling the whole machine up them. Its Dirt Detect lights are a useful extra, too, changing from purple to white as an area gets cleaner.
The floorhead is designed to handle different floor types, and the corded design means you won't have to stop halfway through because the battery has run flat. It can also clean effectively when pulled backwards, making it easier to cover an area without constantly repositioning the vacuum.
On test, the PowerDetect did a particularly good job on carpet, lifting fine debris and pet hair from the pile. Larger bits of debris were more of a sticking point, though, and sometimes needed a second pass.
The bulky floorhead can be awkward around furniture, and the cord has a habit of getting underfoot. Still, if you want a powerful, feature-packed upright and don't mind a heavier machine, the PowerDetect is a great choice for homes with plenty of carpet to keep clean. It's less suited to anyone on a tight budget or looking for something lightweight and nimble. See below for plenty more options!
Read more: Shark PowerDetect Upright review
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Design |
Versatile, with useful detection features. However, bulky and heavy. |
4.5 / 5 |
Performance |
Excellent carpet cleaning and effective hair pickup. Larger debris can need a second pass. |
4 / 5 |
Value |
Feature-packed with strong cleaning performance, but bulky for the price. |
4 / 5 |
The best budget upright vacuum
✅ You have lots of carpet: The powerful corded motor delivers deep, consistent cleaning and lifted debris our cordless vacuum had missed.
✅ You hate tangled hair: Hoover's Anti-Twist brushbar keeps hair from wrapping around the roller, reducing maintenance.
✅ You want a lightweight upright: At under 5kg, it's easy to carry upstairs and manoeuvre around furniture.
❌ You want premium build quality: The plasticky finish and attachments don't feel as refined as pricier rivals.
❌ You want hassle-free emptying: The dust bin's release button is a little too easy to trigger.
If you're in the UK and looking for an affordable upright vacuum that doesn't skimp on cleaning power, the Hoover HL2 TurboStyle is an easy recommendation. It won't win any awards for flashy features, but after testing we came away impressed by just how well it cleaned. It's also surprisingly light for a corded upright, making it easy to steer around furniture and carry upstairs.
Its 850W motor delivers strong, consistent suction on both carpets and hard floors, and the generous 2.5L bin means you can clean for longer before needing to empty it. We were also big fans of the Anti-Twist brushbar, which kept long hair and pet fur from wrapping around the roller, saving us from the dreaded job of cutting it free after every few cleans.
Of course, this is a budget vacuum, and it feels like one in places. The plastics aren't especially premium, the attachments are fairly basic, and the overly eager bin release caught us out more than once. You also miss out on premium extras like lift-away functionality, automatic floor detection and anti-odor technology.
Still, if all you really want is an upright that cleans well, is easy to push around and doesn't cost a fortune, the HL2 TurboStyle is proof you don't need to spend hundreds of pounds to get a genuinely capable vacuum.
Read our full Hoover HL2 TurboStyle review
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Design |
Lots of useful features, but the bin lifts off too easily. |
3.5 / 5 |
Performance |
Excellent suction and great for floors, but vacuuming stairs is tricky. |
4 / 5 |
Value |
Competitively priced and good value for the quality of product. |
4 / 5 |
The best upright vacuum for pet hair
✅ You want versatility: The bin section can be removed and the cleaner head used on the end of a flexible wand, making this suitable for more awkward spaces.
✅ You have a pet: This vacuum has an anti-odor puck designed to stop bad smells building up from the dust canister.
❌ You want a longer cord: The cord here is about standard length, but if you want more maneuvering room, the Dyson at #6 gives you a couple of extra meters.
❌ You want a bigger bin: Again, the bin is about standard size, but the Dyson #6 has a bigger one.
The Shark Stratos Pet Pro Upright Vacuum is our favourite upright vacuum for pet hair. This is a UK-only model, but there are very similar models in the US (AZ3002) and Australia (AZ913). It has a versatile design that can be adapted for different cleaning tasks. The dust canister lifts away from the main body, letting you carry it in your hand and use the flexible hose to reach awkward spots, including stairs.
It borrows many of the same features from today's best Shark cordless vacuums. The DuoClean floorhead is designed to work on both hard floors and carpets, and its anti-hair-wrap technology helps prevent hair from becoming tangled around the rollers.
That last feature is particularly useful if you share your home with furry companions. Our tester found the Stratos did an excellent job of pulling stubborn pet hair from carpets, and the anti-hair-wrap system helped keep the brush rolls clear. It also comes with an anti-odour puck designed to stop unpleasant smells building up in the dust canister, which is a welcome extra when you're regularly vacuuming up pet hair.
Our reviewer had few complaints, although the cord could be longer. At 8 metres, it's fairly standard, but you'll need to unplug and find another socket if you're cleaning a particularly large area.
Read more: Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Design |
Versatile, with lots of thoughtful design tweaks. However, bulky and heavy. |
4.5 / 5 |
Performance |
Excellent cleaning performance on all surfaces. Sucks up pet hair and dust with ease. |
5 / 5 |
Value |
Fairly priced and very goo build quality. |
5 / 5 |
The best compact upright vacuum
✅ You want something maneuverable: This is far lighter and easier to drive about than most upright vacuums – and it's cordless, too.
✅ Your home is on one floor: There's no flexible tube or detail tools here, so this isn't the best for stairs. It's great at cleaning the edges of rooms, though.
❌ You want maximum power: Although this vacuum performed well in our suction tests, 'true' corded uprights will almost always have more power than a cordless vacuum.
❌ You need a large dust cup: At 0.8L, the dust cup on this vacuum is far smaller than most uprights.
The Gtech AirRam 3 is a bit of an outlier, because the design that falls somewhere between an upright and a stick vacuum. But given that it stands up on its own and can't be pulled apart, we think it's most like a streamlined, lightweight upright vacuum; if that appeals to you, then read on.
Unlike most of the models on this list, the Gtech AirRam 3 is cordless, so you won't end up tethered to a wall. It's also relatively lightweight, and because all the weight is in the base, it's more comfortable to use for long periods than your average stick vacuum. The floorhead will also help propel the machine forwards in use.
The design is straightforward – there's no bendy hose, it can't be reconfigured for use in handheld mode, and there are no detail tools. Our tester was a big fan of this no-frills, function-first approach, but it is probably best suited to those who live on one floor, as it won't be great at handling stairs. What is is good at handling is edges. That's because it comes with spinning edge brushes, which sweep dust and debris into the cleaner's suction path.
In fact, the AirRam 3 performed well in all our suction tests, although do bear in mind that for maximum suction power, you'd really be better off with a bulkier, corded model. The dust cup is relatively small, and sized more like those on a stick vacuum than what you'd expect on an upright, which is something to be aware of if you're regularly dealing with lots of dust or pet hair.
Read the full Gtech AirRam 3 review
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Design |
Far more compact than a traditional upright, with a smaller dust cup and height-adjustable handle. |
4 / 5 |
Performance |
Excellent cleaning powers, although lacks detail tools. Comfortable to use as most weight is near the ground. |
4.5 / 5 |
Value |
Between mid-range and premium price brackets, but high build quality. |
4 / 5 |
The best upright vacuum and mob combo
✅ You want to give hard floors a proper clean: This wet-dry cleaner is excellent at tackling hard floors.
✅ You're dealing with lots of dirt and debris: It's a more heavy-duty option that not only mops but also deodorizes and disinfects.
❌ You need something for carpet: This vacuum can't be used on carpet.
❌ You're mainly just dealing with dust: It's probably overkill if you just need something for a light clean.
This is a little different from the other upright vacuums in our list – it's a wet-dry cleaner (in fact, the best wet dry vacuum we've tested). If you really want to keep your hard floors clean, then the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro is your best option. It both vacuums and mops, and it'll disinfect and deodorize at the same time.
It's a super-heavy model, weighing in at 21.5lbs / 9.76kg, but it's not a struggle to use as it's self-propelling and it'll glide across your floor with ease. The downside to this a a short battery life; at best you'll get 40 minutes out of one charge. It's also worth noting that there's no bin on this because there's no vacuum-only mode, and instead there's a clean water tank and a dirty water tank; you'll need to refill the first as well as emptying and rinsing the second on a regular basis.
The Floor One S7 Pro has an effective self-cleaning system, as well as voice prompts and an LED display, but what really matters is just how well it cleans. This one might not be cheap, but if you're tired of vacuuming and washing your hard floors separately, you'll almost certainly find it's worth the investment. It can't be used on carpet, though.
Read more: Tineco Floor One S7 Pro review
Attribute |
Notes |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Design |
Compact and lightweight for a wet-dry vacuum, with useful information screen. |
5 / 5 |
Performance |
Efficiently sucks up dirt, debris and hair, and its special features work reliably. |
4.5 / 5 |
Value |
Not cheap, but decent value for what you're getting. |
4 / 5 |
Also tested
How we test upright vacuums
✅ Over 185 vacuums and robot vacuums tested in total
✅ ... including 41 new vacuums reviewed in 2024
✅ 9 years of vacuum testing experience
Before it can appear in this guide, each upright vacuum undergoes a vigorous testing process. Here's a quick run-down of what that involves:
Suction tests
Our reviewers try out each vacuum on spillages of different kinds. So we spill fine dust (biscuit crumbs and flour) on the floor and see how thoroughly it cleans it, on each suction mode. We then repeat the test for dry oats, to see how it copes with larger debris. Both tests are run on hard floor and on carpet.
Testers will also use the vacuum as their regular cleaner for a couple of weeks or more, to get a feel for how it performs in real-world scenarios. During this time, we focus particularly on how well the vacuum copes with hair (pet and human) and how versatile it is for different cleaning tasks.
Usability tests
We assess how comfortable the vacuum is to use, how easily it can be maneuvered into different spots in the house, and if the cord is long enough to allow for general cleaning tasks. We consider how easy it is to put together and swap attachments, as well as trying out any included tools to see how effectively they do the job they were designed for.
We rate each model on how simple it is to empty the dust canister, how loud it is during use, and how durable it is. In addition, for cordless models (rare for upright vacuums), we record how long they last in each power mode, and how long they take to recharge.
Read more on how we test vacuum cleaners.
The best upright vacuums: specs compared
Model |
Weight |
Bin size |
Cord length |
|---|---|---|---|
Shark PowerDetect Upright Vacuum |
7.6kg |
1.3L |
8m |
Hoover HL2 TurboStyle |
4.99kg |
2.5L |
7.6m |
Shark Stratos Pet Pro Upright Vacuum |
6.7kg |
1.3L |
8m |
Gtech AirRam 3 |
3.8kg |
0.8L |
N/A |
Tineco Floor One S7 Pro Wet-dry vacuum |
9.8kg |
0.9L (clean water), 0.7L (dirty water) |
N/A |
Tested by
All the upright vacuums in this ranking have been rigorously tested, either by one of the TechRadar Homes team or an experienced reviewer. Meet some of the expert reviewers who put these vacuums through their paces.
Jenny is now the editor of Top Ten Reviews, but prior to she was TechRadar's Homes Editor. As part of that role, she tested dozens of vacuum cleaners of all shapes and sizes, trying to find one that could deal with the levels of dust generated by her ongoing home renovation project.
Helen is a freelance writer who specializes in kitchen and home appliances, and has been testing vacuums since 2008. She has reviewed well over 100 different models, from the likes of Shark, Dyson and more. Although her preference is for a lightweight, maneuverable vacuum, she appreciates the extra suction power you get with an upright model.
Best upright vacuum FAQs
What to consider when buying an upright vacuum
There’s a range of upright models to choose from, which may leave you confused when selecting the right one for you. However, if you focus on these considerations, you’ll quickly be able to identify the model that’s best suited to you.
Start by deciding whether you want a corded or cordless upright vacuum. Those that rely on electrical sockets often have larger dust canisters and wide cleaning heads than cordless models, which means you can vacuum sessions will be completed quickly. However, they’re also heavier than the best cordless vacuums, which may be a problem when punching one around your floors. In addition, depending on how long the cable is, you cannot reach certain parts of your home without unplugging the vacuum and moving it to a closer electrical socket.
If you’ve opted for a cordless upright vacuum cleaner, check how long the battery will last between charges and whether it’s swappable. If the battery runs out of power mid-clean, you don’t have to wait for the vacuum to recharge before you can carry on.
If you have hard floors, look for an upright vacuum with different floor modes, which see the brush roller switched off, so it doesn’t damage the flooring, or for models that come with an additional cleaning head featuring a softer brush roll designed for this purpose.
Also, check the vacuum will be able to reach under furniture and in any tight spaces, you have in your home to ensure you’re thoroughly cleaning your floors every time you push a vacuum around.
If you’re still unsure, read our advice on which type of vacuum should you buy?
What's the difference between a stick and an upright vacuum?
A stick vacuum has the motor, dust canister, controls and handle at the top. A long wand is attached, with a floorhead at the bottom. Generally, they have a modular design where the wand can be removed and a detail tool attached, enabling the machine to be used as a handheld vacuum.
Upright vacuums are larger and freestanding, with the floorhead attached to the main machine, and a large dust canister between that and the handle. Sometimes, there's also a flexible hose and detail tools for tackling areas above the ground.
Stick are typically lighter and easier to maneuver. Most modern options are cordless, so you won't be tethered to a power outlet. Uprights are bulkier and heavier, and you'll generally have a cable to deal with. However, they're almost always more powerful than a stick vacuum, and better for deep cleans thanks to a larger dust cup. They're also generally much more durable (here's more on how long your vacuum should last).
