The list in brief
1. Best vacuum for most people
2. Best premium vacuum
3. Best upright
4. Best value Dyson
5. All-rounder
6. Best robovac
7. Best vacuum-mop
8. Best lightweight
9. Best cylinder vacuum
10. Best budget vacuum-mop
How to choose
How we tested
The best vacuum cleaners don't just pick up dust, they save you time and effort, too. We've put a wide range of models through their paces to find which ones offer the best suction, the most convenient cleaning process, and the most useful tools. In short, the best vacuum cleaners to get your home dust-free effectively and efficiently.
Vacuums come in all shapes, sizes and prices, so the first job is to decide what kind of vacuum suits you best. Our list includes cordless vacuums, upright models and cylinder vacuums, and we'll walk you through the pros and cons of each so you can pick the right one for you.
When we test, we don't just test simple cleaning power. We test vacuums on all kinds of messes, and we consider everything from how long their batteries last to whether they'll make your arms tired. And of course we take price and value for money into consideration too.
In our guide you'll find all the big brands and many lesser-known companies too, so you'll see great models from the likes of Dyson, Shark and Tineco, among many more: we're interested in finding the very best, not just the most popular. All clear? Read on for the best vacuum cleaners on the market...
The quick list
Best for most people
This Shark model is our favorite vacuum cleaner overall. It packs some impressive power and boasts lots of useful features.
Best premium vacuum
Dyson's V15 is a powerful, innovative vacuum cleaner that's worth the investment if you can afford it.
Best upright
If you're on a tighter budget, this upright vacuum delivers fantastic value for money. It's bulky but powerful and the hair pickup tool is excellent.
Best value Dyson
If you want the Dyson engineering on a smaller budget, check out the older-but-still great V8. It has fewer fancy features compared to newer models but excels at the basics.
Another top cordless model
It's slightly older than our #1 pick, but this high-performance cordless vacuum still boasts smart features like dust-detection tech and a flexible wand tool.
Best robot vacuum
For effortless, hands-free cleaning, the J7 Plus is our favorite robovac. It can mop and vacuum, will self-empty, and its room mapping is excellent. Perfect for regular, low-level cleans.
Load the next 4 products...
Best vacuum and mop
This cordless option is able to vacuum and mop at the same time. And, it does a wonderful job at it. Plus, it can self-propel, so getting those floors clean is effortless.
Best lightweight vac
If you’re looking for a compact vacuum that you can grab quickly to clean up the odd spillage straight away, this lightweight models transforms from handheld to stick vac.
Best cylinder vacuum
While this Shark's pick-up and maneuverability is good on floors, it's just as impressive reaching overhead and on upholstery. The 1.9qt/1.6L dust cup is ideal for large homes.
Best budget 2-in-1
Easy to assemble and use, the Dyad Pro offers vacuuming and mopping powers for a wallet-friendly price. Its app and floor-drying mode could be improved, but everything else is great.
The best vacuum cleaner for most people
The Shark Detect Pro Cordless Auto-Empty System is the best vacuum cleaner for most people, delivering cutting-edge tech and versatile cleaning. This also tops our best cordless vacuum ranking, and delivers powerful suction and good battery life – you'll get a maximum of 60 minutes' cleaning on a single charge, so you shouldn't have to stop mid-room to plug back in (recharging takes three hours).
In general, cordless vacuums have a little less suction power than corded models, so if you want maximum power, check out our top corded model: the Shark Bagless Cylinder Pet Vacuum (#9). However, as stated above, suction is still good here, and going untethered means big gains when it comes to versatility. That's maximized here, because the Detect Pro can easily be transformed into a handheld cleaner.
The configuration we tested has a self-emptying base station with a huge dust bag, and anti-odor technology to keep things feeling fresh. We enjoyed how it minimized the hassle of cleaning, but if you're not so fussed about that, there's a version available without the self-empty feature. That'll also help lower the price, which is on the higher side (although not as pricey as most Dyson models). Overall, an excellent all-rounder that'll suit most people's needs. Before buying, head to our Shark promo codes page to make sure you're not missing a discount.
The best premium vacuum cleaner
If you can afford it, the Dyson's V15 Detect Absolute is the best vacuum cleaner you can buy. It's at #2 in our list because the price will put it out of reach of many people, and there are great alternatives for a less budget-breaking cost, albeit without the smarts of the V15. Let's start with the cleaning power. 14 cyclones deliver powerful suction and the design filters 99.99% of dirt up to 0.3 microns.
As ever, Dyson goes above and beyond with its feature list. Our tester loved the built-in laser, which shines a green light on your floors so you can see dirt and dust that would otherwise be invisible. You'll get up to a full hour of use on one charge (the same as this model's predecessor, the Dyson V11, but not quite as long as its successor, the Gen5Detect), and when used on Auto mode the cleaner conserves the battery by adjusting the suction power to suit the floor type and the amount of dust automatically, to ensure efficient power use and effective cleaning. The V15 also comes with a useful LCD screen that displays the remaining runtime, so you don't get caught short mid-clean.
It's not quite perfect. The V15 Detect Absolute can be very noisy when running in full power mode, it only has an average-sized dust canister. But overall, this is a super-impressive vacuum, and we think it’s worth the money (and even better if you find a Dyson promo code to take the price down).
Read our full Dyson V15 Detect Absolute review
The best upright vacuum cleaner
If you're on a tighter budget and don't need something super lightweight, check out this upright Shark vacuum cleaner. In the UK it's the Shark Stratos Pet Pro Anti Hair Wrap Plus Anti-Odour Upright Vacuum (look for code NZ860UKT to make sure you're getting the right one) and in the US it's just called the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum, which is certainly less of a mouthful.
There are pros and cons to going for an upright vacuum cleaner. It's heavier and less easy to maneuver than a cordless model, but there's the benefit of powerful suction, a large dust canister and it's very affordable too. If you need something more streamlined, you can turn this upright vacuum into a more portable handheld, for jobs like the stairs and under furniture.
We'd especially recommend this vacuum to anyone struggling with hair on the carpet, thanks to a tool designed specifically for this purpose, which works fantastically well. Our tester was also a fan of the anti-odor technology, which means leaves a lovely, fresh scent after cleaning.
Read our full Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum review
Best Dyson vacuum cleaner on a budget
While we're never not impressed by the new features in Dyson's newest vacuum cleaners, there's no pretending they're not expensive. One of the oldest models in the current lineup is the V8, and even though it launched way back in 2016, it's still an outstanding pick. The main draw here is that Dyson engineering for a price that's far more accessible.
This vacuum cleaner has a versatile design that can be used standing with a long stick or swapped for a shorter nozzle to be used in handheld mode. It's lightweight and comfortable to use, and you're still getting some cool Dyson features – namely, a brush bar has polycarbonate vanes that are designed to shift tangled hair strands into the bin, and 14 cyclones to deliver reliable suction.
Read our full Dyson V8 vacuum cleaner review
Another outstanding Shark model
Previously holding the #1 spot in this list, the Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ IZ862H might be a slightly older model now, but it's still an outstanding vacuum cleaner. Like the Dyson at #2, it has a sensor that detects how dirty a floor is and then adjust suction accordingly, for more efficient battery use. The Shark version is called 'Clean Sense IQ' technology. There's up to a full hour's cleaning on one charge.
In our tests we were very impressed with the suction capabilities, especially the vacuum’s ability to remove hair from our couch when used in handheld and Boost mode. And then there's its brilliant and innovative MultiFLEX wand. As the name suggests, this is bendy rather than just extendable, which makes vacuuming under furniture a cinch. The rotating head also proved effective at picking up dirt in awkward places, although we weren't so impressed with the dust brush.
The Stratos is reasonably priced for a high-performance cordless model, and well worth checking out if you're on the hunt for the best vacuum cleaner around. For more from this Dyson-challenger brand, head to our roundup of the best Shark vacuum cleaners.
Read our full Shark Stratos Cordless with Clean Sense IQ IZ862H review
The best robot vacuum cleaner
If you're after effort-free cleaning, you need a robovac, and our top pick in this area is the iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus. It's quite different from the other entries in this ranking, so if you know this is the type you want, head to our separate, dedicated guide to the best robot vacuums.
The iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus is designed to minimize the effort needed to get your floor sparkling. For starters, it mops as well as vacuums (like the Tineco option at #7), retracting its mopping pad when tackling carpeted areas so you don't end up with damp results. It comes with a self-emptying base station, which is especially useful given the smaller bin size, and you can instruct it using a voice assistant or through the app if you want to go totally hands-fee.
Like most robot vacuums, suction can't match the most powerful regular models. These are designed to be used regularly, to maintain a constant low levels of dust, rather than for tough deep-cleans. The remote operation means most people will set it to run when they're out in the day, so they never really even have to see or hear it (we'd especially recommend this here because the self-empty option is noisy).
Overall, we found this high-end model from iRobot does a great job cleaning. Its mapping is superb; it’s able to register large, split rooms and will continue learning even after the initial setup phase. Our only real complaint is that the side brush has a habit of flicking some debris across the floor, extending the cleaning time required.
Pet-owners will love the fact that it can pick up particles as small as 0.7 microns, so no dander or hair will escape its grasp (those with furry friends should also check out the iRobot Roomba i7 Plus, which is especially good with pet hair).
Read our full iRobot Roomba Combo J7 Plus review
The best vacuum and mop combo
If you want a more complete cleaning solution for hard floors, we rate the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro the best wet-dry vacuum on the market. This model offers top-notch vacuuming and mopping, and deodorizes and disinfects as it goes, leaving floors spotless. It's heavy at nearly 10kg, but its self-propelling capabilities make it super-easy to push about.
All that cleaning power takes a toll on the battery life, which is relatively short at 40 minutes on one charge. Our tester also found the water tank a little small, and the fact it needed to be emptied frequently a little annoying. And as you might expect, it's not for carpeted floors.
There are lots of useful features, including voice prompts and a bright LED display that lets you know what mode you’re using as well as water and battery levels. Being able to vacuum and mop in one go is in itself a revelation for how much time and effort it saves.
It's a bit of an investment, but we think the performance justifies the higher price. If you want something more affordable, head to the Roborock Dyad Pro at #10.
Read our full Tineco Floor One S7 Pro review
The best lightweight vacuum cleaner
If you're looking for something lightweight that you can grab quickly to clean up the odd spillage straight away, the Shark Lightweight 2-in-1 from the WandVac range is the best vacuum for the job. This clever design can be used as a stick vacuum or in handheld mode, depending on where you need to clean. The suction is good for the size, although in our tests it performed better at sucking up fine dust, but required a few passes for chunkier debris.
This isn't going to work as a main home vacuum for most people, because the battery life is too short and the dust canister too small to make it suitable for large areas. However, for quick and easy cleaning, it's a great choice. It's simple but effective and extremely easy to empty, too.
Read our full Shark WandVac review
The best cylinder vacuum cleaner
The best cylinder vacuum on the market right now is the Shark Bagless Cylinder Pet Vacuum. We found that pick-up and manoeuvrability was good on hard and carpeted floors, and equally as impressive reaching overhead and on upholstery. The large dust cup capacity is a large size which makes it a good fit for bigger homes, as well as anyone with a shedding pet. It's packed with genuinely useful features and a wide array of tools, including a flexible wand and anti-hair wrap brush roll.
It's one of the few corded models in this ranking, and that means you'll have to be prepared for the inconvenience of navigating cables and power outlets while you're cleaning, although the 9m cord length means you can get a fair way without having to unplug. The wand and hose make also this a bulky vacuum cleaner to store. We also found that the wand could be cumbersome when cleaning overhead and, unlike some other Shark vacuum cleaners, the brush roll can't be switched off.
Read our full Shark Bagless Cylinder Pet Vacuum CZ250UKT review
The best budget vacuum and mop combo
The Roborock Dyad Pro is a two-in-one vacuum and mop cleaner, and it's far more affordable than the Tineco model at #7. In our tests we found it very effective at both jobs, though you can’t separate the functions, so it's useless for carpets and rugs (same with the Tineco).
We found the Dyad Pro easy to use and easy to clean, leaving our floors spotless. We also appreciated its decent battery life. There are a couple of concession you're making for this lower price: it's a little heavy to maneuver around, and we also found the floor-drying mode didn't really work, so be prepared to wait about for your floors to dry out. If you’re looking to save time and effort but are working with a smaller budget, this wet-dry vacuum is a solid recommendation.
Read our full Roborock Dyad Pro review
How to choose the best vacuum for you
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.
Frequently asked questions about vacuum cleaners
Is Shark better than Dyson?
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” I 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 tested these 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 maneuver on carpet and hard floors, as well as whether dust pick up 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.
