You’re in need of a new vacuum, but you’re not sure where to start. The vacuum market today is completely saturated, meaning you have a wide variety of vacuum cleaners available. Choosing the right vacuum ultimately comes down to 3 factors:
- The kind of flooring you’ll use your vacuum to clean.
- The available storage you have for your vacuum.
- The price you’re comfortable paying.
This article will go over 5 kinds of vacuums, where they work best in your home, and what brands to consider for each type. Whether you’ve got some messy kids, hairy pets, or require something that makes vacuuming totally effortless, there is something for everyone in this article.
What are the different types of vacuums?
There are a lot of vacuum cleaners on the market today. From upright vacuums to robots that do it all, you have many options to choose from. To simplify your search, we’ve compiled a list of the 5 most popular kinds of vacuum cleaners and the best brands for each type.
Canister
Canister vacuums are the most common cleaner, and probably the kind of vacuum you saw your parents use growing up. This type of vacuum cleaner has a separate canister that contains the motor and receptacle, a long hose, and can be fitted with a variety of attachments to reach all kinds of areas in your home. Canister vacuums are easy to carry and good for multi-level homes.
“Canister vacuums are a very versatile and effective cleaning device for nearly any home or surface. They are also many reasonably priced models out there on the market today, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding one in your price range. There are some things to note about canister models, however, such as they usually need to be assembled and require lots of bending to get the job done which can hurt your back,” says Moe Assef, Founder of Dynamic Vacuum.
The long hose gives you the freedom to move around your home a bit easier and works great on stairs. However, canister vacuums take up more storage space and require regular emptying to work effectively.
Best Brands
| Miele C3 Complete Limited Edition
This canister vacuum cleaner is one of the best brands on the market. Miele is known for consistency and provides high-quality vacuum cleaners for all kinds of chores. This canister vacuum has great maneuverability, meaning you won’t struggle to clean your stairs. This vacuum is tough on pet hair and low-pile debris and works great on bare flooring. The attachments allow you to move to carpet or other rugged areas for a deeper clean. This vacuum also comes with built-in filtration, meaning you won’t be breathing anything your vacuum picks up, and retractable bristles to match your flooring. The Miele C3 is an all-purpose vacuum with tons of features to adjust to your home’s cleaning needs. |
Available for $699.99 |
| Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister Vacuum
This canister vacuum is an easy addition to this list. Dyson is one of the top vacuum manufacturers, and this canister vacuum is no exception. It comes with a variety of attachments and can be used on bare flooring, low-pile and medium-pile carpet, or rugged flooring. The multi-layered bristles agitate carpet fibres, meaning this vacuum doesn’t miss much. It is lightweight and easy to move around, making those tough corners and edges easily accessible. The ball-shaped canister allows you to move 360° around the vacuum, and the low center of gravity prevents it from tipping over. |
Available for $399.99 |
| Bissell Hard Floor Expert
This canister vacuum cleans bare flooring exceptionally well. While it also can tackle low-pile carpet and rugged flooring, this vacuum works best to pick up debris between cracks or in tile grout. An extra attachment allows the vacuum to sweep up those often missed particles with ease, so you can skip any additional sweeping. It is easy to maneuver and light to carry, making it a great vacuum for most homes. |
Available for $149.99 |
Upright
Upright vacuum cleaners are the best for cleaning large areas in your home. They are also much easier to store and empty than their canister counterparts. These vacuums are great for open-concept homes.
Upright vacuums tend to be heavier than other cleaners, and often come with long cords that can get tangled. They also are not the greatest to use on stairs, and do better on bare flooring than anything else.
Best Brands
| Hoover WindTunnel Tempo Bagged Upright Vacuum
The Hoover WindTunnel Tempo is designed with intuitive features, such as fingertip controls and a clip below the handle to hold your cord while you clean. It comes with a 5-position brush roll so you can clean any flooring, bare or carpeted. The WindTunnel also comes with an air-powered hand tool, special-made tools for hard-to-reach areas and a clean drop bag system to dispose of your debris without having to touch it. This vacuum removes deeply embedded dirt with ease while also minimizing blowback so the air you breathe stays fresh. |
Available for $229.99 |
| Dyson Slim Ball Multi Floor
The Dyson Slim Ball is a lightweight option for maximum manoeuvrability. This allows you to remove dirt and dust from your home easily as the radial root cyclone technology captures allergens. This vacuum is high-powered and self-adjusting, so vacuuming is a breeze. This vacuum has incredibly strong suction, so even the deepest dirt won’t go unnoticed. The stiff bristles maintain superior performance and are certified asthma and allergy-friendly. |
Available for $399.99 |
Stick
Stick vacuums are much like the supermodel of upright vacuums. They are lightweight and battery-powered, but not as powerful as a full-size vacuum cleaner. These vacuums are perfect for quick clean-ups, or small bare floored spaces, like your kitchen. These are typically not designed for carpets. However, these vacuum cleaners are generally significantly cheaper than other vacuums on the market.
Best Brands
| Dyson V8 Animal
The Dyson V8 Animal offers cord-free cleaning without the hassle. This vacuum works exceptionally well on bare flooring and low-pile carpets and provides up to 40 minutes of full-powered cleaning. It comes with a variety of tools, and you can switch to a handheld option for tough to reach places. This vacuum is highly maneuverable and can be used for mattresses, as well. While this vacuum can’t replace a full-sized option, it is a great addition to any home for quick cleanups, or for smaller-sized condos and apartments. |
Available for $499.99 |
| Dirt Devil Power Stick
The Dirt Devil Power Stick 4-in-1 vacuum cleaner offers versatility and the tools needed to get the job done. The brushroll is perfect for carpet and bare floor cleaning, and comes with a detachable hand vacuum to make cleaning your car, stairs, or office easy. The steerable base makes it easy to grab dirt and debris from under furniture and tight spots. It comes with swivel steering, 3 levels of floor height, and is lightweight. It is easy to empty, but you may get some blowback from the open canister. With multiple attachment options, this vacuum is both affordable and effective. |
Available for $98.00 |
Cordless (aka Handheld)
Handheld, or cordless, vacuum cleaners are small, light vacuums that are great for spot cleaning or in more compact areas, like your car. Because they’re portable, they’re easy to store and empty. These don’t replace a full-sized vacuum cleaner, but are a great addition to homes that need a little extra help getting into hard-to-reach places.
Best Brands
| Dyson V7 Motorhead Origin
Dyson V7 Motorhead Origin cordless vacuum is designed for whole-home cleaning and works on all types of flooring. The direct-drive cleaner head makes deep carpet cleaning effortless. It comes with up to 30 minutes of fade-free suction, making cleaning your home efficient, and the dirt ejector limits blow back into the air. This vacuum also features radial cyclone technology that is tough on dirt, but easy on you. This vacuum is exceptionally lightweight, and effective, and is a great vacuum for larger or small homes. |
Available for $399.99 |
| Miele Triflex HX1 Cat and Dog Cordless Stick Vacuum
The Miele Triflex Cat and Dog is ideal for pet owners or anyone needing the handheld power brush. It is designed for homes that need deep cleaning in an instant and offers flexibility for above-floor cleaning and hard-to-reach areas. The 11-inch wide electrobrush is engineered to clean both bare floors and carpet quicker than traditional heads. Designed for quick yet gentle cleaning, this is best-suited vacuum for medium to low pile carpeting. The most exciting part of the Triflex line is the 3-in-1 versatility and ease of use. You’ll get up to 60 minutes of fade-free suction with this incredible vacuum. |
Available for $899.99 |
| Dyson V15 Detect Total Clean
Dyson’s V15 Detect cordless vacuum cleaner features a precisely angled laser that reveals microscopic dust on hard floors, so you don’t miss anything. And the advanced whole-machine filtration traps 99.99% of particles, dust and allergens in Boost Mode. This vacuum is all you’ll need at home with the intelligent design and easy manoeuvrability. It’s got 100% more suction than the Dyson V8, and shows you what it’s picking up as you vacuum. This vacuum also converts to a handheld function and offers 60 minutes of fade-free suction that is as strong, if not better, than a full-sized vacuum. |
Available for $949.99 |
Robot
Robot vacuum cleaners are the “smart” choice for cleaning your home. They take up minimal space, charge on their station, and best of all, they vacuum for you. They tackle all kinds of flooring, and can easily get those less accessible areas, like tight corners or under furniture. While they’re usually not as powerful as a full-size vacuum cleaner, there are some amazing options on the market to keep your home spotless without the effort.
Best Brands
| iCLEBO OMEGA O5 Robot Vacuum
The iClebo O5 vacuums based on what you want. Set goals using the programmable Remote WiFi feature, and clean anywhere any time using the app. It connects to Google, and responds to voice commands with ease. The smart mapping system will map your home so cleaning is effortless, and has an adjustable suction mode for various floor types. |
Available for $849.00 |
| Yeedi Vac Series
This little robot vacuum is an awesome self-cleaning vacuum for any home. This vacuum also comes with a mopping function and knows to avoid carpet or rugs in the mopping mode. It connects to Google Home and Alexa, and is completely customizable through the app. You can set schedules, define pathways, and works on tile, hardwood, and most carpet types. The Yeedi is also self-emptying, so once it’s done cleaning, it will empty automatically in it’s charging station. All you have to do is empty the bag every 30 days. This vacuum picks up all kinds of debris, including pet hair, food, and smaller debris found around the home. |
Available for $499.00 |
| Roomba® s9+
The Roomba is the most well-known robo-vac, and the most recent product is one of the top robo-vacuums on the market today. The Clean Base™ Automatic Dirt Disposal allows the s9+ to empty itself for up to 60 days, and the anti-allergen system collects 99% of dust, pollen, and other allergens in the air while limited blowback. This product has 40x the suction of its predecessors and can tackle any flooring with ease and effectiveness. Smart Maps enables it to expertly clean and navigate the home. It connects to your smartphone so you can clean anywhere, any time, and charges itself on the docking station when the battery runs low. |
Available for $1,399.99 |
Conclusion
Overall, you have plenty of options available for your new vacuum cleaner. Depending on what you want out of your vacuum, you can find something to meet your needs. If you’ve got a larger home with multiple levels, a full-size vacuum is the best place to start. These vacuum cleaners allow you to pick up all the big and small debris with ease and are fairly easy to maneuver. However, smaller areas may be better suited for an upright or cordless option.
If you have a lot of carpet in your home, pay attention to the attachments and design of your vacuum, as certain brands or models will do much better on carpet than others. No matter what you’re working with, there is a vacuum cleaner for you.