Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaners Best Buy
We've tested over 130 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best cordless vacuum cleaners to buy. We selected these picks based on their performance on different surface types and their feature set, battery life, and price. For more options, look at our lists of the best vacuums, our best cordless stick vacuums, and the best vacuums for high-pile carpet.
bagless upright vacuum cleaners best buy
The Dyson V15 Detect is the best cordless vacuum we've tested. This vacuum has a 230AW suction motor, which is remarkably potent for a vacuum of this type and allows it to clear away a wide range of debris on different surfaces. Its built-in piezo sensor measures and counts debris being sucked into the vacuum so that you can keep an eye on allergen levels inside your home, while its surface detection system allows it to automatically raise its suction power on carpeted floors. This vacuum isn't too heavy and is fairly easy to maneuver in cluttered areas. Unfortunately, its strong suction force can cause it to get bogged down on thicker rugs.
The best budget cordless vacuum we've tested is the Wyze Cordless Vacuum. While its thin plasticky body feels less durable than the Samsung Jet 75, it's cheaper and still delivers strong overall debris pickup on most surfaces, though its weaker suction motor does mean it struggles more with lifting debris from deep cracks and crevices. It performs impressively well on carpets and does a good job on bare floors, though bulky material can get stuck at the entry to its dustbin. It's also remarkably effective in clearing away pet hair and, unlike many other budget-friendly vacuums, it has a HEPA filter to trap allergens like pet dander as you clean, making it one of the best cordless vacuums for pet hair that we've tested.
If you want a cordless vacuum with a higher capacity dustbin than most stick models, the Shark Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away is a very good option. Compared to the similarly-priced Samsung Jet 75, it exchanges maneuverability for a larger internal dustbin that won't need emptying as often. Besides, it's still more maneuverable and easier to store than the average corded upright, like the Shark Rotator Lift-Away ADV. Its 'Lift-Away' design lets you pick up and carry its canister body separately from its floorhead, making it easier to clean hard-to-reach areas like on top of shelves or behind couches and chairs. It has a solid range of attachments, including an upholstery tool that does a great job of cleaning pet hair on fabric surfaces and a fine-bristle dusting brush for cleaning delicate surfaces.
Performance is strong, with good debris pickup on bare floors and high-pile carpet. While it does offer two different levels of surface adjustment, these settings only affect the speed of its brushrolls, not their height, so the vacuum can sometimes get stuck on dense shag-pile carpeting. Need a more portable cordless upright? The Hoover ONEPWR Evolve Pet is worth considering. However, it feels considerably less robust and offers terrible air filtration performance.
Our recommendations are based on what we think are currently the best cordless vacuum cleaners. We don't just base our results on overall performance, but also factors like availability, price, and reader feedback.
While upright vacuums are designed to primarily excel in cleaning large spaces, they can be versatile tools in any household. They're easy to use, and their distinct, bulky shape generally allows for a bigger dirt compartment, which can be beneficial if you have a big mess to clean. They're also quite good for cleaning up carpet as they can clear most pet hair and debris without too much of a problem. However, upright vacuums can be heavier than stick or canister models, making them a bit less portable and maneuverable, particularly on stairs or other, more narrow areas.
We've tested over 130 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best upright vacuum cleaners. These picks were selected not only based on their performance but also their design, feature set, and price. For more buying recommendations, look at our lists of the best vacuums for carpets, the best vacuums for high-pile carpet, and the best vacuums.
The best upright vacuum we've tested is the Dyson Ball Animal 3. This bagless upright vacuum has a powerful suction motor and delivers exceptional overall cleaning performance on a variety of floor types. Its floorhead has three distinct suction gate settings, letting you adapt to everything from high-pile carpet to hard surfaces like hardwood or laminate. The floorhead also features a set of plastic combs that do a great job of capturing long hair, preventing most of it from getting tangled in the mechanism. There's also a brushroll off switch, so you can clean hard surfaces without sending large debris scattering everywhere. The top-range Complete variant, available only from the manufacturer's website, comes with a wide variety of attachments for handheld use, including a mini turbo brush, a multi-angle brush, and even a dedicated pet grooming tool.
Unfortunately, while its ball-shaped wheel makes it fairly maneuverable for an upright, this is still a bulky and heavy machine, and you might find it a bit of a hassle to set up. There's also no automatic power cord retraction, which is a bit of a disappointment for a vacuum at this price point and can be something of a nuisance due to the cord's length. Build quality also isn't a strong point, with a mainly plastic body that creaks and flexes slightly while in use.
Check out the Kenmore Intuition Bagged if you're shopping for an upright vacuum at a mid-range price point. It incurs higher ownership costs than bagless alternatives like the Shark Rotator Lift-Away ADV since you'll need to replace its disposable filters and dirtbag now and then. However, it's even cheaper than the Shark, and since it uses dirtbags that seal in fine particles and has a separate HEPA filter, it offers superb filtration performance. Better yet, you can release its dirtbag from its internal compartment with the press of a latch, so you don't need to dirty your hands when taking it out. While debris pickup performance falls short of pricier, more powerful uprights like the Dyson Ball Animal 3, the Kenmore still delivers impressive overall performance on carpets and bare floors.
Similar to Shark's lineup of 'Lift-Away' upright vacuums, you can disconnect its canister from its floorhead and carry it around, making it easier to clean hard-to-reach areas with its wand. It also has a brushroll off switch, so you can stop its rotation when it gets tangled in something. Unfortunately, it lacks a brushroll height adjustment feature, so it can sometimes have trouble climbing over low-lying obstructions. Its bulky design can also make it tricky to clean under tables and chairs. Check out the BISSELL Pet Hair Eraser Turbo if you want something easier to maneuver on thick carpeting, though it's more demanding in terms of maintenance requirements and feels flimsy.
If you're looking for an upright vacuum at a budget-friendly price, consider the BISSELL PowerForce Helix. In terms of build quality, this vacuum falls short of even mid-range options like the Kenmore Intuition Bagged and does a terrible job of sealing fine allergens. Still, if you're seeking strong performance at a bargain price, it's got plenty to offer. Debris pickup on carpeted surfaces is great, as it easily clears away solid material and pet hair. Its five-level brushroll height adjustment feature is rare for a vacuum at this price point and lets you adapt to different floor types if you're having trouble pushing it around on uneven surfaces. Unfortunately, there's no brushroll off switch, so be careful when cleaning around obstructions like rug tassels, which can get caught in its floorhead quite easily.
This vacuum's mainly plastic construction makes it very lightweight for a vacuum of this type, though this does come at the cost of durability, as its plastic body creaks and flexes while in use. Thankfully, it's easy to maintain, but be aware that you'll need to remove a few screws to pull out its brushroll, so it's a bit of a nuisance to clear away any tangled hair. Looking for a budget-friendly upright with a larger dustbin? The Dirt Devil Endura Max is a worthy option, though it doesn't perform as well on carpeted floors.
This vacuum delivers exceptional performance on bare floors and does a great job dealing with pet hair and other kinds of solid debris on carpets. It's lighter and more maneuverable than most conventional uprights, but its lack of a brushroll off switch and floorhead height adjustment can cause it to get stuck on rug tassels and shag-pile carpeting. The primary brushroll in its twin-roller floorhead isn't designed to be removed and collects a lot of pet hair, despite its advertised "Self-Cleaning" design, making it quite hard to remove any stuck-on debris.
Our recommendations are based on what we think are currently the best upright vacuum cleaners. We don't just base our results on overall performance, but also factors like availability, price, and reader feedback, so it isn't as though there's a single best vacuum cleaner for carpets to suit all needs.
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all our upright vacuum reviews. Be careful not to get too caught up in the details. While no vacuum is perfect for every use, most are good enough to please almost everyone, and the differences are often not noticeable unless you really look for them.
One day we can choose homes that come with self-cleaning features. But until that fine time comes, a hardy upright vacuum can help us fight dirt, dust, and dander. Upright vacuum cleaners boast the cleaning power to thoroughly clean various surfaces and tackle large areas, while remaining compact enough for easy storage. Find out how these cleaning workhorses can make housework less of a chore.
If you have mostly carpeted floors and want a vacuum that's easy to manoeuvre without having to bend too much, an upright vacuum is the right machine for the job. It runs on wheels, rollers, or swivel casters so you can turn, push and pull with ease, while an efficient brush combs the carpet pile for dirt. It often has a large capacity, so you don't need to empty the container unit or change the bag as often. Since it's so efficient, it's also great for area rugs and hard floors. 041b061a72