Whether you're looking to replace your old vacuum or picking one out for the first time, it can be hard to know which is right for you. There are a lot of vacuum manufacturers on the market, each offering different design types, features, and specs. Some brands even focus on specific products like robot vacuums or vacuums for commercial use. While there may not be a definitive answer for which vacuum cleaner brand is the best, sorting through the top manufacturers can be helpful in determining which companies offer the types of vacuums that fit your needs.
We've tested vacuums from over 25 different companies, and below are our recommendations for the best vacuum cleaner brands. The recommendations aren't ordered by rank or position. Instead, we've selected the seven brands that perform the best for most people and organized them by use or specialty, keeping brands with similar audiences together. If you're looking for more vacuums, check out our recommendations for the best vacuums, the best laminate floor vacuums, and the best vacuums for carpets.
Dyson is a British manufacturer that is well-known for their vacuums and widely considered to be one of the best vacuum cleaner brands. They also sell home appliances like fans and hair dryers. Dyson's colorful, stylish vacuums use their patented 'Root Cyclone' motor design, which relies on centrifugal force for its suction power and sets their offerings apart from other brands. Dyson vacuums use a bagless design and often come with lots of accessories. They're usually cordless stick/handheld models, but they also make canister and upright vacuums. Most are made entirely of plastic, meaning they're often light but sometimes feel flimsy.
The Dyson V15 Detect is the best Dyson vacuum we've tested. It delivers excellent overall performance on bare floors and carpets, though its strong suction force can cause it to drag around some lighter rugs. It can automatically adjust its suction power mode depending on the surface you're cleaning. An LED screen at the back of its body displays the size and number of particles you've vacuumed up, the vacuum's current suction power mode, and a real-time estimate of the remaining charge.
If you're searching for a premium cordless vacuum, you could also consider the Dyson Gen5detect/Gen5detect Absolute, which is effectively the V15's successor. It offers minor quality-of-life improvements, like a more ergonomic control setup and built-in combination tool, but the significant price increase makes it hard to justify over the V15 Detect. If you're looking for something lighter and cheaper, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim is worth a look, though its suction motor isn't as powerful, and you'll need to empty its tiny dirt compartment often. Finally, for a Dyson vacuum that can handle stains on hard floors, the Dyson V15s Detect Submarine is a good, if expensive, option.
Shark is an American company that manufactures vacuums, robot vacuums, mops, and irons. However, they're owned by SharkNinja, which produces a variety of other home appliances like blenders and coffee makers as well. They make a wide variety of vacuums in different sizes and configurations, with corded, cordless, bagged, and bagless options available. Their products also come at an array of price points, so you can find a vacuum that fits your budget. Most of their models are rather plasticky, so they aren't as well-built as options from other brands. Fortunately, most Shark vacuums tend to have few recurring costs.
The Shark Stratos Cordless is the best Shark vacuum we've tested. It's Shark's most premium cordless stick vacuum, and it comes with a broad range of convenience features. The Clean Sense IQ system uses a built-in infrared sensor to adjust suction power automatically depending on debris levels, which helps to deliver strong performance across bare floors and carpeting. Its other headlining feature is an odor-neutralizing system that emits a pleasant scent from a replaceable cartridge as you clean.
The battery lasts up to an hour on a single charge, which is decent for cordless vacuums. If you don't want to worry about running out of charge partway through a cleaning session, the Shark Stratos UltraLight is a very good corded alternative. However, it lacks the cordless model's automatic power adjustment system. Alternatively, the Shark Cordless Pro is a great option if you'd like to spend less on a cordless model. It has the same Clean Sense IQ automatic power adjustment system and odor-neutralizing cartridge as the Stratos Cordless, but with a weaker suction motor and lower-capacity battery, so it can only run for up to 40 minutes.
Miele is a German manufacturer that makes a variety of home appliances, including ovens, dishwashers, coffee machines, and vacuum cleaners. They mostly make canister vacuums but have a few other types on offer, like stick/handheld models and robot vacuums. Some of their vacuums use a dirtbag while others are bagless. Their offerings usually come in several variants for different purposes, like a certain surface or debris type. Miele is among the best vacuum brands you can buy from, as the majority of their product lineup offers premium build quality, strong performance, and general ease of maintenance.
The Miele Complete C3 is the best Miele vacuum we've tested. Thanks to its powerful 1200W motor and variable suction control, this high-end canister vacuum easily clears away heavy debris and large messes. It comes in several different variants, but all offer good performance on bare floors and carpet. They have fantastic build quality with allergen-sealed bodies and stainless steel wands. We've tested the Alize variant, but unfortunately, it's been discontinued. While we haven't tested the Marin model, we have experimented with its 'Parquet Twister' floorhead, and we're confident that it will perform similarly since it shares the line's powerful motor and suction control. The Marin also comes with Miele's SEB 236 height-adjustable powerhead, which makes switching between various floor types a breeze.
If you're looking for a cheaper Miele canister vacuum, the Miele Classic C1 is a good choice, though it doesn't have an onboard storage compartment and doesn't feel quite as sturdily built. In addition, only pricier C1 variants like the C1 Cat & Dog or C1 HomeCare come with an electrosocket for compatibility with powered heads, which is necessary for cleaning thicker carpeting. If you prefer a cordless model, check out the Miele Triflex HX2 Pro/Cat & Dog. It performs well on various surfaces, and its battery lasts up to two hours; however, the suction isn't quite as strong, so it'll have a harder time picking up dirt in crevices.
Samsung is a multinational company based in South Korea that produces a wide range of consumer electronics, including a popular range of televisions, monitors, soundbars, and headphones. They also offer a range of cordless stick vacuums under the 'Jet' moniker. All Jet stick vacuums use the same basic design, with a top-mounted dustbin, lightweight construction, and a five-stage filtration system. However, they differ in bundled attachments, battery capacity, and suction motor potency. Samsung is also one of the few manufacturers offering a self-emptying station for cordless stick vacuums, which reduces hands-on maintenance requirements.
The Samsung Bespoke Jet is the best Samsung vacuum that we've tested. Its 210AW suction motor delivers excellent debris-pickup performance on bare floors and carpeting. The vacuum's headlining feature is the bundled all-in-one charging rack/self-emptying station; when the vacuum is docked, debris gets sucked from its dustbin into a dirtbag inside the charging rack, so there's no plume of dust and debris.
Unfortunately, this vacuum's dual-roller floorhead is bulkier than the single-brushroll floorheads bundled with the less expensive Samsung Jet 75, so it isn't as maneuverable as its cheaper peers. On the other hand, the Jet 75 comes with a smaller range of attachments. If you're looking for something even more budget-friendly, the Samsung Jet 60 is another great option. However, it has a less powerful 150 AW suction motor and a lower-capacity battery, resulting in a shorter max battery life of about 40 minutes.
BISSELL is an American manufacturer of budget-friendly home vacuums. They also own Sanitaire, which produces vacuums intended for commercial use. They offer a variety of vacuum types, so you can find the one best suited for your needs. While their lower price point tends to be reflected in their plasticky and sometimes flimsy build quality, they're usually lightweight and portable. Many of their models also have a bagless design, so you only have to worry about replacing this part if it's damaged. However, they don't usually have a HEPA filter to help trap allergens and lack power adjustment features.
The BISSELL PowerForce Helix is the best BISSELL vacuum we've tested. Despite its affordable price point, this vacuum offers strong overall debris-pickup performance on bare floors and carpets. Its floorhead offers five levels of surface adjustment, which is rare for a model at this price point and enables you to adapt to various surface types on the go. Unfortunately, despite its relatively lightweight plastic construction, it's a hassle to maneuver in tight spots due to its bulky design and non-pivoting floorhead.
If you're looking for something that can suck up debris and also has a mopping system for stains on bare floors, the BISSELL CrossWave Cordless Max is worth considering. However, it's much more expensive than the PowerForce and less effective on carpeted surfaces.
Eureka is an American-founded vacuum manufacturer currently owned by the Chinese multinational Midea Group. The company primarily makes vacuums, including stick, canister, and upright models, though they also produce air purifiers and steam cleaners. Their offerings sit at the budget-friendly end of the market. In general, they deliver strong performance and a decent array of convenience features for their price point, though the build quality is seldom a strong suit.
The best Eureka vacuum we've tested is the Eureka Mighty Mite. It has a relatively potent 12-amp motor and an easy-to-maintain, compact, and lightweight design. The manufacturer primarily intends this bagged canister vacuum for light-duty workshop cleaning. However, it's also a great value-conscious option for household cleaning, as it delivers fantastic performance on bare floors and is very effective for dealing with debris on low- and high-pile carpeting, even with just a straight-suction floorhead. That said, its floorhead sits rather close to the ground, and larger debris can get pushed around instead of vacuumed up.
If you have dense carpeting, go for an upright model with a powered floorhead like the Eureka FloorRover, even if it's less maneuverable and feels flimsily built. Alternatively, if you want a bagless canister vacuum, the Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Canister is worth a look, though it has a shorter range than the Mighty Mite.
Tineco is a Chinese vacuum manufacturer specializing mainly in cordless models. However, they also offer a range of corded options and wet/dry appliances to remove stains on hard floors. Their conventional cordless stick vacuums provide a wide selection of attachments and features for the price, with pricier models featuring the brand's 'iLoop' dirt detection sensor, which increases the suction motor's power output when passing over an area with a high concentration of debris. Unfortunately, its build quality falls slightly below that of more established brands.
The best Tineco vacuum we've tested is the Tineco PURE ONE S11. As a part of the manufacturer's 'Smart Vacuum' lineup, it can automatically adjust its suction power mode when passing over large amounts of debris. You can pair it with your smartphone via the Tineco Life app, which allows you to monitor its battery life, change its suction power mode, or check the replacement interval for its filters. If you'd like to spend less, the Tineco PURE ONE X is a solid option, though it has a less powerful suction motor. While its max battery life of 70 minutes outlasts the S11's maximum runtime of 40 minutes, its battery pack isn't designed for you to remove or replace it, shortening its overall lifespan.
We've updated our pick for 'Best Miele Vacuum' to the Miele Complete C3 Marin, as the Alize variant has been discontinued. We also made some changes to the text for clarity throughout, but our other picks haven't changed.
We made minor updates to the text and checked that the products are in stock, but made no changes to our recommendations.
Sep 19, 2024 : We've reviewed the article to ensure our picks represent the best products available and made minor edits for clarity.
Jun 13, 2024 : Small text update to replace the Miele Triflex HX1 with the Miele Triflex HX2 Pro/Cat & Dog as an alternative to the Miele Complete C3.
Feb 20, 2024 : Added Dyson V15s Detect Submarine as an alternative to the Dyson V15 Detect to provide an option with mopping capability.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best vacuum brands and the best vacuums available to buy for most people in various price ranges from seven different vacuum manufacturers.
If you'd like to choose for yourself, here is the list of all our 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.