Thanks to innovations in design and build materials, vacuum cleaners have become lighter over time. A lightweight machine can help reduce the strain on your body as you clean, and it can be easier to take with you up and down a flight of stairs. It should have both a low total weight as well as a manageable weight in your hand. However, to improve their portability while lowering their weight, many lightweight vacuums tend to be very plasticky, and their build quality can suffer.
We've tested over 105 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best lightweight vacuums you can buy. These picks were selected based on their weight and performance on different types of surfaces, feature sets, battery life, and price. If you're looking for more vacuums, check out our recommendations for the best cordless vacuums, the best budget and cheap vacuums, the best stick vacuums, and the best cordless vacuums for pet hair.
Quick Look
We've independently bought and tested over 105 vacuums with no cherry-picked manufacturer samples. We run each vacuum through a gauntlet of tests whose results are validated by multiple teams to ensure you get an accurate picture of how each model will perform and can easily compare them. We keep the products in our lab so we can periodically go back and see how they stack up to the newest competition.
Want to learn more about our testing and review pipeline? Check out our How We Test Vacuums article for insight into our lab and writing processes.
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Best Lightweight Vacuum
Total Weight5.20 lbs (2.36 kg)Weight In Hand3.09 lbs (1.40 kg)Portability8.3Bare Floor7.8Low-Pile Carpet7.4High-Pile Carpet6.9Stairs8.6See all our test resultsCars8.4The best lightweight vacuum we've tested is the Dyson V12 Detect Slim. It's no longer part of Dyson's lineup, but can still be found new at most retailers. Besides, at just over five pounds, it's also lighter than most other models in Dyson's current lineup, but it still offers a wide variety of features. It can automatically increase its suction power on carpet or whenever it's on an area with a large concentration of debris. It also has a built-in particle sensor that gives you a real-time estimate of the allergen quantities it's picking up. In addition to its primary multi-surface floorhead, it comes with a floorhead that includes a soft roller and a laser light to help identify fine debris and pet hair on hard floors. The battery lasts up to an hour, which is pretty lengthy for this type of vacuum. Its performance on bare floors is exceptional, and it does a very good job of handling debris on low- and high-pile carpets.
Unsurprisingly, given the vacuum's small size, its dirt compartment is tiny and needs frequent emptying. If that's a problem, consider the pricier and heavier Dyson Gen5detect; it has a larger dustbin and a more powerful suction motor. However, at almost 6.5 pounds, it's noticeably heavier than the compact V12.
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Best Mid-Range Lightweight Vacuum
Total Weight5.16 lbs (2.34 kg)Weight In Hand3.15 lbs (1.43 kg)Portability8.3Bare Floor7.3Low-Pile Carpet7.1High-Pile Carpet7.0Stairs8.6See all our test resultsCars8.1The Samsung Jet 60 is the best lightweight vacuum cleaner we've tested at the mid-range price point. Compared to our top pick, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim, this cordless stick vacuum has a less powerful suction motor and uses a smaller-capacity battery pack with a max runtime of about 40 minutes. Otherwise, it's pretty similar; it also comes in at just over five pounds, making it remarkably easy to pick up and carry from room to room. Despite its lightweight construction, it's made of solid-feeling plastic and sports a relatively high-capacity dustbin that won't need regular emptying. That said, it's top-mounted position can get in the way when cleaning under tables and chairs.
This vacuum's five-stage filtration system is quite effective in trapping allergens, though like with any bagless vacuum, excercise caution when emptying the dustbin. Unfortunately, while the Jet 60's Jet Fit floorhead provides good debris pickup on low- and high-pile carpets, it isn't as effective on hard surfaces like tile or hardwood as the Dyson.
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Best Lower Mid-Range Lightweight Vacuum
Total Weight4.96 lbs (2.25 kg)Weight In Hand2.49 lbs (1.13 kg)Portability8.5Bare Floor6.9Low-Pile Carpet7.3High-Pile Carpet6.6Stairs8.0See all our test resultsCars7.4If you're looking for a relatively affordable cordless model, consider the Wyze Cordless Vacuum S. As you reach this price point, build quality tends to diminish, and the Wyze is no exception; it features a plastic chassis that feels cheap and scratches easily. It also struggles with bulky debris and fine material that has been worked deeply into the carpet fibers. If you're okay with these compromises, there's a lot to love here. The Wyze is just as portable as the mid-range Samsung Jet 60, with a curb weight of just under five pounds.
Rare for a cordless vacuum in this price range, it comes bundled with a HEPA filter that's fairly effective in sealing allergens. In addition, its battery performance almost matches that of the pricier Samsung vacuum's max runtime. However, like any bagless vacuum, you must be careful when emptying its dustbin, or you might release a cloud of dust.
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Best Budget Lightweight Vacuum
Total Weight3.00 lbs (1.36 kg)Weight In Hand0.97 lbs (0.44 kg)Portability9.3Bare Floor6.8Low-Pile Carpet5.8High-Pile Carpet5.4Stairs6.7See all our test resultsCars6.8If you want to spend as little as possible on a lightweight vacuum, check out the BISSELL Featherweight Stick. At just about three pounds in total weight, this basic vacuum is even lighter than the vast majority of cordless stick models like the Wyze Cordless Vacuum S, making it one of the best lightweight vacuum cleaners for elderly users. However, unlike the Wyze and most pricier alternatives, it isn't cordless, and you'll need to frequently switch outlets when cleaning larger areas due to the power cord's short length. It also features a small, weak suction motor and a rudimentary pure suction floorhead, which struggle to lift debris from carpets and crevices, especially as its tiny dustbin fills up. Thankfully, it does an excellent job of dealing with pet hair and other lightweight debris on hard surfaces.
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Best Lightweight Upright Vacuum
Total Weight10.36 lbs (4.70 kg)Weight In Hand1.63 lbs (0.74 kg)Portability8.0Bare Floor6.6Low-Pile Carpet6.4High-Pile Carpet6.2Stairs5.4See all our test resultsCars5.9If you prefer the added debris capacity of an upright vacuum, consider the BISSELL PowerForce Helix. Right off the bat, it's crucial to note that this vacuum feels cheap and toy-like, but its materials help keep the total weight down, making this a fine option for carrying up and down stairs. While it's a little heavier than a conventional stick vacuum like the Samsung Jet 60, it's still much lighter than many other traditional corded uprights. Also rare for a budget device, it has a floorhead with five levels of height adjustment, enabling you to adapt rapidly to various carpet-pile heights, which is a rare feature at this price point. Its dustbin is also larger than many of the other cordless models on this list, so you won't have to do the messy task of emptying out its dustbin very often.
Unfortunately, there's no brushroll off switch, so be careful when cleaning around obstructions like rug tassels, which can get wrapped around its brushroll and trapped in its floorhead quite easily. Taking out its brushroll for regular cleaning is also a bit of a hassle since you'll need to remove a few screws to pull it out. It's also far from the best option for allergy sufferers, as fine allergens can easily escape from gaps around its dustbin. If you are looking for something that's better in this regard, consider the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Complete. It's not nearly as portable, weighing twice what the BISSELL weighs, but it has a carry handle, and it's still relatively lightweight in your hand when you use it. It's also much more expensive overall.
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Best Lightweight Canister Vacuum
Total Weight9.04 lbs (4.10 kg)Weight In Hand1.01 lbs (0.46 kg)Portability8.4Bare Floor7.3Low-Pile Carpet7.1High-Pile Carpet7.1Stairs7.7See all our test resultsCars7.9The Eureka Mighty Mite is a good choice if you're looking for a lightweight corded canister vacuum. While it doesn't have the grab-and-go convenience of a cordless vacuum and is heavier than the BISSELL Featherweight Stick, it's considerably lighter and smaller than most other canister vacuums, meaning you can pull it around, pick it up, and carry it with minimal effort. It also does a better job with bigger messes than the BISSELL, thanks to its debris-pickup performance. Its straightforward design makes it easy to swap out its filters or put in a new dirtbag. Unfortunately, its power cord is short, so you'll need to swap outlets when cleaning larger areas.
This vacuum does a fantastic job of cleaning even surfaces and is effective on low- and high-pile carpets. While its floorhead doesn't have a motorized or air-driven brushroll for improved surface agitation, it does have bristles that you can retract to help generate a tighter seal on rugs and carpets. If you prefer using a bagless option and don't mind the less hygienic debris disposal that comes with shaking out a dustbin, the Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Canister is a similarly performing alternative that's very portable, though it does have an even shorter power cord.
Notable Mentions
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Dyson Digital Slim:
The Dyson Digital Slim is a cheaper alternative that weighs even less than the Dyson V12 Detect Slim and excels at clearing debris from carpets. However, it's less feature-rich and doesn't perform as well overall. It has a less powerful motor, it's battery takes longer to charge while not lasting as long, and it lacks the V12's particle sensor and laser light.
See our review -
eufy E20 (Stick):
The eufy E20 is effectively a bundle of vacuums, with a modular motor unit that can be mounted inside a robot vacuum chassis or a cordless stick/handheld vacuum. The stick vacuum is lightweight and portable, but less effective on carpeted and bare floors than the Samsung Jet 60.
See our review
Recent Updates
Nov 13, 2025:
We made minor tweaks to further explain product details and added the eufy E20 to the Notable Mentions.
Apr 17, 2025:
We removed the alternate Samsung Jet 90 Complete from the 'Best Lightweight Vacuum' due to availability. We replaced the discontinued Wyze Cordless Vacuum as the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Lightweight Vacuum' with the Wyze Cordless Vacuum S and revised the text. We removed the Notable Mention Shark WANDVAC due to availability and replaced it with the Dyson Digital Slim.
Jan 10, 2025:
Due to availability, we've replaced the Hoover ONEPWR Evolve Pet with the BISSELL PowerForce Helix as our recommendation for the 'Best Lightweight Upright Vacuum.' We've also made small edits for clarity throughout.
Oct 02, 2024: Due to current product pricing, we've removed the 'Best Upper-Mid Range' category and streamlined the Notable Mentions accordingly. We've also made small edits for clarity and concision.
Jun 19, 2024: Minor text changes for clarity. Added the Shark Detect Pro as a Notable Mention.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are based on what we think are currently the best lightweight vacuum cleaners. We don't just base our results on overall performance but also on factors like availability, price, and reader feedback.
If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of all lightweight 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.