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The 7 Best Lightweight Vacuums - Winter 2024 Reviews

Updated
Best Lightweight Vacuums

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 of these vacuums tend to be very plasticky, and their build quality can suffer.

We've tested over 140 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best vacuum cleaners with lightweight designs to 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 cordless stick vacuums, and the best cordless vacuums for pet hair.


  1. Best Lightweight Vacuum

    The best lightweight vacuum we've tested is the Dyson V12 Detect Slim. At just over five pounds, it's one of the lightest models in Dyson's lineup, but it still packs in a wide variety of features. It can automatically increase its suction power on carpet or whenever it passes over 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 also comes with a floorhead that includes a soft roller and a laser light to help identify fine debris and pet hair on hard floors. It can run for up to an hour on a charge, which is pretty lengthy by the standards of this type of vacuum. 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 emptying often. If that's a problem, the pricier Dyson V15 Detect is worth a look, as 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. The Samsung Jet 90 Complete is another good alternative to the V12, with a bigger dustbin and only a slightly heavier body, but it lacks the Dyson vacuum's automatic power adjustment system.

    See our review

  2. Best Upper Mid-Range Lightweight Vacuum

    If you want to spend a little less and don't mind missing out on the Dyson V12 Detect Slim's built-in particle counter, check out the Samsung Jet 75. At a little over 5.5 pounds, it weighs slightly more than the much pricier Dyson. However, it features a more powerful 200 AW suction motor, resulting in even better debris pickup on carpeted surfaces, and it has an easier time lifting away debris wedged in cracks and crevices. It also has a larger dirt compartment that won't need emptying as often. It can run for up to an hour on a single charge, which is good for a cordless vacuum and sufficient for cleaning most rooms. Better yet, this '+' variant comes with a pair of batteries, so you can easily swap in a new pack once the first one runs out.

    Unfortunately, unlike the Dyson, there's no automatic power adjustment capability, so you'll need to manually bump up its power setting when cleaning carpeted surfaces. If that's a must-have feature, the Tineco PURE ONE S11 is a solid alternative, though it feels flimsier, has a weaker suction motor, and doesn't last as long on a charge.

    See our review

  3. Best Mid-Range Lightweight Vacuum

    The Samsung Jet 60 is the best mid-range lightweight vacuum we've tested. Compared to the outwardly similar Samsung Jet 75, this cordless stick vacuum has a less powerful 150 AW suction motor and uses a smaller-capacity battery pack that yields a max runtime of about 40 minutes. However, it's otherwise pretty similar in design, with an even lighter weight of slightly over five pounds, making it remarkably easy to pick up and carry from room to room. Despite this lightweight construction, it's made of solid-feeling plastic and has a relatively high-capacity dustbin that won't need emptying too often.

    This vacuum's five-stage filtration system, another feature it shares with the Jet 75, is also very effective in sealing in allergens. 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 Jet 75's Turbo Brush floorhead.

    See our review

  4. Best Lower Mid-Range Lightweight Vacuum

    If you're looking for a relatively affordable cordless model, check out the Wyze Cordless Vacuum. It might be cheaper than the Samsung Jet 60, but it's just as portable, with a curb weight of just over five pounds. Despite its affordable price point, it does an excellent job of handling debris on surfaces like linoleum or hardwood and does a good job on carpets. Rare for a cordless vacuum in this price range, it also comes bundled with a HEPA filter that's fairly effective in sealing allergens. However, like any bagless vacuum, you must be careful when emptying its dustbin.

    Its battery performance isn't bad either; it can run for almost an hour in its most energy-efficient configuration, which exceeds the pricier Samsung vacuum's max runtime. Unfortunately, its build quality is really nothing special, with a cheap-feeling plastic chassis that scratches easily.

    See our review

  5. Best Budget Lightweight Vacuum

    If 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, 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 swap outlets often when cleaning larger areas due to the power cord's short length.

    It also has a small, weak suction motor and a rudimentary pure suction floorhead, so it struggles to lift debris from carpets and crevices, especially as its tiny dustbin fills up. Thankfully, it does an excellent job dealing with pet hair and other lightweight debris on hard surfaces.

    See our review

  6. Best Lightweight Upright Vacuum

    If you prefer the added debris capacity of an upright vacuum, the Hoover ONEPWR Evolve Pet is a good option. While it's a little heavier than a conventional stick vacuum like the Samsung Jet 60, it's still much lighter than a traditional corded upright. Its cordless design also ensures you don't have to stay close to an electrical outlet while vacuuming far-away areas. It comes bundled with a 4.0Ah battery pack that yields up to 40 minutes of runtime on a single charge. While its battery life does drop to a little over 20 minutes in its most powerful mode, that's still longer than most cordless stick vacuums at a similar price point. Since it's part of Hoover's ONEPWR product lineup, which share interchangeable battery packs, you can easily pop in another pack for longer cleaning sessions.

    This vacuum performs impressively well on bare floors, though you'll need to turn off its brushroll to prevent it from sending debris scattering around. While you might need to make an extra go-around to clear away fine material, it also does a good job dealing with debris on low- and high-pile carpets. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a HEPA filter or an allergen-sealed body, resulting in terrible air filtration performance.

    See our review

  7. Best Lightweight Canister Vacuum

    The 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 isn't as remarkably lightweight as the BISSELL Featherweight Stick, it's a better fit for bigger messes thanks to its surprisingly good debris-pickup performance. It's also worth noting that it is considerably lighter and smaller than most other canister vacuums, meaning you can pull it around, pick it up, and carry it with minimal effort. Its overall design isn't complicated either, so you can swap out its filters or put in a new dirtbag once the old one is filled and tossed out. Unfortunately, its power cord is short, so you'll probably 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.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Dyson V8: The Dyson V8 is a great alternative to the Samsung Jet 75 due to its slightly lighter construction and better performance on low-pile carpets. However, it has a smaller dustbin and a weaker suction motor. See our review
  • Shark WANDVAC System [WS620, WS632, WS642]: The Shark WANDVAC System is a cordless upright/handheld vacuum that's highly portable, but it has a smaller dirt compartment than the Samsung Jet 60 and doesn't last quite as long on a single charge. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. Mar 06, 2024: Replaced the Samsung Jet 75 with the Samsung Jet 75+ variant in the 'Best Upper Mid-Range Lightweight Vacuum' pick due to current availability.

  2. Feb 09, 2024: Minor in-text adjustments to further clarify product information.

  3. Dec 11, 2023: Removed Samsung Jet 70 from Notable Mentions due to current availability.

  4. Oct 10, 2023: Replaced JASHEN V16 with Wyze Cordless Vacuum as 'Best Lower Mid-Range Lightweight Vacuum' pick due to current availability.

  5. Aug 08, 2023: Replaced Xiaomi Mi Vacuum Cleaner Light with BISSELL Featherweight Stick as 'Best Budget Lightweight Vacuum' pick due to current availability. Added JASHEN V16 as the 'Best Lower Mid-Range Lightweight Vacuum' pick.

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.