The 5 Best Multi-Surface Vacuums of 2024

The best vacuum for hardwood and carpet we've tested is the SEBO Airbelt D4 Premium. Available from the manufacturer's website or specialized vacuum retailers, this high-end canister vacuum has a powerful 1250W motor, allowing it to easily clear debris on bare floors as well as low- and high-pile carpets with a basic straight-suction floorhead. Opting for the pricier Premium variant gets you SEBO's ET-1 powerhead, one of the most effective attachments for cleaning carpets on the market. It boasts four levels of height adjustment, an automatic brushroll cutoff switch, and an indicator light to let you know when the bristles wear out or aren't making contact with the ground.

The rocker switch on the vacuum handle gives you precise control over suction power, so you can adapt to different surface types on the fly. Recurring costs are low, especially for a bagged vacuum, as it uses high-capacity dirtbags and long-lasting filters. It feels remarkably well-built, with a cushion surrounding its canister body to prevent it from marking up your walls or furniture should you bump into something.

While its four caster-mounted wheels make it somewhat maneuverable for a vacuum of this weight and size, consider the Miele Complete C3 if you need something smaller, lighter, and easier to use in cluttered environments. However, the Miele has a shorter range and incurs higher ownership costs due to its smaller dirtbags and shorter-lasting filters. Conversely, if you want to go completely cordless, the Dyson V15 Detect is one of the most powerful cordless vacuums we've tested. It delivers a correspondingly strong cleaning performance; however, it's prone to get stuck on thicker rugs and carpets since you can't change the height of its brushroll.

If you're looking for a more inexpensive multi-surface vacuum, the Miele Classic C1 Cat&Dog PowerLine is the best vacuum for carpet and hardwood we've tested. Packed with tons of features, it's the top-tier variant of the C1 product lineup. It comes with Miele's height-adjustable SEB 228 powerhead, which is suitable for a wide variety of carpet types, and a lightweight straight suction parquet tool that's easy to maneuver on hard floors. Its 1200W suction motor yields fantastic debris-pickup performance on a wide range of surface types. There's a mini turbo brush attachment to deal with pet hair or other messes on fabric-lined furniture, not to mention a crevice tool, dusting brush, and upholstery nozzle. This variant of the C1 comes with a post-motor filter containing active charcoal to trap unpleasant odors as you clean.

It doesn't feel quite as robust compared to the pricier SEBO Airbelt D4 Premium. It also doesn't have handle-mounted power adjustment controls, and you'll need to bend over to twist its suction control dial. Its overall range is also roughly half that of the SEBO, so you'll need to swap outlets when cleaning faraway areas. It uses smaller dirtbags and less durable filters, so you'll be replacing worn components more often, driving up the cost of ownership.

The best vacuum for hardwood and carpet we've tested in the mid-range price bracket is the Shark Stratos Cordless. This cordless stick vacuum has a more rudimentary powerhead than the Miele Classic C1 Cat&Dog PowerLine; there's no way of adjusting its height, and it lacks a brushroll off switch, so it isn't as well-suited to cleaning super-thick carpeting. However, it's cheaper than premium options like the Miele and still delivers fantastic performance on bare floors. It also clears away an impressive amount of debris on low and high-pile carpeting.

Unlike the Miele, it can automatically increase the suction power on carpeted floors thanks to its Clean Sense IQ system. Its cordless design makes it easier to clean far-away areas than the Miele, especially considering the latter's short range. That said, its bagless design makes it less suitable for those who suffer from serious allergies, even considering its onboard HEPA filter; not only does the lack of a dirtbag eliminate an additional layer of filtration media, but shaking out a dustbin can release a plume of fine dust and debris.

It can run for up to an hour in most energy-efficient configurations, but you can expect a much shorter runtime if your home has a lot of carpeted floors, as the vacuum will likely have to increase its suction power. If you want to avoid running out of charge and want a comparably priced corded vacuum, the entry-level Pure Suction variant of the Miele Classic C1 is a great choice. It has little in common with the Shark, being a bagged canister vacuum, but its performance is strong and feels much sturdier build-wise. That said, unlike the Shark, it doesn't have a power socket, so it's incompatible with powered floorheads for cleaning thick carpeting.

The Kenmore Intuition Bagged is the best lower mid-range multi-surface vacuum we've tested. This model offers a pretty wide set of features at a relatively affordable price. It performs well on various surfaces—not as well as the Shark Stratos Cordless above, but close—and it has a large 0.92-gallon dirtbag, so you don't need to replace it often. In addition to its HEPA-rated bag, it has a HEPA exhaust filter, resulting in great air filtration performance. You can also release its dirtbag from the compartment with the press of a single latch, so you don't need to dirty your hands or worry about generating a plume of dust when taking it out.

Its 'Lift-Up' design lets you carry its canister body separately from the floorhead, making it easier to clean hard-to-reach areas. However, there's no surface height adjustment, so you might sometimes have trouble going over electrical cords or rugs. Recurring costs aren't too bad, as you only need to replace the dirtbag. As for the pre-motor and HEPA filters, they're washable and reusable, though you can get new ones if you notice a drop in performance. The power cord is 30 feet long, so you won't have to frequently swap outlets when cleaning larger areas.

If you want to save money on a multi-surface vacuum, consider the Eureka Mighty Mite. This compact bagged canister vacuum isn't much to look at, with a practical design that looks more like a compact shop vac than something designed for home use. However, don't be fooled by its cheap, industrial looks, as it offers plenty of power for the price. It has a relatively potent 12-amp suction motor that yields strong overall debris-pickup performance on bare floors. While it doesn't come bundled with a powerhead or an air-driven turbo head for cleaning carpeted floors, you can retract the bristles on its straight-suction head to improve suction on low or even medium-pile carpeting.

Unfortunately, its range is considerably shorter than that of more expensive canister vacuums, like the Miele Classic C1. It also feels cheaply built and rough in places, though it's still far from the flimsiest-feeling vacuum we've tested. Newer versions of the Mighty Mite also lack the requisite mounting clips to attach aftermarket HEPA filters, which is a nuisance if you're especially sensitive to allergens and want a cheap way of upgrading the vacuum's filtration performance.