Get insider access
Preferred store
Your browser is not supported or outdated so some features of the site might not be available.

The 5 Best Vacuum Cleaners With Good Suction - Spring 2023 Reviews

Updated
Best Vacuum Cleaners With Good Suction

Good suction performance is arguably one of the most important aspects of a vacuum and is important for finding the best suction vacuum. If you want to effectively pick up debris like sand from shaggy carpet or rice from tile flooring, knowing a vacuum's suction power, airflow, and wattage can be beneficial. However, aside from its wattage, the manufacturer doesn't always advertise these numbers. To approximate a vacuum's suction power, we consider vacuums with a good overall performance or better across all surface types. Vacuum cleaners with better and more consistent performances tend to have good suction as they can pick up various debris without too much of a problem.

We've tested over 130 vacuum cleaners, and below are our recommendations for the best suction vacuum cleaners to buy. These picks were selected based on their performance on different types of surfaces and their feature set, battery life, and price. For more recommendations, look at our list of the best multi-surface vacuum cleaners, the best Shark vacuums, the best bagged vacuums, and the best vacuums for carpet.


  1. Best Vacuum Cleaner With Good Suction

    The best suction vacuum we've tested is the Miele Complete C3. This premium canister vacuum has a powerful 1200W motor, allowing it to deal with stubborn messes or debris stuck in cracks. It also delivers fantastic performance on bare floors and does a great job dealing with debris on carpets. Its seven-level power adjustment function lets you tailor its suction force for everything from window curtains to high-pile carpet with a few button presses. The entry-level C3 Calima model has an air-driven turbo brush for cleaning low to medium-pile carpeting. However, you'll want to purchase a powered floorhead separately or simply spring for a pricier model that comes bundled with one if you have a lot of thicker carpeting, like the C3 Cat & Dog, C3 Kona, or flagship C3 Brilliant. Unfortunately, this vacuum's hose is somewhat short, making it hard to clear debris from some hard-to-reach areas.

    If you're looking for a canister vacuum with strong suction power that incurs lower recurring costs, look at the SEBO Airbelt D4. It uses larger dirtbags and filters that will last years without needing replacing. It also has a longer power cord that gives it an operating range of roughly 50 feet, so you can easily clean larger areas without swapping outlets. However, it is bulkier, heavier, and has a more rigid hose than the C3, making it harder to maneuver.

    See our review

  2. Best Upper Mid-Range Vacuum Cleaner With Good Suction

    The best upper mid-range vacuum with good suction we've tested is the Dyson Ball Animal 3. This bagless vacuum isn't as sturdily built as the Miele Complete C3, with a mainly plastic body that creaks and flexes while in use, which is pretty disappointing for a vacuum at this high a price point. However, it's worth considering if its cheap build quality doesn't bug you and your top priority is raw suction performance. This vacuum's powerful motor enables it to easily clear debris from a wide range of surface types, ranging from bare floors to low and high-pile carpet. Its floorhead features three levels of surface adjustment, letting you quickly adapt from hardwood floors to dense high-pile rugs. The floorhead also features a set of built-in plastic vanes that are remarkably effective in reducing hair wraps.

    This vacuum's bagless design incurs minimal recurring costs and is easy to maintain. However, shaking out its dustbin is less hygienic than removing the Miele's self-sealing dirtbags. It's on the bulky side, even for an upright vacuum, and can be a hassle to take out of your closet and use for quick clean-ups. Its strong suction power can still make it a little hard to push and pull around on shag carpeting, though thankfully, it's still much better than its predecessor, the Dyson Ball Animal 2, which could tear up carpet fibers.

    See our review

  3. Best Mid-Range Vacuum Cleaner With Good Suction

    The Miele Classic C1 is a great option for a mid-priced vacuum with strong suction power. There are a few downsides when comparing it to the pricier Miele Complete C3; it doesn't feel as robust, lacks an on-board tool storage compartment, and has a shorter range, so you'll need to swap outlets when vacuuming larger rooms or faraway areas. It uses the same 1200W suction motor, resulting in a similarly great overall debris pickup. You can use the dial at the back of the canister body to toggle through six levels of power adjustment, enabling you to adapt to a wide variety of surface types. The entry-level Pure Suction variant only has a straight suction floorhead and is best suited for bare floors and low-pile carpeting. The C1 Pure Suction also lacks a power socket at the base of its hose, so it's completely incompatible with powered floorheads. If you have a lot of thick carpeting and need a C1 variant compatible with powerheads, you'll want to spend more on a pricier variant like the C1 Cat & Dog or C1 Home Care.

    While it's exceptionally easy to maintain, it uses fairly small 2.5L dirtbags, and you'll have to swap in a new one periodically, along with its pre and post-motor filters. The similarly powerful Airsign HEPA Vacuum is a great alternative if you're worried about recurring costs, as you can buy it with a subscription package that ships a four-pack of dustbags and a new filter to your door every six months. The Airsign's default dirtbags are biodegradable, which is great if you're worried about the environmental impact of throwing them out. However, it feels less well-built than the Miele and has a shorter overall range.

    See our review

  4. Best Budget Vacuum Cleaner With Good Suction

    The best vacuum with good suction we've tested in the budget category is the Eureka Mighty Mite. This compact canister vacuum feels cheaply built and lacks many quality-of-life features on pricier models like the Miele Classic C1, like a self-winding power cord and allergen-sealed body. However, it's hard to beat if you're looking for good suction performance for a bargain price. Its relatively potent 12-amp motor lets it easily clear solid debris from bare floors and perform well on carpet, even with a basic straight-suction floorhead. Its compact, lightweight construction also allows you to pick it up and carry it wherever you need it, though its power cord is short, so you'll probably need to swap outlets when vacuuming far-away rooms.

    The simple design makes it easy to swap in a new filter and replace its dirtbag whenever it gets full. Still, if you want to avoid swapping out dirtbags and don't mind a less hygienic means of debris disposal, the Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Canister could be worth a look. It delivers a similar overall cleaning performance to the Mighty Mite but doesn't use disposable dirtbags, resulting in minimal recurring costs.

    See our review

  5. Best Cordless Vacuum Cleaner With Good Suction

    The best cordless vacuum with good suction that we've tested is the Dyson V15 Detect. With 230AW of suction power, this vacuum is one of the most potent household-oriented cordless models on the market. However, it falls slightly short of higher-end corded models like the Miele Complete C3 and Dyson Ball Animal 3 in this regard. That said, its main advantage over more powerful machines is its comparatively lightweight, compact design, which makes it much easier to grab for quick clean-ups around the house. It also still delivers exceptional debris pickup performance on various surface types. Its surface detection system lets it automatically adjust its suction power to match surfaces, increasing power on carpets and lowering it on hard floors. It also has an onboard particle sensor that counts and measures the size of debris being sucked into the vacuum, which is handy for keeping track of allergens in your home.

    Unfortunately, no matter your power setting, its strong suction force can still cause it to drag around some lighter rugs and get bogged down in shag-pile carpeting. If you're looking for a stick vacuum that costs significantly less and still exerts a fairly strong suction force, the Samsung Jet 75 is worth considering. It doesn't have the Dyson vacuum's automatic power adjustment capability, an onboard dirt sensor, or a wide variety of attachments. However, with a potent 200AW motor, it isn't too far off of the much pricier V15 when it comes to debris pickup performance.

    See our review

Notable Mentions

  • Milwaukee M18 FUEL 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum Kit: The Milwaukee M18 FUEL 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum Kit is a cordless vacuum intended for light-duty workshop cleaning tasks. It's very powerful but somewhat bulky and awkward for household cleaning compared to similarly-priced canister models like the Miele Classic C1. In addition, unlike most other shop-oriented vacuums, you can't use it to clear liquids. See our review
  • NaceCare HVR 200 Henry: The NaceCare HVR 200 Henry is a mid-range canister vacuum that's easy to maintain, remarkably sturdy, and delivers pretty good overall performance on various surfaces. However, its suction motor isn't quite as potent as the Miele Classic C1. See our review
  • RYOBI 18V One+ 3 Gal. Project Wet/Dry: The RYOBI 18V One+ 3 Gal. Project Wet/Dry is a semi-handheld shop vacuum that delivers exceptional debris pickup performance on various surfaces. However, it isn't intended for cleaning even moderately-sized areas compared to a more household-oriented model like the Eureka Mighty Mite. See our review
  • Wyze Cordless Vacuum: The Wyze Cordless Vacuum is a budget-friendly stick vacuum with a relatively powerful suction motor, though it can't compete with the Dyson V15 Detect for deep-cleaning performance. See our review
  • Samsung Bespoke Jet: The Samsung Bespoke Jet is a premium cordless stick vacuum with a similarly powerful suction motor to the Dyson V15 Detect. However, its dual brushroll floorhead disperses this suction power over a wider area, resulting in slightly worse deep-cleaning performance. See our review
  • Dyson Outsize: The Dyson Outsize is a cordless stick/handheld vacuum with a larger dustbin than the Dyson V15 Detect. While it delivers similar suction performance, it isn't as effective in clearing debris on most surface types. See our review

Recent Updates

  1. May 18, 2023: Minor in-text adjustments to improve clarity of information.

  2. Mar 20, 2023: Verified that all main picks are still available and represent the best option for user needs.

  3. Jan 19, 2023: Ensured all main picks are still available and represent the best choice for user needs.

  4. Nov 21, 2022: Ensured all main picks still represent the best fit for user needs. Added the NaceCare HVR 200 Henry, the Wyze Cordless Vacuum, and the Samsung Bespoke Jet to Notable Mentions.

  5. Sep 22, 2022: Removed less relevant product pick categories. Added Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra as 'Best Upper Mid-Range Vacuum Cleaner With Good Suction'. Added Miele Classic C1 PowerLine Pure Suction as 'Best Mid-Range Vacuum Cleaner With Good Suction'. Added Eureka Mighty Mite as 'Best Budget Vacuum Cleaner With Good Suction'. Removed less relevant Notable Mentions picks, added Milwaukee M18 FUEL 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum Kit and RYOBI 18V One+ 3 Gal. Project Wet/Dry to Notable Mentions.

All Reviews

Our recommendations are based on what we think are currently the best vacuums with good suction. We don't just base our results on overall performance, but also factors like availability, price, and reader feedback.

If you would like to do the work of choosing yourself, here is the list of our vacuum reviews ranked by their suction performance. 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.