The 6 Best Vacuum Cleaners With Good Suction - Summer 2022 Reviews

The best suction vacuum we've tested is the Miele Complete C3 Alize PowerLine. This premium vacuum has good suction performance through its floorhead in its 'Max' suction mode, which helps 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 low and high-pile 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. While this variant of the vacuum can be hard to find, the Complete C3 HomeCare model comes with many of the same attachments and accessories. 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, you could also look at the SEBO Airbelt D4. It uses larger dirtbags and filters that are expected to last for years without having to be replaced. 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 and heavier than the C3 Alize PowerLine, making it harder to maneuver.

The Shark Cordless Vertex Pro Powered Lift-Away is the best vacuum cleaner with good suction with an upright design that we've tested. This cordless upright exerts a strong suction force at its floorhead, allowing it to easily suck up bulky debris on bare floors or clear away material wedged in cracks and crevices. While you can't adjust its brushroll height to accommodate for very shaggy carpeting, it still performs amazingly well on low and high-pile rugs. Like most of Shark's other upright vacuums, it uses the brand's 'Lift-Away' design, which allows you to pick up and carry its canister body with one hand while cleaning hard-to-reach areas with its wand and hose. Using it in its most powerful suction mode can drain its battery in as little as 10 minutes, so you need to work quickly when vacuuming stubborn debris, though running it in its 'ECO' mode does extend its runtime drastically.

If you'd prefer not to worry about battery life, you could also consider the Shark APEX Upright Vacuum, a corded upright that exerts a fairly strong suction force at its floorhead. It doesn't perform as well as the Vertex on high-pile carpet and is notably harder to maneuver in tight spaces due to its bulkier design.

The best vacuum with good suction we've tested in the budget category is the Wyze Cordless Vacuum. This basic cordless stick vacuum delivers good suction performance in its most powerful 'TURBO' mode. It does a good job sucking up debris in cracks with its floorhead, though you might want to use its crevice tool to clean them thoroughly. It also delivers impressive overall performance on low and high-pile carpets and is quite effective on bare floors, though bulkier debris can get stuck at the entry to its dustbin. It can run for almost an hour in its most energy-efficient 'ECO' mode, though its runtime drops to a little over 10 minutes when using it in its high-power 'TURBO' mode, forcing you to work quickly when dealing with stubborn messes. Unusually for a vacuum at this price point, it has a HEPA filter and is reasonably effective in sealing in fine particles.

If you want a budget-friendly full-size vacuum with good suction force and don't want to worry about battery life, the Eureka Whirlwind Bagless Canister is worth a look. This compact corded canister vacuum is lightweight, portable, and performs well across a variety of surface types, though its short power cord forces you to swap outlets when cleaning larger areas.

The best shop vacuum cleaner with good suction we've tested is the RYOBI 18V One+ 3 Gal. Project Wet/Dry. This cordless handheld shop vacuum exerts a very strong suction force through its hose, allowing you to easily clean dirt and debris from deep cracks and crevices. Its powerful motor also results in fantastic overall debris removal performance on bare floors as well as low and high-pile carpets and rugs. It has a very simple design, making it remarkably easy to maintain. While its dirt compartment is small for a shop vacuum, it's still considerably larger than most household vacuums, and it shouldn't need emptying too frequently. Unfortunately, the 4.0 Ah battery pack included in the box only yields roughly 15 minutes of runtime. Thankfully, it's fully compatible with other RYOBI One+ battery packs, and you can easily swap in a fresh unit or replace it with a battery that has a larger capacity.

If you're looking for a cordless vacuum that's a little more well-suited to cleaning larger areas, you could consider the Milwaukee M18 FUEL 3-in-1 Backpack Vacuum Kit. Its longer battery life, backpack form factor, and included wand and floorhead make it a much better option for dealing with messes in bigger spaces. Unfortunately, you can't use it to deal with liquid spills.

The best stick/handheld vacuum with good suction that we've tested is the Dyson V15 Detect. This cordless vacuum does a great job of dealing with debris in cracks and crevices. It also offers outstanding performance on a wide variety of surface types. Using it in its 'Auto' mode lets it adjust its suction power to different surfaces automatically. However, you can still rotate the gate on its primary vacuum head if you're having trouble pushing it around on different surfaces. However, no matter what configuration you use it in, its strong suction force can still cause it to drag around some lighter rugs. An onboard particle sensor counts and measures the size of debris being sucked into the vacuum, handy for keeping track of allergens in your home. Unfortunately, while it can run for roughly 70 minutes in its most energy-efficient configuration, its high-power 'Boost' mode can drain its battery in roughly 10 minutes, so you need to work fast when dealing with stubborn messes.

If you're looking for a stick vacuum that costs noticeably less and still exerts a fairly strong suction force, the Samsung Jet 70 Pet is worth considering. It doesn't have the Dyson vacuum's automatic power adjustment capability or onboard dirt sensor, but it still performs very well across a wide range of surfaces. Unfortunately, its battery life in its strongest suction mode is even shorter than that of the Dyson.

The best handheld vacuum cleaner with good suction we've tested is the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+. This compact vacuum delivers impressive suction performance, which is helpful when cleaning debris in cracks and dealing with stubborn debris. It also delivers remarkable performance on bare floors and does an excellent job cleaning fine and large debris from carpets. It's also easy to maintain and incurs low recurring costs since the only part that needs regular replacing is its dust cup filter. It comes with a turbo brush for easier cleaning of upholstered surfaces, though this attachment struggles to pick up short strands of pet hair. It also lacks a HEPA filter and does a terrible job of sealing in fine particles. Its very short battery life of roughly 10 minutes also forces you to work fast when vacuuming bigger messes.

You might want to consider the Dyson Humdinger if you're looking for a handheld vacuum with HEPA filtration and a longer maximum battery life of nearly 30 minutes. That said, it's significantly more expensive than the Shark and doesn't perform quite as well on any surface type. The Wyze Handheld Vacuum is a comparably-priced alternative to the Shark that also offers HEPA filtration and lasts longer on a single charge. However, its narrow suction inlet causes it to struggle with bulky debris.