Best Deals on Vacuums

The Shark PowerDetect IP1251 comes with lots of bells and whistles, including a dirt detection feature and a floor detect mode that adjusts the brush roll speed based on the surface it’s vacuuming. It’s very good at sucking up debris from carpets and is even more impressive at picking up pet hair. The vacuum can be converted into a hand vac and folded for storage.

We like the Shark Vertex Pro IZ662H’s many features. The wand can be bent to reach underneath furniture better, and the vacuum itself folds to allow for more compact storage. While it’s only decent at cleaning carpets, the vacuum shines in cleaning up pet hair and bare, uncarpeted floors. The price for this vacuum fluctuates, but this is the lowest we’ve seen in months.

This Black+Decker POWERSERIES Extreme BSV2020P vacuum performs well in CR’s tests overall but struggled at edge cleaning. A few pluses: It’s self-standing, has a brush on/off switch, and features a filter cleaning dial that empties the filter dust into the dustbin to prevent your hands from getting dirty. In CR tests, it runs for about 30 minutes per charge on low and 10 minutes on the high setting. The batteries can be used in other Black + Decker products. A few caveats: If you grab the dustbin while vacuuming, it may disengage. The vac is also a bit wobbly in self-standing mode.

The Miele Duoflex scores well in nearly all of our cleaning tests. It’s excellent at cleaning debris from bare floors as well as picking up pet hair. It’s only so-so at vacuuming dirt from carpets, but that’s not uncommon for stick vacs, which aren’t as powerful as uprights. What stands out the most about this model is how easy it is to use; we like how simple it is to remove the vacuum’s dustbin and clean its filter.

For a less expensive option than other robovacs, the Eufy C10 T2292 is a great choice if you don’t have too many carpeted areas in your home. While it’s only middling at cleaning dust and debris from carpets, it’s excellent at cleaning bare laminate floors in our lab tests. The vacuum is also impressive at cleaning up pet hair, making it ideal for pet owners.

This vacuum’s body is slimmer than those of the other vacuums we’ve tested, and its low clearance means it’s less likely to get caught under furniture. Although the vacuum’s dustbin is on the smaller side, that might not be much of a problem, because the vacuum automatically deposits debris into a self-emptying station. 

It doesn’t come with tons of extra features, but the Shark Matrix RV2310AE gets the job done when it comes to cleaning. It’s excellent at picking up pet hair and does an exemplary job at sucking up debris from bare floors. While its dustbin is relatively small, our testers say it’s very easy to empty the dustbin and to clean the filter.

The iRobot Roomba Max 705 might be slightly more expensive than some other robots, but it’s the highest-performing one we’ve tested, which may be a reason to lay out the cash. This price just dropped $100 at Best Buy and iRobot, even lower than it was during the holidays, making it a great time to buy. It’s quiet and does well in every cleaning test we’ve thrown at it. It’s also outstanding at vacuuming up pet hair and is no slouch at cleaning carpets either, with a feature that increases suction power when it detects carpet. This vacuum is also better than many other robotic vacuums at navigating spaces and avoiding obstacles.

It’s hard to find fault with the Tineco Floor One S5, which is exemplary at cleaning stains off of ceramic tiles and producing steam. It also scores a very good rating on our convenience test, meaning it’s easy and comfortable to use.

The GorFanty 10-in-1 MultiPurpose is an excellent cleaner with a decent steam rate. It takes only 20 seconds for the steam mop to produce steam, and its steam can last for around 10 minutes on its maximum setting. We like that you can adjust the length of the mop to accommodate people of different heights. The mop comes with plenty of accessories, including attachments for cleaning tile grout, clothes, furniture, windows, and carpets.

The budget-friendly Kenmore Pet-Friendly Cross-Over DU3017 is a solid performer all-around. It’s stellar at cleaning up pet hair and bare floors and does a fine job of suctioning debris from carpets. The vacuum did well in our clean emissions tests, meaning it captures the dust it picks up, which is important if you have allergies or other respiratory problems. One drawback is that its shorter-than-normal cord might have you mapping your electrical outlets when you’re vacuuming.

If you don’t have a lot of carpets at home, it’s worth considering the Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away NV752, which is excellent at cleaning bare surfaces. It’s one of the quieter upright vacuums we tested, and it also scores well for picking up pet hair. The vacuum comes with LED headlights, which can spotlight any debris on the floor while you’re cleaning.

The price of the Tineco Floor One S7 Pro Smart Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner Mop fluctuates fairly often, but at nearly 50 percent off, this is just about the best price we’ve seen for this model. Wet pickup and dry pickup were very good, but dry pickup was only so-so. It earned the highest possible score in our tests for ease of cleaning, which is a plus, and run time was above average. It’s equipped with a battery life indicator, a dirt sensor, and an auto-drying feature that circulates warm air around the brush roll that you just washed. It weighs 11 pounds.

If you’re in the market for a vacuum that can mop as well, but you don’t want to spend too much, this Eureka model could be a good fit. It’s the lowest-cost model we’ve tested, and you can get it at a great discount right now. The Eureka combo vac-mop scored very well (though not exceptionally) in wet and dry pickup and stain removal. It received only middling scores for ease of use and run time, but it may be worth dealing with a shorter battery life if it means staying under budget.

This Kenmore 200 Series 81214 performs quite well in CR cleaning tests, with a strong score for cleaning carpets and suction power, while its ability to clean bare floors and pet hair is stellar. Negatives? Handling is average, and it’s one of the noisier canisters. Differences from the 400 Series: the on/off switch is on the body, it has a different type of suction control, and there’s no telescopic wand.

The Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog is on the pricey side, but it’s one of the best canisters you can buy. It’s a top-grade performer in our bare-floor and pet-hair tests, but it’s not as great when it comes to cleaning carpet. This vacuum also performs well in our clean emissions tests; it doesn’t release debris back into the air of the room you just cleaned. Miele vacuums have a devoted following, and in our member surveys, the brand earns top scores for predicted reliability and owner satisfaction.

The Dirt Devil Compact Portable Spot Cleaner is a light little carpet cleaner at just 9 pounds with a full tank of solution. While the portable cleaners in our tests don’t measure up to full-sized machines in terms of their cleaning abilities, this model did well, especially when it comes to drying. It’s also one of the quieter models we tested. The tank isn’t huge (partly why the cleaner is so light), but if you’re just using it for spills and spot-cleaning, this model will do the trick.

The Hoover PowerDash Pet Advanced performs very well in all our tests for cleaning, dryness, and convenience, though it’s noisier than some other models. It lacks a carrying handle, but it weighs 14 pounds when empty and 19 pounds when full, making it fairly easy to maneuver. It cleans just 7 square feet of carpet per tank of solution, but its 8-foot hose gives you lots of room to work without constantly moving the machine. It has separate tanks for clean and dirty water, and it comes with a special pet tool attachment.

The Hoover SmartWash+ Automatic FH52000 is convenient to handle, adequate at removing red-clay stains from carpet, and outstanding at removing cleaning solution to leave carpets dry, according to our tests. The model comes with a hose and has separate tanks for clean and dirty water. This sale brings the price back down to where it was earlier this summer.

The Shark CarpetXpert EX201 isn’t exactly quiet—it earned a middling rating in our noise test—but it boasts strong performance in cleaning stains. It also did well in our dryness test and is excellent at removing cleaning solution from carpets. It comes with a hose that’s 60 inches long to get into tight spots.

The Shark Rocket HV301 comes with a 30-foot cord and can be converted into a hand vacuum, adding to its convenience. You can hang the hand vacuum on the bottom of the wand for easier storage. We found this vacuum to be excellent at sucking up debris from bare floors and picking up pet hair. It also does a decent job of cleaning carpets.