THE BEST VACUUM CLEANER BUYER’S GUIDE

Recommendation
The Bissell Big Green is our favorite vacuum cleaner for use on carpet and upholstery. It operates similar to the wet vacuums that you can rent at the grocery store and in my opinion tends to deliver better results. If you plan on cleaning a fair amount of carpet three to six times a year, then purchasing the Big Green will usually end up saving you money compared to renting a carpet cleaner since a rental can easily cost you $75 – $100 per rental period. After purchasing this vacuum, I discovered that I enjoy cleaning the carpet every couple of months. It is truly amazing how dirty carpet can get after only a few months of traffic.

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If you’re looking for a vacuum that works extremely well on carpet and you don’t mind paying a little extra for a quality product that should last for several years, then you might want to take a look at the Bissell Big Green Carpet Cleaner. If you use the Big Green more than 4 or 5 times then you basically will have paid for the machine when compared to renting one from the store. Although the Big Green is a heavy professional grade vacuum, I’ve found it to be very straightforward to operate and easy to maneuver even in confined areas. It works really well for removing dirt, debris, and persistent stains. For best results, I would recommend spraying the carpet with a pretreatment cleaner. The spray used in combination with the cleaning solution does a great job of removing dirt and stains.

Unlike some other wet vacuum brands, the Big Green has separate clean and dirty water tanks and works to remove debris during both forward and backward passes. This not only shortens the amount of time needed to clean the carpet, but also accelerates the rate at which it dries. The flow indicator located on the top of the machine makes it incredibly easy to see when you need to empty the dirty water tank and refill the clean water tank. Both tanks are removable for easy emptying, cleaning, and filling.

As if the carpet cleaning power of the Bissell Big Green wasn’t enough to make it the best carpet shampooer, it also comes with a 9 foot hose  and cleaning attachment that can be used on stairs and upholstery. I’ve used this attachment in my car several times to remove stains that even an expensive auto detail couldn’t get rid of. This coupled with the impressive results that I’ve seen on my carpet makes this my pick for top carpet cleaner.

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Recommendation
The Dyson line of cord-free vacuum cleaners is a popular option for those who want a product with a tremendous amount of cleaning power along with lightweight portability.The V8 Absolute is one of the best cordless vacuum options because it comes with all of the important features and attachments one needs to clean just about any surface. Its cord-free design makes it easy to carry around the house without having to plug anything in or hassle with a tangled mess. Although the cord-free feature does represent a huge convenience, it’s important to note that the vacuum will need to be charged after about 40 minutes of continuous use. This usually isn’t an issue for many people, but it is worth noting if you like to vacuum for long uninterrupted periods of time or you have a large area to clean. If you want to spend a little less and you don’t require all of the features that come with the V8 Absolute, then you might want to consider one of the many other Dyson cord-free models.

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The Dyson V8 Absolute has tremendous suction power that will easily vacuum up the majority of the dirt, debris, and hair that has accumulated on hard and soft surfaces throughout your home. With all of the particles you’ll be sucking up, you’ll be happy to know that this vacuum is designed with a whole machine HEPA filtration system that captures even the smallest particles including allergens that would otherwise be floating around your house. This coupled with an air purifier and well-maintained air conditioning / heating system will ensure that the air quality in your home remains consistently high.

Unlike some the more affordable Dyson vacuums, the V8 Absolute comes with a wide range of attachments that are handy for cleaning hard to reach areas. These include a crevice tool, mini motorized pet hair removal tool, soft dusting brush, and an additional cleaner head for large debris. These attachments are especially useful for cleaning out cars and vacuuming the furniture. While the attachments alone probably aren’t enough to justify the additional cost, there are plenty of features that might justify the higher price depending on your own unique needs.

Individuals who have used other Dyson products such as the V6 or V7 should notice an improvement in the battery life as well as a reduction in noise with the V8 Absolute. The V8 also seems to perform better when it comes to suction. It’s very important to note that at maximum suction, this vacuum typically won’t run for the full 40 minutes. If you’re looking for a vacuum that will run for more than 10 – 20 minutes at maximum power, then you’ll probably want to consider a corded vacuum.

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Recommendation
If you want a vacuum that will last for a decade or more and you’re willing to spend more for superior craftsmanship, then you might want to take a look at the canister vacuum cleaners sold by the Miele brand. These vacuums are manufactured in Germany and have a reputation for being extremely high quality. Their canister shape and stainless steel wand sets them apart from other products on the market. The Miele Complete C3 Calima vacuum has a solid build and performed extremely well on both carpet and hard flooring. It has a six-stage suction control that allows you to adjust the power of the vacuum depending on the surface that you’re cleaning. It has a built-in HEPA filtration system that we consider essential for controlling air quality and that helps cut down on the amount of dusting that needs to be done. Although the Miele vacuums are some of the most expensive products on the market, the fact that they last so long and perform so well make them well worth the investment.

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This is easily one of the best corded vacuum cleaners for both carpet and hard flooring that money can buy. If you don’t want to think about purchasing another vacuum for a decade or more and you’re not intimidated by the price tag, then we would recommend taking a look at the Miele line of canister vacuums. While the C3 Calima is one of the more affordable Miele vacuums, we have found that it has most of the features that we would consider essential. The fact that the canister vacuums are corded means that they’re less convenient for transport compared to the Dyson cord-free products, but the amount of uninterrupted cleaning time is also much higher. If you don’t want to wait hours for the battery to charge between uses then you’ll want to go with a corded vacuum.

One very important consideration with the C3 Calima is the fact that it is designed for smooth surfaces such as wood or laminate flooring and low to medium pile carpet. If you have high pile carpet then you’ll want to consider purchasing the C3 Kona, C3 Marin, or C3 Brilliant. These higher end versions can handle thicker carpets and are generally better for cleaning up after pets that shed a lot. The Miele products have a unique design in that they are constructed with a six stage suction control that is operated using a foot switch. Similar to other vacuums they come with special attachments that are designed for cleaning hard to reach areas. The C3 Calima typically comes with a turbo brush for loosening dirt, parquet twister with 180 degree rotation for smooth surfaces, telescopic wand, dusting brush, upholstery tool, and crevice nozzle.

Many people find that they absolutely love the solid German manufacturing of the Miele brand compared to the cheap feeling plastic components of most vacuums available in major retail stores. Although these canister vacuums are designed in a way that may seem strange to people who are used to the more traditional vacuums commonly sold in the United States, they have significant suction power and tend to last much longer than other brands. In fact, many people will use their Miele vacuum for at least 10 years before replacing it.

Some downsides that are sometimes encountered with this vacuum include issues with the hose being too short and hair getting wrapped around the turbo roller brush. If you plan to clean things like ceiling fans or you have a pet that sheds heavily then you might want to consider one of the other products mentioned here.

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Recommendation
By now, most people are familiar with the Roomba robot vacuums that have become extremely popular among people who don’t like having to operate a vacuum on a daily or weekly basis. iRobot products don’t have the greatest suction power or storage bin capacity, but they do work really well for controlling small amounts of dirt, debris, and pet hair. Although we don’t depend on the Roomba to perform a thorough cleaning, it has helped us to dramatically reduce the number of times that we have to run the upright vacuum each week. In fact, the Roomba has become popular with those who have pets that shed since it does a good job of keeping the hair under control.

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These robotic vacuums have become extremely popular mainly due to the fact that they will operate automatically. The Roomba vacuums are often considered the best vacuum for hardwood floors and other smooth surfaces because they do a great job of collecting dirt, debris, and hair. The Roomba 980 can be programmed to clean at specific times on different days and can connect with your iPhone, Alexa, and a few other smart home products to allow you to make changes from your device. It also comes with virtual wall barriers that allow you to localize its cleaning efforts to specific rooms.

As iRobot has released new models, the suction power of the Roomba has increased to allow it to perform better on carpet, but we still find that it isn’t as effective on medium to high pile carpet as traditional vacuums especially if your carpet experiences heavy traffic or you have a pet that sheds a lot. It will still suction up a reasonable amount of hair and other debris, but you will likely need to vacuum your carpet with a traditional dry or wet upright vacuum in order to get it spotless.

Many people choose to use the Roomba as a supplement to their traditional vacuum since it will greatly reduce the number of times you will need to clean during the week. Pet owners often consider the Roomba to be the best vacuum for pet hair because it allows them to keep up with the shedding by vacuuming 3 – 5 times per month rather than 3 – 5 times each week.

Aside from being largely automated, some of the other major benefits of the Roomba include its ability to clean underneath furniture that has a clearance of at least 3.6 inches and its ability to dock with the charging station itself. If your furniture is set lower than 3.6 inches then you will likely need to find a way to raise it up a bit or add some boards along the bottom to prevent Roomba from becoming stuck. Also, Roomba sometimes has difficulty finding its way back to the charging station which may cause it to run out of battery life before it finishes cleaning. If the battery dies completely then you may encounter errors that require you to reset the clock and cleaning schedule.

Some of the other downsides of the Roomba include the fairly small canister size and the fact that hair does become wrapped around the rollers despite the claim that they are tangle-free. So, as long as your expectations are reasonable and you understand that a Roomba isn’t entirely maintenance free, then you may find it to be a great way to dramatically reduce the amount of time you are vacuuming each week. In order for the Roomba to continue working properly, you’ll want to make sure you empty the canister on a regular basis as well as clean the filter and remove hair from the rollers.

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Recommendation
If you’re looking for a solid vacuum that won’t break the bank, then you might want to consider checking out the upright vacuum cleaners manufactured by Shark. The Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional NV356E is as effective at cleaning up dirt, debris, and pet hair as most other vacuums in this price range. It only weights 13.7 pounds and comes with several attachments that help with cleaning hard-to-reach areas and sucking up bulky debris such as pet hair. It’s at the top of the range for storage capacity with a dust cup that can hold up to 2.2 dry quarts. Overall, this is a great option for those who want an effective vacuum at an affordable price.

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Shark canister vacuum cleaners consistently receive great reviews from customers because they are effective and affordable. If you’re looking for a simple upright vacuum that will get the job done and won’t cost you an arm and a leg, then the Shark brand might be your best option. There are several different Shark canister vacuums to choose from and it’s important to carefully consider the features associated with each model before making a purchasing decision. Personally, I like the NV356E because if has the most dust cup storage capacity and comes with the four attachments that I typically end up using the most. They include a hard floor attachment, pet brush, dusting brush, and a crevice tool. It’s also only 13.7 pounds which makes it easy for me to carry around the house as well as up and down stairs.

This vacuum cleaner includes a HEPA filtration system that will help improve the air quality in your home and requires minimal maintenance mainly in the form of changing filters from time to time. It doesn’t come with as many accessories as the Shark NV501 or NV682 vacuum cleaners, but it does have greater storage capacity and you could always choose to go with one of the other models if the additional tools are more important to you than the size of the dust cup. They are all similar in terms of suction power and effectiveness so I wouldn’t worry too much about decreases in performance between the different models. 

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Recommendation
The Rotator Lift-Away NV501 upright vacuum cleaner is another popular vacuum manufactured by Shark. While similar to the Navigator NV356E listed above, there are a few differences in features that you’ll want to consider before deciding which model will best suit your needs. This model also has a canister that can be detached from the main body so that you can more easily clean those hard-to-reach areas. One of the big differences is the smaller dust cup capacity which can accommodate approximately 1.3 dry quarts compared to 2.2 dry quarts for the NV356E. Other changes include a longer hose and the addition of several bonus tools.

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In the past, the Shark brand didn’t necessarily have a great reputation for producing solid vacuums, but today many people have found that the workmanship has improved dramatically and has resulted in a solid vacuum for a very competitive price. In fact, many Shark vacuum owners will tell you that they consider it the best lightweight vacuum cleaner in this price range. There are several models of Shark vacuums available that generally weigh between 12.5 – 15.5 pounds. One of the most unique features of these vacuums is the lift-away canister that detaches from the vacuum body so that you can quickly and conveniently clean stairs, upholstery, and hard-to-reach areas. 

The Shark NV501 model is considered by many people to be one of the best Shark vacuums because it strikes a nice balance between price and features. Like other Shark models it has an anti-allergen complete seal HEPA filter that removes the vast majority of the particles that it vacuums up. It also comes with important attachments including a dusting brush, crevice tool, and pet brush. Another feature that you won’t find on many vacuums is the swivel steering with LED headlights that makes it easier to clean under furniture where the light doesn’t always reach.

If you’ve had a negative experience with Shark vacuums in the past then you probably weren’t impressed with their mediocre performance and flimsy design. The newer Shark vacuums have incorporated many improvements, but some people have found that the vacuums sometimes stop working after a short period of time. If you’re considering one of the more budget friendly options, it’s important to have reasonable expectations. The Shark vacuums are cheaper for a reason and generally won’t be quite as effective at cleaning compared to more expensive vacuums.

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Recommendation
If you’re a fan of the Dyson stick vacuum design, but don’t want to spend as much as you would need to in order to own the V8 Absolute, then I would recommend that you consider taking a look at the V6 Animal model. It’s similar in appearance to other Dyson stick vacuums, but isn’t quite as powerful and doesn’t come with the HEPA filtration system. In addition, the maximum battery life is only around 20 minutes so you won’t be able to perform extensive uninterrupted cleaning without needing to stop in order to charge the battery. It is highly portable thanks to the cord-free design and comes with the same combination tool, crevice tool, dusting brush, and pet brush that is included with other models.

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If you’re on a budget and prefer the Dyson stick vacuums over competitor products, then the V6 Animal vacuum may be the best option for you. I do have to warn you that the maximum battery life in the V6 Animal is only about half of what you would get with the V8 Absolute. Given that short battery life is one of the most common complaints relating to Dyson stick vacuums, you will want to make sure that you don’t mind short periods of cleaning that last only 5 – 20 minutes between charges. If battery life and HEPA filtration are less of a concern than price, then this is the model you would likely want to go with.

Its cordless design makes it highly portable and very convenient for moving between rooms or up and down stairs. It has more suction power than the standard Dyson V6 model and can be used on a variety of flooring including carpet, hard wood, laminate, and tile. Similar to other Dyson stick vacuum models, the V6 Animal can be detached from the wand for convenient handheld cleaning. Overall, this isn’t our favorite budget vacuum, but we can certainly see how the visual appeal and cord-free design could win out against less portable vacuums.

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Recommendation
EcoVacs makes robotic vacuum cleaners that look and act very similar to the Roomba, but cost much less. As with the Roomba, the Deebot is really meant for low pile carpet or smooth surfaces such as hard wood, laminate, and tile. Although they will vacuum high pile carpet to some extent, they usually won’t perform that well and you might need to run an upright vacuum on a regular basis if you have pets that shed or the carpet experiences high amounts of traffic. The Deebot will run for around 1.5 hours before it needs to be charged. It has motion sensors that allow it to clean with multiple passes as well as climb inclines, cross doorsills, and automatically dock with the recharging station.

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The biggest benefit to owning either a Roomba or a Deebot is the fact that they operate automatically according to a schedule that you can program into the vacuum. While they are great for reducing the number of times you have to manually vacuum, the dust bin is quite small and you will have to empty it out frequently if you have pets that shed heavily or if there’s a large amount of dirt and debris that needs to be cleaned. For this reason, they work great as a complementary product that is used in conjunction with a more traditional upright vacuum. Personally, I have found that the reduction in manual vacuuming is well worth the investment and I’ve managed to cut the number of times that I have to run my upright vacuum in half.

Another benefit of the Deebot is its ability to clean under furniture as long as the clearance is high enough. If the clearance is borderline then you might find that the Deebot gets stuck on a regular basis which can be extremely annoying. It may also seem to follow a random cleaning pattern or might have difficulty finding its way back to the charging station. In this situation, you can manually place it back on the charging station. These are issues that are also common with the Roomba and should not influence your decision to purchase one brand over the other. In fact, many people find the much lower price for the Deebot to be the deciding factor in their purchasing decision.

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Recommendation
The Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe Carpet Cleaner is one of the most popular wet vacuums available on the market because it’s affordable and does a better job of removing dirt, debris, and persistent stains than a dry vacuum would. This vacuum is fairly lightweight at 18.1 pounds which makes it easy and convenient to transport from room to room or up and down stairs and it comes with a dual tank design that keeps clean and dirty water separate. One unique feature is the wash/rinse selector that allows you to wash with soap and water then rinse with water only. While we prefer the Bissell Big Green, this is a good budget friendly wet vacuum option.

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If you plan on mostly cleaning carpet and you want a wet vacuum that’s cheaper than the Bissell Big Green, then you may want to consider the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe. This machine comes with several attachments that will help with cleaning things like stairs, upholstery, and hard to reach areas. They include an 8 foot hose, upholstery tool, stair tool, and crevice tool. While some people consider this vacuum the best carpet steam cleaner in this price range, many people feel that it isn’t as durable, doesn’t clean as well, and can have issues with the brushes and leaking. If you’re concerned that you may run into issues with the Hoover Power Scrub, then you might want to consider other options.

Wet vacuums like the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe and the Bissell Big Green are designed to be used on medium to high pile carpet and on some types of rugs. If you’re looking for a vacuum to use on multiple types of flooring such as carpet, hard wood, laminate, and tile then you’ll want to consider the dry vacuum options listed above. Wet vacuums are not multi-purpose vacuums and should not be purchased for cleaning smooth surfaces. One of the added benefits of a wet vacuum is the fact that they are usually very good at removing stains from certain types of upholstery and can be used to clean things like couches and car interiors. Personally, I like to use a dry vacuum every two to four weeks and a wet vacuum every two to four months. This routine keeps my carpet looking clean and smelling fresh.

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Recommendation
This is a wet vacuum manufactured by Rug Doctor. It has some of the same features as the Bissell Big Green and the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe. These include things like separate tanks for clean and dirty water, an upholstery attachment, and a collapsible handle for easy storage. Rug Doctor claims that their carpet cleaner has 75% more suction than comparable brands, but we can’t say that we noticed that much of a difference. Although it does a decent job of removing dirt and debris, we still prefer the Bissell Big Green and don’t know that we would pay extra for this vacuum when we can get the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe for significantly less.

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The Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner is a decent mid range wet vacuum that delivers similar results compared to the Hoover Power Scrub Deluxe. It’s a bit heavier than the Hoover vacuum weighing in at 25 pounds which might make it too heavy for some to easily maneuver around the house. Like other products, it comes with clean and dirty water tanks along with an upholstery attachment that is for cleaning cars, furniture, and stairs. It also has a collapsible handle that is designed to make it easier to store. While the Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner does seem to perform marginally better than the Hoover wet vacuum, it shares some of the same downsides including issues with overall durability and leaking. It’s a good budget friendly product, but you may want to consider investing in the Bissell Big Green if you want a sturdier product and better results.

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