IRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum The Best Vacuums For A Cleaner, Tidier Home

Vacuums have come a long way since they were invented in the early 20th century. Today’s models are not only smaller, quieter and sleeker than those historic devices, but they’re also nearly 20 times more powerful than anything your ancestors may have been lucky enough to push around the house. And while even the weakest modern vacuum could outperform an original Hoover from the early 1900s, choosing the best vacuum for your household is another matter entirely.

Before you can set out to buy a vacuum, it’s helpful to understand the different types of vacuum cleaner out there and the key differences between each. Upright vacuums are your traditional vacuum, with a suction head and motor contained in one chassis. They’re available in all price ranges and, nowadays, usually come without bags. Canister vacuums separate the motor and the suction head and can create extremely strong vacuuming capabilities, which is reflected in the higher price tag.

Stick vacuums are handy devices that place the dust canister at the top of the stick, where it’s easily accessible. Stick vacuums also benefit from a variety of attachments that allow them to be used both as upright vacuums and handhelds. Be aware, however, that they’re usually not as powerful as upright alternatives.

Robotic vacuums are becoming more commonplace, but still remain the newest entrants to the market. Usually controlled by a mobile app, They are usually controlled by a mobile app so you don’t even need to be home to turn your vacuum on. They can clean open areas well but their performance in corners and around obstacles isn’t always the most precise. Even the highest-end models can miss a few spots.

Finally, there are handheld vacuums, which are small enough to be carried around and often come with several attachments for reaching nooks and crannies. You’re probably not going to vacuum your whole house with a handheld (though some premium models might make a good case) but they can be great for small jobs or hard-to-reach areas like stairs, upholstered furniture, or your car.

When buying a new vacuum, it’s critical to hone in on what you want — and don’t want. Vacuuming power, portability, and affordability all matter, of course. You’ll also want to ensure your vacuum is ideal for the kind of home you have. And while we’ve compiled the following list of outstanding options, keep in mind that not every vacuum on this list will be for everyone, and we’ve noted that in our descriptions, but if you’re looking for a new vacuum, start with the following.

• Best Vacuum Overall: Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional
• Best Canister Vacuum: Miele Complete C3 Canister Vacuum
• Best Stick Vacuum: Dyson Cyclone v10 Absolute
• Best Robot Vacuum: iRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum
• Best Handheld Vacuum: Black + Decker Max Flex
• Best Canister Vacuum: Miele Complete C3 Canister Vacuum
• Best Vacuum For Pet Hair Removal: Bissell Cleanview Swivel Rewind
• Best Budget Vacuum: Bissell Featherweight Stick Lightweight

IRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum Best Vacuum Overall

Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional

Key Facts:

• Dimensions: 14.96 x 11.4 x 45.5 inches
• Weight: 13.7 pounds
• Corded/Cordless: Corded
• Battery life: N/A
• Best for: All-day use and hard-to-reach areas

The Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional upright vacuum comes with a few modes you might find useful. First among them, of course, is the upright mode that lets you clean both carpets and hardwood floors. If you want to clean your stairs, however, you can detach the canister and use it as a handheld with one of several attachments. Speaking of attachments, the Shark Navigator also comes with an extender, so you can vacuum higher-up areas.

Shark’s vacuum comes with an anti-allergen seal to reduce chances of infectious debris from entering your home and it offers a high-capacity canister to house more debris and dirt than most other upright vacuums. Be aware, though, that at 13.7 pounds, it’s a bit heavier than other models, and while a 25-foot cord is quite long, there other options from Shark that deliver 30-foot or longer cords

IRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum Best Canister Vacuum

Miele Complete C3 Canister Vacuum

Key Facts:

• Dimensions: 27.8 x 27.2 x 20.4 inches
• Weight: 35.1 pounds
• Corded/Cordless: Corded
• Battery life: N/A
• Best for: Larger homes and especially dirty spaces

If you’re looking for a far more powerful vacuum that can help you keep large areas or rooms clean, the Miele Complete C3 Canister Vacuum is a good place to start. At 35.1 pounds, it’s a little heavy, users say, and since it’s corded, you’ll be somewhat limited in the places you can actually vacuum. But with a 36-foot cord, you’ll be able to reach far across the room.

The Miele vacuum comes with a variety of attachments to help you clean multiple surfaces and its removable bag is designed to properly filter debris. Most importantly, the Miele earned high marks from users who remarked at its six suction settings that let you choose the material you’re vacuuming. And with a 1,200-watt vortex motor, users said it works exceedingly well when you want to deep clean. It even comes with a brush designed to clean under baseboards and kick jams. If you’re looking for the complete vacuuming experience, the Miele can offer it.

IRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum Best Stick Vacuum

Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute

• Dimensions: 9.84 x 10.08 x 49.17 inches
• Weight: 5.88 pounds
• Corded/Cordless: Cordless
• Battery life: Up to 60 minutes
• Best for: Everyday use in apartments or homes

The Dyson Cyclone V10 Absolute is one of the best stick vacuums and one of the most versatile vacuums on the market. It comes with a host of attachments in the box and is powered entirely by the suction head at the top of unit. Removing the stick allows you to add other attachments, including a brush vacuum, smaller heads and more.

The Cyclone V10 Absolute can be used both as a stick vacuum and a handheld. But beware that it’s far more expensive than most others in this roundup. And as someone who owns the V10 Absolute, I can tell you that it often gets clogged with pet hair and other debris, so be ready to disconnect the attachments often to clear clogs — an issue many other owners also complained about in online reviews. But that’s not necessarily unique to the Dyson. And to its credit, the vacuum is easy to clean and remove clogs. There’s even a handy indicator on the side to tell you where it’s clogged.

IRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum Best Robot Vacuum

iRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum

• Dimensions: 13.4 x 13.4 x 3.54 inches
• Weight: 6.77 pounds
• Corded/Cordless: Cordless
• Battery life: Up to 90 minutes
• Best for: Large spaces and regular maintenance

While there are plenty of robotic vacuums on the market, the iRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum may provide the best balance of features for the price. It’s about 13 by 13 inches and features both a Clean button on the top and an accompanying app that lets you turn it on and off and monitor its progress. It also ships with indicators that you can put up around the home to limit its access to certain rooms or areas.

While the iRobot Roomba 675 does come with brushes to try and reach corners and crevices, some users said it sometimes falls short. And although it promises up to 90 minutes of battery life, it doesn’t always deliver, reviewers said. Still, it’s one of the more affordable robotic vacuums.

IRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum Best Handheld Vacuum

BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX Flex

• Dimensions: 14.44 x 10.69 x 6.5 inches
• Weight: 2.56 ounces
• Corded/Cordless: Cordless
• Battery life: 4 hours
• Best for: Apartment dwellers and quick clean-ups

In the world of handheld vacuums, flexibility reigns supreme. Black + Decker’s 20V Max Flex uses high-powered suction to boost its ability to pick up grime and dust and with four hours of battery life, it’ll last plenty long enough to pick up debris around the house.

Arguably the Max Flex’s best feature, however, is its four-foot hose, which allows you to tack on wand, pet brush, and other attachments and reach everything from your ceiling fan to your shelves. It’s also an ideal choice for car vacuuming since it can reach just about anywhere in the vehicle without causing trouble. At 17 ounces, the device’s washable bowl is a little on the small side but at just 2.6 ounces, the Max Flex is by far one of the most portable options on the market.

IRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum Best Vacuum For Pet Hair Removal

Bissell Cleanview Swivel Rewind

• Dimensions: 13 x 14 x 46 inches
• Weight: 19.06 pounds
• Corded/Cordless: Corded
• Battery life: N/A
• Best for: Pet owners or those with high pile carpets

The Bissell Cleanview Swivel Rewind is a traditional stick vacuum that comes with a 27-foot cord, allowing it to reach far-flung areas around the home. Bissell, a well-known company in the vacuum market, says the device is ideal for pet hair and uses a brush roll and “scatter-free” design to capture every strand. (Users and critics agree the vacuum is surprisingly adept at capturing pet hair.)

Because the vacuum comes with a one-liter capacity, users said they’re able to vacuum up quite a bit of pet hair and debris without needing to quickly run to the garbage. That said, the Swivel Rewind doesn’t necessarily come with all of the attachments you may find in other options and since it doesn’t come with a HEPA filter — something some users bristled at — it may not be best at filtering allergens.

IRobot Roomba 675 Robot Vacuum Best Cheap Vacuum

Bissell Featherweight Stick Lightweight

• Dimensions: 8.3 x 9.5 x 44.1 inches
• Weight: 4.09 pounds
• Corded/Cordless: Corded
• Battery life: N/A
• Best for: Budget shoppers and those who don’t want to lug vacuums around

There are times when you simply want to get a new vacuum without all the bells and whistles and save a few bucks. That’s where the Bissell Featherweight Stick Lightweight vacuum comes in. You won’t find any frills here — this is a simple vacuum with an on/off switch and the ability to use it as a handheld if you don’t need the full stick attachment.

It has what reviewers have called “standard” suction strength and its filtration is similarly “standard,” so it won’t remove allergens from the air during use. And at 15 feet, its cord is much shorter than some of the others on this list. But you don’t buy the Bissell Featherweight Stick Lightweight for the features; you buy it for the price. And in that regard, it’s impossible to beat.