The height control on the Kenmore heads gave the biggest advantage in long-pile carpet, but Shark’s dual-brush system performed almost just as well. Choosing a canister vacuum without a powered carpet head was tricky, since the bare-floor cleaning that these vacuums are best at isn’t particularly complicated. The Bissell – Zing offers good power at a very affordable price, and it doesn’t skimp on the details. We’ve tested the basic XL2100RHS and the higher-end Magnesium RS (both use bags) and love how effortlessly they move. But they only clean well on bare floors or short carpet, and none of them have a hose or attachments.
However, they tend to have a few maintenance needs, and some models can be a little more tricky to clean. However, the Shark vacuum does feature a flexible wand that is a real game shark dustbuster changer for reaching under furniture. You can stop ignoring the dust bunnies under your sofa, since Shark designed this vac with a hinge that gives the floor head greater reach.
The Electrolux – EL4021A is a bagless canister vacuum from a well-regarded manufacturer, but its middle-tier features and performance make it hard to recommend. For about a $200 savings compared to the Elite, you’ve given up handle-mounted controls, the bigger bare-floor tool, two feet of hose length, noise reduction, dust capture performance and more agile steering. This isn’t a vacuum we’d choose above other designs unless budget were the primary consideration.
We used to recommend the Miele Dynamic U1 line of upright bagged vacuum cleaners, but we’ve watched the owner ratings plummet. But the nosedive began around the time Miele rebranded the line (it used to be called the S7 series), in late 2014. Reps from Miele assured us that nothing about the vacuum changed except the name, but more and more complaints about pet-hair clogs and defective units popped up and shark robotic vacuums dragged down the user ratings. Dyson makes good plug-in vacuum cleaners that cost way too much money by current standards. We’ve tested several Dyson upright vacuums over the past few years, including the Ball MultiFloor 2, and haven’t found a great reason to recommend one over our other picks. We also measured each vacuum’s raw suction with a specialized gauge and each one’s airflow with an anemometer.
Bissell has aimed squarely at the budget vacuum target, and hit the mark. For bare floors and cleaning tight spots, this is a tool that will get the job done efficiently. If you want the flexibility of a canister vacuum for maneuvering in tight places, the Shark – Apex is a contender than also works as an upright vacuum for covering lots of floor area quickly. The soft rollers work well on all surfaces, but the hose is short in canister mode. The Crossover head is a very good carpet head, with an easy-to-adjust height control and a heavy hardwood agitator brushroll that will help you get dirt out of your carpet. This head is easier to steer on carpet than the less expensive Kenmore design, though not quite as refined as the Shark.
How powerful it is remains to be seen, and we’re looking forward to testing one in our lab as soon as we can get our hands on one. However, this vacuum’s anti-allergen seal and HEPA filter do effectively trap dust. You’ll also enjoy the clear dust bin that allows you to see what you’re capturing in real-time and releases very easily with the help of built-in latches.
It comes in four different colors, and the cordless design is lightweight and versatile, making it useful for cleaning small spaces. In addition to its charging dock, the Wandvac comes with a duster crevice tool and pet multi-tool, and it can be converted into a compact handheld model, as well. If you’re sold on the idea of a high-end bagged vacuum but not a canister vacuum, we love shark dustbuster the Sebo Felix upright. It’s lightweight and easy to steer, with great filtration and cleaning ability on any surface, and it feels notably well made. We like how the cord comes out of the top of the handle, as opposed to the bottom of the unit, so it’s less likely to tangle or get in your way. The Sebo Felix is reliable and long-lasting, with a solid warranty (five years).
For little clean-ups around the house, the Shark UltraCyclone Pet Pro+ is a budget-friendly handheld vacuum. It weighs less than 3 pounds, making it easy to carry around your home, and it comes with three handy attachments, including a crevice tool, scrubbing brush, and self-cleaning pet power brush. Weighing 1.4 pounds, the Shark WANDVAC Cordless Handheld Vacuum is the smallest member of the Shark vacuum family. While we didn’t test this pick in The Lab, we put it through real-world testing in a home. We found it to be startlingly loud (and the sleeping pets in the home seemed to agree with that sentiment).
Before conducting lab testing, Casciano scoured brand and retailer websites, and considered price, verified customer reviews, features, and design when selecting the vacuums to test. She also considered the latest technology, practicality, and real-life cleaning situations. Emma Phelps, an updates writer for The Spruce, also assisted in updating this roundup to note the latest Shark vacuums we tested that didn’t quite make our final list. We found that the greatest strength of the Shark Navigator DLX is also its weakness. While the powerful suction made it faster and easier to remove debris, it also increased the effort we had to put forth to use the vacuum on the medium and high-pile carpets.