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Vacuuming is a necessary evil in the fight to beat the dust bunnies kicking around your home, keep your seasonal allergies at bay, and make your floors look like they’re in tip-top shape (even if your pets have just made a mess).

The best vacuum cleaners are worthy investments, since they’re essential for deep cleaning your house (not just during Spring) and eliminating all the allergens, dust, and bacteria that can build up over time (or that you’re unknowingly tracking in from the outdoors). If you’re a pet parent, finding the right vacuum is even more important, since while we all love our furry friends, we don’t love what they shed.

That’s why we’ve rounded up the best vacuum cleaners for all your needs, from lightweight cordless sticks, to budget handhelds, and even programmable robot vacuums. For every kind of home, we assure you there’s a vacuum that’ll (hopefully) never have to make you bust out a broom ever again.

Whether you need to handheld vacuum to pick up a small spill, or a heavy-duty upright pick to deep clean your carpet, these vacuums make any job a little easier. Here are the things we look for in a reliable vacuum for tidying up dirt, dust, hair, crumbs and more around the house.

Power: Depending on the size of your vacuum, having a smaller motor can sometimes mean weaker suction, but nowadays that’s not always the case. We’ve chosen vacuums for this guide that have serious suction power across the board, to both spot clean on both hard surfaces, or to efficiently pick up dust, dirt, and pet hair across an entire floor of your house.

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Floor Surfaces: Before you purchase your dream vacuum, check to see what common floor surfaces it can handle the most — in general, most vacuums are effective across a range of surfaces like tile floors, marble and wood, but carpet-cleaning might be a something you’ll have to specifically look for.

Size and Weight: Lighter and slimmer models might be easier to maneuver around your house (and might be able to clean those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies better), but you’ll have to empty the dustbin way more often. Consider whether you want marathon cleaning sessions out of your vacuum, or a compact design.

Cord vs. Cordless: You won’t have to worry about running out of slack or untangling cords with a cordless vacuum, but you’re also beholden to the extent of its battery life. Plugged-in corded vacuums have an unlimited run time, which are better for larger spaces, but also limit your movability.

Storage: Consider how much space you have in your house or apartment, and whether or not a robot vacuum with its own dock or a lightweight model would better suit your storage situation.

Attachments: Most vacs come with at least a couple extra attachments, and while you might not need every one of them for everyday cleaning, certain tools like suction brushes and extenders are great for cleaning ceilings and certain awkward spaces like couches.

If you’re looking for an upright vacuum that gives you the most bang for your buck, this Apex model by Shark is one of the quietest and most effective bagless vacuums we’ve ever seen.

Unlike other bulky upright vacuums that require constant bag changes, the Shark Apex deep-cleans as well as it cleans itself. The entire body not only works with a washable HEPA filter, but is completely sealed to trap dust and allergens inside the vacuum cleaner. The self-cleaning brush roll also makes it harder for pet hair to get stuck in the brushes.

We love that it also converts from an upright model to a canister with ease, tackling hard-to-reach areas like stairwells and ceiling corners without losing a bit of power. It’s corded, which may be a drawback for some, but think it all adds up to make the Shark Apex a powerhouse of cleaning.

Buy Shark Apex Upright Vacuum $369.99

Ultra-long-lasting and user-friendly, the Roborock H7 cordless vacuum addresses a lot of the critiques of most cordless vacuums and even improves upon them. You won’t miss having any cords here — when fully charged, the Roborock H7 runs for 90 minutes in eco mode, which gives you more than enough time for a truly deep clean.

Speaking of power, the vacuum  has three power settings and fantastic suction, even with the battery life running out faster on the highest setting. But you should really only need that setting if you’re getting super thorough.

It’s got a very handy LED display, so you’ll always know exactly how much battery life you have before the vacuum shuts down. Lightweight, and easily maneuverable, you know you’ll always get an efficient and reliable clean with Roborock’s S7.

Buy Roborock H7 Cordless Vacuum

If you want to actually be able to lug your vacuum around without tapping out halfway through your cleaning sesh, The Eureka AirSpeed is an ultra-lightweight upright vacuum cleaner that’s the way to go.

It includes a washable filter (big bonus), so you won’t have to empty out dust bags or pay through the nose for filter replacements. The added crevice tool and dusting brush are key for handling suction on upholstery and hard-to-reach areas.

Though it’s compact at only 7.7 pounds, and easy to carry and store, it has a wide 10.5-inch cleaning path and powerful dust brush that’ll pick up even the most stubborn dirt and hair from hard floors and carpets. Functional design meets super-powered cleaning with the Eureka AirSpeed.

Buy EUREKA Airspeed Lightweight Vacuum $69.99

Our editors agree that Tineco’s Floor One S3 is the ultimate cleaning solution for small spaces, giving you the option to vacuum and mop all at once without shelling out for a floor steamer. Tineco glides so smoothly across pretty much any hard surface, and we love that it practically pulls itself.

What really stands out here though is the iLoop Smart Sensor, which can actually detect wet or dry messes automatically and adjusts accordingly. It’ll clean up the best way possible, then monitor the mess until it’s done. With up to 35 minutes of continuous runtime, you won’t even need a cable or a cord.

You’ll also get real-time stats through a digital LED panel, from battery and power levels, to fullness of the dust bin. Not only can you self-clean with the touch of a button, dual tanks keep the clean water solution separate from what you mop up. What can’t Tineco’s vacuum do?

Buy Tineco Floor One S3 Hardwood Floor… $399.99

Dyson’s V10 Animal vacuum is as essential for pet owners as a name tag on a collar. Dyson makes some of the most powerful vacuums on the market, and this crowd-pleasing pick is not only certified asthma and allergy-friendly, the V10 is specifically made with pet parents in mind.

It’s designed to capture dust, animal hair, and allergens, for a whole-home deep clean. Cordless and rechargeable, this vacuum can last up to 60 minutes in “Powerful” mode with a 40% bigger bin than the previous Dyson V8 Animal. Weighing in at 11.58 pounds, it’s still pretty compact for the amount of suction power you get.

This model also easy transforms to a handheld for quick clean-ups, spot cleaning and picking up hair from all those places you’re not sure how your pet got into.

Buy Dyson V10 Animal Vacuum $535.00

For all those nooks and crannies, car seats, and everything in between, this bestselling Black+Decker handheld vacuum is on our list for a good reason.

Not only does it have a remarkable no-fade runtime, it’s fast charging means you’ll be able to pick it up again and get back to cleaning up in just four hours. It’s also pretty effective at picking up everything from debris to pet hair on any kind of surface you can imagine. Crumbs on hard flooring and pet hair on sofas won’t stand a chance.

The filter is also easy to remove, and has a strong cyclone suction that you normally see in larger models. The nozzle rotates 180 degrees to fit into tight spaces at different angles that you normally wouldn’t be able to reach. In place of detachable attachments are tools like a crevice tool and built-in, pop-out brush. Great for small cleanups, or for swiping down your car, reach for this Black+Decker vacuum when you need an extra hand.

Buy Black+Decker Dustbuster Handheld Vacuum $49.00

For every type of flooring, and every type of carpet, whenever you want a full-house clean, Miele’s Complete C3 Canister Vacuum will be there to do the deep digging. Even the hardest-to-clean plush carpets don’t stand a chance against it’s superior power nozzle and brush roll, along with five different height levels that power through and life dirt from even the densest  carpet pile.

Got seasonal allergies? You’ll also love this vacuum’s heavy-duty high filtration bag and HEPA AirClean filter, which prevents 99.9% of dust and dirt irritants from being released back into the air you breath. The vacuum also comes with a crevice tool, a dusting brush, an upholstery tool, and telescoping wand to handle just about any surface. It’s also fairly quiet for its size, even through the six-stage suction control. While it’s a pricey pick, you can’t put a price on the deepest clean you’ll ever see out of this vacuum from Miele.

The j7+ from iRobot is the clear winner when you hold it up to other robot vacuums, with powerful vacuuming capabilities, advanced navigation and smart connectivity you’ll actually want to use.

Roomba debuted a big improvement to their technology here with “PrecisionVision Navigation”, which lets the j7+ recognize specific objects and avoid obstacles like pet waste (essential for pet owners) and charging cords. The j7+ also learns your home’s layout in real time, including different rooms, furniture and no-go zones. Powerful suction also means it’ll pick up whatever you (or your pets) leave on the carpet and hardwood floor.

Use the iRobot app, or home assistants like Alexa and Google Home, to tell the Roomba to start and set up cleaning schedules that start automatically while you’re away or asleep. If the j7+ runs out of juice midway through a vacuum job, it’ll return to the dock to charge. iRobot pioneered the robot vacuum world with the Roomba, and it’s still your best choice to date.

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