That's why the Good Housekeeping Institute made it their mission to find the top vacuums on the market. In fact, we’ve tried and tested over 100 models to find the best money can buy. We tested our Henry in a family home during various stages of renovation. From vacuuming-up flour and sugar, to accidentally broken glass and small chunks of rubble left over from an internal wall removal, we found that this canister vacuum cleaner was a really valuable addition to the home. We also learnt that the long, 2.5 meter hose could attach to either the crevice, dusting or brush and mattress tool, and reach up into the higher areas and / or get into some awkward spots. Like other types of vacuums, many of the best robot vacuums on this list and other models we've tested are effective at collecting pet hair, fine dust, and larger debris from floors. With long, soft bristles, the dusting brush is a whizz at whisking away debris from window sills, lampshades, blinds, skirting boards and other awkward surfaces. It's also ideal for more delicate cleaning tasks, such as dusting furniture, the top of books or easily scratched objects. Households with pets will need a vacuum that can handle pet hair and if you want to use it to clean more than just floors, you’ll need one that converts to a handheld cleaner and comes with plenty of useful attachments.

The LCD display allows you to switch between the carpet brush and hard floor brush with the touch of a button thanks to Shark's DuoClean, which is a real time-saver for homes with a mix of floor types. As its name suggests, the crevice tool is designed to get into tight gaps that other attachments would struggle with. With its long, slender shape, it's ideal for cleaning right into corners, along the edge of the flooring, around radiators and even between sofa cushions. It can be difficult to know which type of vacuum cleaner would best suit your needs, so we’ve detailed the pros and cons for each category. Upright The tube is long but telescopic, making this a good cleaner for tall and short people alike. We loved it for its straightforward cleaning power. Its suction is outstanding thanks to a powerful, fast (more than 100km/h) cyclone. The single cyclone design also makes for low noise and controllable power. The cylinder moves smoothly on its castors and perches acceptably on a stair, though it's not the easiest to clean this section of the house with.This Shark vacuum boasts a large capacity and a self-cleaning brush roll for all floor types. Our Ecommerce Editor Molly tried this vacuum out at home for a number of months and found it was totally unbeatable when it came to achieving a deep clean. The suction power is remarkably impressive, and there are plenty of great features that just make this vacuum better to use. Smooth glide wheels and those ever-handy LED lights are a total winner here. The upholstery attachment is wide with a small, flat head. Many also have a built-in fabric strip to help lift dust, dirt and hairs from fabric surfaces including sofas, mattresses, cushions and chairs. Bagless models also tend to be messier as the dust can spill when you empty them, so if you or a family member suffer from asthma or allergies, a bagged design may be best. You will need to keep some empty bags in a cupboard though, so you don’t run out mid-clean. It ran for over an hour on low, or 19 minutes on a mix of speeds. It's expensive, sure, but it's an innovative treat that actually makes hoovering fun. Aside from the ability to stand up on its own accord, which makes it a hit with us for starters, the Hoover H-Free 300 looks pretty good overall. Our test model came with a red anodized finish on the aluminium main tube, while the colour scheme overall is a blend of red, dark grey and silver, topped with the iconic Hoover logo on the main body.

Capacity Depending on the type you buy, capacity can vary massively, from just 0.5 litres (enough for one small home-clean) to more than four litres. If you have a large area to cover, opt for a larger capacity, so you aren't constantly having to empty the vacuum. Some forms of dust should also be left for the dustpan and brush to handle. Ash, sawdust and plaster dust have particles so small that even the best filtration systems will get clogged up and become unusable. The Roomba Combo J7 Plus comes with something iRobot calls the P.O.O.P. promise. It's short for Pet Owner Official Promise and it means that if this Roomba robot encounters pet waste and doesn't avoid it, they'll replace your entire robot. This is useful if you need more power for deep pile carpets. It’s also good to have if you’re conscious of energy usage. The lasers worked well on laminate, but they'd probably only make a difference to those with a visual impairment (either that or our house is so dirty that it's impossible to miss the dust).

Cons You need to remember to buy replacement bags, which will be an ongoing cost. Bagged vs bagless: which type should you buy? As we’ve mentioned already, knowing which type of vacuum to choose can end up leaving you confused. However, considering the type of property you have will help you decide. This isn’t exactly groundbreaking but can be a very useful feature to have on a cordless appliance. Some vacuums, including the Dyson V15 Detect, will handily count down your remaining battery time in minutes and seconds. Jet 75 vacuum cleaners may produce relatively loud noise during use due to the powerful suction and motor drive, which may sometimes affect household members or neighbors

We get it - if you live in a large home you need something a bit more heavy-duty, which is where an upright vacuum like the SEBO Automatic X7 Excel ePower Upright Vacuum Cleaner absolutely shines. Granted, this vacuum is big (it's got a 31cm cleaning head, and a 10 metre cord), but that makes it the kind of powerhouse you need for a large space.

Introducing Vax ONEPWR

There are other contenders from Miele, VAX and Hoover, but the vacuums we had the most difficulty placing in this list are from those top two contenders. If you want to learn more about which brand might best suit you, our write-up of Dyson vs Shark vacuums will come in handy, as well as our take on Miele vs Dyson vacuums. How can I make my vacuum cleaner work better? While these seemingly sentient models have been around for awhile, the latest robot vacuums are much more capable than their forebears, whether it’s due to better GPS and LiDAR mapping, more powerful suction, or better app integration. They’re also quieter, can last longer, can often differentiate between carpet and hardwood floors (and clean accordingly), and do a better job avoiding obstacles so you don’t have to rescue them whenever they’re too close to a toy. All the debris was contained in a six litre Hepaflo bag which we found didn't fill up for a good number of weeks. To remove the bag, the top of the Numatic Henry HVR160 could be easily unclipped. No dust bunnies or debris escaped in the removal process which was a huge relief to our reviewer. We analyse every element of a vacuum, from how it lifts dust from different floor surfaces to how easy it is to use, as well as its overall design.

If you love the idea of a robot vacuum that can mop and vacuum but don't want to spend a fortune, this hybrid floor cleaner from Eufy is well worth considering. At just under half the price of the Ecovacs Robovacs robe-mops, and often discounted, this is an affordable way to get a good hybrid robot cleaner. This isn't the best robot vacuum and mopper, but it's very good value when you consider the range of features it includes. Provided most of your floors are hard ones it's a very good option.

Looking for extra run time?

One of our favourite things about this vacuum was the clever charging stand, which has a progress bar for battery life. It's a lifesaver if you can't drill a holder into your walls, and makes the whole appearance of this vacuum look more sleek. From 2017 to 2019, all vacuum cleaners made or imported in the EU could have a motor of no more than 900W, and had to abide by minimum performance, noise and durability restrictions. The rules were annulled after a successful appeal by Dyson. The EU is working on a revised version, which could have its remit broadened to include cordless options. This vacuum was a reliable hard worker in all of our tests. There was no doubt that it could handle hair, cereal, oats, and flour, even in a huge capacity. This is a bagged model, which might not be for everyone, but if you're allergy prone or you hate lengthy maintenance with cleaning out a dust bin, it might just be the thing for you. With bagless models you don't have the ongoing cost of replacement bags, but they may not be best for allergy sufferers. Bagless vacuum cleaners Our guide on how to fix a vacuum cleaner that's lost suction can give you step-by-step instructions on how to sort it out.