The 3 Best Vacuums of 2025, Tested and Loved by Our Cleaning Editors

How We Tested the Vacuums

We've tested over 350 vacuums (so far) side-by-side in The Lab and at home. I've been a part of both designing and leading those tests since they began, and I test new vacuums regularly in my home to compare their features, cleaning power, and ease of navigation (most recently, the Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum, our best stick vacuum pick).

At home, I'm regularly putting models up against high chair legs, cereal puffs, and everyday dust and debris. However, in the lab, our testing is much more methodical.

• Setup: We start with the unboxing and setup of each vacuum, timing how long assembly takes and noting if the instructions are clear or confusing.
• Effectiveness: We use each vacuum on hard flooring and high, medium, and low-pile carpet, challenging it with popcorn kernels, hair, potting soil, dried paprika. While testing, we note whether attachments are more (or less) effective, how many passes are needed to clean up the spills, and whether any hair gets tangled in the brush roll. (Hair tangling, in particular, helps us decide which vacuums are best for pet hair!)
  
• Portability: We also evaluate the vacuum's weight and portability, and how well it can transition from smooth floors to carpeting. Some vacuums are lightweight, but top-heavy. Others are bulky, so they're hard to store.
• Noise Level: During testing, we also take in the noise level and note whether we can comfortably talk over the vacuum.
• Maneuverability: We test maneuverability by running each model through a living room obstacle course, complete with a couch and coffee table, to see how it maneuvers tight areas.
• Ease of Emptying: To wrap up our tests, we change the bag or pour out the dust bin to evaluate each vacuum’s ease of emptying.
• Overall Value: We also rate each vacuum's overall value based on our experience from beginning to end. At the end, we send home our favorite vacuums we tested to individual members of our team, so they can put them through real-world cleaning situations for months on end, and rate their durability, longevity, and ease of storage.
  

What Else to Consider When Shopping for a Vacuum

The Overall Cost and Maintenance of Your Vacuum

The cost of vacuums really varies, and the deciding factor is really the type of vacuum you're looking at purchasing. Vacuums can range from $50 to up to $1,200, and our best stick vacuum has a price point we're often recommending because of its mix of value and features: $200.

• Stick vacuums have the widest price range, and some of the highest popularity due to their portability and effectiveness. They cost between $100 and $1,000, the latter consisting of Dyson’s high-tech, cordless series.
• Upright vacuums—like the Shark Stratos Upright Vacuum (our best upright pick)—generally cost between $100 and $800, and can be a value-packed pick for first homes and households that do a lot of deep cleaning.
• Canister vacuums, similar to upright vacuums, have a wide price range. We've seen picks as little as $80 and as costly as $1,000—plus, some require replacement dust bags.

Maintenance and Repairs

When taking the price of your vacuum into consideration, repairs and maintenance should not be overlooked. You may need to bring your vacuum in for repairs if it begins to lose suction power.

Clogs are the most common cause of vacuum suction loss. If something is blocking the filters in a vacuum, it restricts the flow of air. Regularly cleaning your vacuum extends its lifespan and ensures that it won't lose power. It's also important to check the operating belts of the vacuum to make sure there isn't a problem with the base unit. You can check the belts by following the instructions in your appliance's operating manual.

As I mentioned in my review of our best stick vacuum, caring for the filters is also a necessary part of owning, using, and maintaining a vacuum. It's easiest when the filters are washable, because you can often just rinse them with water and let them air dry. However, again, follow the instructions in your appliance's individual operating manual.

How Easy It Is to Move With Your Vacuum

Vacuums can weigh as little as one pound if they’re a dustbuster or handheld vacuum or as much as 18 to 20 pounds if they’re a powerful upright vacuum. The weight of your vacuum matters because cleaning is not a light task for anyone—it requires lots of pushing, pulling, lifting, and bending over.

If you or someone in your household has mobility-related disabilities or trouble bending over, try to consider a vacuum that’s lighter, easy to lift overhead, and does not require you to hold onto a power button continuously while cleaning. 

The lightest pick on our list is the Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Stick Vacuum at 3.2 pounds (yep, our best stick pick). I found it to be super lightweight and easy to carry up and down the stairs in my split-level home, and the power button is located in such a practical spot.

A vacuum's cord, or lack of, can also affect its overall portability. A cordless vacuum can be easier to navigate and carry, but a corded pick will never run out of power since it’s not reliant on a battery, making it a great choice for longer cleaning sessions.

What Accessories Are Included in the Box

When you open your box, you may find a handful of attachments. Most vacuums will come with a crevice tool, at the very least, which is narrow and meant for picking up a mess in a corner or tight area. Other attachments include an upholstery tool, pet hair tool, combination tool, stair tool, and extension wand, which can all add to your vacuum's effectiveness and portability.

When Is the Best Time to Buy Vacuums on Sale?

In our experience covering both vacuums and sale events, vacuums actually go on sale very, very regularly. More high-tech or feature-packed models may only go on sale a few times per year, during major events like Black Friday and Amazon's Prime Day events. However, you can find a selection on sale during the major holiday weekends and sale events. These vacuums will usually be between 15 and 60 percent off.

Spring is another great time to buy a vacuum cleaner on sale, aside from these major deal events. Since people like to get their spring cleaning done, retailers will often schedule sales around that time of year. Older picks may also be marked down if a retailer is about to release, or just released, a newer product; these older models have been some of our favorites during testing.

Why Trust The Spruce?

Marisa Viglione is the senior editor for all things appliances, cleaning, organization, and home tech for The Spruce and has personally developed and run our vacuum tests at The Lab—using and then rating cordless stick, upright, handheld, and canister models.

She has additionally tested a handful of models right at home, and is continually reaching for her Shark NV360 Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Upright Vacuum and Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Stick Vacuum these days to clean everyday messes in her home. She's lived in two apartments, and a split-level house with a little one and so many stairs.

For this roundup on the best vacuums, she consulted our firsthand testing insights. She has also researched the latest and greatest features of vacuums since 2020, and uses all of her expert-level knowledge and findings to create and regularly update this list of the very best vacuums.