The 5 Best Upright Vacuums of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Vacuum

$190 At Wayfair $190 At Home Depot $200 At Walmart

One of our editors has owned and loved the Shark NV360 Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Upright Vacuum for four years now. She's moved several times while owning it, and it's held up well against all kinds of dust and debris, particularly shining on carpeted floors, where it can really get into the fibers and leave behind those satisfying vacuum marks. While there's no light on the vacuum's head, multiple settings allow you to adjust for your surface, so even though you can't see every crumb, you can trust that the vacuum is doing its job.

We found that the consistent theme with this vacuum is "easy." It’s easy to put together, easy to maneuver, and effortless in how it picks up dirt and debris. The 11-inch cleaning path means that each push or pull of this machine gets a wide swath of floor, and for higher surfaces such as stairways, counters, or ceiling corners, an extendable hose can reach up to 8 feet—you don’t have to reposition the entire machine for each stair. The pod can also be lifted away, so you can use the wand and the head separately (just like a canister vacuum). Variety is the spice of life, as they say, and this ability to adjust is great for different types of cleaning—and also if you ever just want a break from the upright configuration. 

While this vacuum is louder than many other upright vacuums we've tested, we think that's a fair trade-off for the amount of cleaning power it offers. (Though, if you or anyone in your household has sound sensitivities, it may not be the best fit. You’ll also want to steer clear of using it while a baby is napping as it’ll cause a ruckus.) The heft of this cleaning machine can feel cumbersome too, but that's true for many upright vacuums given their size and shape. Plus, the swivel steering mechanism makes the weight feel manageable, too; 16 pounds may not sound like a lot, but it’s roughly the equivalent of pulling a watermelon around your house so these small details are important.

We also appreciate the included HEPA filtration system, which traps more than 99 percent of dust, small particles, and potential allergens. HEPA filters aren’t uncommon on vacuums, but they’re also not a given. With the Shark NV360, the filter is also easy to maintain and just requires a quick rinse and air dry after you’re done cleaning. The dust bin is large enough to keep up with the cleaning necessary for a family home, and very easy to empty, too. Just position it over your waste bin, release the latch, and your mess falls away (as does your stress level, since your home is nice and clean!).

_{Weight: 15.96 pounds | Cord Length: 25 feet | Attachments: Upholstery tool, crevice tool}

Best Value

Hart Pro Bagless Upright Vacuum

$197 At Wayfair $111 At Walmart

In our testing, we challenged the Hart Pro Bagless Upright Vacuum with high- and medium-pile carpet, tile, and hardwood. While it did well on all surfaces, it’s especially well-suited for high-pile carpet. Its upholstery tool is stellar at picking up pet hair on furniture, too. (This is good news for pet owners, and houses with lots of textured carpet, mats, and rugs!) Plus, it's relatively quiet for an upright model. Even though it’s almost the same weight as our best overall pick, it felt a bit more cumbersome in comparison and it’s not quite as easy to maneuver, but the swivel head helps with turns, and it transitions nicely between carpet and hard flooring.

For any bits of debris that the vacuum head left behind (which were easy to spot, thanks to the headlight), we were able to double back using the detachable handle—and we found that process to be smooth, too. We also love that the attachments store right on the machine. Hart isn’t the only brand to design its accessories this way, but nonetheless, we always appreciate that thoughtful feature when we see it, as it makes attachment storage a breeze. (Our best lightweight pick, the Bissell CleanView Rewind Upright Bagless Vacuum, also has this feature.)

It’s easy to clear the vacuum dust bin, too. Similar to our best overall pick, you simply release the lower lid of the container, and gravity takes care of the rest. Clearing out the brush roll is a bit more complicated; we opted to use a seam ripper to loosen the wrapped hair. (Alternatively, you also can remove the entire brush roll with a screwdriver to clean it.) All that said, the Hart Pro Bagless Upright Vacuum carries its weight and is a reliable machine to reach for four to five times per week, in our experience.

_{Weight: 16 pounds | Cord Length: Not listed | Attachments: Crevice tool, pet upholstery tool}

Best Bagged

Hoover Complete Performance Vacuum

$140 At Amazon $140 At Walmart View On Hoover.com

This Hoover Complete Performance Bagged Upright Vacuum brings powerful suction and a smooth yet sturdy design, which is the ideal combination in our eyes. During our hands-on testing, it easily cleaned up popcorn kernels and Cheerios and removed hair from our upholstered chair in two swipes. What sets this pick apart from our other favorites is that it uses bags instead of a dust bin. This is also another option that features a HEPA filter system, too, making it a great pick for those with allergies.

The vacuum comes with a 25-foot power cord, so you shouldn't have to use multiple outlets to clean a single room, either. Although, it's a bit bulkier than some of our other picks and takes a little elbow grease to manage on stairs.

We do like that it has a 15-inch cleaning path (it's wider than our best overall pick), which will help you to clean faster since you’ll cover more area with each push—this is the heaviest of our picks, so extra coverage is key. There’s also an extendable hose that can reach up to 8 feet in the box and handy attachments, including a crevice tool and pet brush that make reaching under, or over, furniture doable. 

_{Weight: 22.4 pounds | Cord Length: 25 feet | Attachments: Upholstery tool, crevice tool, extension wand}

Best for Pet Hair

Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra

$425 At Wayfair $500 At Home Depot $500 At Target

If you can’t leave your house without a pass with a lint roller, then the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra is fur—oops, we mean for—you. It comes with four unique attachments: a tangle-free turbine tool (which is great for collecting hair), a combination brush tool, a stair tool, and a pet grooming tool—that’s right, you can use it on your pet to brush and collect fur before it reaches the floor. One extra-impressive feature is that the machine is designed to keep hair untangled, so it doesn’t clog the dust bin or the brush roll—a big plus for pet owners (and humans with long hair, too). And this vacuum is yet another pick that offers HEPA filtration, a perk for pet owners and anyone looking to reduce allergens in their home. 

And of course, as you can expect with many vacuums from this beloved brand, the Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra cleans well on hard floors and carpet and has incredible suction power. It's easy to maneuver around furniture, too, especially given its suction strength. The 35-foot cord is also the longest of this list, so if you like to clean multiple rooms without switching plugs, it’ll certainly help. We found the attachments were great for cleaning couches and upholstered chairs, and the large dust bin was great for a 1,400-square-foot home.

Like many other upright vacuums, this machine is a bit heavy and not ideal for stairs (which, again, is where those attachments will come in handy). We also found that the machine occasionally “spit” some of the larger debris back out, requiring us to follow back with additional passes. Still, despite these issues, we found it to be an impressive vacuum for pet hair. 

_{Weight: 17.3 pounds | Cord Length: 35 feet | Attachments: Tangle-free turbine tool, combination tool, stair tool, pet groom tool}

Best Lightweight

Bissell CleanView Rewind Upright Vacuum

$110 At Amazon $110 At Wayfair $110 At Target

At just shy of 14 pounds, the Bissell CleanView Rewind Upright Bagless Vacuum is lighter than many other upright models, but don’t confuse it for flimsy. It still packs a punch when it comes to suction and cleaning, zipping through our testing challenges, and collecting cereal and popcorn kernels in just a few passes. The hose and included wand allow for up to 10 feet of reach, so it’s also useful when it comes to your shelves, stairs, and even cobwebs in the corner of your ceiling.

The 13-inch cleaning path width is right in the middle of the range of our list, although this pick doesn’t maneuver quite as smoothly as some of our other favorites so the satisfying marks in the carpet might not be quite as straight as you hope. Without a swiveling head, that means it’s on the user to turn and angle it as necessary (although, if a swiveling head is important for you, there are other Bissell CleanView models that do offer this feature, like the Cleanview 2252 or the CleanView Swivel Rewind Pet Reach).

Still, this vacuum has other conveniences, like the onboard attachment storage and the retractable cord, so you never have to wind it up or worry about tangles in storage. We see this as a great “starter” vacuum for a home that doesn’t need or want all of the extras of some of our other favorites, or a good trade for someone who may be used to older, heavier models. 

_{Weight: 13.5 pounds | Cord Length: 25 feet | Attachments: TurboBrush tool, crevice tool, dusting brush}