Best Canister Vacuums

Miele Complete C3 Kona Canister Vacuum

PROS

High-filtration bag and HEPA filter trap allergens

Brush roll adjusts to different levels

Comes with an attachment for smooth floors

CONS

Replacement bags and filters are pricey

PRODUCT SPECS

Weight 23 lbs.

Cord length 24 ft.

Attachments Upholstery nozzle, dusting brush, crevice tool, parquet floorhead, electro plus powerhead

Miele’s vacuums continually win us over in our cleaning tests for their outstanding performance and innovative design features, and this Good Housekeeping Seal star is no exception. Because the dense tufts of super soft or plush carpets often make pushing a vacuum more difficult, the Miele Complete C3 comes with a power nozzle that adjusts the brush roll to different levels. In our tests, we found it made plowing through plush pile carpets easier. Plus, it includes an assortment of attachments and multiple suction levels to tackle a wide variety of cleaning tasks. Many vacuums leak dust back into the air through cracks and crevices in the body, and some bagless models can be messy to empty and create a cloud of dust, both of which can trigger sneezing. This Miele addresses both those issues. It uses a self-sealing high-filtration bag to capture the dust. All you do is throw it away once it's full. And the entire vacuum is sealed to eliminate leaking along with a HEPA AirClean filter on the exhaust that keeps 99.99% of fine dust and allergens from being released back into the air. In our tests, Miele vacuums do the best job of both picking up dust and dirt and keeping particles inside the vacuum. That's why they are our top recommendation for allergy sufferers.

Eureka Mighty Mite 3670G Corded Canister Vacuum

PROS

Most affordable of all picks

Lightweight

Compact size

CONS

No HEPA filter

PRODUCT SPECS

Weight 9 pounds

Cord Length 20 feet

Attachments Straight suction floor nozzle, combination dusting tool

Apartment dwellers and college students often don’t have the space for a full-size canister vacuum, but this budget-friendly vacuum is a lightweight and compact machine that doesn’t lack power. We love that it weighs less than 9 pounds making it light enough to tote around effortlessly and is small enough for easy storage. It’s racked up a 4.5-star rating from more than 7,700 reviewers on Amazon who praise it for being easy to carry up and down the stairs and for including two wand attachments that have excellent pick-up in tough-to-reach places. This model did well in our tests and has been part of the Eureka line for many years, so it must be doing something right. It’s best for quick clean-up jobs on bare floors or smooth surfaces and comes with a blower port for blowing leaves or debris in the garage. While it can likely pick up lint or hair on a carpet's surface, don't expect it to deep clean because it lacks a rotating brush.

Bissell SmartClean Canister Vacuum

PROS

Long cord, hose and extension wand for a 40-ft. operating radius

Three suction speeds

Built-in dusting brush on handle

CONS

Doesn't have a rotating brush

PRODUCT SPECS

Weight 18 lbs.

Cord Length 30 feet

Attachments Straight-suction floor nozzle, crevice tool, dusting brush

Nothing's more frustrating than having to stop mid-job to unplug your vacuum because it can't reach all the way under the bed, behind the sofa or wherever you want to clean. But, with this Bissell bagless canister model, even the most distant dust bunnies won't escape you. It's got a 30-foot cord, a 6.5-foot hose and a telescoping extension wand that together provide a 40-foot cleaning radius. Three suction speeds, a multi-floor cleaning nozzle and an additional dusting brush built onto the handle mean you can go from bare floors to area rugs and upholstery to draperies without missing a beat. While we haven't tested this model yet, Bissell upright vacuums have done well in our testing.

Miele Boost CX1 Parquet Canister Vacuum

PROS

Excellent suction

Cord rewind

Universal floorhead

CONS

Some reviewers had a hard time pushing it on carpet

PRODUCT SPECS

Weight 13.8 pounds

Cord Length 22 feet

Attachments Upholstery nozzle, crevice tool, dusting brush, parquet floorhead

Our Lab experts were wowed by this vacuum's pick-up performance and high-end features, which is no surprise since Miele consistently performs well in our tests. The Boost CX1 Parquet showed no signs of pushing debris forward instead of suctioning, which is a common complaint with other vacuum models. This helped it win a spot in our 2022 Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning & Organizing Awards. In our tests, it picked up dry oats with ease. It has a HEPA filter, cord rewind, parquet floor brush tool and extendable wand, all in a compact canister about the size of a small cooler. We love the large, easy-to-empty dust bin, and the jumbo wheels allow it to maneuver smoothly. The universal floor head makes it easy to go from low carpet to hardwood floors with a flip of one switch so there's no need to change attachments. It does lack a rotating brush for removing embedded dirt from deep pile carpets. But if you want to give your hardwood floors an extra thorough cleaning it does comes with a large oval parquet floor brush to safely clean the cracks and crevices.

Oreck Compact Canister Vacuum Cleaner

PROS

Long cord; great for cleaning the car

Lightweight

Works well on hard floors, flat carpet and area rugs

CONS

Can't clean deep pile carpet

PRODUCT SPECS

Weight 5.5 pounds

Cord Length 20 feet

Attachments Bare floor brush, crevice tool, dusting brush, upholstery tool, connectors

The Oreck weighs just 5.5 pounds (the lightest of our picks) and is more portable than the traditional canister, making it great for smaller jobs. We like that it comes with a shoulder strap and a telescoping extension wand for more easily nabbing dust in hard-to-reach and high-up places like window frames, ceiling fans and light fixtures. There's also a 20-foot cord so you don’t have to worry if your messes (such as spills in the car) aren’t close to an outlet. While it can't deep clean pile carpets, we tested it many years ago when it came packaged along with an Oreck upright and we were impressed with its pick-up on hard floors, flat carpets and area rugs. It uses a bag to contain the dust that meets HEPA filtration standards, is backed by a three-year limited warranty and can double as a blower to clean debris from the garage, workshop or patio.

Kenmore Pet Friendly POP-N-GO Bagged Canister Vacuum

PROS

Comes with a motorized attachment for pet hair

Sealed dustbag so less dust escapes while emptying

Big wheels for easy maneuvering

CONS

Heavy

PRODUCT SPECS

Weight 22.6 pounds

Cord Length 28 feet

Attachments Mini-motorized pet hair too, powered floor nozzle, crevice tool, dusting brush, bare floor brush

This Kenmore vacuum is as versatile as it is powerful. It has a mini motorized brush tool that nabs pet hair from upholstered furniture and carpets, and it can be stored along with the other accessories right on the vacuum. The disposable dust bag and sealed system keep unwanted debris from escaping and its HEPA filter on the exhaust makes it an excellent choice for those with pets or allergies. Along with acing our floor-cleaning tests, our experts found the controls easy to use and maneuvering was a breeze thanks to the big wheels. We loved that the floor brush can be easily attached hands-free with a press of a button. Our experts were so impressed with this vacuum that it earned one of our most recent 2022 Cleaning and Organizing Awards.

Hoover Cordless Shop Vacuum

PROS

Wheels are designed for extra stability as you clean

Cordless

6-gallon capacity bin

CONS

Short runtime of about 12 minutes

PRODUCT SPECS

Weight 18.4 pounds

Cord Length Cordless

Attachments Crevice tool, utility nozzle

Vacuuming doesn't happen only inside your home. The basement, garage, deck and other outdoor areas need attention too — not to mention the occasional leaky pipe or backed-up drain that must be cleaned. A wet/dry utility vacuum is the solution in these instances. It can pick up large and fine debris like leaves and sawdust, and even wet messes and water that can destroy a traditional vacuum cleaner. Unlike other wet/dry utility vacs, Hoover's ONEPWR is cordless and runs off a rechargeable battery, so you're not tied to an outlet and have unlimited reach. Also unique are its large wheels and low horizontal design for more stability and less tipping. The tools and wands store directly on the vacuum, and the bin has a capacity of 6 gallons. We tested this model as part of our recent roundup of best shop vacuums and it garnered our best value spot. Though it wasn't as durable or fully-featured as others we tested, its pick-up performance was impressive and its compact design made storage easy. Hoover vacuums of all shapes and sizes always do well in our tests and this vacuum works with the same interchangeable battery found on other products in the Hoover ONEPWR line, like the handheld vacuum and leaf blower.

DeWalt Quiet Wet Dry Vacuum

PROS

Works as a blower and vacuum

Quieter than other models

Accessories store in a pouch on-board

Has a strap to secure the hose during storage

CONS

Only slightly quieter than other models

PRODUCT SPECS

Weight 22.7 pounds

Cord Length 10 feet

Attachments Floor nozzle, utility nozzle, crevice tool

If you’re looking for a corded canister vacuum that will work on heavy-duty dry and wet messes in your home, garage and workshop, look no further. This Dewalt is ideal for indoor and outdoor use, easily picking up heavy debris and water in our tests. And the included attachments for hard-to-reach crevices and floors make it perfect for cleaning jobs, like sucking up wet spills, in your home, too. With swivel wheels, a 7-foot hose and a 10-foot cord, it is impressively maneuverable in spaces of all sizes. Per the manufacturer, its two-stage motor makes this vacuum up to 50% quieter than previous models. And while our GH Cleaning Lab considered it noticeably quieter than other models we have used, our Home Improvement and Outdoor Lab pros thought it was a bit louder than other models they were testing for their review of best shop vacuums.

How we test canister vacuums

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, vacuum cleaners are a major product review category: We're constantly getting new models for testing, and as a member of ASTM International's F11 Vacuum Cleaner Committee, we meet and interact twice yearly with engineers and technical representatives from all brands to help develop and shape the vacuum cleaner test standards we all use to assess performance, ease of use, durability and more. All vacuums are tested exactly the same way for more accurate performance comparisons, and our tests are based on the ASTM International industry standard test methods.

We look at how well the vacuums remove large and small debris like gritty sand, dried orzo pasta and more from vinyl flooring. We also test how well they clean along edges and how much suction they draw through the tools.

We use industry-standard rayon fibers to simulate pet hair that we evenly spread in six separate locations on a carpet’s surface to see how well each machine cleans it up. We count the strokes needed by each vacuum to completely remove the fuzzy fibers. Each vacuum is tested three times.

In addition to performance testing, we test for ease of use of each vacuum cleaner. This testing includes evaluating maneuverability, battery run-time for cordless vacuum cleaners, the ease of the controls and how simple it is to empty and clean the dust cup or to change the bag. We also factor in the weight of each model. All special features and claims are assessed, and we even give the owner's manual a grade for clarity. Because maneuverability can be different from one consumer to the next, we have 10 consumer testers rate each vacuum’s maneuverability by running them on a bare floor, carpet, around corners and under furniture. They rate the ease of removing the dust cups or bags and the ease of operating the vacuums’ controls. For sound measurements, we work with Quiet Mark, an independent global sound certification program, to objectively determine the loudness of each model and any other features like battery charge indicators, brush roll control buttons and other tools and accessories are noted and tested too.