The 13 best cordless, upright and robot vacuums

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Whether you’re cleaning up after kids and pets or maintaining a tidy home , a quality vacuum is essential, no matter your living situation. “Vacuuming your home on a weekly basis is one of those household tasks that requires relatively minimal effort and instantly makes your home look cleaner,” says Caroline Solomon , a New York City-based home organizing expert.

To help you find the best vacuum for your space, I consulted with four experts in home cleaning to discuss different types of vacuums and how to shop for one. I also rounded up their recommendations for the best vacuums to shop, as well as NBC Selected staff favorites for small homes, large homes, homes with pets and more.

Selected. Our top picks

How I picked the best vacuums

The type of vacuum you buy — whether canister, stick, handheld or robot — depends on the size of your space and your specific cleaning preferences. Here’s a summary of the qualities that our experts recommend considering:

Bagged vs bagless: Some vacuums come with a reusable dustbin; others have a disposable bag that needs to be replaced. Your choice depends on personal preference: Bagged options can be better suited for those with allergies since it keeps dust and dirt contained, while bagless options won’t require you to buy and change out bags frequently.

Vacuum size and weight: The square footage of your home, the number of floors and the amount of storage space you have are all major considerations when choosing a vacuum.

Floor settings: Certain vacuums work best on hard floors, while others are meant specifically for carpets (or include attachments that let you alternate between different floor types). Every vacuum I recommend works across various floors, including hardwood and carpet.

Attachments: Vacuums come with a range of attachments to fit your specific cleaning needs. Look for accessories that specifically tackle pet hair, upholstery and more.

HEPA filter: Particles in the air can cause airborne diseases and allergic and respiratory reactions — HEPA filters help filter out these particles. All vacuums I recommend below come with a HEPA filter.

Best vacuums of 2026

Below, I highlight expert-recommended vacuums, as well as options recommended by NBC Selected staffers. In line with experts’ guidance, each of the following vacuums features a HEPA filter that can remove up to 99.7% of fine dust and airborne particles.

Best upright vacuums

Best overall upright vacuum

Shark NV352 Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum

This anti-allergen Shark vacuum, a favorite of Solomon’s, comes with a detachable canister for portability and a brush roll shut-off option that lets you easily switch from deep carpet cleaning to bare floor cleaning, according to the brand. The vacuum can also maneuver around tight corners and furniture, according to Shark, and also comes with an upholstery tool and two crevice tools for access to hard-to-reach spaces.

Best bagged upright vacuum

Kenmore Elite Pet-Friendly Vacuum

This bagged upright vacuum is pet-friendly thanks to its powerful inducer motor, which enables the brush roll to spin at a speed high enough to remove dander and stubborn pet hair, according to Kenmore. It has five height adjustment options and comes with multiple attachments, including a crevice tool, bristle brush and power roller. It also has a lightweight aluminum wand that can extend up to 10 feet to clean hard-to-reach spaces. Kadi Dulude, owner of domestic referral agency Wizard of Homes , recommends the bagged canister version from the brand. “It can handle the endless hair from a shedding lab without constantly getting clogged,” she says.

Best budget upright vacuum

Bissell CleanView Upright Vacuum

The Bissell Cleanview is one of our favorite upright vacuums because of its reasonable price point. It has a “triple action” roll brush, which loosens, lifts and removes embedded dirt and pet hair from carpets, according to Bissell. It also comes with a Pet TurboEraserTool for scrubbing stairs or furniture, plus a crevice tool for tackling any dust on your ceiling.

Best upright vacuum for pet hair

Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra Upright Vacuum

This Dyson option is one of our favorite expert-recommended vacuums for pet hair because it’s easy to clean and bagless, so you don’t have to worry about replacing the dustbin. The vacuum has a dog grooming tool to remove loose hairs, dead skin and other allergens from long-haired pets. It has a 35-foot cord so you can swivel it around furniture easily, and it has three modes that let you adjust suction power for different floor types, including hardwood, carpet and tile. You can also shut off the automated brush roll, which cleans itself, according to the brand.

Best cordless vacuums

Best overall cordless stick vacuum

Tineco Pure One S11

Dulude is a fan of cordless vacuums because they’re lightweight and convenient. She recommends the Tineco Pure One as a powerful option for hardwood floors: It has an LED panel on the top of the handle that displays the adjustable power level and battery time remaining. The brand’s smart dust sensor detects the amount of debris in front of it and adapts the suction power accordingly, according to Tineco. It also alerts you if the vacuum ever becomes clogged.

Best lightweight cordless vacuum

Dyson V11 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Dyson is a favorite among the experts I spoke to and NBC Selected staff. I love the brand’s cordless vacuums because they’re great for compact apartments with minimal storage space. The Dyson V11 is one of the lightest vacuums on this list, weighing just over 6 pounds. It has a run time of up to 60 minutes on a single charge and the time remaining is displayed on the vacuum’s LCD screen. It comes with various useful attachments, including a crevice tool, dusting brush and a ​​mini-motorized tool for removing pet hair.

Best combination cordless vacuum

Dreame H12 Pro Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner

This vacuum cleaner from Dreame does the work of both a cordless vacuum and a mop, sans the mess. It can easily pick up solid messes, such as food crumbs, hair and dirt, but also cleans residue you’d usually tackle with a mop. This includes spilled drinks, sauces or powder ingredients such as flour. It has a 900-ml clean water tank and a 700-ml dirty water tank, so you constantly have clean water on-demand as you move it around. It also has hot-air drying capabilities to help dry its roller brush after cleaning.

Best robot vacuums

Best overall robot vacuum

iRobot Roomba j7+

This robot vacuum can map out an entire floor of your home to know where to clean, and you can set boundaries using the iRobot Home app to prevent it from going into specific areas. It can also empty its own canister after 60 days and return to its base when it knows it needs a charge, according to iRobot. The Roomba is compatible with both Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa voice assistants.

Best robot vacuum-mop combo

Roborock Q Revo

If you’re looking to combine two chores, the Roborock Q Revo serves as both a vacuum and wet mop. It can handle both hardwood and carpeted floors because it has a mechanism which lifts its mop pads up to make sure water doesn’t get on your carpets, according to the brand. The vacuum is also largely autonomous. It automatically returns to its base so it can empty its dustbin, wash and dry its mop pads (which helps prevent odor and mold), refill its water tank and recharge. Plus, it maps out your space (including multi-floor homes), detects obstacles and avoids no-go zones, which you can customize on the Roborock app. You can also set a custom schedule, track its route and more via the app.

Best handheld vacuums

Best handheld vacuum

Shark Ultra Cyclone Pet Pro Handheld Vacuum