Choosing a Vacuum Cleaner for Carpet and Floors

You'll need a vacuum that can handle carpets in your home. Select a vacuum cleaner that has a strong suction, and if you wish to keep your carpets safe, choose the brushroll can be shut off.

Also, think about other features, such as a trash can that is easy to empty, and noise levels and energy usage that match your needs.

Upright

Upright vacuum cleaners are now the most used household vacuum. They are smaller than canister models and are more robust than stick or handheld vacuums. They are also equipped with an electric floorhead that can take on large areas, such as an entire hallway or room.

These kinds of uprights are great for carpeting wall-to-wall, particularly when you want to make sure that you've cleared all dirt and debris from all surfaces. The rotating brush is usually operated by a push button. They can also be outfitted with different heads to clean hard floors, stairs, or other surfaces, such as parquet flooring.

The upright vacuum cleaner might not be as sleek as a canister vac, but it does fit into closets more easily. They typically have a smaller overall dimensions and profile than canisters, so they're easy to store if you don't have much closet space. Many also have automated spooling power cords that minimize the chance of getting tangled.

They are also easier to use because they are in a single unit which includes the motor as well as the filter and other components. You can push or pull them using just one hand, making it easy to move around your home while you tackle your cleaning chores.

Another advantage of uprights is their broad head. They have greater coverage than canister vacuums and are ideally suited to remove pet hair or other debris from large areas like shelves and furniture. The larger head allows you to get more debris out of the carpeting in a shorter time frame, as well.

Although they're not as flexible as a canister vac uprights are still a good choice for most households. Their small footprint and easy to use make them a popular choice for busy families. If you're looking for an upright with high performance and a low price, consider the BISSELL PowerForce Helix. This model is cheap and bagless, which will save you money on new bags. It also comes with an efficient on-board engine as well as a large capacity bin that allows you to clean several surfaces without emptying the bin.

Canister

If you have a mix of bare carpet and floors canister vacuums are the best option. These units are great for stairs and can be used to remove dirt that other vacuums do not. Some vacuums come with attachments that work better than a standard broom at cleaning bare floors.

They also can move more comfortably in tight spaces as they typically have a long hose that connects to the main unit at the base of the vacuum. This allows you to use them on furniture or at the edges of rooms. Depending on the model, canister vacuums might have a ras use lithium-ion batteries that can last for a long time without needing to be charged. The latest models are also equipped with advanced technology to help them clean more effectively. For instance the Dyson Gen5detect automatically detects the type of flooring you have and adjusts its suction and brush roll settings to match. In our tests, the Dyson Gen5detect performed well on all surfaces and was able to remove most debris from carpets with no damage.

Another top pick is the Black + Decker Powerseries Extreme Max It comes with a powerful motor and three cleaning modes. The battery lasts for around an hour and a half, and it has anti-tangle beater bars that prevent hair wrap so you don't have to waste time detangling the machine after each use. It's also light and compact so you can easily fit it in tight spaces and closets.

Stick vacs are great for flooring that is unfinished and low pile, bare carpets that need just a quick surface cleaning. Some models can be converted to handheld vacuums for cleaning stairs and upholstery. Others have power-hungry boost mode that allows you to finish more difficult tasks faster. The Hoover Onepwr Evolve Pet is an efficient stick vac with a turbo setting to boost power as well as a powerful rotating brush that works well on all types of flooring, though it has issues with carpets with high pile.

If you're looking for an extra-flexible model that can handle multiple kinds of floors, look into the Samsung Bespoke Jet AI. It provides the highest performance we've seen from a cordless stick vac, due to its intelligent sensor that detects your floor type and adjusts the suction and brush roll accordingly. It's also light and includes an accessory holder for tools that includes crevice tool, upholstery nozzle, and other tools.

The Robot

Certain smart robots come with features that aid in cleaning your home, such as dirt detection sensors as well as the ability to mop. Others are able to connect to your virtual assistant and automatically schedule cleaning sessions, so you don't have to remember when to turn them on. They're also better at navigating around obstacles and obstacles, making them a good option for homes with large open floor plans or those that have multiple floors by carpet.

The top robotic carpet vacuum cleaner vacuums are able to clean hard and softer flooring. Many of them also get rid of pet hair. The most expensive ones utilize a variety of different technologies to map your space and create plans to clean it. Additionally, they generally operate in a methodical way, following the walls and moving furniture as needed. They can be programmed to stay clear of specific rooms or areas with a lot of clutter, like kitchens and family rooms. They can also perform tasks like cleaning, such as cleaning up trash or turning on the lights, or be manually directed to the right room.

If you're dealing with mostly hard surfaces in your home, the low-cost Eufy RoboVac 11S Max is a great option for your cleaning needs. It offers great cleaning capabilities, and it's extremely user-friendly. It comes with a 770ml bin, dual rubber brushes that are less susceptible to become tangled by hair, and 5,500 Pa suction power.

Some robots utilize the LIDAR sensor and a front-facing camera to map their area of coverage and navigate obstacles, but the affordable models, like the Shark ION robot vacuum for carpet and hardwood AV753 Series, only have a more rudimentary random path navigation system that can occasionally miss certain areas or clean them repeatedly. It is possible to use the virtual walls in the app to instruct your robot to avoid certain areas. This is helpful when you have fragile floor vases or lots of furniture you don't want to hit. You can also create cleaning zones for areas that require more attention, such as busy areas or areas that are dirty.