Vacuum Cleaning Machines Buying Guide

It seems a never-ending chore keeping our floors clean. When you have one of the best handheld vacuums, those will keep your immediate emergency cleaning done quickly.

Pets and kids track in dirt and debris; kids drop crumbs and pets leave tiny pieces of food everywhere, not mentioning cat litter that always becomes scattered to include hair or fur balls. If you have birds like I do, their tiny seeds seem to fly all over their caged area room.

The upright vacuum cleaner for pet hair is a must for the power an upright provides to pull it up. This type can vacuum wall-to-wall carpeting, Berber low pile carpet, area rugs, and hard-surfaced floors such as hardwood, laminate, tile, some flat slate, and more. Some are even bagless vacuum cleaners for less dirty hands and dust in your face when disposing.

Knowing which vacuum cleaner to purchase no matter the type can be overwhelming with the different brands and types in the market place competing with one another. I have done research for the best vacuum cleaner reviews listed below to save you much time.

1. Vacuum Cleaner Types

The full-size vacuum cleaners are of three basic types that are upright, stick, and canister. I am not reviewing canister types because I and a lot of other people don’t like to have them behind us to pull around. The graphic on the left is a canister type that usually tips over.

Upright Vacuums

Uprights stand on their wheels and some have handles for collapsing for easy storage. These are the most powerful and these are what we think about when picturing a vacuum cleaner.

The front part that sits on the carpet or other surface is called the head where the motor and brush rollers are located. The dirt bin is located elsewhere, and different brands use different places. You push this in front of you and most can be pulled backward as well. They are very efficient and powerful on carpet, rugs, and any hard surface floors.

Most folks don’t care for the bags that hang on the back needing to be dumped but those are still available along with bagless models using canisters to easily empty the dirt contents. These don’t provide as many attachments as other types.

Stick Vacuums

A cleaner with a long thin handle is called a stick vacuum cleaner. They are super lightweight, have light suction and a rotating brush that pulls the dirt into a container. They are available with cords or battery powered. These are good for light cleaning and I love mine for my kitchen hardwood floors.

The Dirt Devil red or blue plastic vacuum uses a felt pad on the bottom with no brushes. They are sold for about $25 and are good only for bathroom tile, kitchen, and laundry room floors. It is very lightweight, corded, and has a filter inside the container that you empty in the outgoing trash because dust will fly. They sell well for the light amount of touching up you need done with a crevice tool attachment. They are very popular, but not reviewed here.

Canister Vacuums

The canister vacuum is just what it means—a long cylinder or round container that you drag around behind you with the cord and the hose and foot attachment. The dirt comes up the head and into the canister for disposing.

This type vacuum does provide you with many attachments for cleaning furniture, curtains, walls, ceiling, and floors.

These are hard to store since they are bulky and are backbreaking to get up and down stairs. The canister type is not reviewed here.

Handheld Vacuums

Handheld vacuums are a true convenience for cleaning in corners, stairs, furnace registers, along baseboard, in and under sofa cushions, and vehicles. Check out my handheld vacuum reviews below for the finest ones.

These are corded or cordless using batteries. Some upright models are combinations of a regular vacuum where the handheld unit detaches for use.

They have a small container for catching dirt to be emptied and are lightweight.

Robotic Vacuums

Robo vacuums are new to the market since 2006 before iPhones. They are battery operated, need no one to push or pull them, and they do an excellent job on carpeting and hard floors. The are easy to clean out and the batteries are rechargeable.

Being thin, they usually fit under low profile furniture. Read the robot vacuum cleaner reviews down the page.

2. Features

What I always consider when buying a new vacuum cleaner is its weight, suction power, how easy it is to maneuver, and the container for holding dirt that must be discarded.

Weight

This is important because the heavier it is the harder to turn corners. The powerful upright vacuums are much heavier than the stick models using less power. When you live in a house with many stairs and many stories, even a tri-level home, you will have to tug it up and down steps. A vacuum at 17-pounds or less should be no problem for this task.

Bags or No Bags

Vacuum cleaners using bags have a disposable bag inside that you discard then replace with a new one. The new models come with an indicator light showing you when the bag is full and needs to be trashed. The bags are another expense, holds lots of dirt, and release no dust when thrown out.

The vacuum cleaner without bags collects the dirt in a container or small bin that you empty. When you empty this type, I always advise to cover your mouth with a scarf to keep the fine dust out of your nostrils and mouth. Glasses or sun glasses will keep the dust from getting into your eyes. If you have allergies, it’s a must to cover your face and wear long sleeves.

Filter System

Vacuum cleaners are typically outfitted with filters. You will save money if the filters are washable. HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filters are good for removing microscopic particles of dust, pollen, dust mites, pet dander, tobacco smoke and offer the finest type of filtration.

Micron or carbon filters remove small particles for good filtration while the standard filters offer the lowest level.

A vacuum that offers filters that can be washed under the sink faucet will save you money in the long run.

Noise

Noise is inevitable with vacuum cleaners. The level measured in dB (decibels) is often given by the manufacturer. Select a quieter vacuum if you have sensitive ears in your home or you live in a dorm or apartment building. Try to find a vacuum with 65 dB or less. Anything above 70 dB will be quite noisy.

Cord Length

Cord length is important to me and to you too. No one wants to be plugging and unplugging the darn cord after only walking a few feet. A cord 25-feet or longer is the most convenient length. Most sellers will give the cord length while others, usually from foreign countries, don’t even consider the value of publishing the length in their description.

Vacuums with cords offer the most power. Electricity is more powerful than batteries. The suction will be greater with corded vacuums. Battery operated vacuums are efficient however.

Accessories/Attachments

With attachments, you can clean drapes, window shades/blinds, Roman blinds, lamp shades, and the sofa and recliner upholstery and cushions.

The narrow crevice tool gets in between cushions, down the inside of recliners. The round brush dusts areas that are hard to do with a dust cloth.

Carpet Pile Adjuster

Most vacuum cleaners have a foot switch for moving the brush head up and down for lower/higher carpet pile or flat surfaces.

Cost and Warranties

Depending on what features you want, you can buy a vacuum cleaner anywhere from $50 to $400 and up. The very basic upright will cost between $80 to $120. A high-end upright can cost from $180 to $390.

Look for a Warranty of at least 1-year for parts and labor. Some companies offer 5-years for their Warranties and that is great!

Vacuum cleaners are no longer made in the USA.

Top 10 Best Vacuum Cleaner Reviews

1. BISSELL^® CleanView^® Swivel Pet Vacuum Cleaner

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This BISSELL^® upright bagless vacuum cleaner in electric green, model number 2252, specifically made for pet hair and spilled pet food all over the floor, is an Amazon Choice unit for pet owners due to its tremendous power.

Using its swivel steering, you can maneuver around furniture, obstacles, and pets easily. It gives you edge-to-edge cleaning capabilites to get into those hard-to-get-at corners and edges with its 13.5-inch cleaning path width.

The power cord is located on the back side at the bottom.

You don’t have to own a pet to clean your carpet with this swivel vacuum cleaner. But if you do have pets, the special pet tools with a pet hair corner tool will not only grab the hair, it will get at the dust, crumbs, lint, and other debris that’s not furry. Clean you pet beds as well with the tools.

NOTE: When pet hair or long human hair gets wrapped around the brush roller, remove the roller per the User’s Manul instructions and cut it with scissors or an Xacto knife blade. I’ve had to do this for years.

Remove pet hair from upholstery, stairs, and other hard-to-clean spaces with Pet TurboEraser^® Tool.

This bagless vacuum cleaner will clean low pile carpet/Berber, all types of carpet, area rugs, bare floors, hard floors, and upholstery.

The 1.05-quart (1-liter) Easy Empty^™ dirt container is on the bottom and it’s easy and quick to remove and dump without making another mess for you to clean up.

The Triple Action^™ Brush Roll + Scatter Free technology will do all the work by lifting, loosening, and removing pet hair embedded into your carpet, along with other debris that’s there.

With the 6-foot hose, using this upright bagless vacuum cleaner, you can move about large rooms and reach high for high book shelves. When you need a new filter, the part number is 12141.

With its silky brush bristles, it’s gentle enough to use on hard floors without scratching.

Specifications:

• Air Flow Indicator: Yes
• Variable Suction Control: No
• Power Cord Length: 27-feet
• Automatic Cord Rewind: No
• Filters: Washable Carbon and Foam Filters
• HEPA Filter: No
• Filtration: Multi-Level
• Clean Filter Indicator: No
• Surface Height Settings: 5
• Bag Type: Bagless
• Dirt Sensor: No
• Carry Handle: Yes
• Soft Bumper: No
• Front Light: No
• Retractable Cord: No
• Weight: 12.5-pounds

The dimensions are 13.4-inches wide x 14-inches deep (front-to-back) x 44.5-inches tall and weighs only 12.5-pounds.

Plug the UL^® listed 2-prong polarized cord into a USA 110/120-Volt, 50/60 Hz outlet. It is 8-Amps. It does not use batteries.

Buy BISSELL^®, save pets; BISSELL^® donates up to $10 to the BISSELL^® Pet Foundation for every pet product purchase, upon activation.

You will receive the items stated above, a User’s Manual, and a 3-year Limited Warranty. It’s made in China.

BISSELL^® CleanView^® Swivel Pet Vacuum Cleaner Overview video.

2. Shark^® Rotator^® Professional Lift-Away^® Upright Vacuum, Corded

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The SharkNinja^® model number NV501 is a 2-in-1 cleaner that is used upright and has a removable canister for vacuuming small tight places and stairs. It is a phenomenal selling unit on Amazon.com^® at an affordable price for all of its many features.

It’s helpful to have the LED headlights for when in dark places such as closets. The canister lifts right out easily, and it swivels when steering if you want it to. With its extra-large dust cup, it will not need to be dumped as often.

Got pets? You’ll love the pet power brush to remove all pet hair and dander as well. Its tight seal keeps out allergens with a HEPA filter to catch 99.9% of dust and allergens inside the tank. The 2 additional filters need to be washed about every 3-months and the HEPA replaced once a year.

The vacuum is lightweight at about 15.5-pounds. The cord wraps around its own cord wrapping area on the side.

Not only can this be used on carpeting, it does a great job on hardwood floors and other hard surfaced floors as well. It does not scratch flooring.

The cleaning path width is 11.5-inches.The wand is about 4-feet long and the canister is 8-inches diameter.

With the push of a button it will propel itself across carpet. It does not use a drive belt; it uses a geared belt. It is not cordless, does not use batteries and spare parts are available on Amazon.

What’s in the box:

• Premium Pet Power Brush
• Wide Pet Upholstery Tool
• Straight Suction Nozzle
• Dusting Brush
• 12-inch Crevice Tool

Plug the 40-foot UL^® listed cord into a USA or Canada 110/10-Volt, 50/60-Hz receptacle. Users in other countries will need to buy a 220/240-Volt adapter to use it. The output power is 1200-Watts and 10-Amps.

Gift-wrapping is available to surprise someone you love with a great vacuum. You will receive the attachments, User’s Manual, and a 5-year Warranty. It is made in China.

Check Price on Amazon®

What if the brush roller stops spinning?

Troubleshooting low suction video.

3. Dyson^® Cyclone v10 Absolute Lightweight Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

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The Dyson^® Absolute style is the Amazon.com^® Choice stick vacuum and is the #3 best seller. It’s also available in the Animal style for about $40 less, yet the Absolute has bigger and better features. Depending on your needs, choose the style that fits your requirements and budget.

The Absolute model number is 180846-01 and the Animal model number is 226319-01. Click the specific buttons at the top on Amazon to read the differences.

The Absolute is tested to ASTM F558 to have the most powerful suction on any cordless type stick vacuum cleaners in the marketplace.

It will run up to 60-minutes, and has 14 concentric cyclones for its 3 powers. The entire unit is filtered with an instant-release trigger. That means you’re only using the battery while you are cleaning.

It picks up fine dust and larger pieces of debris. With the whole-machine filtration, the machine captures 99.97% of microscopic dust particles as small as 0.3 microns.

The battery will take 3.5-hours at the minimum to recharge to be ready to use the next time you need to vacuum.

To get into carpets to grab dirt deep down, the super stiff nylon brush bristles will get the job done. It sucks dirt out of shag and plush pile and vacuums any type flooring.

You can vacuum ashes on the outside of a fireplace, but never vacuum the ashes inside! They seem to burn forever!

Remove the handheld vacuum from the stick portion and use it to clean your car and sofa without a bothersome cord.

With the torque driven cleaning head, it has enough power to vacuum up anything anywhere.

Its suction mode with non-motorized tools will run up to 35-minutes with the torque driven head. It runs up to 1-hour without a cord for fade-free power, meaning no drop in the battery voltage!

Standing upright the dimensions are 9.84- x 10.08- x 49.17-inches tall and it weighs 5.88-pounds.

It is 25,000 RPM and comes with the parts for wall mounting. It comes with the docking station for recharging to hang on the wall.

You’ll get a 40% bigger bin with point-and-shoot bin emptying, a truly convenient feature. Your hands touch nothing dirty!

Just drag it to spin for awkward cleaning places at 360-degrees—a full circle.

Use the smaller head attachment for stairs and drapes.

One Lithium Polymer battery is required and included. Lithium-ion batteries do not provide enough current just FYI.

It has a washable filter and does not use a HEPA filter.

Tools Included are:

• Combination Tool
• Crevice Tool
• Mini Soft Dusting Brush
• Mini-Motorized Tool
• Cleaner Head
• Torque Drive Cleaner Head
• Soft Roller Cleaner Head
• Docking Station

Plug the UL^® listed 2-prong recharging cord into a USA or Canada 110/10-Volt, 50/60-Hz receptacle. Users in other countries will need to buy a 220/240-Volt adapter to use it.

You will get the accessories, User’s Manual, and a 2-year Warranty. It is made in Malaysia.

Dyson Cyclone v10 Absolute Unboxing!

4. Eureka^® PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner

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This Amazon Choice upright bagless vacuum cleaner, model number NEU182A, in a light blue hue comes in purple if that’s your favorite color.

Eureka^® originated in Detroit, Michigan, USA, in 1909 by Fred Wardell. A reputable company making fine vacuum cleaners, you will feel confident buying this lightweight unit that’s affordably priced.

Not only does this vacuum clean wall-to-wall carpeting, and area rugs, it also cleans hardwood floors and other hard-floor types. And, it picks up pet hair!

The dust container is extra-large holding 4.3-quarts (4.1-liters) and easy to dump by flipping the bottom open. And, of course, with this dust container, there is no bag to deal with.

This is not a ‘dry/wet’ vacuum so don’t use it to pick up liquids!

Its filters are foam and are washable at the kitchen sink; it does not use a HEPA filter. Read the User’s Manual for instructions for doing this.

With its 5 adjustments for heights, you merely change for low floors, carpet pile, or higher carpet pile fibers using this upright vacuum cleaner.

With the cord length of 25-feet, you’ll have sufficient length to have the plug stay in one receptacle without changing it constantly. The cord is connected to the base of the vacuum and stores by wrapping around the area behind the dirt container on the vacuum.

Also, the 4.92-foot hose length for the attachments lets you reach areas that might be difficult to stretch up to.

This gives you a maximum extended reach of 7-feet to get to the ceiling area and low areas too when using the 7-inch-long crevice tool. If you need a longer crevice tool, use part number S3006. It is 25-inches-long and flexible.

Its cleaning path width is 12.6-inches and has no swivel steering, headlights, or automatic cord rewinding and is not self-propelled with no telescoping handle; however, the handle can be released quickly.

All tools are stored on-board, including the crevice tool, dusting brush, and upholstery tool.

What’s in the Box:

• Dusting Brush
• 7-inch Crevice Tool
• Upholstery Tool
• Wands: No extra; only in the handle

The dimensions are 13.4-inches wide x 13.78-inches deep (front-to-back) x 44.5-inches tall and weighs only 10-pounds to push with no strain and lift without hurting your back.

Plug the UL^® listed 2-prong polarized cord into a USA 110/120-Volt, 50/60 Hz outlet. The power is 960-Watts and draws 8-Amps. It does not use batteries.

You will receive the items stated above, a User’s Manual in English and Spanish, and a 2-year Limited Warranty. It’s made in China.

How to Use Your New Eureka^® PowerSpeed Vacuum | Official Eureka^® video.

5. BLACK+DECKER^® Dustbuster^® Hand-Held Vacuum, Cordless

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The famous dustbuster hand-held, model number CHV1410L, is cordless using a lithium-ion battery, 16-Volt power, and the charge for the battery holds for up to 18-months. The charger input voltage is 120-Volt, output voltage 23-Volt, 400-mA (milliamps).

NOTE: This vacuum has an internal battery that is not removeable therefore not replaceable. It lives within the vacuum unit.

With its Smart Charge Technology using 50% energy, with high-efficiency, the lithium-ion charger will help to protect your hand vac for cars and stairs by automatically shutting off when the battery is charged, so that you can store your vacuum on the charger giving you long times running, year-after-year. The charging time is about 4-hours with a charging indicator. There is a blue flashing LED light on the unit’s handle while charging.

For many application types that all users seem to have, the slim nozzle rotates to get into tight spots with this cordless dustbuster hand vacuum.

This BLACK+DECKER^® Cordless Dustbuster^® Hand-Held Vacuum being reviewed here will indeed suck up debris on vehicle floor mats, clean the upholstery, and do the trunk area of cars. It will pick up dry cat litter, pet food, soda, salt, spider webs, dead bugs, and more.

This unit being reviewed in white is not a ‘wet’ vac, so don’t use it for liquids! Buy a BLACK+DECKER^® Dustbuster^® Handheld Vacuum, Cordless, Wet/Dry for that purpose. See the blue vac on the right sucking up orange juice.

Many people have both the ‘dry’ and the ‘wet’ separate vacuums in their home for cleaning up dry stuff and cleaning up wet messes. Since both are inexpensive, you gain lots of cleaning power for combination situations.

The charging dock cannot hang on a wall because it is a disk where the vacuum sits upright on the disk to recharge.

Its dust container holds 20.6-ounces (0.61 liters). The suction power is 15.2 AW (Air Watts). Air Watts are another type of measurement for the suction power. This refers to the amount of Watts used by the machine to carry a unit of air through an opening (usually the vacuum’s nozzle).

With the cyclonic action of the Dustbuster^®, the filter stays cleaner longer with great suction power.

The transparent dust container is a washable plastic unit with a small white filter inside that’s washable. It’s easy to see the dirt inside to dump it when full. For new filters use part number VF110 on Amazon.

It will pick up pet hair best on hard surfaces rather than carpet and fabric.

The on/off switch stays on so that you don’t have to hold your thumb on the switch; just push it forward and it stays on.

Plug the 6-foot cord with two-prong, non-polarized plug charging unit into a USA 110/120-Volt, 50/60 Hz outlet then connect to the battery charger base.

The dimensions are 17.5-inches long x 5.5-inches wide x 8-inches tall and it weighs only 2.6-pounds. For space consideration, the height is 17.5-inches when on the charger.

What’s in the Box:

• CHV1410L Hand-Held Vacuum
• Flip-Up Brush
• Crevice Tool
• Washable Filter

NOTE: Charging instructions can be seen on page 4 and 5 and directions for cleaning filters and canisters can be seen on page 5 to 7 in the Installation Manual included.

You will receive a User’s Manual, the parts listed above, and a 2-year Limited Warranty against defects in material and/or workmanship. The BLACK+DECKER^® Dustbuster^® is made in Vietnam and assembled in China.

BLACK+DECKER^® Dustbuster^® Lithium Cordless Vacuum demo video.

6. Homasy Portable Handheld Vacuum Cleaner, Cordless

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The Homasy, USAS1-VTHMHM207AWUS-VD on Amazon.com^® is the #1 best seller! It is silver and is powerful with its 6 KPA cyclonic suction action.

Vacuum up wet or dry messes with this best handheld vacuum in the marketplace. Use it commercially or at home. Use it at hair and nail salons and take to use in your dorm room at college when your friends get chips all over the floor and sofa.

It does not come with a wall mount for hanging up out of your way.

The 14.8-Volt lithium battery with quick charge unit comes fully charged. When the vacuum battery is fully discharged, the LED lights will not flash until 3-hours on the charger and it takes about 3- to 5-hours for the vacuum battery to fully charge again.

4 x 2200 mAh high capacity lithium-ion batteries will work up to 30-minutes. The battery will run up to 500 times with a lifetime of over 5-years. Most other brands do not have this capability.

The motor in the vacuum is 100-Watts power. It will suck up pet hair, pet dander, dust mites on your bedding as small as 0.3 microns and that’s small! Suction up bits and pieces in sofas, mattresses, and pillows. Great to use on stairs and in any vehicle.

The plastic dust collection cup holds 600 mL (20.2-ounces) of dry debris and dust. You just remove it and shake it out in your outdoor trash can to be taken away on trash day.

It will suck up 100 mL (3.3-ounces) of liquids each time with the nozzle attachment. Be sure to dump it after each job. Do not exceed 3-ounces or it will get into the motor and kill it.

With the 3 different attachment types, you can clean just about anywhere.

Tired of your wrists hurting? Check this out for eliminating this situation with the lightweight unit of only 3.26-pounds.

Here’s what you get in the box:

Do not use soap to clean the filter! Check your instruction manual—it tells you not to do it or the filter will be ruined forever. Spray it outdoors with canned air or a small compressor.

The cordless vacuum cleaner lowers its noise to 78 dB when operating to not disturb others or pets.

Plug the UL^® listed charger 2-prong cord into a USA or Canada 110/10-Volt, 50/60-Hz receptacle. Users in other countries will need to buy a 220/240-Volt adapter to use it.

You will receive all the attachments, User’s Manual, and 30-days returns with a 1-year Warranty. It is made in China.

Homasy Cordless Lithium Portable Handheld Vacuum Cleaner Review video.

7. Hoover^® Commercial & Home Users Lightweight Backpack Vacuum

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The Hoover^® Commercial brand is an ingenious design carrying the unit on your back rather than dragging it around. All you do is hold the hose with nozzles! Weighing only 9.2-pounds, you won’t notice it’s on your back. The model C2401 on Amazon.com^® is the best backpack vacuum cleaner.

With its back/chest harness, it lessens strain for you being designed by a chiropractor.

It’s quiet at only 66 dBA to not disturb other people and is used in hospitals, schools, homes, gyms, and other places needing a quick and efficient vacuuming of dirt and debris. The canister holds 6.4 quarts.

Pickup sand at your ranch or farm and other debris you have there that city folks don’t usually have.

It comes with a 48-foot power cord that is 3-prong with a grounding wire. The cord can be changed out for a shorter one.

The accessory 1-1/2-inch diameter tools includes:

• Crevice Tool: 6-inches
• Turbo Floor Tool: 11-inches
• Dusting Brush: 2-inches
• Upholstery Tool: 4-inches
• Positive Locking Hose: 57-inches
• 2-Piece Metal Wands: 38-inches
• Hose Reel

You can use it with its shakeout cloth liner or with a disposable paper bag insert.

HEPA filters, like those included in this C2401 back pack vacuum cleaner, eliminates up to 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns or smaller. This means that allergens such as dust mite debris, dust mites, pollen, and more are trapped and locked away.

It is powerful enough for carpets such as Berber and other tight weaves, such as indoor/outdoor.

Having no rotating rollers to lift debris and dirt from piled or shag carpets, it might not work well but usually does.

It’s excellent on all types of floors, sofas, ceilings, corners, baseboards, shelves, blinds, getting under the refrigerator and low places, and for vehicles.

Hair salons can use this to suck up hair on the floor. It does a great job vacuuming popcorn ceilings that are horrible to clean by hand.

You can detach the backpack and sit it on the ground when cleaning tight areas and the car inside.

This is not a shop wet vac, so don’t use it to pick up liquids or anything wet.

The backpack dimensions are 13.25-inches long x 13.25-inches wide x 30-inches high.

California residents click here for Proposition 65 warning.

Plug the UL^® listed 3-prong 48-foot grounded cord into a USA or Canada 110/10-Volt, 50/60-Hz receptacle. Users in other countries will need to buy a 220/240-Volt adapter to use it. It is ETL listed and is 8.5-Amps at 120 CFM.

You will receive the accessories, User’s Manual and a 2-year Warranty. It is made in China.

Hoover^® Commercial Back Pack C2401: Assembly.

Hoover^® Commercial Back Pack C2401: Feature Review.

Hoover^® Commercial Back Pack C2401: Dust Bag and Filters.

8. Eufy RoboVac 11+ Cordless, with Remote

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The Eufy, item model number AK-T21041F2 on Amazon.com^® is the latest in round self-propelling vacuum cleaners. Its BoostIQ^™ increases suction power when you need more muscle in a cleaning tool. Do you wonder what the 11 means? It has 11 infrared sensors.

This gem is perfect for pet hair, dirt, dust, and all grime on carpets and hard surface flooring. It is self-charging using a lithium battery. The upgraded unit now has sucking power at the suction inlet with an improved bumper for gliding under and around furniture. The roller brush is now wider to decrease catching rugs and fringe and thin fabrics with 2 side brushes.

Its smart infrared sensor keeps it away from things in its path and it even knows how to not fall down steps with its drop-sensing device. The tempered glass cover is for protection and the unit recharges automatically.

You will like it when you sit with the handheld remote control giving it instructions for what you want it to do. The remote uses 2 each AAA batteries included. It does not have a phone app. You can preset the timer when you want it to operate. It is not Wi-Fi enabled so will not run with Alexa.

The vacuum will run about 100-minutes, or a little over an hour and a half. The HEPA filter is replaceable after 3-months of use and the 2 other filters can be washed and reused; do this about every 2 weeks under the sink faucet. The HEPA filter can be washed as well. The dust bin holds 0.6 liters (2.5 cups).

What’s in the box:

• Charging Base
• A/C Power Adapter
• Remote Control Unit
• Cleaning Tool
• Extra Filters
• Extra Side Brushes

Plug the UL^® listed A/C adapter cord into a USA or Canada 110/10-Volt, 50/60-Hz receptacle. Users in other countries will need to buy a 220/240-Volt adapter to use it.

It measures 12.8-inches diameter and is 3.35-inches tall weighing 10.56-pounds.

Gift-wrapping is available to surprise someone you love with a great self-propelled vacuum. You will receive the attachments, Welcome Guide, User’s Manual and a 1-year Warranty. It is a sub-brand of Anker and is made in China.

Check Price on Amazon®

Are Robotic Vacuum Slaves Worth It? The Eufy RoboVac 11 excellent review video!

9. ILIFE A4s Robot Vacuum Cleaner

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The ILIFE, model number FBA_ILIFEA4S01 on Amazon.com^®, is a powerful self-docking unit for recharging the lithium-ion battery. This device will start on its own scheduling program and knows to return to its docking spot to recharge itself when the battery runs low. Pretty smart!

The 3-step cleaning has strong suction and can go from plain floors to carpet when they interface or join together. The sensors keep it from bumping into things and it will not fall down steps. It will clean under the bed, along the wall edges, and other areas.

Remove your dirt, debris, pet hair, dander, breakfast cereal and anything on the floor. This is not a wet unit so it does not work like a carpet shampooer.

Its wonderful CyclonePower cleaning system uses its side brushes to sweep the dirt into the cleaning path and then the main long brush picks it up with its powerful suction putting it into the dust bin.

The suction power is 50% more powerful than the earlier model.

It will run for 140-minutes or 1-3/4-hours. It uses a handheld remote control containing 2 each AAA batteries when you get it. Recharge the battery overnight while you sleep.

The V-shape is designed to reduce tangles and the bristles help to extract dirt, dust, and crumbs lodged in carpet.

This unit does not mop; the model A5 does however.

There’s a gray sponge pre-filter that goes in front of the HEPA filter and all can be washed under the sink faucet with running water.

The dimensions are 12.2-inches diameter x 3-inches tall and weighs 4.9-pounds. The dust bin is 9- x 4- x 1-inch.

What’s in the box:

• A/C Power Adapter
• Remote Control Unit
• Cleaning Tool
• Extra Filters
• Extra Side Brushes

Plug the UL^® listed A/C adapter cord into a USA or Canada 110/10-Volt, 50/60-Hz receptacle. Users in other countries will need to buy a 220/240-Volt adapter to use it. It offers suction of 1000KPa on the Max mode.

Gift-wrapping is available to surprise someone you love with a great robot vacuum cleaner. You will receive the attachments, User’s Manual, and a 1-year Warranty. It is made in China.

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ILIFE A4S Robot Vacuum to Rival Roomba?

10. Shark^® VACMOP^™ Pro Cordless Hard Floor Vacuum Mop

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The Shark^® mop and vacuum combination, model number VM252, is Amazon’s Choice and a best vacuum and mop combo. It’s a soft charcoal gray color, with chartreuse green accents. Pretty cool vacuum!—with no filters to change!

The cleaning path width is 9.81-inches. The front of the head has 4 small bright LED headlights to see into dark places. You will need to hold down the power button when running this vacuum. Try to wrap a heavy rubber band around it to hold it down.

The lithium-ion battery is built into the vacuum; therefore, it is not replaceable. A red light indicates that the unit needs to be charged. Because the battery was depleted completely, it will 3.5 hours to re-charge.

A disposable cleaning pad comes with the vacuum mop and measures 9.85- x 5.85-inches. The pads are not washable or reusable; you toss them when completely filthy. You can buy the 10 pack of disposable pads available for purchase on Amazon by searching for B0864PPKV3 for about $8.

Are you wondering, How does the debris get past the pad and into the dirt cup? Wonder no more. There is a slot at the front of the pad for the debris to get sucked into the built-in dirt chamber. The VACMOP^™ can be used to vacuum and mop at the same time. It does not create steam!

The vacuum mop combo, vacuum and mop in-one hard floor system combines powerful suction and spray mopping, all in one disposable pad. Lock away dry debris, absorb and scrub wet messes, and toss the pad without touching the mess.

The runtime for this unit is on average 11- to 12-minutes and that time might decrease depending on your usage of the suction and spray trigger or if the pad is saturated.

It comes with a bottle of Shark^® cleaning solution, or just use plain water. The tank to put it in holds 12-fluid ounces (354-mL). You cannot use this vacuum for fabrics or carpet; it’s made for all hard floor types, even concrete. It uses spray mopping and suction.

Plug the charging unit into a USA 110/120-Volt, 50/60 Hz outlet and attach the round charging port magnet on the opposite end of the cord in the pocket on the back of the vacuum.

A red light comes on when the magnet is seated in place but not plugged in. A green light will flash until it’s fully charged. It draws 85-Watts, 7.8-Amps using this cordless hard floor vacuum.

The dimensions are 5.37-inches long x 9.5-inches wide x 47.88-inches tall and lightweight at 3.34-pounds.

You will receive a User’s Manual, 1 each disposable pad, and a 1-year Limited Warranty against defects in material and/or workmanship. It is made in China.

How to use the Shark^® VACMOP™ Cordless Hard Floor Vacuum demo video.

Tips for Using Vacuum Cleaners

• The round robots cannot be used on dark or black floors and carpet. It trips the sensor thinking it’s falling off stairs. To fix that, cover with a sticky note or foil and it will run right over dark floors without a problem.
• Do not add water and cleaning chemicals to robots unless specifically designed to be a rug cleaner.
• Work in both directions using any vacuum cleaner to pick up the most dirt. It’s a good idea to cross clean.
• Dust tables and other surfaces first so that you won’t have to dust them after vacuuming.
• If you have replaceable filters change them frequently.
• If you have washable filters, wash under tap water often.
• Change HEPA filters at least every 6-months so that they are effective.
• Clean you carpets and floors often. If you wait until they look dirty, the vacuum works harder, and allergens are more prone to be there.
• Unplug your vacuum when changing filters if it’s the corded type.
• Do not use extension cords unless it’s the correct AWG (American Wire Gauge) found in hardware stores.
• Never plug your vacuum into an outlet that has other things plugged into it. It can cause a fire or electrical injury if your vacuum does not have a circuit overload protector to shut it down.
• Always read your User’s Manual; it is full of good information.

Final Thoughts

We hope this article will help you choose one of the most functional vacuum cleaners for home use. Most are not very expensive and will pay for themselves in a few years because you won’t need to use a broom and dust pan anymore. Read customer reviews on Amazon to get more insight from those who bought any of the brands listed above. If you need a vacuum cleaner, read about those here. Happy shopping!