Upright vacuums keep the floors in your home clean with their powerful suction. They can pick up everything from pet hair to food crumbs. To help you select the vacuum that’s right for you, we researched the best upright vacuums. Here are our top five recommendations.
Top 5 Upright Vacuums
- Best for Pet Hair: BISSELL Swivel Upright Bagless Vacuum
- Best for Allergies: Shark Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum
- Largest Dirt Chamber: EUREKA PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner
- Best Lightweight: Hoover ONEPWR Evolve Pet Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
- Most Versatile: Kenmore DU2012 Bagless Upright Vacuum
Best for Pet Hair
BISSELL Swivel Upright Bagless Vacuum
- $106.44
- $118.44
- 10% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 27-foot power cord
- 15 pounds
- One-liter dirt capacity
- Pet tool and corner tool included
- Three-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
The BISSELL Swivel Upright Bagless Vacuum has received an average rating of 4.6 stars out of 5 stars from approximately 97,500 global reviews. About 90% of customers gave the vacuum a 4- or 5-star rating, while only 6% of customers gave the product a 1- or 2-star rating.
Customers said that this upright vacuum was easy to assemble and use. The bagless vacuum was also described as having strong suction. Those who weren’t satisfied with the product stated that the brush got clogged easily.
Best for Allergies
Shark Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum
- $179.99
- $199.99
- 10% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Power cord
- 12.5 pounds
- Upholstery tool and two crevice tools included
- Five-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
This Shark Navigator Lift Away Upright Vacuum has about 25,900 global reviews with an average rating of 4.6 stars. Approximately 88% of customers gave the product a 4- or 5-star rating. Only 6% of customers gave the vacuum 1 or 2 stars.
Customers said that the vacuum was great for picking up hair because of its powerful suction. However, dissatisfied customers said that the machine lost its strong suction quickly, though this may have been caused by a defect that was covered by the manufacturer’s warranty.
Largest Dirt Chamber
EUREKA PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner
- $79.18
- $87.99
- 10% off
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 25-foot power cord
- 10 pounds
- 4.1-liter dirt capacity
- Dusting brush, crevice tool, and upholstery tool included
- One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
This upright vacuum has approximately 58,900 global reviews with an average rating of 4.4 stars out of 5 stars. Eighty percent of customers gave 4 or 5 stars, while 9% gave 1 or 2 stars.
Satisfied customers liked this upright vacuum because of its easy assembly, suction power, and light weight. A handful of customers complained that the vacuum was difficult to use on rugs, which makes sense since the manufacturer recommends it for hard floors.
Best Lightweight
Hoover ONEPWR Evolve Pet Cordless Vacuum Cleaner
- $201.39
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- Rechargeable battery
- Nine pounds
- Three-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
The Hoover ONEPWR Evolve Pet Cordless Vacuum Cleaner has about 5,700 global reviews with an average rating of 4.1 stars out of 5 stars. Seventy-seven percent of customers gave the product 4 stars or more, while 16% of customers gave the product 2 stars or less.
Customers listed the lightweight nature and strong suction of this vacuum as reasons why they enjoyed their purchase. Most customers agreed that the product was great for hardwood floors. A common complaint among unsatisfied customers was that the battery didn’t hold a charge for long.
Most Versatile
Kenmore DU2012 Bagless Upright Vacuum
- $169.99
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Key Features
- 30-foot power cord
- 14 pounds
- Combination tool and upholstery tool included
- One-year warranty
What Customers Are Saying
The Kenmore DU2012 Bagless Upright Vacuum has close to 6,900 global reviews with an average rating of 4.3 stars. Eighty-three percent of customers gave the product 4 or more stars, and 11% gave it 2 or fewer stars.
Customers liked the power and reach of this vacuum. However, some customers said that it was heavier than the 14 pounds that were advertised and that its powerful suction made it hard to run across high-pile surfaces.
Buyer’s Guide
It’s important to find an upright vacuum that can clean the surfaces you have in your home. Here are five factors to consider when making your purchase.
Suction
The suction of a vacuum cleaner determines how thoroughly it cleans your floors. While some manufacturers use wattage to signal how powerful their vacuums are, others don’t give you any number to indicate power. When the latter is the case, read through customer reviews to get a sense of how strong a vacuum’s suction is.
Power Source
Most upright vacuums plug into your wall outlet using a 20- or 30-foot cord. While this cord can get tangled and has to be moved, it makes the vacuum more powerful. You can also find some upright vacuums that use a rechargeable battery for power instead. This allows you to use the vacuum anywhere. However, you have to remember to recharge the battery between uses.
Dust Cup
The size of the dust cup determines how much dirt the vacuum can hold and how often it needs to be emptied. A larger dust cup that’s at least three liters in size will need less frequent dumping, but it will also make the vacuum heavier.
Filtration
A vacuum’s filtration system traps dust and allergens and prevents them from being released in the air. Most vacuums trap at least some allergens, but a vacuum that specifically lists a filtration system in its description will work best for homes that have allergy sufferers.
Attachments
The attachments included with your purchase can make cleaning multiple surfaces around your home easier. Some of the most common attachments are pet hair, crevice, and upholstery tools.
Frequently Asked Questions About Upright Vacuums
What types of vacuums are available besides upright?
Besides upright vacuums, there are several types of vacuums, including:
- Handheld vacuums
- Stick vacuums
- Canister vacuums
- Robot vacuums
How can I clean my upholstery?
You can clean upholstery by vacuuming it to collect dirt and debris and using upholstery cleaner to get rid of stains.
Why does my upright vacuum smell?
Upright vacuums can develop a smell over time as they pick up unpleasant-smelling debris. To get rid of this odor, clean the detachable elements of the vacuum with soap and water, and use an odor eliminator while you’re cleaning.
Our Methodology
This Old House has empowered homeowners and DIY-ers for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement advice in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content. Our team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content. To date, we’ve published over 1,600 reviews on products in the home space, including power tools, outdoor equipment, major appliances, kitchen gadgets, electronics, and more that focus on product quality and helpfulness to our readers.
To provide our readers with the best recommendations possible, we rely on several key sources of information to help guide our selection process.
Initial Research: Our research process began by generating a list of upright vacuums with a significant number of verified buyer reviews and an average customer review rating of 4–5 stars. We looked at positive and negative reviews alike, focusing on information from both satisfied and critical buyers.
Expert Insights: To complement our in-house expertise, our team looked at reviews and videos from trusted publications and independent testers, spoke with subject matter experts, and drew insights from reader contributions.
Final Product Selection: We then began fine-tuning our list by replacing older models with the latest versions and eliminating any discontinued models. From there, we compared each model’s feature set to create a final short list, selecting the best-in-class options for various buyers, budgets, and scenarios.
Once we conclude our research, we craft a comprehensive, user-friendly article of recommended products and additional information to help our readers make the right purchase.
Questions or Comments?
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
