We Found the 5 Best Upright Vacuums After Testing 15 Different Models

Our Favorite

We crowned the Shark NV360 Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Upright Vacuum as our favorite because of its effectiveness and easy maneuvering. For a more budget-friendly pick, we like the Hart Pro Bagless Upright Vacuum with HEPA Media Filter for its great suction power, especially at such an attractive price.

The Tests

To determine which upright vacuums are the best on the market, we tested 15 different vacuums from various brands. First, we timed how long it took to set up the vacuum out of the box and noted how complex or simple assembly was. Then, we used a luggage scale to measure the vacuum’s weight and a decibel reader to measure the noise output on low and high settings. To test the vacuum’s effectiveness, we spread specified amounts of cereal, orzo, coffee grounds, and wig hair on grouted tile, hardwood floors, medium-pile carpets, and high-pile carpets. We assessed how easy or not it was for the vacuum to suck up the messes completely. We also tested for maneuverability by vacuuming debris on a marked path with turns, corners, and tight spaces in a living room environment. Next, we checked how well each vacuum performs on upholstery by cleaning up debris on an upholstered chair with any crevice and upholstery attachments. Afterward, we noted how simple or complicated it was to empty the vacuum cleaner. 

Factors to Consider

Bagged vs. Bagless

Some upright vacuums come with bags that require disposal once full of debris, while others are bagless and feature a compartment that you can empty directly. The former is a smart option for those with allergies because the bags help trap particles that might otherwise get released back into your air. Another advantage is that because of this separation of debris, bagged vacuums generally don’t require as frequent cleaning or replacing of the filter. Then, there are people who prefer bagless models because it means you don’t need to continue buying replacement bags, adding to your usage costs over time. With a bagless vacuum, you can also minimize your environmental impact by creating less waste.

Floor Type

These days, it’s common to find upright vacuums suitable on any type of flooring you have thanks to the roller brush design and attachments. Still, some out there might be better suited to carpet, scattering debris or even leaving scratches when used on hardwood floors. Even if a manufacturer claims the device can handle both hardwood and carpet without doing any damage, it may perform significantly better on one surface versus another. In all, consider what type of flooring you have in your home so you can choose the vacuum whose design and performance match it best for stress-free cleaning.

Attachments

The right attachments can make a huge difference when vacuuming across your house. A crevice tool is great for cleaning those tight, narrow areas like corners, baseboards, vents, and blinds. An upholstery tool works well on fabric like your couch or mattress. A pet tool is specifically made to remove fur and hair left behind on furniture. In addition to these tools, an extension wand, dusting brush, and power/turbo brush are other accessories commonly included with a vacuum. If your upright vacuum doesn’t already come with the attachments you need for your house, you may be able to purchase them separately from the manufacturer.

Other Upright Vacuums We Tested

Strong Contenders

Shark AZ1002 Apex Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuum ($368 at Amazon)

Overall, this Shark vacuum performed very well across our different tests, and we appreciate its well-designed attachments. That being said, we wished it was easier to maneuver on hardwood floors and had a power button that was less work to turn on and off. 

Kenmore Floor Care Elite Upright Bagged Vacuum ($320 at Amazon)

There was a lot to like about the Kenmore, but ultimately it lost points when it came to maneuverability and value. It feels heavy when moving it around from room to room and up and down stairs, and we found the price too high given this caveat.

Shark Navigator Swivel Pro Complete Upright Vacuum #NV151 ($200 at Home Depot)

This quiet vacuum did a great job of cleaning up debris on carpet. However, we found that it requires more practice to control its swivel feature and that a lot of hair gets stuck in the vacuum, making it more involved to empty.

Kenmore AllergenSeal Lift-Up Upright Vacuum Corded Bagless Upright Vacuum with HEPA Filter DU5092 ($220 at Lowe's)

We really liked how well this vacuum’s attachments worked, but the appliance fell short on noise level and maneuverability. It would be hard to converse while the vacuum is running, and it’s not easy to use the vacuum close to or under furniture.

Bissell CleanView Rewind Upright Vacuum ($130 at Amazon)

We found this Bissell portable and easy to empty but were concerned about its overall value and longevity. Whenever we turned off the vacuum, we noticed a long-lasting, high-pitched noise that only worsened with subsequent tries. 

What Didn't Make the List

Despite coming from some big-name brands like Hoover, Black+Decker, and Bissell, various upright vacuum models didn’t make our list because they didn’t offer a high enough value for their price, regardless of whether that price was higher or lower than the average. Overall, a major issue was poor performance with the vacuum spraying debris around instead of picking it up or simply being minimally effective at removing debris. We found the Eureka Airspeed Ultra-Lightweight Compact Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner NEU100 and the Eureka NEU182B PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner both very frustrating to use. This was because of how much extra labor and time is necessary to manage messes left behind after several passes and sometimes even created by the machine itself. Other general issues with the lowest-scoring vacuums included the appliance being too clunky or loud.

Our Expertise

Cindy Brzostowski is a freelance writer and avid home cook who has previous experience in cookbook publishing (and has to clean up more than her fair share of messes on the kitchen floor while cooking). Her writing has been featured in Allrecipes, Blue Apron, The Kitchn, and EatingWell among other publications. For this article, she used our in-depth, in-house testing insight to review the best upright vacuums on the market.