The 6 Best Vacuums For Allergies - Black Friday 2024

The Miele Complete C3 Brilliant is the best vacuum for allergies we've tested. This high-end canister vacuum features a multi-stage filtration system that includes an allergen-sealed body, a HEPA-rated post-motor filter, and a self-sealing dirtbag, making it a great option for those sensitive to fine allergens. The C3 Brilliant is the flagship C3 variant. It has a few model-specific niceties, including additional noise insulation for its motor, a surface-sensitive automatic power adjustment feature, and handle-mounted suction controls. This model variant also has a trio of floorheads for cleaning various surface types, like a lightweight parquet tool, a multi-surface pure suction head with retractable bristles, and a height-adjustable powerhead for cleaning thick carpeting.

Check out the SEBO Airbelt D4 Premium if you're looking for another high-end canister vacuum with great air filtration performance. It's bulkier and heavier than the Miele but has a longer range and incurs lower recurring costs since it uses longer-lasting filters and higher-capacity dirtbags.

The best upper mid-range vacuum for allergies we've tested is the Miele Classic C1 Cat&Dog PowerLine. The bagged canister vacuum feels less sturdy than the Miele Complete C3. It's missing a built-in tool storage compartment, along with some of the C3 Brilliant's unique features, like auto power adjustment and handle-mounted controls. However, the Cat & Dog variant is much cheaper than the C3 Brillant while offering excellent overall filtration performance, courtesy of a three-stage filtration system with a filter containing activated charcoal to help trap odors.

If you want a HEPA-rated post-motor filter, you can buy one separately or go for the C1 Home Care variant instead. The Home Care model also comes with Miele's SEB 217-3 powerbrush floorhead, which is great for dealing with messes on carpets, and a straight-suction parquet tool for hard floors. Unfortunately, like the C3, the C1 incurs high recurring costs due to its use of small dirtbags and somewhat short-lived filters. It also has a shorter operating range than the C3, so you might need to swap outlets to clean large or faraway areas.

If you're shopping at a mid-range price point, the best vacuum for allergies we've tested is the Airsign HEPA Vacuum. It isn't as well-built as the Miele Classic C1 and has an even shorter power cable, but it's a lot cheaper while still offering good filtration performance. It has an onboard HEPA filter with charcoal media, helping to seal in fine allergens and minimize odor as you clean. It's also worth a look if you're searching for a more environmentally-conscious vacuum, as it has a body partially made from recycled plastics and uses biodegradable dirtbags with a built-in seal cover. The Airsign is fully compatible with third-party HEPA-rated cloth bags to further improve allergen-sealing performance. User maintenance is simple, and the canister body is compact, enabling you to store it in small closets without too much effort.

Performance on most surfaces is good, even with a basic straight suction floorhead. However, it isn't the best option if you have a lot of carpeting at home, as the vacuum isn't currently offered with an air-driven turbo head or electrically-driven power head to provide an additional level of surface agitation. You can only buy this vacuum directly from Airsign.

If you don't mind exchanging the compact size and maneuverability of a canister vacuum like the Airsign HEPA Vacuum for a lower purchase price, consider the Kenmore Intuition Bagged. It has an onboard HEPA filter and uses dirtbags made of HEPA-rated media, reducing the spread of fine particles while cleaning. Better yet, you can remove its dirtbag from its housing with the press of a single latch, so there's no need to dirty your hands when taking it out.

This vacuum does a fantastic job of cleaning pet hair and small and bulky debris on surfaces like hardwood or linoleum. There's even a brushroll on/off switch for its floorhead, so it won't send larger debris scattering everywhere when cleaning hard floors. It performs impressively well on low and high-pile carpet. Unfortunately, there's no way of adjusting its floorhead height, so you might have trouble climbing onto uneven surfaces, like shag carpeting. Its 'Lift-Up' design lets you pick up and carry its canister body separately from its upright portion, making it easier to clean tight spots.

The best vacuum for pet hair and allergies at a budget-friendly price point that we've tested is the BISSELL Zing Bagged Canister. While it doesn't come bundled with a HEPA filter, you can buy aftermarket HEPA-rated bags and a HEPA filter to improve its air filtration performance and trap most airborne particles like pet dander or pollen. That said, it doesn't have an allergen-sealed body, so you'll still want a pricier model like the Miele Complete C3 if you suffer from allergies and need that extra layer of filtration; of course, that omission isn't surprising given the BISSELL's low price. Its small size makes it easy to store in most closets, and this vacuum weighs very little, making it easy to drag around from room to room. Unique for a vacuum in this price bracket, its power cord can be rewound with a button, though be aware that the cord is short, so you'll probably need to swap outlets when cleaning larger rooms.

With its floorhead bristles retracted, this vacuum does a good job of cleaning up solid debris on low and high-pile carpeting. However, it struggles with bulkier debris compared to alternatives like the Airsign HEPA Vacuum, which can clog its suction inlet. Pet hair also gets stuck in its floorhead when the bristles extend. Consider the Eureka Mighty Mite if you want a more budget-conscious vacuum that delivers better performance. However, some newer Mighty Mite models lack the requisite mounting points for installing an aftermarket HEPA filter to improve filtration performance.

The best cordless vacuum for allergies we've tested is the Samsung Bespoke Jet. Its cordless design makes it easy to deploy for the occasional cleaning, and it comes with two 2200 mAh batteries that you can charge simultaneously, so you won't need to wait for one battery to recharge while using the other. This model comes with a Cleaning Station where you can have the debris transferred from the vacuum's dustbin into a dirtbag inside the storage rack without generating a plume of dust. The downside is that you must replace the dirtbag once filled, which will incur high recurring costs.

The Samsung's filtration system is pretty effective in sealing fine allergens like pet dander, though not quite to the same degree as a high-end multi-stage bagged system like the one found in the Miele Complete C3.