The 6 Best Vacuums For Hardwood Floors - Fall 2024

The Dyson V15 Detect is the best vacuum for hardwood floors we've tested. This cordless stick vacuum can easily handle a wide variety of debris on bare surfaces like hardwood floors with no significant loss in suction performance as its dustbin fills up. It comes with two floorheads, one with a bristled brushroll for carpets and the other with a soft roller for improved debris pickup on flat surfaces and in cracks and crevices. Using the soft roller reduces the chances of scratching delicate wooden floors. The V15 also features a particle counter to give you a rough idea of allergen quantities inside your home, not to mention a surface detection system that allows it to automatically raise its suction power on carpets, which is great if you've got any rugs on your hardwood floor. Just note that this vacuum's strong suction force can cause it to get bogged down on thicker carpeting.

The Miele Complete C3 Alize is a fantastic option if you prefer using a corded model. Being a bagged canister vacuum, it's completely different from the Dyson vacuum in terms of intended use and design. It doesn't have the grab-and-go convenience of the Dyson, which is great for short clean-ups, but you also won't have to worry about running out of charge part way through a cleaning session. It also feels better built and offers remarkable debris pickup thanks to its powerful suction motor. That said, the standard STB 285-3 head that comes with this C3 variant tends to push around larger debris.

The Shark Stratos Cordless is our choice for the upper mid-range price point. This cordless stick vacuum sits at the top of Shark's cordless stick vacuum lineup. Like the Dyson V15 Detect, it has an automatic power adjustment system, with this system only raising the vacuum's suction setting depending on the amount of debris being sucked up instead of responding to changes in surface type. Its performance on bare floors is excellent, as the vacuum won't have any trouble dealing with a wide range of debris types. The Shark also features a removable cartridge in its floorhead, which masks unpleasant odors as you clean by emitting a detergent-like scent; just know this can be overwhelming if you use your vacuum to clean more than three or four times a week.

If you don't mind using a corded vacuum and don't need a go-anywhere range, the entry-level Pure Suction variant of the Miele Classic C1 is an excellent option. The two vacuums aren't competitors; the Miele is a bagged canister vacuum, so it's a little more cumbersome than the Shark for short cleanups. However, it's substantially better built, is easier to maintain, and is a better fit for cleaning bigger areas thanks to its unrestricted runtime.

If you want to spend less, the Tineco PURE ONE S11 is among the best cordless vacuums for hardwood floors we've tested. Like the Shark Stratos Cordless, this cordless stick vacuum has an onboard dirt sensor that lets it adjust its suction power automatically when passing over an area with a lot of debris. That said, it has a lower capacity battery than the Shark, resulting in a shorter maximum runtime of about 40 minutes. Its floorhead also has a single brushroll instead of the Stratos Cordless' more complex twin roller arrangement. Thankfully, this doesn't make much difference from a performance perspective on bare floors, where the Tineco delivers superb debris-pickup performance.

Also, unlike the Shark, you can easily remove the Tineco's brushroll from its floorhead. This might not seem like much, but this design choice makes a huge difference in everyday maintenance since it's much easier to clear away any tangled hair or stuck-on debris. Unfortunately, the Tineco does feel noticeably less robust than the Shark, with a body made of thinner-feeling plastic.

The Wyze Cordless Vacuum is a good option if you want a strong hardwood floor performance without breaking the bank. It isn't as feature-rich as our higher-end options, though. For example, it doesn't have an automatic power adjustment feature like the Tineco PURE ONE S11, and it doesn't have a fluffy brushroll. Still, it does a good job of handling fine debris on hard floors, and the bristles on its roller aren't so stiff that they'd create micro scratches on hardwood floors; its brushroll can fling around larger material, though. Its max battery life of about an hour is very good for a cordless model in this price range, especially compared to the more expensive Tineco. However, like most other cordless models, its runtime drops dramatically when running it continuously in its max-suction mode.

The Wyze also features a HEPA filter that does a decent job of sealing in fine allergens, but be careful when emptying its dustbin, as it can release a cloud of dust and debris. Also, the gasket that seals the gap between the dustbin door and the dustbin sits in place pretty loosely and can fall out of place if you shake the vacuum around while emptying it. Its overall build quality isn't great either, with the vacuum's body being made mainly from thin, easily scratchable plastic.

If you want to spend as little as possible on a new vacuum to clean hardwood floors, the Eureka Mighty Mite is a good choice. Its short power cord makes it trickier to clean far-away areas than a cordless model like the Wyze Cordless Vacuum. However, its powerful suction motor enables it to pick up a wide range of debris, as long as you lift up its head to clean larger debris, as it can push around bigger material like rice or whole pieces of cereal. The vacuum's compact size and lightweight construction make it easy to stow away or carry around.

However, this vacuum doesn't have a telescopic wand and instead uses a pair of tubes that can fall apart easily if you don't wedge them together tightly enough. Some versions of the Mighty Mite also don't have the requisite mounting clips that would allow you to attach high-efficiency aftermarket filters to improve the vacuum's allergen-sealing performance.

If you want an all-in-one appliance for vacuuming and mopping, the BISSELL CrossWave HydroSteam is a solid choice. Compared to a similarly priced conventional vacuum like the Shark Stratos Cordless, it's a little down in power and lags behind in raw debris pickup as a result. But with detergent-dispersal and steaming functions that allow it to saturate and scrub away dried-on stains with a fluffy brushroll, it's more versatile; it can also handle liquid spills, making it ideal for dealing with kitchen-related mishaps. Unfortunately, this is a fairly bulky, heavy appliance, and maneuvering in cluttered areas can be a hassle. The build quality is decent for the most part, though its plastic body can creak and flex slightly when passing over obstacles.

Alternatively, you can go for the BISSELL CrossWave Cordless Max if you're looking for a cordless equivalent and don't want to worry about staying close to a power outlet. However, it lacks the HydroSteam's steam-dispersal feature and has a less powerful suction motor, resulting in inferior debris pickup performance.