Best vacuum cleaners in 2024 UK: our top 9, tried and tested

When it comes to keeping my floors free of dust, dirt, and debris, I know just how important it is to have the best vacuum cleaner by my side. Choosing the right one doesn’t just leave my floors looking spotless, but it’s also saved me a lot of time, effort, and (admittedly) tears during those long cleaning sessions. However, with so many vacuums out there of all different shapes, sizes, and price tags, figuring out which is the best fit can be daunting – especially if you have no idea where to even start.

That’s why I’ve taken the time to put dozens of models through their paces – looking at power, suction, and ease of use – to help you decide on the best vacuum cleaner for your home. Whether you’ve got a large home with multiple floors and pet hair to tackle, or a rental flat floor in need of attention, I’ve packed this guide with everything you might ever possibly consider to make the right choice for your cleaning needs. From the best-in-class corded vacuums to the best cordless vacuum cleaners.

I’ve included everything from premium brands to more budget-friendly options, and even models to serve specific purposes, like the best vacuums for pet hair. And, rest assured, every vacuum I’ve recommended below has been tested extensively by myself or a member of the Ideal Home team, sometimes for weeks or even months at a time to ensure it’s worth the investment long-term.

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Quick list

Best vacuum cleaner 2024

Best vacuum cleaner overall

Dyson has done it again with the Gen5detect Absolute, creating a vacuum that’s as good at cleaning up as it looks. With two floorheads (one for carpet, one for hard floor) you feel like you have more options for deep cleaning with this vacuum. The catch? The price is astronomical, which makes it hard to recommend for everyone.

With this Dyson, you’re shelling out for innovation, with the hard floor head boasting lasers that illuminate dirt and dust that you’d never usually see – a cleaning enthusiast’s dream. The anti-tangle feature on the Digital Motorbar (the head for carpet cleaning) works as well as offerings from Shark and revealed a huge amount of sunken-in dirt during our at-home tests. The three modes are perfect for toggling between everyday and deep cleaning, too.

Features we loved during testing

It really is the fine details that make a vacuum better to use, which is why you can’t overlook the magic of a Dyson bin mechanism. Point the dust bin, pull the trigger and everything will come out the first time without a fuss – something that pretty much no other vacuum brand has achieved.

The LCD control panel is very good to use too – with indicators showing exactly how many microscopic dust particles you’ve eradicated from your home. Is it necessary to have scientific proof of how clean your house is? No, but it adds to the experience that you’re paying almost £800 for. This is truly a star buy, but we wish that we could have more of the Dyson sparkle on a smaller budget.

Although the Gen5detect Absolute really is the crème de la crème of vacuum cleaners, if you can’t picture yourself shelling out nearly £800, we’ve found just as impressive cleaning results with more affordable Dyson vacuums; namely, the Dyson V8 Absolute, which was released in 2016. In fact, in our review, our freelancer Lauren, was so impressed with this entry-level vacuum that she’s since swapped out her newer vacuum for it for everyday cleaning. If you simply want cleaning power and aren’t bothered by high-tech frills, we can confidently say that the Dyson V8 Absolute is still a force to be reckoned with 8 years on.

But, if being ahead of the tech trends is something extremely important to you and your cleaning needs, that’s where the Gen5detect Absolute takes the cake.

Read our Dyson Gen5detect Absolute vacuum cleaner review for more details.

Best vacuum cleaner for most people

It’s been some time since the release of the Shark Stratos IZ420UKT, but it’s still holding up as great as ever as a fantastic cleaning investment. During our tests, it showed unbelievable suction power, leaving carpets visibly cleaner, with no issues of leftover pet or human hair. Boasting easy-to-clean mechanisms, you can wave goodbye to the days of laborious days of appliance maintenance. The ease with which this vacuum does away with hair is astounding, making it particularly great for households with pets (and without, of course) and our Kitchen Appliances Editor Molly found that it was unmatched when it came to suction.

The Clean Sense IQ Technology works brilliantly to detect and then act upon the level of dirt or debris on your floors, making for a fantastic and thorough clean without having to so much as think about it.

Features we loved during testing

The capacity of this vacuum to transform into a smaller handheld model is phenomenal, and you’ll be reaching for the smaller attachments all the time to resolve smaller messes all over your home quickly. One standout feature that we are obsessed with are the anti-odour capsules that slot right into the dustbin to help banish those musty smells when you’re emptying your vacuum – which you can imagine is a huge plus that we wish more vacuums offered.

These features combined make are what earns it a top spot to be esteemed as the best vacuum cleaner in our guide for most people, as we wholeheartedly understand that the Dyson Gen5detect’s price tag is far above average. While the Shark Stratos IZ420UKT is of course, still an investment, you can regularly find it on sale for less than £250, making it an extremely viable alternative if you want to indulge in the benefits of advanced cleaning technology and suction power without breaking the bank.

Read our Shark Stratos IZ420UKT cordless vacuum review for more details.

Best affordable vacuum cleaner

The Henry Xtra is a step above the classic Henry, offering even more bang for its buck for just £20 more than its original predecessor. Equipped with a larger capacity and three floorheads to cater to varying floor types, if you’re looking for cleaning versatility for an affordable price, the Henry Xtra’s sub-£200 price point ticks all of our boxes and more. If you have both hard floor and carpet at home, you can rely on this Henry to get the job done, whether that be everyday refreshing or deep cleaning.

Henry’s classic bagged design is also perfect for those who suffer from allergies, as it ensures that all the dust, debris, and hair that you vacuum up stays put and secure until it’s time to replace the bag. Not to mention, it ensures that its suction power doesn’t falter – and while the Henry Xtra does only offer one power level, you can rest assured that it is more than enough to clean up all sorts of messes.

Features we loved during testing

The beauty of the Henry Xtra are its range of floor tools and accessories. You already get so much value for money with any Henry vacuum because of its robust build and helpful attachments, but the addition of the AiroBrush carpet tool that comes as standard with the Xtra is what brings this specific Henry model to a higher calibre than its brothers and sisters. If you want one vacuum to do it all, this fits the bill. However, it is worth noting that because of its corded and decently large body, if you often struggle for storage space, available plug sockets, or only have one floor type in your home, you might be better off opting for the classic Henry HVR160 vacuum cleaner instead, or considering other cordless models altogether.

Read our Henry Xtra vacuum cleaner review for more details.

Best upright vacuum cleaner

The Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner is one of the best Shark vacuums on the market and our absolute favourite upright vacuum overall. It performed consistently across carpet, parquet, hardwood and tiles, and PowerFins lifted a huge amount of deep-rooted pet hair from around the dog’s bed in our tester’s home, leaving a brand-new carpet look.

It made the vacuuming process straightforward, requiring only one pass on all floor types, although we did find that it ran out of battery on the normal cleaning mode after 31 minutes.

Features we loved during testing

Powered LiftAway means you can transform this cordless vacuum by lifting it away from the stick to carry the canister upstairs and out to car interiors. This is great for getting up the stairs, although getting the vacuum assembled once more will take getting used to.

The LCD screen also allows you to switch between the carpet brush and hard floor brush with the touch of a button thanks to Shark’s DuoClean, which is a real-time-saver for homes with a mix of floor types.

Read our Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap vacuum review for more details.

Best vacuum cleaner for pet hair

The Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog vacuum lives up to its name, with a turbo brush floor head for whipping up pet (and human) hair, as well as a regular carpet floor head and another for hard floors. It is most definitely one of the best vacuums for pet hair on the market, which is how it earned its place in this list.

The tube is long but telescopic, making this a good cleaner for tall and short people alike. We loved it for its straightforward cleaning power. Its suction is outstanding thanks to a powerful, fast (more than 100km/h) cyclone. The single cyclone design also makes for low noise and controllable power. The cylinder moves smoothly on its castors and perches acceptably on a stair, though it’s not the easiest to clean this section of the house with.

Features we loved during testing

It’s the little things that make this vacuum great, alongside the pet-appropriate level of power and suction. The ability to operate the vacuum by using your foot makes manoeuvring easier, and switching between modes is seamless too. It has wonderful consistent power and the hose is extra long, with 8.5 metres of freedom to get around your house. The canister was easy and fairly dust-free to empty too.

Read our Miele Complete C3 Cat & Dog vacuum cleaner review for more details.

Best vacuum cleaner for carpet

A big issue with vacuums is that they only function and pick up dirt and debris on the forward stroke, leaving the back stroke useless more often than not. However, the Gtech AirRAM Platinum recognises this issue and utilises the brand’s innovative AirLOC technology to ensure that no mess is overlooked, forming a strong suction to get right into the fibres of carpeted floors, in particular. In fact, the suction is so notable, that during testing we found that it even created vacuum lines in carpet with little to no effort, leaving floors visibly cleaner after just one pass.

The foot controls of the AirRAM Platinum are simple to use, and from our experience, even easier to operate than the likes of Dyson’s infamous trigger controls. There’s no need to keep holding down a button, simply press the power button with your foot and get to vacuuming.

Features we loved during testing

Oftentimes, emptying bagless vacuum cleaners is more of a hassle than its worth, but Gtech’s bin emptying system is something we’d even put on par with that of Dyson’s. Simply pop the lid of the bin open and use the lever located on the outside of the bin to push all the dust, dirt, and debris out. We love how easy it is, and general maintenance with the AirRAM Platinum is pretty fantastic all across the board.

Paired with the Gtech Multi Platinum, which we dubbed the best handheld vacuum money can buy as per our buying guide, these two stellar vacuum cleaners make for an outstanding cleaning duo for the home.

Read our Gtech AirRAM Platinum Anti Hair Wrap cordless vacuum review for more details.

Best vacuum cleaner for hard floors

The Shark Detect Pro instantly caught our eye and exceeded our expectations when we got our hands on it last year. Its biggest features of note being its extremely lightweight build, coming in at only 2.76kg make it a dream for those cleaning sessions, allowing us to wave goodbye to the struggles of lugging around a heavy vacuum cleaner; and of course, its four all-new detection technologies for even smarter and more efficient cleaning.

Oftentimes, it can be difficult to find vacuums that excel at hard floor cleaning, but the Detect Pro ticked all of our boxes and more because of its smart cleaning technology, adjusting power levels and suction accordingly to ensure no mess gets left behind even on the smoothest surfaces.

Features we loved during testing

During testing, we found that the Detect Pro dealt with high-traffic areas effortlessly, automatically turning up the suction when it detected higher levels of dirt and debris on the floor. Not to mention, the clever FloorDetect technology allowed the transition between cleaning different rooms inside the home almost seamless as it adjusted the power levels accordingly, rather than you having to manually switch modes yourself as you would with other vacuums on the market.

We will say, its 0.4 litre dustbin capacity is a tad disappointing (especially when compared to the 0.8 litre capacity of the Shark Stratos) and we found ourselves having to empty it quite often, but we suppose this comes with the lightweight build. Even so, we think the Shark Detect Pro is still a fabulous investment and its power, portability, and convenience makes it a top recommendation from us.

Read our Shark Detect Pro cordless vacuum cleaner review for more details.

Best powerful vacuum cleaner

We get it – if you live in a large home you need something a bit more heavy-duty, which is where an upright vacuum like the SEBO Automatic X7 Excel ePower Upright Vacuum Cleaner shines. Granted, this vacuum is big (it’s got a 31cm cleaning head and a 10-metre cord), but that makes it the kind of powerhouse you need for a large space.

This Sebo model wasn’t the easiest vacuum to manoeuvre on testing day, but it wasn’t too troublesome, and the results were very impressive. It’s difficult to see what the pickup is like (as the floorhead is so huge), but our testing team all felt like the Sebo had achieved the cleanest floor afterwards. You can store the vacuum’s attachments on the body of the appliance too, including the crevice and upholstery tools. And taking care of your stairs is a breeze with the stair cleaning hose on this one.

Features we loved during testing

This vacuum was a reliable hard worker in all of our tests. There was no doubt that it could handle hair, cereal, oats, and flour, even in a huge capacity. This is a bagged model, which might not be for everyone, but if you’re allergy-prone or you hate lengthy maintenance with cleaning out a dust bin, it might just be the thing for you.

Even though this is a corded vacuum, that doesn’t mean it’s lacking clever features either. During testing, we saw the evidence of the floorhead adjusting to make sure that it was always at the right height for cleaning, regardless of the floor surface. This vacuum will also shut down if it senses a blockage, giving you time to sort out the hazard before it wreaks havoc on the internal systems. For big jobs, we’re sure you’ll always be able to depend on the SEBO Automatic X7 Excel ePower Upright vacuum cleaner.

Best robot vacuum

This Roomba immediately impressed us during testing, being a clear step up from any of the other best robot vacuums we’ve tested. Yes, it is extremely pricey, but if you’ve got the budget to go all out on a robot vacuum and want something with extensive mapping, dual vacuum and mop functionality (which automatically switches between the two upon floor detection), and a self-emptying feature, this will be a purchase you’ll be very pleased with to take the stress out of everyday cleaning. If you’ve got the budget to splurge, we really don’t think it gets better than this.

Features we loved during testing

For a robot vacuum, the Roomba Combo j7+ Robot Vacuum and Mop exceeded our expectations with its powerful suction power and ability to react to obstructions in real-time inside the home for a smooth and efficient clean. We also loved how you can completely personalise the robot vacuum to operate to your liking, scheduling it to work around you and your routine. Of course, the automatic self-emptying was our standout feature, making it the ‘lowest maintenance robot’ our reviewer, Molly, has ‘ever tried.’

Plus, its accompanying app is super straightforward and non-glitchy, making for a pleasant user experience.

Read our Roomba Combo j7+ robot vacuum and mop review for more details.

How we test vacuum cleaners

At Ideal Home, we believe that to give our verdict on the best vacuums and to rank them, we need to have tested them ourselves, which we delve into in our how we test vacuum cleaners guide. That’s why you’ll find star ratings on the vacuums in this list, which we’ve decided on after extensively testing them in our own space.

Every vacuum in this list has been reviewed by a member of our team, so you know that you can trust us to give you a detailed look at each model.

Where we can, we’ve also sought to keep hold of these vacuums for long-term testing, so that we can feedback on just how they deliver after years of use so you can rest assured in the investments you’re making.

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For each vacuum that we test, we ensure to see how it fares on three different floor types: hardwood, carpet, and linoleum. For each floor type, we scatter cereals (both crushed and whole), a mix of flour and sugar, as well as hair in individual tests. The vacuum’s ability to pick up these examples of fine and heavy debris will determine how we score them on performance and suction power.

These tests are what allow us to see how well the vacuum lives up to the manufacturer’s claims; namely, their ability to pick up large amounts of dust and debris and how effective their smart features are. These can include anything from hair-repelling functions, LED headlights, lasers, and more.

When we test vacuums, we try our best to consider everything to mimic the consumer’s journey, starting from unboxing, assembly, use, and even cleaning and maintenance. As well as suction power and performance, we assess factors like runtime for cordless models, how easy they are to empty and maintain, and how effective any included accessories and attachment are. All of these are considered when determining the ratings we award each vacuum we test.

How to choose a vacuum cleaner

A vacuum can be an expensive investment, especially if you want one that will see you through many years of service (you know what they say, buy cheap, buy twice).

Below, you’ll find factors you might want to think about for each type of vacuum before you take the plunge, to ensure you’re actually getting the right investment for you.

Upright vacuum cleaners are very ergonomic to push around, so they’re ideal for cleaning large floor areas in open-plan kitchens. Their powerful, rotating brush bars are great for picking up hair from pets and humans in thick living room carpets. But they are tall and bulky to store and not so good for cleaning stairs.

Stick vacuum cleaners, on the other hand, are convenient for quickly cleaning around the house because of their often compact and lightweight build. However, they tend to have smaller dustbin capacities and may not deliver as much suction power than their upright counterparts. On top of these factors, there are plenty of other nuances to consider, which we cover in more detail in our stick vacuum vs upright vacuum explainer.

Cylinder vacuum cleaners are usually smaller and lighter, so they pack away better. The power cable is stored away neatly inside and hopefully, there’s onboard storage for tools. But, they might not have a motorised brush head and its capacity may be smaller.

Once you’ve decided on the right type of vacuum cleaner for you, it’s also important you consider whether you want a corded or cordless vacuum as well as whether you want a bagless or bagged vacuum cleaner.

If after making these choices, you’re then wondering which set of accessories you need alongside your vacuum to ensure it works its best, then our guide to what vacuum tool is right for each job makes for essential reading.

Additionally, here at Ideal Home, we like to be particular about how things look, including when it comes to the storage of our favoured appliances. That’s why we’ve written a dedicated feature on how to hide your vacuum cleaner within your home, including tips on which type of cleaner to buy if you want to keep things a little more low-key.

FAQs

When is the best time to buy a vacuum cleaner?

To shop discounts year-round, head to our cordless vacuum deals page, which has you covered on all sorts of brands and discounts available.

If you’re looking for a nailed-on answer, however, there are undoubtedly certain periods that are objectively better than others to shop. Vacuum sales always pick up around Black Friday and Christmas time, as people prepare for house guests and in the springtime, as people get their homes in order before a long summer period.

How much should I spend on a vacuum cleaner?

As a general rule of thumb, you should budget around £250 for a vacuum cleaner with decent cleaning power. But you can spend twice that or more on premium models if your budget allows for it. More money can buy you more powerful cleaning and better tools for dealing with challenges such as pet hair.

If you’re worried about costs in general, then we’ve also got a dedicated write-up of how much it costs to run a vacuum cleaner, so that you can factor that into your budgeting too.

Is Shark or Dyson better?

There’s plenty of debate around which vacuum cleaner brand is best, but on the whole, after testing countless vacuum cleaners, the Ideal Home would conclude it’s a tough battle between Dyson and Shark at the top.

There are other contenders from Miele, VAX and Hoover, but the vacuums we had the most difficulty placing in this list are from those top two contenders.

If you want to learn more about which brand might best suit you, our write-up of Dyson vs Shark vacuums will come in handy, as well as our take on Miele vs Dyson vacuums to help inform your decision.

How can I make my vacuum cleaner work better?

The first tip for getting the most from your vacuum is to make sure that you’re utilising all of the features that your chosen model has to offer. If you’ve got a different floor head for carpet as opposed to hard floor, make sure to use it – manuals are the first place to go if you want to get more familiar with how to best use your vacuum.

Similarly, properly getting to grips with any attachments that come with your vacuum is essential. And once you are using it, frequent maintenance is essential. Our explainer on vacuuming mistakes you might currently be making has more detail, as well as frequently asked questions on using your vacuum cleaner wrong. We’ve also thoroughly explained how to unclog a vacuum hose and common causes as to why your vacuum is losing suction, if you’re currently facing those particular problems, too.

However, if even after all your many efforts of cleaning your vacuum cleaner and regularly checking it for maintenance, you’re still encountering issues; these could be tell-tale signs that it’s time to replace your vacuum cleaner.

Hopefully after reading through our extensive guide, you’re better equipped with the knowledge of what the best vacuum cleaner is for your needs, to help you make a suitable investment that will last you years in your home.