13 Best Upright Vacuum Cleaners [Tested and Reviewed]

According to a 10-point test conducted by mybest, the top of the upright vacuum cleaners is Kenmore's Intuition Bagged Upright Vacuum. It effectively balances suction power and user-friendly features, making it highly recommended for households with short-pile carpets.

Although it lacks the option to adjust the brush position based on the flooring, its simple design prevents the brush from spinning on hardwood floors, avoiding scratches while allowing it to operate on carpets. It excelled in suction power tests on both short-pile carpet and hardwood flooring, scoring over 4.7. Users praised it, saying, "It moves in the direction you want it to, even on long-pile carpets."

However, certain aspects of its performance, particularly the suction power on carpeted stairs, left room for improvement. Depending on the material of the stairs, the cleaning process might take a bit longer. Although it's a paper bag model, which makes waste disposal easy, there were instances of debris, like hair and pet fur, getting tangled due to the spacing between the brushes.

Nevertheless, for a price tag under $200, it delivers an overall performance akin to high-end models, with strong suction and smooth maneuverability.

The Dyson Ball Animal 3 Complete is a high-end model in the company's series and comes with an abundance of accessories but caters more to users prioritizing powerful suction over versatility and ease of use.

The product's suction power was highly rated, scoring nearly perfect on flooring and short-pile carpets. During a test on a long-pile carpet, running the vacuum back and forth five times effectively cleaned up almost half of the scattered waste, leaving the carpet nearly spotless. Additionally, the vacuum demonstrated the capability to pick up debris left behind by other vacuum cleaners.

The vacuum's strong suction, evident in the dust case capturing carpet fibers, isn't gentle on carpets. Its weight and large suction mouth firmly attach to the carpet, garnering negative feedback like "a very heavy monster" and "cleaning with this device is a bad experience" in usability tests, contrasting with the user-friendly Kenmore vacuum.

The vacuum's body and hose are not detachable. To clean stairs, position the vacuum at the bottom and extend the long 11.5-foot hose. Caution is advised if you have a lot of steps to vacuum.

Shark's Rotator Pet Lift-Away ADV Upright Vacuum features the company's unique roller-type head, "DuoClean PowerFins," renowned for its rare occurrence of hair entanglement.

Shark's roller head vacuums, lacking stiff brushes, avoid digging into long-pile carpets and are noted for their comfortable handling compared to other brands. However, some reviewers mentioned that its swivel movement range seemed somewhat narrower than other products, commenting, "It's very easy to move forward, but a bit difficult to turn."

While its non-digging brush design offers gentler treatment, it falls short in deep dust suction. When tested on a long-pile carpet, visible dust disappeared after one pass, but only about 10% of the scattered dirt was sucked up after five passes. Still, on low-pile carpets, it managed to suction about 95% of the dust after five passes. Unless you have long-pile carpets in your main living spaces, it might not pose a big problem.

The box contains assembly instructions, and the main body has written instructions for parts separation and mode switching, ensuring a straightforward assembly and operation process and minimizing the likelihood of confusion.

The Shark Stratos DuoClean Powered Lift-Away with Odor Neutralizer Upright Vacuum stands out as the sole product in our recent tests that enables the removal of the dust collection unit and hose from the main body. Combining robust suction power characteristic of upright vacuums with the flexibility of a stick cleaner, it offers a unique and versatile cleaning solution. Ideal for homes with numerous sofas and shelves, it not only ensures thorough room cleaning but also reaches under furniture effortlessly.

As one of the company's higher-priced models, it has been designed with ease of use in mind. Unlike other tested products, you can conveniently switch modes at your fingertips. You can effortlessly control power and toggle between modes for various floor materials, all from the handle. This eliminates the need to interrupt cleaning, bend over, or manipulate the front nozzle of the main unit.

Similar to our highly rated Rotator Pet Lift-Away ADV Upright Vacuum, this Shark model has a roller-type head, making it less prone to hair entanglement and ensuring user comfort. However, it weighs approximately 2 pounds more than the mentioned model, and in usability testing on particularly long pile carpets, we frequently heard from testers that "it is difficult to move backward or turn."

Priced affordably at under $100, the Eureka PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner impresses with commendable scores in suction power, ease of use, and versatility. While there are some drawbacks, this unit is recommended for cost-conscious individuals or those seeking a supplementary vacuum to complement their robot vacuum or another upright model.

One necessary caveat is its difficulty in maneuverability. At 11.2 pounds, it is fairly light compared to other upright vacuums. While lifting and moving forward is relatively easy due to the brush position adjusting to floor type, the lack of a swivel requires adjusting posture and force for turning. Feedback includes remarks like, "It's very lightweight, but you can't turn without using your whole body."

Our review findings highlight a trend where cheaper models often have larger heads, and this holds true for this product. The vacuum tends to wobble when lifted, attributed to its lower center of gravity. Additionally, it was observed to drag sand and dust while vacuuming carpets.

Nevertheless, it manages to suck up approximately 90% of debris, even from short-pile carpets after about five passes. Given the price point, revisiting areas to pick up any remaining debris is likely to be a less stressful experience.

The Bissell CleanView Swivel Pet Vacuum Cleaner, as the name suggests, was developed for pet hair removal, but it struggles with carpets. Despite the swivel, the brush's weak rotation can be a disadvantage, especially on long-pile carpets, where it tends to stick. Usability tests generated mostly "very dissatisfied" responses, with comments such as "The carpet moves when I try to move the vacuum" and "It is almost impossible to move."

As an economical model priced around $100, this vacuum, like others in its category, tends to have an oversized head compared to the suction port. This design may lead to dirt being dragged around, leaving particles like sand or crumbs after a single pass on a short-pile carpet or floorboard. While it can eventually absorb everything after five passes, achieving a thorough vacuuming requires time.

On the other hand, when cleaning a long-pile carpet, after five passes, it absorbed about half the dirt, equivalent to a Dyson. While it may not completely eliminate deeply embedded dirt in the fibers, it effectively removes visible debris like dust and sand in just one pass.

Minor points of concern included the need for screws in the assembly of the main unit and the slight difficulty in attaching the dust case. For those new to upright vacuum cleaners, these aspects might pose some confusion.

Bissell's MultiClean Allergen Lift-Off Pet may leave visible debris after just one pass, and the difference between it and the higher-ranking Eurekas is the presence of a swivel and the ability to detach the dust collection compartment and hose from the body. If you are not particularly concerned with flexibility and versatility, you might want to consider the less expensive Eureka.

The low suction score was due to the head, with a small suction opening and no rollers underneath causing the head to adhere to the floor closely. This issue is especially noticeable on hard floors, where it tends to drag debris. While all vacuums manage to pick up visible debris in a single pass on short-pile carpets, this product leaves a clear blue trace of sand after just one pass. 

Contrasting with the suction power, the ease of cleaning score is relatively better. Although the power on/off switch is near the dust collection compartment, you can switch modes for different floor materials at the handle. Its moderate suction power allows for smooth movement on short pile carpets, with the spinning brush earning praise for "exceptionally smooth movement," according to some testers. 

Additionally, it appears to be easy to maintain as the high density of the brush prevents dirt from getting tangled in the head. The wide dust cup outlet and simplified filter section allow for easy disposal of dirt without clogging.