Best Vacuum For Hardwood Floors 2023

Style: Bagged canister | Bin size: 4.75 quarts | Battery life: Corded | Weight: 10.5 pounds | Attachments: Combination floorhead, dusting brush, crevice tool and upholstery tool

When looking for the best vacuums for hardwood floors, consider an option that has a suction-only setting, like this Miele Classic Pure Suction vacuum. Average vacuums use a spinning brush roll to dig up and grab debris from the particles of a carpeting. When vacuuming hardwood floors, that functionality is unnecessary and can often cause debris to spread around and (sometimes) scratch or scrape the surface. With a suction-only option, your vacuum relies only on suction power and airflow to lift and remove debris. Without the use of a spinning brush head, you’re less likely to scatter dirt and scratch your floors.  

This high-quality option from trusted brand Miele is portable, efficient and strong. It utilizes six suction settings for a more powerful cleaning experience, so you can easily and manually adjust power as needed. The combination floorhead works perfectly on both hardwood and carpeting, and the rubberized wheels help prevent scratching or scraping. The compact design is easy to maneuver and store, and we love that all the included accessories—a dusting brush, crevice tool and upholstery tool—can be stored on the hose of the vacuum itself. This is a strong, portable vacuum that performs exceptionally well on hardwood floors without causing dirt to scatter or scrape the surface. Keep in mind that it is a pricier item, and is one of the more expensive vacuums on our list. 

Pros:

• This is a suction-only vacuum, and doesn’t rely on a brush roll to clean
• Rubberized wheels help prevent scratching
• Six suction settings provide a powerful cleaning experience

Cons:

• It’s on the pricier side
• It’s not cordless

Style: Robot | Bin size: 0.6 liters | Battery life: 100 minutes | Weight: 10.5 pounds | Attachments: N/A

A robot vacuum is a hands-off cleaning solution that can completely streamline the vacuuming process. We love this lightweight, affordable and slim option from Eufy because it’s efficient, strong and easy to use. It comes in at a lower price than a lot of other robot vacuums, but still boasts the same power and intelligence.

With a three-point cleaning system and BoostIQ technology, the robot vacuum automatically uses more power to clean the areas where it detects dirt the most. It’s designed for use on hardwood floors, and the standard suction mode provides about 100 minutes of consistent cleaning on a single charge. The machine will conveniently return to its charging port when it’s low on battery, so you can maintain cleaner floors without needing to hover over a manual vacuum. The slim design means it can maneuver under low-lying furniture with ease. 

Pros:

• At only 2.85 inches high, it can easily vacuum under beds or bookcases
• Automatically returns to charging base when power is low
• Can clean for up to 100 minutes on a single charge

Cons:

• Doesn’t map and learn the layout of your house

Style: Stick vacuum and mop combo | Bin size: 12-15 ounces |Battery life: 30 minutes | Weight: 10.5 pounds | Attachments: N/A

This multifunctional wet dry vacuum is perfect for busy households—it combines the convenience of two different gadgets in one functional machine. Simply charge the vacuum in its docking station then use the machine to vacuum and mop the dirtiest areas of your house for up to 30 minutes on a single charge. We love that it operates with two water tanks so you can be sure that you’re only cleaning with clean water—none of the used, dirty water filters back into the cleaning system—the clean water tank filters in fresh water while the dirty water tank stores dirt, debris and used water.

This cordless stick vacuum can also be paired with Bissell’s line of cleaning supplies, including a PET multi-surface cleaning solution that helps sanitize floors while you clean. This machine is specifically-designed with pets in mind, because it can quickly vacuum hair then mop up muddy footprints. Keep in mind that the mopping function of this machine should only be used on hardwood floors that are properly sealed. 

Pros:

• Cordless functionality makes it extremely portable
• Two water tanks ensure you never clean with dirty water
• Multi-surface functionality means you can transition from carpet to hardwood easily

Cons:

• Smaller bins mean it can only hold 12-15 ounces at a time
• Doesn’t come with attachments or accessories

Style: Stick | Bin size: 0.2 gallons |Battery life: 60 minutes | Weight: 6.8 pounds | Attachments: Laser slim fluffy cleaner head, hair screw tool, digital motorbar, crevice tool, combination tool, mini soft dusting brush, stubborn dirt brush, wand clip, docking station

You can’t beat the portability of this lightweight, cordless stick vacuum. After charging in its docking station, the easy-to-maneuver vacuum can run for up to 60 minutes on a single charge, all while picking up even the smallest amounts of dirt and debris. The intelligently-designed gadget can automatically adapt to different floor types, so it will instantly change its suction style based on how much resistance the spin feels when pushing over hardwood or carpet.

This incredibly efficient vacuum comes with multiple attachments, and the Laser Slim Fluffy Cleaner Head utilizes a laser light that helps illuminate even microscopic debris. This is particularly helpful if you have light-colored flooring that makes it hard to see dust and debris. The laser light is projected at a specific angle that makes spotting tiny bits of dust much easier. The fluffy brush head is soft on hardwood floors, so it won’t scratch or scrape no matter how often you use it. It boasts a strong suction that can suck hair and debris out of cracks in flooring, which makes it especially useful for older homes that still have original hardwood planks. The dusting brush and crevice tool make it even easier to get into tight corners or around stairs, and we love that the stick of the vacuum can be removed, instantly turning it into a handheld unit for more precision. 

Pros:

• Can operate for 60 minutes on a single charge
• Laser light helps spot microscopic debris
• Automatically adapts to floor types

Cons:

• You have to keep your finger on the trigger through the entire vacuuming process, which can be tiresome on the user’s wrist

Style: Canister | Bin size: 67.7 ounces | Battery life: corded | Weight: 13 pounds | Attachments: Crevice tool, dusting brush

This super-lightweight vacuum is efficient, strong and more importantly, it has an affordable price point. The multi-surface brush head is soft on hardwood floors, and the cyclonic technology ensures strong suction and powerful airflow. That way, dirt is sucked up from your floors and immediately dispersed into the bagless canister. The brush head has a clear window so you can see what’s happening inside and prevent any clogging or tangling.  We love that the dirt canister is easy to open and empty, so you can be sure you’re disposing of debris directly into the garbage can. 

Heavy-duty wheels make this canister vacuum extra portable and easy to maneuver, so it’s a sturdy and durable option for vacuuming throughout your house. The combination of strong performance and an affordable price tag makes it a great value for the price. 

Pros:

• Cord automatically retracts
• This is one of the most affordable vacuums on our list
• Accessories are stored on the body of the vacuum for easy access

Cons:

Style: Upright | Bin size: 1.1 quarts | Battery life: Corded| Weight: 12.5 pounds | Attachments: Upholstery tool, crevice tool

This affordable vacuum is designed in a way that easily increases its versatility and portability. The body of the vacuum can swivel side to side while in use, so the head of the vacuum stays flush to the floor while the body turns to the side. That way, it can easily get under beds, bookcases or other low-lying furniture where other vacuums might bump and bang. It has strong suction on both carpet and hardwood, and you can easily control the brush head when transitioning from carpet to hardwood with the flip of a button. We love that the detachable pod makes it easy to vacuum stairs or small closets—simply push the button, then lift the smaller pod away from the body of the vacuum. You can then carry the more portable pod to more easily vacuum stairs or tight corners using the accessory arm.

This vacuum comes with two attachments—an upholstery tool and crevice tool—both of which are functional with strong suction. The crevice tool easily sucks debris out of cracks in flooring or edges of crown molding. This is an efficient, portable vacuum that comes with an affordable price tag. 

Pros:

• Swivel steering helps it get into tight spaces
• A detachable pod lifts-away from the body of the vacuuming, make for a more portable option
• Both the HEPA filter and air pathway are completely sealed so no dust particles escape the body of the vacuum

Cons:

• It’s not cordless 
• Only comes with two attachments

Style: Bagged canister vacuum| Bin size: 0.25 gallons| Battery life: Corded| Weight: 22.6 pounds| Attachments: Dusting brush, pet PowerMate attachment, long crevice tool, bare floor brush

When it comes to finding the right vacuum to tackle pet hair, strong suction, portability and efficient accessories are essential. We love this vacuum because it satisfies all those criteria with exceptional performance. In a recent test of the best vacuums for pet hair, the Kenmore Pet-Friendly Pop-N-Go Bagged Canister Vacuum took one of the top spots because it quickly and effectively cleaned pet hair from all surfaces, most notably from hardwood floors. The canister vacuum is lightweight and easy to maneuver throughout the house, and it has a long hose with an extra-wide brush head. That means it can cover more surface area in a single pass, so you don’t have to spend as much time vacuuming back and forth over your carpet. 

All of the super-functional accessories are stored within the vacuum itself, so you can easily pop them out of their storage container and attach them to the end of the hose. Though this is a corded vacuum, we love that the cord automatically retracts with the push of a button. It’s easy to vacuum underneath low-lying furniture, and the vacuum itself has four different heights for optimal comfort. This vacuum has a designated mode for hardwood floors, and it performed exceptionally well in our tests.

Pros:

• Accessories are stored within the body of the vacuum
• Four height options make for a more comfortable experience
• The cord automatically retracts with the push of a button 

Cons: