What is the best bagless vacuum for a house with hardwood and area rugs?

July 27, 2020 7:44 AM

We are looking for one that can get in, under and around furniture easily. We have mainly hardwood floors. It's a 2,000 square foot home.
posted by Tziv to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

We have had the Wirecutter's pick (Shark Navigator Lift-Away NV352) for three years. The review says they haven't found a better contender in the last four years.

Our house is all hardwood with several low-pile rugs and multiple cats, and it works great. I only have two very minor complaints: the body isn't quite as agile as our old canister vac for getting under some furniture, and the hose is kind of stiff when used with attachments (it tends to tip the vacuum over when stretched out). I use one of their other picks as a glorified dustbuster (it's the Black+Decker that they recommend for cars, but a slightly different model that has a long floor attachment) for stretchy situations like under really deep furniture, up on shelves, or window blinds.
posted by bcwinters at 8:44 AM on July 27, 2020

Do you want something that can do the whole house at once? I ask an odd question because I don't think I'll ever stray far from cordless vacuums after having a Dyson Animal V7 for a couple years. I don't think it has the juice to do the whole (1700 sf) mostly-hardwood house but it's more than enough to do a couple rooms at a time, and it's way easier for spot cleaning. Extremely maneuverable, and definitely enough power for hardwood, and seems fine on area rugs, though you can do a deep clean on them every so often.
posted by supercres at 8:47 AM on July 27, 2020 [4 favorites]

I have a different Shark model, a bunch of cats, and I'm pretty happy with it too.
posted by wotsac at 9:00 AM on July 27, 2020

Have had the shark navigator upstairs for 2 years based on wirecutter and an old dyson downstairs where the hardwoods are. Mrs. freecell has been borrowing the shark and carting it downstairs to use instead of the dyson for a while. Pretty light and easy to work with. We also have a Hoover Linx cordless for quick cleanup under the dinner table and it’s fine but not amazing.

Very happy with the shark and it was not ridiculously expensive .
posted by freecellwizard at 9:24 AM on July 27, 2020

Ditto on the Shark, per the Wirecutter.
posted by wisekaren at 9:39 AM on July 27, 2020

Seconding the shark, but also putting in a vote for robotic vacuum cleaners -- they don't vacuum as well, but a daily mediocre vacuuming seems to get things cleaner than a weekly full strength vacuuming. (They don't play well with fringed rugs, however).
posted by Comrade_robot at 10:16 AM on July 27, 2020

Yep, the Shark. And a PSA -- I had the Shark for years w/out realizing that I was supposed to, y'know, Lift the canister Away from the bottom part when I was using the attachments. Once I started doing that, I stopped having the annoying tip-over problem. It's a great vacuum. FWIW, my mom bought the slightly upgraded version, and she said it's even better. (She's had both...not sure what model right though?)

I also have a Deebot robotic vacuum, which I totally love. But yeah, your house has to be sort of set up for it.
posted by nosila at 10:19 AM on July 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

If your primary concern is something that can get in, under and around furniture easily, you want the Dyson.
posted by sageleaf at 10:50 AM on July 27, 2020 [1 favorite]

We have the Dyson Ball Multifloor 2. We have hardwood with a couple of rugs downstairs and carpet upstairs. It is great on all, and I cannot even describe how maneuverable it is. I hate vacuuming and usually let my husband take on that chore, but this vacuum makes it so easy, that I've found myself doing it more. It's even easy on the stairs.
posted by BlueBear at 1:44 PM on July 27, 2020

Seriously urging you not to go bagless. I have a $215 model that outsucks any bagless my friends hav–including Dyson models–and they are truly jealous. It's a Mighty Maid from Fuller Brush, and it leaves bagless units for dead (and works very well on hardwoods).
posted by ivanthenotsoterrible at 3:11 PM on July 27, 2020 [1 favorite]