Best vacuum cleaners 2023: 10 reviewed models to keep your home clean

If you're in the market for a Black Friday vacuum cleaner deal, then you've landed in just the right place. Our expert reviewers have tested a total of 63 vacuum cleaners, so it's safe to say that their floors are sparkling clean, and now they've managed to narrow it down to the 10 best models out there.

With Shark, Numatic, Vax, Dyson, and many more popular brands offering endless features in all their latest models, it's easy to feel a little lost in the world of vacuum cleaners, but we can help. When reviewing vacuum cleaners, we look for a few main features to determine their star rating: affordability, suction power, tools (or lack of them), ease of use, and how easy they are to store. Owning the best vacuum cleaner will make a much easier job of cleaning your floors—solid wood, lino, or carpet—and investing in quality means you won't have to replace yours year after year avoiding unnecessary spending and waste.

In this list, we've featured everything from cordless vacuums to stick models under £200. You'll also spot a few pet-friendly vacuum cleaners, as well as a robot model, the innovative Henry Quick is also featured, as is the brand-new Shark Stratos. In short, there is something for everyone, whether your budget is £600 or £100. Keep reading for our top picks to help you battle dust and dirt in your home.

The best vacuum cleaners to buy in 2023

We raved about the new Henry Quick in our review, and honestly: it might be our head ecommerce editor Annie's favourite vacuum she's ever tested. Its suction is second-to-none, plus it offers dust-free emptying. As a flat owner, she claims it's more than easy to store away, too. It's also super affordable, making it all the more attractive.

What are its best features?
This vacuum is mighty strong for a stick vacuum. It offers two modes, one being a Boost mode for spillages or for whizzing around your home fast. You can use this vacuum with scent pods to make your home smell nice as you vacuum. We also love the tools that come with the vac for cleaning everything from your sofa to your skirting boards.

In review
Annie tested this vacuum for us in her two-bedroom South East London flat, which she shares with her husband and her pug (who loves to moult). This vacuum never failed for suction, in fact, it did the opposite. Annie found that it's best to use it on Boost mode when cleaning hard floors, but when you're working with softer spaces switch it to Normal mode and don't forget to turn off the roller brush if the suction is still too strong. She loved the attachments that came with it, and although the fact it's bagged makes it not as eco-friendly as we would hope, this does offer total dust-free emptying. All for less than £300!

Storage
Just like any other stick vacuum, this one is a breeze to store. You can even make use of the wall mount that comes in the box and save on cupboard and floor space. Just bear in mind that it annoyingly doesn't stand up on its own.

We've got an entire guide on Henry vacuums, if you love the Numatic brand and only want to buy a Henry hoover.

The Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner boasts all the power of a corded vacuum, but in a cordless model. It has a removable battery which lifts out to slot into an external charger, and it can lift away to clean the stairs and upholstery without the stick. There's also the big bonus factor of its affordability — for the Shark brand, that is.

What are its best features?
Toggle between carpet and hard floors without the need to switch attachments. You can do this using the LCD control pad at the handle of the vacuum. This switches down the brush to work on your hard floors, or lowers the PowerFins to reach deep into the carpets. 

In review
When we tried the Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner on a pet hair-filled floor, it left a visible line of bright cream carpet after just one pass. That was on the regular power mode, but it is even more impressive when put into boost mode. 

Storage
The Shark ICZ300UKT Anti Hair Wrap Cordless Upright Vacuum Cleaner can be left standing upright thanks to the heavier lower side of the stick. That makes it ideal for storing when it's not in use. 

This vacuum was reviewed by one of our editors on one of our sister brands.

Pet owners, this one's for you! Real Homes' mascot, otherwise known as Annie's Pug called Doug, gave us this vacuum a run for its money. It works wonders in collecting pet hair from everywhere including your floors, your sofa and even their bed. Better yet: it's the easiest vacuum cleaner we've ever used. A big claim that we don't say lightly. The only reason this vacuum isn't our number one is because of its £500+ price tag. It's not the best option for all budgets, unfortunately.

What are its best features?
The Shark Stratos IZ420UKT offers total ease of cleaning since thanks to Clean Sense IQ technology, it automatically controls its power based on what you are cleaning. If you're cleaning up a mess, it will boost its suction, or if you're going over already mostly clean floors, it'll work on its lowest mode to save energy. Super clever and it means you don't have to press lots of buttons. Just the power button and you're off. It also offers Anti-Odour technology, but we'll speak about that later.

In review
This vacuum, as we've already said, is so simple to use. We think it's one of the best vacuums for pet hair. We did test it in a (spacious) two-bedroom flat, mind, but even then we found it great for whizzing around in 10 minutes. Its battery life is also very impressive considering its suction power. It picks up dirt on the very first sweep, whilst its LED lights make it easy to see what you've not yet managed to get to. Another feature we love: it works with recyclable pods to emit a (rather pleasant and non-artificial) smell as you clean, to rid your floors of any lingering pet smells. Clever! And how can we forget about its Flexology stick that bends underneath your furniture to catch dust that may be out of sight and mind. It also arrived in fully recyclable packaging, which is a total win in our eyes. 

Storage
It stands upright but is top-heavy so it will fall over if you don't fold it down or lean it against something. It doesn't have onboard space for tools, unfortunately. But, being a stick vacuum that also folds, it's very easy to store in a cupboard. It also came with a Shark bag for keeping tools and instructions together.

This vacuum is currently in review by our head ecommerce editor.

This cordless vacuum gets our vote for the best affordable vacuum cleaner. It has almost three times more suction power than any of their other cordless vacuums – it lifted everything it was faced with (even mud) when our reviewer put it to the test! And at a fraction of the price of better-known cordless vacuums, we think it is a steal. 

What are its best features?
Ideal for those with pets or anyone who regularly finds hair scattered around the house, it has a special head designed to pick up every bit of dirt including leaves, bits of small paper and big crumbs. This model also has DustTracker LEDs so you can easily see what else needs cleaning.

If you have pets, the Vax Blade 4 PET vacuum cleaner has recently been released which has an antimicrobial coating to help prevent bacteria growth for a hygienic clean time-after-time, and a mini-motorised tool for removing pet hair.

In review
Whilst writing our Vax ONEPWR Blade 4 review, Sarah noted that the floorhead of the Blade 4 easily rotates which means that getting it exactly where you want it to go is never a struggle. It's also low enough to glide under furniture, and light enough to carry up and down the stairs. The handheld doesn't drop its power, nor is it heavy either: it weighs just 2kg. It does the job and more, and only needs three hours to charge, after which it will run for 45 minutes. As with slightly older Vax models, additional batteries can be bought which is great if you need a longer run time. In our opinion, this is one of the best cordless vacuum cleaners you can buy right now, especially if you are on a budget, and offers versatility that cordless vacuums without removable batteries lack. 

Storage
This stick vacuum is much easier to store than upright or cylinder models, as you'd expect. However, it doesn't fold or anything fancy like that. You can mount it to a wall to free up floor space, though.

The truth is that we LOVED the Dyson V15 Detect whilst it was in review. Its Piezo sensor tells you the real-time dust particle collection. Gross, but cool. Why is it not higher on the list? Though it scored full marks in our testing, look at the price! It really is a high-end buy, so we wanted to profile a couple of products that give you a fab clean for a bit less, first.

What are its best features?
Dyson wanted to give customers proof that the vacuum really was cleaning their homes, even if the dirt isn't always visible. Their solution? A Piezo sensor and LCD screen give you a dust particle count, in real-time. This works in tandem with a green laser, which illuminates the dust on hard floors to show how well the V15 Detect works. In our experience, that's very well indeed. Also, pet owners really have reason to rejoice with Dyson's new anti-tangle conical brush bar. This works like a screw, gathering hair and filtering it up and towards the bin, preventing it from getting tangled around the brush roll itself. 

In review
We (obviously) had someone with a fluffy dog review this vacuum for us, and they were very pleased with the results. Jaclyn has been using this as her main vacuum since March 2021, and she found it super easy to use with a generous battery life to match. You simply press the trigger (there's no continuous mode) to activate the Dyson V15 Detect. It's minimal in its controls, which makes cleaning straightforward. The only downside she noted was its price tag and the fact that it might be better suited for those who want to be a little more scientific with their cleaning. If you just want something that's cheap, cheerful and does the job, then this isn't it. Saying that, the 60-minute runtime was sufficient to clean our space, but as you'd expect, the Boost mode shortens battery life. 

Storage
Dyson stick vacuums are known to be easy to store thanks to their slim design. The V15 Detect comes with a docking station to make storage easy peasy.

This vacuum is currently in review by our head ecommerce editor.

The Henry HVR160 was our former appliance editor Jen's favourite vacuum cleaner. It's robust, versatile, and easy to move around to clean up messes big and small. It also comes with an affordable price tag.

What are its best features?
The suction. Hands down. It lifted up the biggest, heaviest rug Jen has in her house. That means it can get deep into carpet pile, which is reassuring and satisfying at the same time. Although it isn't the biggest Henry vacuum, the 6-litre capacity was more than enough for Jen's family home too, even with ongoing DIY projects.

In review
In our review, the Henry HVR160 proved itself to be a good all-rounder that would be a nice fit in almost every busy household. The vac feels like it's made of good, solid material, so it's one model that will last you. However, Jen did find that getting up the stairs with the Henry HVR160 isn't easy. And it was tricky to make an attempt to clean her car too since it's got a power cable and 7.5kg of weight to it.

Storage
Storing it does take a fair bit of space since the Flo-Max hose is rather long — especially when connected to the stainless steel tube set which connects it all together. You can clip the floorhead to the back of Henry HVR160 on the onboard tool storage, but this does feel a little flimsy when challenged with the weight of the floorhead, etc. The onboard storage can only store two out of the three accessories, too, so you're going to be left with a rogue accessory. It's not really one for those with limited storage space.

If you want a cylinder vacuum to keep on top of pet hair and family-size messes, look no further than the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog Bagless Vacuum Cleaner. Like all Miele vacuums, it offers a supreme clean, but it is a bit of an investment.

What are its best features?
The Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog Bagless Vacuum Cleaner comes with a turbo brush attachment that's extra powerful on pet hair and trodden carpets. It's got some immense power and IT comes with regular attachments that can also be used on hard floors and carpets. Cleaning out the filter on a vacuum has got to be one of the most tedious tasks, and it's pretty messy, too. Tall or short, you'll love the extendable telescopic tube. If you suffer from allergies, you'll enjoy the British Allergy Foundation-approved filter, which will keep spores and dust at bay. 

In review
Our reviewer Sarah thought it was a powerful vacuum for anyone who wants a corded, cylinder model. Thanks to her review, she found it can cope with pet hair, even a lot of it, and it's great for larger family homes. We love that the Miele Blizzard CX1 has a self-cleaning filter, but this did mean it stopped itself to self-clean every now and again. Otherwise, we think it's a great buy for anyone who wants a Henry cylinder vacuum but doesn't want the faff of having to buy bags.

Storage
It's not the neatest vacuum to store, so make sure you have room in the cupboard under the stairs. Saying that, it's definitely not as bulky as a Henry cylinder vacuum, that's for sure.

You can browse more of our favourite Miele vacuums at our dedicated guide.

If you only have around £100 to spend on a new vacuum cleaner, then this is the one you should go for. We highly rate the Hoover Telios Extra TX50PET for more reasons than one. For starters, it's great for pet owners, and then there's the fact it's bagged for dust-free emptying. It does have an RRP of £149, but more often than not you can find it on sale for £99.

What are its best features?
The floorhead on this Hoover is suitable for carpets and hard flooring. It can be easily adjusted by a Floor Type Selector Pedal which is on the floorhead — this raises the brushes when you go onto wooden or ceramic flooring. The Hoover has a (very) useful 360-degree oscillation of the telescopic tube, which itself is extendable. The power cord can extend out to give you a cleaning radius of up to 10m.

In review
As for the suction, our reviewer was very impressed with just how much was picked up. You know it's good when it gently lifts the carpets and rugs as you are vacuuming! Arriving with a Crevice tool, Furniture nozzle and Dusting brush, you'll be able to clean all areas of the home with ease. Obviously, it's not the most convenient for use as a stick vacuum would be, but for the price tag we think it's pretty great, pet-owner or not. In our Hoover Telios Extra TX50PET review Jen dives into how quiet it is, and how easy it is was to use on each floor type in her home.

Storage
Even better news? The attachments all get stored on board, too, so you always know where they are. Neat and tidy. Again, it's not the easiest to store so you might have to carve out some space in a cupboard or wardrobe.

The iRobot Roomba S9+ is a self-emptying, automatic vacuuming delight. It is great at picking up around the house, and it's even good at navigating corners, making it the king of the best robot vacuums. Now, we know we rated it five stars in our review, so it should be higher on our list. The only reason it isn't is that lots of people would prefer a vacuum they can control, and it has quite a hefty price tag.

What are its best features?
Seeing as you won't be doing the vacuuming yourself, the most important feature of a robot vac is the ease of use. It also won't miss a thing thanks to its unique design allowing it to get into corner spots, plus it has a protruding brush to make sure it's gathering up all of the dust it should be. Like many of the most high-tech robot vacs on the market, this bot will scout out your home in order to create a super accurate map, to begin with. Then it'll follow the same path every time it operates, giving you the chance to set out no-go zones and highlight areas that need a little more TLC.

In review
Linda found that this iRobot pick was a breeze to get along with, with a great app or the option to use the manual controls on top of the unit if you'd prefer. It manages to collect an incredible amount of dust and can get right into the corners, whilst it takes itself back to empty its bin and charge when necessary. You don't really need to do anything. Though this vacuum scored an incredible 5 stars in our review, we haven't ranked it as an essential purchase, as its RRP is pretty astronomical.

On paper, the Hisense HVC6264BKUK Hi-Move certainly ticked a lot of boxes for us. And upon testing, it most certainly delivered. For a vacuum under £150, it is probably the most affordable cordless vacuum cleaner I've come across in a long time and it has some of the same features you see in the more premium vacs.

What are its best features?
There are two settings and you can use it as either an upright stick or a handheld vacuum. I used the higher setting when vacuuming carpets as an upright stick, and the lower setting when using it as a handheld. A design feature that is useful for vacuuming under furniture is the flexible wand, although this was stiff when quickly trying the bend it, and an LED floorhead. There are plenty of attachments, too, such as the Motorized Bed Nozzle, Flexible Tube, Brush Nozzle, and Crevice Nozzle which means that all areas of the home can be cleaned.

In review
Jen found whilst reviewing this vacuum that the suction was FAB (on the higher setting) but this does mean that the vac is power-hungry so It will only work for 19 minutes and eight seconds, which was just about long enough to vacuum the upstairs carpet in her house. The 0.4-litre bin size is ideal for small clean-ups but bigger messes will see you emptying it more frequently. Vacuuming the stairs was a challenge with the motorized bed nozzle and the floorhead due to angles/size, but you may have better luck than Jen did with this because her stairs are very steep. Being just three kilos in weight it really was very easy to move around. Because there's a drop in suction when the battery is running low, and it spits out debris if you fill the bin up past the 'max' point, we couldn't award this vacuum more than 4 stars, but we've placed it on our list because of its affordability. And if you need a cheap cordless for everyday runarounds, to complement a heftier model for deep cleans, this is it.

How to choose the best vacuum cleaner

When you start for search for the best vacuum cleaner, deciding which type of vacuum cleaner you would prefer which go a long way in honing in on what is the best make and model for you. In the video below, our Brand Development Director Laura Crombie explains which factors to think about as you make your choice.

Handheld vacuum cleaners are always cordless, but you can now get larger cordless vacuums that do more than just suck up a few crumbs off your car seats. Their battery life is much better than a decade ago and they make quick cleaning very convenient. Cordless models are a good buy for small homes; they're often lighter and smaller, so easier to store and whip around than bulkier models. Larger, more powerful vacuum cleaners tend to be corded, and these are what you want to choose for larger homes or if you need a really powerful vacuum cleaner (you have, for example, kids who tread biscuit crumbs into carpets or dogs that shed like you wouldn't believe).

Cylinder vacuums, although occasionally less energy-efficient, are best for:

• Small homes lacking storage space to keep an upright (cylinders can often be taken apart so the cylinder can be stored in a low cupboard and the pipe and foot stowed elsewhere if needed);
• Getting into corners or under beds;
• Easy use on stairs and landings.

Upright vacuum cleaners are usually heavier, although there are lightweight models available, they tend to have a larger capacity, meaning you have to empty them less frequently than cylinder or, of course, small handheld vacs. They are therefore best for:

• Prolonged use in larger spaces;
• Easy use — you push the whole unit, rather than needing to tug the cylinder along after you;
• Quick use – the larger foot (often with rotating brushes) makes quick work of cleaning up pet hair and dust.

Bagless vacuum cleaners can be messy to empty (we'd advise doing so outside, near the bin), but the ongoing cost of bags for traditional bagged models will make them more expensive in the long run, so this comes down to preference and budget.

On top of all this, you should also look out for the following special features:

• HEPA filters for allergy sufferers;
• Advanced filtration systems for pollen and dust;
• Pet hair tools (extra powerful suction and a non-tangling brush);
• Deep clean: some models specialise in this.

Real Homes review process

We're always testing a vacuum, and we make sure to review the latest, trendiest and most innovative vacuum cleaners out there. We're talking about everything from the best cordless vacuums for those who like stick format, to the best robot vacuum cleaners for a hands-free clean and the best vacuum for pet hair – so we can help YOU find the most suitable make and model.

We have always judged vacuum cleaners not just by their price tag but also by what it is that you get for your money. We look for how well they lift dirt from deep pile carpet, if they can easily manoeuvre around furniture, whether or not they can be easily carried up and down the stairs and how they perform on hard floors. We also take into account the attachments, packaging and delivery so you get a complete overview of what you can expect.

The majority of the vacuum cleaners which you have seen featured in this guide have been tested in our homes for up to two months. After this time, they are either returned to the brand, or we are gifted them so we can continue to use them. Should this happen, we will update the relevant review about how the vacuum cleaner has performed over time and if we've had any issues. This is the same process we follow every time, for each of the robot vacuum cleaner, cordless vacuum or handheld vacuum cleaners we've managed to get our hands on. 

Multiple team members have reviewed the vacuums in this round-up, meaning that this guide is a true reflection of what Real Homes thinks is the very best. In total, we've tested 63 vacuums. 

Meet our vacuum cleaner testers below:

Jennifer (Jen) Oksien

Jen is Homes Editor on TechRadar. Previously she has written for Ideal Home, Real Homes and Homes & Gardens as our Appliances Editor. She has tested out a number of vacuums in this guide, including the Hisense HVC6264BKUK Hi-Move and the Henry HVR160.

Molly Cleary

Molly is the Ecommerce Writer for Real Homes, and currently oversees vacuum content. She has tested out a number of vacuums to bring you the advice you need on what to buy, including picks from Dyson and Shark, as well as a number of robot vacuums. She's currently testing out the Tineco Pure One S15 Pro to see if it's worth a place in this line-up.

Linda Clayton

Linda is a freelance journalist who has specialised in home tech, interior design and fitness for more than two decades. She has tested plenty of vacuums for Real Homes, including the iRobot Roomba S9+ and the Miele Triflex HX1 Pro cordless vacuum on this list. She tested out these vacuums in her Devon home, to find out how well they performed across various floor types and how well they coped with busy family life, and her three super-fluffy, world-class moulting dogs. 

Sarah Warwick

Sarah has reviewed many vacuum cleaners for Real Homes, taking them through their paces at home to give us an honest, real-life opinion and comparison on every model. From this list, she's had hands-on experience with the Vax ONEPWR Blade 4 cordless vacuum and the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat&Dog PowerLine vacuum cleaner.

Annie Collyer

Annie is our head ecommerce editor and she has been reviewing products for us since 2018. Think everything from mattresses to vacuums and even BBQs. Annie tested the Henry Quick for us and is currently reviewing the Shark Stratos Anti Hair Wrap Plus Pet Pro Cordless. Both of these vacuum cleaners offer incredible section, but the Henry Quick is bagged and just £300 RRP, whilst the Shark one is a little more expensive, over the £500 mark, and it bends under furniture. Both come with tools.

Cleaning your vacuum cleaner

To maintain max suction you need to keep your vacuum cleaner clean. Emptying the bag or tank regularly is key, so you may prefer a larger capacity that allows you to clean more of the house before this needs doing.

Most vacuums also come with a filter that may need washing every so often. This needs to be done well in advance of use so that the filter is completely dry in time. If this sounds like a faff, check out filterless vacuums.