The Best Canister Vacuums of 2025

Our Picks of Canister Vacuums

Best Overall Canister Vacuum

Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction Powerline

Suction i	3956 Pa
HEPA Filter i	No
Brushroll	No
Bag or Bagless	Bag
Measured Noise Level i	76.6 dBA

We were continually impressed with the Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction Powerline. This vacuum tackles almost everything and seamlessly transitions from carpet to hard floor. With a quick foot switch, you can tuck away the brush head bristles on low pile carpet and pop them back out on hard floors. We love this simple design, as it saves time from swapping attachments. It was near-perfection in our hardwood tests, equating to a whopping 99.5% of debris sucked up. With its lightweight design—just 13.1 pounds—this vacuum is easy to use. If you have stairs in your house, this vacuum will gladly make the trek up and down them to get them clean. Back on normal floors, it has large wheels that allow the canister to glide gently behind you as you move around the room. One of our testers added, “The handle weight is light, and the wand is long enough, so I found it easy to clean areas high above me.”

Although the C1 did great at cleaning conventional low pile carpets, it struggled to suck up smaller materials like sand and rice on higher pile carpets. This type of flooring is notoriously difficult for any vacuum, and finding one that can handle it all isn't easy. If you don't have any shag or high pile, we wholeheartedly recommend this product. If you have high-pile that needs to be cleaned often, the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly Canister is the only vacuum in our lineup that excels at cleaning it. The premium model in this line is the Miele Complete C3 Calima PowerLine, which offers unique features like internal attachment storage and premium materials. The C1 doesn't have a rolling brush head as some of the other top models have, like the Miele C3. On the one hand, we like the simplicity of having one main attachment; on the other, the brush head is nice on carpet. Still, we are very impressed by the Miele C1 and recommend it to anyone searching for a versatile canister vacuum.

Best Budget Canister Vacuum

Eureka Mighty Mite

Suction i	1766 Pa
HEPA Filter i	No
Brushroll	No
Bag or Bagless	Bag
Measured Noise Level i	82 dBA

There is a lot to love about the Eureka Mighty Mite beyond its favorable price tag. It is one of the lightest of the bunch at just 9.4 pounds. That said, stairs are no trouble for this mighty little machine. It has a very powerful suction that can be adjusted based on the surface you are cleaning, and this proved to be the best for hard floor performance. The Eureka cleaned an impressive 99.3% of the mess on hardwood. We were also blown away by its edge-cleaning performance. It ate up absolutely everything along the baseboards, and it did so with ease. While the Mighty Mite doesn't have a plethora of attachments, it has a very effective combination tool, with exposed bristles on one side and hard plastic on the other. We found this to do very well as an upholstery tool in our testing. Our lead tester notes, “You get a lot of bang for your buck with this vacuum, and I highly recommend it for anyone with a lot of hard flooring.”

While the Mighty Mite impressed us in many ways, there are some considerations to keep in mind. This budget-friendly model doesn't have the same bells and whistles that the more expensive models offer. There is no place to dock the canister on the handle, so storing it is a little tricky. Our tester noted, “The hose is cheap; it doesn't adjust and sometimes comes apart when I'm cleaning.” The construction quality between the Mighty Mite and the Miele C1 is noticeable. We preferred the attachments and features of the Miele, like the quick rewind function, which the Mighty Mite doesn't include. Like most other canister vacuums, this one struggled with high-pile carpet. If you have any high-pile carpet in your home, we highly recommend the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly Canister. However, we still think this option is a steal, especially if you need something lightweight. Other budget-friendly options in the lineup, and even some premium models, couldn't hold up against the Eureka Mighty Mite.

Best Canister Vacuum for Carpet Cleaning

Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly

Suction i	547 Pa
HEPA Filter i	Yes
Brushroll	Yes
Bag or Bagless	Bag
Measured Noise Level i	84 dBA

Have a lot of carpet? You will want the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly on your side to keep it clean. High-pile and shag carpets are notoriously difficult for vacuums, but the Kenmore Elite didn't disappoint. Impressively, this canister was able to pick up a majority of our mess, especially when we spent more time with it. A large part of this is thanks to the height adjuster, which can be controlled by a tap of your foot. We love how the spinning brush head almost propels the machine forward. “I find that most canisters aren't fluid to work with because of the stiff bristle head design, but with a powered roller like the Kenmore, it felt much easier to push around my house,” noted our lead tester, Rachael. It gently tugs on the canister, gliding along as you go. The Kenmore is also one of the best on hard floors. We simulated another mess on hardwood floors, and this vacuum picked up a whopping 99.3% of it. This vacuum cleaner has a triple HEPA filtration system, and when tested, we found very few particles escaped from the machine. The machine was one of the easiest to use, with plenty of features to keep us happy.

The Kenmore Elite is the heaviest option in our lineup at 25.3 pounds. “This vacuum was a pain to carry up and down stairs. I wouldn't recommend it if you need to move up and down often,” noted a tester. However, if you don't need to vacuum multiple stories, the canister vacuum is actually very maneuverable thanks to its large wheels. The telescoping handle is also on the heavy side with the PowerMate attachment, weighing in at 8.9 pounds. This weight is significantly lessened with different attachments, but it still isn't the lightest of the bunch. Additionally, the PowerMate head is bulkier than most and, therefore doesn't fit under tight places as well. Even though the Kenmore Elite suggests it is pet-friendly in its name, we didn't find it to be the best for pet hair. Instead, the Eureka Mighty Mite is worth taking a look at if you have shedding pets. All things considered, we highly recommend the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly to anyone with a considerable amount of carpet, especially if any of it is high-pile.

A Premium Canister Vacuum Upgrade

Miele Complete C3 Calima PowerLine

Suction i	871 Pa
HEPA Filter i	Yes
Brushroll	Yes
Bag or Bagless	Bag
Measured Noise Level i	78 dBA

The Miele Complete C3 Calima PowerLine is the bigger sibling to the C1 Complete. As such, it is equipped with some upgrades like a suction power adjuster and on-board storage for attachments. Aside from pet hair, this vacuum impressed us. We were particularly pleased to see 99% of the debris cleaned on hardwood. While pricey, what you end up paying for is top-tier filtration and a spinning brush roll, along with some other minor features like longer reach. This HEPA-filter-equipped vacuum earned an excellent rating during our tests, keeping fine dust and allergens trapped in the vacuum.

Still, it is worth noting how similar this vacuum is to the Miele C1, but at a much higher price. From time to time, you can find this vacuum at a discounted rate, so it is worth considering if the extra features and HEPA filtration is worth it to you. If you have shedding pets, we recommend the Miele C1 over this one. The Complete C3 Calima pushed most of the pet hair around, and what was caught was mostly wrapped around the brush roll. Still, this premium choice is good for those sensitive to allergens and like the extra bells and whistles.

How We Tested

We have been testing vacuums of all sorts for many years. We have gone even deeper with this canister vacuum review, testing them on various surfaces, assessing suction strength and attachments, and considering how easy they are to use. We designed a state-of-the-art vacuum-specific testing space in our lab. More info on our vacuum testing protocol can be found here.

Our tests are grouped into five key testing metrics:

Why Trust GearLab

Rachael Lamore is our resident vacuum expert. During her tenure with GearLab, she has tested every type of vacuum and has been an integral part of the test plan development team. She is exactly who you want testing vacuums.

Lesley Robinson Lesley has a meticulous eye for detail, making her the perfect person to lead our canister vacuum tests. She has spent many years in the food sciences, where a detailed and measured approach is essential. Her expertise ranges from kitchen appliances to household appliances and much, much more.

Becca Glades has been with the GearLab team for many years. She has tested everything from mesh wifi systems to tablets for kids. She loves all things tech, including vacuums. Years ago, her first vacuum was the cheapest one she could find. Frustratingly, the hose fell off every time she turned it on. After months of vacuuming with one hand holding the hose and the other the handle, she began diving deeper into the intricacies of vacuums. She is now a vacuum pro and knows just what to look for. She is often vacuuming the mess her toddler and two shedding dogs make and appreciates an option that quickly turns on and stores away easily.

Analysis and Test Results

Regardless of the space you need to clean, a good vacuum needs to be by your side. We put our lineup through the wringer to see how well they could vacuum various surface types.

What's the Best Value?

The Eureka Mighty Mite is small but mighty. It is all business when it comes to hard flooring and pet hair. Plus, it is a fraction of the cost of the top performers. For a budget option, we highly suggest looking into this one. However, if you are willing to spend more, the Miele C1 is worth your consideration. It did the best across the board, yet its pricetag isn't the most premium of the bunch. While you certainly can spend a lot less than this, it is a model we will happily use for years to come, while some of the cheaper options have less impressive designs.

Carpet Performance

Canister vacuums have been around for over 100 years (yes, really), and as you can imagine, they have been redesigned and improved through the years. It was once the case that canister vacuums weren't the best on carpet, but that simply isn't the case anymore. Many have a pile height adjustment feature, and some even have carpet-specific spinning heads. We found that many in our lineup tackled low-pile carpet with ease. Much of that is due to the exceptionally high suction power of canister vacs. However, high-pile carpet continues to be a challenge for canisters, along with most other vacuum types. Overall, we are the most impressed with the Kenmore and Miele models on carpet.

Carpet Cleaning Performance (%)

Product	low pile	high pile
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly	91	69
Kenmore 600 Series Pet PowerMate	93	57
Sebo Airbelt K3 Premium	90	60
Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction Powerline	91	54
Miele Complete C3 Calima PowerLine	91	51
Eureka Mighty Mite	88	49
Eureka WhirlWind	76	57
Bissell Zing Bagless Canister	75	53
Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead	71	42

Low Pile

Low pile has a short height of carpet fibers, typically less than half an inch. Most modern homes are carpeted with low pile, and many rugs are also low pile. This type of carpet is typically easier to clean because the vacuum can get closer to the debris without any interference from long fibers. Because low-pile is typically tighter and has less space between fibers, larger debris has a tougher time making its way down deep within the carpet - this is easier to clean.

The Kenmore 600 tackled low pile carpet with no trouble. The 600 Series picked up about 93.3% of the mixture, the most out of the lineup. The roughly 7% not picked up was mostly Cheerios, as the low-pile setting on this model is so low that it mostly pushes the cereal around. We simply switched this to the high pile setting and were able to suck up most of the remaining Cheerios.

The Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly also did well here, sucking up 91.3% of the mess. The Pet Friendly did better with larger debris like Cheerios but required more time to pick up the rice. Both Kenmore models have a roller brush, much like a traditional upright vacuum. This head is removable for when you switch to hard flooring.

Instead of a spinning brush head, the Miele C1 has a traditional style attachment that can tackle hard flooring and carpet. Though it doesn't have the spinning brushhead, the bristles along the edge can be tucked away with a switch for easy transition between various floor types. It proved to be very effective at cleaning low-pile carpet, cleaning roughly 90.1% of the mess we created.

The Miele C3 includes an additional carpet-specific spinning head, as well as the standard hard floor attachment. However, this brush head does not have a height adjustment. For low pile carpet, we were able to pick up 90.1% of spilled debris with the C3. However, we found both vacuums performed much better with slower strokes. When quickly rolling over an area, the C3's roller brush would throw the rice, and we even had it clog once with a high concentration area of debris. That said, if you have the spare time to move slightly slower, these models clean low-pile exceptionally well. Both models have an adjustable suction power, which is handy for varying carpet and floor types. If you find it too hard to push across your carpet, you can always bump down the suction.

Before Testing After Testing

The Sebo Airbelt picked up 90% of the debris on low pile carpet. That said, our floor was mostly clean with a few Cheerios left behind. The Koblenz Centauri also offered a decent performance, picking up 88.2% of debris, mostly leaving behind sand. Though it did a decent job picking up the rest, rice would lodge itself into the filter holes, which proved to be fairly challenging to remove.

The Eureka Mighty Mite followed closely behind with 87.6% picked up. However, roughly 9% of this never made it in the bag but was located within the inner cavity of the canister. While this still picked it up off the floor, it made for a clean-up job later on.

High Pile

High-pile carpets are notoriously challenging to clean. Debris gets lodged down in the long fibers, and over time, these fibers begin to knot, locking in dirt. Still, high-pile carpets exist and need to be cleaned.

The Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly had a noticeably better performance when cleaning shag carpets among its competitors. It picked up 68.7% of the Cheerios, rice, and sand mixture. While this percentage doesn't sound as high, keep in mind that shag and high-pile carpets are hard to fully clean, especially with smaller debris (like sand) that can make its way deep into the fibers. The vacuum did much better here thanks to the spinning brush head and adjustable height, much like a traditional upright. While the spinning brush head has much to do with how well it performed in cleaning high-pile, it also got stuck a few times by the high-pile, requiring us to reset the vacuum with the button on the head. Still, if you own a shag carpet, consider how much better the Kenmore Elite performed than others in the lineup.

Before Testing After Testing

The next best was the Kenmore 600, picking up 57.5% of spilled debris. This vacuum mostly picked up the Cheerios and left behind the rice and sand. The rest of the lineup struggled to pick up half of the mess we made, and that is just the reality with canister vacuums and high-pile carpet.

Hardwood Performance

This metric is broken down into two subtests: hardwood and edge cleaning. With everything considered and tested, the Eureka Mighty Mite was our top performer on hard flooring. It plowed through the debris and picked up just about all of it. The Miele Classic C1 and Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly follow closely behind with impressive performances. All of these models were smooth and easy to use on hard flooring. Below, we break this down.

Hardwood Cleaning Performance

Canister vacuums excel at cleaning hard floors, and many in our lineup proved this to be true. After dumping a cup and a half on the floor of debris, we were able to clean up 99.5% of it with the Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction. We had absolutely no trouble with this vacuum on hardwood flooring. The bristles can be exposed with a tap of the foot, and they help to funnel the debris into the large opening and strong suction.

The Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly and Eureka Mighty Mite each followed closely behind vacuuming up 99.3% of our spilled mess. The Kenmore Elite picked up all Cheerios, leaving behind only a small amount of rice and sand. The Mighty Mite also left behind minimal debris. It has a very strong suction that can be adjusted by a valve on the handle. Both vacuums smoothly traversed our hardwood floors.

The Miele Complete C3 Camila plowed some of the debris at first, but was able to ultimately clean up 99% of the mixture. The Kenmore 600 Series Pet performed similarly with 98% of the mixture cleaned. It also plowed some debris at first, but was able to pick almost all of it up when pulled backwards. Our lead tester said, “I got so much the first few passes that I had time to go back over the area once more.” The Kenmore 600 only had a few grains of rice left behind.

The Koblenz is also worth a mention here, cleaning 98% of the mess. It pushed some of the larger pieces around at first but was able to get most of the debris within our 24 second test window. It has a well designed brush head that has gaps in the bristles. This effectively acts as channels for larger debris to pass through and get sucked up.

Edge Cleaning

We sprinkled two tablespoons of coffee grounds along a 16-inch stretch of baseboard. We conducted two sub-tests here. One, we plowed into the grounds head-on, perpendicular to the wall. The second was us running parallel along the edge of the wall. Some vacuums perform well one way, while others perform well another. However, some tackle the grounds in both directions, like the Eureka Mighty Mite. We had absolutely no trouble getting this vacuum to clean up all the coffee grounds, no matter how we approached it.

Both the Miele C1 and Miele C3 performed above average here and roughly the same. When approached head-on, they picked up almost all the coffee grounds, leaving a small amount behind. When run parallel to the wall, they picked up everything. The same was true for the Bissell Zing. Just a small amount of grounds were left when hitting them head-on, and with a second pass, we would have been able to get the rest.

Miele Classic C1 Koblenz Centauri

Ease of Use

Canister vacuums have some major perks when it comes to ease of use. They don't contain the entire motor on the handle, so they can typically reach under furniture much easier than the alternatives. They also are quite lightweight, making them a great choice for traversing staircases. The hose is typically long, while some models have telescoping handles for the perfect height. However, we found they have shorter cords than most uprights, which is often because they roll up within the unit instead of being exposed externally.

Overall Ease of Use Score

Product	Manuverability	Maintenance	Upholstery
Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction Powerline	7.0	9.0	9.0
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly	7.0	8.0	8.5
Miele Complete C3 Calima PowerLine	7.0	7.0	9.0
Kenmore 600 Series Pet PowerMate	5.0	9.0	8.5
Sebo Airbelt K3 Premium	7.5	8.0	6.0
Eureka Mighty Mite	5.0	7.0	8.5
Eureka WhirlWind	7.0	5.0	6.0
Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead	5.0	3.0	9.0
Bissell Zing Bagless Canister	5.0	5.0	6.0
Koblenz Centauri	3.5	5.0	5.0

Maneuverability

We had the easiest time getting the Miele Classic C1 around our test space. When transferring from carpet to hard floor, or vice versa, you don't need to stop and switch out heads. Instead, you simply switch the mode on the brush head with your foot. This either exposes or tucks away the hard floor bristles. The head itself is stiff enough to hold its position but moves well around objects, like table legs and chairs. The system weighs just 13.1 pounds, with the tubing and floor head weighing 2.2 pounds. Unless you have stairs, you won't necessarily need to pick up the unit. And even if you do, it feels lightweight in hand, and the handle isn't overly cumbersome. The C1 has various suction settings, but this is located on the canister, which isn't as easy as if it were on the handle.

The Miele C3 also effortlessly slid across the room. The roller brush is specifically meant for the carpet, but does a reasonable job on various surfaces. We suggest swapping out the brush heads on hard surfaces, but if you're in a pinch for time, keeping it to one brush head is just fine. All buttons on the machine are easy to tap with a toe, so you won't need to bend over, even when retracting the cord. Both Miele models quickly retract the power cord with a button - no more wrapping up the cord when you're done cleaning. The swivel of the C3 is very smooth, effortlessly making its way around furniture and tight spaces.

The Sebo Airbelt K3 Premium was also a pleasure to use for many of the same reasons as the Miele Complete C3. The motorized brush head seamlessly crosses over carpets and hardwood, with the brush able to turn off while on hard surfaces. The adjustable suction aids in this, especially with thicker carpets. We appreciated how maneuverable the brush head was, easily making its way under couches and around tight corners.

The lightest vacuum in the line is the Bissell Zing, which weighs 9.3 pounds, with the tubing and floor head weighing just 0.80 pounds. Our testers mentioned, “This machine is so lightweight that it's easy to hold the canister by the handle and carry it around while vacuuming. It also rolls pretty well on the two large wheels if you leave it on the ground.” As you are headed up and down stairs, this lightweight can be very helpful and prevent a tumbling vacuum.

Some in the lineup were quite heavy, like the Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly, which weighed 25.3 pounds. If you frequently need to vacuum a lot of stairs, this unit isn't the best for the job. However, it has a long reach, and is otherwise very pleasant to use. It glides over various surfaces without trouble. The brush head almost propels it forward, so you don't have to push much at all. The canister gets lightly pulled along with the large wheels allowing for smooth movements.

Maintenance

Maintenance refers how easy it is to take the vacuum apart, change out bags, clean filters, and so forth. The Kenmore 600 Series and Miele C3 were by far the easiest to clean. The Kenmore 600 has a HEPA filter that occasionally needs to be changed, which was incredibly quick and easy to do. It can't be washed, so new replacements will need to be acquired.

For both the Miele and Kenmore models, the replacement bags simply slide into place. These are disposable, so you'll want a few extra on hand depending on how much you vacuum. Both the Miele C1 and C3 have an indicator light on the canister to let you know a bag change is needed. Neither the Koblenz nor the Bissell Zing have disposable bags. This makes them much more involved in cleaning, but you won't need to buy replacement bags.

Upholstery and Attachments

It's great to have attachments, but if they aren't effective at cleaning, they aren't very useful. We took note of all the attachments offered by each model. We also considered how easy they were to store on or within the machine. Then, we tested them out. We sprinkled coffee grounds on a cloth throw pillow. We used the upholstery tool offered by each vacuum to clean it up and rated based on how effective it was.

The Miele Classic C1 and Miele Complete C3 had the best performance when cleaning coffee grounds off the test pillow. With just one swipe, both were able to vacuum all the grounds with the upholstery tool. Additionally, both have an upholstery setting that kicks down the power. These two related models have almost the same attachment options, with the C3 including the TurboTeq spinning brush head. The C3 also has storage for its attachments within the canister itself. We preferred this as it was more compact and we were less likely to lose an attachment. The C1 houses its attachments on a holder that attaches to the hose either at the handle or the base.

The Kenmore 600 Series Pet PowerMate and Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly both include a Pet PowerMate attachment that picked up almost all of our spilled coffee grounds. This is a smaller brush roll that is meant for pet hair, but does well at cleaning other messes too. We also tested the dusting brush that is included with these models. Both performed exceptionally well, vacuuming most of the coffee grounds.

Kenmore 600 Eureka Mighty Mite

The Eureka Mighty Mite only includes three tools, the crevice tool, combination tool, and floor tool. However, this was enough for our upholstery tests. The combination tool is two sided, with one side having exposed bristles and the other having a hard plastic edge. Because the bristles are longer the tool was farther away from the upholstery surface so the tool wasn't stuck like a suction cup on the surface.

Pet Hair

Ever finish cleaning to turn around and see a ball of pet hair floating across the floor? Us too, and fueled by this frustration of feeling like you never cleaned, we devoted an entire testing metric just to pet hair. Our cats and dogs gladly lent us some hair for our tests. We combed it in to low and high pile carpets. Along with this, we threw in some human hair extensions to see how well the vacuums could handle the hair combination. We measured the weight of hair massaged into the carpet and compared it to the weight sucked into the vacuums.

Pet Hair Cleaning Perfomance (%)

Product	Low Pile	High Pile
Eureka Mighty Mite	86	94
Miele Classic C1 Pure Suction Powerline	90	80
Bissell Zing Bagless Canister	94	62
Eureka WhirlWind	82	66
Kenmore 600 Series Pet PowerMate	70	74
Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly	68	76
Sebo Airbelt K3 Premium	68	64
Miele Complete C3 Calima PowerLine	22	68
Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead	32	46

On mixed carpet surfaces, the Mighty Mite plowed through the most hair, picking up 86% on low-pile and 94% on high-pile. This was the best performance of all for high-pile. The bristles effectively worked the hair out of the carpet, where the strong suction was able to pull it in. This vacuum doesn't have a brush roll, so we never had any trouble with the hair getting stuck.

Pet Hair: Low Pile

Alone on low-pile, the Bissell Zing and Miele C1 actually did better than the Mighty Mite. The Bissell grabbed an impressive 94% of the hair we deposited into the carpet. Our lead tester noted, “The short bristles on the front of the head acted as a brush to lift the hair off the carpet surface and then got pulled in when the head was lifted off the carpet.” The Miele followed closely behind capturing 91% of the hair. Visually, just a few strands appeared to be left. With performances like the Zing and C1, we were more than happy with the results. Our test carpet looked and felt clean, even though a handful of strands were left behind.

The Koblenz and Eureka WhirlWind also performed well with picking hair off of low pile carpet. The Koblenz specifically grabbed the hair extensions, leaving behind almost exclusively pet hair. The bristles on this brush head are much shorter than others and struggled to “brush out” the pet hair. The WhirlWind also offered decent performance with 82% of hair picked up, though the hair gets wrapped around the filter in the dirt cup, and requires disassembly to get cleaned.

Before Testing After Testing

Pet Hair: High Pile

On high-pile carpet, the Mighty Mite was the obvious winner, collecting 94% of the hair massaged into the carpet. If you have a shedding pet and a high-pile carpet, this vacuum is worth checking out. The rest of the vacuums struggled to clean up pet hair off of the high-pile carpet. The next best was the Miele C1, which picked up 80% of the pet hair. The 20% left behind wasn't overly noticeable, but still not as impressive as the Mighty Mite.

Before Testing After Testing

Filtration

As you vacuum, debris gets pulled in and ideally trapped within the unit, whether it be a disposable bag or the canister itself. However, particles can continue to make their way through the system and back out into the open air. This essentially spits out allergens and potentially harmful particles right into the air you breathe. As such, most vacuums have a filtration system to catch these escape particles and keep them within the system. HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters are becoming increasingly common in vacuums and typically have the highest level of filtration. To test the effectiveness of each filtration system, we used a Dylos Air Quality Monitor to count particles that escaped. We double-checked our work with an extra particle counter, testing for small particles (2.5-0.5 µm) and large particles (>2.5 µm). The lower the number of particles, the better. This means that the filtration system is working to keep it all in, and keep your air healthy while you vacuum.

The Miele Complete C3 and Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead had the best filtration results of the bunch. They both only let out an average peak of 26 µm. For reference, anything under 75 µm is considered excellent filtration, and these delivered just that. The Miele Complete C3 is equipped with a HEPA filter, an AirClean exhaust filter, and an AirClean bag, which effectively helps contain particles. On the other hand, the bagless Dyson Big Ball relies on its advanced whole-machine filtration and washable filter to keep particles in. The good news is that the washable filter means you don't need to continue purchasing filters.

Like the C3, the Miele Classic C1 has AirClean exhaust and bag filters. However, it doesn't have a HEPA filter, though it still earned an excellent rating with only 57 µm released back into the air.

The Sebo Airbelt K3 also earned an excellent rating from our filtration tests, with an average peak of 30 µm released. The three-microfilter system proves effective against allergens, and this vacuum has the option for HEPA filter upgrades. The Kenmore 600 and Kenmore Elite Pet Friendly also have HEPA filtration systems within their design. As such, they both do exceptionally well filtering out small and large particles.

Noise

Finally, we gave a nod to the noise output from each machine when used on high. Let's face it, vacuuming is a noisy task, so we didn't put much weight into this subtest, but we still consider it useful information.

Some of the quietest models, the Eureka WhirlWind and Bissell Zing, weren't necessarily our strongest models in performance and suction, so we don't recommend making your purchase decision solely on this. However, if you are considering the Sebo Airbelt, it has a quiet output and a strong suction.

Our best-performing models ended up towards the middle of the pack in terms of noise, including the Miele C1 and Eureka Mighty Mite. The Miele C1 includes a “quiet” mode, but it was hard to actually tell the difference. Because all the vacuums have close noise levels, we suggest choosing a model based on its cleaning performance and ease of use over the level of noise it makes.

Conclusion

We know there is a lot to consider when choosing a vacuum. If you still aren't sure what style of vacuum you want, we have compiled a list of top-performing vacuums, of all styles. Regardless of what you choose, we hope we have made it easier to choose a vacuum that is right for you.