Vacuums

The Miele Swing H1 QuickStep has a wide vacuum head, and performs well on carpet, but struggles on hardwood floors and with pet hair. It also lacks cord-free operation, a nice feature for a vacuum that's mainly used for spot cleaning.

The Dyson V6 cordless stick vacuum struggled a little to clean carpeting, but it was great for wood floors. A major plus is its filtration system, which captures allergens and expels clean air.

When you combine superior suction, versatility and ease of use in a lightweight stick vacuum, you arrive at the Dyson Cyclone v10 Absolute. You also arrive at a really high price, unfortunately. It may be worth it if you love the design, though.

The Hoover LiNX Cordless is a little more like an upright vacuum than most of the others in our stick vacuum reviews, and that is a good thing in most ways.

The Shark Navigator Freestyle stick vacuum works well on both bare floor and carpet, has strong suction power and is easy to maneuver. It takes four hours to charge, but only lasts 17 minutes before needing to be placed back on its charging base.

The Black & Decker Cordless Lithium Ion Stick + hand vacuum is a 2-in-1 tool that makes it easy to clean your house, RV or car.

The BISSELL BOLT 2-in-1 cordless stick vacuum is easy to use and comes with a removable hand vacuum. It has a 12-volt motor, which is more than enough for small messes around your home. The hand vac clicks off with little effort and is great for spot cleanups, especially in your car.

The Hoover React Powered Reach Plus was competitive in our tests and stands out for many convenience features. This vacuum uses tiny sensors to detect changes in flooring type so it can optimize brushroll speeds based on conditions. We found the feature to be accurate during our tests.

The Easy Maid cleaned at its best when it was on carpeting, especially thinner carpeting. It struggled the most on hardwood, often flinging kitty litter and cereal far out of its cleaning path.

The Riccar SupraLite Deluxe R10D was among the top three in terms of cleaning performance on all our tests. The problem with this machine is the story stops there. Other machines had the same amount of suction, or a little better, and they cost a lot less.

The Shark IONFlex is cord-free and collapsible – the only one in our comparison of the best hardwood floor vacuums that can claim that combination.

The BISSELL BOLT XRT Pet 2-in-1 is lightweight and battery powered, and you can remove the integrated hand vacuum to clean pet hair and dirt on furniture.

The Shark Rotator Powered Lift-Away Vacuum eventually cleaned our test messes, but not before scattering them a little first. Other units did a faster, more efficient job of cleaning overall.

The Miele Swing H1 has impressive suction but is inconvenient in some ways. This vacuum cleaner was always crashing to the floor during testing because of its stick design and relatively heavy weight.

The Hoover REACT stands out for its long battery life. It lasted longer than any of the cordless models we tested. It tied for third best on our cleaning tests and is a decent option if you want a stick vacuum for quick cleanups, smaller hardwood areas and rugs.

The BISSELL Multi Reach Cordless Vacuum is one of the lightest hard floor vacuum cleaners we tested, and that makes it more comfortable for a long stretch of cleaning than some of the cordless options. It also stood out for its long run time.

With suction control settings and automatic height adjustment, the BISSELL Hard Floor Expert Deluxe Canister Vacuum carefully cleans hardwood floors, as well as many other surfaces. The vacuum includes a long hose, several cleaning tools and a retractable cord.

The Hoover Platinum Collection LiNX Cordless Stick Vacuum is in the middle of the pack for suction, but this petite upright is convenient for many reasons. It is cordless, for starters. You don't have to worry about finding the nearest outlet – just pick it up and take it to the mess.

The Eureka 3670G Mighty Mite Canister Vacuum combines versatility and power at an economical price point. This hard floor vacuum is effective for vacuuming different floor types, and its blower port is ideal for cleaning out garages.