Best Overall
Dyson Cinetic Big Ball Animal
This canister vacuum cleaner dominated our tests for suction and maneuverability. It also offers a long warranty, lots of accessories and a bagless design with strong filtration features.
Best Value
Eureka ReadyForce Total
The Eureka ReadyForce is priced well below most of the competition, but has relatively strong suction. It struggled to pick up kitty litter, but was great vacuuming flour, which we used to simulate fine dust.
Quietest Canister Vacuum
Bissell C4 Cyclonic
The Bissell C4 Cyclonic tied for having both the quietest operation and best suction. It wasn't the easiest to maneuver, but was strong in almost every other way.
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Best Overall
The Dyson Big Ball Animal stood out for both cleaning power and maneuverability in our testing, scoring the highest for both.
It conquered all different types of messes, including sawdust, kitty litter and flour, and was equally strong on both carpet or hardwood flooring. That cannot be said of the others. The sawdust was especially hard for competitors to clear. Their cleaning heads usually pushed it out of the way or blew it out of the way in some cases. The Animal cleared it all away quickly. It was also noticeably easy to maneuver around the laboratory. The canister followed us around obstacles with little effort.
Dyson takes care of allergy sufferers with a sophisticated filtration system. However, there is more of a potential for a dust cloud upon emptying it compared to bagged systems.
One of the few drawbacks to this machine is that it is comparatively heavy. That makes it a little less portable than others. It is also one of the loudest we compared. While it is impossible to find a vacuum cleaner that is totally silent, we prefer that they be a little quieter than this one.
Pros
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This one was unbeatable for maneuverability.
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Suction was strong on heavy debris like kitty litter and lighter stuff like sawdust.
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The performance was excellent on different types of carpeting as well as hardwood.
Cons
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This is one of the louder canister vacuum cleaners we tested.
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The Animal is heavier than most we tested, which makes it slightly less portable.
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It tends to create a dust cloud when emptied.
Best Value
If you would like a budget-friendly option, consider the Eureka ReadyForce Total. It did not have the suction of the top canister vacuums, and did not clean as quickly or thoroughly as the best of the best, but it cleaned well overall.
It was excellent at cleaning flour off our test floors so it should do an awesome job at getting fine dust off your floors. It had a much harder time cleaning up the kitty litter – a portion of which it moved around the floor instead of removing – concluding will not be as helpful on heavier debris in your home.
This one scored well in maneuverability for getting around table legs and other obstacles fairly easily. It was less impressive for portability, though. The cord is short so you have to switch outlets pretty often, and the hose was comparatively short making cleaning stairs and other tasks a hassle. Also, the handle is in the middle of the body instead of at one of the ends, so it’s a little awkward to carry.
Pros
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The low price makes it affordable for most budgets.
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The suction was strong on lighter messes like flour.
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This one was relatively easy to maneuver around table legs and other obstacles.
Cons
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This one struggled to pick up heavy debris like kitty litter.
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The handle is in an inconvenient place.
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A relatively short cord means switching outlets fairly often.
Quietest Canister Vacuum
While no one expects a vacuum cleaner to be quiet, it is nice if you can do some chores without waking up the whole apartment complex. The Bissell C4 Cyclonic tied for being the quietest among the canister vacuum cleaners.
It shared that honor with three others in our canister vacuum comparison. But the other quiet vacuum cleaners were not as impressive in the suction tests. The C4 Cyclonic tied for the best in suction in addition to quiet performance. It was not as easy to maneuver as some of the competition, and it lacks true HEPA filtration, which makes it hard to recommend for any allergy sufferers. There are some filtration features, but it isn't specifically designed to eliminate the tiniest particles from the air for true HEPA filtration – often the case with bagless vacuum cleaners. Bagless vacuums are far more likely to create a dust cloud when you empty them, creating more problems for allergy sufferers. That being said, the dust bin is relatively large, so at least you won't have to empty it very often.
The C4 Cyclonic had the widest cleaning path of any canister vacuum cleaner we tested covering more ground quicker than others. The cord also is longer than most units we compared so you will not have to plug and unplug constantly.
Pros
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The quiet operation is nice if you need to clean at odd times.
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The large dustbin reduces how often it needs to be emptied.
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A wide cleaning path covers a lot of ground.
Cons
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There are some filtration features, but they are not designed to get the smallest particles.
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Bagless models like this tend to create a cloud of dust when you empty it.
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Competing units were easier to maneuver than this one.
Most Lightweight
Canister vacuum cleaners can feel heavy after a while, especially on longer cleaning jobs, as you drag them along behind you. The Fuller Brush Home Maid will be less likely to do that since it was the lightest unit we tested, weighing only about 8 pounds.
The average was about 13 pounds, so the Fuller stands out. That will be noticeable if you need to carry your vacuum between different floors often. This model was also convenient because its wand stands on its own. That is not common. They usually have to lean on something. This was not the perfect vacuum cleaner, especially on hardwood flooring, where it struggled to remove some of our test debris. It did a decent job of everything else, and if you worry about lugging around a heavy vacuum cleaner, this is a great option.
Pros
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If you often need to take your vacuum cleaner up and down stairs this lightweight unit will be great.
Cons
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This one struggled to clean hardwood flooring.
Best for Large Rooms
The Simplicity Wonder was competitive for cleaning power and it stood out for having the longest cord of any vacuum we compared. The 28-foot cord means you can clean large areas without having to stop and find a new outlet all the time.
You may even be able to clean all carpeted areas of your home without stopping. It can be nice to get cleaning over with in one trip. This also is one of the lightest ones; it only weighs about 11 pounds.
This is a pricey vacuum when you compare it to some other canister models. There were only three that scored better for suction and the warranty is competitive, so if you prefer canister designs and have a couple of large carpeted areas to clean, this could be a good fit.
Pros
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The long cord means you can clean for a long time without constantly hunting down new outlets.
Cons
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This is a fairly expensive vacuum cleaner.