Top 5 Vacuums for Hardwood Floors

Best Robotic Vacuum: iRobot Roomba i7+ Robot Vacuum Best Cordless Vacuum: Bissell ICONpet Cordless Vacuum Cleaner Best Canister Vacuum: Bissell Deluxe Canister Vacuum Most Versatile: Eureka Blaze Stick Vacuum Cleaner Most Lightweight: iwoly V600 Stick Vacuum Cleaner

Best Robotic Vacuum: iRobot Roomba i7+ Robot Vacuum

For those who want clean floors without the hassle of manually operating a vacuum cleaner, this robotic model may be the product for you. It comes with several smart features, including automatic dirt disposal, keep-out zones, and control via a smartphone app or voice assistant.

Key Features

Cordless Lithium-ion battery 7.4 pounds App or voice assistant control One-year warranty

What Customers Are Saying

Customers liked this vacuum’s easy-to-use smartphone app, long-lasting battery, and cleaning effectiveness. However, those who didn’t like this vacuum said that its mapping function was inconsistent and that its bumpers often got stuck.

Best Cordless Vacuum: Bissell ICONpet Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

This vacuum can remove pet hair, dirt, and debris from your floors without the hassle of plugging it into an outlet. With a spin rate of up to 420 miles per hour, this vacuum is a powerful cordless device that will make cleaning your hardwood floors simple and convenient.

Key Features

Cordless 22-volt lithium-ion battery Seven pounds Up to 420 miles per hour Two-year warranty

What Customers Are Saying

Customers who were happy with this hardwood floor vacuum said that it was easy to maneuver, lightweight, and effective at cleaning pet hair. Those who were unhappy with the product said that it ran out of battery quickly.

Best Canister Vacuum: Bissell Deluxe Canister Vacuum

Canister vacuums are larger vacuums that roll over your floors. This vacuum has rubber wheels with felt threads, which work to prevent scratching and scuffing on your hardwood floors. It’s also easy to control with buttons on its handle.

Key Features

Corded Seven amps 9.1 pounds One-liter dustbin One-year warranty

What Customers Are Saying

Customers who liked this vacuum said that it assembled quickly, was quiet, and had strong suction. Those who disliked the product said that it didn’t work well to eliminate pet hair and that it sometimes scratched hardwood floors despite its rubber wheels.

Most Versatile: Eureka Blaze Stick Vacuum Cleaner

This stick vacuum cleaner is not only capable of handling hardwood and carpet flooring, but it can also be transformed into a stair or handheld vacuum. This allows you to use it anywhere in your home. It also comes with a capture nozzle, which helps suction debris with ease.

Key Features

18-foot power cord Two amps Four pounds Three-year warranty

What Customers Are Saying

Those who left satisfactory reviews said that the vacuum was versatile, affordable, and effective on tile floors. However, those who left unsatisfactory reviews said that it had low suction, which limited its ability to pick up larger particles.

Most Lightweight: iwoly V600 Stick Vacuum Cleaner

Without the expense or maintenance of standard vacuums, this stick cleaner still packs a punch with its 500-watt motor. It also comes with a 23-foot power cord to avoid the hassle of unplugging and replugging it into outlets as frequently. Additionally, its lightweight, three-pound design makes it easy to carry with you as you tackle all of the hard floor in your home.

Key Features

23-foot power cord 120 volts 3.3 pounds 0.5-liter dustbin One-year warranty

What Customers Are Saying

Reviewers said that this vacuum was lightweight and easy to use. A few customers specifically mentioned the convenient air filter. However, unhappy reviewers said that it didn’t have a lot of suction power and that it was difficult to push.

Buyer’s Guide

There are many factors to consider when determining which vacuum is best for your hardwood floors. Here are some of the most important ones.

Type

Some of the most common types of hardwood vacuums include:

Upright

This is the standard vacuum that most people use in their homes. These vacuums stand up straight when they’re not in use and tilt back when they’re in use.

Canister

Canister vacuums have a long hose that attaches to the head on one end and the canister body on the other. They typically roll across your floor with built-in wheels.

Handheld

Handheld vacuums are small, making them ideal for cleaning hard-to-reach areas, such as in corners or behind furniture. These vacuums are typically lightweight and cordless.

Stick

Stick vacuums typically have motors and dust containers at the top of the device near the handle. They’re often cordless, which makes for easy cleaning in tight areas.

Robotic

Robotic vacuums do all of the work for you. After programming them and turning them on, these vacuums automatically clean your floors in a zigzag motion, picking up debris as they encounter it.

Power

Vacuums are electric, being powered by a cord or a rechargeable battery. Corded vacuums are more powerful, but they have to be positioned near a wall outlet. Choose a power cord that’s at least 15 feet long to limit how often you have to pause to plug the cord into a new outlet. Cordless vacuums, on the other hand, can be used anywhere. However, you have to recharge their battery. If you want to be able to clean all of the hardwood floors in your home without pausing to charge the battery, look for a vacuum that has a runtime of at least 30 minutes.

Maneuverability

Hardwood floors are most often found in kitchens, dining rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Find a vacuum that can maneuver easily around appliances, tables, beds, sinks, tubs, and other items you typically find in these spaces.

Is sweeping a hardwood floor the same as vacuuming it?

Sweeping floors can push dirt into hard-to-reach areas or kick it into the air. Vacuuming is typically faster and more efficient than sweeping, and it can reach difficult spots with specialized crevice tools.

How often should hardwood floors be vacuumed?

Cleaning hardwood floors weekly is likely enough. However, if an area gets heavy traffic, you may want to clean it twice or three times a week.

What kind of attachment works best for hardwood floors?

Soft-bristled brush rollers work best on hardwood floors. If you choose a multipurpose vacuum, make sure that it has multiple attachments that differentiate between cleaning hardwood and carpet.

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations. To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.