There have been marvelous advancements in vacuums and home cleaning technology over the last decade. The classic “bagged” units have been replaced by the super efficient and clean-filtered canister models. With so many improvements to vacuum technology, it can be difficult to judge what might work best in your home. There is no shortage of excellent models to choose from, so the decision to replace your old and broken unit can be daunting. Finding the best upright vacuum shouldn’t be so difficult.
That’s why we have compiled this list of the best upright vacuums currently available on the market. We compared ten of the industry leading models against one another and break down their best and worst qualities. We also looked at functionality, maneuverability, and ease-of-use. Before we review our best models of 2018, there are some basic questions you might need to consider before making your final decision.
PRODUCT NAME | DESCRIPTION | WHERE TO BUY |
|---|---|---|
Bissell Air Ram 1984
| Price This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $249.99. Warranty This product comes with the Bissell standard 2-year limited warranty. | |
Miele Maverick
| Price This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around Price not available. Warranty This vacuum comes with a 5-year limited warranty from the manufacturer with an additional 10-year guarantee for motors and casing. | |
Kenmore Elite Pet-Friendly 31150
| Price This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $299.00. Warranty The manufacturer, Kenmore Commercial Appliances, only offers a 1-year limited warranty on this product. | |
Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away Upright (NV501)
| Price This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $219.99. Warranty This unit comes with a 5-year limited warranty. | |
Dirt Devil Razor Vac UD70350B
| Price This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $99.97. Warranty This unit comes with the standard Dirt Devil limited warranty. | |
Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional (NV356E)
| Price This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $199.99. Warranty The manufacturer, Euro-Pro, offers a limited 1-year warranty on this product. | |
Eureka Brushroll Clean
| Price This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around Price not available. Warranty This item carries the standard limited warranty from Eureka. | |
Dyson Ball Animal 2
| Price This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $529.99. Warranty Like all Dyson upright vacuums, this one comes with a 5-year warranty on parts and labor. | |
Shark DuoClean
| Price This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around Price not available. Warranty This product comes with a 7-year limited warranty from the manufacturer. | |
Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2
| Price This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around Price not available. Warranty Dyson offers a 5-year warranty for this product on all parts and labor. |
Upright Vacuums FAQ
1. What Is The Difference Between A Canister And Bag Vacuum?
2. How Important Is Filtration?
3. Can Any Upright Vacuum Work On Any Surface?
How We Reviewed
Image by The Creative Exchange via Unsplash.com
We reviewed the best upright vacuums for their features and ease-of-use. Though most units offer additional peripherals and add-ons, we looked at the core features offered. We have looked at weight and how easy it is to maneuver the vacuums over various surfaces. We also looked at the HEPA, or allergen containment systems, offered by most of these manufacturers. The final verdict is from the consumer's perspective, keeping in mind what the average homeowner would look for in a great home appliance.
Overall Price Range Of The Best Upright Vacuums
The units we discuss below range from around $100 to as much as $500 at the high end. Though the core features with most units are the same, the biggest determiner of price is the overall power of the vacuum. The Miele Maverick, the highest priced model we reviewed based on average sale price, is sometimes considered a commercial model, for example. The biggest difference is the wattage and power pulled from the intake operation motor, where the bigger the pull, the bigger the price.
What We Reviewed
- Bissell Air Ram 1984
- Miele Maverick
- Kenmore Elite Pet-Friendly 31150
- Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away Upright (NV501)
- Dirt Devil Razor Vac UD70350B
- Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional (NV356E)
- Eureka Brushroll Clean
- Dyson Ball Animal 2
- Shark DuoClean
- Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2
Bissell Air Ram 1984
- Every Purchase Saves Pets. BISSELL proudly supports BISSELL Pet Foundation and its mission to help save homeless pets.
- Lightweight & Compact. This cordless powerhouse weighs less than 8 pounds and has a collapsible handle for easy storage.
- Powerful Multi-Surface Cleaning. Innovative power foot design and multi-surface brush roll delivers high performance...
Features
The Air Ram series from Bissell has a great reputation, and this particular model carries that pressure well. This is the best upright vacuum we could find with a cordless option and is the quickest cleaner of the bunch. Forty minutes of charge will help you get around to the normal nooks and crannies of your house without lugging a cord everywhere. This is a powerful machine with excellent suction, especially for a cordless upright unit.
Price
This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $249.99.
Warranty
This product comes with the Bissell standard 2-year limited warranty.
PROS
CONS
Miele Maverick
- AirClean Sealed System
- Swivel neck technology. High suction power – 1,200 Watts
- Automatic height adjustment. FilterBag volume in litres- 6.0
Features
Miele makes some of the best upright vacuums on the market, and the Maverick Dynamic U1 is no exception. This unit has a large work radius with Miele’s Swivel-Neck construction, so it’s an easy drive around your carpets. The unit is fine-tuned for any grade of carpet and works on low-pile carpet as well as high-pile carpet.
Price
This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around Price not available.
Warranty
This vacuum comes with a 5-year limited warranty from the manufacturer with an additional 10-year guarantee for motors and casing.
PROS
CONS
Kenmore Elite Pet-Friendly 31150
- BAGGED UPRIGHT VACUUM: Remove pet hair, dust and more with this multifloor, multi-surface designed vacuum for use in...
- PET HANDIMATE: Air driven turbine spins roller brush to high RPM easily removing dander, stubborn pet hair and other...
- TRIPLE HEPA FILTER SYSTEM-AAFA CERTIFIED: Enhanced HEPA filter system traps 99.7% of debris, trapping dander and dust...
Features
This unit is one of the heavier options out of our selection of upright vacuums, but don’t let that deter you. The dual-motor system from Kenmore offers excellent suction for a carpet deep clean. This model is specifically designed for the dander-heavy household and is great for handling tough allergens, with a dynamic filtration system and certified protection from allergens.
Price
This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $299.00.
Warranty
The manufacturer, Kenmore Commercial Appliances, only offers a 1-year limited warranty on this product.
PROS
CONS
Shark Rotator Professional Lift-Away Upright (NV501)
- Dust cup capacity 1.3 quarts. Powerful upright vacuum with lift away pod for convenient cleaning of stairs and above...
- Anti-allergen complete seal technology, HEPA
- Rotator technology enhanced swivel steering and better deep carpet cleaning
Features
This is a great vacuum for handling the tough allergens present with pets. This unit includes a premium rotating pet brush attachment that makes short work of cleaning up hair, dander, and other pet-related debris. A strong value from Shark, this is ideal for daily clean-up around your furry friends at home.
Price
This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $219.99.
Warranty
This unit comes with a 5-year limited warranty.
PROS
CONS
Dirt Devil Razor Vac UD70350B
- Powerful No Loss of Suction*
- 10ft. Extended Reach Hose - with removable cleaning wand
- Spin4Pro Premium Brushroll - for powerful carpet & hard floor cleaning
Features
One of the best upright vacuums for the price, this model from Dirt Devil delivers great suction and a premium brush system and has an easy-to-use frame. The ten-foot hose makes using the included attachments a breeze by giving you the length needed to navigate the more difficult spots in your home. Combined with the Dirt Devil Spin4Pro attachments, this unit is a fantastic value for its power.
Price
This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $99.97.
Warranty
This unit comes with the standard Dirt Devil limited warranty.
PROS
CONS
Shark Navigator Lift-Away Professional (NV356E)
- Dust cup capacity 2.2 quarts; Lift away; Press a button to lift the canister away and easily clean hard to reach areas
- Anti-allergen complete seal technology plus a HEPA filter; Traps 99.9 percent of dust and allergens inside the vacuum
- Powerful and lightweight; Portable and versatile at 13.7 pounds
Features
Shark makes the best upright vacuum list again with this HEPA certified model and its patented Lift-Away technology. One of the lightest 2-in-1 models available, it’s easy to navigate and get around all of your surfaces. The professional grade suction and filtration does not come at the typical high-end price you would expect, making this unit a fantastic value.
Price
This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $199.99.
Warranty
The manufacturer, Euro-Pro, offers a limited 1-year warranty on this product.
PROS
CONS
Eureka Brushroll Clean
Features
This is definitely one of the best upright vacuums on this list because of its average price. Eureka makes a strong, affordable unit with lots of features. This base model includes the Suction-Seal system and their AirSpeed technology made famous in Eureka upright vacuums. This is a great bagless vacuum for someone looking for excellent suction at an affordable price.
Price
This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around Price not available.
Warranty
This item carries the standard limited warranty from Eureka.
PROS
CONS
Dyson Ball Animal 2
- Strongest suction of any vacuum. Suction tested to ASTM F558 at the cleaner head, dust-loaded against upright market.
- Dyson technology helps create a cleaner, healthier home - Our vacuums and purifiers are scientifically proven to capture...
- Engineered for homes with pets: With features and tools that dig out dirt, hair and allergens everywhere your pet gets
Features
Dyson is on our list of best upright vacuums again, this time with a beast appropriately called the Animal 2. Rated with the best suction on the market, this HEPA efficient upright can adjust itself to almost any indoor surface: carpet, tile, or even sensitive wood floors. The ball in this Dyson makes it easy to move around corners and navigate the tighter areas of your home.
Price
This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around $529.99.
Warranty
Like all Dyson upright vacuums, this one comes with a 5-year warranty on parts and labor.
PROS
CONS
Shark DuoClean
- Dust cup capacity 0.9 quarts
- Cleaning path width (in.) - 8.5
Features
Shark brings the DuoClean system to a lightweight upright vacuum, and it’s good. The DuoClean system, which consists of two variable rotating brushes, makes cleaning larger particles a lot easier. The Anti-Allergen Complete Seal system offers an allergy sensitive solution comparable to the other high-end units on this list.
Price
This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around Price not available.
Warranty
This product comes with a 7-year limited warranty from the manufacturer.
PROS
CONS
Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2
Features
The last item we looked at for the best upright vacuum of 2018, and one of our favorites, is the Dyson Ball Multi Floor 2. One of Dyson’s premier ball uprights, this lightweight multi-surface vacuum is easy to navigate around your home, automatically adjusting brush height for the surface you're cleaning. This model has a built-in HEPA filtration system that works great for people with sensitive allergies.
Price
This unit is available for purchase from Amazon for around Price not available.
Warranty
Dyson offers a 5-year warranty for this product on all parts and labor.
PROS
CONS
The Verdict - The Best Upright Vacuum of 2018
via Giphy
There are so many excellent models to choose from, but we found the Dyson Ball Animal 2 to be the best overall value when you consider the functionality for the price. The overall quality of Dyson upright vacuums have been consistent over the years, and for 2018, they remain among the best. If you are looking for something with super-strength and are willing to pay commercial prices, then the Miele Maverick is the best upright vacuum with that level of suction power, delivering commercial grade cleaning power with a massive work radius.
Featured Image by kang_hojun via Pixabay.com
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