The Best Vacuums for Hardwood Floors and Carpet in 2022

If you have both hard flooring and carpeting, it can be a challenge to find one vacuum that is versatile enough to tackle both types without leaving debris behind.

For that purpose, we have picked out the top six vacuums for hardwood floors and carpet on the market today. Let’s check them out!

Our Top Vacuums for Hardwood Floors and Carpet List

1. Shark Rocket DeluxePro Ultra-Light Stick Vacuum

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The first vacuum on the list comes from a reputable and well-known company, and you get a powerful 2-in-1 vacuum that you can seamlessly transition from cleaning carpet to cleaning hardwood flooring. The longer cord length comes in at 25-, and this length gives you enough room to maneuver around your home without having to unplug and plug it in.

Many attachments come when this vacuum when you order it, and this includes a motorized floor nozzle, a handheld vacuum, a duster crevice tool, a wand, and a pet multi-tool helps you tackle a lot of different projects. This makes this vacuum perfect for quick pick-up jobs around the house, including pet hair, dust, and smaller debris.

You’ll experience no loss of suction when you use this vacuum because all you have to do is move the power setting to one for small area rugs and bare flooring. When you clean in this mode, all you do is tilt the handle back while stepping on the floor nozzle to get the brushes to spin slower for a more thorough clean. You can switch the power setting to 11 and tilt the handle back to clean your carpets.

Shark Rocket DeluxePro Takeaways

2. Bissell Hard Floor Expert Multi-Cyclonic Bagless Vacuum

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This sleek vacuum by Bissell is a hardwood floor turbine that is very tough on dirt without being too hard on your floors, and it has a 9.2-amp power rating with a larger cleaning path of 11-inches. This reduces the number of passes you have to make when you vacuum, and you can choose from two styles when you order.

This is a multi-surface floor cleaner that will pick-up debris on your carpeted flooring and area rugs without an issue, and it has a very compact and lightweight design that makes it easy to maneuver and carry between floors. The dirt cup capacity is 67.7 fluid ounces, and this reduces the number of times you have to empty it when you vacuum your home.

This vacuum comes equipped with Multi-Cyclonic technology that gives you longer and stronger suction power, and it has an 18- cord to help improve your maneuverability. The hose is seven inches long, and the dirt tank opens from the bottom to make it easy and mess-free to empty it. It has a clear rotating window for the brush system to get deep into carpets.

Bissell Hard Floor Expert Takeaways

3. Dyson V8 Animal Vacuum for Tile, Hardwood and Carpet

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You can get this vacuum to run up to 40 minutes when you use a non-motorized tool, and it has a powerful suction with a cord-free design that is easy to maneuver around the house. It’s versatile and lightweight, and this makes it easy to clean around your home. You get an instant release trigger that reduces how much you use the battery to make it last longer.

You’ll have to charge this product for a minimum of four hours before you use it for the first time, but it comes with a direct-drive cleaner head that gives you up to eight minutes of fade-free power to clean deep into your carpeting and loosen debris. The stiff nylon bristles dig down into the carpets for a better clean.

The whole machine has a filtration system that will capture allergens as they pass through before expelling cleaner air for you to breathe, and you get up to 25 minutes of working time when you use the motorized floor tool. You get up to 150% more brush-bar power with a 0.14-gallon dust collection bin that is quick and easy to empty.

Dyson V8 Takeaways

4. Miele Complete C2 Hard Floor Canister Vacuum

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This vacuum comes with a 1,200-watt Miele-made motor that uses a soft parquet brush to pick up debris while being gentle on your flooring, and it gives you an adjustable working height with the stainless steel telescopic tube. You get a rotary dial that helps you easily switch between six different suction settings, and it has an AirClean sealed system to help lock away dust and allergens.

The comfort grip handle has an ergonomic design with a rubber over-mold that keeps you comfortable when you vacuum for extended periods. You get an integrated dusting brush, crevice tool, and an upholstery tool to help you complete all of your cleaning tasks quickly and easily. It has a 33- operating radius to help you clean every corner of your home with minimal movement.

The caster wheels make it very easy to move around your floors without scratching the hard surfaces, and there is a locking system for the handle and the floor head to keep them securely together. The automatic filter bag positioning means you can run this vacuum as soon as you get it, and it has a sleek blue coloring that looks nice. There is a three-year warranty on labor and parts.

Miele Complete C2 Takeaways

5. Shark APEX Upright Vacuum

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Shark’s Apex vacuum has a a larger dust cup capacity at 1.5-quarts that allows you to vacuum the whole house before you empty it, and it comes equipped with Zero M and DuoClean Powered lift away technology. The dual brushroll system will get down deep into your carpets and pulls out stuck dirt and debris to keep your carpets and floors looking clean and polished.

The canister will detach to extend how far you can reach with your cleaner head, and this includes to stretch under your furniture. It gives you nonstop hair removal capabilities with an 11-inch cleaning path that reduces the number of times you have to go back and forth across your home when you vacuum.

This vacuum’s anti-allergen capabilities include a HEPA filter system and a sealed design that pulls dust and pet dander into the vacuum to lock it away to make it easier to breathe. The upright mode makes it easy to clean your stairways or other tight places, and you can detach the hose from the pod yo clean areas above the floors for a complete clean.

Shark APEX Takeaways

6. Eureka PowerSpeed Bagless Upright Vacuum Cleaner

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The final vacuum on the list comes from Eureka, and this vacuum brings a dynamic brushroll and motor that effortlessly lifts heavy and stubborn debris from your flooring. It has a 12.6-inch wide nozzle that helps you clean more effectively, and it has five different height adjustments that allow you to use it on hardwood floors, shag rugs, carpets, and more.

The smooth wheels help this vacuum glide over the floor without scratching anything, and it comes with an extra-large dust cup that holds more debris and requires you to empty it less frequently. You get multiple accessories when you buy this vacuum, including a seven-inch long crevice tool, an upholstery tool, and a dusting brush to clean all-around your house.

You can store every accessory you get with this product right on board the vacuum to keep them secure, and this vacuum weighs in at 10 pounds to make it very lightweight and portable. The handle has a comfort-grip design with an ergonomic grip, and the dust cup empties from the bottom to keep cleanup mess-free.

Eureka PowerSpeed Takeaways

Verdict & Review

Our pick for the best vacuum for hardwood floors and carpet is the Shark Rocket DeluxePro because it comes with a 2-in-1 design that can handle carpets and hard flooring. It has a longer cord length to increase your maneuverability, and it has adjustable power settings to match whatever flooring you’re going to vacuum.

The long warranty is another point in this vacuum’s favor because it lasts a full five years against defects or damage, and it has a lightweight design that makes it easy to move around your home. All of these factors combined to make this our top pick for helping you keep your home clean and tidy.

Buyer’s Guide

When you start searching for this type of vacuum, there are several things you want to consider. Having a set criteria list will help you compare the various vacuums you pull up and narrow down your final choice.

Bagless or Bagged

A bagless vacuum means that all of your dirt and debris collect in a canister that you have to empty into your garbage can. You should check the canister size because this will dictate how often you have to stop and dump it out when you vacuum. Bagged vacuums come with a bag that your dirt and debris collect in, and you will periodically swap out the bag to start with a new empty one when you notice the suction level going down.

Brand

The brand for your new vacuum is very important because more well-known brands typically use better materials that can last much longer than brands who skimp out on parts and materials. Dyson, Shark, Eureka, and Bissell are four top brands that made our list, and they provide a lot of power in lightweight and compact designs.

Cordless or Corded

A vacuum with a cord usually has between 20 and 30 of length that makes it easy to move around your home without having to plug and unplug it to slow down your process. Corded models give you a steady stream of power the whole time you vacuum, and they’re nice for larger homes. Cordless vacuums are easier to maneuver around your home because there’s no cord to trip over, but they have shorter run times of around 20 to 30 minutes per charge.

Debris Type

You’ll have different debris in every home, and you want your vacuum to pick up as much as possible in as few passes as possible. If you have pets or a lot of hair around your home, you want a vacuum with stiff bristles to dig down into the carpet to loosen them all up. Bigger debris will require more powerful suction to pick up, and you’ll need a tight seal to the floor.

Filter System

The filter system can help track and lock common allergens like pet dander or dust and keep them out of your air to make it easier to breathe. If you have allergies, it’s important that you find a filter system that incorporates HEPA filters because these catch the smaller particles and keep them from going back into your home’s air.

Power

The power your vacuum has is something you really want to think about because some vacuums have trouble picking up larger debris. Some vacuums don’t perform as well on hard flooring as they do carpet because they can’t form a tight seal, so you want to find something that seals to the floor or that offers multiple power options.

Reach

The reach of your vacuum will depend on the hose length and the cord length, and it’ll play a vital role in what you can and can’t easily clean each time you vacuum. The hose could have accessories and extensions that will also impact the reach like a crevice tool, and you want to pay attention to whether or not it comes with them and their lengths.

Suction

Although the vacuums on our list focus primarily on hardwood floors, many of them can work well on carpeting too without losing suction power. Consider what types of flooring you have when you buy your vacuum because this will determine your final pick. If you have area rugs and hard flooring, you want a vacuum that can adequately clean both of them.

Warranty

This can be a more expensive investment, and this means that you want a longer warranty to help protect you from defects or damage. Some vacuums come with five years, while others have one or two years. A longer warranty usually means your vacuum comes built to last through heavy use, but you want to double-check what it does and doesn’t cover.

Weight

Your vacuum’s weight will dictate how easy it is for you to maneuver it around your home, how much trouble you have storing it, and how easy it is to carry up and down the stairs. A lot of the picks on the list are stick-style vacuums, and this means they usually weigh under 10 pounds. Upright vacuums are usually slightly heavier, but they’re bulky and difficult to move.

FAQ

Is Shark better than Dyson?

Both Dyson and Shark vacuums give you easy usability and great cleaning power, but Dyson vacuums tend to offer more suction while being heavier and more expensive. Shark vacuums are lighter and less expensive, but they don’t have as much suction power. Both will perform well on hard flooring and carpets.

Is it better to sweep or vacuum your hardwood floor?

Sweeping is a traditional way to clean your hardwood flooring, but it can be hard to get all of your debris off the floor with just sweeping. Vacuuming your hardwood floors is one way to get every piece of debris and dirt up relatively quickly, so vacuuming is the way to go if you want a more thorough clean. Just make sure your vacuum glides over the floor to prevent scratching it.

How often should you replace Shark vacuum filters?

You should make a point to clean out your Shark vacuum filter once every three months, at the very least. This can help your filter run for two or three years without having a problem, but then it’s time to replace it. If you use your vacuum a lot, you may end up replacing the filter every year or every other year, at the very least.

How long do cordless batteries last on a single charge?

How long your vacuum battery lasts before you have to charge it again depends on the mode you use because some can drain the battery much quicker than others. On average, your battery can last between 20 to 40 minutes before it drains, it can take several hours to charge again.

Do the vacuums on the list run on a standard plugin?

As long as the vacuum in question isn’t a cordless option, all of the vacuums on the list run using a standard 120-volt plugin. You can plug them straight into the wall or attach them to an extension cord to give yourself a longer reach. If you have a battery pack you charge, it’ll plug into a standard outlet as well.

Do all hardwood floor vacuums come with HEPA filters?

No, a lot of vacuums don’t have a HEPA filtration system on them, and the ones that do are usually more expensive. A HEPA filter is extremely dense, and this helps it trap and lock allergens like dust, mold spores, and pet dander. If it doesn’t, it’ll come with a standard filter that can let allergens slip through.

Why should your vacuum have stiff bristles?

Stiff bristles will dig down into the carpet and slowly loosen up hair and dirt that accumulate into the carpet and flooring as you live in your home. As you pass the vacuum back and forth over your carpet, it’ll pull up more dirt and debris to leave you with a cleaner feeling and looking carpet.

Are stick vacuums louder than traditional vacuums?

Stick vacuums are usually no louder than traditional vacuums, and some can even run much quieter because they come equipped with better technology. You can check and see how loud the vacuum is by looking at the packaging, and another option is to research the vacuum and look at reviews because people will tell you whether or not it’s loud. Bigger vacuums tend to be louder than the slimmer and more compact choices.