The 8 Best Vacuums for Hardwood Floors of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Elizabeth Marino

March 24, 2023 at 6:49 p.m.·16 min read

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Our winner was the Dyson Omni-glide+

<p>People / Henry Wortock</p> — People / Henry Wortock

Sometimes sweeping just won’t do the trick. If keeping your hardwood floors clean feels like a daunting chore, a cordless vacuum safe for hardwood may be a great solution for you. “I love using cordless vacuums because I’m able to reach all areas of the home, they are easy to take apart to access stairs, mattresses, and furniture, and they are quicker and easier to use,” Airbnb cleaning specialist Whitney White tells us.

We know maintaining hardwood floors can be tricky, so we headed into the lab to help you decide which cordless vacuum would be right for you. White shares, “When looking for a vacuum for hardwood floors, I look for great suction, a great swivel range, and a light weight.” With these factors in mind, we put 16 cordless vacuums to see which cleaned our floors the best.

Below, the cordless vacuums that won our PEOPLE Tested stamp of approval.

Dyson Omni-Glide+ Cordless Vacuum

Best Overall

Pros

Omni-directional, no-scratch glide head
Great maneuverability

Cons

Not great with heavier objects
Pricey

If you’re looking for a light, maneuverable vacuum for quick messes on hardwood floors, this is the best cordless vacuum on the market. This vacuum is unique – and great for hardwood floors – because of its special glide head designed for maneuvering around difficult spaces and seamlessly gliding across the wood.

Instead of a brushroll, the head uses “Double Fluffy™” technology to trap debris as it comes in contact with the head and forces it towards the suction tube so it’s unable to scatter. And that double sided fluff means that you can glide in any direction and the Dyson will pick everything up.

Even though the dust canister reached its suggested max fill line in a pretty short amount of time, we were pleased to find that the vacuum kept working at full capacity anyway, and we were able to finish the task at hand with no issue before emptying.

All in all, this vacuum was great at picking up debris on hard floors, but please take note: this vacuum is designed specifically for hardwood floors, so don’t expect to use it on other surfaces.

Price at time of publish: $499.99

Weight: 4.19 lbs | Battery runtime: 20 min | Suction power: 50 AW | Capacity: 0.2L

eufy by Anker HomeVac H30 Infinity Cordless Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

Best Overall, Runner Up

Pros

Extremely lightweight
Picked up debris quickly
Affordable

Cons

Hard to change attachments

Coming in at a close second, we loved this vacuum because of how quickly and easily it picked up debris, usually picking up our whole mess in under 10 seconds. That goes for all of the surfaces we tried, including hardwood, tile, medium-pile carpet, high-pile carpet, upholstery, and hard-to-reach shelves. We also found that because of its light weight, it transitioned between different surfaces with ease. This is the lightest vacuum on our list, over 2 lb lighter than any of the others we tested.

This vacuum comes with a bunch of different attachments, including a hard floor cleaning head, a mopping module, and a motorized pet hair brush head, plus several crevice and brush tools. Between all of those, we were able to clean every nook and cranny in our lab setup in under a minute. With all those great attachments, though, we did notice how tightly they fit, making them a bit difficult to remove and install.

Price at time of publish: $129.99

Weight: 1.78 lbs | Battery runtime: 20 min | Suction power: 80 AW | Capacity: 0.25L

Belife V12 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner

Best Multi-Surface

Pros

Great on both hardwood and carpet
Dust canister empties easily
Reasonable price

Cons

Motorized brush attachment did not perform well

If you’re looking for a cordless vacuum that’ll be great on both your hardwood floors and your carpeting, this is a great option. This vacuum (which looks very similar to a Dyson) picked up debris and hair off of hardwood, tile, and carpet with ease, and whatever was left after the first once-over came up right away when we went over it again. Even though the motorized brush attachment wasn’t our favorite because hair got caught in its bristles, we were very happy with the regular roller. We also loved that we were able to transition between the different surfaces with ease, as the vacuum continued to pick up debris even when the head was straddling surfaces.

It was great that we were able to do the whole test on the low setting (of 3), which helped preserve battery life and was a bit quieter (though the battery life lasts 45 minutes on a single charge, which is quite impressive compared to the other vacuums in this test).

Finally, when it came to emptying the dispenser, we loved that this can be done with one hand for fast clean-up.

Price at time of publish: $149.99

Weight: 5.25 lbs | Battery runtime: 45 min | Suction power: 22 kPa | Capacity: 0.7L

LG CordZero Kompressor Universal Power ThinQ Stick Vacuum

Easiest to Maneuver

Pros

Adjustable height telescoping wand
Portable charging dock
Two batteries

Cons

Pricey

The Dyson is great for maneuverability because it can glide around hard floors, and the Belife V12 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner is great because it could easily transition between surfaces, but what made this LG model especially maneuverable was its telescoping wand: it adjusts to any height, allowing each user to customize to their height preference (read; no more hunching over or feeling like the vacuum handle is hitting at an awkward level).

We also loved that it came with two batteries and a portable charging dock that made it easy to throw it on the charger in between tests. Although it was a little hard to get all the debris out of the dust canister, we did love that it had a compressor lever that allowed us to really utilize that one-liter capacity.

Overall, we loved this vacuum’s mobility, and even though it’s a bit pricey, you certainly get what you pay for.

Price at time of publish: $599

Weight: 5.95 lbs | Battery runtime: 120 min (across two) | Suction power: 370 W | Capacity: 1L

Bissell 3061 Featherweight Cordless Stick Vacuum

Best Budget

Pros

Great value
Really good with hair
Easy assembly

Cons

Took a little longer than other vacuums to pick up all debris

If you’re looking for a vacuum that will get the job done without a hefty price tag, this Bissell may be the best choice for you. We loved that this vacuum performed nearly just as well as all our other winners, but for less than half the price in some cases.

This vacuum picked up almost all of our scattered debris in under a minute – just leaving a few un-popped popcorn kernels that scattered on hard floors – and was great at picking up hair, taking less than 20 seconds to pick it up in all four of our tests.

This vacuum was easy to maneuver, easy to empty, and effectively picked up most all debris. It just doesn’t come with some of the fancier bells and whistles that other vacuums do, like the LG CordZero™ Kompressor® Universal Power ThinQ Stick Vacuum, which has more attachments, a dock, and on-unit attachment storage.

Price at time of publish: $115

Weight: 5.8 lbs | Battery runtime: 20 min | Suction power: Not listed | Capacity: Not listed

Samsung Jet 75 Cordless Stick Vacuum

Best for Pet Owners

Pros

Easy to clean hair out of roller
3 suction levels

Cons

Not the best value

Owners of pets who shed: this may be the vacuum for you. If your main concern is hair – human or pet – this vacuum is great. We had no trouble picking up hair on all four of our surfaces, and even though some of it got caught up in the roller brush, we loved that the roller was super easy to remove from the head, which made it really easy to clean. We also found that it picked up regular debris just as well. As for cleaning out the dust bin, this was one of the easiest to empty, with all of the debris falling out with just one shake.

With the head measuring only 2.5 inches tall, we found that this vacuum was great for maneuvering in tight spaces, around sharp corners, and under raised sofas.

We felt that this vacuum was great for a cordless version, its functionality falling somewhere between the average cordless and a big clunky upright. We think it would make a great choice if you wanted just one vacuum, even for big jobs, and wanted to skip getting an upright as well!

Being a cordless stick vacuum, though, we did feel that it was a little expensive, and wished that it came with more attachments, an extra battery, or had on-unit attachment storage for the higher price tag.

Price at time of publish: $249.99

Weight: 6 lbs | Battery runtime: 60 min | Suction power: 200 AW | Capacity: 0.8L

Black+Decker BSV2020G Power Series Extreme Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner

Best Battery Life

Pros

Strong, high-power suction
Long-lasting battery
Easy to maneuver

Cons

It was hard to snap the dust canister back into place

Perhaps the most notable element of this cordless stick vacuum was its exceptional battery life. We didn’t have to charge this battery at all throughout our testing, and were impressed that when we'd finished, the battery life indicator was still showing 3 out of 3 bars. This battery is also special because it’s interchangeable with other 20V Black + Decker tools – and comes with a mountable charger that allows you to charge the battery by itself or in the vacuum.

Plus, we found that this vacuum was able to hold its charge even considering its incredibly high suction power – which was so high it pulled up our test carpet! If you’re looking for a vacuum that’ll get you through big messes, this one would be a great choice. It was also great with maneuverability, angling around awkward shapes with ease. The only difficulty we found with this vacuum was snapping the dust canister back into place after emptying. Otherwise, this vacuum performed incredibly well at a fraction of the cost of more expensive models that we tested.

Price at time of publish: $174.23

Weight: 6 lbs | Battery runtime: 55 min | Suction power: Not listed | Capacity: 0.65L

Innova Cordless Stick Multi-Surface Vacuum

Best Attachments

Pros

Specific hardwood and carpet settings
Roller brush did not accumulate hair

Cons

Slightly heavier than other models
Did not perform as well on carpet

Our favorite thing about this vacuum was what came with it in the box. Included were a motorized anti-tangle pet tool attachment, an angled crevice tool, a 2-in-1 crevice tool and brush, and a portable charging dock. The motorized pet tool and the regular roller brush really impressed us because, while they picked up hair with ease, when we turned them over to check the damage, there was remarkably none stuck in the rollers.

We also loved that it had two settings – hardwood and carpet – and that each offered low, medium, and high suction power. We had a little bit of trouble picking up all the debris on the carpet within a minute, but everything was picked up with ease on hardwood. It was easy to maneuver, and we were pleased to see the battery indicator was still showing 75% by the end of our tests. It was one of the heavier models that we tested, coming in at just under 8 pounds, but what it came with made it worth it the extra weight.

Price at time of publish: $229

Weight: 7.8 lbs | Battery runtime: 60 min | Suction power: Not listed | Capacity: 1L

Things to Consider

Battery Life

The best part of cordless vacuums (aka not having a cord) can quickly turn into their weakest attribute if the battery life doesn’t hold up. That’s why it’s important to take into account how strong of a battery each vacuum has when weighing your options, and that includes both battery hold time and charge time. We found that most cordless vacuums hold their charge for about 15 minutes on high or around 30 minutes on low. (One of our favorite things about the LG CordZero™ Kompressor® Universal Power ThinQ Stick Vacuum was that it came with an extra battery and a portable charging dock.)

Attachments

When using a vacuum to clean hardwood floors, it’s important to keep in mind the kind of head you’ll be using to pick up your debris – this can be a stiff brushroll, just a hole/open air — or our favorite — a glide head, which makes it really easy to maneuver across hard flooring. When choosing a vacuum for hardwood floors, it’s important to consider what kinds of messes you’re expecting to be cleaning up: are you just doing a quick once-over before you mop? Are you dusting the whole living room, including the shelves and furniture? Or are you getting rid of the dirt that was trapped in your kids’ soccer cleats every day? Additionally, make sure you have the attachments you need to clean up the mess.

Pricing

Cordless vacuums can range in price by a pretty big amount - the lowest on our winners’ list being only $115 with the highest being $599. If you want the best of the best, one of the two in the $500 range (the Dyson Omni-glide+ and the LG CordZero™ Kompressor® Universal Power ThinQ Stick Vacuum) are probably your best bet. If you just need something that’ll safely pick up debris without scratching up your floors, the Bissell 3601 Featherweight ($115) or the eufy by Anker HomeVac H30 Infinity ($129.99) would be great choices.

When to Buy

Every year when we finally bid adieu to winter, we wake up from our long winter’s nap and are ready to clear out the dust. Merchants try to take advantage of this seasonal enthusiasm for cleaning when spring-cleaning season hits, so vacuums tend to go on sale around springtime. If you’re looking to get the best deal on a new vacuum, look out for sales popping up between the months of March and May.

How We Tested

Our team of testers did a ton of messing and cleaning in order to figure out which vacuums will make our readers the happiest. We rigorously tested 16 vacuums, checked battery runtime, noise level, weight, ease of emptying, maneuverability, and, most importantly, cleaning effectiveness.

We put each vacuum through the paces, making different kinds of messes and testing how easily and quickly each vacuum picked them up in different spaces and on different surfaces. To test cleaning effectiveness, we scattered hair and kitchen debris (like coffee grounds, cereal, and popcorn kernels) across hardwood, grouted tile, medium-pile carpet, and high-pile carpet. We then measured how long it took to clean up the whole mess – or if the vacuum couldn’t do it at all.

To test maneuverability, we scattered debris on a carpet in a living room full of furniture, and measured how long it took to clean around the various awkward shapes. This allowed us to simulate cleaning under couches, around lamps, against bookshelves, and onto and off of area rugs.

To test portability, we scattered shredded cotton balls on hard-to-reach shelves and other debris in the folds of upholstered chairs. Cleaning these messes allowed us to see how effective the handheld attachments were, and how easy the handheld parts of the vacuums were to carry.

We also measured how long it took for each vacuum’s battery to both to charge and die, the decibel level on each vacuum’s settings, how quick and easy each vacuum was to empty, as well as each vacuum’s weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it better to sweep or vacuum hardwood floors?

Because a lot of vacuums often have hard brush attachments, many folks believe vacuuming your hardwood floor will scratch it and leave marks. While this can be true, it depends on the hardness of both your floor and your vacuum’s brush attachments. If your floors are made up of a harder wood – like rosewood, acacia, or mahogany – you’re probably better off than if your floor is made up of a softer one – like Douglas fir or southern yellow pine (you can use the Janka Hardness Rating to judge if you think your floor will be safe.).

Our favorite vacuum for hardwood floors, the Dyson Omni-glide+, is covered in smooth nylon, making it able to glide across hardwood floors without scratching.

Is there a vacuum just for hardwood floors?

Most vacuums are capable of cleaning on any surface, but some are specifically tailored to working on hardwood. Hard brushrolls work really well on carpet because they can pull out that debris from deep in the pile, but on hardwood, they can scatter the debris faster than the vacuum can lift it – and they may scratch your floor.

Some of the vacuums we tested were particularly effective on hardwood floors, like the eufy by Anker HomeVac H30 Infinity, the Belife V12 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, and the Eureka/Innova Cordless Stick Multi-Surface Vacuum with Whirlwind® Anti-Tangle Brushroll NEC700. Our winner, the Dyson Omni-glide+, was designed for hardwood floors specifically, and that’s part of what makes it our favorite.

How do professionals clean hardwood floors?

For routine maintenance of hardwood floors, Airbnb cleaning specialist Whitney White tells us the safest and best way to keep the floors clean is mopping with warm water and a spin brush. Before getting the mop out, though, she likes to quickly vacuum or sweep up scattered debris so she can get down to the nitty gritty with the mop.

What Is People Tested?

We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.

But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.

In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.

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