The 5 Best Vacuums for Hardwood Floors The Spruce Has Tested

Best Overall

Dyson Omni-Glide Cordless Vacuum

$349 at Amazon $315 at Walmart $350 at Target

The Dyson Omni-Glide is a lightweight and cordless model that's aptly named, since it really does glide across surfaces.

Made specifically for hard floors, the soft dual rollers and jointed neck combine for easy and breezy maneuverability in and around your space. Plus, its lightweight design makes it nearly effortless to lift up the stairs and into tight nooks and crannies. (It measured just 2.52 pounds for us, less than Dyson's claim of 4.2 pounds.)

This model also transitions to a handheld vacuum for spot-cleaning specific messes and spills, which is always a convenient feature in our experience. With Dyson vacuums, it isn't uncommon to find a trigger-style power button that needs to be held down the entire time your vacuum is in use—but that's not the case with this vac. You can turn it on and it stays on.

While there's lots to appreciate, we'd be remiss if we didn't mention that the smaller dust bin was frustrating at times—in one cleaning test, we filled it in less than 30 seconds. For that reason, many cordless stick vacuums, that also have a smaller capacity, are best for shorter spurts of cleaning or cleaning smaller spaces like a whole kitchen or apartment in one go. That said, there are some exceptions (like our best value pick, more on that in a moment) that are suitable for cleaning an entire home in one session.

With a battery that ran for eight to 20 minutes during testing, the Dyson Omni-Glide also has very limited power compared to other options with nearly 45 minutes of battery life. Overall, it's a cinch to use and delivers quick and clean results for specifically hardwood floors, though, making it our top pick.

_{Weight: 4.2 pounds | Battery Life: 21 minutes | Attachments: Combi-crevice tool}

Best Value

Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Stick Vacuum

$200 $150 at Amazon

While not specifically designed for hardwood floors like our best overall pick, the Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum has immediately and continuously impressed us when picking up messes on hardwood, area rugs, carpet, and tile.

One of our editors (who wrote a separate, glowing review of the Levoit LVAC-200 Cordless Vacuum) owns this vacuum and uses it daily, alongside hardwood floor cleaning solutions to tidy up the floors in her home. It expertly picks up crumbs, dust, and snack leftovers around her toddler's high chair.

Like our best overall pick, this is a cordless stick vacuum, so it's nimble by design. It's roughly 3 pounds, so it's easy to lift up and down stairs. It also lasts for 45 minutes (double the amount of time) and the battery can be popped out of the vacuum when it's time to charge it; you don't have to plug the entire vacuum in.

Emptying the vacuum is also a breeze, since the dust bin detaches, too. While we'll sometimes use a wooden appetizer skewer to help loosen debris, hair has never tangled around the filter so tightly that we've needed a pair of scissors handy, meaning this is a good pick for pet owners, too.

The front wheels are also gentle on hardwood, even though they make some noise with each push and pull. We've never seen a scratch or dent on our floors over the course of months of use. So, yes; this pick is hard to beat. The Dyson Omni-Glide tops it because it's designed for hardwood, and can match the Levoit LVAC-200's power, features, and portability. The Levoit is definitely the more cost-effective option, though, costing $150 less (and not filling up quite as quickly).

_{Weight: 3.2 pounds | Battery Life: Up to 30 minutes (45 minutes in our experience) | Attachments: 2-in-1 crevice tool, 2-in-1 pet tool}

Best Vacuum-Mop Combo

Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam Plus Wet Dry Vac

$320 $240 at Amazon $329 $240 at Walmart $240 at Wayfair

Vacuum-mop combos are a great solution for cleaning hardwood floors because they tackle two jobs in one cleaning session. In the case of the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam, that number goes up to three jobs; it can vacuum, mop, and steam sealed hardwood floors.

If that's intimidating, not to worry—one of our favorite things about this pick is how simple and smooth it is to switch between settings with the button on the handle. Whether you need to pick up some scattered dry kitty litter or sanitize your floors following a spill, it's up to the task, as our testing confirmed.

For those new to vacuum-mop combos, the machine maneuvers much like a classic upright vacuum. However, the dual water tanks (and cleaning solution, if you use it) allow you to dispense water (and cleaner) over your floors as necessary, and then it lift right back up. Any subsequent grime it loosens, goes back into the machine and most importantly, off your floors.

Now, there is some unique maintenance involved for this sort of machine as opposed to traditional vacuums. You'll need to stay on top of filling and cleaning the wet components, and in particular, the dirty water collection bin. We're (usually!) of the mindset that this is a reasonable tradeoff for the overall conveniences and cleaning power it offers, but we'd be remiss not to mention it. This machine does have a self-cleaning cycle, which does help the process along.

Overall, the Bissell CrossWave HydroSteam is a great option for households that have a need for regular mopping and vacuuming of their hard floors, and who want the option to clean rugs and mats, too. However, it might be a bit much for households with lighter cleaning needs.

_{Weight: 9.9 pounds | Cord Length: 25 feet}

Best Upright

Hoover Complete Performance Vacuum

$155 $137 at Amazon $137 at Walmart View on Hoover.com

Upright vacuums are known for their suction power—but all that power comes in a bulkier package. In the lab, the Hoover Complete Performance Bagged Upright Vacuum Cleaner did a great job on hard floors, and it also proved to be efficient on carpet and furniture alike, picking up debris and hair in just two passes each. It also has a 15-inch cleaning path and a 25-foot power cord, meaning you can clean entire rooms without changing outlets, which is ideal for larger homes in our book.

Notably, it's also a bagged versus a bagless model, which we see as a benefit for those with allergies who don't want to be exposed to what they just suctioned up. But, if you don’t like the idea of purchasing extra bags, as it is an added expense, this pick may not be for you.

While the Hoover Complete Performance Bagged Upright Vacuum Cleaner is efficient and sturdy, it features that bulky design that requires extra effort on stairs. To accommodate this, you can detach the hose and use one of the three included attachments to reach steps. The hose also can be a gentler approach for stairs made of hardwood, too.

_{Weight: 9.28 pounds | Cord Length: 25 feet | Attachments: Crevice tool, telescopic extension wand, upholstery tool}

We Also Recommend

Shark Vacmop Pro Wet/Dry Vacuum

$100 $60 at Amazon $100 at Walmart $81 at Wayfair

For an efficient way to vacuum and mop floors, we also like the Shark Vacmop. This wet-dry stick vacuum—one of our favorite inexpensive vacuum cleaners—dispenses cleaning fluid with the push of a button. Then it mops it up and vacuums debris at the same time, thanks to the disposable mop pad.

We found that the vacuum’s suction captured particles and hair in fewer than three passes, making it easy and quick to tackle the messes we made. Instead of clinging to the replaceable mop pad, the debris is locked inside of the pad’s dirt chamber. Disposing of the dirty pad and all its debris is as easy as pushing a release button on the floor head.

We only wish the dirt chamber was larger, giving you more mileage out of each mopping pad. Though, factor in that this vacuum-mop combo is easy to assemble, extremely quiet, and smooth to maneuver, and it's still a great option. As long as you're comfortable with replacing the mop pads and holding the power button, you'll likely be as pleased with the Shark Vacmop as we were. We do recommend setting up a regular delivery of the mop pads and cleaning solution, since we found that we ran out pretty quick.

_{Weight: 3.3 pounds | Battery Life: 20 minutes | Attachments: None (some extra mop pads and sample solution included)}