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Its one of the loudest models on our list, with some controls making conversation difficult.
Credit:Better Homes and Gardens
The vacuum cleaned all surfaces in under a minute.
The Shark wowed us with its ability to move around edges and stairs.
We were surprised that we didnt always need to break out attachments to reach tighter corners.
Credit: Amazon
Maneuverability in general was excellent.
The crevice tool and upholstery brush both work well on various types of debris.
With just three parts to click together and easy-to-follow instructions, assembly only took five minutes.
One feature to keep in mind is this vacuums noise levels.
The roller setting is even louder, making conversation or watching TV a challenge.
The one accessorya crevice toolis not very useful.
This is our top pick when it comes to an upright vacuum that wont break the bank.
The budget-friendly vacuum is ultra lightweight and very easy to maneuver on varioustypes of flooring.
We found the bagless dustbin easy to empty and put back.
It attaches under the canister, making it difficult to see where youre aiming.
It doesnt perform quite as well on grout as on other surfaces.
In lab tests, we found hair often gets caught in the wheels or missed by the vacuum head.
But the Shark easily cleaned hair on grout, hardwood, medium-pile carpet, and high-pile carpet.
The vacuums performance with other types of debris was mostly solid, particularly on the medium- and high-pile carpets.
The attachments are very effective.
The brush roller base also works reasonably well on stairs.
One major flaw worth mentioning is the upright vacuums performance on grout.
Interestingly, the vacuum did not spray quite as much debris on the hardwood floor.
At just under four minutes, the vacuum had the second-fastest setup of the models we tested.
It involved fitting four simple pieces together, and we liked that the instructions mostly used graphics.
Its also slightly noisier on carpeted surfaces.
Its too powerful to use on lightweight rugs.
Pet owners need a vacuum to handle the day-to-day messes that come with furry friends.
The Riccar SupraLite Entry Lightweight Vacuum is effective atcleaning pet hairand dander.
The Shark NV360 Navigator instantly turns into a handheld model when you lift the canister off the base and pull out the hose.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock
The vacuum has excellent suction on both high-density carpet and hard floors.
Larger pieces of dog food took more tries but were eventually cleaned up as well.
However, the vacuum struggled with thin- and medium-density rugs.
We found it simply too powerful to remove debris from these rugs without also sucking up the rugs themselves.
While we loved the suctionits among the most powerful vacuums we triedthat was a downside.
We like that the vacuum is lightweight and easy to lug up and down stairs as needed.
We also appreciate its 30-foot cord, which made tackling multiple spaces in one go more efficient.
It would be nice if it came with accessories to make cleaning upholstery easier or car mats easier.
The upright lock sometimes fails.
It has smart suction that automatically adjusts to suit the size of debris or the flooring punch in.
When in low mode, the vacuums head mostly crushed the cereal and pushed the crumbs around.
A 30-foot cord allows you to cover large areas without unplugging and replugging the vacuum.
We also used the crevice tool between the cushions of a wingback chair that collects debris from hanging plants.
Although we recommend the vacuum, it has a few shortcomings.
We wish it had automatic cord retraction, as the cord takes forever to wind up manually.
And the upright lock also failed on us sometimes, sending the vacuum rolling.
We had to really push to see to it it stayed upright.
At just 16.2 pounds, the Bissell CleanView Rewind is one of the lightest upright vacuums we tested.
But its lighter weight doesnt impact the vacuums ability to effectively de-gunk a variety of surfaces.
The vacuums real strength, though, is carpet; it effectively removes debris from medium- and high-pile rugs.
The attachments are solid, too.
The crevice and pet TurboBrush tools worked well during the upholstery test.
The vacuum head tended to push Cheerios around the wood rather than suck them up.
A few other things worth noting: Theres no HEPA filter, if thats important to you.
We also noted that the vacuum started producing a high-pitched noise at the end of testing.
Its not the easiest vacuum to maneuver.
Vacuuming already isnt most peoples favorite task, butemptyinga vacuum is another thing altogether.
Removing and cleaning the filters is easy, too.
Despite the slightly smaller dustbin, we were able to get through all of the tests before emptying it.
Another notable perk is how easy this vacuum is to set up.
We found the vacuum very easy to maneuver and lightweight compared to many other upright vacuums.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Kathy Barnes
We noted how intuitive the setup was, saying they didnt even need to reference the instruction manual.
Like many upright vacuums, it had a trickier time with hardwood.
It uses disposable bags instead of a dirt canister, so you will have to continuously replace them.
It also emits a lower-pitched soundnot the high pitch most vacuums generatewhich we found gentler on our hearing.
Its also straightforward to empty the dustbin, which has a large 1.5-liter capacity.
The vacuum uses disposable bags instead of a dirt canister.
This means youll have to continuously purchase additional bags, which can be expensive and create additional waste.
The two filters are easily removed and can be rinsed with water.
At 20 pounds, it’s a fairly heavy upright vacuum, and it doesnt maneuver very easily.
It would be great for single-level homes where it wouldnt need to be lifted often.
We had to reach in and manually handle trapped hair when emptying the dustbin.
It managed debris on the hardwood reasonably well, but it struggled to collect hair.
Maneuverability results were mixed.
The vacuum is also very bottom-heavy and was difficult to use on stairs.
With more practice, we thought that moving it around might become easier.
The placement of the dustbin negatively impacted how far the vacuum could go underneath furniture.
In our lab, theShark AZ1002 Apex Powered Lift-Away Upright Vacuumperformed extraordinarily welland very quicklyon a variety of surfaces.
The vacuum managed debris and hair from the carpet particularly well, in under 36 seconds.
We liked the hand attachment in particular; this attachment is incredibly well-designed withexcellent suction power.
Emptying the dustbin is blissfully easy and mess-free.
It also didnt swivel very easily on harder surfaces.
We also had minor complaints about user-friendliness.
Some of the less-critical features could be designed a bit better.
You also have to apply quite a bit of pressure to the on/off button.
The vacuum is on the pricier end.
We appreciated how easy it was to assemble, too.
Next, we used a decibel reader to measure the noise output on both the lowest and highest tweaks.
We ran a series of tests for effectiveness.
We repeated the same steps on hardwood floors, stairs, medium-pile carpet, and high-pile carpet.
Finally, we emptied the vacuum into a garbage can or removed the bag.
The Shark vacuum is easy to maneuver thanks to the detachable pod that can be used to extend the reach.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock
If the vacuum had a washable filter, we removed and cleaned it following the manufacturers instructions.
Although this number might seem critical, its less important than you might think.
Many brands [now] seek to be more eco-friendly and extend run time, says Petrino.
Therefore, we see lower wattages and more cleaning features, such as airflow and brush roll design.
When considering a dustbin, its also helpful to think about bagless models.
But the best models combine excellent cleaning power with solid maneuverability.
It’s is also very loud, with a reading of 101.6 decibels at the highest setting.
We didnt think youd be able to carry on a conversation or watch TV with it on.
The setup also took a little longer than expected.
In the lab, it successfully cleaned debris from a variety of test surfaces.
It was less impressive on stairs, though.
Your Questions, Answered
How much is an upright vacuum?
You may pay more for some of these attachments and other features, such as having aHEPA filteror swivel.
Are upright vacuums better than stick vacuums?
Whether upright vacuums are better than stick vacuums depends on individual needs and preferences, says Mock.
What Is BHG Recommends?
In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.
Credit: Riccar
The Riccar vacuum has great suction on high-density carpet and hard floors.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Stephanie Hunter
We appreciated the 30-foot cord for navigating large rooms and staircases, though we wish it had automatic cord retraction.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Erin Mayer
The Bissell CleanView vacuum impressed us with its performance on both medium- and high-pile carpet and rugs.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson
The Bissell was the easiest vacuum to set up and we completed the job in just over three minutes.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock
The Kenmore vacuum performed extremely well on all surfaces, though we would have loved for the head to swivel for better maneuverability.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson
We were impressed by this vacuum’s performance on carpet and grouted tile, though it struggled to pick hair up on hardwood.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson
Credit: Amazon
Though we were very impressed with overall performance, we found it difficult to attach the brushroll to the vacuum head.Credit: Better Homes & Gardens / Henry Wortock
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
Credit:Better Homes & Gardens
