The 9 Best Vacuums for Hardwood Floors of 2023, Tested and Reviewed
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Out of the nearly 300 vacuums we’ve tested, these stand out for their performance on hardwood flooring specifically.
Real Simple / Henry Wortock
As beautiful as hardwood floors are, they can be a hassle to keep clean, especially if they’re placed in a room that gets frequent use. Having the right cleaning tools is vital, including a vacuum designed specifically to tackle hardwood floors.
“Hardwood floors optimally need a vacuum with a soft bristle brush to avoid scratching the surface,” says Whitney White, Airbnb cleaning specialist. “When sweeping hardwood floors, dust tends to go up in the air and come back down, while with vacuuming you are tackling dust and dirt on the spot.”
We’ve tested approximately 290 vacuums to date both in our testing Lab and in our homes. To determine which are the best for hardwood floors, we evaluated them on how effective they are at cleaning hardwood floors specifically, in addition to their maneuverability, portability, noise level, ease of emptying, and value. For expert insight we spoke with White, as well as Jeff Meltzer of the Flooring Detective.
Dyson Omni-Glide+ Cordless Vacuum
Best Overall Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Who it’s for: People who want a lightweight vacuum that glides over hardwoods without scratching them.
Who it isn’t for: People who want a vacuum they can use on carpet in addition to hardwood.
For a highly effective and easy-to-use vacuum that’ll do wonders on your hardwood floors, we recommend this option from Dyson. It’s a compact, lightweight vacuum that’s far more powerful than its design lets on: It proved fast and effective at picking up hair and debris in our testing. The Omni-Glide+ doesn’t come with a beater brush of any kind, so it’s not going to scratch your hardwoods (just keep in mind that this means it won’t be effective on carpet).
This vacuum comes with multiple helpful attachments, including a mini motorized tool ideal for small surfaces and a light pipe precise tool that’s great for narrow spaces. The primary cleaning head is designed to swivel and glide easily across hardwood—it comes covered in a soft nylon to capture large debris, while the anti-static carbon fiber filaments simultaneously remove fine dust. And because the vacuum is so lightweight, it takes almost zero effort to lift, even to reach a high shelf on a bookcase.
Additionally, the vacuum moved very smoothly over the stairs and was not too loud, either. Plus, it’s fairly simple to assemble, despite its many parts. This vacuum is on the pricier end, though, which might be a deterrent to some shoppers, especially if they only want to splurge for a vacuum that has a super long battery life and a high-capacity dustbin, both of which this device lacks.
Price at time of publish: $500
Product Details:
Type: Cordless stick
Weight: 4.2 pounds
Cord Length: N/A
Battery Life/Runtime: 20 minutes
Dustbin Capacity: 0.2 liters
Real Simple / Henry Wortock
Shark NV360 Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Upright Vacuum
Best Budget Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Who it’s for: People who want an affordable yet powerful vacuum that works well on both hardwood and carpets.
Who it isn’t for: People who want a vacuum that’s light and easy to use on steps.
You can’t go wrong with a classic upright vacuum, and we’re big fans of this option from Shark. It’s a reasonably priced, easily assembled device with powerful suction and swivel steering, making it a great tool to have at your disposal.
This vacuum comes with a detachable pod and nozzle so you can get into hard-to-reach areas, as well as an upholstery tool and a crevice tool, both of which did an excellent and quick job getting rid of debris and hair. You can go from carpet to hardwood and vice versa, thanks to the brushroll shutoff feature. Plus, the dust cup is large enough for fairly long cleaning sessions. And despite its large size, the vacuum was still easy to maneuver around and under furniture. Still, that size does make it a heavy vacuum and thus difficult to move around steps, and there’s no portable attachment to help with reaching those more awkward areas. But if you’re okay with the device’s weight, then you’ll be glad you picked up this affordable vacuum.
Price at time of publish: $220
Product Details:
Type: Upright
Weight: 16 pounds
Cord Length: 25 feet
Battery Life/Runtime: N/A
Dustbin Capacity: 0.9 liters
Real Simple / Henry Wortock
Samsung Jet 75 Cordless Stick Vacuum
Best Cordless Stick Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Who it’s for: People who want a lightweight and cordless vacuum with a long runtime.
Who it isn’t for: People who want a vacuum with many helpful attachments.
Love the ease and feel of a cordless stick vacuum? This lightweight and portable vacuum from Samsung has seriously strong suction, among several other perks.
When used on both stairs and hardwood floors, this vacuum moved smoothly over both surfaces and was 100 percent effective at picking up pet hair and coffee grounds. It comes with a mini motorized tool as well as a long-reach crevice tool to reach tight corners, and its lightweight, swiveling design makes it easy to change up the angle. It also features a digital display where you can check on airflow issues, power levels, noise settings (it comes with three) and more, and the vacuum’s battery life can last an impressive 60 minutes.
This is a fairly high-priced vacuum, especially since it doesn’t come with any other attachments or an extra battery, and it’s also a bit difficult to set up. But power-wise, it more than does the trick, and its ergonomic design means that you won’t get too tired while using it unlike with many other vacuums.
Price at time of publish: $399
Product Details:
Type: Cordless stick
Weight: 6 pounds
Cord Length: N/A
Battery Life/Runtime: 60 minutes
Dustbin Capacity: 0.8 liters
Real Simple / Henry Wortock
Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra
Best Upright Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Who it’s for: People who want a heavy-duty vacuum that can pick up hair without it getting tangled around the brush roll.
Who it isn’t for: People who want a vacuum for cleaning stairs.
If you’re willing and able to splurge on your vacuum, consider this upright model from Dyson. We like it for its strong suction and hair detangling ability, making it a great choice for anyone with pets, in particular.
This vacuum thoroughly collects and removes all different types of debris, sucking them instantly into the dust cap without tangling them in the roller. Whether coffee grounds, cereal, corn kernels, hair or lint, the Dyson removed these with ease in just a few passes. The vacuum transitions easily from hardwood floors to carpets, too, and it comes with a range of height settings so you can adjust it as needed. It also features a detachable hose, stair tool, and tangle-free turbine tool, among other attachments.
The vacuum’s dust cup is capacious enough to complete an entire cleaning session without requiring you to stop to empty it. The device maneuvers well around furniture and into corners, thanks to Dyson’s Ball technology. As for negatives, setting up the vacuum can be complicated, and it did spit some larger debris. It’s also fairly large and heavy, making it less than ideal for stairs.
Price at time of publish: $500
Product Details:
Type: Upright
Weight: 17.3 pounds
Cord Length: 35 feet
Battery Life/Runtime: N/A
Dustbin Capacity: 1.7 liters
Real Simple / Dera Burreson
Shark Canister Pet Bagless Corded Vacuum
Best Canister Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Who it’s for: People who want a vacuum that moves smoothly and can get into tight spaces.
Who it isn’t for: People who prefer a canister vacuum with a bag.
Canister vacuums can be great options for hardwood floors, because they’re less likely to disperse dust. This pick from Shark is a particularly strong choice, thanks to its long, flexible wand, compact yet spacious canister, and smooth wheels that make it easy to use and maneuver, even underneath furniture and in tight crevices. It was especially effective on hardwood, yet it still transitions smoothly to carpet, so you can anywhere in your home.
This vacuum is easy to assemble, too, and is fairly lightweight, despite the attached canister (which can be removed for emptying). It features LED headlights to help you see debris, as well an LED display panel so you can switch between cleaning modes and suction levels. The vacuum also comes with both a pet crevice tool and an upholstery tool, for even more precise cleaning.
While this vacuum isn’t ideal for long, heavier carpets, it moves smoothly across hardwood, and the canister is very easy to empty once it fills up. Just keep in mind that, while convenient, the bagless design doesn’t seal in dust and allergens as well as bagged canister vacuums. But overall, this vacuum’s ease of use, plus its powerful suction, make it absolutely worth its price.
Price at time of publish: $400
Product Details:
Type: Canister
Weight: 9 pounds
Cord Length: 25 feet
Battery Life/Runtime: N/A
Dustbin Capacity: 1.8 liters
Hoover ONEPWR Evolve Pet Cordless Vacuum
Best Pet Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Who it’s for: People who want a lightweight vacuum for quickly cleaning hair, litter, food crumbs, and more.
Who it isn’t for: People who want a vacuum that comes with attachments for upholstery or dusting.
If you’re constantly finding pet hair on your hardwood floors, consider opting for a vacuum like this one from Hoover, which is specifically designed for pet hair. The sleek, lightweight stick vacuum picks up hair, cat litter, and pet food crumbs really well, and the large dustbin (which automatically shuts off the vacuum when it fills up) means that you won’t have to constantly empty it out during use.
This vacuum features a swivel head that makes maneuvering it around the house a breeze, and you can switch from hardwood to carpet mode with one click of a button (no need to bend over and adjust the height yourself!). It also has a removable antimicrobial brush roll and pet filter to prevent odors from getting out, and the light weight of the vacuum made it easy to carry up and down the stairs. And unlike most cordless vacuums, which need to be mounted or propped up against the wall, this one can stand upright on its own.
Unfortunately, this vacuum doesn’t come with any attachments (like a wand or upholstery tool), so you’ll need to buy those separately if you want more than it currently offers. But on the upside, it’s fairly low-priced, and its ease of use and lack of cord will make it your go-to for quick clean-ups.
Price at time of publish: $203
Product Details:
Type: Upright cordless stick
Weight: 8.6 pounds
Cord Length: N/A
Battery Life/Runtime: 35 minutes
Dustbin Capacity: 1 liter
Real Simple / Dera Burreson
eufy by Anker HomeVac H30 Infinity Cordless Vacuum
Best Lightweight Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Who it’s for: People who want a handheld vacuum that doubles as a stick vacuum.
Who it isn’t for: People who want a quiet vacuum with a large dustbin capacity.
To avoid straining your back while cleaning, pick up a lightweight vacuum such as this stellar option from Eufy. The handheld vacuum weighs under two pounds, which makes it easier to carry and allows you to tackle small spaces and high shelves with minimal effort.
On hardwood stairs, the vacuum picked up 100 percent of the Cheerios, popcorn kernels, and coffee grounds we dispersed within 10 seconds. The included crevice tool and pet brush are also quite helpful in getting debris off trickier areas, like furniture, and you can transition the device into a stick vacuum if you need a longer reach.
On the downside, this vacuum is pretty loud, and you might have to empty the dustbin multiple times due to its relatively small size. Also, it isn’t uncommon for hair to get wrapped around the roller in the pet brush, requiring manual removal. But for low-key jobs, this vacuum will more than do the trick, and it costs less than many other options on the market.
Price at time of publish: $200
Product Details:
Type: Cordless stick/handheld
Weight: 1.8 pounds
Cord Length: N/A
Battery Life/Runtime: 20 minutes
Dustbin Capacity: 0.25 liters
Real Simple / Henry Wortock
iRobot Roomba 694 Robot Vacuum
Best Robot Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Who it’s for: People who want to spend less time vacuuming.
Who it isn’t for: People who want a robot vacuum with smart mapping capabilities.
Why spend time cleaning your home yourself when a robot vacuum can do it for you? The Roomba 694 will self-sufficiently move around every room and pick up tons of dirt, hair, and crumbs as it goes, automatically docking itself once it’s finished its task.
We found this vacuum to be very agile and to move very quickly, picking up even more debris than many stick vacuums with far less effort. Setting up the vacuum is super simple, with an app that lets you control the device from afar and go through its settings. Additionally, emptying the dustbin and cleaning hair out of the brushroll are also very easy, and hair doesn’t often get tangled up in the brushes, either.
It’s true that this vacuum doesn’t come with extra features (other than connecting to WiFi), and it could benefit from a mapping capability that would allow it to focus on specific areas of your home, especially if you live in a larger space. But for those with open floor plans and/or smaller homes, the device will make cleaning so much easier.
Price at time of publish: $275
Product Details:
Type: Robot
Weight: 6.8 pounds
Cord Length: N/A
Battery Life/Runtime: 90 minutes
Dustbin Capacity: 0.35 liters
Real Simple / Henry Wortock
Shark VacMop Pro Cordless Hard Floor Vacuum Mop
Best Vacuum Mop for Hardwood Floors
Who it’s for: People who want to clean wet and dry messes on hardwood floors.
Who it isn’t for: People who want a vacuum with a long runtime and large dust capacity.
You can’t go wrong with a cleaning device that pulls double duty, like this vacuum-mop hybrid from Shark. The compact, cordless tool features both powerful suction and spray mopping, so you can give your home the deep cleaning it deserves without expending too much effort.
We found the vacuum easy to move around and glide across hardwood floors. There are also LED headlights attached to the device to help you see debris clearly as you go, and despite its power, the vacuum is very quiet. The vacuum comes with four disposable pads, as well as a large bottle of cleaning solution that has a fresh scent. Dry debris is sucked directly into the disposable pad, which you can dispose of over the trash can with the press of the button.
Just keep in mind this means the dry dirt capacity is relatively small and the battery only lasts for 12 minutes, making this model best for smaller cleanups. And you’ll also have to press the on button continuously as you vacuum, which can be a pain. But these are small prices to pay for what’s otherwise a handy, time-saving cleaning tool.
Price at time of publish: $100
Product Details:
Type: Cordless stick
Weight: 3.3 pounds
Cord Length: N/A
Battery Life/Runtime: 12 minutes
Dustbin Capacity: .09 liters
Final Verdict
Our top pick is the Dyson Omni-Glide + because it’s lightweight, effective, and designed without a beater brush so as to not scratch delicate hardwood floors. For a great lower-priced option, the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe Upright Vacuum moves easily across floors and has a strong suction.
Our Testing Process
To date, we’ve tested approximately 290 different vacuums through in-depth Lab tests and months of at-home use. Each vacuum was evaluated on its effectiveness at cleaning different floor types (including hardwood floors), as well as its maneuverability, ease of emptying, portability, noise level, setup, and value.
In our Lab testing, each vacuum was used to clean different floor surfaces after we added a pre-portioned debris mix to it. The debris we used in testing includes Cheerios, popcorn kernels, coffee grounds, and wig hair. For vacuums designed for pet owners, we tested each model’s ability to clean real pet hair. We also made sure to test special features, such as mop functions for vacuum-mops hybrids and object avoidance technology for robot vacuums.
After completing our Lab tests, we brought the vacuums home and provided feedback on how well they held up over time. We are still in the process of long term testing many vacuums and will continue to update this piece as we gain new insights.
Real Simple / Dera Burreson
How to Shop for Vacuums for Hardwood Like a Pro
Vacuum Type
There are numerous types of vacuum cleaners, including upright, stick, handheld, canister, and robotic. Upright vacuums are known for their power and heaviness and need to be plugged into an outlet; stick vacuums are broom-shaped and best for quick cleanings and narrow areas, due to their small size; handheld vacuums are ultra portable and usually inexpensive; canister vacuums are motor-powered and feature dust receptacles with long, attached wands; and robotic vacuums are cordless, autonomous devices that tend to be fairly pricey.
Choosing the best vacuum should come down to the price you’re willing to pay, the size and shape of the space you’re vacuuming in, and the amount of effort you want to put into the cleaning process each time.
Brush Roll
A vacuum’s brush roll refers to the spinning roller that picks up debris during use. If you’re planning on using your vacuum primarily on hardwood floors, “look for a vacuum with a soft bristle brush to avoid scratching your hardwood flooring,” says Airbnb cleaning specialist Whitney White. Some vacuums also feature an on/off switch for the brush roll, so you can turn it on when vacuuming carpets and then turn it off when vacuuming hardwoods to avoid scratching.
Our top pick, the Dyson Omni-Glide+, doesn’t come with bristles at all, but instead features a soft nylon to capture debris and carbon fiber filaments to remove fine dust. Just note that this means it’s not going to be effective on carpet.
Dustbin Capacity
The dustbin capacity of a vacuum can vary greatly, with compact, lightweight devices typically having far less capacity than large, heavy vacuums. In general, though, “the larger the better” when it comes to dustbins,” says White. “With a smaller dustbin, you’re going to fill it up more quickly, and they also tend to get clogged more easily,” she adds.
Attachments
While vacuums that come with multiple attachments tend to be pricier, it’s often worth the cost, due to the help these extra features can provide. A pet crevice tool, for instance, is great for getting pet hair out of tough areas, while an upholstery tool allows you to easily get dust and crumbs out of couches and furniture. When deciding which (if any) attachments to prioritize, think about the type of cleaning you plan to do most often and what challenges you usually face while cleaning (i.e. reaching high spaces, removing pet hair, and so on).
Real Simple / Dera Burreson
More Vacuums for Hardwood to Consider
Bissell Hard Floor Expert Canister Vacuum: This canister vacuum features a retractable cord and a large brushroll, but the suction power is so strong that it makes it difficult to push the vacuum around surfaces.
Hoover Elite Swivel XL Pet Vacuum: This upright vacuum has a powerful motor and sucks up debris quickly, and the dustbin capacity is larger than average. That said, it’s not easy to maneuver due to its size, and we found it to be obnoxiously loud.
Questions You Might Ask
Should you sweep hardwood floors before you vacuum?
“Yes, it is recommended to remove larger debris with a broom before vacuuming,” says Jeff Meltzer of the Flooring Detective. White adds “sweeping hardwood floors before vacuuming is best to remove large debris and particles that your vacuum may not be able to pick up.”
What type of vacuum won’t scratch hardwood floors?
To avoid hurting your hardwood, look for vacuums featuring brushes that are “flat with non-moving bristles,” says White, since these types are “best for picking up dust on hardwoods without scratching the surface.”
Meltzer adds “vacuums with beater brushes or rotating brushes are not recommended for hardwood flooring” since they can cause scratches. When possible, he adds, choose vacuums that come with “attachments with felt pads and a wide head,” since these can help prevent damage to the hardwood.
How often should you vacuum hardwood floors?
That depends on how much use they get! If you (and your pets) are always walking around those rooms, “it is best to vacuum your hardwood flooring quickly once per day to cut down on build up and dust,” advises White. But if the hardwood isn’t getting a ton of regular use, Meltzer suggests just vacuuming as needed, usually about once per week.
Take Our Word for It
This article was written by Rachel Simon, a writer for Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, The New York Times, and many other publications. We’ve tested approximately 290 vacuums to date both in our Lab and in our homes. To determine which are the best for hardwood floors, we evaluated them on how effective they are at cleaning hardwood floors in specific, in addition to their maneuverability, portability, noise level, ease of emptying, and value. For expert insight, Rachel spoke to Airbnb cleaning specialist Whitney White and Jeff Meltzer of the Flooring Detective.
What Is Real Simple Selects?
Next to each product on this list, you may have noticed a Real Simple Selects seal of approval. Any product appearing alongside that seal has been vetted by our team—put through tests and graded on its performance to earn a spot on our list. Although we buy most of the products we test, sometimes we do get samples from companies if purchasing a product ourselves isn’t an option. All products go through the same rigorous process, whether they are purchased or sent by the company.
Love our recommendations? Check out more products that have earned the Real Simple Selects, from humidifiers to cordless vacuums.
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