Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floors

Cleaning up your hardwood floors while leaving a fresh, clean, and tidy look is the specialty of an effective vacuum cleaner. As an alternative to the traditional method of cleaning which involves using a bucket of water and a mop or a broom and dust bin, vacuums clearly offer a much more effective method of cleaning your home.

Vacuums are manufactured with different designs and fitted with various accessories and features.

This modern method of cleaning allows you to quickly eliminate debris that your normal mop or broom wouldn’t be able to get rid of, giving you a hassle-free cleaning experience and allowing your hardwood floors to retain a clean and polished look.

Hardwood flooring is considered the gold standard of flooring among homeowners. The color and beautiful sheen of hardwood floors give your home an elegant, yet cozy look. Maintaining a clean hardwood floor, however, can prove to be a very difficult task. Hardwood floors require special and proper care, so you can preserve a clear and shiny look for many more years to come.

In order to make that possible, you need to obtain the proper cleaning equipment for your hardwood floor. Luckily, the market is filled with a vast amount of cleaning tools and vacuum cleaners for your hardwood floors. These cleaners are designed with a set of extra-functional features that makes them very effective when it comes to getting rid of dirt, grime, and other impurities on your floors. Vacuum cleaners leave you with a purer, more hygienic environment. Plus, the look of a freshly vacuumed home is always a pleasant site, especially for homeowners.

It’s safe to say that all of us need a vacuum cleaner that’ll make our homes look great without destroying our beloved hardwood floors. Our team has been on a mission to find the best vacuum cleaners for hardwood floors. In this guide, we’re going to look at the strengths and weaknesses of some of the best vacuums in the market, allowing you to make the most informed purchasing decision that best suits you and your hardwood floors.

Before You Buy – Things to Consider When Buying a Vacuum

Every vacuum manufacturer designs different kinds of vacuums with unique systems, features, designs, and more. When frantically searching for a vacuum cleaner, you should prioritize features that will help you with your specific home in mind. Vacuums come with a number of accessories that are used for different cleaning purposes. Some of these accessories are helpful for hardwood floors while others, such as brush rolls, have the potential to damage your beautiful floors. Researching features of a vacuum cleaner will help you purchase exactly what you specifically need.

Type/Design of Vacuum Cleaner

There are different types and designs of vacuums that are released every year. Vacuum cleaning is a physical activity, so buying the best vacuum for your home isn’t something that should be taken lightly. Different vacuums are better than others for specific surfaces, such as hardwood and carpet. There are several types of different vacuums, such as upright, bagged, bagless, and more. Handheld vacuum cleaners are lightweight with an adjustable length. These are a great choice for people who prefer their vacuums to be light and not heavy, or for those who have trouble accessing corners and small spaces. Handheld vacuum cleaners usually aren’t suited for larger homes, but are great for areas with pet hair or other out of reach areas in your home.

There are even more types of vacuums available! There are stick vacuum cleaners that are typically designed with a comfortable handle, are lightweight, and usually have a very easy to use powerhead. Canister vacuum cleaners are much heavier than other vacuum models, however, because they’re quite flexible, they can easily clean the surfaces under your furniture and other tight corners. Upright vacuum cleaners are the most basic vacuum models which offer overall good cleaning power. Robotic vacuum cleaners are the next generation models that are easily operated with the use of an app or the press of a button. They’re automatic, and can follow cleaning schedules that you set. This means you can schedule these vacuums to clean your house when you’re away or at work. Robotic vacuums have come a long way from just a few years ago and offer many great features and efficient cleaning.

Energy Consumption of Your Vacuum Cleaner

A vacuum cleaner is one of the most frequently used cleaning utilities in most people’s houses, as well as one of the most commonly found cleaning appliance in most homes. It makes sense, considering how long vacuum cleaners have been around (since 1906). Therefore, it’s very important that you find out how much power or energy your vacuum will consume based on your usage. Depending on your vacuum and usage, it might only cost a few dollars a year. However, if you have a vacuum that consumes much more energy or isn’t energy efficient, those numbers will add up. This is especially true if you frequently vacuum your home. Many people often overlook this factor thinking that vacuum cleaners consume the same electrical power as a TV, dishwasher, etc. The amount of power that your cleaner consumes will be indicated on a stamp or a label on your machine or on the operation manual. You can also simply just google the vacuum product name, followed by “energy consumption”, and you should be able to find out.

If you don’t plan on paying hefty electricity bills, you should look for a vacuum cleaner that uses little energy. Based on an energy calculator, an ideal vacuum cleaner consumes power that would be between 500 watts of energy to 1400 watts. This makes a vacuum more powerful and effective. For cordless vacuum cleaners, you should note the expected run time of the vacuum. An efficient cordless vacuum cleaner should be able to run for at least 30 minutes.

The market is also filled with a number of energy-saving vacuum cleaners that clean your floor effectively without consuming too much power. There are so many different models that energy efficient and still perform effectively. The suction power of a vacuum is not the same as its power usage. An energy efficient vacuum cleaner can still have high suction power, while a vacuum that sucks up energy may not be able to suck up the dirt and dust in your home.

Loudness

Something that most people would overlook is how loud a vacuum can be. I’m very sensitive to noise, so I consider this a very important aspect when buying. Of course, nobody expects a vacuum cleaner to be totally silent, but nobody wants a vacuum cleaner that sounds extremely loud. A noisy vacuum cleaner can irritate other people in your home and potentially your neighbors as well. If you or others around you are sensitive to noise, it’d be a wise decision if you purchased a cleaner that isn’t too noisy. The noise of a vacuum cleaner is measured in decibels, and a suitable noise level of a vacuum cleaner should be around or under 75 decibels. Any vacuum that operates with noise levels above 80 decibels can be quite harmful to your ears, especially after long term exposure.

Some vacuum cleaners only produce little levels of noise when they are set at low operating mode, however once the vacuum is set to a higher operating mode, the noise increases. You could mistakenly purchase a vacuum because of its little level of noise only to find out that it was on low operating mode, and the more you increase the operating mode, the louder your vacuum becomes. A vital fact that you must keep in mind is that the noise level of your vacuum cleaner has nothing to do with its effectiveness in cleaning. You can easily get through your cleaning chores without making too much noise.

Vacuum Weight

Each kind of vacuum cleaner has its own different ergonomic design and unique features. How heavy a vacuum is must be put into consideration before purchasing. As mentioned earlier, cleaning your home is a physical task, which means the weight and portability of your vacuum cleaner will directly affect you. If you plan to move around with your vacuum, such as cleaning your hardwood stairs then moving from room to room, a lighter vacuum would be an ideal choice for you. If you know you’re going to be moving often, you should find something that you won’t be struggling to lug along while cleaning. The weight of your vacuum also includes accessories, so keep that mind. Although, you always have the option to remove all accessories to make things lighter, but that’s a waste of time and energy. There are a number of lightweight vacuums that are still very powerful, efficient, and effective.

Cord Length

The power cord of your vacuum cleaner should be long enough so that you don’t have to constantly search for different outlets around your house. A cleaner with a shorter power cord will irritate you if you have a larger home. A vacuum with a long power cord allows you to get all of your cleaning done  A vacuum with a longer power cord is easier to use as you can maneuver through the room and around furniture and other corners without any limits.

Filtration

Modern types of vacuums are designed with filters. The main types are High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters and active filters. The filtration system of your vacuum is another important factor that must be considered. These filters are mesh-like that are used to trap impurities and filter them out during the cleaning process. Different filters are made of different materials such as fiber, glass, charcoal, and even foam.

With high-quality filters, your vacuum can easily trap and retain dust, dirt, pollen, and other types of debris. Vacuum cleaners with a non-effective filtration system won’t be able to retain everything captured, meaning some particles will pass through the vacuum and escape into the surrounding environment. Believe it or not, but this can actually lead to an allergic reaction or cause an asthma attack. HEPA filters are the most effective – eliminating 99.97% of all the impurities from the surrounding air. HEPA filters can be washed, air-dried, and re-used in the vacuum. Having a washable filter is always a plus!

HEPA filters can also filter out volatile compounds, contaminants, and odors from the air. Active filters are also quite effective at filtering our impurities, coming in at just a very few % less than HEPA at roughly 99.95%.

Reviewing the Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floors

Comparison Table for the Best Vacuums for Hardwood Floors

Name	Weight	Cord Length	Energy Consumption	Check on Amazon
Shark Rocket DuoClean HV382 Vacuum Cleaner	9.9 lbs	25ft	505 Watts	Check price here
Dyson V8 Absolute Cordless Stick Vacuum	5.75 lbs	Cordless	40 Minutes Battery Life	Check price here
Bissell PowerEdge 81L2A Vacuum Cleaner	7.5 lbs	20ft	90 Watts	Check price here
Kenmore Elite Pet-Friendly 31150 Vacuum Cleaner	20 lbs	35ft	120 Watts	Check price here
Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction SCAE0 Vacuum Cleaner	19 lbs	21ft	1,100 Watts	Check price here

Shark Rocket DuoClean HV382

The Shark Rocket DuoClean Vacuum Cleaner is compact, neat, and light-weight – making it ideal for those who have larger spaces to vacuum. A portable vacuum makes a ton of difference if you’re trying to vacuum your home quickly and efficiently. It has an upright stick design and it can also be used as a handheld unit! This 2-in-1 vacuum cleaner can also stand on its own. With the Shark Rocket DuoClean Vacuum cleaner you can achieve great results in a short period of time.

The vacuum is equipped with a brush roll that has soft and gentle bristles, ensuring that all the dust and dirt on your floor will be eliminated – without leaving any kind of scratch marks or cracks on your hardwood floor. This vacuum has two brush roll speeds and you can control the speed by sliding the power button on top of the vacuum. This vacuum has very powerful suction strength, making it an ideal tool to clear stubborn stains and messes.

The Shark Rocket DuoClean comes with LED headlights that illuminate tight spaces and dark corners, allowing you to find every spec of dirt and dust. It has a dustbin which is always appreciated, because that means you don’t have to keep purchasing disposable bags. The dustbin can be emptied easily when the vacuum cleaner is in its upright position or handheld position. You can release the bin by simply holding it over a trash can and all of your nasty dirt and dust will fall into your garbage bin in one fell swoop. The vacuum also comes with a wall mounting kit, which allows you to store your vacuum cleaner in any position that you like.

Pros

• The two brush roll speeds are great
• Small and lightweight
• 2-in-1 vacuum cleaner – both units are very comfortable and simple to use

Cons

• Dustbin is too small
• Brush rolls can clog fairly easily
• Warranty could be longer (and should)

 

Shop now at Amazon.com

 

Dyson V8 Absolute Cordless Stick

The Dyson V8 Absolute Cordless Stick Vacuum is actually one of the most powerful cordless vacuums in the market. It’s manufactured with digital motor features and advanced technology, potentially making it one of the greatest cleaning accessories for your hardwood floors.

This vacuum comes with two brush rolls. The firm brush roll is used to clean carpets, while the softer brush roll is used to clean hardwood floors. This vacuum has powerful suction strength, due to its 15 cyclones that function hand in hand – increasing airflow and allowing you to suck up all the dirt and dust on your surface. The vacuum has a HEPA filter that traps allergens and bacteria from your surrounding environment, preventing any kind of allergic reaction or inhaling of dust or other nasty dander. Once you’re done vacuuming, you can easily lift the handle and the collected dust, dirt, hair, and dander is removed effortlessly into your garbage bin.

The Dyson V8 also has a crevice tool that allows you to easily reach difficult spots like underneath your furniture and other tight corners. It also comes with a combination tool that works wonderfully at getting rid of hard stains from your floor. The vacuum also has a battery life of roughly 4o minutes. This is plenty enough for a majority of people. This vacuum is portable, cordless, has great suction and battery life. What’s there not to like about it? (other than the price!)

 

Pros

• Cordless
• Great suction strength
• Very portable
• Great battery life
• Comes with a soft brush roll that’s perfect for hardwood floors

Cons

• Quite expensive
• Battery drains quickly at highest suction power

 

Shop now at Amazon.com

 

Bissell PowerEdge 81L2A Vacuum Cleaner

The Bissell PowerEdge 81L2A Stick Vacuum has been designed specifically for cleaning up pet hair and fur from your hardwood floors. It’s an upright vacuum cleaner and is very light-weight and compact, making it an ideal cleaning tool to use on stairs, around furniture, and even upholstery.

The vacuum comes with an easy to use brush roll and the suction power can be controlled, which will protect your hardwood floors and avoid causing scratch marks or any other imperfections on your floor. This Bissell vacuum is designed with a dual-edge cleaning technique. This means that the sides of the vacuum have additional suction strength, which means you’ll be able to get corners and tight spaces with ease. The Bissell PowerEdge also has an automatic height adjustment system making the vacuum so easy to use on different levels. It has a comfortable handle that can collapse which makes it great for storing away in small places.

Additional features of this vacuum include an effective filtration system – perfect, especially for homes with hairy pets. The bagless design is always appreciated, as it saves us both time and money. You can easily open the bin from the bottom and the collected dirt is forced out. This vacuum is a really great choice for someone who deals with lots of annoying pet fur on a daily basis.

Pros

• Very affordable vacuum cleaner
• Automatic height adjustment
• Compact
• Soft and gentle on hardwood floors
• Great for pet owners
• Fairly quiet

Cons

• Brush head clogs easily
• Has no attachments

Shop now at Amazon.com

 

Kenmore Elite Pet-Friendly 31150 Vacuum Cleaner

The Kenmore Elite Pet-Friendly 31150 Vacuum is manufactured with a modern looking design. This vacuum is a good choice for anybody who’s sensitive to dust, or has respiratory illnesses. The vacuum is equipped with a strong motor that can even pull out dirt and dander from the smallest cracks and crevices. The vacuum also has an overload reset button that detects any kind of clogging that could make your vacuum malfunction.

This vacuum is also equipped with a dirt sensor and an LED headlight, making it easier for users to spot dirt and dust from hidden, hard to reach spots. You can also adjust the height of your vacuum cleaner, allowing you to smoothly reach different floor levels as you clean.

The Kenmore Power Flow technology allows you to adjust the suction power of your vacuum. The 2-motor system is quite effective in cleaning several different types of surfaces. The vacuum is also equipped with a HEPA filter that’s certified by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. This filter has two layers of filtration, effectively eliminating allergy-causing enzymes.

Pros

• Great filtration system
• HEPA Filter
• Powerful suction strength

Cons

• Bulky
• Not light-weight
• Has a very short hose
• Very mixed reviews

 

Shop now at Amazon.com

 

Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction SCAE0

Miele vacuum cleaners are known to be very strong, durable, and reliable. After all, isn’t that what most of us are searching for in the first place? We all want a durable, long-lasting vacuum. Miele delivers on this. There are many more Miele models to choose from – and the Miele Compact C1 Pure Suction Vacuum Cleaner is definitely one of the best. This model has been manufactured specially to get rid of dirt and stubborn stains on hardwood floors.

The vacuum features a rotary dial on the canister that’s used to control the 6 levels of suction power on the vacuum cleaner. The suction strength of this machine is very strong – allowing you to quickly and easily get rid of even the most stubborn stains. The vacuum also comes with a bunch of different tools and accessories.

The vacuum doesn’t come with a rotator brush; however, it comes with a universal floor head that is meant specifically for hardwood floors. Even on high suction power, the floor head will not leave any kind of scratch marks or cracks on your floor. This vacuum is also very quiet – making it a favorite among those who don’t enjoy noisy vacuum cleaners or are sensitive to noise.

Pros

• Very quiet vacuum cleaner
• Affordable
• Miele quality
• Adjustable suction
• Helpful accessories
• Long Cable

Cons

• Fairly bulky
• Not lightweight

 

Shop now at Amazon.com

Final Thoughts

I hope I covered all of the most important aspects of buying the best vacuum cleaner for your hardwood floors. Finding a vacuum that has every feature you need – from strong suction power to great attachment tools, can be very difficult. We’ve taken a look at some of the best vacuums on the market for hardwood floors, giving you the chance to ponder about which qualities of a vacuum are truly important to you and your home.

In our opinion, we are confident that the Dyson V8 Absolute Cordless Stick is the best overall choice for giving you a fresh clean and hygienic environment. It’s an extremely versatile vacuum cleaner, made of high quality, and will do an exceptional job of cleaning your hardwood floors.

Each model on the list has its own advantages and drawbacks – now it’s up to you to determine which is the best fit for your home.