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Sep 08, 2023

9 Best Canister Vacuums of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Promise. With it, you can clean floors, ceilings, furniture, whatever surface! If you’ve been feeling

We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we love. Promise.

With it, you can clean floors, ceilings, furniture, whatever surface!

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the numerous kinds of vacuums that exist—upright, robotic, handheld, stick, and more—fear not because I’m here to convince you that canister vacuums are where it’s at—and I know just where to find the best canister vacuums for your budget. In case you didn’t already know, canister vacuums are ones that are designed as separate components—so it is not one unit. It has a canister body that holds the debris and is attached to the powerhead/hose. This type of vacuum is easily maneuverable, making it great for cleaning around furniture and seamlessly going from hard floors to carpets to tiles to hard-to-reach places like ceilings and small crevices.

Keep in mind when buying this specific cleaning device that there are bagged and bagless canister vacuums. Bagged ones use removable dust bags that you have to take out of the canister and throw away then replace, while the bagless styles have dust cups that you simply dump out every time it gets filled up. Also, a key note to mention: Most of 'em come with HEPA filters, which trap fine dust and particles. Huzzah! Check out some top-rated bagged and bagless canister vacuums, below!

Keep on scrolling down for even more canister vacuums with glowing ratings and reviews. From travel-friendly canister vacuums to ones with wheels to options that come with lots of attachments and brushes, you'll surely find what you're looking for ahead. Dust bunnies, begone!!

You're just simply looking for a canister vacuum that'll do the job and won't break the bank. Roger that! This under-$70 option is right for you. With just the flip of a switch, the multi-surface floor attachment can deep clean both hard floors and carpets. No need to manually change brushes between cleanings! Oh, and did I mention it features an automatic cord rewind? 10/10 all around.

With its two-motor system (!!), you can trust this canister vacuum to really clean out all the gunk from all areas and surfaces. And for all my pet owners (specifically ones who have pets that shed hair), you'll be happy to hear that its motorized Pet PowerMate attachment was made to remove those stubborn pet hairs—long or short. Plus, if you need to use it for those high, hard-to-reach places, the included aluminum (read: lightweight) wand extends to 10.5'. (Come through, length!!) Use it on floors, furniture, inside your car, ceilings, tricky crevices, and more.

TBH, I think the near five-star rating and 11,900 glowing reviews speak for the quality of this bad boy. Customers have raved particularly about how lightweight it is, its portability, its suction power, and its super long hose. The handle on the canister makes it incredibly convenient and easy to carry around wherever you need to do your vacuuming. But the clutch features don't stop there! It even has a blow port which you can use in your garage or outdoor space(s) that'll quickly blow away any dust and debris.

It! Has! Wheels!! Praise be! Instead of lugging this machine with you everywhere around your home, you can just roll it—avoiding any sort of heavy lifting. And I know what you're thinking... Will it ruin my floors? Short answer: No! Not at all! (Cue: sigh of relief.) The wheels are made of rubber so you don't have to worry about it ever scratching them. FYI: It has a retractable cord which will make putting away this vacuum even easier.

Compact and maneuverable, this option has a 360-degree swivel hose you can move in all sorts of directions without it twisting or tangling. Because it's bagless, all you gotta do is press a button and then discard the rubble from the dust cup. Easy peasy!

Shark is known for its luxury hair tools, air purifiers, and steam mops, but especially its high-powered vacuum cleaners. And I'm happy to report that the brand currently has a canister vacuum on Amazon retailing for more than 60% off! Talk about a juicy deal!! This cleaning device by the sought-after company is extremely technologically advanced. From its LED display to its exclusive MultiFLEX technology that allows you to bend the wand for low-profile areas to its bright headlights, you can sleep peacefully at night knowing your home is absolutely spotless thanks to this product.

Secondary pollution is a common concern when it comes to vacuums. The last thing you want is to have dust particles floating after you've sucked them away (which can happen with some styles!)—especially for my allergy-prone folks! Thankfully, this strong thing has a hardcore three-stage filtration system to trap allllll the nasty dirt in the canister, even the most minuscule ones. And because its dust cup is so large in size, you don't have to constantly empty it.

The definition of small, but mighty! Yep, it's small enough that you can literally hang it over your shoulder if you want (it comes with a shoulder strap!). Weighing less than 10 lbs with a cord that extends over 30 feet, there's no doubt you can suction every nook and cranny. Choose between its six specialized attachments depending on what type of surface you're cleaning.

If you need something that's travel-friendly, you're looking at your best bet. Its standout specs include a carrying handle, a shoulder strap, and built-in tool storage. It'll be really easy to bring to your car or outdoors. Be aware that it uses a charcoal filter which works well to remove unwanted odors, but cannot be totally reliant on sucking out small dust particles from the air compared to a HEPA filter.

Megan Uy is the assistant shopping editor at Cosmopolitan, where she searches for the best products in all things fashion, home, beauty, sex, gifts, and more, so you don’t have to. When she’s not writing for the site, she’s whipping up some cool and trendy content for the fashion section of the print magazine. She’s been with the brand since 2019 (when she was an itty-bitty editorial fellow), and she's also written for Delish, House Beautiful, and People. Follow her on Instagram to get some BTS of the editor life and chaotic NYC content. Also, feel free to hit her up if you ever wanna discuss the madness that is TikTok.

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