Choosing the Best Vacuum Cleaner.

How Consumer Reports Test Vacuums.

To determine how well a vacuum cleans, we conduct a different set of tests on each type, based on what and how the was designed to clean. For example, you wouldn’t expect a stick, handheld, or robotic vacuum to have the same cleaning power as a full-sized canister or upright, but they all have their pluses and minuses.

To find out how well a vacuum picks up dirt, how much debris it retains, how easy it is to maneuver, and how noisy it is, Consumer Reports puts vacuum cleaners through a battery of tests. We embed talc, sand, and pet hair into carpet before vacuuming. We use the same recipe of litter on bare floors and observe whether the vacuum picks it up or scatters it about. And we maneuver the vacuum around rooms and furniture, just like you would, to make sure it’s easy to handle.

Vacuums that perform well but don’t hold up over time aren’t winners, so we incorporate predicted reliability and owner satisfaction ratings from our exclusive member survey into one comprehensive Overall Score. Including reliability, along with results from our lab tests, elevates some vacuums in our ratings while driving others down.

According to our survey data, corded stick vacuums are more reliable than cordless models. So in our most recent surveys we analyzed the reliability and satisfaction of cordless stick vacuums separately from those of corded stick vacuums, and the results were eye-opening: While there are cordless stick vac brands in our ratings that earn a Good rating for reliability, none score high enough for reliability and do well enough in our lab performance tests to be recommended by Consumer Reports. Problems with battery-powered stick vacs are just too prevalent.

You’ll see the Overall Score in our ratings for upright, canister, and stick vacuums, along with individual ratings for reliability, satisfaction, and each of the lab tests.

And because many robotic vacuums use WiFi to upload cleaning data, our Digital Lab tests each robotic vacuum model for any security or privacy issues for consumers.