The 5 best upright vacuum cleaners of 2024, tested by appliance experts

Despite the rising popularity of cordless models, upright vacuums continue to be relied upon as powerhouse appliances. While some people ditch the bulkier designs, others appreciate with its larger size comes extra cleaning power, and can therefore be of more use for serious home cleaning tasks.

As Homes & Gardens' home tech editor, myself and a team of experts have spent 200+ hours testing 47 of the world's best vacuum cleaners, and we recognize that upright vacs can go above and beyond when compared to the brands' cordless counterparts. Over a period of weeks in our homes, and many hours in our test center, we've assess each vacuum on this list for suction power, ease of use, maneuverability, filtration, features, weight, pet hair pickup, price and value for money.

Read on to find out why these five vacuum cleaners made the cut as our best in class. Our current favorite upright vacuum is the Shark POWERDETECT, the latest model from the brand, leading the way in the upright vacuum market. It has floor and dust detection, responsive suction power, odor-neutralization, amazing pet hair performance, and a 'Lift-Away' feature that makes it easier to carry.

The quick list

Here are the top upright vacuums at a glance. Scroll further for the full guide, or click the navigation links to jump to each product.

At the bottom of the page, you'll find more advice on how to choose an upright vacuum, how we test them, a glossary for any vacuum jargon, and a list of FAQs.

The best upright vacuum cleaners in 2024

Explore our guide to the best upright vacuums below, with details on what makes each of these models one of the best available right now.

The best upright vacuum cleaner

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Shark's latest upright vacuum, the aptly-named POWERDETECT, outperforms all others on test. It boasts Shark's more recent technology that detects floor type, floor edges and dust volume so that it can adjust to the optimal suction power.

Our expert tester James Holland was truly impressed by its cleaning performance: 'It’s able to suck everything up in its path efficiently and proficiently, no matter the debris. And, it’s equally capable regardless of the surface I used it on.'

A key sign of its suction power was on a cat fur-ridden carpet. With one pass, the POWERDETECT was able to pick up every visible strand of hair, 'filling the dust bin with an amount of hair equal to a second cat.'

The POWERDETECT is the only vacuum in this guide with detection tech, bringing a unique level of convenience, power and cleaning efficiency. Being able to automatically detect floor types allows you to seamlessly pass from carpet to hard floors. Plus, the vacuum being able to up the suction power in dirtier areas or by the floor's edges saves you from doing multiple passes to clear it all.

And, like with many of Shark's upright vacs, the POWERDETECT features an odor-neutralizing cartridge to avoid the dusty smells from spreading across your home. It also features a HEPA filter to protect the fine particles that can trigger allergies (like pet dander and pollen), as well as two brushrolls that genuinely avoid hair from wrapping.

Read more at our full Shark POWERDETECT review.

Best value upright vacuum

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Since the release of the Shark POWERDETECT our previous number one, the Shark Stratos, has dropped in price, making it a great alternative if you're looking to save money.

Our expert tester Camryn Rabideau was 'honestly shocked' at the strength of this vacuum. She tested it at home to clean up the fur from her two dogs, and running this vacuum over a 9' x 6' area rug picked up enough fur and dirt to fill up the vacuum in a single pass.

Like many Shark vacuums, it stops hair wrapping around the floor brush and saves you the gross job of detangling your vacuum. We also love the Odor Neutralizer. It's a handy scent cartridge that will stop your vacuum from smelling as you clean up hair and dander.

However, perhaps the best feature, and the one which takes this vacuum beyond the competition, is the fact that you can remove the body from the base of the vacuum. This means you can hold the dustbin and hose as you go up the stairs as you would with a cordless or handheld vacuum. It's infinitely easier than any other upright. If you've ever struggled to lug an upright vacuum up a flight of stairs, this is the vacuum for you.

But while it's positively nimble on stairs, this vacuum typically weighs in around 17 lbs. In fairness, that's average for upright vacuums, and most users shouldn't find it a problem. But if you have mobility issues, or simply don't like heavy lifting, you may find this pretty tricky to steer. It also has a relatively small dustbin. The fact that Camryn filled the canister from a single rug might be testament to its suction, but it's also a result of the small 0.37 gal capacity.

This isn't a criticism as such, but my top tip when shopping for one of these is to watch out for the two different versions. The AZ3000 model is just a vacuum, whereas the AZ3002, available at Amazon, comes with an effective motorized HairPro Pet Power Brush, a duster-crevice combination tool, a multi-angle dust brush, an anti-allergen dust brush, an accessory bag, and two extra odor cartridges.

Camryn's Shark Stratos upright vacuum review has more details.

Best upright vacuum for carpet

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This vacuum is unbelievably powerful, and that power makes it fantastic for taking on carpets. On test, we found that the powerful suction combines with an effective motorized brush to reach deep into carpet fibers and pull out hair and fur. Where other vacuums did a good job at cleaning the surface of a carpet, this one deep-cleaned them.

Better than that, it has very effective 'vanes' which stop hair from wrapping around the brush roll. If you hate pulling hair out a vacuum, this is a good choice, because it's rare that hair is caught in this machine.

Though at its best on carpet, this vacuum is also great on hardwood floors, because the powerful suction easily removes debris from in between floorboards. If you have a lot of furniture, you'll find it easy to maneuver this vacuum around chair legs and into corners.

But true to type, this upright vacuum is very heavy, so it's hard to move between floors. It's also so powerful that it takes a little effort to push over carpets. In fact, our tester Camryn said that 'If you have the suction on too high, the vacuum will essentially suction itself right to the floor, making it almost impossible to push across your carpet'.

Perhaps the most frustrating feature is that the switch to adjust power modes between different floor types is on the floor head rather than the handle. That means you have to bend down to change settings, which is at best tedious if you have a lot of different floor types and at worst, painful if you have a bad back.

Unlike its predecessor the Dyson Ball Animal 2, the hose on the Ball Animal 3 is just 15 feet, and because it's so powerful, it can never stretch to its fullest extent, so you probably won't be able to vacuum a flight of stairs in one go.

Our full Dyson Ball Animal 3 review has more details.

Best bagged upright vacuum

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Our tester Laura Honey found this vacuum 'faultless' on our hair test. It easily picked up all the hair in the test on carpet, hardwood floors, and linoleum, and absolutely none of it was caught in the rollers.

That's because this vacuum detects the floor type it's on and automatically adjusts its power and brush settings. This means it's a good option if you have lots of different floor types throughout your home. You can vacuum a hardwood floor and a rug in one room before moving to tile or linoleum in the next without having to change any settings.

As a bagged vacuum, it's fantastic for allergies, because the dust and dander that can cause your symptoms to flare up are in a sealed bag that won't irritate your sinuses. Also, just like the Shark vacuums in this guide, SEBO also sell scent cartridges for their vacuums, so there's no gross wet dog smell as you vacuum.

However, the single biggest issue with this vacuum is its size. At 22 lbs, it's pretty heavy to push around. Even though it steers fairly smoothly, you need a bit of oomph just to get it to turn, and the floor head is pretty bulky, so it will struggle to get around thin chair legs.

This vacuum is let down by some small details, too. While the cleaning performance is excellent, the carry handle is also on the body of the vacuum, so it either tilts backwards as you pick it up, or you have to stoop awkwardly to keep it upright. That makes it very unwieldy for carrying up and down stairs.

While the 40 feet cord is fantastic, it often falls off the back of the machine, which is irritating to grapple with as you clean under sofas. There's also no automatic reel for the cord, so you have to wind it up by hand. On top of all of this, it's among the most expensive vacuums we've ever tested and depending on the sale period, this vacuum will be at least $800.

There's more detail in our full SEBO Automatic X4 Boost Upright review.

Best lightweight upright vacuum

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The Vertex Upright is where Shark's Lift-Away feature really shines. Lift-Away is a distinct advantage of Shark's upright vacuums, allowing you to lift the dustbin and hose away from the vacuum's main compartment, giving you more freedom and flexibility (and a lighter weight to carry) when cleaning.

The vacuum comes in at a slightly lighter weight than the others in this list. Most sit around 17 lbs whilst the Vertex weighs just over 16. But pair that with the added mobility awarded by the Lift-Away feature and this is the easiest upright vacuum to use in this guide.

This flexibility doesn't come with a worrying sacrifice to power, however. Our expert tester and former eCommerce editor, Jaclyn Turner, found it to perform highly on all floor types and with all types of dust, dirt and hair. It particularly shines on carpet, and she found that it glides across carpet flooring without much resistance at all.

She noted, 'I'm continuously impressed with the amount of hair it seems to capture, with nary a tangled brush roll in sight.' This is great news for any home with pets, as the Vertex makes light work of cleaning up after animals (it helps that you can get deep into carpet fibers, too).

Read more at our full Shark Vertex DuoClean PowerFin Upright Vacuum review.

Meet the team

Dan Fauzi

I am home tech editor for Homes & Gardens, focusing almost exclusively on the vast world of vacuum cleaners. I have been reviewing products for years now and have spent many dozens of hours testing vacuum cleaners both in our dedicated center, and my home.

Alex David

Alex has tested vacuums ever since he started reviewing products and has clocked up hundreds of hours testing dozens of vacuum cleaners for your home.

Laura Honey

Laura is our former eCommerce editor, testing all manner of product types for Homes & Gardens including many vacuum cleaners. She tested the SEBO X4 Automatic for this guide.

Camryn Rabideau

Camryn is a freelance writer and product reviewer who has been testing home goods, including cleaning tools, for several years. She tested the Shark Stratos Upright and Dyson Ball 3 from her small homestead in Rhode Island, using them to clean up after her pets.

Jaclyn Turner

Jaclyn was an eCommerce editor for Homes & Gardens, where she oversaw sleep content including mattresses and bedding. She tested a number of vacuums including the Shark Vertex.

How to choose an upright vacuum cleaner

Upright vacuum cleaners are typically chosen for their power and size, so start by making sure these factors meet the right standards. Around 100 to 200 air watts is a good level of power to aim for, and any more than that is a bonus.

For size, look for a floorhead with a decent cleaning width as this will cover more ground in each pass. The Shark POWERDETECT, for example, has a 12-inch cleaning width that saves a great deal of time when vacuuming. Also look for a generous dustbin capacity, anywhere between 0.4 and 1 gallons will save you from having to empty it too often.

Then, an important factor is maneuverability as these vacuums can be weighty. Some upright vacuums like the Dyson Ball Animal 3 take this into account and have specialized mechanisms to keep it easy to move, and to be able to get round corners and under furniture. The same ergonomics apply to the hose and any attachments, as you'll need these to be flexible to be able to vacuum stairs and tight spaces.

Cord length is another factor that'll influence how easily you're able to use the vacuum in your home. Take note of your home's room sizes and think about how far from each plug socket you'll need to be able to travel to do a thorough clean without unplugging and relocating to a different power source.

The cleaning power is also influenced by the brush roll. If your home is heavily carpeted, you'll need a rugged brush roll with sharp bristles to be able to collect dirt from deep within the carpet fibers. But if you have a mixture of floor types, look for a vacuum that can adjust suction mode so that your hard floors aren't taking a beating every time you vacuum.

LED lights can make a big difference when cleaning, too, as they'll illuminate what's on the floors more clearly than usual. And if you're a pet owner, an anti-tangle brushroll will avoid you having to remove wrapped hair from the floorhead.

You can find more insight in our guide on how to choose the right vacuum cleaner for your home.

How we test upright vacuum cleaners

At Homes & Gardens we like to get hands-on experience with all the products we feature. You can learn more how we test products in our dedicated guide, and there's a more specific rundown of our vacuum test process in how we test vacuums.

All of our vacuums are tried and tested in our test center and in our own homes. When in the test center, we assess each vacuum on carpet, linoleum and wood flooring. We test their suction power with flour and sugar, which is a common kitchen spill, but also a good substitute for naturally occurring particles in our homes such as dust and dead skin. We also use cereal on different flooring types to see how well each upright vacuum picks up larger debris such as crumbs and small stones, and most of all, on old hair extensions, which helps demonstrates during testing how well a vacuum can pick up hair, and whether or not hair gets stuck in its rollers. This gives us a good indication of the level of care and upkeep it'll need moving forward.

Specific to upright vacuums, we note the lengths of its hose and any other bonus features. We take care to note each upright vacuum's weight and agility, because these are the traditional drawbacks with these models. We note whether each upright vacuum can fit under sofas and into corners and how easy they are to use and move about on stairs.

We test the vacuum cleaners for a number of weeks so that we know our tests aren't a one-off fluke. In some instances, we are also fortunate enough to keep the vacuum cleaners after writing up the review so we can continue to learn about them over months or even years and share our findings with you as the vacuums pick up wear and tear as they age.

Best upright vacuums – Glossary

• Floorhead: The main vacuum cleaner attachment for floor cleaning (i.e. not the crevice tool, dusting brush etc). Some vacuums have separate floorheads for hard floors and carpets.
• Brush roll: Rotating cylinders within the floorhead (and occasionally in smaller, motorized attachments). They can be soft, fluffy rollers for hard floors or bristled to dig deep into carpets. Many vacuums from brands like Shark and Dyson will have two brush rolls in their main floorhead.
• Wand/hose: Long tube connecting the vacuum cleaner to the floorhead or any attachments (see here for what all the vacuum cleaner attachments do, like the crevice tool or dusting brush).
• Filter: Responsible for trapping the debris and particles as air passes through. Vacuums can have pre-motor filters and post-motor filters, to trap debris of different sizes at different points along the airflow.
• HEPA filter: Filter type that's able to capture at least 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 microns. It's a necessity in a pet hair vacuum as it's able to trap allergenic particles like pet dander (and household allergens like dust and pollen).
• Motor: The core component of a vacuum cleaner (it's also referred to as a suction motor). This is what converts the electrical power into mechanical power to create suction and airflow.
• Bagged/bagless: Some vacuums, typically older ones, use vacuum bags that you dispose of once full. Most vacuums are now bagless and have a dustbin that you conveniently empty when needed, without the need to buy additional bags. Bagged vacuums still have their advantages however, like dust-free emptying, complete odor and particle capture, and less filter maintenance.
• Detection: Some vacuums are able to 'detect' the type of flooring, how dusty/dirty the floor is, whether you're vacuuming edges, or which direction you're vacuuming. They can then automatically adjust suction power, as vacuuming carpet, edges and dust-heavy floors requires extra power, while vacuuming a fairly clean wooden floor doesn't require as much – saving energy or battery life.
• Power/air watts: A vacuum cleaner's power is best measured via air watts, reflecting the airflow and suction power in real terms. It's calculated by multiplying the airflow (in cubic metres per second) by the suction pressure (in pascals), accounting for variables like blockages or different-sized openings (from different vacuum attachments, for example).

FAQs

Below you'll find answers to common questions surrounding upright vacuums, with expert advice we've gained during all the testing and research we've done here at H&G.

Are upright vacuums better than cordless sticks?

Different vacuums excel in different ways. Cordless models are preferred for being lightweight and quick and easy to use, with useful features and varying attachments.

Unlike cordless vacs that rely on a battery for power, upright models use mains power to make the most of their powerful motors. Typically, they're more powerful than cordless vacuums; whenever a cordless model is as powerful as an upright (like the Dyson Gen5detect), it's usually reflected in the cost, with prices going up towards $1,000.

Upright vacuums are also larger, which is how they can house larger motors and be so powerful, but they can also cover more ground with each pass and don't need to be emptied as frequently.

They aren't quite as versatile, though. The best cordless vacuums can be taken apart, converted into handheld modes, and come with a variety of attachments to use for different cleaning purposes high and low. Uprights are much more rigid and even with the hose, they don't offer as much freedom and versatility as a lightweight stick vacuum.

So consider your cleaning needs. If you're vacuuming a house with kids and pets, an upright vacuum might be the answer. If you prefer quick cleaning whenever a mess is made, you can't beat how easy it is to get a cordless model out.

Are canister vacuums better than upright vacuums?

When comparing upright vs canister vacuums, canisters are often the vacuum of choice for professional cleaners because of their durability and reliable suction. The design of canister vacuums allow for larger motor sizes, leading to generally higher power, but upright vacuums are known to be able to concentrate more power at the floor level (measured in air watts).

The advantage of an upright vacuum is in the self-contained design. Everything is kept together in one consolidated appliance with slots for the various cleaning attachments, meaning it can be easier to maneuver around the house and they take up less space in storage.

Canister vacuums do offer increased agility when cleaning a room, however, as you're not carrying the entire vacuum unit when cleaning. But this agility is lost when you're going from room to room or up and down stairs, as you're then carrying two large components.

Upright vacs are more popular and this can sometimes make them more expensive, as brands will offer fancier promises and flashier designs. But, really, both upright and canister vacs are powerful choices, so if you're looking for the best suction power-to-cost ratio, find out the vacuum's power in air watts (as this is accurate of real-world conditions) and compare. If you're choosing based on other aspects like mobility, durability or storage, consider how the different designs would work in your home.

Are upright vacuums good on pet hair?

Some of the best vacuums for pet hair are upright models. Their powerful, unforgiving floorheads can usually make light work of hair, and they'll often have anti-tangle brushrolls to avoid too much effort from yourself. They're also more durable and tend to be better-equipped to handle other messes like mud and dirt that pets are likely to bring inside.

But day-to-day, upright vacuums aren't necessarily the best option. When it comes to vacuuming pet hair the right way, cleaning experts recommend having a vacuum close by that can be used at a moment's notice, to really stay on top of your home's fur problem. Upright vacuums are better for deep clean and aren't always as able to get under furniture and into tight spaces. They're also more difficult to take apart, so cleaning them and removing wrapped hair from the brushroll may be more time consuming.

Regardless, upright vacuums have the most promising suction power to deal with households with many pets. At the moment, Shark offer some of the best upright vacuums for pet hair, with unique pet upgrades designed for this exact purpose.

Can I use an upright vacuum on hardwood floors?

Usually, the best vacuums for hardwood floors aren't uprights. They're heavy, bulky and have some of the most powerful brushrolls found in vacuum cleaners, so the chance of damaging wooden floors is higher.

But that's not to say they're not safe. Modern upright vacs, like the Shark POWERDETECT in this guide, automatically adapts to different floor types to avoid damage. Some vacuums also let you turn off the spinning brushroll so that the sharp bristles aren't scraping the hardwood floor's surface.

Really, though, you should be looking for a vacuum with a soft brushroll, like the Dyson V12 Detect Slim. This minimizes the chance of leaving marks on your floors, and the soft brushroll is a saviour for picking up the tiny particles of dust and dirt left on hard floors.

Not found what you're looking for? Consider one of the best Dyson alternatives, or the best vacuums for pet hair.