Although the tech world is typically obsessed with the latest smartphones, one of the best things we’ve seen over the last few years is how continued innovation in the world of vacuum cleaners has made it easier than ever to keep your floors looking pristine. If you’re ready to make full use of the latest home cleaning gadgets then here are the best vacuum cleaners that our team recommend.
While industry titans like Dyson and Hoover are still putting out great vacuums, it’s the appearance of a lot of new brands like the Chinese-based Dreame that have helped to push all companies to be more competitive on the market. What this means is that not only are you getting more features for your money in 2026, but there are also far more types of vacuum cleaners to buy.
For instance, if you really don’t have a lot of time in the week due to a busy work/family life schedule, the best robot vacuum cleaners are great for helping to stay on top of general maintenance until you actually get an opportunity for a manual clean. Similarly, there are now some options amongst the best hard floor cleaners that can actually pick up solids as they go, which makes them far more efficient at picking up a wider array of messes.
For standard vacuums however, while you can pick up wired options that pack a ton of power, we’ve seen a ton of innovation in the world of cordless vacuums. There are some options that now have a battery life of over an hour, and auto detect modes are fairly commonplace which allow the vacuum to recognise how much dirt is on your floor plus the type of floor in question, and then adjust the suction power accordingly.
There’s so much more we could talk about but know that for every vacuum cleaner that arrives at our offices, they are all subjected to the same series of tests to see if they’re actually up to scratch. Only when one of our experts recommends a vacuum in question will it then be considered for entry on this list, so you can always shop with confidence.
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Types of vacuums in the list
Making a decision on which plug-in vacuum to buy can be tricky but also personal to the layout and size of your house. If you have a smaller home or struggle to lift heavy items, a smaller cleaner will be best suited to you; if you have a larger home, then a bigger vacuum will make more sense.
There are two main types of vacuum cleaners: cylinder and upright. Cylinder cleaners have you drag around the main vacuum cleaner body, while you hold the hose. They’re a little more cumbersome to store, but for the most part, you only have to hold the hose and floor head, so they feel lighter. Upright cleaners are a little neater, combining everything into a single body. Just plug them in, lean them back and start pushing.
Which type is best for you is personal and would be impacted by the size and layout of your home and your general cleaning requirements. If you live in a bungalow or flat then an upright cleaner is probably right for you. But if you live over multiple floors and need to clean stairs the cylinder cleaner can have better all-round utility.
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Buying advice
We report on all specs and test data at the bottom of this list. This is to supplement our advice and to help you make an informed decision. Here are some key points to consider:
- Weight: While cleaners spend most of their time on the floor, weight is still important, particularly if you have multiple stairs. A 4-to-5kg cleaner is quite light, 5-7kg cleaners sit in the middle, and 7kg+ are heavy.
- Vacuum cleaner type: Cylinder cleaners can feel lighter to move around and are easier to get under furniture; upright cleaners are neater with an all-in-one design; wet and dry vacuum cleaners are best for DIY as they can suck up wet mess.
- Provided head: A floor head (get one that suits your flooring, such as carpet and/or hard floor) and crevice tool are the minimum you need. Look for a dusting tool to speed up cleaning and a pet tool for cleaning sofas and pet beds.
- Bin capacity: A minimum of a 1-litre bin is a good idea, but up to 1.5-litres will reduce how often you have to empty. Those with larger houses should get bigger cleaners.
Most importantly read our real-world testing summary and, if you’re still not sure, visit the review.
Best vacuum cleaners at a glance
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How we test
Learn more about how we test vacuum cleaners
We put each of these vacuums through the Trusted Reviews testing methodology in our purpose-built lab where we have custom-made rugs, carpet tiles, carpet and hard floors. We also make sure that each flooring type has tight corners to test how effective the vacuum is at getting dirt in the corner. For each listing, you’ll see a link to our full review. If you’re still on the fence about which vacuum to buy we always recommend reading the full review.
The performance tests we perform on these vacuums are:
– Carpet test
– Pet hair test
– Hard floor test
– Edge cleaning test
– AirWatts measured at the handle on all power settings
– Noise tests using a decibel meter
We also run some real-world tests such as the ease of assembly, manoeuvrability, dust capacity, ease of emptying, and an overview of accessories.
If you ever needed a concrete example to show just how far Shark has come, not just in its own right, but also as a major disruptor to Dyson’s place in the market, then look no further than the Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pro IA3241UKT. This is an outstanding cordless vacuum that we cannot recommend enough, particularly if you’re a pet owner.
There are quite a few reasons why the IA3241UKT is great when you have pets, but chief among them is the inclusion of a motorised pet tool in the box. This allows thicker pet hair to be separated from the main brush to stop any issues from arising as you clean. The MultiFlex stem also makes it a lot easier to clean under beds and sofas where a lot of hair can pile up.
When analysing the raw suction power that the IA3241UKT can achieve, we were impressed to see a register of 59AW when the vacuum was set to Eco mode, which is actually a tad more powerful than the Dyson V16 Piston Animal. Boost mode kicked it all the way up to 322AW so there’s a lot of room to tackle different messes, but thanks to the dirt detection software onboard, you don’t have to worry about swapping between different modes as the IA3241UKT will do so automatically.
With the ability to collect just as much dust when going backwards over a bit of flooring as when it’s being pushed forwards, the IA3241UKT made short work of our simulated dust test, collecting 99.1% of the debris that we scattered. The edge test was similarly brilliant, collecting 95.9% which is a lot more than some pricier vacuums can achieve.
Although the IA3241UKT is great at vacuuming by default, we do recommend spending just a bit extra to improve the experience on the back-end by buying the self-empty dock. Without this add-on, the process of manually emptying the dust bin can get a bit messy, whereas the dock simplifies it all.
The Dyson PencilVac is one of those rare cordless vacuums that makes you do a double-take, wondering how on earth someone created such a thing. Compared to the PencilVac, all other cordless vacuums look positively chunky, as this appliance is just 38mm thick at the stem and weighs only 1.8kg. It’s incredible if you have very little storage space in which to house a vacuum when it’s not in use, but it also has an impact on the usability of the thing.
Because it’s so lightweight, the PencilVac simply glides across your floors, requiring very little effort on your part to get it to where it needs to be. The brush head section can also rotate on its axis to move seamlessly to tackle different spaces as you go, such as down the side of a sofa. All of this means that you don’t have to worry about the typical sense of fatigue which can arise with more cumbersome vacuums.
When it came time to put the PencilVac’s performance to the test, we were again impressed by how much cleaning ability Dyson has been able to cram into such a slim frame. When using the crevice tool, the PencilVac could pick up debris from 1.5cm away, and that power continued when tackling our simulated dust mess by using flour. We registered the PencilVac as picking up 99.75% of the debris, which is no easy feat.
The PencilVac was similarly effective with cleaning right up at the edge of the skirting board, collecting 96.2% of the flour we scattered. For the rice spill, the vacuum collected 100% of the debris, so for similar solid messes, you’ll get on just fine here. Even if you’re up against a more involved clean than usual, there’s a compactor that can be used with the dust bin to maximise the amount of space available. It’s such a simple yet ingenious idea that we’re surprised it wasn’t already a mainstay of modern vacuums.
The only key area where the Dyson PencilVac is a bit of a letdown is its complete inability to tackle carpets. There isn’t a dedicated mode for cleaning carpets on the PencilVac, so this is one appliance that’s best saved for flats or homes with hard floors only. Of course, there are plenty of other Dyson vacuums that cater to carpets, but none of them has the slick design of the PencilVac.
At this point, we’ve lost count of the number of robot vacuums we’ve tested over the years, and while there’s usually been room for improvement, whether that be in suction power, mopping ability or some kind of smart feature that doesn’t quite stack up, that cannot be said for the Roborock Saros 20. This is an exceptional robot vacuum that honestly makes it feel as if the concept has finally delivered on its core potential.
Right at the heart of the Saros 20 is the unbelievable 36,000Pa suction power, which leaves the vast majority of its competitors in the dust. With that kind of raw power onboard, the vacuum was able to pick up practically all of the debris in our flour test, on both the carpet and hard floor sections of our testing facility.
Edge cleaning was similarly brilliant, although it did leave a bit of debris after the initial pass, but was able to scoop up any remaining bits on a second visit. Because this is a 2-in-1 robot vacuum, there’s also a mopping element to help with any dried-in stains or spills that need taking care of.
When going over stains for coffee and red wine, the Saros 20 got rid of it all in next to no time. It was similarly efficient with a simulated mud stain, which required a combination of the vacuum and the mop in order to move both the stain and the debris that came with it. The ketchup test, as expected, wasn’t quite so seamless, but this is the toughest benchmark we implement. Thankfully, the Saros 20 was able to loosen the stain after an initial pass and after several more goes, the stain was eventually removed completely.
For when you are sending the Saros 20 out to do a general clean of your floors, we were really impressed by the StarSight Autonomous System 2.0 which uses 3D ToF sensors to gain a better understand of your home, giving it greater insight into which items of furniture it can pass under and which obstacles need to be avoided. Going even further, the vacuum can climb thresholds of up to 8.7cm so if you have slightly elevated portions of a room, that won’t be enough to stop the Saros 20 from completing its assignment, which we love to see.
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Cleans brilliantly
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Easy to empty
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No smelly filter
We’ve tested so many great hard floor cleaners that at this point, we’ve pretty much lost count, but then something like the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene comes along to up the bar even further for the rest of the industry to try and catch up. This is, by every metric, an incredible cleaner that offers a lot of versatility, even if you do have to contend with the typical high price tag that comes with buying a Dyson appliance.
Before we can talk about any other aspect of the Clean+Wash Hygiene, it’s worth highlighting the raw cleaning performance onboard as it is very much the reason why you should want to add this cleaner to your arsenal. Usually there’s one of our tests where a hard floor cleaner might struggle, but that wasn’t the case with the Clean+Wash Hygiene as it aced them all.
On the mid-level setting, we were able to remove coffee and red wine stains in just a few passes, to the point where you’d never know that they were there in the first place. The mud stain, which is where a lot of cleaners can trip up because of the inclusion of solid bits of debris, still wasn’t an issue. Because of the Clean+Wash Hygiene’s ability to separate solids as it goes and store them in a separate tank, the mud stain didn’t stand a chance.
The most difficult of the bunch is our ketchup stain test, something that can get spread around by lesser powered appliances, but the Clean+Wash Hygiene just scooped it all up. The only area where it ran into some trouble was with edge cleaning a separate ketchup mess. For these moments, the only other option that can really get the job done properly is the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge.
In terms of the build of the device, not only is it very easy to empty once you’re done with the clean, but because there’s no filter involved, you don’t have to deal with the horrible smells that can build up overtime. Throw in the fact that the Clean+Wash Hygiene can run for up to 70 minutes at a time and it’s easy to see why we rate the appliance so highly.
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Light and easy to use
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Cleans quickly
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Powerful stain removal
As much as we recommend having a dedicated hard floor cleaner to hand as it makes the process of dealing with spills and stains so much easier than going down the manual route, the one area where a lot of these appliances struggle is with edge cleaning, and it does make sense to a degree given how they’re built. However, the Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge defies all logic by going against the grain here.
Simply put, if you live in a home where you have pets or kids and messes of all kinds can turn up when you least expect them, then the OmniForce Edge might be the perfect hard floor cleaner to have to hand. When put up against our edge test, which is where so many other hard floor cleaners have struggled, Bissell’s appliance performed exceptionally well. With the ketchup stain involved, the appliance removed all of it that was present on the floor, to the point where the only remnants were on the plinth itself and a tiny bit of ketchup that had gone right underneath and would require a finer tool to remove.
The reason why the OmniForce Edge is able to perform so well in these scenarios is thanks to the ZeroGap Multi-Surface roller which uses an additional screw-in section on the edges which allow the appliance to reach much further than your average hard floor cleaner. It’s a bit mind-bending but the important thing is that it works.
What’s great is that, even though Bissell has paid extra attention to edge cleaning, the brand hasn’t let the ball drop with other scenarios. With dried-in coffee and red wine stains, the OmniForce Edge was able to get rid of them completely in just a few passes at the standard power level. Because the device can also pick up solids, it made short work of our multi-faceted mud stain too.
You can get up to 30 minutes of use between charges which is more than enough for most people but you do get a bit longer with the Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene. Still, Bissell’s appliance costs a lot less which makes it great for shoppers on a budget, the 4.8kg weight of the thing means that you can move it around plenty within those 30 minutes and rarely feel any sense of fatigue.
Although the convenience and flexibility of a cordless vacuum cleaner can’t be denied, the sheer power of a traditional plug-in model is undoubtedly hard to beat. Fortunately, the Vax LiftOut Multi Pet-Design does a great job at offering maximum pick-up power with clever design elements that make it much easier to use.
There’s an easy-to-reach foot switch that releases the bin and motor from the floor head which essentially turns the LiftOut Multi Pet-Design into a more flexible cylinder vacuum cleaner. When in this mode, you can reach tighter spaces much easier, turning it into one of the best car vacuum cleaners.
Plus, when in LiftOut mode, you can attach the main floor head to the wand which is a rare benefit for such vacuums. This is especially useful if you find yourself struggling to push the 6.63kg appliance around – although as most of that weight sits on the floor, this shouldn’t really be much of an issue.
Vax also includes a selection of useful tools, including one for pet hair removal, stairs, crevice and a mini motorised brush. Although there isn’t enough on-board storage for all the tools, you can keep both the crevice and one additional tool on the vacuum’s body at all times.
There’s also a large two-litre bin which can be easily emptied by either the top or bottom.
Overall we were seriously impressed with how well the Vax LiftOut Multi Pet-Design vacuum coped during our tests. Not only did we find it picked up 97.37% of dropped dust, but it also did an admirable job of tackling wall edges too. Plus, thanks to the design of the main floor head’s brush bar, long hair strands were cleared up without getting tangled.
Thanks to its flexible design and mighty suction, the Vax LiftOut Multi Pet-Design has easily earned its spot as one of the best upright vacuum cleaners.
With a 1.8-litre bin, anti-tangle floor head and hailed by us as “the most manoeuvrable plug-in vacuum” we’ve tested, the plug-in Dyson Ball Animal is a brilliant choice for those who don’t want to be limited by battery power.
Although it weighs a mighty 7.6kg, making it heavier than most of the best cordless vacuum cleaners, the Dyson Ball Animal Multifloor’s large ball at its base is designed to make it easy to push the vacuum around so you shouldn’t need to lift it often.
Dyson also includes a handful of useful tools, such as a two-in-one crevice attachment, dusting brush, stair tool and an anti-tangle turbine device for pet hair. The caveat here is that all tools need to be attached to the long wand found under the handle and, while the wand is useful at reaching high spaces, we did find it can be fiddly to use.
Otherwise its main anti-tangle floor head, which is made up of bristles that prevent hair from wrapping around and becoming tangled, works brilliantly. The floor head also has a slider which adjusts airflow depending on the surface type, handy for areas that need a more delicate touch.
Overall we found that the Dyson Ball Animal Multifloor is a fantastic vacuum that makes light work of day-to-day household cleaning. With plenty of tools, manoeuvrability and uninterrupted plug-in performance, this vacuum will suit most households.
If there’s one problem with cylinder vacuum cleaners, it’s that they’re often bulky and messy to store. The Miele Boost CX1 is different.
First, it’s very small (280 x 400 x 400) and it weighs 7.8kg, which makes it more compact than the competition. Secondly, there’s room on board for all of the tools (dusting brush, crevice tool and upholstery brush), and there’s a clip for stowing the floor head. All-in, we found this the neatest and most compact cylinder we have tested.
The minor downside to such a cleaner is that the hose is a little shorter than on rivals, as is the power cable. As such, you may need to use a couple of extra power sockets to clean your home, compared to a regular cleaner.
We loved the power settings on this vacuum cleaner: they’re clearly labelled for the job at hand with settings for curtains and upholstery, rugs, carpet and hard floors. No more guessing which mode to use.
There’s a lot of power in this cleaner, too. We measured it at 89AW on its lowest setting, up to a massive 422AW on its maximum power. That’s a huge amount of suction, and great for picking up larger messes fast.
In our real-world tests, we found that debris on carpet was gone straight away and that the cleaner reached right to the edge of rooms. Hard floor pick-up was flawless. The only test that this cleaner struggled with was pet hair removal: with suction only, the Boost CX1 struggles to agitate and remove hair, and a cleaner with a motorised brush is really required. Miele does sell a Cat & Dog version that adds a motorised brush for these jobs.
If you’ve got a more modest home and like the idea of a cylinder cleaner, this compact and powerful model is a great choice.
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Super-powerful
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Clever drainage system
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Smart filter cleaning
Big and powerful, the Karcher WD6 P Premium can suck up dust and larger debris from any surface fast. It comes with a smart filter cleaner, and can tackle wet spills without you having to change the filter. It’s perfect for proper filth and mess, such as wet plaster dust and sawdust from DIY jobs. If you find yourself doing a lot of work in and around your home, then the Karcher WD6 P Premium could well be for you.
Offering phenomenal power, an integrated power socket for power tools, and the ability to handle wet and dry mess, it’s an exceptional all-round vacuum cleaner. It’s quite large, though, and a bit unwieldy to store. As such, it’s best suited to those who have a garage or shed in which they can store the vacuum when it isn’t in use.
Karcher provides a few accessories in the box: a crevice tool, floor head (with a switch to raise the brushes for normal vacuuming, and lower them for water removal), a tool attachment, and a mini detail hose. The tool adapter lets you plug the vacuum cleaner into the back of a power tool to suck away dirt as you work.
Wet and dry vacuum cleaners aren’t subject to the same power restrictions as normal vacuum cleaners, which means there’s a lot more power on offer here. This enables the Karcher WD6 P Premium to suck up water, large bits of debris, and even higher volumes of dust and dirt than a regular vacuum cleaner. We measured it at at a huge 472AW, the most that we have seen from any vacuum cleaner.
Its huge capacity, the ability to tackle wet and dry mess, and a ridiculous amount of power means that the Karcher WD6 P Premium is perfect for any messy cleanup job. Try to suck up sawdust, and it will quickly clean an area in a fraction of the time that it would take a regular vacuum cleaner. And with wet spills or larger debris, it sucks up the mess in an instant. It’s also easy to empty, and the integrated filter cleaning option helps to maintain top performance as you work. If you regularly have dirty jobs to contend with, you’re unlikely to find anything better.
Easily one of the most recognisable vacuums in the UK, the Henry is known for its iconic design and (more importantly) its exceptional power and performance.
Available as the classic red Henry or the pink Hetty, the Numatic Henry HVR160 is able to make light work of most cleaning tasks from everyday household mess to even DIY work with minimal hassle. The Henry HVR160 is easy to manoeuvre too thanks to its wheeled cylindrical body however it’s worth noting that it does weigh 7.5kg so it isn’t the lightest vacuum to carry around.
Storing the Henry isn’t particularly neat either as there isn’t any dedicated space to house the 2.4m long hose, so it ends up loosely piled on top of the base. Having said that, the Henry does boast a manual handle to wind the cable back into the main body which neatens it up slightly.
Included with the Henry HVR160 is a set of useful accessories, including a two-in-one floor head that can switch between carpets and hard floors, a crevice tool for hard to reach areas, a dusting brush and an upholstery brush.
The Henry also boasts a massive 10m long power cable alongside a 2.4m hose, which should be enough to clean an entire floor from a single power socket.
We found that the Numatic Henry was simply one of the most powerful vacuums we’ve ever tested, with its raw power measuring at a whopping 408AW. This means the Henry is able to pick up debris much faster than its rivals, although we did find that this sheer strength had a tendency to suck up lighter rugs, which can be a nuisance.
Overall the Numatic Henry HVR160 is a classic for numerous reasons. Not only is it a design icon but it’s exceptionally powerful and comes equipped with numerous tools and a large 6-litre bin capacity.
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Powerful suction
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Huge capacity
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Great set of tools
If you’re searching for a big vacuum cleaner on a small budget, the Numatic Henry XL Plus is an excellent pick.
The Henry XL Plus presents a supersized alternative to the classic Henry vacuum cleaner, ideal for tackling bigger spaces that require a larger capacity cleaner.
This model is large, measuring 510x350x370mm and weighing 10kg. Thankfully, the attached wheels make it easy enough to move around despite its size. The vacuum has a huge 15-litre capacity (twice that of a regular Henry) and requires NVM-2BH HepaFlo bags. There’s also a second filter that sits on top of the bag, locking in dust effectively.
The controls are comparable to a regular Henry, with Numatic including a single on/off switch to toggle power and an air vent at the top of the wand to reduce airflow.
The wand and hose have good reach and we found that we were able to clean a full flight of stairs without moving the vacuum further than the top and bottom steps.
The Henry XL Plus comes with a regular floorhead for cleaning hard floors and carpets, along with a dedicated hard floor tool and a turbo tool to agitate dirt that works well with pet hair, though it’s a shame the brush isn’t an anti-tangle one. For this reason, you’ll be better off opting for one of our best vacuums for pet hair if you’re a pet owner searching for something a bit more adept at tackling fur.
The vacuum has 431AW of power, which is similar to the suction power of the standard Henry and just above that of the Shark CZ500UKT. The Henry XL Plus performed admirably in our tests, making it an excellent pick for anyone looking for a large-capacity vacuum cleaner to tackle big spaces.
The Hoover HL5 Pet is a vacuum cleaner with anti-twist technology, making it ideal for cleaning up after your furry friend.
The HL5 Pet is a smart-looking vacuum cleaner with a bold blue and yellow finish. There are also some useful design details, including a clear porthole in the top of the bin to show how full the vacuum is while cleaning.
This particular model includes a large 1.4-litre bin with a filter that lifts out easily to be fully cleaned from time to time. There’s a washable foam filter beneath the bin and a HEPA filter at the front to keep dirt locked inside the vacuum.
The HL5 Pet is easy to use in its upright mode and the LED lights highlight the floor as you clean, though not quite as strongly as the laser on the Dyson V15 Detect. The vacuum is lightweight and easy to push around with an air vent that helps reduce power when needed. There’s also a carpet mode, which sets the brush to maximum speed.
The Push&Lift feature makes this cleaner very nimble when tackling tricky areas like stairs and car interiors, while the anti-twist technology prevents hair from getting caught in the roller making the HL5 Pet ideal for cleaning up after pets.
Furthermore, there’s a crevice tool and a motorised pet tool in the box for stairs, pet beds and sofas, along with a wand and hose for reaching ceilings.
The HL5 Pet is incredibly powerful for an upright vacuum, hitting 332AW in our tests. For comparison’s sake, the Shark NZ860UKT has 268AW of power, though the Shark vacuum does do a faster job in many instances. The HL5 Pet also performed well in our real-world tests, especially when faced with pet and human hair.
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Low price
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Lots of suction
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Cleans well on carpet
If you have pets at home then you’ll appreciate the Vacmaster Respira Lift Off Pet, especially as it’s one of the more budget friendly options on our list.
In terms of raw power, we measured the Vacmaster Respira Lift Off Pet reached up to 287AW, making it higher than the likes of the Shark NZ860UKT and the Vacmaster Respira. In real-world use, we found the vacuum performed admirably during our tests and was able to pick up the majority of dropped dust from carpets.
We also found that the Vacmaster Respira Lift Off Pet coped well with pet hair across carpets, thanks to its motorised floor brush, although longer hair did have a tendency to become tangled.
It’s also worth mentioning that we noted that the vacuum struggled when dealing with hard floors, picking up just 83.8% of dropped debris from the surface. If your home is made up of predominately hard floors, then we’d advise against this vacuum and suggest opting for the Hoover HL5 Pet instead.
As its name suggests, the Vacmaster Respira Lift Off Pet also sports a useful removable cylinder alongside a two metre hose for easier stair, spot and upholstery cleaning.
Overall, if your home is mostly made up of carpets and you have pets, then the Vacmaster Respira Lift Off Pet is a brilliant and affordable vacuum cleaner.
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Very powerful
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Long battery life
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Useful range of tools
Hailed by us as the “most powerful handheld-only vacuum cleaner”, the Dyson Car+Boat is actually not an entirely new product. In fact, it’s essentially a Dyson V8 without the wand or floor tool.
With this in mind, considering the V8 received a perfect five-star rating from us, it’s no surprise that the Car+Boat provides exceptional power, handles tough messes with ease and offers more battery life than regular handheld models.
There are two power modes to select from: Standard or Boost, with the latter delivering a whopping 211AW, which is way ahead of other handheld cleaners like the Shark Premium Handheld. During our controlled tests, we found the Car+Boat was able to collect 99.7% of dust dropped across the floor and a jaw-dropping 98.6% during our difficult edge test.
It’s worth noting that there is no anti-hair wrap technology present, so longer hair can get caught around the brush.
At just 1.9kg, the Dyson Car+Boat is light and easy to carry around, making it ideal for tackling spot cleans. We also found the vacuum offers just under 40 minutes of battery life on standard mode, which drops to under ten minutes when boost is enabled.
To operate the Dyson Car+Boat, you’ll need to hold the trigger down constantly, which is a bit of a pain. Otherwise, if you want a dedicated handheld vacuum that’s powerful and long-lasting, then the Dyson Car+Boat is a brilliant, albeit expensive choice.
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Good value
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Powerful
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Cleans well
For the amount of choice that’s now available within the budget market, let alone with vacuum cleaners in general, it can be difficult to know which one of the cheaper options is actually worth buying. Well, if all you want is a straightforward vacuum that’s powerful, easy to use and doesn’t cost a fortune then the Hoover HL4 Home is an instant recommendation.
Even though it only carries a price tag of £219, the Hoover HL4 can provide a level of suction that far outweighs any expectations. When vacuuming loose rice on our testing floor, the HL4 was able to scoop it all up with ease and could even collect grains from 2.4cm away, so it’s far less likely that you’re going to see areas that have been missed because you didn’t specifically go over them in a passthrough.
It was a similar situation when we purposefully spilled 20g of flour on the test floor to see how the HL4 would handle it. With each passthrough, the vacuum removed huge amounts of flour which meant that the whole mess could be cleaned in next to no time. Again, on the price alone, the Hoover HL4 Home is a tough act to beat.
For most targeted spills that don’t require the full brunt of the brush, you can remove the cylinder from the vacuum and use it to clean up smaller messes quickly. There’s also a crevice tool included which is perfect for cleaning up the corners of a room as well as any gaps in a sofa where crumbs and dust can linger.
Because the HL4 Home only weighs in at 5kg, it’s incredibly easy to move around, and its slim build prevents it from taking up much space when it’s stored away. It really is the ideal corded vacuum cleaner for anyone living in a flat or a home that doesn’t have much space in the way of storage. Having a 1.2-litre bin onboard isn’t bad either, as you certainly won’t need to empty it halfway through a clean to allow for more room.
Test Data
| |
Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro IA3241UKT |
Dyson PencilVac |
Roborock Saros 20 |
Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene |
Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge |
Vax LiftOut Multi Pet-Design |
Dyson Ball Animal Multifloor |
Miele Boost CX1 |
Karcher WD6 P Premium |
Numatic Henry HVR160 |
Numatic Henry XL Plus |
Hoover HL5 Pet |
Vacmaster Respira Lift Off Pet |
Dyson Car+Boat |
Hoover HL4 |
| Sound (normal) |
– |
– |
– |
57.2 dB |
69.6 dB |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| AirWatts (low) |
59 AW |
33 AW |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
89 AW |
160 AW |
314 AW |
– |
– |
– |
45 AW |
– |
| AirWatts (medium) |
82 AW |
56 AW |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
313 AW |
362 AW |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| AirWatts (high) |
322 AW |
103 AW |
– |
– |
– |
151 AW |
203 AW |
422 AW |
467 AW |
408 AW |
431 AW |
332 AW |
287 AW |
211 AW |
243 AW |
| Sound (low) |
65.5 dB |
69.8 dB |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
58.6 dB |
70.5 dB |
– |
– |
– |
– |
78.6 dB |
– |
| Sound (medium) |
68.6 dB |
71.2 dB |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
66.3 dB |
74.3 dB |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Sound (high) |
75.1 dB |
74.5 dB |
58 dB |
– |
– |
73.2 dB |
67.8 dB |
68.4 dB |
80.1 dB |
68.1 dB |
69.2 dB |
76.8 dB |
71.2 dB |
77.4 dB |
71.1 dB |
Full Specs
| |
Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro IA3241UKT Review |
Dyson PencilVac Review |
Roborock Saros 20 Review |
Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene Review |
Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge Review |
Vax LiftOut Multi Pet-Design Review |
Dyson Ball Animal Multifloor Review |
Miele Boost CX1 Review |
Karcher WD6 P Premium Review |
Numatic Henry HVR160 Review |
Numatic Henry XL Plus Review |
Hoover HL5 Pet Review |
Vacmaster Respira Lift Off Pet Review |
Dyson Car+Boat Review |
Hoover HL4 Review |
| Manufacturer |
Shark |
Dyson |
roborock |
Dyson |
Bissell |
Vax |
Dyson |
Miele |
Karcher |
Numatic |
Numatic |
Hoover |
Vacmaster |
Dyson |
Hoover |
| Size (Dimensions) |
260 x 350 x 1120 MM |
38 x 226 x 1160 MM |
350 x 353 x 79.8 MM |
280 x 244 x 1096 MM |
270 x 270 x 1107 MM |
270 x 370 x 1160 MM |
280 x 390 x 1065 MM |
x x INCHES |
382 x 418 x 693 MM |
320 x 340 x 345 MM |
360 x 370 x 510 MM |
350 x 290 x 1150 MM |
260 x 260 x 1150 MM |
131 x 331 x 207 MM |
330 x 228 x 1150 MM |
| Weight |
3.22 KG |
1.8 KG |
– |
3.82 KG |
4.8 KG |
6.63 KG |
7.3 KG |
– |
9.6 KG |
6.5 KG |
10 KG |
5.9 KG |
5.46 KG |
1.9 KG |
5.5 G |
| ASIN |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
B08HDCGX16 |
B00JU53C92 |
B078KKHT2Q |
– |
B0B9CFWKB7 |
– |
– |
– |
| Release Date |
2026 |
2026 |
2026 |
2025 |
2025 |
2025 |
2024 |
2022 |
2022 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
2024 |
| First Reviewed Date |
27/04/2026 |
02/02/2026 |
26/02/2026 |
03/02/2026 |
21/08/2025 |
15/01/2026 |
28/01/2025 |
05/07/2022 |
01/04/2022 |
04/05/2022 |
08/11/2022 |
23/03/2023 |
03/02/2025 |
28/03/2025 |
09/09/2025 |
| Model Number |
Shark PowerDetect Speed Clean and Empty Pet Pro IA3241UKT |
Dyson PencilVac |
Roborock Saros 20 |
Dyson Clean+Wash Hygiene |
Bissell CrossWave OmniForce Edge |
Vax LiftOut Multi Pet-Design |
Dyson Ball Animal Multifloor |
Miele CX1 Boost |
Karcher WD6 P Premium |
Numatic Henry HVR160 |
Henry XL Plus |
Hoover HL5 Pet |
UC0902EHUK |
Dyson Car+Boat |
– |
| Vacuum cleaner type |
Cordless stick |
Cordless stick |
Vacuum cleaner and mop |
– |
– |
Plug-in upright |
Plug-in upright |
Cylinder |
Wet and dry cylinder |
Cylinder |
Cylinder |
Upright |
Plug-in upright |
Handheld |
Upright |
| Provided heads |
Floor head, 2-in-1 tool, mini motorised brush |
Fluffycones floor head, 2-in-1 crevice tool |
– |
Floor head |
Floor head with ZeroGap roller |
Crevice tool, mini motorised brush, pet hair remover, stair tool |
Floor head, stair tool, Flat out head, soft dusting brush, combination tool, quick-release tangle-free turbine tool |
Floor head, crevice tool, dusting brush, upholstery brush |
Floor head, tool connector, crevice tool, extension hose |
Floor head, crevice tool, brush, upholstery tool, extension tube |
Crevice tool, mattress tool, brush, turbo brush, flexible crevice tool, carpet/hard floor head, hard floor head |
Floor head, crevice tool, mini pet tool |
Floor head, 3-in-1 combination tool, Pet Mate tool, upholstery tool |
Crevice tool, combination tool, mini motorhead |
Anti-Twist floor head, crevice tool |
| Bin capacity |
0.47 litres |
0.08 litres |
2 litres |
0.52 litres |
0.44 litres |
2 litres |
1.8 litres |
2 litres |
26 litres |
5 litres |
15 litres |
0.4 litres |
1.5 litres |
0.54 litres |
1.2 litres |
| Bagless |
Yes |
Yes |
– |
– |
– |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
– |
– |
– |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Modes |
Auto, Boost, Eco |
Eco, Standard, Boost |
Vacuum, Mop, Vacuum and mop, Mop after vacuuming |
Three water flow options and Max mode |
Standard, boost |
On/off |
On/off (brush bar can be turned on/off, too) |
Curtains and upholstery, rugs, carpets and hard floors |
Auto, manual |
On/off |
On/off |
On/off (air vent reduces suction) |
On/off (hard floor and carpet modes) |
Standard, boost |
Carpet, hard floor |
| Filters |
2 (washable) |
1 (washable) |
1 (washable) |
0 |
1 (washable) |
2 (one washable, one replaceable) |
1 (washable) |
2 (washable) |
1 (washable) |
1 |
1 |
2 (washable) |
3 (washable) |
2 (washable) |
2 (washable) |
| Run time |
1 hrs min |
30 mins min |
200 mins min |
45 mins min |
31 mins min |
hrs min |
hrs min |
hrs min |
hrs min |
– |
hrs min |
– |
hrs min |
50 mins min |
hrs min |
| Charge time |
– |
– |
2.5 hrs |
– |
4 hrs |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Brushes |
– |
– |
1x side brush, 1x roller |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Mop Option |
– |
– |
Dual microfibres mops |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Smart assistants |
– |
– |
Yes |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Floor cleaner type |
– |
– |
– |
Hard floor cleaner |
Hard floor cleaner |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| Detergent capacity |
– |
– |
– |
0.75 litres |
0.65 litres |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
| UK RRP |
£499.99 |
£429.99 |
£1299 |
£429.99 |
£319 |
£269.99 |
£379.99 |
£268 |
£246.99 |
£149.99 |
£167.99 |
£297 |
£109.99 |
£249.99 |
– |
| USA RRP |
– |
– |
$1299 |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
What style of vacuum cleaner do you want?
Cylinder cleaners have the power in a wheeled unit that you pull around behind you. There’s less weight in your hand, as you hold the wand and hose only, and you only occasionally need to drag the cylinder where you need it. They’re not quite as quick to get going with as an upright cleaner, which you plug in, pull back on and get going with. Upright cleaners are generally more popular as a result.
Do you need a bagged or bagless cleaner?
A bagged cleaner adds running costs into the mix, but you get a simple bag that you pull out and throw away, which can be better for allergy sufferers. With a bagless cleaner, you get a removable bin that needs emptying, which saves on cost but can lead to dust spreading in the air as you empty
What accessories do you need?
All vacuum cleaners come with a floor head. Given the power available, some don’t require a spinning brush, but look out for models that do, as motorised brushes can make dirt pick-up more efficient, particularly when dealing with pet hair. You’ll also want to get a crevice tool and dusting tool, at the minimum, for close-up work; look out for a mini motorised brush if you have pets and want to tackle furniture
How much power do you need?
Most plug-in models are limited to 750W of power, but the actual suction available and cleaning quality differs from vacuum to vacuum. Read our reviews to find out which vacuums clean the best.
Do you need a wet and dry vacuum?
Wet and dry models can tackle wet spills as well as dry, although you may need to do a bit of conversion before switching modes. These models can have more powerful motors, but they’re specialised tools that excel at tough jobs, such as DIY mess, and cleaning out a blocked washing machine.
What can a plug-in vacuum cleaner do that a cordless model can’t?
For basic cleaning, there’s not much between the two types, but the plug-in model does have some general advantages. First, you can keep cleaning for as long as you want, and don’t have to stop to recharge. Sure, some cordless cleaners provide power for whole-home cleaning, but even they will run out if you want to deep clean your house, tackle your sofas and car, for example. With a plug-in cleaner, you can just keep on going, and you run them at higher suction power for a deep clean.
A smaller advantage is that you can generally use plug-in cleaners for other suction jobs as they don’t cut out; cordless cleaners often (although not all models) have suction protection, turning off when they detect a blockage. For example, if you’ve got a vacuum drill attachment, where dust from drilling is sucked away before it can make a mess, this will work more easily with a plug-in cleaner. With a cordless cleaner, this kind of accessory may not work. Likewise, for vacuum storage bags, some cordless cleaners will cut out before you’ve compressed your bag; a plug-in cleaner will not.
What’s the difference between a regular model and a wet and dry vacuum?
A wet and dry vacuum cleaner can suck up dry dirt and water, although you usually have to convert between the two modes. As well as that clear difference, wet and dry vacuum cleaners don’t have the same power limitations placed on them, so they’re more powerful making them great for DIY jobs and dealing with the messiest of dirt.
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