The 7 Best Canister Vacuums of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Miele Compact C1 Turbo Team Bagged Canister Vacuum

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Our Ratings

• Effectiveness
  4/5
• Maneuverability
  4.5/5
• Ease of Emptying
  4/5
• Noise Level
  5/5
• Setup
  3.5/5

The Miele C1 Turbo Team Bagged Canister Vacuum is pricey, but also has plenty of winning qualities that make it worth the investment. Boasting six suction settings and a self-winding cord, this canister vacuum pulls out all the stops to clean your surfaces and is, all in all, built to last.

During testing, we gave it great ratings across the board, and were particularly impressed with how it performed on hard floors, low-pile carpet, and high-pile carpet. It scored well for cleaning effectiveness on these surfaces, requiring just two passes to pick up the cereal, even on the high-pile carpet. When it came to noise level, this canister earned high marks, because you can have a conversation over it. In fact, one member of our team even said it's "so quiet, it's ridiculous." This machine also made it easy to reach under our low-sitting couch and coffee table, thanks to a telescoping wand.

The vacuum is quite heavy, at 15 pounds. You likely would get tired carrying it up and down the stairs several times on cleaning day. With a 3.75-quart bag, you will be able to do more cleaning at one time since it takes a while to fill it up (which is ideal, since you have to purchase replacement bags separately). We also found that it clogged up a bit on the medium-pile carpet after sucking up hair in our testing in The Lab, a potential drawback of all that suction.

Price at time of publish: $579

_{Dimensions: 16.9 x 9.1 x 9.8 inches | Weight: 15 pounds | Capacity: 3.75 quarts | Cleaning Path Width: 9.8 inches | Bag Type: Bagged | Compatible Floor Type: Carpet, hardwood, laminate, vinyl, tile, and linoleum}

Best Budget

Bissell Zing Bagless Canister Vacuum

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Looking for something a little cheaper? Check out the Bissell Zing Bagless Canister Vacuum. This nifty canister vac gets the job done on hard floors and upholstery. When we tested this model in a home setting, we were impressed by its suction power and how dust and debris it collected in the dust bin. It has both a hard floor mode and a carpet mode, so you can tailor the vacuum's suction power to the surface you're tackling.

The bagless design means you won't have to shell out more money on replacement bags, which is ideal. The container-emptying process was simple, and we didn't create a mess when dumping out the debris. We were also impressed at how longer strands of hair didn't get tangled up inside the vacuum.

This model leaves something to be desired when it comes to maneuverability. The floor head didn't swivel as we would have liked it to, but the compact design of the vacuum still made it relatively easy to get into nooks and crannies. The 15-foot-long power cord is on the shorter side, but the vacuum does come with a telescoping wand and a crevice tool to elevate your cleaning routine. Ultimately, we think this budget-friendly vac can be a loyal sidekick on cleaning days and offers much of the same power and features as some more expensive picks.

Price at time of publish: $80

_{Dimensions: 14 x 11 x 12 inches | Weight: 10.2 pounds | Capacity: 2 quarts | Cleaning Path Width: 11 inches | Bag type: Bagless | Compatible Floor Type: Vinyl, laminate, hardwood, carpet, and tile}

Best for Pet Hair

Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat & Dog Bagless Canister Vacuum

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Our Ratings

• Effectiveness
  4/5
• Maneuverability
  4.5/5
• Ease of Emptying
  4/5
• Portability
  4/5
• Noise Level
  4.5/5

While canister vacuums are some of the most powerful on the market and can handle just about any type of mess, we love that the Miele Blizzard CX1 Cat and Dog Bagless Canister Vacuum is specifically designed for pet owners. This vacuum comes with five different attachments (not including the motorized brush head) that allow you to clean virtually any floor type, plus upholstery. This vacuum easily picked up dog kibble on its lowest setting on hard flooring, and on the highest setting on high-pile carpet. The brush head and canister are slightly difficult to maneuver on carpet, based on our experience, but the canister easily rolled from hardwood to carpet without any issues.

This vacuum also, on all of its settings, handled pet hair with no issues. Navigating stairs may be slightly more difficult with this unit, but leaving the canister at the bottom of a set of stairs while cleaning them can alleviate some of that. While this vacuum was not particularly loud on any of its settings, the motorized brush head did make more noise than the other attachments.

Although this vacuum is one of the most expensive options we tested—and you might experience some sticker shock looking at the price tag—we believe it's worth the splurge, especially if you're looking to make an investment in a vacuum for pet hair that's sure to last for several years and capable of tackling all kinds of messes created by your furry friend.

Price at time of publish: $999

_{Dimensions: 12 x 20 x 12 inches | Weight: 19 pounds | Capacity: 2.1 quarts | Cleaning Path Width: Not listed | Bag type: Bagless | Compatible Floor Type: Hardwood, tile, vinyl, laminate, and carpet}

Best Compact

Atrix Turbo Red HEPA Canister Vacuum

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While canister vacuums can be practical for cleaning, they can be challenging to store in small spaces. If you're interested in something more compact—say, because you live in an apartment or condo, or simply do not want to lug a giant appliance up and down the stairs—look to the Atrix Turbo Red Canister Vacuum. Measuring a tiny 12 by 18 by 8.5 inches and weighing 11 pounds, the base is small, lightweight, and easy to store. We didn't put it to the test in The Lab or at home, but we were impressed by the variable-speed motor and whopping 17 height settings that'll help you suck up debris on all surfaces. A three-stage HEPA filtration system will then trap the debris, while a dust bag will help you seal it and dispose of the mess cleanly.

While the cleaning path is relatively narrow, this canister vacuum has many other redeeming features, like a full-bag indicator light and an auto-retractable power cord. (The corded design is also ideal for small spaces where outlets may not be as far from the surfaces you want to clean.) The vacuum comes with a long list of useful attachments and accessories, including a floor tool, two HEPA bags, an air-driven turbo brush, a dust brush, an upholstery nozzle, and a crevice nozzle. An accessory holder is also provided to make storing all of the attachments much simpler.

Price at time of publish: $165

_{Dimensions: 12 x 18 x 8.5 inches | Weight: 11 pounds | Capacity: 3 quarts | Cleaning Path Width: 8 inches | Bag type: Bagged | Compatible Floor Type: Hardwood, vinyl, laminate, and tile}

Best Bagless

BLACK+DECKER Bagless Multi-Cyclone Canister Vacuum

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The perk of a bagless canister vacuum, as compared to a bagged one, is that it's generally easier to empty and cheaper to maintain, and you don't need to buy replacement bags. However, debris isn't sealed away during disposal, which can be an issue for those who suffer from allergies and are trying to contain all of the dirt, debris, and irritants in their home. Luckily, the BLACK+DECKER Bagless Multi-Cyclone Canister Vacuum has a sizable dust bin at 3.8 quarts, so you don't need to empty it as often. It can also be cleared with the press of a button. The built-in HEPA filter helps to trap debris and allergens floating around your floors and in your air.

Flaunting a 1,200-watt motor and multi-cyclonic engineering, on top of the filter, this canister vac effortlessly sucks up debris and air particles and pushes them through the system, so you can keep cleaning your space without delay. At nearly 14 pounds, this pick is heavier than some canister vacuums on the market, and it might not be comfortable to carry up a flight of stairs. We didn't test this pick in The Lab or at home, but we were nonetheless impressed with its engineering and provided attachments.

Price at time of publish: $230

_{Dimensions: 14.06 x 10.47 x 16.06 inches | Weight: 13.9 pounds | Capacity: 3.8 quarts | Cleaning Path Width: 10 inches | Bag type: Bagless | Compatible Floor Type: Carpet, hardwood, vinyl, laminate, and tile}

Best Commercial

Hoover PortaPower Commercial Lightweight Canister Vacuum Cleaner

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Commercial vacuums are great for cleaning workshops, studios, gyms, and other business spaces with ease, but that doesn't mean you can't use them at home. While the Miele Complete C3 Brilliant Canister Vacuum Cleaner took our best overall spot in our roundup of the best commercial vacuums, it's extremely expensive. With that in mind, we think you can't go wrong with Hoover's PortaPower Canister Vacuum for residential use.

It's an ultra-lightweight vacuum that packs a serious punch. Weighing just 8 pounds, this unit is one of the easiest to carry, while offering an industrial-strength motor and an extendable wand with three convenient attachments. For one, it features a 36-inch power cord and a shoulder strap, making it super-easy to maneuver while channeling your inner Ghostbuster.

Not only can you clean just about any surface and tight space, but the added blower feature lets you tackle a tough job on your to-do list that requires forced air, such as blowing leaves. The bagged design will require you to buy extra bags in order to maintain this vac, and the bag tends to fill up quickly. However, a bagged design means that your messes will be sealed away after you pick them off the floor, which is a bonus.

Price at time of publish: $156

_{Dimensions: 18 x 11 x 7 inches | Weight: 8 pounds | Capacity: Not listed | Cleaning Path Width: 10 inches | Bag type: Bagged | Compatible Floor Type: Hardwood, tile, vinyl, laminate, and carpet}