We’ve yet to try a vacuum that we didn’t absolutely love. The vacuums listed below are solid products, and in some cases much cheaper than our top picks, but we just didn’t like them as much.
Levoit VortexIQ 40 Cordless Stick Vacuum, $230: This used to be our top pick. It was in limited stock but seems to be leveling out, so if you can find it, it’s a solid vacuum. It picked up all the hair, cat litter, and Cheerios in a few trips. I like the automatic mode, which adjusts power as needed, like a spike of suction when it goes over a clump of cat litter, then drops back down again. It also doubles as a high-powered hand vacuum, like more expensive vacuums.
Proscenic P13 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, $170: Having never tried a Dyson vacuum with a green laser, I was surprised at how well this vacuum’s green light illuminated dust and dirt. I was almost disgusted to see so much stuff I couldn’t see in normal lighting. But it took multiple trips to actually get most of that dirt out. Considering the price, it’s not bad for a non-cable everyday vacuum, but for more thorough cleaning, I definitely need a more powerful upright vacuum.
Eureka Innova Cordless Stick Multi-Surface Vacuum, $229: This is a great, affordable stick vacuum that’s especially good at cleaning cat litter mats and has dedicated settings for carpets and hardwood floors, though to pick up larger debris like Cheerios, I had to lift the vacuum and place it directly on top of them.
Shark Wandvac Auto-Dust Cordless Vacuum, $330: I love that it can be turned into a mini hand vacuum with the little attachment attached. It was very useful for cleaning my desk. It has a base that automatically collects dirt from the dust bin, so there are less clouds of dust that need to be sucked up. It was a pleasure to clean with this, but the suction is not as strong as I would like, so it is best used with a powerful upright vacuum. I wish it was an inch or two taller, and the dust bin is tiny at only 0.13 quarts.
Hoover OnePwr Emerge Pet $200: Testers said the vacuum was okay in normal mode, but that it had flimsy attachments and weak suction. Other than that, it did its job well.
