Types of Vacuum Cleaners (A Guide on Which Type You Need)

Having the right vacuum for the job spells the difference between a quick chore and a frustrating task. I’m going to go over the broad strokes of six major vacuum cleaner categories.

This overview will include what they excel at, what they struggle with, and what types of households would benefit from having one. However, if you don’t have time to get into the weeds, here’s everything you need to know at a glance:

Type	Excels at	Struggles with	Ideal household
Uprights	Easy storage Large area floorcare Easy transition between surfaces	Stairs Tight spaces Usually comes with fewer attachments	You have lots of floorspace you want to clean
Canisters	Cleaning stairs and furniture Easier to push Attachment storage	Storage Transitioning between surfaces	You want a vacuum that can clean a variety of surfaces like upholstery and drapes
Stick/Cordless	Lightweight Often cordless Good at cleaning tight spaces	Weaker suction Short battery life	You want a vacuum that can easily clean your car and your home is mostly hardwood
Handhelds	Compact Easily accessible	Weaker suction Can’t handle big messes	You want a small vacuum that can be stored on and clean your countertops or desk
Robot Vacuums	Automated Smart features Easily gets under furniture	Can damage furniture Can be poor floor cleaners Can get very expensive	You want a way to maintain your floors so you can cut down on manual cleanings
Wet/Dry Vacuums	Can clean wet messes Can handle large debris	Niche purchase Cannot clean large floorspaces	You want a supplemental vacuum that can clean up in the garage or basement

Upright Vacuums

Bissell upright vacuum cleaning a carpeted room

An upright vacuum can quickly clean large rooms

Upright vacuums focus on cleaning floors.
They are usually hose-less.
Uprights tend to have wider brush heads compared to other designs. This increased width translates to a larger cleaning path, making it easier to clean more floorspace quickly.
It’s also easy to adjust an upright from dealing with hardwood to carpet. It either automatically adjusts or you just need to turn a knob.
They’re good for people who have a lot of floor to clean and rely on other tools for their furniture and countertops.

Type	Excels at	Struggles with	Ideal household
Uprights	* Ease of storage * Large area floorcare * Transitioning between bare floors and high-pile carpet	* Stairs * Tight spaces * Usually comes with fewer attachments	* You have lots of floorspace you want to clean

Canister Vacuums

Canister vacuum cleaning hardwood floors

Canister vacuums can often carry attachments onboard

With canister vacuums, the motor (the canister) is separated from the brush head and handle by a hose.
This design allows the brush head to be easily pushed into a small area, get under furniture, and overhead.
On the higher end, canisters often come with more attachments than other designs because they can be stored inside the motor section.
Canisters can handle almost any vacuuming situation. They are suited for cleaning upholstery and flooring.
It can be cumbersome to drag the canister unit around.

Type	Excels at	Struggles with	Ideal household
Canisters	* Cleaning stairs and furniture * Easier to push * Attachment storage	* Overall storage * Issues with transitions between hardwood floors and carpet	* You want a vacuum that can clean a variety of surfaces like upholstery and drapes

Stick Vacuums

Cordless vacuum cleaning under a couch

Stick vacuums are compact and excel at cleaning under furniture

Stick vacuums are defined by their slim and lightweight design, usually a scaled-down version of an upright.
It makes them ideal for cleaning tight spaces and small homes.
Many models also can be converted into a handheld for cleaning countertops and car seats.
If you have a large house, it may take multiple charges to clean everything on the highest settings.

Type	Excels at	Struggles with	Ideal household
Stick/Cordless	* Lightweight * Often cordless * Good at cleaning tight spaces	* Weaker suction * Battery life limits cleaning time	* You want a vacuum that can easily clean your car, and your home is mostly hardwood

Handheld Vacuums

Handheld vacuum cleaning crumbs off a kitchen counter

Handhelds are great for cleaning crumbs off countertops

Handheld vacuums are compact enough to sit atop countertops and desks.
Usually, they are battery powered and designed to clean up small messes like crumbs.
While handhelds lack power, they excel at getting into tight spaces like between cushions.
Overall, they should be used as supplementary vacuums.

Type	Excels at	Struggles with	Ideal household
Handhelds	* Compact * Easily accessible	* Weaker suction * Can’t handle big messes	You want a small vacuum that can be stored on and clean your countertops or desk

Robotic Vacuums

A robot vacuum cleaning in a bathroom

Robot vacuums use a number of sensors to navigate your home

Robot vacuums are self-contained devices that use sensors to navigate and side sweepers to clean.
The sensors can vary from infrared beams to cameras.
Many robot vacuums can also be programmed via an app to clean specific rooms and avoid sensitive areas like near pet bowls.
More affordable robot vacuums tend to have poorer navigation.
On the high end of the spectrum, robot vacuums can offer many useful features like the ability to empty themselves or stream what they see to your phone. Due to their advanced navigation, they may shy away from furniture or other obstacles.

Type	Excels at	Struggles with	Ideal household
Robot Vacuums	* Automated * Often has useful extra features * Can easily get under furniture	* Can damage furniture * Can be poor floor cleaners * Can get very expensive	You want a way to maintain your floors so you can cut down on manual cleanings

Wet/Dry Vacuums

Person cleaning saw dust off the floor of a garage

Wet/dry vacuums are often better known as shop vacs

Wet/Dry vacuums are also known as shop vacs.
These vacuums are designed to be able to clean up water spills and pick up large debris.
Wet/dry vacuums typically come in two different forms: uprights designed to clean small messes in the kitchen, and larger canister versions geared toward cleaning up garages and basements.
If you ever wanted to clean up spills in the kitchen without a mess of paper towels or needed a vacuum that lives in the basement, a wet/dry vacuum might be exactly what you need.

Type	Excels at	Struggles with	Ideal household
Wet/Dry Vacuums	* Can clean wet messes * Can handle large debris	* Niche purchase * Cannot clean large floorspaces	You want a supplemental vacuum that can clean up in the garage or basement

How to Choose the Right Type of Vacuum

Before you choose your next vacuum cleaner, there are a few things you should consider. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself what annoyed you about your last vacuum cleaner.

For example, my old vacuum cleaner was a cordless stick vacuum. While I loved how easy it was to use it, it really didn’t work for my home because the battery life never lasted long enough. Plus, it couldn’t always handle my plusher carpets. So, the next vacuum cleaner I got was a canister, and I’m so happy with it.

Here are a few more things to think about when buying your next vacuum cleaner:

Budget

If you have a more modest budget, you should consider uprights or canister vacuum cleaners, since they offer best value for money (they can clean most surfaces easily). Robotic vacuum cleaners and wet/dry vacuum cleaners are usually expensive (especially if you want a really good one).

Handheld or stick vacuum cleaners are less expensive too, but usually not good for the whole house.

If your budget is higher, then you can look into robotic vacuum cleaners. However, you should also consider other factors (listed below).

Floor type

If you have hardwood floors or tiles in most places in your home, then an upright would work best for you. A robotic vacuum cleaner would work too, but you have to consider your budget as well.

Very plush carpets are best cleaned with canister vacuums (though transitioning between hardwood floors and carpets can be tricky).

Other things you want to clean

If you want to clean more than just your floors, then you should avoid upright vacuum cleaners. They’re generally best used on floors.

For people who have smaller homes and want a vacuum cleaner that can clean the floors, countertops and upholstery, I’d recommend a cordless stick vacuum cleaner. They can often turn into handhelds and even come with mop attachments.

Canister vacuums are also good for cleaning different surfaces, but they can be cumbersome because of the hose.

FAQ

What’s the difference between a bagged vacuum and a bagless vacuum cleaner

A bagged vacuum has a disposable dirt bag while a bagless vacuum places dust into a receptacle (like a cup or a container) that you empty.

What’s the difference between a traditional vacuum and a robotic vacuum cleaner

A traditional vacuum needs to be manually operated while a robotic vacuum is automated. Some robotic vacuum cleaners even empty themselves, so the process from beginning to end is out of your hands. However, they are more expensive than traditional vacuums.

Which is better, a stick or an upright vacuum

It depends on what you’re looking for. Stick vacuums are more compact so they can clean tight spaces better and often have a handheld component that can clean upholstery and countertops. Uprights tend to be more powerful and can clean large areas quicker, but are not good with furniture or countertops.

Are robotic vacuum cleaners a good choice for your home

Robot vacuums are great for people who want a hand maintaining their floors. Higher end robotic vacuum cleaners can even take vacuuming off your to-do list entirely. However, they’re best if you have a one-level home and don’t make a ton of mess anyway.

What kind of vacuum do professional cleaners use

Commercial vacuums are typically valued for their ease of repair and longevity rather than their power or features. Professional cleaners may use backpack vacuums so they can easily access other cleaning tools.

What is a 3-in-1 vacuum cleaner

A 3-in-1 vacuum is a type of wet/dry vacuum that can suction up debris as well as wet messes. They are designed to be a wet/dry vacuum, a traditional vacuum, and mop at the same time.